Glutamate binding triggers monomerization of unliganded mGluR2 dimers.

The Metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) is involved in several neurological and psychiatric disorders and is an attractive drug target. It is believed to form a strict dimer and the dimeric assembly is necessary for glutamate induced activation. Although many studies have focused on glutamate induced conformational changes, the dimerization propensity of mGluR2 with and without glutamate has never been investigated. Also, the role of the unstructured loop in dimerization of mGluR2 is not clear. Here, using Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) based assay in live cells we show that mGluR2 does not form a "strict dimer" rather it exists in a dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium. The unstructured loop moderately destabilizes the dimers. Furthermore, binding of glutamate to mGluR2 induces conformational change that promotes monomerization of mGluR2. In the absence of an unstructured loop, mGluR2 neither undergoes conformational change nor monomerizes upon binding to glutamate.

Out-of-the-groove transport of lipids by TMEM16 and GPCR scramblases.

Phospholipid scramblases externalize phosphatidylserine to facilitate numerous physiological processes. Several members of the structurally unrelated TMEM16 and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) protein families mediate phospholipid scrambling. The structure of a TMEM16 scramblase shows a membrane-exposed hydrophilic cavity, suggesting that scrambling occurs via the ?credit-card" mechanism where lipid headgroups permeate through the cavity while their tails remain associated with the membrane core. Here we show that afTMEM16 and opsin, representatives of the TMEM16 and GCPR scramblase families, transport phospholipids with polyethylene glycol headgroups whose globular dimensions are much larger than the width of the cavity. This suggests that transport of these large headgroups occurs outside rather than within the cavity. These large lipids are scrambled at rates comparable to those of normal phospholipids and their presence in the reconstituted vesicles promotes scrambling of normal phospholipids. This suggests that both large and small phospholipids can move outside the cavity. We propose that the conformational rearrangements underlying TMEM16- and GPCR-mediated credit-card scrambling locally deform the membrane to allow transbilayer lipid translocation outside the cavity and that both mechanisms underlie transport of normal phospholipids.

Unstructured loop is essential for the activation of mGluR2.

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors (mGluRs) are Class C G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are expressed throughout the central nervous system and are involved in several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Although, many studies focused on Glutamate induced activation of mGluR2, however, the role of unstructured loop (or "BC loop") in activation of metabotropic Glutamate receptors is currently unknown. Here, using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) based assay in live cells we show that unstructured loop is required for Glutamate induced conformation and hence the activation of the receptor.

Scrambling of natural and fluorescently tagged phosphatidylinositol by reconstituted G protein-coupled receptor and TMEM16 scramblases.

Members of the G protein-coupled receptor and TMEM16 (transmembrane protein 16) protein families are phospholipid scramblases that facilitate rapid, bidirectional movement of phospholipids across a membrane bilayer in an ATP-independent manner. On reconstitution into large unilamellar vesicles, these proteins scramble more than 10,000 lipids/protein/s as measured with co-reconstituted fluorescent nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD)-labeled phospholipids. Although NBD-labeled phospholipids are ubiquitously used as reporters of scramblase activity, it remains unclear whether the NBD modification influences the quantitative outcomes of the scramblase assay. We now report a refined biochemical approach for measuring the activity of scramblase proteins with radiolabeled natural phosphatidylinositol ([3H]PI) and exploiting the hydrolytic activity of bacterial PI-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) to detect the transbilayer movement of PI. PI-PLC rapidly hydrolyzed 50% of [3H]PI in large symmetric, unilamellar liposomes, corresponding to the lipid pool in the outer leaflet. On reconstitution of a crude preparation of yeast endoplasmic reticulum scramblase, purified bovine opsin, or purified Nectria haematococca TMEM16, the extent of [3H]PI hydrolysis increased, indicating that [3H]PI from the inner leaflet had been scrambled to the outer leaflet. Using transphosphatidylation, we synthesized acyl-NBD-PI and used it to compare our PI-PLC-based assay with conventional fluorescence-based methods. Our results revealed quantitative differences between the two assays that we attribute to the specific features of the assays themselves rather than to the nature of the phospholipid. In summary, we have developed an assay that measures scrambling of a chemically unmodified phospholipid by a reconstituted scramblase.

