1
|
Menon I, Sych T, Son Y, Morizumi T, Lee J, Ernst OP, Khelashvili G, Sezgin E, Levitz J, Menon AK. A cholesterol switch controls phospholipid scrambling by G protein-coupled receptors. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105649. [PMID: 38237683 PMCID: PMC10874734 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of cell membrane signaling receptors, moonlight as constitutively active phospholipid scramblases. The plasma membrane of metazoan cells is replete with GPCRs yet has a strong resting trans-bilayer phospholipid asymmetry, with the signaling lipid phosphatidylserine confined to the cytoplasmic leaflet. To account for the persistence of this lipid asymmetry in the presence of GPCR scramblases, we hypothesized that GPCR-mediated lipid scrambling is regulated by cholesterol, a major constituent of the plasma membrane. We now present a technique whereby synthetic vesicles reconstituted with GPCRs can be supplemented with cholesterol to a level similar to that of the plasma membrane and show that the scramblase activity of two prototypical GPCRs, opsin and the β1-adrenergic receptor, is impaired upon cholesterol loading. Our data suggest that cholesterol acts as a switch, inhibiting scrambling above a receptor-specific threshold concentration to disable GPCR scramblases at the plasma membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indu Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Taras Sych
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Yeeun Son
- Graduate program in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, New York, USA; Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Takefumi Morizumi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Oliver P Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA; Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Erdinc Sezgin
- Graduate program in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Menon I, Sych T, Son Y, Morizumi T, Lee J, Ernst OP, Khelashvili G, Sezgin E, Levitz J, Menon AK. A cholesterol switch controls phospholipid scrambling by G protein-coupled receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.24.568580. [PMID: 38045315 PMCID: PMC10690279 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.24.568580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of cell membrane signaling receptors, moonlight as constitutively active phospholipid scramblases. The plasma membrane of metazoan cells is replete with GPCRs, yet has a strong resting trans-bilayer phospholipid asymmetry, with the signaling lipid phosphatidylserine confined to the cytoplasmic leaflet. To account for the persistence of this lipid asymmetry in the presence of GPCR scramblases, we hypothesized that GPCR-mediated lipid scrambling is regulated by cholesterol, a major constituent of the plasma membrane. We now present a technique whereby synthetic vesicles reconstituted with GPCRs can be supplemented with cholesterol to a level similar to that of the plasma membrane and show that the scramblase activity of two prototypical GPCRs, opsin and the β1-adrenergic receptor, is impaired upon cholesterol loading. Our data suggest that cholesterol acts as a switch, inhibiting scrambling above a receptor-specific threshold concentration to disable GPCR scramblases at the plasma membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indu Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Taras Sych
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Yeeun Son
- Graduate program in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Takefumi Morizumi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - Joon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Oliver P. Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Erdinc Sezgin
- Graduate program in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anant K. Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hofmann KP, Lamb TD. Rhodopsin, light-sensor of vision. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 93:101116. [PMID: 36273969 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The light sensor of vertebrate scotopic (low-light) vision, rhodopsin, is a G-protein-coupled receptor comprising a polypeptide chain with bound chromophore, 11-cis-retinal, that exhibits remarkable physicochemical properties. This photopigment is extremely stable in the dark, yet its chromophore isomerises upon photon absorption with 70% efficiency, enabling the activation of its G-protein, transducin, with high efficiency. Rhodopsin's photochemical and biochemical activities occur over very different time-scales: the energy of retinaldehyde's excited state is stored in <1 ps in retinal-protein interactions, but it takes milliseconds for the catalytically active state to form, and many tens of minutes for the resting state to be restored. In this review, we describe the properties of rhodopsin and its role in rod phototransduction. We first introduce rhodopsin's gross structural features, its evolution, and the basic mechanisms of its activation. We then discuss light absorption and spectral sensitivity, photoreceptor electrical responses that result from the activity of individual rhodopsin molecules, and recovery of rhodopsin and the visual system from intense bleaching exposures. We then provide a detailed examination of rhodopsin's molecular structure and function, first in its dark state, and then in the active Meta states that govern its interactions with transducin, rhodopsin kinase and arrestin. While it is clear that rhodopsin's molecular properties are exquisitely honed for phototransduction, from starlight to dawn/dusk intensity levels, our understanding of how its molecular interactions determine the properties of scotopic vision remains incomplete. We describe potential future directions of research, and outline several major problems that remain to be solved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Peter Hofmann
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité, and, Zentrum für Biophysik und Bioinformatik, Humboldt-Unversität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
| | - Trevor D Lamb
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nakao H, Nakano M. Flip-Flop Promotion Mechanisms by Model Transmembrane Peptides. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2022; 70:519-523. [DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c22-00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Nakao
- Department of Biointerface Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama
| | - Minoru Nakano
- Department of Biointerface Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lewandowski D, Sander CL, Tworak A, Gao F, Xu Q, Skowronska-Krawczyk D. Dynamic lipid turnover in photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium throughout life. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 89:101037. [PMID: 34971765 PMCID: PMC10361839 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium-photoreceptor interphase is renewed each day in a stunning display of cellular interdependence. While photoreceptors use photosensitive pigments to convert light into electrical signals, the RPE supports photoreceptors in their function by phagocytizing shed photoreceptor tips, regulating the blood retina barrier, and modulating inflammatory responses, as well as regenerating the 11-cis-retinal chromophore via the classical visual cycle. These processes involve multiple protein complexes, tightly regulated ligand-receptors interactions, and a plethora of lipids and protein-lipids interactions. The role of lipids in maintaining a healthy interplay between the RPE and photoreceptors has not been fully delineated. In recent years, novel technologies have resulted in major advancements in understanding several facets of this interplay, including the involvement of lipids in phagocytosis and phagolysosome function, nutrient recycling, and the metabolic dependence between the two cell types. In this review, we aim to integrate the complex role of lipids in photoreceptor and RPE function, emphasizing the dynamic exchange between the cells as well as discuss how these processes are affected in aging and retinal diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Lewandowski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Christopher L Sander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Aleksander Tworak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Fangyuan Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Qianlan Xu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Molday RS, Garces FA, Scortecci JF, Molday LL. Structure and function of ABCA4 and its role in the visual cycle and Stargardt macular degeneration. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 89:101036. [PMID: 34954332 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
ABCA4 is a member of the superfamily of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters that is preferentially localized along the rim region of rod and cone photoreceptor outer segment disc membranes. It uses the energy from ATP binding and hydrolysis to transport N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine (N-Ret-PE), the Schiff base adduct of retinal and phosphatidylethanolamine, from the lumen to the cytoplasmic leaflet of disc membranes. This ensures that all-trans-retinal and excess 11-cis-retinal are efficiently cleared from photoreceptor cells thereby preventing the accumulation of toxic retinoid compounds. Loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding ABCA4 cause autosomal recessive Stargardt macular degeneration, also known as Stargardt disease (STGD1), and related autosomal recessive retinopathies characterized by impaired central vision and an accumulation of lipofuscin and bis-retinoid compounds. High resolution structures of ABCA4 in its substrate and nucleotide free state and containing bound N-Ret-PE or ATP have been determined by cryo-electron microscopy providing insight into the molecular architecture of ABCA4 and mechanisms underlying substrate recognition and conformational changes induced by ATP binding. The expression and functional characterization of a large number of disease-causing missense ABCA4 variants have been determined. These studies have shed light into the molecular mechanisms underlying Stargardt disease and a classification that reliably predicts the effect of a specific missense mutation on the severity of the disease. They also provide a framework for developing rational therapeutic treatments for ABCA4-associated diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Molday
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
| | - Fabian A Garces
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
| | | | - Laurie L Molday
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Rapid flip-flop of phospholipids across the two leaflets of biological membranes is crucial for many aspects of cellular life. The transport proteins that facilitate this process are classified as pump-like flippases and floppases and channel-like scramblases. Unexpectedly, Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large class of signaling proteins exemplified by the visual receptor rhodopsin and its apoprotein opsin, are constitutively active as scramblases in vitro. In liposomes, opsin scrambles lipids at a unitary rate of >100,000 per second. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of opsin in a lipid membrane reveal conformational transitions that expose a polar groove between transmembrane helices 6 and 7. This groove enables transbilayer lipid movement, conceptualized as the swiping of a credit card (lipid) through a card reader (GPCR). Conformational changes that facilitate scrambling are distinct from those associated with GPCR signaling. In this review, we discuss the physiological significance of GPCR scramblase activity and the modes of its regulation in cells. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA; .,Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Polit A, Mystek P, Błasiak E. Every Detail Matters. That Is, How the Interaction between Gα Proteins and Membrane Affects Their Function. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:222. [PMID: 33804791 PMCID: PMC8003949 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11030222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In highly organized multicellular organisms such as humans, the functions of an individual cell are dependent on signal transduction through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and subsequently heterotrimeric G proteins. As most of the elements belonging to the signal transduction system are bound to lipid membranes, researchers are showing increasing interest in studying the accompanying protein-lipid interactions, which have been demonstrated to not only provide the environment but also regulate proper and efficient signal transduction. The mode of interaction between the cell membrane and G proteins is well known. Despite this, the recognition mechanisms at the molecular level and how the individual G protein-membrane attachment signals are interrelated in the process of the complex control of membrane targeting of G proteins remain unelucidated. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which mammalian Gα subunits of G proteins interact with lipids and the factors responsible for the specificity of membrane association. We summarize recent data on how these signaling proteins are precisely targeted to a specific site in the membrane region by introducing well-defined modifications as well as through the presence of polybasic regions within these proteins and interactions with other components of the heterocomplex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Polit
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland; (P.M.); (E.B.)
