-
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B May 2023In this work, the influence of membrane curvature on the Ca binding to phospholipid bilayers is investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. In particular,...
In this work, the influence of membrane curvature on the Ca binding to phospholipid bilayers is investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, we compared Ca binding to flat, elastically buckled, or uniformly bent zwitterionic and anionic phospholipid bilayers. We demonstrate that Ca ions bind preferably to the concave membrane surfaces in both types of bilayers. We also show that the membrane curvature leads to pronounced changes in Ca binding including differences in free ion concentrations, lipid coordination distributions, and the patterns of ion binding to different chemical groups of lipids. Moreover, these effects differ substantially for the concave and convex membrane monolayers. Comparison between force fields with either full or scaled charges indicates that charge scaling results in reduction of the Ca binding to curved phosphatidylserine bilayers, while for phosphatidylcholine membranes, calcium binds only weakly for both force fields.
Topics: Phospholipids; Lipid Bilayers; Calcium; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Phosphatidylcholines; Ions
PubMed: 37191140
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01962 -
Nature Communications Jul 2022Lipid remodeling is crucial for malignant cell transformation and tumorigenesis, but the precise molecular processes involved and direct evidences for these in vivo...
Lipid remodeling is crucial for malignant cell transformation and tumorigenesis, but the precise molecular processes involved and direct evidences for these in vivo remain elusive. Here, we report that oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP)-related protein 4 L (ORP4L) is expressed in adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells but not normal T-cells. In ORP4L knock-in T-cells, ORP4L dimerizes with OSBP to control the shuttling of OSBP between the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane (PM) as an exchanger of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P]/cholesterol. The PI(4)P arriving at the PM via this transport machinery replenishes phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P] and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5) trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P] biosynthesis, thus contributing to PI3K/AKT hyperactivation and T-cell deterioration in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of ORP4L and OSBP dimerization disables PI(4)P transport and T-cell leukemogenesis. In summary, we identify a non-vesicular lipid transport machinery between Golgi and PM maintaining the oncogenic signaling competence initiating T-cell deterioration and leukemogenesis.
Topics: Carcinogenesis; Humans; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates; Phosphatidylinositols; Receptors, Steroid; T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 35906240
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32104-7 -
Cells May 2021Signal transduction, the ability of cells to perceive information from the surroundings and alter behavior in response, is an essential property of life. Studies on... (Review)
Review
Signal transduction, the ability of cells to perceive information from the surroundings and alter behavior in response, is an essential property of life. Studies on tyrosine kinase action fundamentally changed our concept of cellular regulation. The induced assembly of subcellular hubs via the recognition of local protein or lipid modifications by modular protein interactions is now a central paradigm in signaling. Such molecular interactions are mediated by specific protein interaction domains. The first such domain identified was the SH2 domain, which was postulated to be a reader capable of finding and binding protein partners displaying phosphorylated tyrosine side chains. The SH3 domain was found to be involved in the formation of stable protein sub-complexes by constitutively attaching to proline-rich surfaces on its binding partners. The SH2 and SH3 domains have thus served as the prototypes for a diverse collection of interaction domains that recognize not only proteins but also lipids, nucleic acids, and small molecules. It has also been found that particular SH2 and SH3 domains themselves might also bind to and rely on lipids to modulate complex assembly. Some lipid-binding properties of SH2 and SH3 domains are reviewed here.
Topics: Animals; Binding Sites; Humans; Phospholipids; Phosphorylation; Protein Binding; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; Signal Transduction; Structure-Activity Relationship; src Homology Domains; src-Family Kinases
PubMed: 34068055
DOI: 10.3390/cells10051191 -
Nutrients Oct 2021Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent endocrine disease in females of reproductive age and is characterized by multifactorial unhealthy conditions... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
Berberine Phospholipid Is an Effective Insulin Sensitizer and Improves Metabolic and Hormonal Disorders in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A One-Group Pretest-Post-Test Explanatory Study.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent endocrine disease in females of reproductive age and is characterized by multifactorial unhealthy conditions related to hormonal unbalance and also to dysmetabolism and inflammation. Recently, increasing evidence has shown that natural plant-based products may play a role in PCOS management. The aim of this one-group pretest-post-test explanatory study was to evaluate, in normal-overweight PCOS women with normal menses, the effectiveness of berberine on: Insulin resistance (IR) by Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA); Inflammation by C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α); Lipid metabolism; Sex hormone profile and symptoms correlated to hyperandrogenism, such as acne, by Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) and Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI); Body composition by DXA. Finally, adverse effects were assessed by liver and kidney functions and creatine phosphokinase (CPK). All these parameters were collected at baseline and 60 days after supplementation with a new bioavailable and safe berberine formulation. Twelve females (aged 26.6 ± 4.9, BMI 25.3 ± 3.6) were supplied for 60 days with two tablets/day (550 mg/table) of the bioavailable berberine. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in HOMA, CRP, TNF-α, Triglycerides, testosterone, Body Mass Index (BMI), Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT), fat mass, GAGS and CADI scores, and a statistically significant increase in sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Liver and kidney functions and CPK are not statistically significantly different. Therefore, berberine can represent a safe novel dietary supplement, helpful in treatment strategy for PCOS.
