Assembly dynamics and structure of an aegerolysin, ostreolysin A6.

Ostreolysin A6 (OlyA6) is an oyster mushroom-derived membrane-binding protein that, upon recruitment of its partner protein, pleurotolysin B, forms a cytolytic membrane pore complex. OlyA6 itself is not cytolytic but has been reported to exhibit pro-apoptotic activities in cell culture. Here we report the formation dynamics and the structure of OlyA6 assembly on a lipid membrane containing an OlyA6 high-affinity receptor, ceramide phosphoethanolamine, and cholesterol. High-speed atomic force microscopy revealed the reorganization of OlyA6 dimers from initial random surface coverage to 2D protein crystals composed of hexameric OlyA6 repeat units. Crystal growth took place predominantly in the longitudinal direction by the association of OlyA6 dimers, forming a hexameric unit cell. Molecular-level examination of the OlyA6 crystal elucidated the arrangement of dimers within the unit cell and the structure of the dimer that recruits pleurotolysin B for pore formation.

Lipid Membrane Interaction of Peptide/DNA Complexes Designed for Gene Delivery.

Among gene delivery systems, peptide-based gene carriers have received significant attention because of their selectivity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Since cellular membranes function as a barrier toward exogenous molecules, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), which are usually cationic and/or amphiphilic, can serve as efficient carriers to deliver cargo into the cytosol. Here, we examined the interactions of carrier peptides and their DNA complexes with lipid membranes using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). The carrier peptides are a 12-residue partial presequence of yeast cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV (Cytcox) and BP100, which are a mitochondria-targeting signal peptide and a CPP, respectively. QCM data showed that BP100 has a higher binding affinity than Cytcox to both plasma membrane- and mitochondrial membrane-mimicking lipid bilayers. The DNA complexes with either Cytcox or BP100 exhibited the same tendency. Furthermore, HS-AFM data demonstrated that the DNA complexes of either peptide can disrupt the lipid membranes, forming larger pores in the case of Cytcox. Our results suggest that the binding affinity of the peptide/DNA complex to the plasma membrane is more critical than its membrane disruption ability in enhancing the cellular uptake of DNA.

Molecular mechanisms of action of sphingomyelin-specific pore-forming toxin, lysenin.

Lysenin, which is an earthworm toxin, strongly binds to sphingomyelin (SM). Lysenin oligomerizes on SM-rich domains and can induce cell death by forming pores in the membrane. In this review, the assembly of lysenin on SM-containing membranes is discussed mostly on the basis of the information gained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM data show that lysenin assembles into a hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure by rapid reorganization of its oligomers on an SM/cholesterol membrane. In case of a phase-separated membrane of SM, lysenin induces phase mixing as a result of pore formation in SM-rich domains, and consequently its hcp assembly covers the entire membrane. Besides the lytic action, lysenin is important as an SM marker and its pore has the potential to be used as a biosensor in the future. These points are also highlighted in this review.

Revealing the Architecture of the Cell Wall in Living Plant Cells by Bioimaging and Enzymatic Degradation.

Plant cell walls consist mostly of crystalline cellulose fibrils embedded in a matrix of complex polysaccharides, but information on their morphological features has generally been limited to that obtained from nonliving plant specimens. Here, we characterized the primary cell wall of a living plant cell (from the tobacco BY-2 suspension culture) at nanometer resolution using high-speed atomic force microscopy and at micrometer resolution using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Our results showed aligned and disordered cellulose fibrils coexisting in the outermost layer of the cell wall. We investigated the orientation of the aligned cellulose fibrils in the outer lamellae of the cell wall of living plant cells after removing cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin by enzymatic degradation to make the cellulose fibrils more visible and, accordingly, to reveal the structure of the nanoachitecture formed by these fibrils within the cell wall. We observed that the cellulose fibrils in the outermost layer were usually oriented close to the direction of cell growth, whereas the orientation of the cellulose fibrils in the successive lamellae further inward changed randomly. Such organization should be crucial to render the plant cell wall both rigid and flexible. This finding provides insight not only into the structure of the functional plant cell wall but also into its growth mechanism.