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang L, Iwasaki Y, Andra KK, Pandey K, Menon AK, Bütikofer P. Scrambling of natural and fluorescently tagged phosphatidylinositol by reconstituted G protein-coupled receptor and TMEM16 scramblases. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:18318-18327. [PMID: 30287690 PMCID: PMC6254352 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the G protein-coupled receptor and TMEM16 (transmembrane protein 16) protein families are phospholipid scramblases that facilitate rapid, bidirectional movement of phospholipids across a membrane bilayer in an ATP-independent manner. On reconstitution into large unilamellar vesicles, these proteins scramble more than 10,000 lipids/protein/s as measured with co-reconstituted fluorescent nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD)-labeled phospholipids. Although NBD-labeled phospholipids are ubiquitously used as reporters of scramblase activity, it remains unclear whether the NBD modification influences the quantitative outcomes of the scramblase assay. We now report a refined biochemical approach for measuring the activity of scramblase proteins with radiolabeled natural phosphatidylinositol ([3H]PI) and exploiting the hydrolytic activity of bacterial PI-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) to detect the transbilayer movement of PI. PI-PLC rapidly hydrolyzed 50% of [3H]PI in large symmetric, unilamellar liposomes, corresponding to the lipid pool in the outer leaflet. On reconstitution of a crude preparation of yeast endoplasmic reticulum scramblase, purified bovine opsin, or purified Nectria haematococca TMEM16, the extent of [3H]PI hydrolysis increased, indicating that [3H]PI from the inner leaflet had been scrambled to the outer leaflet. Using transphosphatidylation, we synthesized acyl-NBD-PI and used it to compare our PI-PLC-based assay with conventional fluorescence-based methods. Our results revealed quantitative differences between the two assays that we attribute to the specific features of the assays themselves rather than to the nature of the phospholipid. In summary, we have developed an assay that measures scrambling of a chemically unmodified phospholipid by a reconstituted scramblase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- From the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and; Graduate School for Cellular and Biochemical Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yugo Iwasaki
- the Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan, and
| | - Kiran K Andra
- the Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065
| | - Kalpana Pandey
- the Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065
| | - Anant K Menon
- the Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065.
| | - Peter Bütikofer
- From the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lally CCM, Bauer B, Selent J, Sommer ME. C-edge loops of arrestin function as a membrane anchor. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14258. [PMID: 28220785 PMCID: PMC5321764 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors are membrane proteins that are regulated by a small family of arrestin proteins. During formation of the arrestin-receptor complex, arrestin first interacts with the phosphorylated receptor C terminus in a pre-complex, which activates arrestin for tight receptor binding. Currently, little is known about the structure of the pre-complex and its transition to a high-affinity complex. Here we present molecular dynamics simulations and site-directed fluorescence experiments on arrestin-1 interactions with rhodopsin, showing that loops within the C-edge of arrestin function as a membrane anchor. Activation of arrestin by receptor-attached phosphates is necessary for C-edge engagement of the membrane, and we show that these interactions are distinct in the pre-complex and high-affinity complex in regard to their conformation and orientation. Our results expand current knowledge of C-edge structure and further illuminate the conformational transitions that occur in arrestin along the pathway to tight receptor binding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ciara C M. Lally
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics (CC2), Charité Medical University, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Brian Bauer
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics (CC2), Charité Medical University, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Martha E Sommer
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics (CC2), Charité Medical University, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin 10117, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Pomorski TG, Menon AK. Lipid somersaults: Uncovering the mechanisms of protein-mediated lipid flipping. Prog Lipid Res 2016; 64:69-84. [PMID: 27528189 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Membrane lipids diffuse rapidly in the plane of the membrane but their ability to flip spontaneously across a membrane bilayer is hampered by a significant energy barrier. Thus spontaneous flip-flop of polar lipids across membranes is very slow, even though it must occur rapidly to support diverse aspects of cellular life. Here we discuss the mechanisms by which rapid flip-flop occurs, and what role lipid flipping plays in membrane homeostasis and cell growth. We focus on conceptual aspects, highlighting mechanistic insights from biochemical and in silico experiments, and the recent, ground-breaking identification of a number of lipid scramblases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Günther Pomorski
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany; Centre for Membrane Pumps in Cells and Disease-PUMPKIN, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kalli AC, Rog T, Vattulainen I, Campbell ID, Sansom MSP. The Integrin Receptor in Biologically Relevant Bilayers: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Membr Biol 2016; 250:337-351. [PMID: 27465729 PMCID: PMC5579164 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-016-9908-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Integrins are heterodimeric (αβ) cell surface receptors that are potential therapeutic targets for a number of diseases. Despite the existence of structural data for all parts of integrins, the structure of the complete integrin receptor is still not available. We have used available structural data to construct a model of the complete integrin receptor in complex with talin F2-F3 domain. It has been shown that the interactions of integrins with their lipid environment are crucial for their function but details of the integrin/lipid interactions remain elusive. In this study an integrin/talin complex was inserted in biologically relevant bilayers that resemble the cell plasma membrane containing zwitterionic and charged phospholipids, cholesterol and sphingolipids to study the dynamics of the integrin receptor and its effect on bilayer structure and dynamics. The results of this study demonstrate the dynamic nature of the integrin receptor and suggest that the presence of the integrin receptor alters the lipid organization between the two leaflets of the bilayer. In particular, our results suggest elevated density of cholesterol and of phosphatidylserine lipids around the integrin/talin complex and a slowing down of lipids in an annulus of ~30 Å around the protein due to interactions between the lipids and the integrin/talin F2-F3 complex. This may in part regulate the interactions of integrins with other related proteins or integrin clustering thus facilitating signal transduction across cell membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antreas C Kalli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Tomasz Rog
- Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 692, 33101, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 692, 33101, Tampere, Finland
- MEMPHYS - Center for Biomembrane Physics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Iain D Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Mark S P Sansom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Goldberg AFX, Moritz OL, Williams DS. Molecular basis for photoreceptor outer segment architecture. Prog Retin Eye Res 2016; 55:52-81. [PMID: 27260426 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To serve vision, vertebrate rod and cone photoreceptors must detect photons, convert the light stimuli into cellular signals, and then convey the encoded information to downstream neurons. Rods and cones are sensory neurons that each rely on specialized ciliary organelles to detect light. These organelles, called outer segments, possess elaborate architectures that include many hundreds of light-sensitive membranous disks arrayed one atop another in precise register. These stacked disks capture light and initiate the chain of molecular and cellular events that underlie normal vision. Outer segment organization is challenged by an inherently dynamic nature; these organelles are subject to a renewal process that replaces a significant fraction of their disks (up to ∼10%) on a daily basis. In addition, a broad range of environmental and genetic insults can disrupt outer segment morphology to impair photoreceptor function and viability. In this chapter, we survey the major progress that has been made for understanding the molecular basis of outer segment architecture. We also discuss key aspects of organelle lipid and protein composition, and highlight distributions, interactions, and potential structural functions of key OS-resident molecules, including: kinesin-2, actin, RP1, prominin-1, protocadherin 21, peripherin-2/rds, rom-1, glutamic acid-rich proteins, and rhodopsin. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps and challenges that remain for understanding how normal outer segment architecture is established and maintained.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F X Goldberg
- Eye Research Institute, Oakland University, 417 Dodge Hall, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA.
