The role of interfacial lipids in stabilizing membrane protein oligomers.

Oligomerization of membrane proteins in response to lipid binding has a critical role in many cell-signalling pathways but is often difficult to define or predict. Here we report the development of a mass spectrometry platform to determine simultaneously the presence of interfacial lipids and oligomeric stability and to uncover how lipids act as key regulators of membrane-protein association. Evaluation of oligomeric strength for a dataset of 125 α-helical oligomeric membrane proteins reveals an absence of interfacial lipids in the mass spectra of 12 membrane proteins with high oligomeric stability. For the bacterial homologue of the eukaryotic biogenic transporters (LeuT, one of the proteins with the lowest oligomeric stability), we found a precise cohort of lipids within the dimer interface. Delipidation, mutation of lipid-binding sites or expression in cardiolipin-deficient Escherichia coli abrogated dimer formation. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed that cardiolipin acts as a bidentate ligand, bridging across subunits. Subsequently, we show that for the Vibrio splendidus sugar transporter SemiSWEET, another protein with low oligomeric stability, cardiolipin shifts the equilibrium from monomer to functional dimer. We hypothesized that lipids are essential for dimerization of the Na+/H+ antiporter NhaA from E. coli, which has the lowest oligomeric strength, but not for the substantially more stable homologous Thermus thermophilus protein NapA. We found that lipid binding is obligatory for dimerization of NhaA, whereas NapA has adapted to form an interface that is stable without lipids. Overall, by correlating interfacial strength with the presence of interfacial lipids, we provide a rationale for understanding the role of lipids in both transient and stable interactions within a range of α-helical membrane proteins, including G-protein-coupled receptors.

Bifurcated binding of the OmpF receptor underpins import of the bacteriocin colicin N into Escherichia coli.

Colicins are Escherichia coli-specific bacteriocins that translocate across the outer bacterial membrane by a poorly understood mechanism. Group A colicins typically parasitize the proton-motive force-linked Tol system in the inner membrane via porins after first binding an outer membrane protein receptor. Recent studies have suggested that the pore-forming group A colicin N (ColN) instead uses lipopolysaccharide as a receptor. Contrary to this prevailing view, using diffusion-precipitation assays, native state MS, isothermal titration calorimetry, single-channel conductance measurements in planar lipid bilayers, and in vivo fluorescence imaging, we demonstrate here that ColN uses OmpF both as its receptor and translocator. This dual function is achieved by ColN having multiple distinct OmpF-binding sites, one located within its central globular domain and another within its disordered N terminus. We observed that the ColN globular domain associates with the extracellular surface of OmpF and that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhances this binding. Approximately 90 amino acids of ColN then translocate through the porin, enabling the ColN N terminus to localize within the lumen of an OmpF subunit from the periplasmic side of the membrane, a binding mode reminiscent of that observed for the nuclease colicin E9. We conclude that bifurcated engagement of porins is intrinsic to the import mechanism of group A colicins.

Lipid binding attenuates channel closure of the outer membrane protein OmpF.

Strong interactions between lipids and proteins occur primarily through association of charged headgroups and amino acid side chains, rendering the protonation status of both partners important. Here we use native mass spectrometry to explore lipid binding as a function of charge of the outer membrane porin F (OmpF). We find that binding of anionic phosphatidylglycerol (POPG) or zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (POPC) to OmpF is sensitive to electrospray polarity while the effects of charge are less pronounced for other proteins in outer or mitochondrial membranes: the ferripyoverdine receptor (FpvA) or the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC). Only marginal charge-induced differences were observed for inner membrane proteins: the ammonia channel (AmtB) or the mechanosensitive channel. To understand these different sensitivities, we performed an extensive bioinformatics analysis of membrane protein structures and found that OmpF, and to a lesser extent FpvA and VDAC, have atypically high local densities of basic and acidic residues in their lipid headgroup-binding regions. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, in mixed lipid bilayers, further implicate changes in charge by demonstrating preferential binding of anionic POPG over zwitterionic POPC to protonated OmpF, an effect not observed to the same extent for AmtB. Moreover, electrophysiology and mass-spectrometry-based ligand-binding experiments, at low pH, show that POPG can maintain OmpF channels in open conformations for extended time periods. Since the outer membrane is composed almost entirely of anionic lipopolysaccharide, with similar headgroup properties to POPG, such anionic lipid binding could prevent closure of OmpF channels, thereby increasing access of antibiotics that use porin-mediated pathways.

