Sequestration of membrane cholesterol by cholesterol-binding proteins inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry into Vero E6 cells.

Membrane lipids and proteins form dynamic domains crucial for physiological and pathophysiological processes, including viral infection. Many plasma membrane proteins, residing within membrane domains enriched with cholesterol (CHOL) and sphingomyelin (SM), serve as receptors for attachment and entry of viruses into the host cell. Among these, human coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), use proteins associated with membrane domains for initial binding and internalization. We hypothesized that the interaction of lipid-binding proteins with CHOL in plasma membrane could sequestrate lipids and thus affect the efficiency of virus entry into host cells, preventing the initial steps of viral infection. We have prepared CHOL-binding proteins with high affinities for lipids in the plasma membrane of mammalian cells. Binding of the perfringolysin O domain four (D4) and its variant D4E458L to membrane CHOL impaired the internalization of the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the pseudovirus complemented with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells was also decreased. Overall, our results demonstrate that the integrity of CHOL-rich membrane domains and the accessibility of CHOL in the membrane play an essential role in SARS-CoV-2 cell entry.

Binding of the transcription activator-like effector augments transcriptional regulation by another transcription factor.

DNA transcription is regulated by a range of diverse mechanisms and primarily by transcription factors that recruit the RNA polymerase complex to the promoter region on the DNA. Protein binding to DNA at nearby or distant sites can synergistically affect this process in a variety of ways, but mainly through direct interactions between DNA-binding proteins. Here we show that a Transcription Activator-Like Effector (TALE), which lacks an activation domain, can enhance transcription in mammalian cells when it binds in the vicinity of and without direct interaction with several different dimeric or monomeric transcription factors. This effect was observed for several TALEs regardless of the recognition sequences and their DNA-bound orientation. TALEs can exert an effect over the distance of tens of nucleotides and it also potentiated KRAB-mediated repression. The augmentation of transcriptional regulation of another transcription factor is characteristic of TALEs, as it was not observed for dCas9/gRNA, zinc finger, or Gal4 DNA-binding domains. We propose that this mechanism involves an allosteric effect exerted on DNA structure or dynamics. This mechanism could be used to modulate transcription but may also play a role in the natural context of TALEs.

Pore-forming moss protein bryoporin is structurally and mechanistically related to actinoporins from evolutionarily distant cnidarians.

Pore-forming proteins perforate lipid membranes and consequently affect their integrity and cell fitness. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of these proteins from bacteria, fungi, or certain animals act as toxins. While pore-forming proteins have also been found in plants, there is little information about their molecular structure and mode of action. Bryoporin is a protein from the moss Physcomitrium patens, and its corresponding gene was found to be upregulated by various abiotic stresses, especially dehydration, as well as upon fungal infection. Based on the amino acid sequence, it was suggested that bryoporin was related to the actinoporin family of pore-forming proteins, originally discovered in sea anemones. Here, we provide the first detailed structural and functional analysis of this plant cytolysin. The crystal structure of monomeric bryoporin is highly similar to those of actinoporins. Our cryo-EM analysis of its pores showed an actinoporin-like octameric structure, thereby revealing a close kinship of proteins from evolutionarily distant organisms. This was further confirmed by our observation of bryoporin's preferential binding to and formation of pores in membranes containing animal sphingolipids, such as sphingomyelin and ceramide phosphoethanolamine; however, its binding affinity was weaker than that of actinoporin equinatoxin II. We determined bryoporin did not bind to major sphingolipids found in fungi or plants, and its membrane-binding and pore-forming activity was enhanced by various sterols. Our results suggest that bryoporin could represent a part of the moss defense arsenal, acting as a pore-forming toxin against membranes of potential animal pathogens, parasites, or predators.

A Nanoscaffolded Spike-RBD Vaccine Provides Protection against SARS-CoV-2 with Minimal Anti-Scaffold Response.

