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Membrane Activity and Channel Formation of the Adenylate Cyclase Toxin (CyaA) of Bordetella pertussis in Lipid Bilayer Membranes.
Knapp, O, Benz, R
Toxins. 2020;(3)
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Bordetella pertussis is the cause of whooping cough. One of its pathogenicity factors is the adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) secreted by a Type I export system. The 1706 amino acid long CyaA (177 kDa) belongs to the continuously increasing family of repeat in toxin (RTX) toxins because it contains in its C-terminal half a high number of nine-residue tandem repeats. The protein exhibits cytotoxic and hemolytic activities that target primarily myeloid phagocytic cells expressing the αMβ2 integrin receptor (CD11b/CD18). CyaA represents an exception among RTX cytolysins because the first 400 amino acids from its N-terminal end possess a calmodulin-activated adenylate cyclase (AC) activity. The entry of the AC into target cells is not dependent on the receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway and penetrates directly across the cytoplasmic membrane of a variety of epithelial and immune effector cells. The hemolytic activity of CyaA is rather low, which may have to do with its rather low induced permeability change of target cells and its low conductance in lipid bilayer membranes. CyaA forms highly cation-selective channels in lipid bilayers that show a strong dependence on aqueous pH. The pore-forming activity of CyaA but not its single channel conductance is highly dependent on Ca2+ concentration with a half saturation constant of about 2 to 4 mM.
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Transferosomes as nanocarriers for drugs across the skin: Quality by design from lab to industrial scale.
Fernández-García, R, Lalatsa, A, Statts, L, Bolás-Fernández, F, Ballesteros, MP, Serrano, DR
International journal of pharmaceutics. 2020;:118817
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Abstract
Transferosomes, also known as transfersomes, are ultradeformable vesicles for transdermal applications consisting of a lipid bilayer with phospholipids and an edge activator and an ethanol/aqueous core. Depending on the lipophilicity of the active substance, it can be encapsulated within the core or amongst the lipid bilayer. Compared to liposomes, transferosomes are able to reach intact deeper regions of the skin after topical administration delivering higher concentrations of active substances making them a successful drug delivery carrier for transdermal applications. Most transferosomes contain phosphatidylcholine (C18) as it is the most abundant lipid component of the cell membrane, and hence, it is highly tolerated for the skin, decreasing the risk of undesirable effects, such as hypersensitive reactions. The most common edge activators are surfactants such as sodium deoxycholate, Tween® 80 and Span® 80. Their chain length is optimal for intercalation within the C18 phospholipid bilayer. A wide variety of drugs has been successfully encapsulated within transferosomes such as phytocompounds like sinomenine or apigenin for rheumatoid arthritis and leukaemia respectively, small hydrophobic drugs but also macromolecules like insulin. The main factors to develop optimal transferosomal formulations (with high drug loading and nanometric size) are the optimal ratio between the main components as well as the critical process parameters for their manufacture. Application of quality by design (QbD), specifically design of experiments (DoE), is crucial to understand the interplay among all these factors not only during the preparation at lab scale but also in the scale-up process. Clinical trials of a licensed topical ketoprofen transferosomal gel have shown promising results in the alleviation of symptons in orthreothritis with non-severe skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. However, the product was withdrawn from the market which probably was related to the higher cost of the medicine linked to the expensive manufacturing process required in the production of transferosomes compared to other conventional gel formulations. This example brings out the need for a careful formulation design to exploit the best properties of this drug delivery system as well as the development of manufacturing processes easily scalable at industrial level.
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In vitro and in silico studies on membrane interactions of diverse Capsicum annuum flower γ-thionin peptides.
Nikte, S, Gahankari, A, Mulla, J, Sengupta, D, Joshi, M, Tamhane, V
Proteins. 2020;(1):227-236
Abstract
Thionins are small, cysteine-rich peptides that play an important role in plant defense, primarily through their interactions with membranes. Eight novel γ-thionin peptides (CanThio1-8) were isolated from the flower of Capsicum annuum. Sequence analysis revealed that the peptides cluster into three groups. A representative peptide from each group (CanThio1, 2, and 3) was used for experimental characterization. Interestingly, peptides were found to possess some cytotoxic activity against normal human embryonic kidney cell line but higher cytotoxicity against cancer cell line MCF-7. CanThio3 peptide was chosen as a representative peptide to study the molecular mechanism of action on membranes. Microsecond timescale atomistic simulations of CanThio3 were performed in the presence of a POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) lipid bilayer. Simulations revealed that CanThio3 interacts with the bilayer and causes lipid thinning in the vicinity. Nonpolar amino acids specific to the α-core region of CanThio3 along with nonpolar residues in the γ-core region are seen to interact with the lipid tails. The differences in the amino acid sequence of CanThio peptides in these regions explain the variability in cytotoxic activities. In summary, our results demonstrate the membrane-mediated activity of a novel series of γ-thionin peptides from C. annuum.
