Tripartite efflux pumps of the RND superfamily: what did we learn from computational studies?

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has been long recognized as a priority to address for human health. Among all micro-organisms, the so-called multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, which are resistant to most, if not all drugs in our current arsenal, are particularly worrisome. The World Health Organization has prioritized the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species) pathogens, which include four Gram-negative bacterial species. In these bacteria, active extrusion of antimicrobial compounds out of the cell by means of 'molecular guns' known as efflux pumps is a main determinant of MDR phenotypes. The resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily of efflux pumps connecting the inner and outer membrane in Gram-negative bacteria is crucial to the onset of MDR and virulence, as well as biofilm formation. Thus, understanding the molecular basis of the interaction of antibiotics and inhibitors with these pumps is key to the design of more effective therapeutics. With the aim to contribute to this challenge, and complement and inspire experimental research, in silico studies on RND efflux pumps have flourished in recent decades. Here, we review a selection of such investigations addressing the main determinants behind the polyspecificity of these pumps, the mechanisms of substrate recognition, transport and inhibition, as well as the relevance of their assembly for proper functioning, and the role of protein-lipid interactions. The journey will end with a perspective on the role of computer simulations in addressing the challenges posed by these beautifully complex machineries and in supporting the fight against the spread of MDR bacteria.

Analysis of L-DOPA and droxidopa binding to human ß2-adrenergic receptor.

Over the last two decades, an increasing number of studies has been devoted to a deeper understanding of the molecular process involved in the binding of various agonists and antagonists to active and inactive conformations of ß2-adrenergic receptor (ß2AR). The 3.2 Å x-ray crystal structure of human ß2AR active state in combination with the endogenous low affinity agonist adrenaline offers an ideal starting structure for studying the binding of various catecholamines to adrenergic receptors. We show that molecular docking of levodopa (L-DOPA) and droxidopa into rigid and flexible ß2AR models leads for both ligands to binding anchor sites comparable to those experimentally reported for adrenaline, namely D113/N312 and S203/S204/S207 side chains. Both ligands have a hydrogen bond network that is extremely similar to those of noradrenaline and dopamine. Interestingly, redocking neutral and protonated versions of adrenaline to rigid and flexible ß2AR models results in binding poses that are more energetically stable and distinct from the x-ray crystal structure. Similarly, lowest energy conformations of noradrenaline and dopamine generated by docking into flexible ß2AR models had binding free energies lower than those of best poses in rigid receptor models. Furthermore, our findings show that L-DOPA and droxidopa molecules have binding affinities comparable to those predicted for adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, which are consistent with previous experimental and computational findings and supported by the molecular dynamics simulations of ß2AR-ligand complexes performed here.

Temperature Dependence of the Structure and Dynamics of a Dye-Labeled Lipid in a Planar Phospholipid Bilayer: A Computational Study.

Fluorescent probes are widely employed to label lipids for the investigation of structural and dynamic properties of model and cell membranes through optical microscopy techniques. Although the effect of tagging a lipid with an organic dye is generally assumed to be negligible, optically modified lipids can nonetheless affect the local lipid structure and, in turn, the lipid lateral mobility. To better assess this potential issue, all-atom (MD) molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study structural and dynamic effects in a model DOPC membrane in the presence of a standard Rhodamine B-labeled DOPE lipid (RHB) as a function of temperature, i.e., 293 K, 303 K, and 320 K. As the temperature is increased, we observe similar changes in the structural properties of both pure DOPC and RHB-DOPC lipid bilayers: an increase of the area per lipid, a reduction of the membrane thickness and a decrease of lipid order parameters. The partial density profile of the RHB headgroups and their orientation within the lipid bilayer confirm the amphiphilic nature of the RHB fluorescent moiety, which mainly partitions in the DOPC glycerol backbone region at each temperature. Moreover, at all temperatures, our results on lipid lateral diffusion support a non-neutral role of the dye with respect to the unlabeled lipid mobility, thus suggesting important implications for optical microscopy studies of lipid membranes.

