High-Resolution Single-Molecule Magnetic Tweezers.

Single-molecule magnetic tweezers deliver magnetic force and torque to single target molecules, permitting the study of dynamic changes in biomolecular structures and their interactions. Because the magnetic tweezer setups can generate magnetic fields that vary slowly over tens of millimeters-far larger than the nanometer scale of the single molecule events being observed-this technique can maintain essentially constant force levels during biochemical experiments while generating a biologically meaningful force on the order of 1-100 pN. When using bead-tether constructs to pull on single molecules, smaller magnetic beads and shorter submicrometer tethers improve dynamic response times and measurement precision. In addition, employing high-speed cameras, stronger light sources, and a graphics programming unit permits true high-resolution single-molecule magnetic tweezers that can track nanometer changes in target molecules on a millisecond or even submillisecond time scale. The unique force-clamping capacity of the magnetic tweezer technique provides a way to conduct measurements under near-equilibrium conditions and directly map the energy landscapes underlying various molecular phenomena. High-resolution single-molecule magnetic tweezerscan thus be used to monitor crucial conformational changes in single-protein molecules, including those involved in mechanotransduction and protein folding.

Enantioselective sensing by collective circular dichroism.

Quantitative determination and in situ monitoring of molecular chirality at extremely low concentrations is still challenging with simple optics because of the molecular-scale mismatch with the incident light wavelength. Advances in spectroscopy1-4 and nanophotonics have successfully lowered the detection limit in enantioselective sensing, as it can bring the microscopic chiral characteristics of molecules into the macroscopic scale5-7 or squeeze the chiral light into the subwavelength scale8-17. Conventional nanophotonic approaches depend mainly on the optical helicity density8,9 by localized resonances within an individual structure, such as localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs)10-16 or dielectric Mie resonances17. These approaches use the local chiral hotspots in the immediate vicinity of the structure, whereas the handedness of these hotspots varies spatially. As such, these localized resonance modes tend to be error-prone to the stochasticity of the target molecular orientations, vibrations and local concentrations18,19. Here we identified enantioselective characteristics of collective resonances (CRs)20 arising from assembled 2D crystals of isotropic, 432-symmetric chiral gold nanoparticles (helicoids)21,22. The CRs exhibit a strong and uniform chiral near field over a large volume above the 2D crystal plane, resulting from the collectively spinning, optically induced dipoles at each helicoid. Thus, energy redistribution by molecular back action on the chiral near field shifts the CRs in opposite directions, depending on the handedness of the analyte, maximizing the modulation of the collective circular dichroism (CD).

Reconstruction of LPS Transfer Cascade Reveals Structural Determinants within LBP, CD14, and TLR4-MD2 for Efficient LPS Recognition and Transfer.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, binds Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-MD2 complex and activates innate immune responses. LPS transfer to TLR4-MD2 is catalyzed by both LPS binding protein (LBP) and CD14. To define the sequential molecular interactions underlying this transfer, we reconstituted in vitro the entire LPS transfer process from LPS micelles to TLR4-MD2. Using electron microscopy and single-molecule approaches, we characterized the dynamic intermediate complexes for LPS transfer: LBP-LPS micelles, CD14-LBP-LPS micelle, and CD14-LPS-TLR4-MD2 complex. A single LBP molecule bound longitudinally to LPS micelles catalyzed multi-rounds of LPS transfer to CD14s that rapidly dissociated from LPB-LPS complex upon LPS transfer via electrostatic interactions. Subsequently, the single LPS molecule bound to CD14 was transferred to TLR4-MD2 in a TLR4-dependent manner. The definition of the structural determinants of the LPS transfer cascade to TLR4 may enable the development of targeted therapeutics for intervention in LPS-induced sepsis.

Profiling of BCLxL Protein Complexes in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells via Multiplexed Single-Molecule Pull-Down and Co-Immunoprecipitation.

We introduce multiplexed single-molecule pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation, named m-SMPC, an analysis tool for profiling multiple protein complexes within a single reaction chamber using single-molecule fluorescence imaging. We employed site-selective conjugation of biotin and fluorescent dye directly onto the monoclonal antibodies, which completed an independent sandwich immunoassay without the issue of host cross-reactivity. We applied this technique to profile endogenous B-cell lymphoma extra-large (BCLxL) complexes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Up to three distinct BCLxL complexes were successfully detected simultaneously within a single reaction chamber without fluorescence signal crosstalk. Notably, the NSCLC cell line EBC-1 exhibited high BCLxL-BAX and BCLxL-BAK levels, which closely paralleled a strong response to the BCLxL inhibitor A-1331852. This streamlined method offers the potential for quantitative biomarkers derived from protein complex profiling, paving the way for their application in protein complex-targeted therapies.