Zwitterionic Polypeptides: Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Loosening Function for Cellulose Crystals.

A polypeptide with a GlyHisGly repeating sequence containing zwitterionic structures that effectively interact with cellulose was synthesized for dissociation of cellulose crystals. Polypeptide with the GlyHisGly sequence was synthesized by chemoenzymatic polymerization and postfunctionalization of the His residues was performed to afford imidazolium butyrate on the side chains. The resulting zwitterionic polypeptide effectively dissociated bundles of tunicate cellulose nanocrystals, even when the conditions were mild and the concentration of the polypeptide was as low as 1-2 mg mL-1. Polypeptide treatment also affected the morphology of the cell walls in cultured plant cells, and the cellulose microfibril networks and amorphous polysaccharide layer were dissociated according to atomic force microscopy (AFM). The zwitterionic polypeptide treatment did not change the crystal structure of the cellulose nanocrystals. Analysis of the mechanical properties of the cellulose nanocrystals by force curve measurements using AFM revealed that the elastic modulus of the cellulose nanocrystals increased after treatment with the zwitterionic polypeptide, indicating that the amorphous part of the cellulose nanocrystals was removed by interactions with the polypeptide. At a concentration of the polypeptide that enabled the dissociation of the cellulose network, the zwitterionic polypeptide showed negligible cytotoxicity to the plant cells. The mild and noncytotoxic technique for loosening cellulose microfibrils/nanocrystals that was developed in this study has tremendous significance for the modification of cellulose in terms of polymer chemistry, material science, and plant biotechnology.

Assemblies of pore-forming toxins visualized by atomic force microscopy.

A number of pore-forming toxins (PFTs) can assemble on lipid membranes through their specific interactions with lipids. The oligomeric assemblies of some PFTs have been successfully revealed either by electron microscopy (EM) and/or atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unlike EM, AFM imaging can be performed under physiological conditions, enabling the real-time visualization of PFT assembly and the transition from the prepore state, in which the toxin does not span the membrane, to the pore state. In addition to characterizing PFT oligomers, AFM has also been used to examine toxin-induced alterations in membrane organization. In this review, we summarize the contributions of AFM to the understanding of both PFT assembly and PFT-induced membrane reorganization. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Pore-Forming Toxins edited by Mauro Dalla Serra and Franco Gambale.

Visualization of the heterogeneous membrane distribution of sphingomyelin associated with cytokinesis, cell polarity, and sphingolipidosis.

Sphingomyelin (SM) is a major sphingolipid in mammalian cells and is reported to form specific lipid domains together with cholesterol. However, methods to examine the membrane distribution of SM are limited. We demonstrated in model membranes that fluorescent protein conjugates of 2 specific SM-binding toxins, lysenin (Lys) and equinatoxin II (EqtII), recognize different membrane distributions of SM; Lys exclusively binds clustered SM, whereas EqtII preferentially binds dispersed SM. Freeze-fracture immunoelectron microscopy showed that clustered but not dispersed SM formed lipid domains on the cell surface. Glycolipids and the membrane concentration of SM affect the SM distribution pattern on the plasma membrane. Using derivatives of Lys and EqtII as SM distribution-sensitive probes, we revealed the exclusive accumulation of SM clusters in the midbody at the time of cytokinesis. Interestingly, apical membranes of differentiated epithelial cells exhibited dispersed SM distribution, whereas SM was clustered in basolateral membranes. Clustered but not dispersed SM was absent from the cell surface of acid sphingomyelinase-deficient Niemann-Pick type A cells. These data suggest that both the SM content and membrane distribution are crucial for pathophysiological events bringing therapeutic perspective in the role of SM membrane distribution.

Real-time visualization of assembling of a sphingomyelin-specific toxin on planar lipid membranes.

