FASN inhibitor TVB-3166 prevents S-acylation of the spike protein of human coronaviruses.

The spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other coronaviruses mediates host cell entry and is S-acylated on multiple phylogenetically conserved cysteine residues. Multiple protein acyltransferase enzymes have been reported to post-translationally modify spike proteins; however, strategies to exploit this modification are lacking. Using resin-assisted capture MS, we demonstrate that the spike protein is S-acylated in SARS-CoV-2-infected human and monkey epithelial cells. We further show that increased abundance of the acyltransferase ZDHHC5 associates with increased S-acylation of the spike protein, whereas ZDHHC5 knockout cells had a 40% reduction in the incorporation of an alkynyl-palmitate using click chemistry detection. We also found that the S-acylation of the spike protein is not limited to palmitate, as clickable versions of myristate and stearate were also labelled the protein. Yet, we observed that ZDHHC5 was only modified when incubated with alkyne-palmitate, suggesting it has specificity for this acyl-CoA, and that other ZDHHC enzymes may use additional fatty acids to modify the spike protein. Since multiple ZDHHC isoforms may modify the spike protein, we also examined the ability of the FASN inhibitor TVB-3166 to prevent S-acylation of the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and human CoV-229E. We show that treating cells with TVB-3166 inhibited S-acylation of expressed spike proteins and attenuated the ability of SARS-CoV-2 and human CoV-229E to spread in vitro. Our findings further substantiate the necessity of CoV spike protein S-acylation and demonstrate that de novo fatty acid synthesis is critical for the proper S-acylation of the spike protein.

Phospholipid subcellular localization and dynamics.

Membrane biology seeks to understand how lipids and proteins within bilayers assemble into large structures such as organelles and the plasma membranes. Historically, lipids were thought to merely provide structural support for bilayer formation and membrane protein function. Research has now revealed that phospholipid metabolism regulates nearly all cellular processes. Sophisticated techniques helped identify >10,000 lipid species suggesting that lipids support many biological processes. Here, we highlight the synthesis of the most abundant glycerophospholipid classes and their distribution in organelles. We review vesicular and nonvesicular transport pathways shuttling lipids between organelles and discuss lipid regulators of membrane trafficking and second messengers in eukaryotic cells.

Both the PH domain and N-terminal region of oxysterol-binding protein related protein 8S are required for localization to PM-ER contact sites.

Oxysterol-binding protein-related proteins are implicated in the sensing and transporting lipids at the membrane contact sites. One of the members of the mammalian ORP family, ORP8, is thought to transport lipids through directly tethering both ER and PM membranes. Targeting to PM is thought to be mediated by N-terminal pleckstrin homology domain via binding to phosphoinositides. Sequence alignments and NMR structural determination revealed that the PH domain of ORP8 is atypical and contains an insertion of 20 amino acids in an unstructured loop region that may potentially block interactions with ligands. Using standard lipid-protein overlay assays or liposomal binding assays we could not detect binding of a recombinant version of the PH domain. Examination of a series of deletion constructs demonstrated that both the N-terminal polybasic region and the PH domain are required for proper targeting of the short splice variant ORP8S to the PM-ER contact site in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Is a Determinant of CD4 T Cell-Airway Smooth Muscle Cell Communication through Membrane Conduits.

Activated CD4 T cells connect to airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in vitro via lymphocyte-derived membrane conduits (LMCs) structurally similar to membrane nanotubes with unknown intercellular signals triggering their formation. We examined the structure and function of CD4 T cell-derived LMCs, and we established a role for ASMC-derived basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2b) and FGF receptor (FGFR)1 in LMC formation. Blocking FGF2b's synthesis and FGFR1 function reduced LMC formation. Mitochondrial flux from ASMCs to T cells was partially FGF2b and FGFR1 dependent. LMC formation by CD4 T cells and mitochondrial transfer from ASMCs was increased in the presence of asthmatic ASMCs that expressed more mRNA for FGF2b compared with normal ASMCs. These observations identify ASMC-derived FGF2b as a factor needed for LMC formation by CD4 T cells, affecting intercellular communication.

The acyltransferase LYCAT controls specific phosphoinositides and related membrane traffic.

Phosphoinositides (PIPs) are key regulators of membrane traffic and signaling. The interconversion of PIPs by lipid kinases and phosphatases regulates their functionality. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) and PIPs have a unique enrichment of 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl acyl species; however, the regulation and function of this specific acyl profile remains poorly understood. We examined the role of the PI acyltransferase LYCAT in control of PIPs and PIP-dependent membrane traffic. LYCAT silencing selectively perturbed the levels and localization of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate and the membrane traffic dependent on these specific PIPs but was without effect on phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate or biosynthetic membrane traffic. The acyl profile of PI(4,5)P2 was selectively altered in LYCAT-deficient cells, whereas LYCAT localized with phosphatidylinositol synthase. We propose that LYCAT remodels the acyl chains of PI, which is then channeled into PI(4,5)P2 Our observations suggest that the PIP acyl chain profile may exert broad control of cell physiology.

Staurosporines decrease ORMDL proteins and enhance sphingomyelin synthesis resulting in depletion of plasmalemmal phosphatidylserine.

Accumulation of phosphatidylserine in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane is a hallmark of eukaryotes. Sublethal levels of staurosporine and related compounds deplete phosphatidylserine from the plasma membrane and abrogate K-Ras signaling. Here, we report that low-dose staurosporine and related compounds increase sphingomyelin mass. Mass-spectrometry and metabolic tracer analysis revealed an increase in both the levels and rate of synthesis of sphingomyelin in response to sublethal staurosporine. Mechanistically, it was determined that the abundance of the ORMDL proteins, which negatively regulate serine-palmitoyltransferase, are decreased by low-dose staurosporine. Finally, inhibition of ceramide synthesis, and thus sphingomyelin, prevented the displacement of phosphatidylserine and cholesterol from the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. The results establish that an optimal level of sphingomyelin is required to maintain the distribution of phosphatidylserine and cholesterol in the plasma membrane and further demonstrate a complex relationship between the trafficking of phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin.

Interference Reduction in Glucose Detection by Redox Potential Tuning: New Glucose Meter Development.

A new glucose meter was developed employing a novel disposable glucose sensor strip comprising a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-glucose dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) and a mixture of Fe compounds as a mediator. An iron complex, 5-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline iron(III) chloride (Fe-PhenTPy), was synthesized as a new mediator for the NAD-GDH system. Due to the high oxidation potential of the mediator, the detection potential was tuned to be more closely fitted toward the enzyme reaction potential, less than 400 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl), by mixing with an additional iron mediator. The impedance spectrometry for the enzyme sensor containing the mixed mediators showed an enhanced charge transfer property. In addition, a new cartridge-type glucose meter was manufactured using effective aligned-electrodes, which showed an enhanced response compared with conventional electrode alignment. The proposed glucose sensor resulted in a wide dynamic range in the concentration range of 30 - 500 mg dL(-1) with a reduced interference effect and a good sensitivity of 0.57 µA mM(-1).