1
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Lane BJ, Dionysopoulou M, Yan N, Lippiat JD, Muench SP, Pliotas C. The mechanosensitive channel YbiO has a conductance equivalent to the largest gated pore. Structure 2025; 33:652-662.e3. [PMID: 39919733 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2025.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2024] [Revised: 12/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2025] [Indexed: 02/09/2025]
Abstract
Bacterial mechanosensitive channels are divided into large (MscL) and small (MscS-like) conductance families. The function of MscS and MscL is to protect cells against osmotic shock by acting as pressure safety valves. Within the MscS-like family, E. coli encodes much larger channels, such as YbiO, MscK, and MscM, but their physiological role remains unclear. Compared to MscL their conductances are reported as 3-10 times lower. We show that YbiO can achieve a conductance of ∼3 nS, and an equivalent pore opening of > 25 Å in diameter, equaling the known largest gated pore, MscL. We determine a cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of YbiO in a sub-open conformation, demonstrating the existence of multiple substates. One substate is consistent with the pore opening extent of our structure and the other matches states previously thought to resemble full openings. Our findings demonstrate surprising capabilities, hinting at new physiological roles for YbiO and potentially other MscS-like channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Lane
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Mariangela Dionysopoulou
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Nana Yan
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jonathan D Lippiat
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Stephen P Muench
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Christos Pliotas
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
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2
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Zhang S, Stix R, Orabi EA, Bernhardt N, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Distinct mechanisms of inhibition of Kv2 potassium channels by tetraethylammonium and RY785. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.25.605170. [PMID: 39372771 PMCID: PMC11451595 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.25.605170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Voltage-gated K+ channels play central roles in human physiology, both in health and disease. A repertoire of inhibitors that are both potent and specific would therefore be of great value, not only as pharmacological agents but also as research tools. The small molecule RY785 has been described as particularly promising in this regard, as it selectively inhibits channels in the Kv2 subfamily with high potency. Kv2 channels are expressed in multiple cell types in humans, and are of particular importance for neuronal function. The mechanism of action of RY785 has not yet been determined at the molecular level, but functional studies indicate it differs from that of less specific inhibitors, such as quaternary-ammonium compounds or aminopyridines; RY785 is distinct also in that it is electroneutral. To examine this mechanism at the single-molecule level, we have carried out a series of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations based on the experimental structure of the Kv2.1 channel in the activated, open state. First, we report a 25-microsecond trajectory calculated in the absence of any inhibitor, under an applied voltage of 100 mV, which demonstrates outward K+ flow under simulation conditions at rates comparable to experimental measurements. Additional simulations in which either RY785 or tetraethylammonium (TEA) is introduced in solution show both inhibitors spontaneously enter the channel through the cytoplasmic gate, with distinct effects. In agreement with prior structural studies, we observe that TEA binds to a site adjacent to the selectivity filter, on the pore axis, thereby blocking the flow of K+ ions. RY785, by contrast, binds to the channel walls, off-axis, and allows K+ flow while the cytoplasmic gate remains open. The observed mode of RY785 binding, however, indicates that its mechanism of action is to stabilize and occlude a semi-open state of the gate, by bridging hydrophobic protein-protein interactions therein; this hypothesis would explain the puzzling experimental observation that RY785 recognition influences the gating currents generated by the voltage sensors, 3 nm away.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Zhang
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Robyn Stix
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Esam A. Orabi
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nathan Bernhardt
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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3
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Berg A, Berntsson RPA, Barandun J. Nematocida displodere mechanosensitive ion channel of small conductance 2 assembles into a unique 6-channel super-structure in vitro. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301951. [PMID: 39038013 PMCID: PMC11262690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301951] [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: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensitive ion channels play an essential role in reacting to environmental signals and sustaining cell integrity by facilitating ion flux across membranes. For obligate intracellular pathogens like microsporidia, adapting to changes in the host environment is crucial for survival and propagation. Despite representing a eukaryote of extreme genome reduction, microsporidia have expanded the gene family of mechanosensitive ion channels of small conductance (mscS) through repeated gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer. All microsporidian genomes characterized to date contain mscS genes of both eukaryotic and bacterial origin. Here, we investigated the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the bacterially derived mechanosensitive ion channel of small conductance 2 (MscS2) from Nematocida displodere, an intracellular pathogen of Caenorhabditis elegans. MscS2 is the most compact MscS-like channel known and assembles into a unique superstructure in vitro with six heptameric MscS2 channels. Individual MscS2 channels are oriented in a heterogeneous manner to one another, resembling an asymmetric, flexible six-way cross joint. Finally, we show that microsporidian MscS2 still forms a heptameric membrane channel, however the extreme compaction suggests a potential new function of this MscS-like protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Berg
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden
| | - Ronnie P.-A. Berntsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine & Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden
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4
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Lane BJ, Ma Y, Yan N, Wang B, Ackermann K, Karamanos TK, Bode BE, Pliotas C. Monitoring the conformational ensemble and lipid environment of a mechanosensitive channel under cyclodextrin-induced membrane tension. Structure 2024; 32:739-750.e4. [PMID: 38521071 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Membrane forces shift the equilibria of mechanosensitive channels enabling them to convert mechanical cues into electrical signals. Molecular tools to stabilize and methods to capture their highly dynamic states are lacking. Cyclodextrins can mimic tension through the sequestering of lipids from membranes. Here we probe the conformational ensemble of MscS by EPR spectroscopy, the lipid environment with NMR, and function with electrophysiology under cyclodextrin-induced tension. We show the extent of MscS activation depends on the cyclodextrin-to-lipid ratio, and that lipids are depleted slower when MscS is present. This has implications in MscS' activation kinetics when distinct membrane scaffolds such as nanodiscs or liposomes are used. We find MscS transits from closed to sub-conducting state(s) before it desensitizes, due to the lack of lipid availability in its vicinity required for closure. Our approach allows for monitoring tension-sensitive states in membrane proteins and screening molecules capable of inducing molecular tension in bilayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Lane
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Yue Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic and Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Nana Yan
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Bolin Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic and Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Katrin Ackermann
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex and Centre of Magnetic Resonance, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Bela E Bode
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex and Centre of Magnetic Resonance, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Christos Pliotas
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic and Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
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5
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Moller E, Britt M, Zhou F, Yang H, Anshkin A, Ernst R, Sukharev S, Matthies D. Polymer-extracted structure of the mechanosensitive channel MscS reveals the role of protein-lipid interactions in the gating cycle. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576751. [PMID: 38328078 PMCID: PMC10849555 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Membrane protein structure determination is not only technically challenging but is further complicated by the removal or displacement of lipids, which can result in non-native conformations or a strong preference for certain states at the exclusion of others. This is especially applicable to mechanosensitive channels (MSC's) that evolved to gate in response to subtle changes in membrane tension transmitted through the lipid bilayer. E. coli MscS, a model bacterial system, is an ancestral member of the large family of MSCs found across all phyla of walled organisms. As a tension sensor, MscS is very sensitive and highly adaptive; it readily opens under super-threshold tension and closes under no tension, but under lower tensions, it slowly inactivates and can only recover when tension is released. However, existing cryo-EM structures do not explain the entire functional gating cycle of open, closed, and inactivated states. A central question in the field has been the assignment of the frequently observed non-conductive conformation to either a closed or inactivated state. Here, we present a 3 Å MscS structure in native nanodiscs obtained with Glyco-DIBMA polymer extraction, eliminating the lipid removal step that is common to all previous structures. Besides the protein in the non-conductive conformation, we observe well-resolved densities of four endogenous phospholipid molecules intercalating between the lipid-facing and pore-lining helices in preferred orientations. Mutations of positively charged residues coordinating these lipids inhibit MscS inactivation, whereas removal of a negative charge near the lipid-filled crevice increases inactivation. The functional data allows us to assign this class of structures to the inactivated state. This structure reveals preserved lipids in their native locations, and the functional effects of their destabilization illustrate a novel inactivation mechanism based on an uncoupling of the peripheral tension-sensing helices from the gate.