Structural basis of sterol binding and transport by a yeast StARkin domain.

The StARkin superfamily comprises proteins with steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer (StART) domains that are implicated in intracellular, non-vesicular lipid transport. A new family of membrane-anchored StARkins was recently identified, including six members, Lam1-Lam6, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Lam1-Lam4 are anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane at sites where the ER is tethered to the plasma membrane and proposed to be involved in sterol homeostasis in yeast. To better understand the biological roles of these proteins, we carried out a structure-function analysis of the second StARkin domain of Lam4, here termed Lam4S2. NMR experiments indicated that Lam4S2 undergoes specific conformational changes upon binding sterol, and fluorescence-based assays revealed that it catalyzes sterol transport between vesicle populations in vitro, exhibiting a preference for vesicles containing anionic lipids. Using such vesicles, we found that sterols are transported at a rate of ∼50 molecules per Lam4S2 per minute. Crystal structures of Lam4S2, with and without bound sterol, revealed a largely hydrophobic but surprisingly accessible sterol-binding pocket with the 3-OH group of the sterol oriented toward its base. Single or multiple alanine or aspartic acid replacements of conserved lysine residues in a basic patch on the surface of Lam4S2 near the likely sterol entry/egress site strongly attenuated sterol transport. Our results suggest that Lam4S2 engages anionic membranes via a basic surface patch, enabling "head-first" entry of sterol into the binding pocket followed by partial closure of the entryway. Reversal of these steps enables sterol egress.

Lipid topogenesis--35years on.

Glycerophospholipids are the principal fabric of cellular membranes. The pathways by which these lipids are synthesized were elucidated mainly through the work of Kennedy and colleagues in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Subsequently, attention turned to cell biological aspects of lipids: Where in the cell are lipids synthesized? How are lipids integrated into membranes to form a bilayer? How are they sorted and transported from their site of synthesis to other cellular destinations? These topics, collectively termed 'lipid topogenesis', were the subject of a review article in 1981 by Bell, Ballas and Coleman. We now assess what has been learned about early events of lipid topogenesis, i.e. "lipid synthesis, the integration of lipids into membranes, and lipid translocation across membranes", in the 35 years since the publication of this important review. We highlight the recent elucidation of the X-ray structures of key membrane enzymes of glycerophospholipid synthesis, progress on identifying lipid scramblase proteins needed to equilibrate lipids across membranes, and new complexities in the subcellular location and membrane topology of phosphatidylinositol synthesis revealed through a comparison of two unicellular model eukaryotes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The cellular lipid landscape edited by Tim P. Levine and Anant K. Menon.

Architecture dependent transport behavior of iron (0) entrapped biodegradable polymeric particles for groundwater remediation.

Polylactic acid based spherical particles with three architectural variations (Isotropic (P1), Semi porous (P2), and Janus (P3)) were employed to encapsulate zero valent iron nanoparticles (ZVINPs), and their performance was extensively evaluated in our previous studies. However, little was known about their transportability through saturated porous media of varying grain size kept under varying ionic strength. In this particular study, we aimed to investigate the architectural effect of polymeric particles (P1-P3) on their mobility through the sand column of varying grain size in presence of mono, di, and tri-valent ions of varying concentrations (25-200 mM (millimoles)). As per column breakthrough experiments (BTCs) using various types of sands, amphiphilic Janus type (P3) particles exhibited the maximum transportability among all the tested particles, irrespective of the nature of the sand. Owing to the narrower travel path, sands with lower porosity (31%) delayed the plateau by shifting it to a higher pore volume with a minimum retention of iron (C/Co: 0.94 for P3) in the column. The impact of mono (Na+, K+), di (Ca2+, Mg2+), and trivalent (Al3+) ions on their transportability was progressively increased from P3 to P1, especially at higher ionic concentrations (200 mM), with P3 being the most mobile particles (C/Co:0.54 for Al3+). Among all the ions, Al3+ exhibited maximum hindrance to their mobility through the sand column. This could be due to their strong charge screening effect coupled with cation bridging complex formation with moving particles. Experimental results obtained from BTCs were found to be well-fitted with a theoretical model based on advection-dispersion equation, showing minimum retention for P3 particles. Overall, it can be inferred that encapsulation of ZVINPs inside Janus particles (P3) with a right balance of amphiphilicity and highly negative surface charge would be required to achieve considerable transportability through sand aquifers to target contaminants in polluted groundwater existing under harsh conditions (high ionic concentrations).