A Mass-Spectrometry-Based Approach to Distinguish Annular and Specific Lipid Binding to Membrane Proteins.

Membrane proteins engage in a variety of contacts with their surrounding lipids, but distinguishing between specifically bound lipids, and non-specific, annular interactions is a challenging problem. Applying native mass spectrometry to three membrane protein complexes with different lipid-binding properties, we explore the ability of detergents to compete with lipids bound in different environments. We show that lipids in annular positions on the presenilin homologue protease are subject to constant exchange with detergent. By contrast, detergent-resistant lipids bound at the dimer interface in the leucine transporter show decreased koff rates in molecular dynamics simulations. Turning to the lipid flippase MurJ, we find that addition of the natural substrate lipid-II results in the formation of a 1:1 protein-lipid complex, where the lipid cannot be displaced by detergent from the highly protected active site. In summary, we distinguish annular from non-annular lipids based on their exchange rates in solution.

High-resolution mass spectrometry of small molecules bound to membrane proteins.

Small molecules are known to stabilize membrane proteins and to modulate their function and oligomeric state, but such interactions are often hard to precisely define. Here we develop and apply a high-resolution, Orbitrap mass spectrometry-based method for analyzing intact membrane protein-ligand complexes. Using this platform, we resolve the complexity of multiple binding events, quantify small molecule binding and reveal selectivity for endogenous lipids that differ only in acyl chain length.

The human Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 is a membrane scaffold protein for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) is an S/T kinase with more than 200 known substrates, and with critical roles in regulation of cell growth and differentiation and currently no membrane proteins have been linked to ERK2 scaffolding. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here, we identify the human Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 (hNHE1) as a membrane scaffold protein for ERK2 and show direct hNHE1-ERK1/2 interaction in cellular contexts. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and immunofluorescence analysis we demonstrate that ERK2 scaffolding by hNHE1 occurs by one of three D-domains and by two non-canonical F-sites located in the disordered intracellular tail of hNHE1, mutation of which reduced cellular hNHE1-ERK1/2 co-localization, as well as reduced cellular ERK1/2 activation. Time-resolved NMR spectroscopy revealed that ERK2 phosphorylated the disordered tail of hNHE1 at six sites in vitro, in a distinct temporal order, with the phosphorylation rates at the individual sites being modulated by the docking sites in a distant dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: This work characterizes a new type of scaffolding complex, which we term a "shuffle complex", between the disordered hNHE1-tail and ERK2, and provides a molecular mechanism for the important ERK2 scaffolding function of the membrane protein hNHE1, which regulates the phosphorylation of both hNHE1 and ERK2.

Native Desorption Electrospray Ionization Liberates Soluble and Membrane Protein Complexes from Surfaces.

Mass spectrometry (MS) applications for intact protein complexes typically require electrospray (ES) ionization and have not been achieved via direct desorption from surfaces. Desorption ES ionization (DESI) MS has however transformed the study of tissue surfaces through release and characterisation of small molecules. Motivated by the desire to screen for ligand binding to intact protein complexes we report the development of a native DESI platform. By establishing conditions that preserve non-covalent interactions we exploit the surface to capture a rapid turnover enzyme-substrate complex and to optimise detergents for membrane protein study. We demonstrate binding of lipids and drugs to membrane proteins deposited on surfaces and selectivity from a mix of related agonists for specific binding to a GPCR. Overall therefore we introduce this native DESI platform with the potential for high-throughput ligand screening of some of the most challenging drug targets including GPCRs.

Carbene Footprinting Reveals Binding Interfaces of a Multimeric Membrane-Spanning Protein.

Mapping the interaction sites between membrane-spanning proteins is a key challenge in structural biology. In this study a carbene-footprinting approach was developed and applied to identify the interfacial sites of a trimeric, integral membrane protein, OmpF, solubilised in micelles. The diazirine-based footprinting probe is effectively sequestered by, and incorporated into, the micelles, thus leading to efficient labelling of the membrane-spanning regions of the protein upon irradiation at 349 nm. Areas associated with protein-protein interactions between the trimer subunits remained unlabelled, thus revealing their location.

Structure and function of the Escherichia coli Tol-Pal stator protein TolR.