| | - Orson L Moritz
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David S Williams
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Rhodopsin has been intensively characterized in its role as a visual pigment and G protein-coupled receptor responsible for dim-light vision. We recently discovered that it also functions as an ATP-independent phospholipid scramblase: when reconstituted into large unilamellar vesicles, rhodopsin accelerates the normally sluggish transbilayer translocation of common phospholipids by more than 1000-fold, to rates in excess of 10 000 phospholipids transported per rhodopsin per second. Here we summarize the work leading to this discovery and speculate on the mechanism by which rhodopsin scrambles phospholipids. We also present a hypothesis that rhodopsin's scramblase activity is necessary for the function of the ABC transporter ABCA4 that is responsible for mitigating the toxic accumulation of 11-cis-retinal and bis-retinoids in the retina.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver P Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8 and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8.
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Albert A, Alexander D, Boesze-Battaglia K. Cholesterol in the rod outer segment: A complex role in a "simple" system. Chem Phys Lipids 2016; 199:94-105. [PMID: 27216754 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The rod outer segment (ROS) of retinal photoreceptor cells consists of disk membranes surrounded by the plasma membrane. It is a relatively uncomplicated system in which to investigate cholesterol distribution and its functional consequences in biologically relevant membranes. The light sensitive protein, rhodopsin is the major protein in both membranes, but the lipid compositions are significantly different in the disk and plasma membranes. Cholesterol is high in the ROS plasma membrane. Disk membranes are synthesized at the base of the ROS and are also high in cholesterol. However, cholesterol is rapidly depleted as the disks are apically displaced. During this apical displacement the disk phospholipid fatty acyl chains become progressively more unsaturated, which creates an environment unfavorable to cholesterol. Membrane cholesterol has functional consequences. The high cholesterol found in the plasma membrane and in newly synthesized disks inhibits the activation of rhodopsin. As disks are apically displaced and cholesterol is depleted rhodopsin becomes more responsive to light. This effect of cholesterol on rhodopsin activation has been shown in both native and reconstituted membranes. The modulation of activity can be at least partially explained by the effect of cholesterol on bulk lipid properties. Cholesterol decreases the partial free volume of the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer and thereby inhibits rhodopsin conformational changes required for activation. However, cholesterol binds to rhodopsin and may directly affect the protein also. Furthermore, cholesterol stabilizes rhodopsin to thermal denaturation. The membrane must provide an environment that allows rhodopsin conformational changes required for activation while also stabilizing the protein to thermal denaturation. Cholesterol thus plays a complex role in modulating the activity and stability of rhodopsin, which have implications for other G-protein coupled receptors.
Collapse
|
16
|
Molday RS. Insights into the Molecular Properties of ABCA4 and Its Role in the Visual Cycle and Stargardt Disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2015; 134:415-31. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
17
|
Goren MA, Morizumi T, Menon I, Joseph JS, Dittman JS, Cherezov V, Stevens RC, Ernst OP, Menon AK. Constitutive phospholipid scramblase activity of a G protein-coupled receptor. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5115. [PMID: 25296113 PMCID: PMC4198942 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Opsin, the rhodopsin apoprotein, was recently shown to be an ATP-independent flippase (or scramblase) that equilibrates phospholipids across photoreceptor disc membranes in mammalian retina, a process required for disc homeostasis. Here we show that scrambling is a constitutive activity of rhodopsin, distinct from its light-sensing function. Upon reconstitution into vesicles, discrete conformational states of the protein (rhodopsin, a metarhodopsin II-mimic, and two forms of opsin) facilitated rapid (>10,000 phospholipids per protein per second) scrambling of phospholipid probes. Our results indicate that the large conformational changes involved in converting rhodopsin to metarhodopsin II are not required for scrambling, and that the lipid translocation pathway either lies near the protein surface or involves membrane packing defects in the vicinity of the protein. Additionally, we demonstrate that β2-adrenergic and adenosine A2A receptors scramble lipids, suggesting that rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors may play an unexpected moonlighting role in re-modeling cell membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Goren
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Takefumi Morizumi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - Indu Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Jeremiah S Joseph
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dittman
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Oliver P Ernst
- 1] Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8 [2] Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Moreira IS. Structural features of the G-protein/GPCR interactions. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2013; 1840:16-33. [PMID: 24016604 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The details of the functional interaction between G proteins and the G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) have long been subjected to extensive investigations with structural and functional assays and a large number of computational studies. SCOPE OF REVIEW The nature and sites of interaction in the G-protein/GPCR complexes, and the specificities of these interactions selecting coupling partners among the large number of families of GPCRs and G protein forms, are still poorly defined. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Many of the contact sites between the two proteins in specific complexes have been identified, but the three dimensional molecular architecture of a receptor-Gα interface is only known for one pair. Consequently, many fundamental questions regarding this macromolecular assembly and its mechanism remain unanswered. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE In the context of current structural data we review the structural details of the interfaces and recognition sites in complexes of sub-family A GPCRs with cognate G-proteins, with special emphasis on the consequences of activation on GPCR structure, the prevalence of preassembled GPCR/G-protein complexes, the key structural determinants for selective coupling and the possible involvement of GPCR oligomerization in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Moreira
- REQUIMTE/Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Quazi F, Lenevich S, Molday RS. ABCA4 is an N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylethanolamine importer. Nat Commun 2012; 3:925. [PMID: 22735453 PMCID: PMC3871175 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters comprise a superfamily of proteins, which actively transport a variety of compounds across cell membranes. Mammalian and most eukaryotic ABC transporters function as exporters, flipping or extruding substrates from the cytoplasmic to the extracellular or lumen side of cell membranes. Prokaryotic ABC transporters function either as exporters or importers. Here we show that ABCA4, an ABC transporter found in retinal photoreceptor cells and associated with Stargardt macular degeneration, is a novel importer that actively flips N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine from the lumen to the cytoplasmic leaflet of disc membranes, thereby facilitating the removal of potentially toxic retinoid compounds from photoreceptors. ABCA4 also actively transports phosphatidylethanolamine in the same direction. Mutations known to cause Stargardt disease decrease N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylethanolamine transport activity of ABCA4. These studies provide the first direct evidence for a mammalian ABC transporter that functions as an importer and provide insight into mechanisms underlying substrate transport and the molecular basis of Stargardt disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faraz Quazi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Macular Research, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Zakhvataev VE, Khlebopros RG. The Kupershtokh-Medvedev electrostrictive instability as possible mechanism of initiation of phase transitions, domains and pores in lipid membranes and influence of microwave irradiation on cell. Biophysics (Nagoya-shi) 2012. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006350912010198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
|
21
|
Inagaki S, Ghirlando R, White JF, Gvozdenovic-Jeremic J, Northup JK, Grisshammer R. Modulation of the interaction between neurotensin receptor NTS1 and Gq protein by lipid. J Mol Biol 2012; 417:95-111. [PMID: 22306739 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Revised: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Membrane lipids have been implicated to influence the activity of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Almost all of our knowledge on the role of lipids on GPCR and G protein function comes from work on the visual pigment rhodopsin and its G protein transducin, which reside in a highly specialized membrane environment. Thus, insight gained from rhodopsin signaling may not be simply translated to other nonvisual GPCRs. Here, we investigated the effect of lipid head group charges on the signal transduction properties of the class A GPCR neurotensin (NT) receptor 1 (NTS1) under defined experimental conditions, using self-assembled phospholipid nanodiscs prepared with the zwitter-ionic lipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), the negatively charged 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (POPG), or a POPC/POPG mixture. A combination of dynamic light scattering and sedimentation velocity showed that NTS1 was monomeric in POPC-, POPC/POPG-, and POPG-nanodiscs. Binding of the agonist NT to NTS1 occurred with similar affinities and was essentially unaffected by the phospholipid composition. In contrast, Gq protein coupling to NTS1 in various lipid nanodiscs was significantly different, and the apparent affinity of Gαq and Gβ(1)γ(1) to activated NTS1 increased with increasing POPG content. NTS1-catalyzed GDP/GTPγS nucleotide exchange at Gαq in the presence of Gβ(1)γ(1) and NT was crucially affected by the lipid type, with exchange rates higher by 1 or 2 orders of magnitude in POPC/POPG- and POPG-nanodiscs, respectively, compared to POPC-nanodiscs. Our data demonstrate that negatively charged lipids in the immediate vicinity of a nonvisual GPCR modulate the G-protein-coupling step.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Inagaki