The response of the adaptive immune system is augmented by multimeric presentation of a specific antigen, resembling viral particles. Several vaccines have been designed based on natural or designed protein scaffolds, which exhibited a potent adaptive immune response to antigens; however, antibodies are also generated against the scaffold, which may impair subsequent vaccination. In order to compare polypeptide scaffolds of different size and oligomerization state with respect to their efficiency, including anti-scaffold immunity, we compared several strategies of presentation of the RBD domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, an antigen aiming to generate neutralizing antibodies. A comparison of several genetic fusions of RBD to different nanoscaffolding domains (foldon, ferritin, lumazine synthase, and ß-annulus peptide) delivered as DNA plasmids demonstrated a strongly augmented immune response, with high titers of neutralizing antibodies and a robust T-cell response in mice. Antibody titers and virus neutralization were most potently enhanced by fusion to the small ß-annulus peptide scaffold, which itself triggered a minimal response in contrast to larger scaffolds. The ß-annulus fused RBD protein increased residence in lymph nodes and triggered the most potent viral neutralization in immunization by a recombinant protein. Results of the study support the use of a nanoscaffolding platform using the ß-annulus peptide for vaccine design.

More than one way to bind to cholesterol: atypical variants of membrane-binding domain of perfringolysin O selected by ribosome display.

Herein, we report a high-throughput approach for the selection of peripheral protein domains that bind specifically to cholesterol in lipid membranes. We discovered variants of perfringolysin O, with non-conserved amino acid substitutions at regions crucial for cholesterol recognition, demonstrating an unprecedented amino acid sequence variability with binding ability for cholesterol. The developed approach provides an effective platform for a comprehensive study of protein lipid interactions.

Design of Protein Logic Gate System Operating on Lipid Membranes.

Lipid membranes are becoming increasingly popular in synthetic biology due to their biophysical properties and crucial role in communication between different compartments. Several alluring protein-membrane sensors have already been developed, whereas protein logic gates designs on membrane-embedded proteins are very limited. Here we demonstrate the construction of a two-level protein-membrane logic gate with an OR-AND logic. The system consists of an engineered pH-dependent pore-forming protein listeriolysin O and its DARPin-based inhibitor, conjugated to a lipid vesicle membrane. The gate responds to low pH and removal of the inhibitor from the membrane either by switching to a reducing environment, protease cleavage, or any other signal depending on the conjugation chemistry used for inhibitor attachment to the membrane. This unique protein logic gate vesicle system advances generic sensing and actuator platforms used in synthetic biology and could be utilized in drug delivery.

SMN-primed ribosomes modulate the translation of transcripts related to spinal muscular atrophy.

The contribution of ribosome heterogeneity and ribosome-associated proteins to the molecular control of proteomes in health and disease remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that survival motor neuron (SMN) protein-the loss of which causes the neuromuscular disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)-binds to ribosomes and that this interaction is tissue-dependent. SMN-primed ribosomes are preferentially positioned within the first five codons of a set of mRNAs that are enriched for translational enhancer sequences in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) and rare codons at the beginning of their coding sequence. These SMN-specific mRNAs are associated with neurogenesis, lipid metabolism, ubiquitination, chromatin regulation and translation. Loss of SMN induces ribosome depletion, especially at the beginning of the coding sequence of SMN-specific mRNAs, leading to impairment of proteins that are involved in motor neuron function and stability, including acetylcholinesterase. Thus, SMN plays a crucial role in the regulation of ribosome fluxes along mRNAs encoding proteins that are relevant to SMA pathogenesis.

Inhibition of Pore-Forming Proteins.

Perforation of cellular membranes by pore-forming proteins can affect cell physiology, tissue integrity, or immune response. Since many pore-forming proteins are toxins or highly potent virulence factors, they represent an attractive target for the development of molecules that neutralize their actions with high efficacy. There has been an assortment of inhibitors developed to specifically obstruct the activity of pore-forming proteins, in addition to vaccination and antibiotics that serve as a plausible treatment for the majority of diseases caused by bacterial infections. Here we review a wide range of potential inhibitors that can specifically and effectively block the activity of pore-forming proteins, from small molecules to more specific macromolecular systems, such as synthetic nanoparticles, antibodies, antibody mimetics, polyvalent inhibitors, and dominant negative mutants. We discuss their mechanism of inhibition, as well as advantages and disadvantages.