1
|
Modica MV, Ahmad R, Ainsworth S, Anderluh G, Antunes A, Beis D, Caliskan F, Serra MD, Dutertre S, Moran Y, Nalbantsoy A, Oukkache N, Pekar S, Remm M, von Reumont BM, Sarigiannis Y, Tarallo A, Tytgat J, Undheim EAB, Utkin Y, Verdes A, Violette A, Zancolli G. Corrigendum to: The new COST Action European Venom Network (EUVEN)-synergy and future perspectives of modern venomics. Gigascience 2021; 10:6489122. [PMID: 34966929 PMCID: PMC8716359 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giab102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Modica
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Rafi Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Holsetgata 22, 2318 Hamar, Norway
| | - Stuart Ainsworth
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 4 Soranou Ephessiou St., 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | - Figen Caliskan
- Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, TR-26040 Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via De Marini 6 - Torre di Francia, 16149 Genova, Italy
| | - Sebastien Dutertre
- IBMM, Universite de Montpellier, CNRS, ´ ENSCM, Place Eugene Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ayse Nalbantsoy
- Ege University, Bioengineering Department, 180 Bornova, 35040 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Naoual Oukkache
- Institut Pasteur of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, 20100 Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Stano Pekar
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137 Brno, Czechia
| | - Maido Remm
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Tartu, IMCB, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Bjoern Marcus von Reumont
- Department of Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University, Winchester Str. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany.,LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25 D-60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Yiannis Sarigiannis
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Avenue, CY-2417 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andrea Tarallo
- Department of Research infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Department of of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eivind Andreas Baste Undheim
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Yuri Utkin
- Laboratory of Molecular Toxinology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient´ıficas, Calle de Jose Guti ´ errez ´ Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Science, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Aude Violette
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory, B-7911 Montroeul-au-Bois, Belgium
| | - Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, UNIL Sorge Le Biophore, CH - 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Modica MV, Ahmad R, Ainsworth S, Anderluh G, Antunes A, Beis D, Caliskan F, Serra MD, Dutertre S, Moran Y, Nalbantsoy A, Oukkache N, Pekar S, Remm M, von Reumont BM, Sarigiannis Y, Tarallo A, Tytgat J, Undheim EAB, Utkin Y, Verdes A, Violette A, Zancolli G. The new COST Action European Venom Network (EUVEN)-synergy and future perspectives of modern venomics. Gigascience 2021; 10:6187861. [PMID: 33764467 PMCID: PMC7992391 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom research is a highly multidisciplinary field that involves multiple subfields of
biology, informatics, pharmacology, medicine, and other areas. These different research
facets are often technologically challenging and pursued by different teams lacking
connection with each other. This lack of coordination hampers the full development of
venom investigation and applications. The COST Action CA19144–European Venom Network was
recently launched to promote synergistic interactions among different stakeholders and
foster venom research at the European level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Modica
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Rafi Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Holsetgata 22, 2318 Hamar, Norway
| | - Stuart Ainsworth
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 4 Soranou Ephessiou St., 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | - Figen Caliskan
- Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, TR-26040 Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via De Marini 6 - Torre di Francia, 16149 Genova, Italy
| | - Sebastien Dutertre
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Place Eugene Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ayse Nalbantsoy
- Ege University, Bioengineering Department, 180 Bornova, 35040 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Naoual Oukkache
- Institut Pasteur of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, 20100 Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Stano Pekar
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137 Brno, Czechia
| | - Maido Remm
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Tartu, IMCB, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Bjoern Marcus von Reumont
- Department of Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University, Winchester Str. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany.,LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25 D-60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Yiannis Sarigiannis
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Avenue, CY-2417 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andrea Tarallo
- Department of Research infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Department of of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eivind Andreas Baste Undheim
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis,Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Yuri Utkin
- Laboratory of Molecular Toxinology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Science, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Aude Violette
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory, B-7911 Montroeul-au-Bois, Belgium
| | - Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, UNIL Sorge Le Biophore, CH - 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lauria F, Bernabò P, Tebaldi T, Groen EJN, Perenthaler E, Maniscalco F, Rossi A, Donzel D, Clamer M, Marchioretto M, Omersa N, Orri J, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G, Quattrone A, Inga A, Gillingwater TH, Viero G. SMN-primed ribosomes modulate the translation of transcripts related to spinal muscular atrophy. Nat Cell Biol 2020; 22:1239-1251. [PMID: 32958857 PMCID: PMC7610479 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-020-00577-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The contribution of ribosome heterogeneity and ribosome-associated proteins to the molecular control of proteomes in health and disease remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that survival motor neuron (SMN) protein-the loss of which causes the neuromuscular disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)-binds to ribosomes and that this interaction is tissue-dependent. SMN-primed ribosomes are preferentially positioned within the first five codons of a set of mRNAs that are enriched for translational enhancer sequences in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) and rare codons at the beginning of their coding sequence. These SMN-specific mRNAs are associated with neurogenesis, lipid metabolism, ubiquitination, chromatin regulation and translation. Loss of SMN induces ribosome depletion, especially at the beginning of the coding sequence of SMN-specific mRNAs, leading to impairment of proteins that are involved in motor neuron function and stability, including acetylcholinesterase. Thus, SMN plays a crucial role in the regulation of ribosome fluxes along mRNAs encoding proteins that are relevant to SMA pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Lauria
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Bernabò
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Toma Tebaldi
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ewout Joan Nicolaas Groen
- Edinburgh Medical School, Biomedical Sciences & Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Perenthaler
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Federica Maniscalco
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Deborah Donzel
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | | | - Neža Omersa
- National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Julia Orri
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Trento, Italy
- La Fundació Jesuïtes Educació, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Alberto Inga
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Thomas Henry Gillingwater
- Edinburgh Medical School, Biomedical Sciences & Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Toparlak ÖD, Zasso J, Bridi S, Serra MD, Macchi P, Conti L, Baudet ML, Mansy SS. Artificial cells drive neural differentiation. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eabb4920. [PMID: 32948587 PMCID: PMC7500934 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We report the construction of artificial cells that chemically communicate with mammalian cells under physiological conditions. The artificial cells respond to the presence of a small molecule in the environment by synthesizing and releasing a potent protein signal, brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Genetically controlled artificial cells communicate with engineered human embryonic kidney cells and murine neural stem cells. The data suggest that artificial cells are a versatile chassis for the in situ synthesis and on-demand release of chemical signals that elicit desired phenotypic changes of eukaryotic cells, including neuronal differentiation. In the future, artificial cells could be engineered to go beyond the capabilities of typical smart drug delivery vehicles by synthesizing and delivering specific therapeutic molecules tailored to distinct physiological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ö Duhan Toparlak
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Jacopo Zasso
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Simone Bridi
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- National Research Council-Institute of Biophysics & Bruno Kessler Foundation, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Paolo Macchi
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Luciano Conti
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Marie-Laure Baudet
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Sheref S Mansy
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
DiFrancesco ML, Lodola F, Colombo E, Maragliano L, Bramini M, Paternò GM, Baldelli P, Serra MD, Lunelli L, Marchioretto M, Grasselli G, Cimò S, Colella L, Fazzi D, Ortica F, Vurro V, Eleftheriou CG, Shmal D, Maya-Vetencourt JF, Bertarelli C, Lanzani G, Benfenati F. Neuronal firing modulation by a membrane-targeted photoswitch. Nat Nanotechnol 2020; 15:296-306. [PMID: 32015505 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0632-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Optical technologies allowing modulation of neuronal activity at high spatio-temporal resolution are becoming paramount in neuroscience. In this respect, azobenzene-based photoswitches are promising nanoscale tools for neuronal photostimulation. Here we engineered a light-sensitive azobenzene compound (Ziapin2) that stably partitions into the plasma membrane and causes its thinning through trans-dimerization in the dark, resulting in an increased membrane capacitance at steady state. We demonstrated that in neurons loaded with the compound, millisecond pulses of visible light induce a transient hyperpolarization followed by a delayed depolarization that triggers action potential firing. These effects are persistent and can be evoked in vivo up to 7 days, proving the potential of Ziapin2 for the modulation of membrane capacitance in the millisecond timescale, without directly affecting ion channels or local temperature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Lorenzo DiFrancesco
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Lodola
- Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Colombo
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Maragliano
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mattia Bramini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Mattia Bramini, Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Pietro Baldelli
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trento, Italy
- Laboratory of Biomarker Studies and Structure Analysis for Health, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lunelli
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trento, Italy
- Laboratory of Biomarker Studies and Structure Analysis for Health, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Marta Marchioretto
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trento, Italy
- Laboratory of Biomarker Studies and Structure Analysis for Health, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgio Grasselli
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simone Cimò
- Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Letizia Colella
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Fazzi
- Department of Chemistry, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fausto Ortica
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Vito Vurro
- Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy
| | - Cyril Giles Eleftheriou
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Cyril Giles Eleftheriou, Departments of Ophtalmology and Neurology, Burke Medical Research Institute, Weil Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Dmytro Shmal
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Bertarelli
- Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy.