- Membrane Protein Structure Function Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Quaroni L, Zlateva T, Normand E. Detection of Weak Absorption Changes from Molecular Events in Time-Resolved FT-IR Spectromicroscopy Measurements of Single Functional Cells. Anal Chem 2011; 83:7371-80. [DOI: 10.1021/ac201318z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Quaroni
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Theodora Zlateva
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Research Center, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Elise Normand
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jastrzebska B, Debinski A, Filipek S, Palczewski K. Role of membrane integrity on G protein-coupled receptors: Rhodopsin stability and function. Prog Lipid Res 2011; 50:267-77. [PMID: 21435354 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2011.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Rhodopsin is a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) - a member of the superfamily that shares a similar structural architecture consisting of seven-transmembrane helices and propagates various signals across biological membranes. Rhodopsin is embedded in the lipid bilayer of specialized disk membranes in the outer segments of retinal rod photoreceptor cells where it transmits a light-stimulated signal. Photoactivated rhodopsin then activates a visual signaling cascade through its cognate G protein, transducin or Gt, that results in a neuronal response in the brain. Interestingly, the lipid composition of ROS membranes not only differs from that of the photoreceptor plasma membrane but is critical for visual transduction. Specifically, lipids can modulate structural changes in rhodopsin that occur after photoactivation and influence binding of transducin. Thus, altering the lipid organization of ROS membranes can result in visual dysfunction and blindness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beata Jastrzebska
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4965, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Menon I, Huber T, Sanyal S, Banerjee S, Barré P, Canis S, Warren JD, Hwa J, Sakmar TP, Menon AK. Opsin is a phospholipid flippase. Curr Biol 2011; 21:149-53. [PMID: 21236677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Revised: 11/17/2010] [Accepted: 12/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Polar lipids must flip-flop rapidly across biological membranes to sustain cellular life [1, 2], but flipping is energetically costly [3] and its intrinsic rate is low. To overcome this problem, cells have membrane proteins that function as lipid transporters (flippases) to accelerate flipping to a physiologically relevant rate. Flippases that operate at the plasma membrane of eukaryotes, coupling ATP hydrolysis to unidirectional lipid flipping, have been defined at a molecular level [2]. On the other hand, ATP-independent bidirectional flippases that translocate lipids in biogenic compartments, e.g., the endoplasmic reticulum, and specialized membranes, e.g., photoreceptor discs [4, 5], have not been identified even though their activity has been recognized for more than 30 years [1]. Here, we demonstrate that opsin is the ATP-independent phospholipid flippase of photoreceptor discs. We show that reconstitution of opsin into large unilamellar vesicles promotes rapid (τ<10 s) flipping of phospholipid probes across the vesicle membrane. This is the first molecular identification of an ATP-independent phospholipid flippase in any system. It reveals an unexpected activity for opsin and, in conjunction with recently available structural information on this G protein-coupled receptor [6, 7], significantly advances our understanding of the mechanism of ATP-independent lipid flip-flop.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indu Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Giusto NM, Pasquaré SJ, Salvador GA, Ilincheta de Boschero MG. Lipid second messengers and related enzymes in vertebrate rod outer segments. J Lipid Res 2009; 51:685-700. [PMID: 19828910 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.r001891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Rod outer segments (ROSs) are specialized light-sensitive organelles in vertebrate photoreceptor cells. Lipids in ROS are of considerable importance, not only in providing an adequate environment for efficient phototransduction, but also in originating the second messengers involved in signal transduction. ROSs have the ability to adapt the sensitivity and speed of their responses to ever-changing conditions of ambient illumination. A major contributor to this adaptation is the light-driven translocation of key signaling proteins into and out of ROS. The present review shows how generation of the second lipid messengers from phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, and diacylglycerol is modulated by the different illumination states in the vertebrate retina. Findings suggest that the light-induced translocation of phototransduction proteins influences the enzymatic activities of phospholipase D, lipid phosphate phosphatase, diacylglyceride lipase, and diacylglyceride kinase, all of which are responsible for the generation of the second messenger molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norma M Giusto
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sparrow JR, Wu Y, Kim CY, Zhou J. Phospholipid meets all-trans-retinal: the making of RPE bisretinoids. J Lipid Res 2009; 51:247-61. [PMID: 19666736 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.r000687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lipid phase of the photoreceptor outer segment membrane is essential to the photon capturing and signaling functions of rhodopsin. Rearrangement of phospholipids in the bilayer accompanies the formation of the active intermediates of rhodopsin following photon absorption. Furthermore, evidence for the formation of a condensation product between the photolyzed chromophore all-trans-retinal and phosphatidylethanolamine indicates that phospholipid may also participate in the movement of the retinoid in the membrane. The downside of these interactions is the formation of bisretinoid-phosphatidylethanolamine compounds that accumulate in retinal pigment epithelial cells with age and that are particularly abundant in some retinal disorders. The propensity of these compounds to negatively impact on the cells has been linked to the pathogenesis of some retinal disorders including juvenile onset recessive Stargardt disease and age-related macular degeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janet R Sparrow
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Möller M, Alexiev U. Surface Charge Changes upon Formation of the Signaling State in Visual Rhodopsin. Photochem Photobiol 2009; 85:501-8. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2008.00528.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
28
|
Vögler O, Barceló JM, Ribas C, Escribá PV. Membrane interactions of G proteins and other related proteins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2008; 1778:1640-52. [PMID: 18402765 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2007] [Revised: 03/01/2008] [Accepted: 03/12/2008] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, G proteins, propagate incoming messages from receptors to effector proteins. They switch from an inactive to active state by exchanging a GDP molecule for GTP, and they return to the inactive form by hydrolyzing GTP to GDP. Small monomeric G proteins, such as Ras, are involved in controlling cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and they interact with membranes through isoprenyl moieties, fatty acyl moieties, and electrostatic interactions. This protein-lipid binding facilitates productive encounters of Ras and Raf proteins in defined membrane regions, so that signals can subsequently proceed through MEK and ERK kinases, which constitute the canonical MAP kinase signaling cassette. On the other hand, heterotrimeric G proteins undergo co/post-translational modifications in the alpha (myristic and/or palmitic acid) and the gamma (farnesol or geranylgeraniol) subunits. These modifications not only assist the G protein to localize to the membrane but they also help distribute the heterotrimer (Galphabetagamma) and the subunits generated upon activation (Galpha and Gbetagamma) to appropriate membrane microdomains. These proteins transduce messages from ubiquitous serpentine receptors, which control important functions such as taste, vision, blood pressure, body weight, cell proliferation, mood, etc. Moreover, the exchange of GDP by GTP is triggered by nucleotide exchange factors. Membrane receptors that activate G proteins can be considered as such, but other cytosolic, membranal or amphitropic proteins can accelerate the rate of G protein exchange or even activate this process in the absence of receptor-mediated activation. These and other protein-protein interactions of G proteins with other signaling proteins are regulated by their lipid preferences. Thus, G protein-lipid interactions control the features of messages and cell physiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Vögler
