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Membrane-scaffolding proteins (MSPs) derived from apolipoprotein A-1 have become a versatile tool in generating nano-sized discoidal membrane mimetics (nanodiscs) for membrane protein research. Recent efforts have aimed at exploiting their controlled lipid protein ratio and size distribution to arrange membrane proteins in regular supramolecular structures for diffraction studies. Thereby, direct membrane protein crystallization, which has remained the limiting factor in structure determination of membrane proteins, would be circumvented. We describe here the formation of multimers of membrane-scaffolding protein MSP1D1-bounded nanodiscs using the thiol reactivity of engineered cysteines. The mutated positions N42 and K163 in MSP1D1 were chosen to support chemical modification as evidenced by fluorescent labeling with pyrene. Minimal interference with the nanodisc formation and structure was demonstrated by circular dichroism spectroscopy, differential light scattering and size exclusion chromatography. The direct disulphide bond formation of nanodiscs formed by the MSP1D1_N42C variant led to dimers and trimers with low yield. In contrast, transmission electron microscopy revealed that the attachment of oligonucleotides to the engineered cysteines of MSP1D1 allowed the growth of submicron-sized tracts of stacked nanodiscs through the hybridization of nanodisc populations carrying complementary strands and a flexible spacer.

We describe here the formation of multimers of membrane-scaffolding protein MSP1D1-bounded nanodiscs using the thiol reactivity of engineered cysteines. The mutated positions N42 and K163 in MSP1D1 were chosen to support chemical modification as evidenced by fluorescent labeling with pyrene. The direct disulphide bond formation of nanodiscs formed by the MSP1D1_N42C variant led to dimers and trimers with low yield. In contrast, transmission electron microscopy revealed that the attachment of oligonucleotides to the engineered cysteines of MSP1D1 allowed the growth of submicron-sized tracts of stacked nanodiscs through the hybridization of nanodisc populations carrying complementary strands and a flexible spacer.

Lipid bilayers and lipid-associated proteins play a crucial role in biology. Since studies and manipulation in vivo are inherently challenging, several in vitro membrane-mimetic systems have been developed to enable the study of lipidic phases, lipid-protein interactions and membrane protein function. Controlling the size and shape or introducing functional elements in a programmable way is, however, difficult to achieve with common systems based on polymers, peptides or membrane scaffolding proteins. In this work we describe a route leveraging the unique programmability of DNA nanotechnology to create DNA-encircled bilayers (DEBs) as a novel nano-scaled membrane-mimetic. For this, alkylated oligonucleotides are hybridized to a single-stranded minicircle (ssMC) such that all alkyl chains point to the inside stabilizing the lipid bilayer. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and coarse grain molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations confirm the formation of discoidal lipid bilayer structures. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to monitor lipid phase transitions and revealed head group-dependent lipid-DNA interactions at the bilayer rim. The DEB technology described herein provides unprecedented control of size, shape, stability and functionalization of engineered membrane nanoparticles and will become a valuable tool for biophysical investigation of lipid phases and lipid-associated proteins and complexes.

Copper is an essential cofactor for redox enzymes but toxic when it accumulates in the cell. Copper homeostasis relies on transmembrane Cu+ transporting PIB-type ATPases. Molecular Dynamics simulations of the Cu-ATPase CopA from Legionella pneumophila[1] (LpCopA) suggest a water-accessible Cu+-binding site at the conserved CPC motif in the E2.Pi intermediate, where Cu+ occlusion is expected from homology with the Ca2+-ATPase, SERCAII[2,3]. However, the role of the additional physical constraints imposed by the biological membranes on LpCopA is not known. We have labeled the transmembrane cysteines of the copper-binding site with the polarity-sensitive fluorophore 6-bromoacetyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (BADAN). Time-resolved dipolar relaxation studies of the dye show that membrane lateral pressure affects the hydration and dipole mobility of the ion binding site with high topological discrimination. The data show that the lipidic phase can contribute to the energetics of the ion transport cycle by providing lateral forces that affect hydration and dehydration events. References [1] P. Gourdon, P. et al. 2011, Nature 475, 59–64 [2] M. Andersson et al. 2014, Nature Struct.&Mol.Biol. 21, 43-48 [3] J. Møller et al. 2010, Biophys.Q. Rev. 43, 501–566

Membrane proteins fulfil vital functions in cellular signalling and ion exchange across cell membranes. Their function originates in well defined structural transitions of transmembrane and extramembraneous protein domains. The latter experience aqueous and hydrophobic solvation forces, respectively. We have used time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy coupled to static fluorescence measurements to study how this solvation balance at the membrane water interface affects membrane protein structure. Transmembrane peptides derived from rhodopsin, a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCRs), exhibit solvent-accessible stretches which couple protonation and hydration to local helical structure: protonation of a conserved cytosolic site in helix 3 (Glu-134) causes side chain partitioning at the water lipid interface [1]. Vice versa, the side chain charge affects structural transitions that are induced by transients (seconds) of interfacial water potential. These local processes depend on the hydrophobic context of the amino acid sequence. Opsin mutants containing amino acid replacements of the same carboxyl side chain also exhibit altered responses of their structure to water potential. The data indicate that the conserved carboxyl in helix 3 of GPCRs is a protonation-controlled hydration site that regulates the partial entry of water at the protein lipid interface, thereby contributing to the free enthalpy difference between active and inactive structures of the receptor.