Encapsulation of zero valent iron nanoparticles in biodegradable amphiphilic janus particles for groundwater remediation.

Reactive Zero Valent Iron (ZVI) nanoparticles have been widely explored for in situ ground water remediation to degrade both non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) and water-soluble contaminants. However, they usually suffer from rapid oxidation and severe agglomerations restricting their delivery at NAPL/water interface. Aim of this study was to encapsulate the ZVI nanoparticles (50 nm) in amphiphilic bicompartmental Janus particles (711 ± 11 nm) fabricated by EHDC (electrohydrodynamic co-jetting). The dual compartments were composed of PLA (polylactic acid) and a blend of PLA, PE (poly (hexamethylene 2,3-O-isopropylidenetartarate) and PAG (photo acid generator). Upon UV irradiation, PAG releases acid to unmask hydroxyl groups present in PE to make only PE compartment hydrophilic. The entrapped ZVI nanoparticles (20 w/w%; ∼99 % encapsulation efficiency) were observed to degrade both hydrophilic (methyl orange dye) and hydrophobic (trichloro ethylene) contaminants. UV treated Janus particles provided stable dispersion (dispersed up to 3 weeks in water), prolonged reactivity (∼24 days in contaminated water), and recyclability (recyclable up to 9 times) as compared to non-treated ones. In addition, the amphiphilic Janus particles demonstrated high transportability (>95%) through porous media (sand column) with very low attachment efficiency (0.07), making them a promising candidate to target contaminants at NAPL/water interface prevailed in groundwater.

Unusual mode of dimerization of retinitis pigmentosa-associated F220C rhodopsin.

Mutations in the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin are a common cause of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding disease. Rhodopsin self-associates in the membrane, and the purified monomeric apo-protein opsin dimerizes in vitro as it transitions from detergent micelles to reconstitute into a lipid bilayer. We previously reported that the retinitis pigmentosa-linked F220C opsin mutant fails to dimerize in vitro, reconstituting as a monomer. Using fluorescence-based assays and molecular dynamics simulations we now report that whereas wild-type and F220C opsin display distinct dimerization propensities in vitro as previously shown, they both dimerize in the plasma membrane of HEK293 cells. Unexpectedly, molecular dynamics simulations show that F220C opsin forms an energetically favored dimer in the membrane when compared with the wild-type protein. The conformation of the F220C dimer is unique, with transmembrane helices 5 and 6 splayed apart, promoting widening of the intracellular vestibule of each protomer and influx of water into the protein interior. FRET experiments with SNAP-tagged wild-type and F220C opsin expressed in HEK293 cells are consistent with this conformational difference. We speculate that the unusual mode of dimerization of F220C opsin in the membrane may have physiological consequences.

An Overview on Promising Nanotechnological Approaches for the Treatment of Psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the skin which is characterized by the reoccurring episodes of inflammatory lesions with a worldwide occurrence of around 2-5%. Psoriasis can be categorized as mild, moderate and severe conditions. In mild psoriasis, there is the formation of rashes, and when it becomes moderate, the skin turns scaly. In severe conditions, the red patches can be seen on the skin surface and the skin becomes itchy. The different treatment approaches include phototherapy, topical, oral and other systemic drug deliveries. Dermal treatment is now highly endorsed in topical indications for psoriatic patients, due to its higher penetration which can be achieved using pharmaceutical carriers. OBJECTIVE: Though various conventional formulations are there, therapeutic benefits can be provided only to a limited extent. The objective of this review was to highlight newer biocompatible and biodegradable materials like phospholipids, and forefront drug delivery methods like liposomes, microemulsions, nanoemulsions, niosomes, ethosomes, etc. which has increased the possibility to improve the efficacy and safety of the topical products. Apart from this, many medicinal plants are available in nature that are used for treating skin diseases like psoriasis. CONCLUSION: The new trends in nanotechnology are marked by subsequent changes in the pharmaceutical research field. To safeguard the research works in the research field, various patents have been introduced, such as Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK 2981278) - RORγ antagonist, etc. The causes, pathophysiology and the herbal plants that are used in treating the disease are also discussed.