In silico investigation of the interaction between the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv4.3 and its auxiliary protein KChIP1.

The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv4.3 plays a vital role in shaping the timing, frequency, and backpropagation of electrical signals in the brain and heart by generating fast transient currents at subthreshold membrane potentials in repetitive firing neurons. To achieve its physiological function, Kv4.3 is assisted by auxiliary ß-subunits that become integral parts of the native A-type potassium channels, among which there are the Kv channel-interacting proteins (KChIPs). KChIPs are a family of cytosolic proteins that, when coexpressed with Kv4, lead to higher current density, modulation of channel inactivation and faster recovery from inactivation, while the loss of KChIP function may lead to severe pathological states. Recently, the structural basis of the KChIP1-Kv4.3 interaction was reported by using two similar X-ray crystallographic structures, which supported a crucial role for KChIP1 in enhancing the stability of the Kv4.3 tetrameric assembly, thus helping the trafficking of the channel to the plasma membrane. Here, we investigate through fully atomistic simulations the structure and stability of the human Kv4.3 tetramerization (T1) domain in complex with KChIP1 upon specific mutations located in the first and second interfaces of the complex, as compared to the wild-type (WT). Our results nicely complement the available structural and biophysical information collected so far on these complex variants. In particular, the degree of structural deviations and energetic instability, from small to substantial, observed in these variants with respect to the WT model seems to parallel well the level of channel dysfunction known from electrophysiology data. Our simulations provide an octameric structure of the WT KChIP1-Kv4.3 assembly very similar to the known crystal structures, and, at the same time, highlight the importance of a previously overlooked site of interaction between KChIP1 and the Kv4.3 T1 domain.

Direct Prediction of EPR Spectra from Lipid Bilayers: Understanding Structure and Dynamics in Biological Membranes.

Of the many biophysical techniques now being brought to bear on studies of membranes, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of nitroxide spin probes was the first to provide information about both mobility and ordering in lipid membranes. Here, we report the first prediction of variable temperature EPR spectra of model lipid bilayers in the presence and absence of cholesterol from the results of large scale fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Three types of structurally different spin probes were employed in order to study different parts of the bilayer. Our results demonstrate very good agreement with experiment and thus confirm the accuracy of the latest lipid force fields. The atomic resolution of the simulations allows the interpretation of the molecular motions and interactions in terms of their impact on the sensitive EPR line shapes. Direct versus indirect effects of cholesterol on the dynamics of spin probes are analysed. Given the complexity of structural organisation in lipid bilayers, the advantage of using a combined MD-EPR simulation approach is two-fold. Firstly, prediction of EPR line shapes directly from MD trajectories of actual phospholipid structures allows unambiguous interpretation of EPR spectra of biological membranes in terms of complex motions. Secondly, such an approach provides an ultimate test bed for the up-to-date MD simulation models employed in the studies of biological membranes, an area that currently attracts great attention.

Antimicrobial action of the cationic peptide, chrysophsin-3: a coarse-grained molecular dynamics study.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small cationic proteins that are able to destabilize a lipid bilayer structure through one or more modes of action. In this study, we investigate the processes of peptide aggregation and pore formation in lipid bilayers and vesicles by the highly cationic AMP, Chrysophsin-3 (chrys-3), using coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG-MD) simulations and potential of mean force calculations. We study long 50 µs simulations of chrys-3 at different concentrations, both at the surface of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayers, and also interacting within the interior of the lipid membrane. We show that aggregation of peptides at the surface, leads to pronounced deformation of lipid bilayers, leading in turn to lipid protrusions for peptide : ligand ratios > 1 : 12. In addition, aggregation of chrys-3 peptides within the centre of a lipid bilayer leads to spontaneous formation of pores and aggregates. Both mechanisms of interaction are consistent with previously reported experimental data for chrys-3. Similar results are observed also in POPC vesicles and mixed lipid bilayers composed of the zwitterionic lipid palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (POPE) and the negatively charged lipid palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylglycerol (POPG). The latter are employed as models of the bacterial membrane of Escherichia coli.