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Dalla Serra M, Gilbert RJC, Matagne A, England P. Biophysical Approaches to Protein Folding and Disease, a satellite meeting to the IUPAB-EBSA congress. Eur Biophys J 2018; 47:95-96. [PMID: 29480327 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-018-1288-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Dalla Serra
- CNR-Institute of Biophysics, Via alla Cascata, 56, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Robert J C Gilbert
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
| | - André Matagne
- Centre for Protein Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, Institut de Chimie B6, Allée de la Chimie, 3, University of Liège, 4000, Liège (Sart-Tilman), Belgium
| | - Patrick England
- Institut Pasteur, Biophysics of Macromolecules and their Interactions, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mattana S, Mattarelli M, Urbanelli L, Sagini K, Emiliani C, Serra MD, Fioretto D, Caponi S. Non-contact mechanical and chemical analysis of single living cells by microspectroscopic techniques. Light Sci Appl 2018; 7:17139. [PMID: 30839528 PMCID: PMC6060066 DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2017.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Innovative label-free microspectroscopy, which can simultaneously collect Brillouin and Raman signals, is used to characterize the viscoelastic properties and chemical composition of living cells with sub-micrometric resolution. The unprecedented statistical accuracy of the data combined with the high-frequency resolution and the high contrast of the recently built experimental setup permits the study of single living cells immersed in their buffer solution by contactless measurements. The Brillouin signal is deconvoluted in the buffer and the cell components, thereby revealing the mechanical heterogeneity inside the cell. In particular, a 20% increase is observed in the elastic modulus passing from the plasmatic membrane to the nucleus as distinguished by comparison with the Raman spectroscopic marker. Brillouin line shape analysis is even more relevant for the comparison of cells under physiological and pathological conditions. Following oncogene expression, cells show an overall reduction in the elastic modulus (15%) and apparent viscosity (50%). In a proof-of-principle experiment, the ability of this spectroscopic technique to characterize subcellular compartments and distinguish cell status was successfully tested. The results strongly support the future application of this technique for fundamental issues in the biomedical field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mattana
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Maurizio Mattarelli
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Lorena Urbanelli
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, via del Giochetto, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Krizia Sagini
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, via del Giochetto, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Carla Emiliani
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, via del Giochetto, Perugia I-06123, Italy
- CEMIN-Center of Excellence for Innovative Nanostructured Material, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica CNR (IBF-CNR), Unità di Trento, and FBK, Via Sommarive 18, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Daniele Fioretto
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06123, Italy
- CEMIN-Center of Excellence for Innovative Nanostructured Material, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Silvia Caponi
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali del CNR (CNR-IOM)—Unità di Perugia, c/o Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dalla Serra M, Tossi A. Regional Biophysics Conference - RBC2016. Eur Biophys J 2017; 46:689-690. [PMID: 29128893 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-017-1265-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Dalla Serra
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy and Bruno Kessler Foundation, Via Alla Cascata 56/C, 38123, Trento, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Tossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Knap P, Tebaldi T, Di Leva F, Biagioli M, Dalla Serra M, Viero G. The Unexpected Tuners: Are LncRNAs Regulating Host Translation during Infections? Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:E357. [PMID: 29469820 PMCID: PMC5705972 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9110357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria produce powerful virulent factors, such as pore-forming toxins, that promote their survival and cause serious damage to the host. Host cells reply to membrane stresses and ionic imbalance by modifying gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional and translational level, to recover from the toxin attack. The fact that the majority of the human transcriptome encodes for non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) raises the question: do host cells deploy non-coding transcripts to rapidly control the most energy-consuming process in cells-i.e., host translation-to counteract the infection? Here, we discuss the intriguing possibility that membrane-damaging toxins induce, in the host, the expression of toxin-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which act as sponges for other molecules, encoding small peptides or binding target mRNAs to depress their translation efficiency. Unravelling the function of host-produced lncRNAs upon bacterial infection or membrane damage requires an improved understanding of host lncRNA expression patterns, their association with polysomes and their function during this stress. This field of investigation holds a unique opportunity to reveal unpredicted scenarios and novel approaches to counteract antibiotic-resistant infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Primoz Knap
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Via Sommarive 18, Povo Trento 38123, Italy.
| | - Toma Tebaldi
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Francesca Di Leva
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, Povo Trento 38123, Italy.
| | - Marta Biagioli
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, Povo Trento 38123, Italy.
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Via Sommarive 18, Povo Trento 38123, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Viero
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR Unit at Trento, Via Sommarive 18, Povo Trento 38123, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Roncador A, Jimenez-Garduño AM, Pasquardini L, Giusti G, Cornella N, Lunelli L, Potrich C, Bartali R, Aversa L, Verucchi R, Serra MD, Caponi S, Iannotta S, Macchi P, Musio C. Primary cortical neurons on PMCS TiO 2 films towards bio-hybrid memristive device: A morpho-functional study. Biophys Chem 2017; 229:115-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
11
|
Affiliation(s)
- Franco Gambale
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy & Bruno Kessler Foundation, Via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Juarez-Hernandez LJ, Cornella N, Pasquardini L, Battistoni S, Vidalino L, Vanzetti L, Caponi S, Serra MD, Iannotta S, Pederzolli C, Macchi P, Musio C. Bio-hybrid interfaces to study neuromorphic functionalities: New multidisciplinary evidences of cell viability on poly(anyline) (PANI), a semiconductor polymer with memristive properties. Biophys Chem 2016; 208:40-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2015.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
13
|
Tosatto L, Horrocks MH, Dear AJ, Knowles TPJ, Dalla Serra M, Cremades N, Dobson CM, Klenerman D. Single-molecule FRET studies on alpha-synuclein oligomerization of Parkinson's disease genetically related mutants. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16696. [PMID: 26582456 PMCID: PMC4652217 DOI: 10.1038/srep16696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligomers of alpha-synuclein are toxic to cells and have been proposed to play a key role in the etiopathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. As certain missense mutations in the gene encoding for alpha-synuclein induce early-onset forms of the disease, it has been suggested that these variants might have an inherent tendency to produce high concentrations of oligomers during aggregation, although a direct experimental evidence for this is still missing. We used single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer to visualize directly the protein self-assembly process by wild-type alpha-synuclein and A53T, A30P and E46K mutants and to compare the structural properties of the ensemble of oligomers generated. We found that the kinetics of oligomer formation correlates with the natural tendency of each variant to acquire beta-sheet structure. Moreover, A53T and A30P showed significant differences in the averaged FRET efficiency of one of the two types of oligomers formed compared to the wild-type oligomers, indicating possible structural variety among the ensemble of species generated. Importantly, we found similar concentrations of oligomers during the lag-phase of the aggregation of wild-type and mutated alpha-synuclein, suggesting that the properties of the ensemble of oligomers generated during self-assembly might be more relevant than their absolute concentration for triggering neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tosatto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK.,Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Mathew H Horrocks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander J Dear
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK.,Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Universidad de Zaragoza, Mariano Esquillor, Edificio I+D, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Podobnik M, Marchioretto M, Zanetti M, Bavdek A, Kisovec M, Mojca Cajnko M, Lunelli L, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G. Corrigendum: Plasticity of Listeriolysin O Pores and its Regulation by pH and Unique Histidine. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15690. [PMID: 26543014 PMCID: PMC4635403 DOI: 10.1038/srep15690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