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6
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Britt M, Moller E, Maramba J, Anishkin A, Sukharev S. MscS inactivation and recovery are slow voltage-dependent processes sensitive to interactions with lipids. Biophys J 2024; 123:195-209. [PMID: 38098232 PMCID: PMC10808034 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensitive channel MscS, the major bacterial osmolyte release valve, shows a characteristic adaptive behavior. With a sharp onset of activating tension the channel population readily opens, but under prolonged action of moderate tension it inactivates. The inactivated state is non-conductive and tension insensitive, which suggests that the gate becomes uncoupled from the lipid-facing domains. Because the distinct opening and inactivation transitions are both driven from the closed state by tension transmitted through the lipid bilayer, here we explore how mutations of two conserved positively charged lipid anchors, R46 and R74, affect 1) the rates of opening and inactivation and 2) the voltage dependences of these transitions. Previously estimated kinetic rates for opening-closing transitions in wild-type MscS at low voltages were 3-6 orders of magnitude higher than the rates for inactivation and recovery. Here we show that MscS activation exhibits a shallow nearly symmetric dependence on voltage, whereas inactivation is substantially augmented and recovery is slowed down by depolarization. Conversely, hyperpolarization impedes inactivation and speeds up recovery. Mutations of R46 and R74 anchoring the lipid-facing helices to the inner interface to an aromatic residue (W) do not substantially change the activation energy and closing rates, but instead change the kinetics of both inactivation and recovery and essentially eliminate their voltage dependence. Uncharged polar substitutions (S or Q) for these anchors produce functional channels but increase the inactivation and reduce the recovery rates. The data clearly delineate the activation-closing and the inactivation-recovery pathways and strongly suggest that only the latter involves extensive rearrangements of the protein-lipid boundary associated with the uncoupling of the lipid-facing helices from the gate. The discovery that hyperpolarization robustly assists MscS recovery suggests that membrane potential is one of the factors that regulates osmolyte release valves by putting them either on "ready" or "standby" based on the cell's metabolic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madolyn Britt
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Elissa Moller
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Joseph Maramba
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Andriy Anishkin
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Sergei Sukharev
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Instiute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
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7
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Stix R, Tan XF, Bae C, Fernández-Mariño AI, Swartz KJ, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Eukaryotic Kv channel Shaker inactivates through selectivity filter dilation rather than collapse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj5539. [PMID: 38064553 PMCID: PMC10708196 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj5539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic voltage-gated K+ channels have been extensively studied, but the structural bases for some of their most salient functional features remain to be established. C-type inactivation, for example, is an auto-inhibitory mechanism that confers temporal resolution to their signal-firing activity. In a recent breakthrough, studies of a mutant of Shaker that is prone to inactivate indicated that this process entails a dilation of the selectivity filter, the narrowest part of the ion conduction pathway. Here, we report an atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure that demonstrates that the wild-type channel can also adopt this dilated state. All-atom simulations corroborate this conformation is congruent with the electrophysiological characteristics of the C-type inactivated state, namely, residual K+ conductance and altered ion specificity, and help rationalize why inactivation is accelerated or impeded by certain mutations. In summary, this study establishes the molecular basis for an important self-regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic K+ channels, laying a solid foundation for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Stix
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xiao-Feng Tan
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chanhyung Bae
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ana I. Fernández-Mariño
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenton J. Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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8