Molecular electrometer and binding of cations to phospholipid bilayers.

Despite the vast amount of experimental and theoretical studies on the binding affinity of cations - especially the biologically relevant Na+ and Ca2+ - for phospholipid bilayers, there is no consensus in the literature. Here we show that by interpreting changes in the choline headgroup order parameters according to the 'molecular electrometer' concept [Seelig et al., Biochemistry, 1987, 26, 7535], one can directly compare the ion binding affinities between simulations and experiments. Our findings strongly support the view that in contrast to Ca2+ and other multivalent ions, Na+ and other monovalent ions (except Li+) do not specifically bind to phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers at sub-molar concentrations. However, the Na+ binding affinity was overestimated by several molecular dynamics simulation models, resulting in artificially positively charged bilayers and exaggerated structural effects in the lipid headgroups. While qualitatively correct headgroup order parameter response was observed with Ca2+ binding in all the tested models, no model had sufficient quantitative accuracy to interpret the Ca2+:lipid stoichiometry or the induced atomistic resolution structural changes. All scientific contributions to this open collaboration work were made publicly, using nmrlipids.blogspot.fi as the main communication platform.

A robust all-atom model for LCAT generated by homology modeling.

LCAT is activated by apoA-I to form cholesteryl ester. We combined two structures, phospholipase A2 (PLA2) that hydrolyzes the ester bond at the sn-2 position of oxidized (short) acyl chains of phospholipid, and bacteriophage tubulin PhuZ, as C- and N-terminal templates, respectively, to create a novel homology model for human LCAT. The juxtaposition of multiple structural motifs matching experimental data is compelling evidence for the general correctness of many features of the model: i) The N-terminal 10 residues of the model, required for LCAT activity, extend the hydrophobic binding trough for the sn-2 chain 15-20 Å relative to PLA2. ii) The topography of the trough places the ester bond of the sn-2 chain less than 5 Å from the hydroxyl of the catalytic nucleophile, S181. iii) A ß-hairpin resembling a lipase lid separates S181 from solvent. iv) S181 interacts with three functionally critical residues: E149, that regulates sn-2 chain specificity, and K128 and R147, whose mutations cause LCAT deficiency. Because the model provides a novel explanation for the complicated thermodynamic problem of the transfer of hydrophobic substrates from HDL to the catalytic triad of LCAT, it is an important step toward understanding the antiatherogenic role of HDL in reverse cholesterol transport.

MD simulations suggest important surface differences between reconstituted and circulating spherical HDL.

Since spheroidal HDL particles (sHDL) are highly dynamic, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are useful for obtaining structural models. Here we use MD to simulate sHDL with stoichiometries of reconstituted and circulating particles. The hydrophobic effect during simulations rapidly remodels discoidal HDL containing mixed lipids to sHDL containing a cholesteryl ester/triglyceride (CE/TG) core. We compare the results of simulations of previously characterized reconstituted sHDL particles containing two or three apoA-I created in the absence of phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) with simulations of circulating human HDL containing two or three apoA-I without apoA-II. We find that circulating sHDL compared with reconstituted sHDL with the same number of apoA-I per particle contain approximately equal volumes of core lipid but significantly less surface lipid monolayers. We conclude that in vitro reconstituted sHDL particles contain kinetically trapped excess phospholipid and are less than ideal models for circulating sHDL particles. In the circulation, phospholipid transfer via PLTP decreases the ratio of phospholipid to apolipoprotein for all sHDL particles. Further, sHDL containing two or three apoA-I adapt to changes in surface area by condensation of common conformational motifs. These results represent an important step toward resolving the complicated issue of the protein and lipid stoichiometry of circulating HDL.

Validation of previous computer models and MD simulations of discoidal HDL by a recent crystal structure of apoA-I.