|
15
|
Rojko N, Dalla Serra M, Maček P, Anderluh G. Pore formation by actinoporins, cytolysins from sea anemones. Biochim Biophys Acta 2015; 1858:446-56. [PMID: 26351738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Actinoporins (APs) from sea anemones are ~20 kDa pore forming toxins with a β-sandwich structure flanked by two α-helices. The molecular mechanism of APs pore formation is composed of several well-defined steps. APs bind to membrane by interfacial binding site composed of several aromatic amino acid residues that allow binding to phosphatidylcholine and specific recognition of sphingomyelin. Subsequently, the N-terminal α-helix from the β-sandwich has to be inserted into the lipid/water interphase in order to form a functional pore. Functional studies and single molecule imaging revealed that only several monomers, 3-4, oligomerise to form a functional pore. In this model the α-helices and surrounding lipid molecules build toroidal pore. In agreement, AP pores are transient and electrically heterogeneous. On the contrary, crystallized oligomers of actinoporin fragaceatoxin C were found to be composed of eight monomers with no lipids present between the adjacent α-helices. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Pore-Forming Toxins edited by Maur Dalla Serra and Franco Gambale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nejc Rojko
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche & Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Peter Maček
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Horrocks MH, Tosatto L, Dear AJ, Garcia GA, Iljina M, Cremades N, Dalla Serra M, Knowles TPJ, Dobson CM, Klenerman D. Fast Flow Microfluidics and Single-Molecule Fluorescence for the Rapid Characterization of α-Synuclein Oligomers. Anal Chem 2015; 87:8818-26. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b01811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathew H. Horrocks
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Laura Tosatto
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Istituto
di Biofisica,
CNR, U.O., Trento, Trentino, Italy
| | - Alexander J. Dear
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Gonzalo A. Garcia
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Marija Iljina
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | | | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - David Klenerman
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Podobnik M, Marchioretto M, Zanetti M, Bavdek A, Kisovec M, Cajnko MM, Lunelli L, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G. Plasticity of listeriolysin O pores and its regulation by pH and unique histidine [corrected]. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9623. [PMID: 25854672 PMCID: PMC5381700 DOI: 10.1038/srep09623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pore formation of cellular membranes is an ancient mechanism of bacterial pathogenesis that allows efficient damaging of target cells. Several mechanisms have been described, however, relatively little is known about the assembly and properties of pores. Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a pH-regulated cholesterol-dependent cytolysin from the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which forms transmembrane β-barrel pores. Here we report that the assembly of LLO pores is rapid and efficient irrespective of pH. While pore diameters at the membrane surface are comparable at either pH 5.5 or 7.4, the distribution of pore conductances is significantly pH-dependent. This is directed by the unique residue H311, which is also important for the conformational stability of the LLO monomer and the rate of pore formation. The functional pores exhibit variations in height profiles and can reconfigure significantly by merging to other full pores or arcs. Our results indicate significant plasticity of large β-barrel pores, controlled by environmental cues like pH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjetka Podobnik
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marta Marchioretto
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche &Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Manuela Zanetti
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche &Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Andrej Bavdek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matic Kisovec
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miša Mojca Cajnko
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lorenzo Lunelli
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche &Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche &Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- 1] Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia [2] Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tawk MY, Zimmermann K, Bossu J, Potrich C, Bourcier T, Dalla Serra M, Poulain B, Prévost G, Jover E. Internalization of staphylococcal leukotoxins that bind and divert the
C
5a receptor is required for intracellular
Ca
2+
mobilization by human neutrophils. Cell Microbiol 2015; 17:1241-57. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mira Y. Tawk
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg EA7290 Virulence Bactérienne Précoce Institut de Bactériologie et Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg Université de Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Kiran Zimmermann
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg EA7290 Virulence Bactérienne Précoce Institut de Bactériologie et Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg Université de Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Jean‐Louis Bossu
- INCI – UPR‐CNRS 3212 Physiologie des réseaux de neurones Strasbourg France
| | - Cristina Potrich
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Biophysics and Bruno Kessler Foundation Trento Italy
| | - Tristan Bourcier
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg EA7290 Virulence Bactérienne Précoce Institut de Bactériologie et Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg Université de Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Biophysics and Bruno Kessler Foundation Trento Italy
| | - Bernard Poulain
- INCI – UPR‐CNRS 3212 Physiologie des réseaux de neurones Strasbourg France
| | - Gilles Prévost
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg EA7290 Virulence Bactérienne Précoce Institut de Bactériologie et Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg Université de Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Emmanuel Jover
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg EA7290 Virulence Bactérienne Précoce Institut de Bactériologie et Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg Université de Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Gilbert RJ, Serra MD, Froelich CJ, Wallace MI, Anderluh G. Membrane pore formation at protein–lipid interfaces. Trends Biochem Sci 2014; 39:510-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2014.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 09/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
20
|
Antonini V, Pérez-Barzaga V, Bampi S, Pentón D, Martínez D, Serra MD, Tejuca M. Functional characterization of sticholysin I and W111C mutant reveals the sequence of the actinoporin's pore assembly. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110824. [PMID: 25350457 PMCID: PMC4211696 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of pore-forming toxins in the construction of immunotoxins against tumour cells is an alternative for cancer therapy. In this protein family one of the most potent toxins are the actinoporins, cytolysins from sea anemones. We work on the construction of tumour proteinase-activated immunotoxins using sticholysin I (StI), an actinoporin isolated from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. To accomplish this objective, recombinant StI (StIr) with a mutation in the membrane binding region has been employed. In this work, it was evaluated the impact of mutating tryptophan 111 to cysteine on the toxin pore forming capability. StI W111C is still able to permeabilize erythrocytes and liposomes, but at ten-fold higher concentration than StI. This is due to its lower affinity for the membrane, which corroborates the importance of residue 111 for the binding of actinoporins to the lipid bilayer. In agreement, other functional characteristics not directly associated to the binding, are essentially the same for both variants, that is, pores have oligomeric structures with similar radii, conductance, cation-selectivity, and instantaneous current-voltage behavior. In addition, this work provides experimental evidence sustaining the toroidal protein-lipid actinoporins lytic structures, since the toxins provoke the trans-bilayer movement (flip-flop) of a pyrene-labeled analogue of phosphatidylcholine in liposomes, indicating the existence of continuity between the outer and the inner membrane leaflet. Finally, our planar lipid membranes results have also contributed to a better understanding of the actinoporin's pore assembly mechanism. After the toxin binding and the N-terminal insertion in the lipid membrane, the pore assembly occurs by passing through different transient sub-conductance states. These states, usually 3 or 4, are due to the successive incorporation of N-terminal α-helices and lipid heads to the growing pores until a stable toroidal oligomeric structure is formed, which is mainly tetrameric.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Antonini
- National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Biophysics and Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Victor Pérez-Barzaga
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
| | - Silvia Bampi
- National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Biophysics and Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - David Pentón
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
| | - Diana Martínez
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Biophysics and Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
- * E-mail: (MDS); (MT)
| | - Mayra Tejuca
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