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Kleinheinz D, D’Onofrio C, Carraher C, Bozdogan A, Ramach U, Schuster B, Geiß M, Valtiner M, Knoll W, Andersson J. Activity of Single Insect Olfactory Receptors Triggered by Airborne Compounds Recorded in Self-Assembled Tethered Lipid Bilayer Nanoarchitectures. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:46655-46667. [PMID: 37753951 PMCID: PMC10571041 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c09304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are among the most difficult to study as they are embedded in the cellular membrane, a complex and fragile environment with limited experimental accessibility. To study membrane proteins outside of these environments, model systems are required that replicate the fundamental properties of the cellular membrane without its complexity. We show here a self-assembled lipid bilayer nanoarchitecture on a solid support that is stable for several days at room temperature and allows the measurement of insect olfactory receptors at the single-channel level. Using an odorant binding protein, we capture airborne ligands and transfer them to an olfactory receptor from Drosophila melanogaster (OR22a) complex embedded in the lipid membrane, reproducing the complete olfaction process in which a ligand is captured from air and transported across an aqueous reservoir by an odorant binding protein and finally triggers a ligand-gated ion channel embedded in a lipid bilayer, providing direct evidence for ligand capture and olfactory receptor triggering facilitated by odorant binding proteins. This model system presents a significantly more user-friendly and robust platform to exploit the extraordinary sensitivity of insect olfaction for biosensing. At the same time, the platform offers a new opportunity for label-free studies of the olfactory signaling pathways of insects, which still have many unanswered questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kleinheinz
- Austrian
Institute of Technology GmbH, Giefinggasse 4, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Chiara D’Onofrio
- Austrian
Institute of Technology GmbH, Giefinggasse 4, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Colm Carraher
- The
New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, 120 Mount Albert Road, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
| | - Anil Bozdogan
- Austrian
Institute of Technology GmbH, Giefinggasse 4, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Ulrich Ramach
- Technische
Universität Wien, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10/134, Wien 1040, Austria
- CEST
Kompetenzzentrum für Oberflächentechnologie, Viktor Kaplan-Straße 2, Wiener Neustadt 2700, Austria
| | - Bernhard Schuster
- Department
of Bionanosciences, Institute of Synthetic Bioarchitectures, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
(BOKU), Muthgasse 11, Vienna 1190, Austria
| | - Manuela Geiß
- Software
Competence Center Hagenberg GmbH, Softwarepark 32a, Hagenberg 4232, Austria
| | - Markus Valtiner
- Technische
Universität Wien, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10/134, Wien 1040, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Knoll
- Austrian
Institute of Technology GmbH, Giefinggasse 4, Vienna 1210, Austria
- Danube
Private University, Steiner
Landstraße 124, Krems an der Donau 3500, Austria
| | - Jakob Andersson
- Austrian
Institute of Technology GmbH, Giefinggasse 4, Vienna 1210, Austria
- Technische
Universität Wien, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10/134, Wien 1040, Austria
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9
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Fiorin G, Forrest LR, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Membrane free-energy landscapes derived from atomistic dynamics explain nonuniversal cholesterol-induced stiffening. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad269. [PMID: 37637198 PMCID: PMC10456217 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
All lipid membranes have inherent morphological preferences and resist deformation. Yet adaptations in membrane shape can and do occur at multiple length scales. While this plasticity is crucial for cellular physiology, the factors controlling the morphological energetics of lipid bilayers and the dominant mechanisms of membrane remodeling remain to be fully understood. An ongoing debate regarding the universality of the stiffening effect of cholesterol underscores the challenges facing this field, both experimentally and theoretically, even for simple lipid mixtures. On the computational side, we have argued that enhanced-sampling all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are uniquely suited for the quantification of membrane conformational energetics, as they minimize a priori assumptions and permit analysis of bilayers in deformed states. To showcase this approach, we examine reported inconsistencies between alternative experimental measurements of bending moduli for cholesterol-enriched membranes. Specifically, we analyze lipid bilayers with different chain saturation and compute free-energy landscapes for curvature deformations distributed over areas from ∼5 to ∼60 nm2 . These enhanced simulations, totaling over 100 μs of sampling time, enable us to directly quantify both bending and tilt moduli and to dissect the contributing factors and molecular mechanisms of curvature generation at each length scale. Our results show that the effects of cholesterol on bending rigidity are lipid-specific and suggest that this specificity arises from differences in the torsional dynamics of the acyl chains. In summary, we demonstrate that quantitative relationships can now be established between lipid structure and bending energetics, paving the way for addressing open fundamental questions in cell membrane mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Fiorin
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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10