Evolutionary balance between foldability and functionality of a glucose transporter.

Despite advances in resolving the structures of multi-pass membrane proteins, little is known about the native folding pathways of these complex structures. Using single-molecule magnetic tweezers, we here report a folding pathway of purified human glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) reconstituted within synthetic lipid bilayers. The N-terminal major facilitator superfamily (MFS) fold strictly forms first, serving as a structural template for its C-terminal counterpart. We found polar residues comprising the conduit for glucose molecules present major folding challenges. The endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex facilitates insertion of these hydrophilic transmembrane helices, thrusting GLUT3's microstate sampling toward folded structures. Final assembly between the N- and C-terminal MFS folds depends on specific lipids that ease desolvation of the lipid shells surrounding the domain interfaces. Sequence analysis suggests that this asymmetric folding propensity across the N- and C-terminal MFS folds prevails for metazoan sugar porters, revealing evolutionary conflicts between foldability and functionality faced by many multi-pass membrane proteins.

Encoding Multiple Virtual Signals in DNA Barcodes with Single-Molecule FRET.

DNA barcoding provides a way to label a myriad of different biological molecules using the extreme programmability in DNA sequence synthesis. Fluorescence imaging is presumably the most easy-to-access method for DNA barcoding, yet large spectral overlaps between fluorescence dyes severely limit the numbers of barcodes that can be detected simultaneously. We here demonstrate the use of single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to encode virtual signals in DNA barcodes using conventional two-color fluorescence microscopy. By optimizing imaging and biochemistry conditions for weak DNA hybridization events, we markedly enhanced accuracy in our determination of the single-molecule FRET efficiency exhibited by each binding event between DNA barcode sequences. This allowed us to unambiguously differentiate six DNA barcodes encoding different FRET values without involving any probe sequence exchanges. Our method can be directly incorporated with previous DNA barcode techniques, and may thus be widely adopted to expand the signal space of DNA barcoding.

Simultaneous Real-Time Three-Dimensional Localization and FRET Measurement of Two Distinct Particles.

Many biological processes employ mechanisms involving the locations and interactions of multiple components. Given that most biological processes occur in three dimensions, the simultaneous measurement of three-dimensional locations and interactions is necessary. However, the simultaneous three-dimensional precise localization and measurement of interactions in real time remains challenging. Here, we report a new microscopy technique to localize two spectrally distinct particles in three dimensions with an accuracy (2.35σ) of tens of nanometers with an exposure time of 100 ms and to measure their real-time interactions using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) simultaneously. Using this microscope, we tracked two distinct vesicles containing t-SNAREs or v-SNARE in three dimensions and observed FRET simultaneously during single-vesicle fusion in real time, revealing the nanoscale motion and interactions of single vesicles in vesicle fusion. Thus, this study demonstrates that our microscope can provide detailed information about real-time three-dimensional nanoscale locations, motion, and interactions in biological processes.

PIF1-Interacting Transcription Factors and Their Binding Sequence Elements Determine the in Vivo Targeting Sites of PIF1.

The bHLH transcription factor PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR1 (PIF1) binds G-box elements in vitro and inhibits light-dependent germination in Arabidopsis thaliana A previous genome-wide analysis of PIF1 targeting indicated that PIF1 binds 748 sites in imbibed seeds, only 59% of which possess G-box elements. This suggests the G-box is not the sole determinant of PIF1 targeting. The targeting of PIF1 to specific sites could be stabilized by PIF1-interacting transcription factors (PTFs) that bind other nearby sequence elements. Here, we report PIF1 targeting sites are enriched with not only G-boxes but also with other hexameric sequence elements we named G-box coupling elements (GCEs). One of these GCEs possesses an ACGT core and serves as a binding site for group A bZIP transcription factors, including ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), which inhibits seed germination in abscisic acid signaling. PIF1 interacts with ABI5 and other group A bZIP transcription factors and together they target a subset of PIF1 binding sites in vivo. In vitro single-molecule fluorescence imaging confirms that ABI5 facilitates PIF1 binding to DNA fragments possessing multiple G-boxes or the GCE alone. Thus, we show in vivo PIF1 targeting to specific binding sites is determined by its interaction with PTFs and their binding to GCEs.

