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Tracking membrane protein association in model membranes.

ABSTRACT: Membrane proteins are essential in the exchange processes of cells. In spite of great breakthrough in soluble proteins studies, membrane proteins structures, functions and interactions are still a challenge because of the difficulties related to their hydrophobic properties. Most of the experiments are performed with detergent-solubilized membrane proteins. However widely used micellar systems are far from the biological two-dimensions membrane. The development of new biomimetic membrane systems is fundamental to tackle this issue.We present an original approach that combines the Fluorescence Recovery After fringe Pattern Photobleaching technique and the use of a versatile sponge phase that makes it possible to extract crucial informations about interactions between membrane proteins embedded in the bilayers of a sponge phase. The clear advantage lies in the ability to adjust at will the spacing between two adjacent bilayers. When the membranes are far apart, the only possible interactions occur laterally between proteins embedded within the same bilayer, whereas when membranes get closer to each other, interactions between proteins embedded in facing membranes may occur as well.After validating our approach on the streptavidin-biotinylated peptide complex, we study the interactions between two membrane proteins, MexA and OprM, from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa efflux pump. The mode of interaction, the size of the protein complex and its potential stoichiometry are determined. In particular, we demonstrate that: MexA is effectively embedded in the bilayer; MexA and OprM do not interact laterally but can form a complex if they are embedded in opposite bilayers; the population of bound proteins is at its maximum for bilayers separated by a distance of about 200 A, which is the periplasmic thickness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We also show that the MexA-OprM association is enhanced when the position and orientation of the protein is restricted by the bilayers. We extract a stoichiometry for the complex that exhibits a strong pH dependance: from 2 to 6 MexA per OprM trimer when the pH decreases from 7.5 to 5.5.Our technique allows to study membrane protein associations in a membrane environment. It provides some challenging information about complexes such as geometry and stoichiometry.

SUBMITTER: Reffay M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2659767 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Tracking membrane protein association in model membranes.

Reffay Myriam M Gambin Yann Y Benabdelhak Houssain H Phan Gilles G Taulier Nicolas N Ducruix Arnaud A Hodges Robert S RS Urbach Wladimir W

PloS one 20090401 4

Membrane proteins are essential in the exchange processes of cells. In spite of great breakthrough in soluble proteins studies, membrane proteins structures, functions and interactions are still a challenge because of the difficulties related to their hydrophobic properties. Most of the experiments are performed with detergent-solubilized membrane proteins. However widely used micellar systems are far from the biological two-dimensions membrane. The development of new biomimetic membrane systems ...[more]

PMID: 19337368

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Project description:Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out with a view to investigating the stability of the SARS-CoV-2 exterior membrane with respect to two common disinfectants, namely, aqueous solutions of ethanol and n-propanol. We used dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) as a model membrane material and did simulations on both gel and liquid crystalline phases of membrane surrounded by aqueous solutions of varying alcohol concentrations (up to 17.5 mol %). While a moderate effect of alcohol on the gel phase of membrane is observed, its liquid crystalline phase is shown to be influenced dramatically by either alcohol. Our results show that aqueous solutions of only 5 and 10 mol % alcohol already have significant weakening effects on the membrane. The effects of n-propanol are always stronger than those of ethanol. The membrane changes its structure, when exposed to disinfectant solutions; uptake of alcohol causes it to swell laterally but to shrink vertically. At the same time, the orientational order of lipid tails decreases significantly. Metadynamics and grand-canonical ensemble simulations were done to calculate the free-energy profiles for permeation of alcohol and alcohol/water solubility in the DPPC. We found that the free-energy barrier to permeation of the DPPC liquid crystalline phase by all permeants is significantly lowered by alcohol uptake. At a disinfectant concentration of 10 mol %, it becomes insignificant enough to allow almost free passage of the disinfectant to the inside of the virus to cause damage there. It should be noted that the disinfectant also causes the barrier for water permeation to drop. Furthermore, the shrinking of the membrane thickness shortens the gap needed to be crossed by penetrants from outside the virus into its core. The lateral swelling also increases the average distance between head groups, which is a secondary barrier to membrane penetration, and hence further increases the penetration by disinfectants. At alcohol concentrations in the disinfectant solution above 15 mol %, we reliably observe disintegration of the DPPC membrane in its liquid crystalline phase.

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Tracking membrane protein association in model membranes.

Publications

Tracking membrane protein association in model membranes.

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