- Molecular Cell Biomedicine, Department of Biology-IUNICS, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Müller DJ, Wu N, Palczewski K. Vertebrate membrane proteins: structure, function, and insights from biophysical approaches. Pharmacol Rev 2008; 60:43-78. [PMID: 18321962 DOI: 10.1124/pr.107.07111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins are key targets for pharmacological intervention because they are vital for cellular function. Here, we analyze recent progress made in the understanding of the structure and function of membrane proteins with a focus on rhodopsin and development of atomic force microscopy techniques to study biological membranes. Membrane proteins are compartmentalized to carry out extra- and intracellular processes. Biological membranes are densely populated with membrane proteins that occupy approximately 50% of their volume. In most cases membranes contain lipid rafts, protein patches, or paracrystalline formations that lack the higher-order symmetry that would allow them to be characterized by diffraction methods. Despite many technical difficulties, several crystal structures of membrane proteins that illustrate their internal structural organization have been determined. Moreover, high-resolution atomic force microscopy, near-field scanning optical microscopy, and other lower resolution techniques have been used to investigate these structures. Single-molecule force spectroscopy tracks interactions that stabilize membrane proteins and those that switch their functional state; this spectroscopy can be applied to locate a ligand-binding site. Recent development of this technique also reveals the energy landscape of a membrane protein, defining its folding, reaction pathways, and kinetics. Future development and application of novel approaches during the coming years should provide even greater insights to the understanding of biological membrane organization and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Müller
- Biotechnology Center, University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Escribá PV, Wedegaertner PB, Goñi FM, Vögler O. Lipid–protein interactions in GPCR-associated signaling. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2007; 1768:836-52. [PMID: 17067547 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2006.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2006] [Revised: 09/05/2006] [Accepted: 09/06/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Signal transduction via G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is a fundamental pathway through which the functions of an individual cell can be integrated within the demands of a multicellular organism. Since this family of receptors first discovered, the proteins that constitute this signaling cascade and their interactions with one another have been studied intensely. In parallel, the pivotal role of lipids in the correct and efficient propagation of extracellular signals has attracted ever increasing attention. This is not surprising given that most of the signal transduction machinery is membrane-associated and therefore lipid-related. Hence, lipid-protein interactions exert a considerable influence on the activity of these proteins. This review focuses on the post-translational lipid modifications of GPCRs and G proteins (palmitoylation, myristoylation, and isoprenylation) and their significance for membrane binding, trafficking and signaling. Moreover, we address how the particular biophysical properties of different membrane structures may regulate the localization of these proteins and the potential functional consequences of this phenomenon in signal transduction. Finally, the interactions that occur between membrane lipids and GPCR effector enzymes such as PLC and PKC are also considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo V Escribá
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biomedicine, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Vernier PT, Sun Y, Gundersen MA. Nanoelectropulse-driven membrane perturbation and small molecule permeabilization. BMC Cell Biol 2006; 7:37. [PMID: 17052354 PMCID: PMC1624827 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2121-7-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2006] [Accepted: 10/19/2006] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nanosecond, megavolt-per-meter pulsed electric fields scramble membrane phospholipids, release intracellular calcium, and induce apoptosis. Flow cytometric and fluorescence microscopy evidence has associated phospholipid rearrangement directly with nanoelectropulse exposure and supports the hypothesis that the potential that develops across the lipid bilayer during an electric pulse drives phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization. RESULTS In this work we extend observations of cells exposed to electric pulses with 30 ns and 7 ns durations to still narrower pulse widths, and we find that even 3 ns pulses are sufficient to produce responses similar to those reported previously. We show here that in contrast to unipolar pulses, which perturb membrane phospholipid order, tracked with FM1-43 fluorescence, only at the anode side of the cell, bipolar pulses redistribute phospholipids at both the anode and cathode poles, consistent with migration of the anionic PS head group in the transmembrane field. In addition, we demonstrate that, as predicted by the membrane charging hypothesis, a train of shorter pulses requires higher fields to produce phospholipid scrambling comparable to that produced by a time-equivalent train of longer pulses (for a given applied field, 30, 4 ns pulses produce a weaker response than 4, 30 ns pulses). Finally, we show that influx of YO-PRO-1, a fluorescent dye used to detect early apoptosis and activation of the purinergic P2X7 receptor channels, is observed after exposure of Jurkat T lymphoblasts to sufficiently large numbers of pulses, suggesting that membrane poration occurs even with nanosecond pulses when the electric field is high enough. Propidium iodide entry, a traditional indicator of electroporation, occurs with even higher pulse counts. CONCLUSION Megavolt-per-meter electric pulses as short as 3 ns alter the structure of the plasma membrane and permeabilize the cell to small molecules. The dose responses of cells to unipolar and bipolar pulses ranging from 3 ns to 30 ns duration support the hypothesis that a field-driven charging of the membrane dielectric causes the formation of pores on a nanosecond time scale, and that the anionic phospholipid PS migrates electrophoretically along the wall of these pores to the external face of the membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Thomas Vernier
- Department of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, 90089-0271, USA
- MOSIS, Information Sciences Institute, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90292-6695, USA
| | - Yinghua Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, 90089-0271, USA
| | - Martin A Gundersen
- Department of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, 90089-0271, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Herrmann R, Heck M, Henklein P, Hofmann KP, Ernst OP. Signal Transfer from GPCRs to G Proteins. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:30234-41. [PMID: 16847064 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m600797200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Catalysis of nucleotide exchange in heterotrimeric G proteins (Galphabetagamma) is a key step in cellular signal transduction mediated by G protein-coupled receptors. The Galpha N terminus with its helical stretch is thought to be crucial for G protein/activated receptor (R(*)) interaction. The N-terminal fatty acylation of Galpha is important for membrane targeting of G proteins. By applying biophysical techniques to the rhodopsin/transducin model system, we studied the effect of N-terminal truncations in Galpha. In Galphabetagamma, lack of the fatty acid and Galpha truncations up to 33 amino acids had little effect on R(*) binding and R(*)-catalyzed nucleotide exchange, implying that this region is not mandatory for R(*)/Galphabetagamma interaction. However, when the other hydrophobic modification of Galphabetagamma, the Ggamma C-terminal farnesyl moiety, is lacking, R(*) interaction requires the fatty acylated Galpha N terminus. This suggests that the two hydrophobic extensions can replace each other in the interaction of Galphabetagamma with R(*). We propose that in native Galphabetagamma, these two terminal regions are functionally redundant and form a microdomain that serves both to anchor the G protein to the membrane and to establish an initial docking complex with R(*). Accordingly, we find that the native fatty acylated Galpha is competent to interact with R(*) even in the absence of Gbetagamma, whereas nonacylated Galpha requires Gbetagamma for interaction. Experiments with N-terminally truncated Galpha subunits suggest that in the second step of the catalytic process, the receptor binds to the alphaN/beta1-loop region of Galpha to reduce nucleotide affinity and to make the Galpha C terminus available for subsequent interaction with R(*).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Herrmann
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Schumannstrasse 20/21, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Sommer ME, Smith WC, Farrens DL. Dynamics of arrestin-rhodopsin interactions: acidic phospholipids enable binding of arrestin to purified rhodopsin in detergent. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:9407-17. [PMID: 16428804 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m510037200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We report that acidic phospholipids can restore the binding of visual arrestin to purified rhodopsin solubilized in n-dodecyl-beta-d-maltopyranoside. We used this finding to investigate the interplay between arrestin binding and the status of the retinal chromophore ligand in the receptor binding pocket. Our results showed that arrestin can interact with the late photoproduct Meta III and convert it to a Meta II-like species. Interestingly in these mixed micelles, the release of retinal and arrestin was no longer directly coupled as it is in the native rod disk membrane. For example, up to approximately 50% of the retinal could be released even though arrestin remains bound to the receptor in a long lived complex. We anticipate that this new ability to study these proteins in a defined, purified system will facilitate further structural and dynamic studies of arrestin-rhodopsin interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martha E Sommer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