Topics: Adult; Berberine; Body Composition; Endpoint Determination; Female; Hormones; Humans; Inflammation; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Linear Models; Lipids; Phospholipids; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PubMed: 34684666
DOI: 10.3390/nu13103665 -
Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) Mar 2023Lipid phosphoinositides are master signaling molecules in eukaryotic cells and key markers of organelle identity. Because of these important roles, the kinases and... (Review)
Review
Lipid phosphoinositides are master signaling molecules in eukaryotic cells and key markers of organelle identity. Because of these important roles, the kinases and phosphatases that generate phosphoinositides must be tightly regulated. Viruses can manipulate this regulation, with the Type III phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases (PI4KA and PI4KB) being hijacked by many RNA viruses to mediate their intracellular replication through the formation of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P)-enriched replication organelles (ROs). Different viruses have evolved unique approaches toward activating PI4K enzymes to form ROs, through both direct binding of PI4Ks and modulation of PI4K accessory proteins. This review will focus on PI4KA and PI4KB and discuss their roles in signaling, functions in membrane trafficking and manipulation by viruses. Our focus will be the molecular basis for how PI4KA and PI4KB are activated by both protein-binding partners and post-translational modifications, with an emphasis on understanding the different molecular mechanisms viruses have evolved to usurp PI4Ks. We will also discuss the chemical tools available to study the role of PI4Ks in viral infection.
Topics: Reactive Oxygen Species; 1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase; Protein Binding; Phosphatidylinositols; Virus Replication
PubMed: 35579216
DOI: 10.1111/tra.12841 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2020Visceral adipose tissue derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is a member of the serpin family and has been shown to have beneficial effects on glucose tolerance,...
Visceral adipose tissue derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is a member of the serpin family and has been shown to have beneficial effects on glucose tolerance, insulin stability as well as adipose tissue inflammation, parameters seriously affected by obesity. Some of these effects require inhibition of target proteases such as kallikrein 7(KLK7) and many studies have demonstrated vaspin-mediated activation of intracellular signaling cascades in various cells and tissues. So far, little is known about the exact mechanism how vaspin may trigger these intracellular signaling events. In this study, we investigated and characterized the interaction of vaspin with membrane lipids and polyphosphates as well as their potential regulatory effects on serpin activity using recombinant vaspin and KLK7 proteins and functional protein variants thereof. Here, we show for the first time that vaspin binds to phospholipids and polyphosphates with varying effects on KLK7 inhibition. Vaspin binds strongly to monophosphorylated phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PtdInsP) with no effect on vaspin activation. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) measurements revealed high-affinity binding to polyphosphate 45 (K: 466 ± 75 nM) and activation of vaspin in a heparin-like manner. Furthermore, we identified additional residues in the heparin binding site in β-sheet A by mutating five basic residues resulting in complete loss of high-affinity heparin binding. Finally, using lipid overlay assays, we show that these residues are additionally involved in PtdInsP binding. Phospholipids play a major role in membrane trafficking and signaling whereas polyphosphates are procoagulant and proinflammatory agents. The identification of phospholipids and polyphosphates as binding partners of vaspin will contribute to the understanding of vaspins involvement in membrane trafficking, signaling and beneficial effects associated with obesity.
Topics: Binding Sites; Heparin; Humans; Kinetics; Membrane Lipids; Models, Molecular; Multiprotein Complexes; Phospholipids; Polyphosphates; Protein Binding; Serpins; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 32344508
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081992 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jan 2022Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A (Lp-PLA) associates with low- and high-density lipoproteins in human plasma and specifically hydrolyzes circulating oxidized...
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A (Lp-PLA) associates with low- and high-density lipoproteins in human plasma and specifically hydrolyzes circulating oxidized phospholipids involved in oxidative stress. The association of this enzyme with the lipoprotein's phospholipid monolayer to access its substrate is the most crucial first step in its catalytic cycle. The current study demonstrates unequivocally that a significant movement of a major helical peptide region occurs upon membrane binding, resulting in a large conformational change upon Lp-PLA binding to a phospholipid surface. This allosteric regulation of an enzyme's activity by a large membrane-like interface inducing a conformational change in the catalytic site defines a unique dimension of allosterism. The mechanism by which this enzyme associates with phospholipid interfaces to select and extract a single phospholipid substrate molecule and carry out catalysis is key to understanding its physiological functioning. A lipidomics platform was employed to determine the precise substrate specificity of human recombinant Lp-PLA and mutants. This study uniquely elucidates the association mechanism of this enzyme with membranes and its resulting conformational change as well as the extraction and binding of specific oxidized and short acyl-chain phospholipid substrates. Deuterium exchange mass spectrometry coupled with molecular dynamics simulations was used to define the precise specificity of the subsite for the oxidized fatty acid at the position of the phospholipid backbone. Despite the existence of several crystal structures of this enzyme cocrystallized with inhibitors, little was understood about Lp-PLA's specificity toward oxidized phospholipids.