HDL is a population of apoA-I-containing particles inversely correlated with heart disease. Because HDL is a soft form of matter deformable by thermal fluctuations, structure determination has been difficult. Here, we compare the recently published crystal structure of lipid-free (Δ185-243)apoA-I with apoA-I structure from models and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of discoidal HDL. These analyses validate four of our previous structural findings for apoA-I: i) a baseline double belt diameter of 105 Å ii) central α helixes with an 11/3 pitch; iii) a "presentation tunnel" gap between pairwise helix 5 repeats hypothesized to move acyl chains and unesterified cholesterol from the lipid bilayer to the active sites of LCAT; and iv) interchain salt bridges hypothesized to stabilize the LL5/5 chain registry. These analyses are also consistent with our finding that multiple salt bridge-forming residues in the N-terminus of apoA-I render that conserved domain "sticky." Additionally, our crystal MD comparisons led to two new hypotheses: i) the interchain leucine-zippers previously reported between the pair-wise helix 5 repeats drive lipid-free apoA-I registration; ii) lipidation induces rotations of helix 5 to allow formation of interchain salt bridges, creating the LCAT presentation tunnel and "zip-locking" apoA-I into its full LL5/5 registration.

L-DOPA and Droxidopa: From Force Field Development to Molecular Docking into Human ß2-Adrenergic Receptor.

The increasing interest in the molecular mechanism of the binding of different agonists and antagonists to ß2-adrenergic receptor (ß2AR) inactive and active states has led us to investigate protein-ligand interactions using molecular docking calculations. To perform this study, the 3.2 Å X-ray crystal structure of the active conformation of human ß2AR in the complex with the endogenous agonist adrenaline has been used as a template for investigating the binding of two exogenous catecholamines to this adrenergic receptor. Here, we show the derivation of L-DOPA and Droxidopa OPLS all atom (AA) force field (FF) parameters via quantum mechanical (QM) calculations, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in aqueous solutions of the two catecholamines and the molecular docking of both ligands into rigid and flexible ß2AR models. We observe that both ligands share with adrenaline similar experimentally observed binding anchor sites, which are constituted by Asp113/Asn312 and Ser203/Ser204/Ser207 side chains. Moreover, both L-DOPA and Droxidopa molecules exhibit binding affinities comparable to that predicted for adrenaline, which is in good agreement with previous experimental and computational results. L-DOPA and Droxidopa OPLS AA FFs have also been tested by performing MD simulations of these ligands docked into ß2AR proteins embedded in lipid membranes. Both hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction networks observed over the 1 µs MD simulation are comparable with those derived from molecular docking calculations and MD simulations performed with the CHARMM FF.

Common recognition topology of mex transporters of Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed by molecular modelling.

The secondary transporters of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily mediate multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Among these RND transporters, MexB, MexF, and MexY, with partly overlapping specificities, have been implicated in pathogenicity. Only the structure of the former has been resolved experimentally, which together with the lack of data about the functional dynamics of the full set of transporters, limited a systematic investigation of the molecular determinants defining their peculiar and shared features. In a previous work (Ramaswamy et al., Front. Microbiol., 2018, 9, 1144), we compared at an atomistic level the two main putative recognition sites (named access and deep binding pockets) of MexB and MexY. In this work, we expand the comparison by performing extended molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of these transporters and the pathologically relevant transporter MexF. We employed a more realistic model of the inner phospholipid membrane of P. aeruginosa and more accurate force-fields. To elucidate structure/dynamics-activity relationships we performed physico-chemical analyses and mapped the binding propensities of several organic probes on all transporters. Our data revealed the presence, also in MexF, of a few multifunctional sites at locations equivalent to the access and deep binding pockets detected in MexB. Furthermore, we report for the first time about the multidrug binding abilities of two out of five gates of the channels deputed to peripheral (early) recognition of substrates. Overall, our findings help to define a common "recognition topology" characterizing Mex transporters, which can be exploited to optimize transport and inhibition propensities of antimicrobial compounds.