TolR is a 15-kDa inner membrane protein subunit of the Tol-Pal complex in Gram-negative bacteria, and its function is poorly understood. Tol-Pal is recruited to cell division sites where it is involved in maintaining the integrity of the outer membrane. TolR is related to MotB, the peptidoglycan (PG)-binding stator protein from the flagellum, suggesting it might serve a similar role in Tol-Pal. The only structure thus far reported for TolR is of the periplasmic domain from Haemophilus influenzae in which N- and C-terminal residues had been deleted (TolR(62-133), Escherichia coli numbering). H. influenzae TolR(62-133) is a symmetrical dimer with a large deep cleft at the dimer interface. Here, we present the 1.7-Å crystal structure of the intact periplasmic domain of E. coli TolR (TolR(36-142)). E. coli TolR(36-142) is also dimeric, but the architecture of the dimer is radically different from that of TolR(62-133) due to the intertwining of its N and C termini. TolR monomers are rotated ∼180° relative to each other as a result of this strand swapping, obliterating the putative PG-binding groove seen in TolR(62-133). We found that removal of the strand-swapped regions (TolR(60-133)) exposes cryptic PG binding activity that is absent in the full-length domain. We conclude that to function as a stator in the Tol-Pal complex dimeric TolR must undergo large scale structural remodeling reminiscent of that proposed for MotB, where the N- and C-terminal sequences unfold in order for the protein to both reach and bind the PG layer ∼90 Å away from the inner membrane.

Detergent-free mass spectrometry of membrane protein complexes.

We developed a method that allows release of intact membrane protein complexes from amphipols, bicelles and nanodiscs in the gas phase for observation by mass spectrometry (MS). Current methods involve release of membrane protein complexes from detergent micelles, which reveals subunit composition and lipid binding. We demonstrated that oligomeric complexes or proteins requiring defined lipid environments are stabilized to a greater extent in the absence of detergent.

Charge reduction stabilizes intact membrane protein complexes for mass spectrometry.

The study of intact soluble protein assemblies by means of mass spectrometry is providing invaluable contributions to structural biology and biochemistry. A recent breakthrough has enabled similar study of membrane protein complexes, following their release from detergent micelles in the gas phase. Careful optimization of mass spectrometry conditions, particularly with respect to energy regimes, is essential for maintaining compact folded states as detergent is removed. However, many of the saccharide detergents widely employed in structural biology can cause unfolding of membrane proteins in the gas phase. Here, we investigate the potential of charge reduction by introducing three membrane protein complexes from saccharide detergents and show how reducing their overall charge enables generation of compact states, as evidenced by ion mobility mass spectrometry. We find that charge reduction stabilizes the oligomeric state and enhances the stability of lipid-bound complexes. This finding is significant since maintaining native-like membrane proteins enables ligand binding to be assessed from a range of detergents that retain solubility while protecting the overall fold.

Mass spectrometry quantifies protein interactions--from molecular chaperones to membrane porins.

Proteins possess an intimate relationship between their structure and function, with folded protein structures generating recognition motifs for the binding of ligands and other proteins. Mass spectrometry (MS) can provide information on a number of levels of protein structure, from the primary amino acid sequence to its three-dimensional fold and quaternary interactions. Given that MS is a gas-phase technique, with its foundations in analytical chemistry, it is perhaps counter-intuitive to use it to study the structure and non-covalent interactions of proteins that form in solution. Herein we show, however, that MS can go beyond simply preserving protein interactions in the gas phase by providing new insight into dynamic interaction networks, dissociation mechanisms, and the cooperativity of ligand binding. We consider potential pitfalls in data interpretation and place particular emphasis on recent studies that revealed quantitative information about dynamic protein interactions, in both soluble and membrane-embedded assemblies.

Enhanced Declustering Enables Native Top-Down Analysis of Membrane Protein Complexes using Ion-Mobility Time-Aligned Fragmentation.

Native mass spectrometry (MS) is proving to be a disruptive technique for studying the interactions of proteins, necessary for understanding the functional roles of these biomolecules. Recent research is expanding the application of native MS towards membrane proteins directly from isolated membrane preparations or from purified detergent micelles. The former results in complex spectra comprising several heterogeneous protein complexes; the latter enables therapeutic protein targets to be screened against multiplexed preparations of compound libraries. In both cases, the resulting spectra are increasingly complex to assign/interpret, and the key to these new directions of native MS research is the ability to perform native top-down analysis, which allows unambiguous peak assignment. To achieve this, detergent removal is necessary prior to MS analyzers, which allow selection of specific m/z values, representing the parent ion for downstream activation. Here, we describe a novel, enhanced declustering (ED) device installed into the first pumping region of a cyclic IMS-enabled mass spectrometry platform. The device enables declustering of ions prior to the quadrupole by imparting collisional activation through an oscillating electric field applied between two parallel plates. The positioning of the device enables liberation of membrane protein ions from detergent micelles. Quadrupole selection can now be utilized to isolate protein-ligand complexes, and downstream collision cells enable the dissociation and identification of binding partners. We demonstrate that ion mobility (IM) significantly aids in the assignment of top-down spectra, aligning fragments to their corresponding parent ions by means of IM drift time. Using this approach, we were able to confidently assign and identify a novel hit compound against PfMATE, obtained from multiplexed ligand libraries.