The photoreceptor rod outer segment (ROS) provides a unique system in which to investigate the role of cholesterol, an essential membrane constituent of most animal cells. The ROS is responsible for the initial events of vision at low light levels. It consists of a stack of disk membranes surrounded by the plasma membrane. Light capture occurs in the outer segment disk membranes that contain the photopigment, rhodopsin. These membranes originate from evaginations of the plasma membrane at the base of the outer segment. The new disks separate from the plasma membrane and progressively move up the length of the ROS over the course of several days. Thus the role of cholesterol can be evaluated in two distinct membranes. Furthermore, because the disk membranes vary in age it can also be investigated in a membrane as a function of the membrane age. The plasma membrane is enriched in cholesterol and in saturated fatty acids species relative to the disk membrane. The newly formed disk membranes have 6-fold more cholesterol than disks at the apical tip of the ROS. The partitioning of cholesterol out of disk membranes as they age and are apically displaced is consistent with the high PE content of disk membranes relative to the plasma membrane. The cholesterol composition of membranes has profound consequences on the major protein, rhodopsin. Biophysical studies in both model membranes and in native membranes have demonstrated that cholesterol can modulate the activity of rhodopsin by altering the membrane hydrocarbon environment. These studies suggest that mature disk membranes initiate the visual signal cascade more effectively than the newly synthesized, high cholesterol basal disks. Although rhodopsin is also the major protein of the plasma membrane, the high membrane cholesterol content inhibits rhodopsin participation in the visual transduction cascade. In addition to its effect on the hydrocarbon region, cholesterol may interact directly with rhodopsin. While high cholesterol inhibits rhodopsin activation, it also stabilizes the protein to denaturation. Therefore the disk membrane must perform a balancing act providing sufficient cholesterol to confer stability but without making the membrane too restrictive to receptor activation. Within a given disk membrane, it is likely that cholesterol exhibits an asymmetric distribution between the inner and outer bilayer leaflets. Furthermore, there is some evidence of cholesterol microdomains in the disk membranes. The availability of the disk protein, rom-1 may be sensitive to membrane cholesterol. The effects exerted by cholesterol on rhodopsin function have far-reaching implications for the study of G-protein coupled receptors as a whole. These studies show that the function of a membrane receptor can be modulated by modification of the lipid bilayer, particularly cholesterol. This provides a powerful means of fine-tuning the activity of a membrane protein without resorting to turnover of the protein or protein modification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arlene D Albert
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Vernier PT, Sun Y, Marcu L, Craft CM, Gundersen MA. Nanoelectropulse-induced phosphatidylserine translocation. Biophys J 2005; 86:4040-8. [PMID: 15189899 PMCID: PMC1304304 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.103.037945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanosecond, megavolt-per-meter, pulsed electric fields induce phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization, intracellular calcium redistribution, and apoptosis in Jurkat T-lymphoblasts, without causing immediately apparent physical damage to the cells. Intracellular calcium mobilization occurs within milliseconds of pulse exposure, and membrane phospholipid translocation is observed within minutes. Pulsed cells maintain cytoplasmic membrane integrity, blocking propidium iodide and Trypan blue. Indicators of apoptosis-caspase activation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential-appear in nanoelectropulsed cells at later times. Although a theoretical framework has been established, specific mechanisms through which external nanosecond pulsed electric fields trigger intracellular responses in actively growing cells have not yet been experimentally characterized. This report focuses on the membrane phospholipid rearrangement that appears after ultrashort pulse exposure. We present evidence that the minimum field strength required for PS externalization in actively metabolizing Jurkat cells with 7-ns pulses produces transmembrane potentials associated with increased membrane conductance when pulse widths are microseconds rather than nanoseconds. We also show that nanoelectropulse trains delivered at repetition rates from 2 to 2000 Hz have similar effects, that nanoelectropulse-induced PS externalization does not require calcium in the external medium, and that the pulse regimens used in these experiments do not cause significant intra- or extracellular Joule heating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Thomas Vernier
- Department of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics, School of Engineering, MOSIS, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Alves ID, Salgado GFJ, Salamon Z, Brown MF, Tollin G, Hruby VJ. Phosphatidylethanolamine enhances rhodopsin photoactivation and transducin binding in a solid supported lipid bilayer as determined using plasmon-waveguide resonance spectroscopy. Biophys J 2004; 88:198-210. [PMID: 15501933 PMCID: PMC1304998 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.104.046722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Flash photolysis studies have shown that the membrane lipid environment strongly influences the ability of rhodopsin to form the key metarhodopsin II intermediate. Here we have used plasmon-waveguide resonance (PWR) spectroscopy, an optical method sensitive to both mass and conformation, to probe the effects of lipid composition on conformational changes of rhodopsin induced by light and due to binding and activation of transducin (G(t)). Octylglucoside-solubilized rhodopsin was incorporated by detergent dilution into solid-supported bilayers composed either of egg phosphatidylcholine or various mixtures of a nonlamellar-forming lipid (dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine; DOPE) together with a lamellar-forming lipid (dioleoylphosphatidylcholine; DOPC). Light-induced proteolipid conformational changes as a function of pH correlated well with previous flash photolysis studies, indicating that the PWR spectral shifts monitored metarhodopsin II formation. The magnitude of these effects, and hence the extent of the conformational transition, was found to be proportional to the DOPE content. Our data are consistent with previous suggestions that lipids having a negative spontaneous curvature favor elongation of rhodopsin during the activation process. In addition, measurements of the G(t)/rhodopsin interaction in a DOPC/DOPE (25:75) bilayer at pH 5 demonstrated that light activation increased the affinity for G(t) from 64 nM to 0.7 nM, whereas G(t) affinity for dark-adapted rhodopsin was unchanged. By contrast, in DOPC bilayers the affinity of G(t) for light-activated rhodopsin was only 18 nM at pH 5. Moreover exchange of GDP for GTP gamma S was also monitored by PWR spectroscopy. Only the light-activated receptor was able to induce this exchange which was unaffected by DOPE incorporation. These findings demonstrate that nonbilayer-forming lipids can alter functionally linked conformational changes of G-protein-coupled receptors in membranes, as well as their interactions with downstream effector proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel D. Alves
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Gilmar F. J. Salgado
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Zdzislaw Salamon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Michael F. Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Gordon Tollin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Victor J. Hruby
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Ramon E, Marron J, del Valle L, Bosch L, Andrés A, Manyosa J, Garriga P. Effect of dodecyl maltoside detergent on rhodopsin stability and function. Vision Res 2004; 43:3055-61. [PMID: 14611941 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2003.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Detergent-solubilized bovine rhodopsin produces mixed detergent/lipid/protein micelles. The effect of dodecyl maltoside detergent on the thermal stability of dark-state rhodopsin, and upon formation of the different intermediates after rhodopsin photobleaching (metarhodopsin II and metarhodopsin III), and upon transducin activation has been studied. No significant effect is observed for the thermal stability of dark-state rhodopsin in the range of detergent concentrations studied, but a decrease in the stability of metarhodopsin II and an increase in metarhodopsin III formation is observed with decreasing detergent concentrations. The transducin activation process is also affected by the presence of detergent indicating that this process is dependent on the lipid micro-environment and membrane fluidity, and this stresses the importance of the native lipid environment in rhodopsin normal function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Ramon
- Centre de Biotecnologia Molecular (CEBIM), Seccio de Terassa, Departament d'Enginyeria Qumica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Colom 1, 08222 Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Helmreich EJM. Environmental influences on signal transduction through membranes: a retrospective mini-review. Biophys Chem 2003; 100:519-34. [PMID: 12646388 DOI: 10.1016/s0301-4622(02)00303-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This mini-review is addressed to the question how the membranous environment may affect traffic of receptors and signalling from membrane-anchored receptors on the outside of cells to transducers and targets on the inside. Signal transduction by membrane-anchored receptors to the interior of the cell and eventually to the genome is a central issue in cellular regulation. In this context the role of membrane fluidity and of the cytoskeleton in restricting the mobility of proteins are discussed and the evidence for a structural order in membranes which could limit the mobility of proteins is scrutinised.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ernst J M Helmreich