Probing Liquid-Ordered and Disordered Phases in Lipid Model Membranes: A Combined Theoretical and Spectroscopic Study of a Fluorescent Molecular Rotor.

An integrated theoretical/experimental strategy has been applied to the study of environmental effects on the spectroscopic parameters of 4-(diphenylamino)phtalonitrile (DPAP), a fluorescent molecular rotor. The computational part starts from the development of an effective force field for the first excited electronic state of DPAP and proceeds through molecular dynamics simulations in solvents of different polarities toward the evaluation of Stokes shifts by quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approaches. The trends of the computed results closely parallel the available experimental results thus giving confidence to the interpretation of new experimental studies of the photophysics of DPAP in lipid bilayers. In this context, results show unambiguously that both flexible dihedral angles and global rotations are significantly retarded in a cholesterol/DPPC lipid matrix with respect to the DOPC matrix, thus confirming the sensitivity of DPAP to probe different environments and, therefore, its applicability as a probe for detecting different structures and levels of plasma membrane organization.

"Sticky" and "promiscuous", the yin and yang of apolipoprotein A-I termini in discoidal high-density lipoproteins: a combined computational-experimental approach.

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I-containing lipoproteins in the form of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are inversely correlated with atherosclerosis. Because HDL is a soft form of condensed matter easily deformable by thermal fluctuations, the molecular mechanisms for HDL remodeling are not well understood. A promising approach to understanding HDL structure and dynamics is molecular dynamics (MD). In the present study, two computational strategies, MD simulated annealing (MDSA) and MD temperature jump, were combined with experimental particle reconstitution to explore molecular mechanisms for phospholipid- (PL-) rich HDL particle remodeling. The N-terminal domains of full-length apoA-I were shown to be "sticky", acting as a molecular latch largely driven by salt bridges, until, at a critical threshold of particle size, the associated domains released to expose extensive hydrocarbon regions of the PL to solvent. The "sticky" N-termini also associate with other apoA-I domains, perhaps being involved in N-terminal loops suggested by other laboratories. Alternatively, the overlapping helix 10 C-terminal domains of apoA-I were observed to be extremely mobile or "promiscuous", transiently exposing limited hydrocarbon regions of PL. Based upon these models and reconstitution studies, we propose that separation of the N-terminal domains, as particles exceed a critical size, triggers fusion between particles or between particles and membranes, while the C-terminal domains of apoA-I drive the exchange of polar lipids down concentration gradients between particles. This hypothesis has significant biological relevance since lipid exchange and particle remodeling are critically important processes during metabolism of HDL particles at every step in the antiatherogenic process of reverse cholesterol transport.

Assessment of the validity of the double superhelix model for reconstituted high density lipoproteins: a combined computational-experimental approach.

For several decades, the standard model for high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles reconstituted from apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and phospholipid (apoA-I/HDL) has been a discoidal particle ∼100 Šin diameter and the thickness of a phospholipid bilayer. Recently, Wu et al. (Wu, Z., Gogonea, V., Lee, X., Wagner, M. A., Li, X. M., Huang, Y., Undurti, A., May, R. P., Haertlein, M., Moulin, M., Gutsche, I., Zaccai, G., Didonato, J. A., and Hazen, S. L. (2009) J. Biol. Chem. 284, 36605-36619) used small angle neutron scattering to develop a new model they termed double superhelix (DSH) apoA-I that is dramatically different from the standard model. Their model possesses an open helical shape that wraps around a prolate ellipsoidal type I hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline phase. Here, we used three independent approaches, molecular dynamics, EM tomography, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer spectroscopy (FRET) to assess the validity of the DSH model. (i) By using molecular dynamics, two different approaches, all-atom simulated annealing and coarse-grained simulation, show that initial ellipsoidal DSH particles rapidly collapse to discoidal bilayer structures. These results suggest that, compatible with current knowledge of lipid phase diagrams, apoA-I cannot stabilize hexagonal I phase particles of phospholipid. (ii) By using EM, two different approaches, negative stain and cryo-EM tomography, show that reconstituted apoA-I/HDL particles are discoidal in shape. (iii) By using FRET, reconstituted apoA-I/HDL particles show a 28-34-Šintermolecular separation between terminal domain residues 40 and 240, a distance that is incompatible with the dimensions of the DSH model. Therefore, we suggest that, although novel, the DSH model is energetically unfavorable and not likely to be correct. Rather, we conclude that all evidence supports the likelihood that reconstituted apoA-I/HDL particles, in general, are discoidal in shape.

