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Gao J, Tong M, Lee C, Gaertig J, Legal T, Bui KH. DomainFit: Identification of protein domains in cryo-EM maps at intermediate resolution using AlphaFold2-predicted models. Structure 2024:S0969-2126(24)00143-6. [PMID: 38754431 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized the structural determination of macromolecular complexes. With the paradigm shift to structure determination of highly complex endogenous macromolecular complexes ex vivo and in situ structural biology, there are an increasing number of structures of native complexes. These complexes often contain unidentified proteins, related to different cellular states or processes. Identifying proteins at resolutions lower than 4 Å remains challenging because side chains cannot be visualized reliably. Here, we present DomainFit, a program for semi-automated domain-level protein identification from cryo-EM maps, particularly at resolutions lower than 4 Å. By fitting domains from AlphaFold2-predicted models into cryo-EM maps, the program performs statistical analyses and attempts to identify the domains and protein candidates forming the density. Using DomainFit, we identified two microtubule inner proteins, one of which contains a CCDC81 domain and is exclusively localized in the proximal region of the doublet microtubule in Tetrahymena thermophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Gao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada; Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Maxwell Tong
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada; Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Chinkyu Lee
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2607, GA, USA
| | - Jacek Gaertig
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2607, GA, USA
| | - Thibault Legal
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada; Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada.
| | - Khanh Huy Bui
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada; Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada.
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2
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Zhang Z, Moye AR, He F, Chen M, Agosto MA, Wensel TG. Centriole and transition zone structures in photoreceptor cilia revealed by cryo-electron tomography. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302409. [PMID: 38182160 PMCID: PMC10770417 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia mediate sensory signaling in multiple organisms and cell types but have structures adapted for specific roles. Structural defects in them lead to devastating diseases known as ciliopathies in humans. Key to their functions are structures at their base: the basal body, the transition zone, the "Y-shaped links," and the "ciliary necklace." We have used cryo-electron tomography with subtomogram averaging and conventional transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the structures associated with the basal region of the "connecting cilia" of rod outer segments in mouse retina. The longitudinal variations in microtubule (MT) structures and the lumenal scaffold complexes connecting them have been determined, as well as membrane-associated transition zone structures: Y-shaped links connecting MT to the membrane, and ciliary beads connected to them that protrude from the cell surface and form a necklace-like structure. These results represent a clearer structural scaffold onto which molecules identified by genetics, proteomics, and superresolution fluorescence can be placed in our emerging model of photoreceptor sensory cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixian Zhang
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Abigail R Moye
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Ophthalmic Genetics, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Feng He
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Muyuan Chen
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Melina A Agosto
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Theodore G Wensel
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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3
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Shimogawa MM, Jonnalagadda K, Hill KL. FAP20 is required for flagellum assembly in Trypanosoma brucei. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.19.576295. [PMID: 38293126 PMCID: PMC10827224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.19.576295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei is a human and animal pathogen that depends on flagellar motility for transmission and infection. The trypanosome flagellum is built around a canonical "9+2" axoneme, containing nine doublet microtubules (DMTs) surrounding two singlet microtubules. Each DMT contains a 13-protofilament A-tubule and a 10-protofilament B-tubule, connected to the A-tubule by a conserved, non-tubulin inner junction (IJ) filament made up of alternating PACRG and FAP20 subunits. Here we investigate FAP20 in procyclic form T. brucei. A FAP20-NeonGreen fusion protein localized to the axoneme as expected. Surprisingly, FAP20 knockdown led to a catastrophic failure in flagellum assembly and concomitant lethal cell division defect. This differs from other organisms, where FAP20 is required for normal flagellum motility, but generally dispensable for flagellum assembly and viability. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrates failed flagellum assembly in FAP20 mutants is associated with a range of DMT defects and defective assembly of the paraflagellar rod, a lineage-specific flagellum filament that attaches to DMT 4-7 in trypanosomes. Our studies reveal a lineage-specific requirement for FAP20 in trypanosomes, offering insight into adaptations for flagellum stability and motility in these parasites and highlighting pathogen versus host differences that might be considered for therapeutic intervention in trypanosome diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M. Shimogawa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Keya Jonnalagadda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Kent L. Hill