Topics: 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase; Allosteric Regulation; Binding Sites; Catalysis; Catalytic Domain; Fatty Acids; Humans; Hydrolysis; Lipoproteins, HDL; Membranes; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Phospholipids; Substrate Specificity
PubMed: 34996868
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102953118 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry May 2022Lipids play critical roles in several major chronic diseases of our times, including those that involve inflammatory sequelae such as metabolic syndrome including... (Review)
Review
Lipids play critical roles in several major chronic diseases of our times, including those that involve inflammatory sequelae such as metabolic syndrome including obesity, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular diseases. However, defining the substrate specificity of enzymes of lipid metabolism is a challenging task. For example, phospholipase A (PLA) enzymes constitute a superfamily of degradative, biosynthetic, and signaling enzymes that all act stereospecifically to hydrolyze and release the fatty acids of membrane phospholipids. This review focuses on how membranes interact allosterically with enzymes to regulate cell signaling and metabolic pathways leading to inflammation and other diseases. Our group has developed "substrate lipidomics" to quantify the substrate phospholipid specificity of each PLA and coupled this with molecular dynamics simulations to reveal that enzyme specificity is linked to specific hydrophobic binding subsites for membrane phospholipid substrates. We have also defined unexpected headgroup and acyl chain specificity for each of the major human PLA enzymes, which explains the observed specificity at a structural level. Finally, we discovered that a unique hydrophobic binding site-and not each enzyme's catalytic residues or polar headgroup binding site-predominantly determines enzyme specificity. We also discuss how PLAs release specific fatty acids after allosteric enzyme association with membranes and extraction of the phospholipid substrate, which can be blocked by stereospecific inhibitors. After decades of work, we can now correlate PLA specificity and inhibition potency with molecular structure and physiological function.
Topics: Allosteric Regulation; Fatty Acids; Humans; Phospholipases A2; Phospholipids; Substrate Specificity
PubMed: 35358512
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101873 -
Neuron Jan 2024Astrocytes play crucial roles in regulating neural circuit function by forming a dense network of synapse-associated membrane specializations, but signaling pathways...
Astrocytes play crucial roles in regulating neural circuit function by forming a dense network of synapse-associated membrane specializations, but signaling pathways regulating astrocyte morphogenesis remain poorly defined. Here, we show the Drosophila lipid-binding G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Tre1 is required for astrocytes to establish their intricate morphology in vivo. The lipid phosphate phosphatases Wunen/Wunen2 also regulate astrocyte morphology and, via Tre1, mediate astrocyte-astrocyte competition for growth-promoting lipids. Loss of s1pr1, the functional analog of Tre1 in zebrafish, disrupts astrocyte process elaboration, and live imaging and pharmacology demonstrate that S1pr1 balances proper astrocyte process extension/retraction dynamics during growth. Loss of Tre1 in flies or S1pr1 in zebrafish results in defects in simple assays of motor behavior. Tre1 and S1pr1 are thus potent evolutionarily conserved regulators of the elaboration of astrocyte morphological complexity and, ultimately, astrocyte control of behavior.
Topics: Animals; Astrocytes; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Phospholipids; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptors; Zebrafish
PubMed: 38096817
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.008 -
Journal of Lipid Research Jun 2023This review considers the hypothesis that a small portion of plasma membrane cholesterol regulates reverse cholesterol transport in coordination with overall cellular... (Review)
Review
This review considers the hypothesis that a small portion of plasma membrane cholesterol regulates reverse cholesterol transport in coordination with overall cellular homeostasis. It appears that almost all of the plasma membrane cholesterol is held in stoichiometric complexes with bilayer phospholipids. The minor fraction of cholesterol that exceeds the complexation capacity of the phospholipids is called active cholesterol. It has an elevated chemical activity and circulates among the organelles. It also moves down its chemical activity gradient to plasma HDL, facilitated by the activity of ABCA1, ABCG1, and SR-BI. ABCA1 initiates this process by perturbing the organization of the plasma membrane bilayer, thereby priming its phospholipids for translocation to apoA-I to form nascent HDL. The active excess sterol and that activated by ABCA1 itself follow the phospholipids to the nascent HDL. ABCG1 similarly rearranges the bilayer and sends additional active cholesterol to nascent HDL, while SR-BI simply facilitates the equilibration of the active sterol between plasma membranes and plasma proteins. Active cholesterol also flows downhill to cytoplasmic membranes where it serves both as a feedback signal to homeostatic ER proteins and as the substrate for the synthesis of mitochondrial 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC). 27HC binds the LXR and promotes the expression of the aforementioned transport proteins. 27HC-LXR also activates ABCA1 by competitively displacing its inhibitor, unliganded LXR. § Considerable indirect evidence suggests that active cholesterol serves as both a substrate and a feedback signal for reverse cholesterol transport. Direct tests of this novel hypothesis are proposed.
Topics: High-Density Lipoproteins, Pre-beta; Cholesterol; Biological Transport; Sterols; Phospholipids; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1
PubMed: 37169287
DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2023.100385