Structures of discoidal high density lipoproteins: a combined computational-experimental approach.

Conversion of discoidal phospholipid (PL)-rich high density lipoprotein (HDL) to spheroidal cholesteryl ester-rich HDL is a central step in reverse cholesterol transport. A detailed understanding of this process and the atheroprotective role of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) requires knowledge of the structure and dynamics of these various particles. This study, combining computation with experimentation, illuminates structural features of apoA-I allowing it to incorporate varying amounts of PL. Molecular dynamics simulated annealing of PL-rich HDL models containing unesterified cholesterol results in double belt structures with the same general saddle-shaped conformation of both our previous molecular dynamics simulations at 310 K and the x-ray structure of lipid-free apoA-I. Conversion from a discoidal to a saddle-shaped particle involves loss of helicity and formation of loops in opposing antiparallel parts of the double belt. During surface expansion caused by the temperature-jump step, the curved palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer surfaces approach planarity. Relaxation back into saddle-shaped structures after cool down and equilibration further supports the saddle-shaped particle model. Our kinetic analyses of reconstituted particles demonstrate that PL-rich particles exist in discrete sizes corresponding to local energetic minima. Agreement of experimental and computational determinations of particle size/shape and apoA-I helicity provide additional support for the saddle-shaped particle model. Truncation experiments combined with simulations suggest that the N-terminal proline-rich domain of apoA-I influences the stability of PL-rich HDL particles. We propose that apoA-I incorporates increasing PL in the form of minimal surface bilayers through the incremental unwinding of an initially twisted saddle-shaped apoA-I double belt structure.

Role of lipids in spheroidal high density lipoproteins.

We study the structure and dynamics of spherical high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles through coarse-grained multi-microsecond molecular dynamics simulations. We simulate both a lipid droplet without the apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and the full HDL particle including two apoA-I molecules surrounding the lipid compartment. The present models are the first ones among computational studies where the size and lipid composition of HDL are realistic, corresponding to human serum HDL. We focus on the role of lipids in HDL structure and dynamics. Particular attention is paid to the assembly of lipids and the influence of lipid-protein interactions on HDL properties. We find that the properties of lipids depend significantly on their location in the particle (core, intermediate region, surface). Unlike the hydrophobic core, the intermediate and surface regions are characterized by prominent conformational lipid order. Yet, not only the conformations but also the dynamics of lipids are found to be distinctly different in the different regions of HDL, highlighting the importance of dynamics in considering the functionalization of HDL. The structure of the lipid droplet close to the HDL-water interface is altered by the presence of apoA-Is, with most prominent changes being observed for cholesterol and polar lipids. For cholesterol, slow trafficking between the surface layer and the regimes underneath is observed. The lipid-protein interactions are strongest for cholesterol, in particular its interaction with hydrophobic residues of apoA-I. Our results reveal that not only hydrophobicity but also conformational entropy of the molecules are the driving forces in the formation of HDL structure. The results provide the first detailed structural model for HDL and its dynamics with and without apoA-I, and indicate how the interplay and competition between entropy and detailed interactions may be used in nanoparticle and drug design through self-assembly.

Thermal stability of apolipoprotein A-I in high-density lipoproteins by molecular dynamics.