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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4
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Gao J, Tong M, Lee C, Gaertig J, Legal T, Bui KH. DomainFit: Identification of Protein Domains in cryo-EM maps at Intermediate Resolution using AlphaFold2-predicted Models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.28.569001. [PMID: 38077012 PMCID: PMC10705406 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.569001] [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] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized our understanding of macromolecular complexes, enabling high-resolution structure determination. With the paradigm shift to in situ structural biology recently driven by the ground-breaking development of cryo-focused ion beam milling and cryo-electron tomography, there are an increasing number of structures at sub-nanometer resolution of complexes solved directly within their cellular environment. These cellular complexes often contain unidentified proteins, related to different cellular states or processes. Identifying proteins at resolutions lower than 4 Å remains challenging because the side chains cannot be visualized reliably. Here, we present DomainFit, a program for automated domain-level protein identification from cryo-EM maps at resolutions lower than 4 Å. By fitting domains from artificial intelligence-predicted models such as AlphaFold2-predicted models into cryo-EM maps, the program performs statistical analyses and attempts to identify the proteins forming the density. Using DomainFit, we identified two microtubule inner proteins, one of them, a CCDC81 domain-containing protein, is exclusively localized in the proximal region of the doublet microtubule from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. The flexibility and capability of DomainFit makes it a valuable tool for analyzing in situ structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Gao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Max Tong
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chinkyu Lee
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jacek Gaertig
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Thibault Legal
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Khanh Huy Bui
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en biologie structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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5
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Tai L, Yin G, Huang X, Sun F, Zhu Y. In-cell structural insight into the stability of sperm microtubule doublet. Cell Discov 2023; 9:116. [PMID: 37989994 PMCID: PMC10663601 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00606-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The propulsion for mammalian sperm swimming is generated by flagella beating. Microtubule doublets (DMTs) along with microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) are essential structural blocks of flagella. However, the intricate molecular architecture of intact sperm DMT remains elusive. Here, by in situ cryo-electron tomography, we solved the in-cell structure of mouse sperm DMT at 4.5-7.5 Å resolutions, and built its model with 36 kinds of MIPs in 48 nm periodicity. We identified multiple copies of Tektin5 that reinforce Tektin bundle, and multiple MIPs with different periodicities that anchor the Tektin bundle to tubulin wall. This architecture contributes to a superior stability of A-tubule than B-tubule of DMT, which was revealed by structural comparison of DMTs from the intact and deformed axonemes. Our work provides an overall molecular picture of intact sperm DMT in 48 nm periodicity that is essential to understand the molecular mechanism of sperm motility as well as the related ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhua Tai
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guoliang Yin
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojun Huang
- Center for Biological Imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Sun
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Center for Biological Imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yun Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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6
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Chen Z, Shiozaki M, Haas KM, Skinner WM, Zhao S, Guo C, Polacco BJ, Yu Z, Krogan NJ, Lishko PV, Kaake RM, Vale RD, Agard DA. De novo protein identification in mammalian sperm using in situ cryoelectron tomography and AlphaFold2 docking. Cell 2023; 186:5041-5053.e19. [PMID: 37865089 PMCID: PMC10842264 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
