Publisher Correction: Cryo-EM structure of human rhodopsin bound to an inhibitory G protein.

In the PDF version of this Article, owing to a typesetting error, an incorrect figure was used for Extended Data Fig. 5; the correct figure was used in the HTML version. This has been corrected online.

Cryo-EM structure of human rhodopsin bound to an inhibitory G protein.

G-protein-coupled receptors comprise the largest family of mammalian transmembrane receptors. They mediate numerous cellular pathways by coupling with downstream signalling transducers, including the hetrotrimeric G proteins Gs (stimulatory) and Gi (inhibitory) and several arrestin proteins. The structural mechanisms that define how G-protein-coupled receptors selectively couple to a specific type of G protein or arrestin remain unknown. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we show that the major interactions between activated rhodopsin and Gi are mediated by the C-terminal helix of the Gi α-subunit, which is wedged into the cytoplasmic cavity of the transmembrane helix bundle and directly contacts the amino terminus of helix 8 of rhodopsin. Structural comparisons of inactive, Gi-bound and arrestin-bound forms of rhodopsin with inactive and Gs-bound forms of the ß2-adrenergic receptor provide a foundation to understand the unique structural signatures that are associated with the recognition of Gs, Gi and arrestin by activated G-protein-coupled receptors.

Cryo-electron Microscopy Structures of Chimeric Hemagglutinin Displayed on a Universal Influenza Vaccine Candidate.

UNLABELLED: Influenza viruses expressing chimeric hemagglutinins (HAs) are important tools in the quest for a universal vaccine. Using cryo-electron tomography, we have determined the structures of a chimeric HA variant that comprises an H1 stalk and an H5 globular head domain (cH5/1 HA) in native and antibody-bound states. We show that cH5/1 HA is structurally different from native HA, displaying a 60° rotation between the stalk and head groups, leading to a novel and unexpected "open" arrangement of HA trimers. cH5/1N1 viruses also display higher glycoprotein density than pH1N1 or H5N1 viruses, but despite these differences, antibodies that target either the stalk or head domains of hemagglutinins still bind to cH5/1 HA with the same consequences as those observed with native H1 or H5 HA. Our results show that a large range of structural plasticity can be tolerated in the chimeric spike scaffold without disrupting structural and geometric aspects of antibody binding. IMPORTANCE: Chimeric hemagglutinin proteins are set to undergo human clinical trials as a universal influenza vaccine candidate, yet no structural information for these proteins is available. Using cryo-electron tomography, we report the first three-dimensional (3D) visualization of chimeric hemagglutinin proteins displayed on the surface of the influenza virus. We show that, unexpectedly, the chimeric hemagglutinin structure differs from those of naturally occurring hemagglutinins by displaying a more open head domain and a dramatically twisted head/stalk arrangement. Despite this unusual spatial relationship between head and stalk regions, virus preparations expressing the chimeric hemagglutinin are fully infectious and display a high glycoprotein density, which likely helps induction of a broadly protective immune response.

Structure and accessibility of HA trimers on intact 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus to stem region-specific neutralizing antibodies.

Rapid antigenic variation of HA, the major virion surface protein of influenza A virus, remains the principal challenge to the development of broader and more effective vaccines. Some regions of HA, such as the stem region proximal to the viral membrane, are nevertheless highly conserved across strains and among most subtypes. A fundamental question in vaccine design is the extent to which HA stem regions on the surface of the virus are accessible to broadly neutralizing antibodies. Here we report 3D structures derived from cryoelectron tomography of HA on intact 2009 H1N1 pandemic virions in the presence and absence of the antibody C179, which neutralizes viruses expressing a broad range of HA subtypes, including H1, H2, H5, H6, and H9. By fitting previously derived crystallographic structures of trimeric HA into the density maps, we deduced the locations of the molecular surfaces of HA involved in interaction with C179. Using computational methods to distinguish individual unliganded HA trimers from those that have bound C179 antibody, we demonstrate that ∼75% of HA trimers on the surface of the virus have C179 bound to the stem domain. Thus, despite their close packing on the viral membrane, the majority of HA trimers on intact virions are available to bind anti-stem antibodies that target conserved HA epitopes, establishing the feasibility of universal influenza vaccines that elicit such antibodies.

Glutamate receptor desensitization is mediated by changes in quaternary structure of the ligand binding domain.

Glutamate receptor ion channels are membrane proteins that mediate excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system of vertebrates. Insight into molecular mechanisms underlying glutamate receptor gating is limited by lack of structural information for receptors trapped in different conformational states. Here, we report the use of single-particle cryoelectron tomography to determine the structures, at ∼21 Å resolution, of full-length GluK2 kainate receptors trapped in antagonist-bound resting and agonist-bound desensitized states. The resting state, stabilized by the competitive antagonist LY466195, closely resembles the crystal structure of the AMPA receptor GluA2, with well-resolved proximal and distal subunits exhibiting cross-over between the twofold symmetric amino terminal domain and a twofold symmetric ligand binding domain (LBD) dimer of dimers assembly. In the desensitized state, the LBD undergoes a major rearrangement, resulting in a separation of the four subunits by ∼25 Å. However, the amino terminal domain, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic regions of the receptor have similar conformations in the resting and desensitized states. The LBD rearrangement was not anticipated in prior models based on crystal structures for soluble LBD dimer assemblies, and we speculate that subunit separation allows a better match to the fourfold symmetric ion channel domain. From fits of the amino terminal domain and LBD domains into the density map of the desensitized state we have derived a structural model for differences in quaternary conformation between the resting and desensitized states.