Mapping the Binding Interactions between Human Gasdermin D and Human Caspase-1 Using Carbene Footprinting.

Carbene footprinting is a recently developed mass spectrometry-based chemical labeling technique that probes protein interactions and conformation. Here, we use the methodology to investigate binding interactions between the protease human Caspase-1 (C285A) and full-length human Gasdermin D (hGSDMD), which are important in inflammatory cell death. GSDMD is cleaved by Caspase-1, releasing its N-terminal domain which oligomerizes in the membrane to form large pores, resulting in lytic cell death. Regions of reduced carbene labeling (masking), caused by protein binding, were observed for each partner in the presence of the other and were consistent with hCaspase-1 exosite and active-site interactions. Most notably, the results showed direct occupancy of hCaspase-1 (C285A) active-site by hGSDMD for the first time. Differential carbene labeling of full-length hGSDMD and the pore-forming N-terminal domain assembled in liposomes showed masking of the latter, consistent with oligomeric assembly and insertion into the lipid bilayer. Interactions between Caspase-1 and the specific inhibitor VRT-043198 were also studied by this approach. In wild-type hCaspase-1, VRT-043198 modifies the active-site Cys285 through the formation of a S,O-hemiacetal. Here, we showed by carbene labeling that this inhibitor can noncovalently occupy the active site of a C285A mutant. These findings add considerably to our knowledge of the hCaspase-1-hGSDMD system.

Charge state and adduct reduction in electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry using solvent vapor exposure.

The benefits of lowering protein ion charge states in electrospray ionization (ESI) have attracted recent interest. We describe a simple approach to decrease protein charge states by exposure of electrospray droplets to neutral solvent vapor such as acetonitrile. The technique allows detection of weak noncovalent complexes, provides preferred charge states for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) dissociation of protein complexes, and has the added benefit of reducing common adducts, such as alkali metals, without the addition of solution additives or the requirement for a secondary spray.

Mass spectrometry captures biased signalling and allosteric modulation of a G-protein-coupled receptor.

G-protein-coupled receptors signal through cognate G proteins. Despite the widespread importance of these receptors, their regulatory mechanisms for G-protein selectivity are not fully understood. Here we present a native mass spectrometry-based approach to interrogate both biased signalling and allosteric modulation of the ß1-adrenergic receptor in response to various ligands. By simultaneously capturing the effects of ligand binding and receptor coupling to different G proteins, we probed the relative importance of specific interactions with the receptor through systematic changes in 14 ligands, including isoprenaline derivatives, full and partial agonists, and antagonists. We observed enhanced dynamics of the intracellular loop 3 in the presence of isoprenaline, which is capable of acting as a biased agonist. We also show here that endogenous zinc ions augment the binding in receptor-Gs complexes and propose a zinc ion-binding hotspot at the TM5/TM6 intracellular interface of the receptor-Gs complex. Further interrogation led us to propose a mechanism in which zinc ions facilitate a structural transition of the intermediate complex towards the stable state.

Alkali metal cation-induced destabilization of gas-phase protein-ligand complexes: consequences and prevention.

Electrospray ionization, now a well established technique for studying noncovalent protein-ligand interactions, is prone to production of alkali metal adducts. Here it is shown that this adduction significantly destabilizes the interactions between two model proteins and their ligands and that destabilization correlates with cation size. For both the [FKBP·FK506] and [lysozyme·NAG(n)] systems, dissociation of the metalated complex occurs at markedly lower collision energies than their purely protonated equivalents. Dependency upon size of the metal(+) demonstrates the importance of electrostatic charge density during the dissociation process. Differences in the gas phase basicities (GBapp) of the multiply charged protein ions and proton and sodium affinities of the ligands explain the observed charge partitioning during dissociation of the complexes. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry measurements demonstrate that metal cation adduction does not induce a significant increase in unfolding of the polypeptides, indicating that this is not the principal mechanism responsible for destabilization. Destabilizing effects can be largely reduced by exposing the electrospray to solvent (e.g., acetonitrile) vapor, a method that acts to reduce the amount of adduct formation as well as decrease the charge states of the resulting ions. This approach leads to more accurate determination of apparent K(D)s in the presence of trace alkali metals.