Inositol pyrophosphates inhibit synaptotagmin-dependent exocytosis.

Inositol pyrophosphates such as 5-diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (5-IP7) are highly energetic inositol metabolites containing phosphoanhydride bonds. Although inositol pyrophosphates are known to regulate various biological events, including growth, survival, and metabolism, the molecular sites of 5-IP7 action in vesicle trafficking have remained largely elusive. We report here that elevated 5-IP7 levels, caused by overexpression of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) kinase 1 (IP6K1), suppressed depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release from PC12 cells. Conversely, IP6K1 depletion decreased intracellular 5-IP7 concentrations, leading to increased neurotransmitter release. Consistently, knockdown of IP6K1 in cultured hippocampal neurons augmented action potential-driven synaptic vesicle exocytosis at synapses. Using a FRET-based in vitro vesicle fusion assay, we found that 5-IP7, but not 1-IP7, exhibited significantly higher inhibitory activity toward synaptic vesicle exocytosis than IP6 Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), a Ca(2+) sensor essential for synaptic membrane fusion, was identified as a molecular target of 5-IP7 Notably, 5-IP7 showed a 45-fold higher binding affinity for Syt1 compared with IP6 In addition, 5-IP7-dependent inhibition of synaptic vesicle fusion was abolished by increasing Ca(2+) levels. Thus, 5-IP7 appears to act through Syt1 binding to interfere with the fusogenic activity of Ca(2+) These findings reveal a role of 5-IP7 as a potent inhibitor of Syt1 in controlling the synaptic exocytotic pathway and expand our understanding of the signaling mechanisms of inositol pyrophosphates.

Single-Molecule Co-Immunoprecipitation Reveals Functional Inheritance of EGFRs in Extracellular Vesicles.

Cancer cells actively release extracellular vesicles (EVs) as important carriers of cellular information to tumor microenvironments. Although the composition and quantity of the proteins contained in EVs are characterized, it remains unknown how these proteins in EVs are related to those in the original cells at the functional level. With epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in lung adenocarcinoma cells as a model oncoprotein, it is studied how distinct types of EVs, microvesicles and exosomes, represent their original cells at the protein and protein-protein interaction (PPI) level. Using the recently developed single-molecule immunolabeling and co-immunoprecipitation schemes, the quantity and PPI strengths of EGFRs derived from EVs and the original lung adenocarcinoma cells are determined. It is found that the microvesicles exhibit higher correlations with the original cells than the exosomes in terms of the EGFR levels and their PPI patterns. In spite of these detailed differences between the microvesicles and exosomes, the EGFR PPI strengths measured for EVs generally show a tight correlation with those determined for the original cells. The results suggest that EGFRs contained in EVs closely reflect the cellular EGFR in terms of their downstream signaling capacity.

Change in Prostate Specific Antigen Concentration in Men with Prostate Specific Antigen Less than 2.5 ng/ml Taking Low Dose Finasteride or Dutasteride for Male Androgenetic Alopecia.

PURPOSE: In this retrospective cohort study we assessed the effect on prostate specific antigen concentration of low dose finasteride or dutasteride treatment for male androgenetic alopecia in men with baseline serum prostate specific antigen less than 2.5 ng/ml. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort consisted of 1,379 consecutive male patients who were treated for androgenetic alopecia with finasteride 1.25 mg daily or dutasteride 0.5 mg every 3 days in 2002 to 2012 and who underwent prostate specific antigen measurements at baseline and at least once thereafter. Patients in whom baseline or followup prostate specific antigen after prescription exceeded 2.5 ng/ml were excluded from study to rule out men with a higher likelihood of prostate cancer. Patients were stratified according to age, baseline prostate specific antigen, medication type and treatment duration. RESULTS: Overall low dose 5α-reductase inhibitor treatment reduced prostate specific antigen by 27.8% relative to baseline. Of the patients 1,094 (79.3%) showed prostate specific antigen decreases (average 40.8%). In the remaining 285 patients (20.7%) prostate specific antigen was stable or increased (average 24.2% increase). Closer analysis largely showed that only men with baseline prostate specific antigen 0.5 ng/ml or greater had a treatment related prostate specific antigen reduction. On multivariate logistic analysis low baseline prostate specific antigen was significantly associated with stable/increased prostate specific antigen. Low dose dutasteride and finasteride reduced prostate specific antigen to similar degrees (31.1% and 25.1%, respectively). A marked prostate specific antigen decrease of 26.0% was observed even after short-term treatment (3 to 6 months). CONCLUSIONS: Dutasteride and finasteride reduced prostate specific antigen to similar degrees. This effect was observed soon after commencing treatment. In patients with low baseline prostate specific antigen the levels could remain stable or even increase. These findings are limited to men with baseline prostate specific antigen less than 2.5 ng/ml.

