GPCR-mediated ß-arrestin activation deconvoluted with single-molecule precision.

ß-arrestins bind G protein-coupled receptors to terminate G protein signaling and to facilitate other downstream signaling pathways. Using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging, we show that ß-arrestin is strongly autoinhibited in its basal state. Its engagement with a phosphopeptide mimicking phosphorylated receptor tail efficiently releases the ß-arrestin tail from its N domain to assume distinct conformations. Unexpectedly, we find that ß-arrestin binding to phosphorylated receptor, with a phosphorylation barcode identical to the isolated phosphopeptide, is highly inefficient and that agonist-promoted receptor activation is required for ß-arrestin activation, consistent with the release of a sequestered receptor C tail. These findings, together with focused cellular investigations, reveal that agonism and receptor C-tail release are specific determinants of the rate and efficiency of ß-arrestin activation by phosphorylated receptor. We infer that receptor phosphorylation patterns, in combination with receptor agonism, synergistically establish the strength and specificity with which diverse, downstream ß-arrestin-mediated events are directed.

Phosphatidylethanolamine made in the inner mitochondrial membrane is essential for yeast cytochrome bc1 complex function.

Of the four separate PE biosynthetic pathways in eukaryotes, one occurs in the mitochondrial inner membrane (IM) and is executed by phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (Psd1). Deletion of Psd1 is lethal in mice and compromises mitochondrial function. We hypothesize that this reflects inefficient import of non-mitochondrial PE into the IM. Here, we test this by re-wiring PE metabolism in yeast by re-directing Psd1 to the outer mitochondrial membrane or the endomembrane system and show that PE can cross the IMS in both directions. Nonetheless, PE synthesis in the IM is critical for cytochrome bc1 complex (III) function and mutations predicted to disrupt a conserved PE-binding site in the complex III subunit, Qcr7, impair complex III activity similar to PSD1 deletion. Collectively, these data challenge the current dogma of PE trafficking and demonstrate that PE made in the IM by Psd1 support the intrinsic functionality of complex III.

Cardiolipin mediates membrane and channel interactions of the mitochondrial TIM23 protein import complex receptor Tim50.

The phospholipid cardiolipin mediates the functional interactions of proteins that reside within energy-conserving biological membranes. However, the molecular basis by which this lipid performs this essential cellular role is not well understood. We address this role of cardiolipin using the multisubunit mitochondrial TIM23 protein transport complex as a model system. The early stages of protein import by this complex require specific interactions between the polypeptide substrate receptor, Tim50, and the membrane-bound channel-forming subunit, Tim23. Using analyses performed in vivo, in isolated mitochondria, and in reductionist nanoscale model membrane systems, we show that the soluble receptor domain of Tim50 interacts with membranes and with specific sites on the Tim23 channel in a manner that is directly modulated by cardiolipin. To obtain structural insights into the nature of these interactions, we obtained the first small-angle x-ray scattering-based structure of the soluble Tim50 receptor in its entirety. Using these structural insights, molecular dynamics simulations combined with a range of biophysical measurements confirmed the role of cardiolipin in driving the association of the Tim50 receptor with lipid bilayers with concomitant structural changes, highlighting the role of key structural elements in mediating this interaction. Together, these results show that cardiolipin is required to mediate specific receptor-channel associations in the TIM23 complex. Our results support a new working model for the dynamic structural changes that occur within the complex during transport. More broadly, this work strongly advances our understanding of how cardiolipin mediates interactions among membrane-associated proteins.

Transcriptional Modulation of Transport- and Metabolism-Associated Gene Clusters Leading to Utilization of Benzoate in Preference to Glucose in Pseudomonas putida CSV86.

The effective elimination of xenobiotic pollutants from the environment can be achieved by efficient degradation by microorganisms even in the presence of sugars or organic acids. Soil isolate Pseudomonas putida CSV86 displays a unique ability to utilize aromatic compounds prior to glucose. The draft genome and transcription analyses revealed that glucose uptake and benzoate transport and metabolism genes are clustered at the glc and ben loci, respectively, as two distinct operons. When grown on glucose plus benzoate, CSV86 displayed significantly higher expression of the ben locus in the first log phase and of the glc locus in the second log phase. Kinetics of substrate uptake and metabolism matched the transcription profiles. The inability of succinate to suppress benzoate transport and metabolism resulted in coutilization of succinate and benzoate. When challenged with succinate or benzoate, glucose-grown cells showed rapid reduction in glc locus transcription, glucose transport, and metabolic activity, with succinate being more effective at the functional level. Benzoate and succinate failed to interact with or inhibit the activities of glucose transport components or metabolic enzymes. The data suggest that succinate and benzoate suppress glucose transport and metabolism at the transcription level, enabling P. putida CSV86 to preferentially metabolize benzoate. This strain thus has the potential to be an ideal host to engineer diverse metabolic pathways for efficient bioremediation.IMPORTANCEPseudomonas strains play an important role in carbon cycling in the environment and display a hierarchy in carbon utilization: organic acids first, followed by glucose, and aromatic substrates last. This limits their exploitation for bioremediation. This study demonstrates the substrate-dependent modulation of ben and glc operons in Pseudomonas putida CSV86, wherein benzoate suppresses glucose transport and metabolism at the transcription level, leading to preferential utilization of benzoate over glucose. Interestingly, succinate and benzoate are cometabolized. These properties are unique to this strain compared to other pseudomonads and open up avenues to unravel novel regulatory processes. Strain CSV86 can serve as an ideal host to engineer and facilitate efficient removal of recalcitrant pollutants even in the presence of simpler carbon sources.