Current Insights for the Management of Acne in the Modern Era.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris a chronic disease which is caused by blockage of the sebaceous gland is commonly seen in almost every human being at some point in their lives. There are 20-25% chances of progression of acne to severe cases, which leads to permanent scarring that results in psychological problems like depression, social isolation, lowered self-esteem, and lowered self-confidence. OBJECTIVE: Though several conventional treatments are available in the market but still there are various adverse effects associated with topical anti-acne agents due to which it lacks patient compatibility. The present study is undertaken to find out the major shortcoming; why the current therapies do not give the desired therapeutic results. CONCLUSION: Novel drug delivery strategies can play a crucial role in the enhancement of topical delivery of anti-acne agents by escalating their dermal localization and reducing their adverse effects. Consumption of medicinal plants like Aloe vera, Withania somniferia etc. have clinical evidence regarding the effective management of acne. The current inclination towards nanotechnology is considerable due to several changes in the pharmaceutical research area. To secure the research work in different pharmaceutical fields, patents are filed against various agents like Galderma Research & Development have filed patents for adapalene and benzoyl peroxide for the management of acne vulgaris. The current review highlights the potential of various novel drug delivery approaches like liposomes, niosomes, ethosomes, transfersomes etc. in enhancing the topical delivery of anti-acne agents.

Exchange of water for sterol underlies sterol egress from a StARkin domain.

Previously we identified Lam/GramD1 proteins, a family of endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins with sterol-binding StARkin domains that are implicated in intracellular sterol homeostasis. Here, we show how these proteins exchange sterol molecules with membranes. An aperture at one end of the StARkin domain enables sterol to enter/exit the binding pocket. Strikingly, the wall of the pocket is longitudinally fractured, exposing bound sterol to solvent. Large-scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations reveal that sterol egress involves widening of the fracture, penetration of water into the cavity, and consequent destabilization of the bound sterol. The simulations identify polar residues along the fracture that are important for sterol release. Their replacement with alanine affects the ability of the StARkin domain to bind sterol, catalyze inter-vesicular sterol exchange and alleviate the nystatin-sensitivity of lam2Δ yeast cells. These data suggest an unprecedented, water-controlled mechanism of sterol discharge from a StARkin domain.

Dysregulated calcium homeostasis prevents plasma membrane repair in Anoctamin 5/TMEM16E-deficient patient muscle cells.

Autosomal recessive mutations in Anoctamin 5 (ANO5/TMEM16E), a member of the transmembrane 16 (TMEM16) family of Ca2+-activated ion channels and phospholipid scramblases, cause adult-onset muscular dystrophies (limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2L (LGMD2L) and Miyoshi Muscular Dystrophy (MMD3). However, the molecular role of ANO5 is unclear and ANO5 knockout mouse models show conflicting requirements of ANO5 in muscle. To study the role of ANO5 in human muscle cells we generated a myoblast line from a MMD3-patient carrying the c.2272C>T mutation, which we find causes the mutant protein to be degraded. The patient myoblasts exhibit normal myogenesis, but are compromised in their plasma membrane repair (PMR) ability. The repair deficit is linked to the poor ability of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to clear cytosolic Ca2+ increase caused by focal plasma membrane injury. Expression of wild-type ANO5 or pharmacological prevention of injury-triggered cytosolic Ca2+ overload enable injured patient muscle cells to repair. A homology model of ANO5 shows that several of the known LGMD2L/MMD3 patient mutations line the transmembrane region of the protein implicated in its channel activity. These results point to a role of cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis in PMR, indicate a role for ANO5 in ER-mediated cytosolic Ca2+ uptake and identify normalization of cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis as a potential therapeutic approach to treat muscular dystrophies caused by ANO5 deficit.