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are soluble proteins that can oligomerize on the cell membrane and induce cell death by membrane insertion. PFT oligomers sometimes form hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structures on the membrane. Here, we show the assembling of the sphingomyelin (SM)-binding PFT, lysenin, into an hcp structure after oligomerization on SM/cholesterol membrane. This process was monitored by high-speed atomic force microscopy. Hcp assembly was driven by reorganization of lysenin oligomers such as association/dissociation and rapid diffusion along the membrane. Besides rapid association/dissociation of oligomers, the height change for some oligomers, possibly resulting from conformational changes in lysenin, could also be visualized. After the entire membrane surface was covered with a well-ordered oligomer lattice, the lysenin molecules were firmly bound on the membrane and the oligomers neither dissociated nor diffused. Our results reveal the dynamic nature of the oligomers of a lipid-binding toxin during the formation of an hcp structure. Visualization of this dynamic process is essential for the elucidation of the assembling mechanism of some PFTs that can form ordered structures on the membrane.

Construction and characterization of molecular nonwoven fabrics consisting of cross-linked poly(γ-methyl-L-glutamate).

Molecular nonwoven fabrics in the form of ultrathin layer-by-layer (LbL) helical polymer films with covalent cross-linking were assembled on substrates by an alternate ester-amide exchange reaction between poly(γ-methyl L-glutamate) (PMLG) and cross-linking agent ethylene diamine or 4,4'-diamino azobenzene. The regular growth of helical monolayers without excessive adsorption and the formation of amide bonds were confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), ellipsometry, and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IR-RAS) measurements. Nanostructures with high uniformity and ultrathin films with few defects formed by helical rod segments of PMLG were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM).

An oomycete NLP cytolysin forms transient small pores in lipid membranes.

Microbial plant pathogens secrete a range of effector proteins that damage host plants and consequently constrain global food production. Necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide 1-like proteins (NLPs) are produced by numerous phytopathogenic microbes that cause important crop diseases. Many NLPs are cytolytic, causing cell death and tissue necrosis by disrupting the plant plasma membrane. Here, we reveal the unique molecular mechanism underlying the membrane damage induced by the cytotoxic model NLP. This membrane disruption is a multistep process that includes electrostatic-driven, plant-specific lipid recognition, shallow membrane binding, protein aggregation, and transient pore formation. The NLP-induced damage is not caused by membrane reorganization or large-scale defects but by small membrane ruptures. This distinct mechanism of lipid membrane disruption is highly adapted to effectively damage plant cells.

Crystal structure of an invertebrate cytolysin pore reveals unique properties and mechanism of assembly.

The invertebrate cytolysin lysenin is a member of the aerolysin family of pore-forming toxins that includes many representatives from pathogenic bacteria. Here we report the crystal structure of the lysenin pore and provide insights into its assembly mechanism. The lysenin pore is assembled from nine monomers via dramatic reorganization of almost half of the monomeric subunit structure leading to a ß-barrel pore ∼10 nm long and 1.6-2.5 nm wide. The lysenin pore is devoid of additional luminal compartments as commonly found in other toxin pores. Mutagenic analysis and atomic force microscopy imaging, together with these structural insights, suggest a mechanism for pore assembly for lysenin. These insights are relevant to the understanding of pore formation by other aerolysin-like pore-forming toxins, which often represent crucial virulence factors in bacteria.

Visualization of Lipid Membrane Reorganization Induced by a Pore-Forming Toxin Using High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy.

We examined the effect of a sphingomyelin (SM)-binding pore-forming toxin (PFT), lysenin, on the dynamics of a phase-separated membrane of SM, where SM formed liquid-ordered (Lo) domains with cholesterol (Chol) within a phosphatidylcholine-rich liquid-disordered (Ld) phase. We visualized the lysenin-induced membrane reorganization using high-speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM). Lysenin oligomerized on the SM-rich Lo domain and simultaneously its oligomers assembled into a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. The phase boundary was stable during the assembling of lysenin on the SM-rich domain, indicating that lysenin did not affect the line tension between Lo and Ld phases. After the full coverage of the SM-rich domain by oligomers, their hcp assembly gradually expanded into the Ld phase and eventually covered the entire membrane. Our results suggest that pore formation, i.e., insertion of lysenin into the membrane in its oligomeric state, induced the exclusion of SM and Chol from the SM-rich domain, which was followed by further binding and oligomerization of lysenin.