Molecular structures of trimeric HIV-1 Env in complex with small antibody derivatives.

The extensive carbohydrate coat, the variability of protein structural features on HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env), and the steric constraints of the virus-cell interface during infection, present challenges to the elicitation of effective full-length (~150 kDa), neutralizing antibodies against HIV. These hurdles have motivated the engineering of smaller antibody derivatives that can bind Env and neutralize the virus. To further understand the mechanisms by which these proteins neutralize HIV-1, we carried out cryoelectron tomography of native HIV-1 BaL virions complexed separately to two small (~15 kDa) HIV-neutralizing proteins: A12, which binds the CD4-binding site on Env, and m36, whose binding to Env is enhanced by CD4 binding. We show that despite their small size, the presence of these proteins and their effects on the quaternary conformation of trimeric Env can be visualized in molecular structures derived by cryoelectron tomography combined with subvolume averaging. Binding of Env to A12 results in a conformational change that is comparable to changes observed upon its binding to the CD4-binding site antibody, b12. In contrast, binding of Env to m36 results in an "open" quaternary conformation similar to that seen with binding of soluble CD4 or the CD4i antibody, 17b. Because these small neutralizing proteins are less sterically hindered than full-length antibodies at zones of virus-cell contact, the finding that their binding has the same structural consequences as that of other broadly neutralizing antibodies highlights their potential for use in therapeutic applications.

A collaborative framework for 3D alignment and classification of heterogeneous subvolumes in cryo-electron tomography.

The limitation of using low electron doses in non-destructive cryo-electron tomography of biological specimens can be partially offset via averaging of aligned and structurally homogeneous subsets present in tomograms. This type of sub-volume averaging is especially challenging when multiple species are present. Here, we tackle the problem of conformational separation and alignment with a "collaborative" approach designed to reduce the effect of the "curse of dimensionality" encountered in standard pair-wise comparisons. Our new approach is based on using the nuclear norm as a collaborative similarity measure for alignment of sub-volumes, and by exploiting the presence of symmetry early in the processing. We provide a strict validation of this method by analyzing mixtures of intact simian immunodeficiency viruses SIV mac239 and SIV CP-MAC. Electron microscopic images of these two virus preparations are indistinguishable except for subtle differences in conformation of the envelope glycoproteins displayed on the surface of each virus particle. By using the nuclear norm-based, collaborative alignment method presented here, we demonstrate that the genetic identity of each virus particle present in the mixture can be assigned based solely on the structural information derived from single envelope glycoproteins displayed on the virus surface.

Structural mechanism of trimeric HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein activation.

HIV-1 infection begins with the binding of trimeric viral envelope glycoproteins (Env) to CD4 and a co-receptor on target T-cells. Understanding how these ligands influence the structure of Env is of fundamental interest for HIV vaccine development. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we describe the contrasting structural outcomes of trimeric Env binding to soluble CD4, to the broadly neutralizing, CD4-binding site antibodies VRC01, VRC03 and b12, or to the monoclonal antibody 17b, a co-receptor mimic. Binding of trimeric HIV-1 BaL Env to either soluble CD4 or 17b alone, is sufficient to trigger formation of the open quaternary conformation of Env. In contrast, VRC01 locks Env in the closed state, while b12 binding requires a partial opening in the quaternary structure of trimeric Env. Our results show that, despite general similarities in regions of the HIV-1 gp120 polypeptide that contact CD4, VRC01, VRC03 and b12, there are important differences in quaternary structures of the complexes these ligands form on native trimeric Env, and potentially explain differences in the neutralizing breadth and potency of antibodies with similar specificities. From cryo-electron microscopic analysis at ∼9 Å resolution of a cleaved, soluble version of trimeric Env, we show that a structural signature of the open Env conformation is a three-helix motif composed of α-helical segments derived from highly conserved, non-glycosylated N-terminal regions of the gp41 trimer. The three N-terminal gp41 helices in this novel, activated Env conformation are held apart by their interactions with the rest of Env, and are less compactly packed than in the post-fusion, six-helix bundle state. These findings suggest a new structural template for designing immunogens that can elicit antibodies targeting HIV at a vulnerable, pre-entry stage.

Computational separation of conformational heterogeneity using cryo-electron tomography and 3D sub-volume averaging.

We have previously used cryo-electron tomography combined with sub-volume averaging and classification to obtain 3D structures of macromolecular assemblies in cases where a single dominant species was present, and applied these methods to the analysis of a variety of trimeric HIV-1 and SIV envelope glycoproteins (Env). Here, we extend these studies by demonstrating automated, iterative, missing wedge-corrected 3D image alignment and classification methods to distinguish multiple conformations that are present simultaneously. We present a method for measuring the spatial distribution of the vector elements representing distinct conformational states of Env. We identify data processing strategies that allow clear separation of the previously characterized closed and open conformations, as well as unliganded and antibody-liganded states of Env when they are present in mixtures. We show that identifying and removing spikes with the lowest signal-to-noise ratios improves the overall accuracy of alignment between individual Env sub-volumes, and that alignment accuracy, in turn, determines the success of image classification in assessing conformational heterogeneity in heterogeneous mixtures. We validate these procedures for computational separation by successfully separating and reconstructing distinct 3D structures for unliganded and antibody-liganded as well as open and closed conformations of Env present simultaneously in mixtures.