- * E-mail: (MDS); (MT)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lentini R, Santero SP, Chizzolini F, Cecchi D, Fontana J, Marchioretto M, Del Bianco C, Terrell JL, Spencer AC, Martini L, Forlin M, Assfalg M, Dalla Serra M, Bentley WE, Mansy SS. Integrating artificial with natural cells to translate chemical messages that direct E. coli behaviour. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4012. [PMID: 24874202 PMCID: PMC4050265 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous efforts to control cellular behaviour have largely relied upon various forms of genetic engineering. Once the genetic content of a living cell is modified, the behaviour of that cell typically changes as well. However, other methods of cellular control are possible. All cells sense and respond to their environment. Therefore, artificial, non-living cellular mimics could be engineered to activate or repress already existing natural sensory pathways of living cells through chemical communication. Here we describe the construction of such a system. The artificial cells expand the senses of Escherichia coli by translating a chemical message that E. coli cannot sense on its own to a molecule that activates a natural cellular response. This methodology could open new opportunities in engineering cellular behaviour without exploiting genetically modified organisms. The control of cellular behaviour largely relies on genetic engineering, but artificial cells could be designed to control cell processes through chemical communication. Here, the authors develop an artificial cell that is able to translate a chemical message into a signal that can be sensed by E. coli and activate a cellular response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Lentini
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Silvia Perez Santero
- 1] CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy [2] Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Fabio Chizzolini
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Dario Cecchi
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Jason Fontana
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Marta Marchioretto
- National Research Council-Institute of Biophysics & Bruno Kessler Foundation, Via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Cristina Del Bianco
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Jessica L Terrell
- 1] Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA [2] Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Amy C Spencer
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Laura Martini
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Michele Forlin
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- National Research Council-Institute of Biophysics & Bruno Kessler Foundation, Via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - William E Bentley
- 1] Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA [2] Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Sheref S Mansy
- CIBIO, University of Trento, via delle Regole 101, 38123 Mattarello (TN), Italy
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tosatto L, Horrocks MH, Nunilo C, Guilliams T, Serra MD, Klenerman D. Single Molecule FRET Characterization of Oligomers from Alpha-Synuclein Early Onset Parkinson's Disease Mutants. Biophys J 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.1575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
|
23
|
Marchioretto M, Podobnik M, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G. What planar lipid membranes tell us about the pore-forming activity of cholesterol-dependent cytolysins. Biophys Chem 2013; 182:64-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2013.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 06/19/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
24
|
Fecchio C, De Franceschi G, Relini A, Greggio E, Dalla Serra M, Bubacco L, Polverino de Laureto P. α-Synuclein oligomers induced by docosahexaenoic acid affect membrane integrity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82732. [PMID: 24312431 PMCID: PMC3843715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A key feature of Parkinson disease is the aggregation of α-synuclein and its intracellular deposition in fibrillar form. Increasing evidence suggests that the pathogenicity of α-synuclein is correlated with the activity of oligomers formed in the early stages of its aggregation process. Oligomers toxicity seems to be associated with both their ability to bind and affect the integrity of lipid membranes. Previously, we demonstrated that α-synuclein forms oligomeric species in the presence of docosahexaenoic acid and that these species are toxic to cells. Here we studied how interaction of these oligomers with membranes results in cell toxicity, using cellular membrane-mimetic and cell model systems. We found that α-synuclein oligomers are able to interact with large and small unilamellar negatively charged vesicles acquiring an increased amount of α-helical structure, which induces small molecules release. We explored the possibility that oligomers effects on membranes could be due to pore formation, to a detergent-like effect or to fibril growth on the membrane. Our biophysical and cellular findings are consistent with a model where α-synuclein oligomers are embedded into the lipid bilayer causing transient alteration of membrane permeability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Fecchio
- CRIBI, Biotechnology Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgia De Franceschi
- CRIBI, Biotechnology Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Greggio
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy and Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Luigi Bubacco
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Rojko N, Kristan KČ, Viero G, Žerovnik E, Maček P, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G. Membrane damage by an α-helical pore-forming protein, Equinatoxin II, proceeds through a succession of ordered steps. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:23704-15. [PMID: 23803608 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.481572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporin equinatoxin II (EqtII) is an archetypal example of α-helical pore-forming toxins that porate cellular membranes by the use of α-helices. Previous studies proposed several steps in the pore formation: binding of monomeric protein onto the membrane, followed by oligomerization and insertion of the N-terminal α-helix into the lipid bilayer. We studied these separate steps with an EqtII triple cysteine mutant. The mutant was engineered to monitor the insertion of the N terminus into the lipid bilayer by labeling Cys-18 with a fluorescence probe and at the same time to control the flexibility of the N-terminal region by the disulfide bond formed between cysteines introduced at positions 8 and 69. The insertion of the N terminus into the membrane proceeded shortly after the toxin binding and was followed by oligomerization. The oxidized, non-lytic, form of the mutant was still able to bind to membranes and oligomerize at the same level as the wild-type or the reduced form. However, the kinetics of the N-terminal helix insertion, the release of calcein from erythrocyte ghosts, and hemolysis of erythrocytes was much slower when membrane-bound oxidized mutant was reduced by the addition of the reductant. Results show that the N-terminal region needs to be inserted in the lipid membrane before the oligomerization into the final pore and imply that there is no need for a stable prepore formation. This is different from β-pore-forming toxins that often form β-barrel pores via a stable prepore complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nejc Rojko
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Alessandrini A, Viero G, Dalla Serra M, Prévost G, Facci P. γ-Hemolysin oligomeric structure and effect of its formation on supported lipid bilayers: an AFM investigation. Biochim Biophys Acta 2012; 1828:405-11. [PMID: 23036932 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2012.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Revised: 09/05/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
γ-Hemolysins are bicomponent β-barrel pore forming toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus as water-soluble monomers, which assemble into oligomeric pores on the surface of lipid bilayers. Here, after investigating the oligomeric structure of γ-hemolysins on supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) by atomic force microscopy (AFM), we studied the effect produced by this toxin on the structure of SLBs. We found that oligomeric structures with different number of monomers can assemble on the lipid bilayer being the octameric form the stablest one. Moreover, in this membrane model we found that γ-hemolysins can form clusters of oligomers inducing a curvature in the lipid bilayer, which could probably enhance the aggressiveness of these toxins at high concentrations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Alessandrini
- Centro S3, CNR-Istituto di Nanoscienze, Via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Giacomelli L, Nanni V, Lenzi L, Zhuang J, Dalla Serra M, Banfield MJ, Town CD, Silverstein KAT, Baraldi E, Moser C. Identification and characterization of the defensin-like gene family of grapevine. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2012; 25:1118-31. [PMID: 22550957 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-12-11-0323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are a class of small and diverse cysteine-rich proteins found in plants, insects, and vertebrates, which share a common tertiary structure and usually exert broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. We used a bioinformatic approach to scan the Vitis vinifera genome and identified 79 defensin-like sequences (DEFL) corresponding to 46 genes and allelic variants, plus 33 pseudogenes and gene fragments. Expansion and diversification of grapevine DEFL has occurred after the split from the last common ancestor with the genera Medicago and Arabidopsis. Grapevine DEFL localization on the 'Pinot Noir' genome revealed the presence of several clusters likely evolved through local duplications. By sequencing reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction products, we could demonstrate the expression of grapevine DEFL with no previously reported record of expression. Many of these genes are predominantly or exclusively expressed in tissues linked to plant reproduction, consistent with findings in other plant species, and some of them accumulated at fruit ripening. The transcripts of five DEFL were also significantly upregulated in tissues infected with Botrytis cinerea, a necrotrophic mold, suggesting a role of these genes in defense against this pathogen. Finally, three novel defensins were discovered among the identified DEFL. They inhibit B. cinerea conidia germination when expressed as recombinant proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Giacomelli
- IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Bavdek A, Kostanjšek R, Antonini V, Lakey JH, Dalla Serra M, Gilbert RJC, Anderluh G. pH dependence of listeriolysin O aggregation and pore-forming ability. FEBS J 2011; 279:126-41. [PMID: 22023160 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2011.08405.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Listeriolysin O (LLO) is the major factor implicated in the escape of Listeria monocytogenes from the phagolysosome. It is the only representative of cholesterol-dependent cytolysins that exhibits pH-dependent activity. Despite intense studies of LLO pH-dependence, this feature of the toxin still remains incompletely explained. Here we used fluorescence and CD spectroscopy to show that the structure of LLO is not detectably affected by pH at room temperature. We observed slightly altered haemolytic and permeabilizing activities at different pH values, which we relate to reduced binding of LLO to the lipid membranes. However, alkaline pH and elevated temperatures caused rapid denaturation of LLO. Aggregates of the toxin were able to bind Congo red and Thioflavin T dyes and were visible under transmission electron microscopy as large, amorphous, micrometer-sized assemblies. The aggregates had the biophysical properties of amyloid. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicated dimerization of the protein in acidic conditions, which protects the protein against premature denaturation in the phagolysosome, where toxin activity takes place. We therefore suggest that LLO spontaneously aggregates at the neutral pH found in the host cell cytosol and that this is a major mechanism of LLO inactivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Bavdek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Praper T, Sonnen A, Viero G, Kladnik A, Froelich CJ, Anderluh G, Dalla Serra M, Gilbert RJC. Human perforin employs different avenues to damage membranes. J Biol Chem 2010; 286:2946-55. [PMID: 20889983 PMCID: PMC3024789 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.169417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Perforin (PFN) is a pore-forming protein produced by cytotoxic lymphocytes that aids in the clearance of tumor or virus-infected cells by a mechanism that involves the formation of transmembrane pores. The properties of PFN pores and the mechanism of their assembly remain unclear. Here, we studied pore characteristics by functional and structural methods to show that perforin forms pores more heterogeneous than anticipated. Planar lipid bilayer experiments indicate that perforin pores exhibit a broad range of conductances, from 0.15 to 21 nanosiemens. In comparison with large pores that possessed low noise and remained stably open, small pores exhibited high noise and were very unstable. Furthermore, the opening step and the pore size were dependent on the lipid composition of the membrane. The heterogeneity in pore sizes was confirmed with cryo-electron microscopy and showed a range of sizes matching that observed in the conductance measurements. Furthermore, two different membrane-bound PFN conformations were observed, interpreted as pre-pore and pore states of the protein. The results collectively indicate that PFN forms heterogeneous pores through a multistep mechanism and provide a new paradigm for understanding the range of different effects of PFN and related membrane attack complex/perforin domain proteins observed in vivo and in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tilen Praper
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Tosatto L, Plotegher N, Tessari I, Bisaglia M, Bubacco L, Serra MD. Insights on Channel-Like Activity of Membrane Bound Alpha-Synuclein. Biophys J 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2009.12.606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
|
31
|
Sujak A, Gagos M, Dalla Serra M, Gruszecki WI. Organization of two-component monomolecular layers formed with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and the carotenoid pigment, canthaxanthin. Mol Membr Biol 2009; 24:431-41. [PMID: 17710647 DOI: 10.1080/09687860701243899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Canthaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment of physiological importance owing to potential modulation of the dynamic and structural properties of biomembranes. The effect of canthaxanthin on the organization of lipid membranes formed with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) was studied with application of monomolecular layer technique, FTIR spectroscopy and linear dichroism-FTIR. The specific molecular areas of the two-component monomolecular layers of canthaxanthin-DPPC show pronounced underadditivity in the concentration range below 2 mol% carotenoid with respect to the lipid, corresponding to the monomeric organization of the pigment. Additionally, the analysis of the FTIR spectra of the two-component monolayers deposited to the solid support shows that organization of the carotenoid in the lipid monolayer is governed primarily by van der Waals interactions between the pigment chromophore and lipid alkyl chains. This interaction is responsible for an ordering effect of canthaxanthin with respect to lipids. Analysis of FTIR spectra of two-component monolayers suggests the possibility of hydrogen bonding between the lipid polar headgroups and the keto groups of canthaxanthin via water bridges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Sujak
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
Actinoporins are effective pore-forming toxins produced by sea anemones. These extremely potent, basic 20 kDa proteins readily form pores in membranes that contain sphingomyelin. Much has been learned about the molecular basis of their pore-forming mechanism in recent years. Pore formation is a multi-step process that involves recognition of membrane sphingomyelin, firm binding to the membrane accompanied by the transfer of the N-terminal region to the lipid-water interface and finally pore formation after oligomerisation of three to four monomers. The final conductive pathway is formed by amphipathic alpha-helices, hence actinoporins are an important example of so-called alpha-helical pore-forming toxins. Actinoporins have become useful model proteins to study protein-membrane interactions, specific recognition of lipids in the membrane, and protein oligomerisation in the lipid milieu. Recent sequence and structural data of proteins similar to actinoporins indicate that they are not a unique family restricted to sea anemones as was long believed. An AF domain superfamily (abbreviated from actinoporin-like proteins and fungal fruit-body lectins) was defined and shown to contain members from three animal and two plant phyla. On the basis of functional properties of some members we hypothesise that AF domain proteins are peripheral membrane proteins. Finally, ability of actinoporins to form transmembrane pores has been exploited in some novel biomedical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Crnigoj Kristan
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Abstract
The use of membrane active toxins as toxic moieties in the construction of immunotoxins (ITs) is an attractive alternative to overcome some of the problems of classical ITs since these new conjugates are based in the use of a different mechanism of killing undesired cells. Pore-forming cytolysins from sea anemones were used in the construction of ITs targeted to different cell types including tumour cell lines and the parasite Giardia duodenalis. The results obtained support the feasibility of directing these cytolysins to the surface of the cancer cells or the parasite through their conjugation to monoclonal antibodies recognizing tumour-associated or parasite antigens, respectively. However the main problem with the IT constructed in this fashion is the lack of specificity associated with the toxin moiety. An approach designed to overcome this limitation was the construction of inactive cytolysin with built-in biological "trigger" that renders the toxin active in the presence of tumour-specific proteinases. This construction is considered as a proof of concept to demonstrate the feasibility of such activation systems in the construction of ITs based on pore-forming cytolysins from sea anemones with reduced unspecific activity. The future prospects of the use of the N-terminal region of actinoporins for construction of IT is also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Tejuca