- Julius Maximilians Universität Würzburg, Werner von Siemensstrasse 83, D-97076 Würzburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hessel E, Heck M, Müller P, Herrmann A, Hofmann KP. Signal transduction in the visual cascade involves specific lipid-protein interactions. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:22853-60. [PMID: 12676942 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m302747200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In retinal rod photoreceptor cells, transducin (Gt) and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) are peripherally anchored to the cytoplasmic surface of the disk saccules. We have examined the role of specific phospholipids in the interaction of these proteins with native osmotically intact disk vesicles, employing spin-labeled phospholipid analogues (2% of total phospholipids) and bovine serum albumin back-exchange assay. Inactive GDP-bound transducin exclusively reduced the extraction of negatively charged phosphatidylserine. The effect disappeared upon activation of the G-protein with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPgammaS). PDE affected the extraction of the zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine and, to a smaller extent, of phosphatidylethanolamine. When active GtGTPgammaS interacted with the PDE to form the active effector, the interaction with phosphatidylcholine was specifically enhanced. Each copy of the G-protein bound 3 +/- 1 molecules of phosphatidylserine, whereas the PDE bound a much larger amount (70 +/- 10) of a mixture of phosphatidylcholine and ethanolamine. The results are interpreted as a head group-specific and state-dependent interaction of the signaling proteins with the phospholipids of the photoreceptor membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elke Hessel
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Ziegelstrasse 5-9, 10098 Berlin, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Alexiev U, Rimke I, Pöhlmann T. Elucidation of the nature of the conformational changes of the EF-interhelical loop in bacteriorhodopsin and of the helix VIII on the cytoplasmic surface of bovine rhodopsin: a time-resolved fluorescence depolarization study. J Mol Biol 2003; 328:705-19. [PMID: 12706727 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-2836(03)00326-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The conformation of the AB-loop and EF-loop of bacteriorhodopsin and of the fourth cytoplasmic loop (helix VIII) of bovine rhodopsin were assessed by a combination of time-resolved fluorescence depolarization and site-directed fluorescence labeling. The fluorescence anisotropy decays were measured employing a tunable Ti:sapphire laser/microchannel plate based single-photon counting apparatus with picosecond time resolution. This method allows measurement of the diffusional dynamics of the loops directly on a nanosecond time-scale. We implemented the method to study model peptides and two-helix systems representing sequences of bacteriorhodopsin. Thus, we systematically analyzed the anisotropic behavior of four different fluorescent dyes covalently bound to a single cysteine residue on the protein surface and assigned the anisotropy decay components to the modes of motion of the protein and its segments. We have identified two mechanisms of loop conformational changes in the functionally intact proteins bacteriorhodopsin and bovine rhodopsin. First, we found a surface potential-dependent transition between two conformational states of the EF-loop of bacteriorhodopsin, detected with the fluorescent dye bound to position 160. A transition between the two conformational states at 150mM KCl and 20 degrees C requires a surface potential change that corresponds to Deltasigma approximately -1.0e(-)/bacteriorhodopsin molecule. We suggest, that the surface potential-based switch of the EF-loop is the missing link between the movement of helix F and the transient surface potential change detected during the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin. Second, in the visual pigment rhodopsin, with the fluorescent dye bound to position 316, a particularly striking pH-dependent conformational change of the fourth loop on the cytoplasmic surface was analyzed. The loop mobility increased from pH 5 to 8. The midpoint of this transition is at pH 6.2 and correlates with the midpoint of the pH-dependent equilibrium between the active metarhodopsin II and the inactive metarhodopsin I state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- U Alexiev
- Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Lee AG. Lipid-protein interactions in biological membranes: a structural perspective. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2003; 1612:1-40. [PMID: 12729927 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(03)00056-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 632] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Lipid molecules bound to membrane proteins are resolved in some high-resolution structures of membrane proteins. An analysis of these structures provides a framework within which to analyse the nature of lipid-protein interactions within membranes. Membrane proteins are surrounded by a shell or annulus of lipid molecules, equivalent to the solvent layer surrounding a water-soluble protein. The lipid bilayer extends right up to the membrane protein, with a uniform thickness around the protein. The surface of a membrane protein contains many shallow grooves and protrusions to which the fatty acyl chains of the surrounding lipids conform to provide tight packing into the membrane. An individual lipid molecule will remain in the annular shell around a protein for only a short period of time. Binding to the annular shell shows relatively little structural specificity. As well as the annular lipid, there is evidence for other lipid molecules bound between the transmembrane alpha-helices of the protein; these lipids are referred to as non-annular lipids. The average thickness of the hydrophobic domain of a membrane protein is about 29 A, with a few proteins having significantly smaller or greater thicknesses than the average. Hydrophobic mismatch between a membrane protein and the surrounding lipid bilayer generally leads to only small changes in membrane thickness. Possible adaptations in the protein to minimise mismatch include tilting of the helices and rotation of side chains at the ends of the helices. Packing of transmembrane alpha-helices is dependent on the chain length of the surrounding phospholipids. The function of membrane proteins is dependent on the thickness of the surrounding lipid bilayer, sometimes on the presence of specific, usually anionic, phospholipids, and sometimes on the phase of the phospholipid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A G Lee
- Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, SO16 7PX, Southampton, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
De S, Sakmar TP. Interaction of A2E with model membranes. Implications to the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. J Gen Physiol 2002; 120:147-57. [PMID: 12149277 PMCID: PMC2234466 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.20028566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Deposition of a fluorophoric material, known as lipofuscin, in retinal pigment epithelium cells has been speculated to be one of the biomarkers of age-related macular degeneration. One of the fluorophores of lipofuscin has been characterized as A2E, a pyridinium bisretinoid. Its cationic nature along with two hydrophobic retinal chains suggests that it can disrupt the membrane integrity by its detergent-like activity and can thus cause cellular damage. With this notion, we studied in detail the interaction between A2E and the model membranes of different lipid compositions using fluorescence steady-state and fluorescence anisotropy measurements. A transition from vesicular to micellar structure occurred upon incorporation of A2E into the lipid bilayer. However, the A2E concentration at which this transition occurred depends on the lipid composition. A lipid mixture containing 10% phosphatidylserine (PS) (close to disc membrane PS content) behaved similarly to a lipid mixture having no PS. In contrast, vesicles containing 20% PS showed significantly different behavior. Membrane solubilization by A2E was also confirmed by vesicle leakage experiments. A2E also showed significant activity in liposome-mediated gene transfection. A lipid formulation containing 40% A2E and a helper lipid showed plasmid DNA transfection efficiency comparable to commercially available transfection reagents with no evidence of cytotoxicity. These results contribute to understanding the mechanism underlying the A2E-induced cellular dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soma De
