scholarly journals Cyclodextrins increase membrane tension and are universal activators of mechanosensitive channels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles D Cox ◽  
Yixiao Zhang ◽  
Zijing Zhou ◽  
Thomas Walz ◽  
Boris Martinac
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channel ◽  
Mechanical Forces ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channels ◽  
Membrane Tension ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Lipid Environment ◽  
Small Conductance

AbstractThe bacterial mechanosensitive channel of small conductance, MscS, has been extensively studied to understand how mechanical forces are converted into the conformational changes that underlie mechanosensitive (MS) channel gating. We showed that lipid removal by β-cyclodextrin can mimic membrane tension. Here, we show that all cyclodextrins (CDs) can activate reconstituted E. coli MscS, that MscS activation by CDs depends on CD-mediated lipid removal, and that the CD amount required to gate MscS scales with the channel’s sensitivity to membrane tension. CD-mediated lipid removal ultimately causes MscS desensitization, which we show is affected by the lipid environment. CDs can also activate the structurally unrelated MscL. While many MS channels respond to membrane forces, generalized by the ‘force-from-lipids’ principle, their different molecular architectures suggest that they use unique ways to convert mechanical forces into conformational changes. CDs emerge as a universal tool for the structural and functional characterization of unrelated MS channels.

scholarly journals Cyclodextrins increase membrane tension and are universal activators of mechanosensitive channels

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (36) ◽  
pp. e2104820118
Author(s):  
Charles D. Cox ◽  
Yixiao Zhang ◽  
Zijing Zhou ◽  
Thomas Walz ◽  
Boris Martinac
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channel ◽  
Mechanical Forces ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channels ◽  
Membrane Tension ◽  
Lipid Environment ◽  
Small Conductance

The bacterial mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) has been extensively studied to understand how mechanical forces are converted into the conformational changes that underlie mechanosensitive (MS) channel gating. We showed that lipid removal by β-cyclodextrin can mimic membrane tension. Here, we show that all cyclodextrins (CDs) can activate reconstituted Escherichia coli MscS, that MscS activation by CDs depends on CD-mediated lipid removal, and that the CD amount required to gate MscS scales with the channel’s sensitivity to membrane tension. Importantly, cholesterol-loaded CDs do not activate MscS. CD-mediated lipid removal ultimately causes MscS desensitization, which we show is affected by the lipid environment. While many MS channels respond to membrane forces, generalized by the “force-from-lipids” principle, their different molecular architectures suggest that they use unique ways to convert mechanical forces into conformational changes. To test whether CDs can also be used to activate other MS channels, we chose to investigate the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) and demonstrate that CDs can also activate this structurally unrelated channel. Since CDs can open the least tension-sensitive MS channel, MscL, they should be able to open any MS channel that responds to membrane tension. Thus, CDs emerge as a universal tool for the structural and functional characterization of unrelated MS channels.

scholarly journals Expression and characterization of the bacterial mechanosensitive channel MscS in Xenopus laevis oocytes

2011 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 641-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grigory Maksaev ◽  
Elizabeth S. Haswell
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channel ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
E Coli ◽  
African Clawed Frog ◽  
Clawed Frog ◽  
Small Conductance

We have successfully expressed and characterized mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) from Escherichia coli in oocytes of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. MscS expressed in oocytes has the same single-channel conductance and voltage dependence as the channel in its native environment. Two hallmarks of MscS activity, the presence of conducting substates at high potentials and reversible adaptation to a sustained stimulus, are also exhibited by oocyte-expressed MscS. In addition to its ease of use, the oocyte system allows the user to work with relatively large patches, which could be an advantage for the visualization of membrane deformation. Furthermore, MscS can now be compared directly to its eukaryotic homologues or to other mechanosensitive channels that are not easily studied in E. coli.

scholarly journals Functional identification of ygiP as a positive regulator of the ttdA-ttdB-ygjE operon

Microbiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 152 (7) ◽  
pp. 2129-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taku Oshima ◽  
Francis Biville
Keyword(s):  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Anaerobic Growth ◽  
Functional Identification ◽  
New Members ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Inner Membrane Protein ◽  
Tartrate Dehydratase

Functional characterization of unknown genes is currently a major task in biology. The search for gene function involves a combination of various in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. Available knowledge from the study of more than 21 LysR-type regulators in Escherichia coli has facilitated the classification of new members of the family. From sequence similarities and its location on the E. coli chromosome, it is suggested that ygiP encodes a lysR regulator controlling the expression of a neighbouring operon; this operon encodes the two subunits of tartrate dehydratase (TtdA, TtdB) and YgiE, an integral inner-membrane protein possibly involved in tartrate uptake. Expression of tartrate dehydratase, which converts tartrate to oxaloacetate, is required for anaerobic growth on glycerol as carbon source in the presence of tartrate. Here, it has been demonstrated that disruption of ygiP, ttdA or ygjE abolishes tartrate-dependent anaerobic growth on glycerol. It has also been shown that tartrate-dependent induction of the ttdA-ttdB-ygjE operon requires a functional YgiP.