Mechanisms of Lipid Scrambling by the G Protein-Coupled Receptor Opsin.

Several class-A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) proteins act as constitutive phospholipid scramblases catalyzing the transbilayer translocation of >10,000 phospholipids per second when reconstituted into synthetic vesicles. To address the molecular mechanism by which these proteins facilitate rapid lipid scrambling, we carried out large-scale ensemble atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of the opsin GPCR. We report that, in the process of scrambling, lipid head groups traverse a dynamically revealed hydrophilic pathway in the region between transmembrane helices 6 and 7 of the protein while their hydrophobic tails remain in the bilayer environment. We present quantitative kinetic models of the translocation process based on Markov State Model analysis. As key residues on the lipid translocation pathway are conserved within the class-A GPCR family, our results illuminate unique aspects of GPCR structure and dynamics while providing a rigorous basis for the design of variants of these proteins with defined scramblase activity.

An engineered opsin monomer scrambles phospholipids.

The G protein-coupled receptor opsin is a phospholipid scramblase that facilitates rapid transbilayer phospholipid exchange in liposomes. The mechanism by which opsin scrambles lipids is unknown. It has been proposed that lipid translocation may occur at protein-protein interfaces of opsin dimers. To test this possibility, we rationally engineered QUAD opsin by tryptophan substitution of four lipid-facing residues in transmembrane helix 4 (TM4) that is known to be important for dimerization. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of wild type and QUAD opsins combined with continuum modeling revealed that the tryptophan substitutions lower the energetically unfavorable residual hydrophobic mismatch between TM4 and the membrane, reducing the drive of QUAD opsin to dimerize. We purified thermostable wild type and QUAD opsins, with or without a SNAP tag for fluorescence labeling. Single molecule fluorescence measurements of purified SNAP-tagged constructs revealed that both proteins are monomers. Fluorescence-based activity assays indicated that QUAD opsin is a fully functional scramblase. However, unlike wild type opsin which dimerizes en route to insertion into phospholipid vesicles, QUAD opsin reconstitutes as a monomer. We conclude that an engineered opsin monomer can scramble phospholipids, and that the lipid-exposed face of TM4 is unlikely to contribute to transbilayer phospholipid exchange.

Dimerization deficiency of enigmatic retinitis pigmentosa-linked rhodopsin mutants.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a blinding disease often associated with mutations in rhodopsin, a light-sensing G protein-coupled receptor and phospholipid scramblase. Most RP-associated mutations affect rhodopsin's activity or transport to disc membranes. Intriguingly, some mutations produce apparently normal rhodopsins that nevertheless cause disease. Here we show that three such enigmatic mutations-F45L, V209M and F220C-yield fully functional visual pigments that bind the 11-cis retinal chromophore, activate the G protein transducin, traffic to the light-sensitive photoreceptor compartment and scramble phospholipids. However, tests of scramblase activity show that unlike wild-type rhodopsin that functionally reconstitutes into liposomes as dimers or multimers, F45L, V209M and F220C rhodopsins behave as monomers. This result was confirmed in pull-down experiments. Our data suggest that the photoreceptor pathology associated with expression of these enigmatic RP-associated pigments arises from their unexpected inability to dimerize via transmembrane helices 1 and 5.

Towards strain-independent anti-influenza peptides: a SAXS- and modeling-based study.