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Wang Y, Botelho AV, Martinez GV, Brown MF. Electrostatic properties of membrane lipids coupled to metarhodopsin II formation in visual transduction. J Am Chem Soc 2002; 124:7690-701. [PMID: 12083922 DOI: 10.1021/ja0200488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Changes in lipid composition have recently been shown to exert appreciable influences on the activities of membrane-bound proteins and peptides. We tested the hypothesis that the conformational states of rhodopsin linked to visual signal transduction are related to biophysical properties of the membrane lipid bilayer. For bovine rhodopsin, the meta I-meta II conformational transition was studied in egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) recombinants versus the native rod outer segment (ROS) membranes by means of flash photolysis. Formation of metarhodopsin II was observed by the change in absorbance at 478 nm after a single actinic flash was delivered to the sample. The meta I/meta II ratio was investigated as a function of both temperature and pH. The data clearly demonstrated thermodynamic reversibility of the transition for both the egg PC recombinants and the native ROS membranes. A significant shift of the apparent pK(a) for the acid-base equilibrium to lower values was evident in the egg PC recombinant, with little meta II produced under physiological conditions. Calculations of the membrane surface pH using a Poisson-Boltzmann model suggested the free energies of the meta I and meta II states were significantly affected by electrostatic properties of the bilayer lipids. In the ROS membranes, phosphatidylserine (PS) is needed for full formation of meta II, in combination with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6omega3) chains. We propose that the PS surface potential leads to an accumulation of hydronium ions, H(3)O(+), in the electrical double layer, which drive the reaction together with the large negative spontaneous curvature (H(0)) conferred by PE plus DHA chains. The elastic stress/strain of the bilayer arises from an interplay of the approximately zero H(0) from PS and the negative H(0) due to the PE headgroups and polyunsaturated chains. The lipid influences are further explained in terms of matching of the bilayer spontaneous curvature to the curvature at the lipid/rhodopsin interface, as formulated by the Helfrich bending energy. These new findings guide current ideas as to how bilayer properties govern the conformational energetics of integral membrane proteins. Moreover, they yield knowledge of how membrane lipid-protein interactions involving acidic phospholipids such as PS and neutral polyunsaturated DHA chains are implicated in key biological functions such as vision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Krishna AG, Menon ST, Terry TJ, Sakmar TP. Evidence that helix 8 of rhodopsin acts as a membrane-dependent conformational switch. Biochemistry 2002; 41:8298-309. [PMID: 12081478 DOI: 10.1021/bi025534m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The crystal structure of rhodopsin revealed a cytoplasmic helical segment (H8) extending from transmembrane (TM) helix seven to a pair of vicinal palmitoylated cysteine residues. We studied the structure of model peptides corresponding to H8 under a variety of conditions using steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence anisotropy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. We find that H8 acts as a membrane-surface recognition domain, which adopts a helical structure only in the presence of membranes or membrane mimetics. The secondary structural properties of H8 further depend on membrane lipid composition with phosphatidylserine inducing helical structure. Fluorescence quenching experiments using brominated acyl chain phospholipids and vesicle leakage assays suggest that H8 lies within the membrane interfacial region where amino acid side chains can interact with phospholipid headgroups. We conclude that H8 in rhodopsin, in addition to its role in binding the G protein transducin, acts as a membrane-dependent conformational switch domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Gopala Krishna
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Botelho AV, Gibson NJ, Thurmond RL, Wang Y, Brown MF. Conformational energetics of rhodopsin modulated by nonlamellar-forming lipids. Biochemistry 2002; 41:6354-68. [PMID: 12009897 DOI: 10.1021/bi011995g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rhodopsin is an important example of a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) in which 11-cis-retinal is the ligand and acts as an inverse agonist. Photolysis of rhodopsin leads to formation of the activated meta II state from its precursor meta I. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain how the membrane composition affects the meta I-meta II conformational equilibrium in the visual process. For rod disk membranes and recombinant membranes containing rhodopsin, the lipid properties have been discussed in terms of elastic deformation of the bilayer. Here we have investigated the relation of nonlamellar-forming lipids, such as dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), together with dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), to the photochemistry of membrane-bound rhodopsin. We conducted flash photolysis experiments for bovine rhodopsin recombined with DOPE/DOPC mixtures (0:100 to 75:25) as a function of pH to explore the dependence of the photochemical activity on the monolayer curvature free energy of the membrane. It is well-known that DOPC forms bilayers, whereas DOPE has a propensity to adopt the nonlamellar, reverse hexagonal (H(II)) phase. In the case of neutral DOPE/DOPC recombinants, calculations of the membrane surface pH confirmed that an increase in DOPE favored the meta II state. Moreover, doubling the PE headgroup content versus the native rod membranes substituted for the polyunsaturated, docosahexaenoic acyl chains (22:6 omega 3), suggesting rhodopsin function is associated with a balance of forces within the bilayer. The data are interpreted by applying a flexible surface model, in which the meta II state is stabilized by lipids tending to form the H(II) phase, with a negative spontaneous curvature. A simple theory, based on principles of surface chemistry, for coupling the energetics of membrane proteins to material properties of the bilayer lipids is described. For rhodopsin, the free energy balance of the receptor and the lipids is altered by photoisomerization of retinal and involves curvature stress/strain of the membrane (frustration). A new biophysical principle is introduced: matching of the spontaneous curvature of the lipid bilayer to the mean curvature of the lipid/water interface adjacent to the protein, which balances the lipid/protein solvation energy. In this manner, the thermodynamic driving force for the meta I-meta II conformational change of rhodopsin is tightly controlled by mixtures of nonlamellar-forming lipids having distinctive material properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Vitória Botelho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Sakmar TP. Structure of rhodopsin and the superfamily of seven-helical receptors: the same and not the same. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2002; 14:189-95. [PMID: 11891118 DOI: 10.1016/s0955-0674(02)00306-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The crystal structure of rhodopsin provides significant insights concerning structure/activity relationships in visual pigments and related G-protein-coupled receptors. The specific arrangement of seven-transmembrane helices is stabilized by a series of intermolecular interactions that appear to be conserved among Family A receptors. However, the potential for structural and functional diversity among members of the superfamily of seven-helical receptors presents a significant future challenge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Sakmar
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
The free energy of lipid/protein interaction in biological membranes is still unknown although extensive partitioning and modelling studies have revealed many partial energetic increments. Multiple site binding kinetics are now applied to four well-studied functional membrane proteins, and mean free energy values (+/-S.D.) of -4.23+/-0.49 kcal/mol for single lipid binding sites and of -89.7+/-35.4 kcal/mol for complete lipid substitution are obtained. These high free energy values point to an important bioenergetic role of lipid/protein interaction in membrane functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich Sandermann
- GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute for Biochemical Plant Pathology, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Quinn
- Division of Life Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Murray D, McLaughlin S, Honig B. The role of electrostatic interactions in the regulation of the membrane association of G protein beta gamma heterodimers. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:45153-9. [PMID: 11557749 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m101784200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we report calculations of electrostatic interactions between the transducin (G(t)) betagamma heterodimer (G(t)betagamma) and phospholipid membranes. Although membrane association of G(t)betagamma is due primarily to the hydrophobic penetration into the membrane interior of a farnesyl chain attached to the gamma subunit, structural studies have revealed that there is a prominent patch of basic residues on the surface of the beta subunit surrounding the site of farnesylation that is exposed upon dissociation from the G(t)alpha subunit. Moreover, phosducin, which produces dissociation of G(t)betagamma from membranes, interacts directly with G(t)betagamma and introduces a cluster of acidic residues into this region. The calculations, which are based on the finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann method, account for a number of experimental observations and suggest that charged residues play a role in mediating protein-membrane interactions. Specifically, the calculations predict the following. 1) Favorable electrostatic interactions enhance the membrane partitioning due to the farnesyl group by an order of magnitude although G(t)betagamma has a large net negative charge (-12). 2) This electrostatic attraction positions G(t)betagamma so that residues implicated in mediating the interaction of G(t)betagamma with its membrane-bound effectors are close to the membrane surface. 3) The binding of phosducin to G(t)betagamma diminishes the membrane partitioning of G(t)betagamma by an order of magnitude. 4) Lowering the ionic strength of the solution converts the electrostatic attraction into a repulsion. Sequence analysis and homology model building suggest that our conclusions may be generalized to other Gbetagamma and phosducin isoforms as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Teller DC, Okada T, Behnke CA, Palczewski K, Stenkamp RE. Advances in determination of a high-resolution three-dimensional structure of rhodopsin, a model of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Biochemistry 2001; 40:7761-72. [PMID: 11425302 PMCID: PMC1698954 DOI: 10.1021/bi0155091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 513] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D C Teller
- Department of Ophthalmology, and Biological Structure and Biomolecular Structure Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|