scholarly journals Conjuring up a ghost: structural and functional characterization of FhuF, a ferric siderophore reductase from E. coli

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. B. Trindade ◽  
G. Hernandez ◽  
E. Lebègue ◽  
F. Barrière ◽  
T. Cordeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Paramagnetic Nmr ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The Past ◽  
Internal Cavities ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Bond Strengths ◽  
Redox Bohr Effect ◽  
Micromolar Range

AbstractIron is a fundamental element for virtually all forms of life. Despite its abundance, its bioavailability is limited, and thus, microbes developed siderophores, small molecules, which are synthesized inside the cell and then released outside for iron scavenging. Once inside the cell, iron removal does not occur spontaneously, instead this process is mediated by siderophore-interacting proteins (SIP) and/or by ferric-siderophore reductases (FSR). In the past two decades, representatives of the SIP subfamily have been structurally and biochemically characterized; however, the same was not achieved for the FSR subfamily. Here, we initiate the structural and functional characterization of FhuF, the first and only FSR ever isolated. FhuF is a globular monomeric protein mainly composed by α-helices sheltering internal cavities in a fold resembling the “palm” domain found in siderophore biosynthetic enzymes. Paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy revealed that the core of the cluster has electronic properties in line with those of previously characterized 2Fe–2S ferredoxins and differences appear to be confined to the coordination of Fe(III) in the reduced protein. In particular, the two cysteines coordinating this iron appear to have substantially different bond strengths. In similarity with the proteins from the SIP subfamily, FhuF binds both the iron-loaded and the apo forms of ferrichrome in the micromolar range and cyclic voltammetry reveals the presence of redox-Bohr effect, which broadens the range of ferric-siderophore substrates that can be thermodynamically accessible for reduction. This study suggests that despite the structural differences between FSR and SIP proteins, mechanistic similarities exist between the two classes of proteins. Graphic abstract

Sa1806 Molecular and Functional Characterization of Fimh in Crohn's Disease Associated E. Coli

2013 ◽  
Vol 144 (5) ◽  
pp. S-310
Author(s):  
Brendan Chandler ◽  
Belgin Dogan ◽  
Ellen J. Scherl ◽  
Kenneth W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Crohn’S Disease ◽  
Crohn's Disease ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
E Coli

scholarly journals Expression, secretion and functional characterization of three laccases in E. coli

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 474-480
Author(s):  
Yating Mo ◽  
Hou Ip Lao ◽  
Sau Wa Au ◽  
Ieng Chon Li ◽  
Jeremy Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Characterization ◽  
E Coli

Cloning and functional characterization of a superfamily of microbial inwardly rectifying potassium channels

2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Sun ◽  
Jo Han Gan ◽  
Jennifer J. Paynter ◽  
Stephen J. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Unicellular Eukaryote ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channels ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Functionally Diverse ◽  
Inwardly Rectifying

Our understanding of the mammalian inwardly rectifying family of K+ channels (Kir family) has recently been advanced by X-ray crystal structures of two homologous prokaryotic orthologs (KirBac1.1 and KirBac3.1). However, the functional properties of these KirBac channels are still poorly understood. To address this problem, we cloned and characterized genes encoding KirBac orthologs from a wide variety of different prokaryotes and a simple unicellular eukaryote. The functional properties of these KirBacs were then examined by growth complementation in a K+ uptake-deficient strain of Escherichia coli (TK2420). Whereas some KirBac genes exhibited robust growth complementation, others either did not complement or showed temperature-dependent complementation including KirBac1.1 and KirBac3.1. In some cases, KirBac expression was also toxic to the growth of E. coli. The KirBac family exhibited a range of sensitivity to the K+ channel blockers Ba2+ and Cs+ as well as differences in their ability to grow on very low-K+ media, thus demonstrating major differences in their permeation properties. These results reveal the existence of a functionally diverse superfamily of microbial KirBac genes and present an excellent resource for the structural and functional analysis of this class of K+ channels. Furthermore, the complementation assay used in this study provides a simple and robust method for the functional characterization of a range of prokaryotic K+ channels that are difficult to study by traditional methods.