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Transmembrane potential of physiologically relevant model membranes: Effects of membrane asymmetry.
Lin, X, Gorfe, AA
The Journal of chemical physics. 2020;(10):105103
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Abstract
Transmembrane potential difference (Vm) plays important roles in regulating various biological processes. At the macro level, Vm can be experimentally measured or calculated using the Nernst or Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation. However, the atomic details responsible for its generation and impact on protein and lipid dynamics still need to be further elucidated. In this work, we performed a series of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of symmetric model membranes of various lipid compositions and cation contents to evaluate the relationship between membrane asymmetry and Vm. Specifically, we studied the impact of the asymmetric distribution of POPS (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine), PIP2 (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate), as well as Na+ and K+ on Vm using atomically detailed MD simulations of symmetric model membranes. The results suggest that, for an asymmetric POPC-POPC/POPS bilayer in the presence of NaCl, the presence of the monovalent anionic lipid POPS in the inner leaflet polarizes the membrane (ΔVm < 0). Intriguingly, replacing a third of the POPS lipids by the polyvalent anionic signaling lipid PIP2 counteracts this effect, resulting in a smaller negative membrane potential. We also found that replacing Na+ ions in the inner region by K+ depolarizes the membrane (ΔVm > 0). These divergent effects arise from variations in the strength of cation-lipid interactions and are correlated with changes in lipid chain order and head-group orientation.
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Role of the lipid bilayer in outer membrane protein folding in Gram-negative bacteria.
Horne, JE, Brockwell, DJ, Radford, SE
The Journal of biological chemistry. 2020;(30):10340-10367
Abstract
β-Barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) represent the major proteinaceous component of the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria. These proteins perform key roles in cell structure and morphology, nutrient acquisition, colonization and invasion, and protection against external toxic threats such as antibiotics. To become functional, OMPs must fold and insert into a crowded and asymmetric OM that lacks much freely accessible lipid. This feat is accomplished in the absence of an external energy source and is thought to be driven by the high thermodynamic stability of folded OMPs in the OM. With such a stable fold, the challenge that bacteria face in assembling OMPs into the OM is how to overcome the initial energy barrier of membrane insertion. In this review, we highlight the roles of the lipid environment and the OM in modulating the OMP-folding landscape and discuss the factors that guide folding in vitro and in vivo We particularly focus on the composition, architecture, and physical properties of the OM and how an understanding of the folding properties of OMPs in vitro can help explain the challenges they encounter during folding in vivo Current models of OMP biogenesis in the cellular environment are still in flux, but the stakes for improving the accuracy of these models are high. OMP folding is an essential process in all Gram-negative bacteria, and considering the looming crisis of widespread microbial drug resistance it is an attractive target. To bring down this vital OMP-supported barrier to antibiotics, we must first understand how bacterial cells build it.
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6.
The energetics of protein-lipid interactions as viewed by molecular simulations.
Corey, RA, Stansfeld, PJ, Sansom, MSP
Biochemical Society transactions. 2020;(1):25-37
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Abstract
Membranes are formed from a bilayer containing diverse lipid species with which membrane proteins interact. Integral, membrane proteins are embedded in this bilayer, where they interact with lipids from their surroundings, whilst peripheral membrane proteins bind to lipids at the surface of membranes. Lipid interactions can influence the function of membrane proteins, either directly or allosterically. Both experimental (structural) and computational approaches can reveal lipid binding sites on membrane proteins. It is, therefore, important to understand the free energies of these interactions. This affords a more complete view of the engagement of a particular protein with the biological membrane surrounding it. Here, we describe many computational approaches currently in use for this purpose, including recent advances using both free energy and unbiased simulation methods. In particular, we focus on interactions of integral membrane proteins with cholesterol, and with anionic lipids such as phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bis-phosphate and cardiolipin. Peripheral membrane proteins are exemplified via interactions of PH domains with phosphoinositide-containing membranes. We summarise the current state of the field and provide an outlook on likely future directions of investigation.
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Heterodimer and pore formation of magainin 2 and PGLa: The anchoring and tilting of peptides in lipid bilayers.
Lee, H
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes. 2020;(7):183305
Abstract
Mixtures of Magainin 2 and PGLa are simulated with 94 nm-sized bilayers composed of phospholipids and lyso-phospholipids for 3 μs using coarse-grained force fields. Calculation of the bilayer bending modulus shows that bilayers become more flexible in the presence of lyso-lipids or peptides, in agreement with experiments. Starting with the initial configuration of peptides randomly distributed on the bilayer surface, peptides aggregate, insert to the bilayer, and form pores. Aggregated peptides do not retain side-by-side heterodimeric structure but instead show the anchoring between C-terminal groups of magainin 2 and PGLa, which allows the deeper insertion of PGLa into the bilayer. In particular, due to the anchoring of magainin 2 and PGLa, the deeply inserted PGLa pull magainin 2 into contact with the edge of the opposite leaflet of the bilayer, which stabilizes the pore. In addition to these biophysical insights, anionic unsaturated-phospholipid bilayers are also simulated to mimic bacterial cell membranes, showing less extent of PGLa insertion and no pore formation. These simulation findings indicate that these synergistic heterodimers have the anchoring structure rather than the side-by-side structure, which supports the experimental observations suggesting the deeper insertion of PGLa and pore formation via the anchoring between anionic C-terminus of magainin 2 and cationic C-terminus of PGLa.