- Centro de Estudios de Proteínas y Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de La Habana, Calle 25 #455 e/ J e I, Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Dalla Serra M, Cirioni O, Vitale RM, Renzone G, Coraiola M, Giacometti A, Potrich C, Baroni E, Guella G, Sanseverino M, De Luca S, Scalise G, Amodeo P, Scaloni A. Structural features of distinctin affecting peptide biological and biochemical properties. Biochemistry 2008; 47:7888-99. [PMID: 18597491 DOI: 10.1021/bi800616k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The antimicrobial peptide distinctin consists of two peptide chains linked by a disulfide bridge; it presents a peculiar fold in water resulting from noncovalent dimerization of two heterodimeric molecules. To investigate the contribution of each peptide chain and the S-S bond to distinctin biochemical properties, different monomeric and homodimeric peptide analogues were synthesized and comparatively evaluated with respect to the native molecule. Our experiments demonstrate that the simultaneous occurrence of both peptide chains and the disulfide bond is essential for the formation of the quaternary structure of distinctin in aqueous media, able to resist protease action. In contrast, distinctin and monomeric and homodimeric analogues exhibited comparable antimicrobial activities, suggesting only a partial contribution of the S-S bond to peptide killing effectiveness. Relative bactericidal properties paralleled liposome permeabilization results, definitively demonstrating that microbial membranes are the main target of distinctin activity. Various biophysical experiments performed in membrane-mimicking media, before and after peptide addition, provided information about peptide secondary structure, lipid bilayer organization, and lipid-peptide orientation with respect to membrane surface. These data were instrumental in the generation of putative models of peptide-lipid supramolecular pore complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Dalla Serra
- Bruno Kessler Foundation, Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 38100 Povo, Trento, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Gagoś M, Hereć M, Arczewska M, Czernel G, Dalla Serra M, Gruszecki WI. Anomalously high aggregation level of the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B in acidic medium: Implications for the biological action. Biophys Chem 2008; 136:44-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2008.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2008] [Revised: 04/15/2008] [Accepted: 04/15/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
36
|
Rabzelj S, Viero G, Gutiérrez-Aguirre I, Turk V, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G, Žerovnik E. Interaction with model membranes and pore formation by human stefin B - studying the native and prefibrillar states. FEBS J 2008; 275:2455-66. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06390.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
37
|
Minicozzi V, Stellato F, Comai M, Serra MD, Potrich C, Meyer-Klaucke W, Morante S. Identifying the Minimal Copper- and Zinc-binding Site Sequence in Amyloid-β Peptides. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:10784-92. [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m707109200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
|
38
|
Joubert O, Voegelin J, Guillet V, Tranier S, Werner S, Colin DA, Serra MD, Keller D, Monteil H, Mourey L, Prévost G. Distinction between pore assembly by staphylococcal alpha-toxin versus leukotoxins. J Biomed Biotechnol 2007; 2007:25935. [PMID: 17497023 PMCID: PMC1847480 DOI: 10.1155/2007/25935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2006] [Revised: 11/07/2006] [Accepted: 12/06/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The staphylococcal bipartite leukotoxins and the homoheptameric α-toxin belong to the same family of β-barrel pore-forming toxins despite slight differences. In the α-toxin pore, the N-terminal extremity of each protomer interacts as a deployed latch with two consecutive protomers in the vicinity of the pore lumen. N-terminal extremities of leukotoxins as seen in their three-dimensional structures are heterogeneous in length and take part in the β-sandwich core of soluble monomers. Hence, the interaction of these N-terminal extremities within structures of adjacent monomers is questionable. We show here that modifications of their N-termini by two different processes, using fusion with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and bridging of the N-terminal extremity to the adjacent β-sheet via disulphide bridges, are not deleterious for biological activity. Therefore, bipartite leukotoxins do not need a large extension of their N-terminal extremities to form functional pores, thus illustrating a microheterogeneity of the structural organizations between bipartite leukotoxins and α-toxin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Joubert
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et d'Antibiologie des Infections Bactériennes Emergentes et Nosocomiales, EA 3432,
Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Joëlle Voegelin
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et d'Antibiologie des Infections Bactériennes Emergentes et Nosocomiales, EA 3432,
Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Guillet
- Groupe de Biophysique Structurale, Département Mécanismes Moléculaires des Infections Mycobactériennes,
Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), CNRS-UMR 5089, 205 Route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Samuel Tranier
- Groupe de Biophysique Structurale, Département Mécanismes Moléculaires des Infections Mycobactériennes,
Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), CNRS-UMR 5089, 205 Route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Sandra Werner
- Société Parogène, Faculté de Médecine et d'Odontologie, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
11 Rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Didier A. Colin
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et d'Antibiologie des Infections Bactériennes Emergentes et Nosocomiales, EA 3432,
Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto di BioFisica (IBF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche (CNR), Via Sommarive 18, 38050 Povo, Trento, Italy
| | - Daniel Keller
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et d'Antibiologie des Infections Bactériennes Emergentes et Nosocomiales, EA 3432,
Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Henri Monteil
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et d'Antibiologie des Infections Bactériennes Emergentes et Nosocomiales, EA 3432,
Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Lionel Mourey
- Groupe de Biophysique Structurale, Département Mécanismes Moléculaires des Infections Mycobactériennes,
Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), CNRS-UMR 5089, 205 Route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Gilles Prévost
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et d'Antibiologie des Infections Bactériennes Emergentes et Nosocomiales, EA 3432,
Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg,
3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- *Gilles Prévost:
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Kristan K, Viero G, Macek P, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G. The equinatoxin N-terminus is transferred across planar lipid membranes and helps to stabilize the transmembrane pore. FEBS J 2006; 274:539-50. [PMID: 17229155 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2006.05608.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Equinatoxin II is a cytolytic protein isolated from the sea anemone Actinia equina. It is a member of the actinoporins, a family of eukaryotic pore-forming toxins with a unique mechanism of pore formation. Equinatoxin II is a 20 kDa cysteineless protein, with sphingomyelin-dependent activity. Recent studies showed that the N-terminal region of the molecule requires conformational flexibility during pore formation. An understanding of the N-terminal position in the final pore and its role in membrane insertion and pore stability is essential to define the precise molecular mechanism of pore formation. The formation of pores and their electrophysiologic characteristics were studied with planar lipid membranes. We show that amino acids at positions 1 and 3 of equinatoxin II are exposed to the lumen of the pore. Moreover, sulfhydryl reagents and a hexa-histidine tag attached to the N-terminus revealed that the N-terminus of the toxin extends through the pore to the other (trans) side of the membrane and that negatively charged residues inside the pore are crucial to define the electrophysiologic characteristics of the channel. Finally, we detected a new, less stable, state with a lower conductance by using a deletion mutant in which the first five N-terminal amino acids were removed. We propose that the first five amino acids help to anchor the amphipathic helix on the trans side of the membrane and consequently stabilize the final transmembrane pore.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Kristan
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Lo Cantore P, Lazzaroni S, Coraiola M, Dalla Serra M, Cafarchia C, Evidente A, Lacobellis NS. Biological characterization of white line-inducing principle (WLIP) produced by Pseudomonas reactans NCPPB1311. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2006; 19:1113-20. [PMID: 17022175 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-19-1113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The biological activities of the lipodepsipeptides (LDP) white line-inducing principle (WLIP), produced by Pseudomonas reactans NCPPB1311, and tolaasin I, produced by R tolaasii NCPPB2192, were compared. Antimicrobial assays showed that both LDP inhibited the growth of fungi-including the cultivated mushrooms Agaricus bisporus, Lentinus edodes, and Pleurotus spp.--chromista, and gram-positive bacteria. Assays of the two LDP on blocks of Agaricus bisporus showed their capacity to alter the mushrooms' pseudo-tissues though WLIP was less active than that of tolaasin I. Contrary to previous studies, tolaasin I was found to inhibit the growth of gram-negative bacteria belonging to the genera Escherichia, Erwinia, Agrobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Xanthomonas. The only gram-negative bacterium affected by WLIP was Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. Both WLIP and tolaasin I caused red blood cell lysis through a colloid-osmotic shock mediated by transmembrane pores; however, the haemolytic activity of WLIP was greater than that of tolaasin I. Transmembrane pores, at a concentration corresponding to 1.5 x C50, showed a radius between 1.5 and 1.7 +/- 0.1 nm for WLIP and 2.1 +/- 0.1 nm for tolaasin I. The antifungal activity of WLIP together with the finding that avirulent morphological variants of P. reactans lack WLIP production suggests that WLIP may play an important role in the interaction of the producing bacterium P. reactans and cultivated mushrooms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Lo Cantore