Colicin-Mediated Transport of DNA through the Iron Transporter FepA.

Colicins are protein antibiotics deployed by Escherichia coli to eliminate competing strains. Colicins frequently exploit outer membrane (OM) nutrient transporters to penetrate the selectively permeable bacterial cell envelope. Here, by applying live-cell fluorescence imaging, we were able to monitor the entry of the pore-forming toxin colicin B (ColB) into E. coli and localize it within the periplasm. We further demonstrate that single-stranded DNA coupled to ColB can also be transported to the periplasm, emphasizing that the import routes of colicins can be exploited to carry large cargo molecules into bacteria. Moreover, we characterize the molecular mechanism of ColB association with its OM receptor FepA by applying a combination of photoactivated cross-linking, mass spectrometry, and structural modeling. We demonstrate that complex formation is coincident with large-scale conformational changes in the colicin. Thereafter, active transport of ColB through FepA involves the colicin taking the place of the N-terminal half of the plug domain that normally occludes this iron transporter. IMPORTANCE Decades of excessive use of readily available antibiotics has generated a global problem of antibiotic resistance and, hence, an urgent need for novel antibiotic solutions. Bacteriocins are protein-based antibiotics produced by bacteria to eliminate closely related competing bacterial strains. Bacteriocin toxins have evolved to bypass the complex cell envelope in order to kill bacterial cells. Here, we uncover the cellular penetration mechanism of a well-known but poorly understood bacteriocin called colicin B that is active against Escherichia coli. Moreover, we demonstrate that the colicin B-import pathway can be exploited to deliver conjugated DNA cargo into bacterial cells. Our work leads to a better understanding of the way bacteriocins, as potential alternative antibiotics, execute their mode of action as well as highlighting how they might even be exploited in the genomic manipulation of Gram-negative bacteria.

Charge Engineering Reveals the Roles of Ionizable Side Chains in Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

In solution, the charge of a protein is intricately linked to its stability, but electrospray ionization distorts this connection, potentially limiting the ability of native mass spectrometry to inform about protein structure and dynamics. How the behavior of intact proteins in the gas phase depends on the presence and distribution of ionizable surface residues has been difficult to answer because multiple chargeable sites are present in virtually all proteins. Turning to protein engineering, we show that ionizable side chains are completely dispensable for charging under native conditions, but if present, they are preferential protonation sites. The absence of ionizable side chains results in identical charge state distributions under native-like and denaturing conditions, while coexisting conformers can be distinguished using ion mobility separation. An excess of ionizable side chains, on the other hand, effectively modulates protein ion stability. In fact, moving a single ionizable group can dramatically alter the gas-phase conformation of a protein ion. We conclude that although the sum of the charges is governed solely by Coulombic terms, their locations affect the stability of the protein in the gas phase.

Identifying key membrane protein lipid interactions using mass spectrometry.

With the recent success in determining membrane protein structures, further detailed understanding of the identity and function of the bound lipidome is essential. Using an approach that combines high-energy native mass spectrometry (HE-nMS) and solution-phase lipid profiling, this protocol can be used to determine the identity of the endogenous lipids that directly interact with a protein. Furthermore, this method can identify systems in which such lipid binding has a major role in regulating the oligomeric assembly of membrane proteins. The protocol begins with recording of the native mass spectrum of the protein of interest, under successive delipidation conditions, to determine whether delipidation leads to disruption of the oligomeric state. Subsequently, we propose using a bipronged strategy: first, an HE-nMS platform is used that allows dissociation of the detergent micelle at the front end of the instrument. This allows for isolation of the protein-lipid complex at the quadrupole and successive fragmentation at the collision cell, which leads to identification of the bound lipid masses. Next, simultaneous coupling of this with in-solution LC-MS/MS-based identification of extracted lipids reveals the complete identity of the interacting lipidome that copurifies with the proteins. Assimilation of the results of these two sets of experiments divulges the complete identity of the set of lipids that directly interact with the membrane protein of interest, and can further delineate its role in maintaining the oligomeric state of the protein. The entire procedure takes 2 d to complete.