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Organic Cation Transporters in Human Physiology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology.
Samodelov, SL, Kullak-Ublick, GA, Gai, Z, Visentin, M
International journal of molecular sciences. 2020;(21)
Abstract
Individual cells and epithelia control the chemical exchange with the surrounding environment by the fine-tuned expression, localization, and function of an array of transmembrane proteins that dictate the selective permeability of the lipid bilayer to small molecules, as actual gatekeepers to the interface with the extracellular space. Among the variety of channels, transporters, and pumps that localize to cell membrane, organic cation transporters (OCTs) are considered to be extremely relevant in the transport across the plasma membrane of the majority of the endogenous substances and drugs that are positively charged near or at physiological pH. In humans, the following six organic cation transporters have been characterized in regards to their respective substrates, all belonging to the solute carrier 22 (SLC22) family: the organic cation transporters 1, 2, and 3 (OCT1-3); the organic cation/carnitine transporter novel 1 and 2 (OCTN1 and N2); and the organic cation transporter 6 (OCT6). OCTs are highly expressed on the plasma membrane of polarized epithelia, thus, playing a key role in intestinal absorption and renal reabsorption of nutrients (e.g., choline and carnitine), in the elimination of waste products (e.g., trimethylamine and trimethylamine N-oxide), and in the kinetic profile and therapeutic index of several drugs (e.g., metformin and platinum derivatives). As part of the Special Issue Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology of Transporters for Organic Cations, this article critically presents the physio-pathological, pharmacological, and toxicological roles of OCTs in the tissues in which they are primarily expressed.
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Free Energy Calculations on the Water-Chain-Assisted and the Dehydration Mechanisms of Transmembrane Ion Permeation.
Guan, X, Wei, DQ, Hu, D
Journal of chemical theory and computation. 2020;(1):700-710
Abstract
Two permeation mechanisms, namely the water-chain-assisted mechanism and the dehydration mechanism, have been proposed for ions through lipid membranes. In previous studies, multiple reaction coordinates and potential of mean force calculations have been applied in studying such complex transmembrane processes of ions. To reduce the expensive computational cost, we develop two new reaction coordinates in our recent work and in this work to study the two permeation mechanisms. An intrinsically one-dimensional free energy calculation method developed in our recent work is successfully employed in these studies: First, one-dimensional umbrella samplings are performed using the two reaction coordinates. Then, bin segmentations are performed along the transition paths in multidimensional phase spaces. Finally, the weighted least-square analysis method (Welsam) is used for free energy analysis. Based on the new reaction coordinates and the one-dimensional free energy calculation method, we systematically study the two transmembrane permeation mechanisms of sodium ion and chloride ion through lipid bilayers with different thicknesses. Our results suggest that the water-chain-assisted mechanism is dominant for cations, whereas the dehydration mechanism is competitive for anions through thick membranes, which is consistent with previous experimental results.
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Interaction of Halictine-Related Antimicrobial Peptides with Membrane Models.
Pazderková, M, Maloň, P, Zíma, V, Hofbauerová, K, Kopecký, V, Kočišová, E, Pazderka, T, Čeřovský, V, Bednárová, L
International journal of molecular sciences. 2019;(3)
Abstract
We have investigated structural changes of peptides related to antimicrobial peptide Halictine-1 (HAL-1) induced by interaction with various membrane-mimicking models with the aim to identify a mechanism of the peptide mode of action and to find a correlation between changes of primary/secondary structure and biological activity. Modifications in the HAL-1 amino acid sequence at particular positions, causing an increase of amphipathicity (Arg/Lys exchange), restricted mobility (insertion of Pro) and consequent changes in antimicrobial and hemolytic activity, led to different behavior towards model membranes. Secondary structure changes induced by peptide-membrane interaction were studied by circular dichroism, infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The experimental results were complemented by molecular dynamics calculations. An α-helical structure has been found to be necessary but not completely sufficient for the HAL-1 peptides antimicrobial action. The role of alternative conformations (such as β-sheet, PPII or 310-helix) also seems to be important. A mechanism of the peptide mode of action probably involves formation of peptide assemblies (possibly membrane pores), which disrupt bacterial membrane and, consequently, allow membrane penetration.