To understand the molecular mechanisms of cellular pathways, contemporary workflows typically require multiple techniques to identify proteins, track their localization, and determine their structures in vitro. Here, we combined cellular cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET) and AlphaFold2 modeling to address these questions and understand how mammalian sperm are built in situ. Our cellular cryo-ET and subtomogram averaging provided 6.0-Å reconstructions of axonemal microtubule structures. The well-resolved tertiary structures allowed us to unbiasedly match sperm-specific densities with 21,615 AlphaFold2-predicted protein models of the mouse proteome. We identified Tektin 5, CCDC105, and SPACA9 as novel microtubule-associated proteins. These proteins form an extensive interaction network crosslinking the lumen of axonemal doublet microtubules, suggesting their roles in modulating the mechanical properties of the filaments. Indeed, Tekt5 -/- sperm possess more deformed flagella with 180° bends. Together, our studies presented a cellular visual proteomics workflow and shed light on the in vivo functions of Tektin 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Momoko Shiozaki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Kelsey M Haas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Will M Skinner
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Shumei Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Caiying Guo
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Polacco
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zhiheng Yu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nevan J Krogan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Polina V Lishko
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robyn M Kaake
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ronald D Vale
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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7
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Shimogawa MM, Wijono AS, Wang H, Zhang J, Sha J, Szombathy N, Vadakkan S, Pelayo P, Jonnalagadda K, Wohlschlegel J, Zhou ZH, Hill KL. FAP106 is an interaction hub for assembling microtubule inner proteins at the cilium inner junction. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5225. [PMID: 37633952 PMCID: PMC10460401 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility of pathogenic protozoa depends on flagella (synonymous with cilia) with axonemes containing nine doublet microtubules (DMTs) and two singlet microtubules. Microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) within DMTs influence axoneme stability and motility and provide lineage-specific adaptations, but individual MIP functions and assembly mechanisms are mostly unknown. Here, we show in the sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei, that FAP106, a conserved MIP at the DMT inner junction, is required for trypanosome motility and functions as a critical interaction hub, directing assembly of several conserved and lineage-specific MIPs. We use comparative cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and quantitative proteomics to identify MIP candidates. Using RNAi knockdown together with fitting of AlphaFold models into cryoET maps, we demonstrate that one of these candidates, MC8, is a trypanosome-specific MIP required for parasite motility. Our work advances understanding of MIP assembly mechanisms and identifies lineage-specific motility proteins that are attractive targets to consider for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Shimogawa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Angeline S Wijono
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jiayan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jihui Sha
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Natasha Szombathy
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Sabeeca Vadakkan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Paula Pelayo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Keya Jonnalagadda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - James Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Kent L Hill
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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8
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Sanejouand YH. On the Unknown Proteins of Eukaryotic Proteomes. J Mol Evol 2023:10.1007/s00239-023-10116-1. [PMID: 37219573 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
To study unknown proteins on a large scale, a reference system has been set up for the three better studied eukaryotic kingdoms, built with 36 proteomes as taxonomically diverse as possible. Proteins from 362 other eukaryotic proteomes with no known homologue in this set were then analyzed, focusing noteworthy on singletons, that is, on such proteins with no known homologue in their own proteome. Consistently, for a given species, no more than 12% of the singletons thus found are known at the protein level, according to Uniprot. In addition, since they rely on the information found in the alignment of homologous sequences, predictions of AlphaFold2 for their tridimensional structure are poor. In the case of metazoan species, the number of singletons rarely exceeds 1000 for the species the closest to the reference system (divergence times below 75 Myr). Interestingly, in the cases of viridiplantae and fungi, larger amounts of singletons are found for such species, as if the timescale on which singletons are added to proteomes were different in metazoa and in other eukaryotic kingdoms. In order to confirm this phenomenon, further studies of proteomes closer to those of the reference system are, however, needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves-Henri Sanejouand
- US2B, UMR 6286 of CNRS, Nantes University, rue de la Houssinière, 44322, Nantes, France.