Mapping the energy landscape for second-stage folding of a single membrane protein.

Membrane proteins are designed to fold and function in a lipid membrane, yet folding experiments within a native membrane environment are challenging to design. Here we show that single-molecule forced unfolding experiments can be adapted to study helical membrane protein folding under native-like bicelle conditions. Applying force using magnetic tweezers, we find that a transmembrane helix protein, Escherichia coli rhomboid protease GlpG, unfolds in a highly cooperative manner, largely unraveling as one physical unit in response to mechanical tension above 25 pN. Considerable hysteresis is observed, with refolding occurring only at forces below 5 pN. Characterizing the energy landscape reveals only modest thermodynamic stability (ΔG = 6.5 kBT) but a large unfolding barrier (21.3 kBT) that can maintain the protein in a folded state for long periods of time (t1/2 ∼3.5 h). The observed energy landscape may have evolved to limit the existence of troublesome partially unfolded states and impart rigidity to the structure.

Observing Extremely Weak Protein-Protein Interactions with Conventional Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy.

Extremely weak protein-protein interactions (PPIs), signified by micromolar or even millimolar dissociation constants, are one of the keys to understanding the rapid responses of cellular systems. Although single-molecule methods are particularly useful in determining kinetics of biological processes, their application is largely limited to rather strong interactions because of the diffraction-limited observation volume. In this study, we report a single-molecule method that allows the characterization of PPIs using a prey concentration 4 orders of magnitude lower than the dissociation constant. Instead of increasing the concentration of diffusing molecules, which is inevitably limited by the optical diffraction limit, we employed an increased density of surface bait protein. The low occupancy of the surface baits permitted determination of the kinetics with single-molecule resolution. We used this approach to study a PPI network consisting of Ras and its downstream proteins including full-length Rafs and catalytic subunits of phosphoinositide 3-kinase.

Review: Progresses in understanding N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) mediated disassembly of SNARE complexes.

N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) is a key protein of intracellular membrane traffic. NSF is a highly conserved protein belonging to the ATPases associated with other activities (AAA+ proteins). AAA+ share common domains and all transduce ATP hydrolysis into major conformational movements that are used to carry out conformational work on client proteins. Together with its cofactor SNAP, NSF is specialized on disassembling highly stable SNARE complexes that form after each membrane fusion event. Although essential for all eukaryotic cells, however, the details of this reaction have long been enigmatic. Recently, major progress has been made in both elucidating the structure of NSF/SNARE complexes and in understanding the reaction mechanism. Advances in both cryo EM and single molecule measurements suggest that NSF, together with its cofactor SNAP, imposes a tight grip on the SNARE complex. After ATP hydrolysis and phosphate release, it then builds up mechanical tension that is ultimately used to rip apart the SNAREs in a single burst. Because the AAA domains are extremely well-conserved, the molecular mechanism elucidated for NSF is presumably shared by many other AAA+ ATPases. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 105: 518-531, 2016.

Cutaneous Lymphoma in Korea: A Nationwide Retrospective Study.

The epidemiological and clinicopathological features of cutaneous lymphoma may vary by geographical area. However, only a few large-scale epidemiological studies of cutaneous lymphoma have been performed, mainly in the USA and Europe. This aim of this study was to determine the recent characteristics of cutaneous lymphoma in Korea according to the WHO/EORTC classification. A total of 422 patients with newly diagnosed cutaneous lymphoma from January 2009 to December 2013 comprising 293 cases of mature T-cell and natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoma and 39 cases of mature B-cell lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. The incidence of mature B-cell lymphoma was lower in Korea than in Europe and the USA. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was more prevalent in Korea than in Western countries. The incidence of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type was higher in Korea than in Western countries and Japan.

The synaptotagmin 1 linker may function as an electrostatic zipper that opens for docking but closes for fusion pore opening.