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Britt M, Moller E, Maramba J, Anishkin A, Sukharev S. MscS inactivation and recovery are slow voltage-dependent processes sensitive to interactions with lipids. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539870. [PMID: 37215046 PMCID: PMC10197514 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensitive channel MscS, the major bacterial osmolyte release valve, shows a characteristic adaptive behavior. With a sharp onset of activating tension, the channel population readily opens, but under prolonged action of moderate near-threshold tension, it inactivates. The inactivated state is non-conductive and tension-insensitive, which suggests that the gate gets uncoupled from the lipid-facing domains. The kinetic rates for tension-driven opening-closing transitions are 4-6 orders of magnitude higher than the rates for inactivation and recovery. Here we show that inactivation is augmented and recovery is slowed down by depolarization. Hyperpolarization, conversely, impedes inactivation and speeds up recovery. We then address the question of whether protein-lipid interactions may set the rates and influence voltage dependence of inactivation and recovery. Mutations of conserved arginines 46 and 74 anchoring the lipid-facing helices to the inner membrane leaflet to tryptophans do not change the closing transitions, but instead change the kinetics of both inactivation and recovery and essentially eliminate their voltage-dependence. Uncharged polar substitutions (S or Q) for these anchors produce functional channels but increase the inactivation and reduce the recovery rates. The data suggest that it is not the activation and closing transitions, but rather the inactivation and recovery pathways that involve substantial rearrangements of the protein-lipid boundary associated with the separation of the lipid-facing helices from the gate. The discovery that hyperpolarization robustly assists MscS recovery indicates that membrane potential can regulate osmolyte release valves by putting them either on the 'ready' or 'standby' mode depending on the cell's metabolic state.
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11
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Fiorin G, Forrest LR, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Membrane free-energy landscapes derived from atomistic dynamics explain nonuniversal cholesterol-induced stiffening. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.02.525347. [PMID: 36778237 PMCID: PMC9915699 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.02.525347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
All lipid membranes have inherent morphological preferences and resist deformation. Yet adaptations in membrane shape can and do occur at multiple length scales. While this plasticity is crucial for cellular physiology, the factors controlling the morphological energetics of lipid bilayers and the dominant mechanisms of membrane remodeling remain unclear. An ongoing debate regarding the universality of the stiffening effect of cholesterol underscores the challenges facing this field, both experimentally and theoretically, even for simple lipid mixtures. On the computational side, we have argued that enhanced- sampling all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are uniquely suited for quantification of membrane conformational energetics, not only because they minimize a-priori assumptions, but also because they permit analysis of bilayers in deformed states. To showcase this approach, we examine reported inconsistencies between alternative experimental measurements of bending moduli for cholesterol-enriched membranes. Specifically, we analyze lipid bilayers with different chain saturation, and compute free-energy landscapes for curvature deformations distributed over areas from ∼5 to ∼60 nm 2 . These enhanced simulations, totaling over 100 microseconds of sampling time, enable us to directly quantify both bending and tilt moduli, and to dissect the contributing factors and molecular mechanisms of curvature generation at each length scale. Our results show that cholesterol effects are lipid-specific, in agreement with giantvesicle measurements, and explain why experiments probing nanometer scale lipid dynamics diverge. In summary, we demonstrate that quantitative structure-mechanics relationships can now be established for heterogenous membranes, paving the way for addressing open fundamental questions in cell membrane mechanics. Significance Elucidating the energetics and mechanisms of membrane remodeling is an essential step towards understanding cell physiology. This problem is challenging, however, because membrane bending involves both large-scale and atomic-level dynamics, which are difficult to measure simultaneously. A recent controversy regarding the stiffening effect of cholesterol, which is ubiquitous in animal cells, illustrates this challenge. We show how enhanced molecular-dynamics simulations can bridge this length-scale gap and reconcile seemingly incongruent observations. This approach facilitates a conceptual connection between lipid chemistry and membrane mechanics, thereby providing a solid basis for future research on remodeling phenomena, such as in membrane trafficking or viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Fiorin
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
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