Molecular Dynamics in Two-Dimensional Supramolecular Systems Observed by STM.

Since the invention of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), 2D supramolecular architectures have been observed under various experimental conditions. The construction of these architectures arises from the balance between interactions at the medium-solid interface. This review summarizes molecular motion observed in 2D-supramolecular structures on surfaces using nanospace resolution STM. The observation of molecular motion on surfaces provides a visual understanding of intermolecular interactions, which are the major driving force behind supramolecular arrangement.

Molecular macrocluster formation on silica surfaces in phenol-cyclohexane mixtures.

The adsorption of phenol, an aromatic compound with a hydrogen-bonding group, onto a silica surface in cyclohexane was investigated by colloidal probe atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and adsorption isotherm measurements. ATR-FTIR measurements on the silica surface indicated the formation of surface macroclusters of phenol through hydrogen bonding. The ATR-FTIR spectra were also measured on the H-terminated silicon surface to observe the effect of the silanol groups on the phenol adsorption. The comparison of the ATR-FTIR spectra for both the silicon oxide and H-terminated silicon surfaces proved that the silanol groups are necessary for the formation of phenol clusters on the surface. The surface force measurement using colloidal probe AFM showed a long-range attraction between the two silica surfaces in phenol-cyclohexane mixtures. This long-range attraction resulted from the contact of the adsorbed phenol layers for the phenol concentrations below 0.6 mol %, at which no significant phenol clusters formed in the bulk solution. The attraction started to decrease at 0.6 mol % phenol due to the exchange of the phenol molecules between the clusters in the bulk phase and on the surface. The surface density of phenol in the adsorbed layer was calculated on the basis of the long-range attraction and found to be much smaller than the liquid phenol density. The plausible structure of the adsorbed phenol layer was drawn by referring to the crystal structure of the bulk phenol and orientation of the phenol molecules on the surface, estimated by the dichroic analysis of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The investigation of the phenol adsorption on the silica surface in a nonpolar solvent using this novel approach demonstrated the effect of the aromatic ring on the surface packing density.

Emergency treatment of symptomatic or ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: the role of endovascular repair.

PURPOSE: To report the initial experience with endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in patients with ruptured or symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and to compare the results with conventional open surgery. METHODS: Between May 1999 and December 2001, 24 patients (21 men; mean age 75 years, range 56-89) with ruptured or symptomatic AAA underwent EVAR using a specially designed aortomonoiliac endograft. Six patients were selected based on device and operator availability; the subsequent 18 patients were treated under a modified management protocol that offered stent-graft repair to all symptomatic AAA patients. The results of this new treatment protocol were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis for the last 8 months of the study. The 30-day outcomes in all patients treated with emergency EVAR were compared with 40 consecutive, contemporaneous patients undergoing open surgery for symptomatic or ruptured AAA. RESULTS: No early conversions to open surgery were performed. Significantly decreased operative blood loss and intensive care stay (p<0.05 for both) were observed in EVAR patients. The mortality rate for EVAR patients was 17% compared to 32% in conventionally treated patients (NS). Among patients with ruptured AAA, the 30-day mortality rates were 24% (4/17) and 41% (12/29) for EVAR and open surgery, respectively (NS). Of 26 unselected patients who were treated prospectively under the modified protocol, the majority (81%, 21/26) had anatomy suitable for endovascular repair; however, only 18 (69%) underwent EVAR owing to a short infrarenal neck (n=2) or device/operator unavailability (n=6). CONCLUSIONS: EVAR is a feasible treatment in the majority of patients with ruptured or symptomatic AAA. The 30-day mortality appears to be similar between conventionally treated patients and those undergoing endovascular repair.