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Difesa e Biotecnologie Agro Forestali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Dalla Serra M, Coraiola M, Viero G, Comai M, Potrich C, Ferreras M, Baba-Moussa L, Colin DA, Menestrina G, Bhakdi S, Prévost G. Staphylococcus aureus bicomponent gamma-hemolysins, HlgA, HlgB, and HlgC, can form mixed pores containing all components. J Chem Inf Model 2006; 45:1539-45. [PMID: 16309251 DOI: 10.1021/ci050175y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcal gamma-hemolysins are bicomponent toxins forming a protein family with leucocidins and alpha-toxin. Two active toxins (AB and CB) can be formed combining one of the class-S components, HlgA or HlgC, with the class-F component HlgB. These two gamma-hemolysins form pores with marked similarities to alpha-toxin in terms of conductance, nonlinearity of the current-voltage curve, and channel stability in the open state. AB and CB pores, however, are cation-selective, whereas alpha-toxin is anion-selective. gamma-Hemolysins' pores are hetero-oligomers formed by three or four copies of each component (indicated as 3A3B and 3C3B or 4A4B and 4C4B). Point mutants located on a beta-strand of the class-S component that forms part of the protomer-protomer contact region can prevent oligomer assembly. Interestingly, these mutants inhibit growth of pores formed not only by their natural components but also by nonstandard components. This lead to the hypothesis that mixed ABC pores could also be formed. By studying the conductance of pores, assembled in the presence of all three components (in different ratios), it was observed that the magnitudes expected for mixed pores were, indeed, present. We conclude that the gamma-hemolysin/leucocidin bicomponent toxin family may form a larger than expected number of active toxins by cross-combining various S and F components.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Dalla Serra
- Istituto Trentino di Cultura-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ITC-CNR) Istituto di Biofisica, Via Sommarive 18, I-38050 Povo (Trento), Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the condylar position through transcranial radiographs in children between 3 years and 6 years old and to associate it with morphological characteristics of primary dentition. METHODS The extraoral transcranial radiographs were taken with plain films using the Accurad-200 head holder (Denar Company, Anaheim, CA), and then they were digitized using a Hewlett Packard 6390 Scanner. The condylar position was determined according to Gelb's template, in postural rest position (RP) and maximum intercuspal position (MI), and it was associated with the characteristics: normal occlusion (n=36), open bite with or without overjet greater than 3 mm (n=27), unilateral or bilateral posterior cross bite (n=14), overbite greater than 3 mm (n=15). The chi-square and the Fisher Exact Test were used to analyse the data. RESULTS It was verified that when using Gelb's template, there was not a significant association between the occlusion type found and the position of the condyle in the glenoid fossa when considering the entire patient sample (P>0.05). There was a great variability in positions, and most of the children had asymmetric condyles (55.43% in MI and 51.09% in RP). Children with normal occlusion and malocclusion presented the same proportions of condylar position in both mandibular positions. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the results of this study showed that the condylar position in small children with different morphological occlusions presented great variability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M D Serra
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School-State University of Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
García-Sáez AJ, Coraiola M, Serra MD, Mingarro I, Müller P, Salgado J. Peptides corresponding to helices 5 and 6 of Bax can independently form large lipid pores. FEBS J 2006; 273:971-81. [PMID: 16478471 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2006.05123.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Proteins of the B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl2) family are key regulators of the apoptotic cascade, controlling the release of apoptotic factors from the mitochondrial intermembrane space. A helical hairpin found in the core of water-soluble folds of these proteins has been reported to be the pore-forming domain. Here we show that peptides including any of the two alpha-helix fragments of the hairpin of Bcl2 associated protein X (Bax) can independently induce release of large labelled dextrans from synthetic lipid vesicles. The permeability promoted by these peptides is influenced by intrinsic monolayer curvature and accompanied by fast transbilayer redistribution of lipids, supporting a toroidal pore mechanism as in the case of the full-length protein. However, compared with the pores made by complete Bax, the pores made by the Bax peptides are smaller and do not need the concerted action of tBid. These data indicate that the sequences of both fragments of the hairpin contain the principal physicochemical requirements for pore formation, showing a parallel between the permeabilization mechanism of a complex regulated protein system, such as Bax, and the much simpler pore-forming antibiotic peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana J García-Sáez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Viero G, Cunaccia R, Prévost G, Werner S, Monteil H, Keller D, Joubert O, Menestrina G, Dalla Serra M. Homologous versus heterologous interactions in the bicomponent staphylococcal gamma-haemolysin pore. Biochem J 2006; 394:217-25. [PMID: 16241903 PMCID: PMC1386019 DOI: 10.1042/bj20051210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcal gamma-haemolysin HlgA-HlgB forms a beta-barrel transmembrane pore in cells and in model membranes. The pore is formed by the oligomerization of two different proteins and a still debated number of monomers. To clarify the topology of the pore, we have mutated single residues - placed near the right and left interfaces of each monomer into cysteine. The mutants were labelled with fluorescent probes, forming a donor-acceptor pair for FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer). Heterologous couples (labelled on complementary left and right interfaces) displayed a marked FRET, suggesting extensive HlgA-HlgB or HlgB-HlgA contacts. Heterologous control couples (with both components labelled on the same side) showed absent or low FRET. We found the same result for the homologous couple formed by HlgA [i.e. HlgA-HlgA in the presence of wt (wild-type) HlgB]. The homologous HlgB couple (HlgB-HlgB labelled on left and right interfaces and in the presence of wt HlgA) displayed a transient, declining FRET, which may indicate fast formation of an intermediate that is consumed during pore formation. We conclude that bicomponent pores are assembled by alternating heterologous monomers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Viero
- *Istituto Trentino di Cultura (ITC) and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Biofisica, Sezione di Trento, Via Sommarive 18, I-38050 Povo (TN), Italy
| | - Romina Cunaccia
- *Istituto Trentino di Cultura (ITC) and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Biofisica, Sezione di Trento, Via Sommarive 18, I-38050 Povo (TN), Italy
| | - Gilles Prévost
- †Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, UPRES EA-3432, ULP-HUS, 3 rue Koeberlé, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sandra Werner
- †Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, UPRES EA-3432, ULP-HUS, 3 rue Koeberlé, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Henri Monteil
- †Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, UPRES EA-3432, ULP-HUS, 3 rue Koeberlé, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Daniel Keller
- †Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, UPRES EA-3432, ULP-HUS, 3 rue Koeberlé, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Joubert
- †Institut de Bactériologie de la Faculté de Médecine, UPRES EA-3432, ULP-HUS, 3 rue Koeberlé, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Gianfranco Menestrina
- *Istituto Trentino di Cultura (ITC) and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Biofisica, Sezione di Trento, Via Sommarive 18, I-38050 Povo (TN), Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- *Istituto Trentino di Cultura (ITC) and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Biofisica, Sezione di Trento, Via Sommarive 18, I-38050 Povo (TN), Italy
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Tomazzolli R, Serra MD, Bellisola G, Colombatti M, Guella G. A fluorescence-based assay for the reductase activity of protein disulfide isomerase. Anal Biochem 2006; 350:105-12. [PMID: 16434015 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2005.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2005] [Revised: 11/16/2005] [Accepted: 11/24/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We report on a new spectrofluorimetric assay for the measurement of reductase activity of proteins belonging to the superfamily of thioredoxins such as protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). The assay relies on the preparation of a fluorescence-quenched substrate easily accessible in two steps through functional group transformations of the peptide Gly-Cys-Asp. In the first step fluorescein isothiocyanate is linked to the Gly-NH(2) terminus and in the second step the Cys-SH groups are converted into a disulfide bond. Both intermediate and final substrate have been fully characterized by mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. Dimethyl sulfoxide is here reported to be a mild oxidizing agent allowing us to obtain in good overall yield the assay substrate in a single synthetic step. A reliable estimation of PDI reductase activity is obtained via the detection of a strong fluorescence enhancement after enzymatic reduction. Moreover, our assay provides further support for the key role played by thioredoxin reductase in enabling disulfide reductase activity of PDI.