Syt1 (synaptotagmin 1), a major Ca2+ sensor for fast neurotransmitter release, contains tandem Ca2+-binding C2 domains (C2AB), a single transmembrane α-helix and a highly charged 60-residue-long linker in between. Using single-vesicle-docking and content-mixing assays we found that the linker region of Syt1 is essential for its two signature functions: Ca2+-independent vesicle docking and Ca2+-dependent fusion pore opening. The linker contains the basic-amino-acid-rich N-terminal region and the acidic-amino-acid-rich C-terminal region. When the charge segregation was disrupted, fusion pore opening was slowed, whereas docking was unchanged. Intramolecular disulfide cross-linking between N- and C-terminal regions of the linker or deletion of 40 residues from the linker reduced docking while enhancing pore opening, although the changes were subtle. EPR analysis showed Ca2+-induced line broadening reflecting a conformational change in the linker region. Thus the results of the present study suggest that the electrostatically bipartite linker region may extend for docking and fold to facilitate pore opening.

High-speed measurements of SNARE-complexin interactions using magnetic tweezers.

In neuroscience, understanding the mechanics of synapses, especially the function of force-sensitive proteins at the molecular level, is essential. This need emphasizes the importance of precise measurement of synaptic protein interactions. Addressing this, we introduce high-resolution magnetic tweezers (MT) as a novel method to probe the mechanics of synapse-related proteins with high precision. We demonstrate this technique through studying SNARE-complexin interactions, crucial for synaptic transmission, showcasing its capability to apply specific forces to individual molecules. Our results reveal that high-resolution MT provides in-depth insights into the stability and dynamic transitions of synaptic protein complexes. This method is a significant advancement in synapse biology, offering a new tool for researchers to investigate the impact of mechanical forces on synaptic functions and their implications for neurological disorders.

Real-time observation of multiple-protein complex formation with single-molecule FRET.

Current single-molecule techniques do not permit the real-time observation of multiple proteins interacting closely with each other. We here report an approach enabling us to determine the single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) kinetics of multiple protein-protein interactions occurring far below the diffraction limit. We observe a strongly cooperative formation of multimeric soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes, which suggests that formation of the first SNARE complex triggers a cascade of SNARE complex formation.

Dissection of SNARE-driven membrane fusion and neuroexocytosis by wedging small hydrophobic molecules into the SNARE zipper.

Neuronal SNARE proteins mediate neurotransmitter release at the synapse by facilitating the fusion of vesicles to the presynaptic plasma membrane. Cognate v-SNAREs and t-SNAREs from the vesicle and the plasma membrane, respectively, zip up and bring about the apposition of two membranes attached at the C-terminal ends. Here, we demonstrate that SNARE zippering can be modulated in the midways by wedging with small hydrophobic molecules. Myricetin, which intercalated into the hydrophobic inner core near the middle of the SNARE complex, stopped SNARE zippering in motion and accumulated the trans-complex, where the N-terminal region of v-SNARE VAMP2 is in the coiled coil with the frayed C-terminal region. Delphinidin and cyanidin inhibited N-terminal nucleation of SNARE zippering. Neuronal SNARE complex in PC12 cells showed the same pattern of vulnerability to small hydrophobic molecules. We propose that the half-zipped trans-SNARE complex is a crucial intermediate waiting for a calcium trigger that leads to fusion pore opening.

Tinea incognito in Korea and its risk factors: nine-year multicenter survey.

Tinea incognito (TI) is a dermatophytic infection which has lost its typical clinical appearance because of improper use of steroids or calcineurin inhibitors. The incidence of TI is increasing nowadays. We conducted retrospective review on 283 patients with TI from 25 dermatology training hospitals in Korea from 2002-2010 to investigate the demographical, clinical, and mycological characteristics of TI, and to determine the associated risk factors. More than half (59.3%) patients were previously treated by non-dermatologists or self-treated. The mean duration of TI was 15.0 ± 25.3 months. The most common clinical manifestations were eczema-like lesion, psoriasis-like, and lupus erythematosus-like lesion. The trunk and face were frequently involved, and 91 patients (32.2%) also had coexisting fungal infections. Among 67 isolated strains, Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently detected (73.1%). This is the largest study of TI reported to date and the first investigational report concerning TI in Korea. We suggest that doctors should consider TI when a patient has intractable eczema-like lesions accompanied by tinea pedis/unguium. Furthermore, there should be a policy change, which would make over-the-counter high-potency topical steroids less accessible in some countries, including Korea.