High Resolution Structures of Periplasmic Glucose-binding Protein of Pseudomonas putida CSV86 Reveal Structural Basis of Its Substrate Specificity.

Periplasmic substrate-binding proteins (SBPs) bind to the specific ligand with high affinity and mediate their transport into the cytoplasm via the cognate inner membrane ATP-binding cassette proteins. Because of low sequence identities, understanding the structural basis of substrate recognition by SBPs has remained very challenging. There are several structures available for the ligand-bound sugar SBPs, but very few unliganded structures are reported. No structural data are available for sugar SBPs fromPseudomonassp. to date. This study reports the first high resolution crystal structures of periplasmic glucose-binding protein fromPseudomonas putidaCSV86 (ppGBP) in unliganded form (2.5 Å) and complexed with glucose (1.25 Å) and galactose (1.8 Å). Asymmetric domain closure of ppGBP was observed upon substrate binding. The ppGBP was found to have an affinity of ∼ 0.3 µmfor glucose. The structural analysis showed that the sugars are bound to the protein mainly by hydrogen bonds, and the loss of two strong hydrogen bonds between ppGBP and galactose compared with glucose may be responsible for lowering its affinity toward galactose. The higher stability of ppGBP-glucose complex was also indicated by an 8 °C increase in the melting temperature compared with unliganded form and ppGBP-galactose complex. ppGBP binds to monosaccharide, but the structural features revealed it to have an oligosaccharide-binding protein fold, indicating that during evolution the sugar binding pocket may have undergone structural modulation to accommodate monosaccharide only.

Pseudomonas putida CSV86: a candidate genome for genetic bioaugmentation.

Pseudomonas putida CSV86, a plasmid-free strain possessing capability to transfer the naphthalene degradation property, has been explored for its metabolic diversity through genome sequencing. The analysis of draft genome sequence of CSV86 (6.4 Mb) revealed the presence of genes involved in the degradation of naphthalene, salicylate, benzoate, benzylalcohol, p-hydroxybenzoate, phenylacetate and p-hydroxyphenylacetate on the chromosome thus ensuring the stability of the catabolic potential. Moreover, genes involved in the metabolism of phenylpropanoid and homogentisate, as well as heavy metal resistance, were additionally identified. Ability to grow on vanillin, veratraldehyde and ferulic acid, detection of inducible homogentisate dioxygenase and growth on aromatic compounds in the presence of heavy metals like copper, cadmium, cobalt and arsenic confirm in silico observations reflecting the metabolic versatility. In silico analysis revealed the arrangement of genes in the order: tRNA(Gly), integrase followed by nah operon, supporting earlier hypothesis of existence of a genomic island (GI) for naphthalene degradation. Deciphering the genomic architecture of CSV86 for aromatic degradation pathways and identification of elements responsible for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) suggests that genetic bioaugmentation strategies could be planned using CSV86 for effective bioremediation.

Periplasmic glucose-binding protein from Pseudomonas putida CSV86--identification of the glucose-binding pocket by homology-model-guided site-specific mutagenesis.

Glucose transport in Pseudomonas putida CSV86 is mediated via a periplasmic glucose-binding protein (GBP)-dependent putative glucose ABC transporter. Here we describe a homology model and functional characterization of GBP from CSV86 (ppGBP). A whole-cell [(14)C]-glucose uptake study revealed that glucose is transported by the high-affinity intracellular phosphorylative pathway. ppGBP was cloned, over-expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified ppGBPs from both E. coli and CSV86 were found to be specific for glucose. A homology model of ppGBP was constructed that resembles the class II family of periplasmic binding proteins. The model showed highest structural similarity to GBP of Thermus thermophilus (ttGBP, rmsd 0.64 Å). Structural analysis and molecular docking studies predicted W35, W36, E41, K92, K339 and H379 of ppGBP as putative glucose-binding residues. Alanine substitution of these residues resulted in significantly reduced [(14)C]-glucose binding activity. Analysis of the operonic arrangement and structural comparative studies suggested that ppGBP and ttGBP probably originated from a common ancestor. Structural adaptations that inhibit binding of di- or trisaccharides at the glucose-binding pocket of ppGBP were also identified.

Genome Sequence of Naphthalene-Degrading Soil Bacterium Pseudomonas putida CSV86.

Pseudomonas putida CSV86, a soil isolate, preferentially utilizes naphthalene over glucose as a source of carbon and energy. We present the draft genome sequence, which is 6.4 Mb in size; analysis suggests the chromosomal localization of genes coding for naphthalene utilization. The operons coding for glucose and other aromatic compounds might also be annotated in another study.