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9
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Kubo S, Black CS, Joachimiak E, Yang SK, Legal T, Peri K, Khalifa AAZ, Ghanaeian A, McCafferty CL, Valente-Paterno M, De Bellis C, Huynh PM, Fan Z, Marcotte EM, Wloga D, Bui KH. Native doublet microtubules from Tetrahymena thermophila reveal the importance of outer junction proteins. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2168. [PMID: 37061538 PMCID: PMC10105768 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37868-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cilia are ubiquitous eukaryotic organelles responsible for cellular motility and sensory functions. The ciliary axoneme is a microtubule-based cytoskeleton consisting of two central singlets and nine outer doublet microtubules. Cryo-electron microscopy-based studies have revealed a complex network inside the lumen of both tubules composed of microtubule-inner proteins (MIPs). However, the functions of most MIPs remain unknown. Here, we present single-particle cryo-EM-based analyses of the Tetrahymena thermophila native doublet microtubule and identify 42 MIPs. These data shed light on the evolutionarily conserved and diversified roles of MIPs. In addition, we identified MIPs potentially responsible for the assembly and stability of the doublet outer junction. Knockout of the evolutionarily conserved outer junction component CFAP77 moderately diminishes Tetrahymena swimming speed and beat frequency, indicating the important role of CFAP77 and outer junction stability in cilia beating generation and/or regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaroh Kubo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Corbin S Black
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ewa Joachimiak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shun Kai Yang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Thibault Legal
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Katya Peri
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ahmad Abdelzaher Zaki Khalifa
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Avrin Ghanaeian
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Caitlyn L McCafferty
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Melissa Valente-Paterno
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chelsea De Bellis
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Phuong M Huynh
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Zhe Fan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Edward M Marcotte
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Dorota Wloga
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Khanh Huy Bui
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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10
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Towards an atomic model of a beating ciliary axoneme. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 78:102516. [PMID: 36586349 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The axoneme of motile cilia and eukaryotic flagella is an ordered assembly of hundreds of proteins that powers the locomotion of single cells and generates flow of liquid and particles across certain mammalian tissues. The symmetric and organized structure of the axoneme has invited structural biologists to unravel its intricate architecture at different scales. In the last few years, single-particle cryo-electron microscopy provided high-resolution structures of axonemal complexes that comprise dozens of proteins and are key to cilia function. This review summarizes unique structural features of the axoneme and the framework they provide to understand cilia assembly, the mechanism of ciliary beating, and clinical conditions associated with impaired cilia motility.
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11
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Pinskey JM, Lagisetty A, Gui L, Phan N, Reetz E, Tavakoli A, Fu G, Nicastro D. Three-dimensional flagella structures from animals' closest unicellular relatives, the Choanoflagellates. eLife 2022; 11:e78133. [PMID: 36384644 PMCID: PMC9671500 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most eukaryotic organisms, cilia and flagella perform a variety of life-sustaining roles related to environmental sensing and motility. Cryo-electron microscopy has provided considerable insight into the morphology and function of flagellar structures, but studies have been limited to less than a dozen of the millions of known eukaryotic species. Ultrastructural information is particularly lacking for unicellular organisms in the Opisthokonta clade, leaving a sizeable gap in our understanding of flagella evolution between unicellular species and multicellular metazoans (animals). Choanoflagellates are important aquatic heterotrophs, uniquely positioned within the opisthokonts as the metazoans' closest living unicellular relatives. We performed cryo-focused ion beam milling and cryo-electron tomography on flagella from the choanoflagellate species Salpingoeca rosetta. We show that the axonemal dyneins, radial spokes, and central pair complex in S. rosetta more closely resemble metazoan structures than those of unicellular organisms from other suprakingdoms. In addition, we describe unique features of S. rosetta flagella, including microtubule holes, microtubule inner proteins, and the flagellar vane: a fine, net-like extension that has been notoriously difficult to visualize using other methods. Furthermore, we report barb-like structures of unknown function on the extracellular surface of the flagellar membrane. Together, our findings provide new insights into choanoflagellate biology and flagella evolution between unicellular and multicellular opisthokonts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine M Pinskey
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Adhya Lagisetty
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Long Gui
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Nhan Phan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Evan Reetz
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Amirrasoul Tavakoli
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Gang Fu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Daniela Nicastro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
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