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Adsorption of alpha-synuclein on lipid bilayers: modulating the structure and stability of protein assemblies.

ABSTRACT: The interaction of alpha-synuclein with phospholipid membranes has been examined using supported lipid bilayers and epi-fluorescence microscopy. The membranes contained phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidic acid (PA), which mix at physiological pH. Upon protein adsorption, the lipids undergo fluid-fluid phase separation into PC-rich and PA-rich regions. The protein preferentially adsorbs to the PA-rich regions. The adsorption and subsequent aggregation of alpha-synuclein was probed by tuning several parameters: the charge on the lipids, the charge on the protein, and the screening environment. Conditions which promoted the greatest extent of adsorption resulted in structurally heterogeneous aggregates, while comparatively homogeneous aggregates were observed under conditions whereby adsorption did not occur as readily. Our observation that different alterations to the system lead to different degrees of aggregation and different aggregate structures poses a challenge for drug discovery. Namely, therapies aimed at neutralizing alpha-synuclein must target a broad range of potentially toxic, membrane-bound assemblies.

SUBMITTER: Haque F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2855901 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Adsorption of alpha-synuclein on lipid bilayers: modulating the structure and stability of protein assemblies.

Haque Farzin F Pandey Anjan P AP Cambrea Lee R LR Rochet Jean-Christophe JC Hovis Jennifer S JS

The journal of physical chemistry. B 20100301 11

The interaction of alpha-synuclein with phospholipid membranes has been examined using supported lipid bilayers and epi-fluorescence microscopy. The membranes contained phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidic acid (PA), which mix at physiological pH. Upon protein adsorption, the lipids undergo fluid-fluid phase separation into PC-rich and PA-rich regions. The protein preferentially adsorbs to the PA-rich regions. The adsorption and subsequent aggregation of alpha-synuclein was probed by tuning ...[more]

PMID: 20187615

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Project description:An amyloid form of the protein ?-synuclein is the major component of the intraneuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies, which are the neuropathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). ?-Synuclein is known to associate with anionic lipid membranes, and interactions between aggregating ?-synuclein and cellular membranes are thought to be important for PD pathology. We have studied the molecular determinants for adsorption of monomeric ?-synuclein to planar model lipid membranes composed of zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine alone or in a mixture with anionic phosphatidylserine (relevant for plasma membranes) or anionic cardiolipin (relevant for mitochondrial membranes). We studied the adsorption of the protein to supported bilayers, the position of the protein within and outside the bilayer, and structural changes in the model membranes using two complementary techniques-quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and neutron reflectometry. We found that the interaction and adsorbed conformation depend on membrane charge, protein charge, and electrostatic screening. The results imply that ?-synuclein adsorbs in the headgroup region of anionic lipid bilayers with extensions into the bulk but does not penetrate deeply into or across the hydrophobic acyl chain region. The adsorption to anionic bilayers leads to a small perturbation of the acyl chain packing that is independent of anionic headgroup identity. We also explored the effect of changing the area per headgroup in the lipid bilayer by comparing model systems with different degrees of acyl chain saturation. An increase in area per lipid headgroup leads to an increase in the level of ?-synuclein adsorption with a reduced water content in the acyl chain layer. In conclusion, the association of ?-synuclein to membranes and its adsorbed conformation are of electrostatic origin, combined with van der Waals interactions, but with a very weak correlation to the molecular structure of the anionic lipid headgroup. The perturbation of the acyl chain packing upon monomeric protein adsorption favors association with unsaturated phospholipids preferentially found in the neuronal membrane.

Dataset Information

Adsorption of alpha-synuclein on lipid bilayers: modulating the structure and stability of protein assemblies.

Publications

Adsorption of alpha-synuclein on lipid bilayers: modulating the structure and stability of protein assemblies.

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