Using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data, we reconstructed the scattering shape of the Hemagglutinin (HA) trimer protein from five different influenza strains. Comparison with the known crystal structures-based information aided in identifying volumes pertaining to the glycosylation in the HA trimers. By merging sequence information on HA proteins from pathogenic strains of influenza, we identified a novel druggable pocket composed of residues which remained conserved during evolution, lack propensity to be glycosylated, and play important role in maintaining interchain contacts in the pH-sensitive head group. To test our hypothesis that molecules reactive to this site may retard pH-induced opening of HA trimer in strain-independent manner, we performed in vitro screening of peptides representing interacting epitopes for their ability to retard pH-induced opening of HA trimers. Results brought forth that some of the 20 peptides tested can retard low pH-induced opening/association of HA proteins across different subtypes, thus propagating notion that the drug site and peptides identified here may pave way towards strain-independent anti-influenza molecules.

A communication network within the cytoplasmic domain of toll-like receptors has remained conserved during evolution.

Toll/IL-1R (TIR) domain, that is, the cytoplasmic domain, in toll-like receptors (TLRs) from different species showed high sequence conservation in stretches spread across the surface as well as the core of the domain. To probe the structure-function significance of these residues, especially those coming from the core of TIR domains, we analyzed molecular dynamics trajectories of sequence similarity based models of human TIR domains. This study brought forth that N-terminal of the TIR domain simultaneously interacts with the flanking residues of the BB loop and central ß-sheets. At the same time, residues of the central ß-strands form favorable contacts with the DD loop and C-terminal, thus forming a two-way circuit between the N- and C-termini. In this work, the array of intradomain interactions is termed as communication network. Importantly, the "hubs" of this communication network were found to be conserved in all human TLRs. Earlier mutagenesis-function correlation work brought forth that certain mutations in the "core" of the TIR domain of TLR4 (e.g. in IFI767-769AAA and L815A) led to almost complete abrogation of signaling and reasoning for this dramatic loss-of-function has remained unclear, since these sites are not surface exposed. Using MD studies, we show here that this communication network gets disrupted in mutants of human TLR4 which were earlier reported to be functionally compromised. Extension of MD studies to heterodimer of TLR1/2 suggested that this evolutionarily conserved communication network senses the interactions formed upon dimerization and relays it to surfaces which are not involved in direct interdomain contacts.

Low pH overrides the need of calcium ions for the shape-function relationship of calmodulin: resolving prevailing debates.

Calmodulin (CaM) regulates numerous cellular functions by sensing Ca(2+) levels inside cells. Although its structure as a function of the Ca(2+)-bound state remains hotly debated, no report is available on how pH independently or in interaction with Ca(2+) ions regulates shape and function of CaM. From SAXS data analysis of CaM at different levels of Ca(2+)-ion concentration and buffer pH, we found that (1) CaM molecules possess a Gaussian-chain-like shape in solution even in the presence of Ca(2+) ion or at low pH, (2) the global shape of apo CaM is very similar to its NMR structure rather than the crystal structures, (3) about 16 Ca(2+) ions or more are required per CaM molecule in solution to achieve the four-Ca(2+)-bound crystal structure, (4) low pH alone can impart shape changes in CaM similar to Ca(2+) ions, and (5) at different [Ca(2+)]/[CaM] ratio or pH values, the predominant shape of CaM is essentially a weighted average of its apo and fully activated shape. Results were further substantiated by analysis of sedimentation coefficient values from analytical ultracentrifugation and peptide binding assays using two peptides, each known to preferentially bind the apo or the Ca(2+)-activated state.

First structural model of full-length human tissue-plasminogen activator: a SAXS data-based modeling study.

Human tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) is a multidomain glycoprotein which holds high biomedical value due to its therapeutic role in clot-specific fibrinolysis. Although atomic-resolution structures of individual domains except Kringle1 are available, no structural information is available on how these domains and glycosylation are oriented in space relative to each other in the full-length protein. SAXS intensity profile acquired from samples of t-PA was used to "steer" structures of individual domains and the homology model of the first kringle domain to generate a structural model of the protein part of t-PA. Differences in the shape profiles of SAXS data-based dummy atom and proteinogenic models aided in grafting glycosylated moieties on the coordinates of t-PA. According to previously reported mutagenesis-rendered altered functional profiles, normal-mode analysis of our model revealed that the fibrin binding F/E domains "communicate" with the active-site in the P domain via Kringle2, while Kringle1 is positioned away from these long-distance interactions.