Functional characterization of the Haemophilus influenzae 4.5S RNA

1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-94
Author(s):  
G Scott Jenkins ◽  
Mark S Chandler ◽  
Pamela S Fink
Keyword(s):  
Haemophilus Influenzae ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Coli Strain ◽  
Northern Analysis ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Functional Homolog ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
4.5S Rna

The putative 4.5S RNA of Haemophilus influenzae was identified in the genome by computer analysis, amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, and cloned. We have determined that this putative 4.5S RNA will complement an Escherichia coli strain conditionally defective in 4.5S RNA production. The predicted secondary structures of the molecules were quite similar, but Northern analysis showed that the H. influenzae RNA was slightly larger than the E. coli RNA. The H. influenzae gene encoding this RNA is the functional homolog of the ffs gene in E. coli. Key words: ffs gene, complementation studies, small RNA, prokaryotic genetics.

scholarly journals The Purified Mechanosensitive Channel TREK-1 Is Directly Sensitive to Membrane Tension

2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (38) ◽  
pp. 27307-27314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Berrier ◽  
Alexandre Pozza ◽  
Agnes de Lacroix de Lavalette ◽  
Solenne Chardonnet ◽  
Agnes Mesneau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayer ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channel ◽  
Positive Pressure ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channels ◽  
Membrane Tension ◽  
Animal Cells ◽  
Patch Clamp Recording ◽  
Electrophysiological Properties ◽  
Pressure Suction ◽  
Pore Domain

Mechanosensitive channels are detected in all cells and are speculated to play a key role in many functions including osmoregulation, growth, hearing, balance, and touch. In prokaryotic cells, a direct gating of mechanosensitive channels by membrane tension was clearly demonstrated because the purified channels could be functionally reconstituted in a lipid bilayer. No such evidence has been presented yet in the case of mechanosensitive channels from animal cells. TREK-1, a two-pore domain K+ channel, was the first animal mechanosensitive channel identified at the molecular level. It is the target of a large variety of agents such as volatile anesthetics, neuroprotective agents, and antidepressants. We have produced the mouse TREK-1 in yeast, purified it, and reconstituted the protein in giant liposomes amenable to patch clamp recording. The protein exhibited the expected electrophysiological properties in terms of kinetics, selectivity, and pharmacology. Negative pressure (suction) applied through the pipette had no effect on the channel, but positive pressure could completely and reversibly close the channel. Our interpretation of these data is that the intrinsic tension in the lipid bilayer is sufficient to maximally activate the channel, which can be closed upon modification of the tension. These results indicate that TREK-1 is directly sensitive to membrane tension.

scholarly journals Connecting the Dots between Mechanosensitive Channel Abundance, Osmotic Shock, and Survival at Single-Cell Resolution

2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Griffin Chure ◽  
Heun Jin Lee ◽  
Akiko Rasmussen ◽  
Rob Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Cell Survival ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Osmotic Shock ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Mechanosensitive Channel ◽  
Membrane Tension ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Structural Methods

ABSTRACTRapid changes in extracellular osmolarity are one of many insults microbial cells face on a daily basis. To protect against such shocks,Escherichia coliand other microbes express several types of transmembrane channels that open and close in response to changes in membrane tension. InE. coli, one of the most abundant channels is the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL). While this channel has been heavily characterized through structural methods, electrophysiology, and theoretical modeling, our understanding of its physiological role in preventing cell death by alleviating high membrane tension remains tenuous. In this work, we examine the contribution of MscL alone to cell survival after osmotic shock at single-cell resolution using quantitative fluorescence microscopy. We conducted these experiments in anE. colistrain which is lacking all mechanosensitive channel genes save for MscL, whose expression was tuned across 3 orders of magnitude through modifications of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence. While theoretical models suggest that only a few MscL channels would be needed to alleviate even large changes in osmotic pressure, we find that between 500 and 700 channels per cell are needed to convey upwards of 80% survival. This number agrees with the average MscL copy number measured in wild-typeE. colicells through proteomic studies and quantitative Western blotting. Furthermore, we observed zero survival events in cells with fewer than ∼100 channels per cell. This work opens new questions concerning the contribution of other mechanosensitive channels to survival, as well as regulation of their activity.IMPORTANCEMechanosensitive (MS) channels are transmembrane protein complexes which open and close in response to changes in membrane tension as a result of osmotic shock. Despite extensive biophysical characterization, the contribution of these channels to cell survival remains largely unknown. In this work, we used quantitative video microscopy to measure the abundance of a single species of MS channel in single cells, followed by their survival after a large osmotic shock. We observed total death of the population with fewer than ∼100 channels per cell and determined that approximately 500 to 700 channels were needed for 80% survival. The number of channels we found to confer nearly full survival is consistent with the counts of the numbers of channels in wild-type cells in several earlier studies. These results prompt further studies to dissect the contribution of other channel species to survival.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document