Collapse
|
46
|
Drechsler A, Potrich C, Sabo JK, Frisanco M, Guella G, Dalla Serra M, Anderluh G, Separovic F, Norton RS. Structure and Activity of the N-Terminal Region of the Eukaryotic Cytolysin Equinatoxin II. Biochemistry 2006; 45:1818-28. [PMID: 16460028 DOI: 10.1021/bi052166o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The actinoporins are a family of proteins from sea anemones that lyse cells by forming pores in cell membranes. Sphingomyelin plays an important role in their lytic activity, with membranes lacking this lipid being resistant to these toxins. Pore formation by the actinoporin equinatoxin II (EqTII) proceeds by membrane binding via a surface rich in aromatic residues, followed by translocation of the N-terminal region to the membrane and, finally, across the bilayer to form a functional pore. A key feature of this mechanism is the ability of the N-terminal region to form a stable, bilayer-spanning helix in the membrane, which in turn requires dissociation of the N-terminus from the bulk of the protein and significant extension of the N-terminal helix of native EqTII. In this study the structures of three peptides corresponding to residues 11-29, 11-32, and 1-32, respectively, of EqTII have been investigated by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The 32-residue peptide lacks ordered secondary structure in water, but residues 6-28 form a helix in dodecylphosphocholine micelles. Although this helix is long enough to span a bilayer membrane, this peptide and the shorter analogues display limited permeabilizing activity in large unilamellar vesicles and very weak hemolytic activity in human red blood cells. Thus, while the N-terminal region has the structural features required for this unusual mechanism of pore formation, the lack of activity of the isolated N-terminus shows that the bulk of the protein is essential for efficient pore formation by facilitating initial membrane binding, interacting with sphingomyelin, or stabilizing the oligomeric pore.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Drechsler
- The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Gagoś M, Gabrielska J, Dalla Serra M, Gruszecki WI. Binding of antibiotic amphotericin B to lipid membranes: monomolecular layer technique and linear dichroism-FTIR studies. Mol Membr Biol 2006; 22:433-42. [PMID: 16308277 DOI: 10.1080/09687860500287832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Amphotericin B (AmB) is one of the main antibiotics applied in treatment of deep-seated mycotic infections. Tensiometric technique has been applied to monitor binding of AmB, from the water subphase, to the lipid monomolecular layers, formed with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine at the air-water interface. Time dependencies of surface pressure in the monolayers demonstrate strong enhancement of AmB binding to monolayers brought about by sterols present in the membranes. The monolayers have been deposited to a solid support and examined by means of FTIR spectroscopy. FTIR measurements show that majority of the AmB molecules which bind to the membranes are localized in the polar headgroup region. The results of the linear dichroism-FTIR measurements are consistent with the microscopic picture according to which the molecules of the membrane-bound AmB are distributed among two orientational fractions: one horizontal and one vertical with respect to the plane of the membrane (59% versus 41% respectively, in the case of the membrane formed with the pure lipid without sterols). The presence of cholesterol in the membranes (50 mol% with respect to lipid) slightly affects such a distribution (53% horizontal versus 47% vertical) but the presence of ergosterol has a pronounced effect in the increase in population of the fraction of horizontally bound AmB (85% horizontal vs. 15% vertical). The results of the measurements indicate that mode of action of the AmB consists in disruption of the polar headgroup region of biomembranes, brought about by the AmB molecules bound horizontally with respect to the plane of the membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Gagoś
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, Agricultural University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Stellato F, Menestrina G, Serra MD, Potrich C, Tomazzolli R, Meyer-Klaucke W, Morante S. Metal binding in amyloid β-peptides shows intra- and inter-peptide coordination modes. Eur Biophys J 2006; 35:340-51. [PMID: 16404590 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-005-0041-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2005] [Revised: 11/28/2005] [Accepted: 12/19/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
X-ray absorption spectroscopy data show different metal binding site structures in beta-amyloid peptides according to whether they are complexed with Cu(2+) or Zn(2+) ions. While the geometry around copper is stably consistent with an intra-peptide binding with three metal-coordinated Histidine residues, the zinc coordination mode depends on specific solution conditions. In particular, different sample preparations are seen to lead to different geometries around the absorber that are compatible with either an intra- or an inter-peptide coordination mode. This result reinforces the hypothesis that assigns different physiological roles to the two metals, with zinc favoring peptide aggregation and, as a consequence, plaque formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Stellato
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata" INFM and INFN, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Bonini F, Traini R, Comper F, Fracasso G, Tomazzolli R, Dalla Serra M, Colombatti M. N-terminal deletion affects catalytic activity of saporin toxin. J Cell Biochem 2006; 98:1130-9. [PMID: 16775836 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.20845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Single-chain ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are cytotoxic components of macromolecular pharmaceutics for immunotherapy of cancer and other human diseases. Saporin belongs to a family of single-chain RIPs sharing sequence and structure homology. In a preliminary attempt to define an active saporin polypeptide of minimum size we have generated proteins with deletions at the N-terminus and at the C-terminus. An N-terminal (sapDelta1-20) deletion mutant of saporin displayed defective catalytic activity, drastically reduced cytotoxicity but increased ability to interact with liposomes inducing their permeabilization at low pH. A C-terminal (sapDelta239-253) deletion mutant showed instead a moderate reduction in cytotoxic activity. A substantial alteration of secondary structure was evidenced by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in the sapDelta1-20 mutant. It can be hypothesized that the defective functions of sapDelta1-20 are due to alterations of its spatial configuration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Bonini
- Department of Pathology, Section of Immunology, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Largo L.A. Scuro 10. I-37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Scaloni A, Dalla Serra M, Amodeo P, Mannina L, Vitale R, Segre A, Cruciani O, Lodovichetti F, Greco M, Fiore A, Gallo M, D'Ambrosio C, Coraiola M, Menestrina G, Graniti A, Fogliano V. Structure, conformation and biological activity of a novel lipodepsipeptide from Pseudomonas corrugata: cormycin A. Biochem J 2005; 384:25-36. [PMID: 15196052 PMCID: PMC1134085 DOI: 10.1042/bj20040422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cationic lipodepsipeptides from Pseudomonas spp. have been characterized for their structural and antimicrobial properties. In the present study, the structure of a novel lipodepsipeptide, cormycin A, produced in culture by the tomato pathogen Pseudomonas corrugata was elucidated by combined protein chemistry, mass spectrometry and two-dimensional NMR procedures. Its peptide moiety corresponds to L-Ser-D-Orn-L-Asn-D-Hse-L-His-L-aThr-Z-Dhb-L-Asp(3-OH)-L-Thr(4-Cl) [where Orn represents ornithine, Hse is homoserine, aThr is allo-threonine, Z-Dhb is 2,3-dehydro-2-aminobutanoic acid, Asp(3-OH) is 3-hydroxyaspartic acid and Thr(4-Cl) is 4-chlorothreonine], with the terminal carboxy group closing a macrocyclic ring with the hydroxy group of the N-terminal serine residue. This is, in turn, N-acylated by 3,4-dihydroxy-esadecanoate. In aqueous solution, cormycin A showed a rather compact structure, being derived from an inward orientation of some amino acid side chains and from the 'hairpin-bent' conformation of the lipid, due to inter-residue interactions involving its terminal part. Cormycin was significantly more active than the other lipodepsipeptides from Pseudomonas spp., as demonstrated by phytotoxicity and antibiosis assays, as well as by red-blood-cell lysis. Differences in biological activity were putatively ascribed to its weak positive net charge at neutral pH. Planar lipid membrane experiments showed step-like current transitions, suggesting that cormycin is able to form pores. This ability was strongly influenced by the phospholipid composition of the membrane and, in particular, by the presence of sterols. All of these findings suggest that cormycin derivatives could find promising applications, either as antifungal compounds for topical use or as post-harvest biocontrol agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scaloni
- *Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, I.S.P.A.A.M., National Research Council, 80147 Naples, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- †ITC and Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 38050 Povo (Trento), Italy
| | - Pietro Amodeo
- ‡Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80078 Pozzuoli (Naples), Italy
| | - Luisa Mannina
- §Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Microbiologiche, Università di Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Vitale
- ∥Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Laura Segre
- ¶Institute of Chemical Methodologies, National Research Council, 00016 Monterotondo Stazione (Rome), Italy
| | - Oscar Cruciani
- ¶Institute of Chemical Methodologies, National Research Council, 00016 Monterotondo Stazione (Rome), Italy
| | - Francesca Lodovichetti
- ¶Institute of Chemical Methodologies, National Research Council, 00016 Monterotondo Stazione (Rome), Italy
| | - Maria Luigia Greco
- **Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Vegetale, Università di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Alberto Fiore
- ††Dipartimento di Scienza degli Alimenti, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Parco Gussone, Edificio 84, 80055 Portici (Naples), Italy
| | - Monica Gallo
- ††Dipartimento di Scienza degli Alimenti, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Parco Gussone, Edificio 84, 80055 Portici (Naples), Italy
| | - Chiara D'Ambrosio
- *Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, I.S.P.A.A.M., National Research Council, 80147 Naples, Italy
| | - Manuela Coraiola
- †ITC and Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 38050 Povo (Trento), Italy
| | - Gianfranco Menestrina
- †ITC and Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 38050 Povo (Trento), Italy
| | - Antonio Graniti
- **Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Vegetale, Università di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Fogliano
- ††Dipartimento di Scienza degli Alimenti, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Parco Gussone, Edificio 84, 80055 Portici (Naples), Italy
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
| |
Collapse
|