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I is an unusually flexible protein whose lipid-associated structure is poorly understood. Thermal denaturation, which is used to measure the global helix stability of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated apoA-I, provides no information about local helix stability. Here we report the use of temperature jump molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to scan the per-residue helix stability of apoA-I in phospholipid-rich HDL. When three 20 ns MD simulations were performed at 500 K on each of two particles created by MD simulations at 310 K, bilayers remained intact but expanded by 40%, and total apoA-I helicity decreased from 95% to 72%. Of significance, the conformations of the overlapping N- and C-terminal domains of apoA-I in the particles were unusually mobile, exposing hydrocarbon regions of the phospholipid to solvent; a lack of buried interhelical salt bridges in the terminal domains correlated with increased mobility. Nondenaturing gradient gels show that 40% expansion of the phospholipid surface of 100:2 particles by addition of palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine exceeds the threshold of particle stability. As a unifying hypothesis, we propose that the terminal domains of apoA-I are phospholipid concentration-sensitive molecular triggers for fusion/remodeling of HDL particles. Since HDL remodeling is necessary for cholesterol transport, our model for remodeling has substantial biomedical implications.

Dynamics of activation of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase by apolipoprotein A-I.

The product of transesterification of phospholipid acyl chains and unesterified cholesterol (UC) by the enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is cholesteryl ester (CE). Activation of LCAT by apolipoprotein (apo) A-I on nascent (discoidal) high-density lipoproteins (HDL) is essential for formation of mature (spheroidal) HDL during the antiatherogenic process of reverse cholesterol transport. Here we report all-atom and coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of HDL particles that have major implications for mechanisms of LCAT activation. Both the all-atom and CG simulations provide support for a model in which the helix 5/5 domains of apoA-I create an amphipathic "presentation tunnel" that exposes methyl ends of acyl chains at the bilayer center to solvent. Further, CG simulations show that UC also becomes inserted with high efficiency into the amphipathic presentation tunnel with its hydroxyl moiety (UC-OH) exposed to solvent; these results are consistent with trajectory analyses of the all-atom simulations showing that UC is being concentrated in the vicinity of the presentation tunnel. Finally, consistent with known product inhibition of CE-rich HDL by CE, CG simulations of CE-rich spheroidal HDL indicate partial blockage of the amphipathic presentation tunnel by CE. These results lead us to propose the following working hypothesis. After attachment of LCAT to discoidal HDL, the helix 5/5 domains in apoA-I form amphipathic presentation tunnels for migration of hydrophobic acyl chains and amphipathic UC from the bilayer to the phospholipase A2-like and esterification active sites of LCAT, respectively. This hypothesis is currently being tested by site-directed mutagenesis.

Interplay between lipid lateral diffusion, dye concentration and membrane permeability unveiled by a combined spectroscopic and computational study of a model lipid bilayer.

Lipid lateral diffusion in membrane bilayers is a fundamental process exploited by cells to enable complex protein structural and dynamic reorganizations. For its importance, lipid mobility in both cellular and model bilayers has been extensively investigated in recent years, especially through the application of time-resolved, fluorescence-based, optical microscopy techniques. However, one caveat of fluorescence techniques is the need to use dye-labeled variants of the lipid of interest, thus potentially perturbing the structural and dynamic properties of the native species. Generally, the effect of the dye/tracer molecule is implicitly assumed to be negligible. Nevertheless, in view of the widespread use of optically modified lipids for studying lipid bilayer dynamics, it is highly desirable to well assess this point. Here, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been combined together to uncover subtle structural and dynamic effects in DOPC planar membranes enriched with a standard Rhodamine-labeled lipid. Our findings support a non-neutral role of the dye-labeled lipids in diffusion experiments, quantitatively estimating a decrease in lipid mobility of up to 20% with respect to the unlabeled species. Moreover, results highlight the existing interplay between dye concentration, lipid lateral diffusion and membrane permeability, thus suggesting possible implications for future optical microscopy studies of biophysical processes occurring at the membrane level.