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Membrane fusion is a tightly controlled process in all eukaryotic cell types. The SNARE family of proteins is required for fusion throughout the exocytic and endocytic trafficking pathways. SNAREs on a transport vesicle interact with the cognate SNAREs on the target membrane, forming an incredibly stable SNARE complex that provides energy for the membranes to fuse, although many aspects of the mechanism remain elusive. Recent advances in single-molecule and high-resolution structural methods provide exciting new insights into how SNARE complexes assemble, including measurements of assembly energetics and identification of intermediates in the assembly pathway. These techniques were also key in elucidating mechanistic details into how the SNARE complex is disassembled, including details of the energetics required for ATP-dependent α-SNAP/NSF-mediated SNARE complex disassembly, and the structural changes that accompany ATP hydrolysis by the disassembly machinery. Additionally, SNARE complex formation and disassembly are tightly regulated processes; innovative biochemical and biophysical characterization has deepened our understanding of how these regulators work to control membrane fusion and exocytosis.

See How They Grow Controlled assembly and disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for processes such as cell motility, cytokinesis, and tumor metastasis. The formation of new actin filaments appears to involve the protein formin paired with another actin assembly-promoting factor. Breitsprecher et al. (p. 1164 ) used triplecolor single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to visualize actin assembly promoted by the formin, mDia1, and the tumor-suppressor, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). The two assembly factors interacted directly to initiate filament assembly, after which mDia1 moved with the growing barbed ends while APC remained at the site of nucleation.

Background Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and persistent CD8+ lymphocyte depletion rapidly leads to encephalitis and neuronal injury. The objective of this study is to confirm that CD8-depletion alone does not affect brain pathology in the absence of SIV infection.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy has emerged as one of the most informative neuroimaging modalities for studying the effect of HIV infection in the brain, providing surrogate markers by which to assess disease progression and monitor treatment. Reductions in the level of N-Acetylaspartate and N-Acetylaspartate/creatine are established markers of neuronal injury or loss. However, the biochemical basis of altered creatine levels in neuroAIDS is not well understood. This study used a rapid progression macaque model of neuroAIDS to elucidate the changes in creatine. As the disease progressed, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a decrease in N-Acetylaspartate, indicative of neuronal injury, and an increase in creatine yet to be elucidated. Subsequently, immunohistochemistry and stereology measures of decreased synaptophysin, microtubule-associated protein 2, and neuronal density confirmed neuronal injury. Furthermore, increases in ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein indicated microglial and astroglial activation, respectively. Given these data, elevated creatine may reflect enhanced high-energy phosphate turnover in highly metabolizing activated astrocytes and microglia. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A crucial challenge in present biomedical research is the elucidation of how fundamental processes like protein folding and aggregation occur in the complex environment of the cell. Many new physico-chemical factors like crowding and confinement must be considered, and immense technical hurdles must be overcome in order to explore these processes in vivo. Understanding protein misfolding and aggregation diseases and developing therapeutic strategies to these diseases demand that we gain mechanistic insight into behaviors and misbehaviors of proteins as they fold in vivo. We have developed a fluorescence approach using FlAsH labeling to study the thermodynamics of folding of a model β-rich protein, cellular retinoic acid binding protein (CRABP) in Escherichia coli cells. The labeling approach has also enabled us to follow aggregation of a modified version of CRABP and chimeras between CRABP and huntingtin exon 1 with its glutamine repeat tract. In this article, we review our recent results using FlAsH labeling to study in-vivo folding and present new observations that hint at fundamental differences between the thermodynamics and kinetics of protein folding in vivo and in vitro. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 88: 157–163, 2007. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The ‘Published Online’ date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com

Precise control of actin filament length is essential to many cellular processes. Formins processively elongate filaments, whereas capping protein (CP) binds to barbed ends and arrests polymerization. While genetic and biochemical evidence has indicated that these two proteins function antagonistically, the mechanism underlying the antagonism has remained unresolved. Here we use multi-wavelength single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to observe the fully reversible formation of a long-lived ‘decision complex' in which a CP dimer and a dimer of the formin mDia1 simultaneously bind the barbed end. Further, mDia1 displaced from the barbed end by CP can randomly slide along the filament and later return to the barbed end to re-form the complex. Quantitative kinetic analysis reveals that the CP-mDia1 antagonism that we observe in vitro occurs through the decision complex. Our observations suggest new molecular mechanisms for the control of actin filament length and for the capture of filament barbed ends in cells., Formins promote the polymerization of actin filaments at barbed ends and capping protein prevents polymerization. Here the authors use single molecule imaging to directly visualize a decision complex consisting of the formin mDia1 and capping protein bound simultaneously to the filament barbed end and the dynamic mechanisms by which it forms and dissociates.

Background Minocycline is a tetracycline antibiotic that has been proposed as a potential conjunctive therapy for HIV-1 associated cognitive disorders. Precise mechanism(s) of minocycline's functions are not well defined. Methods Fourteen rhesus macaques were SIV infected and neuronal metabolites measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). Seven received minocycline (4 mg/kg) daily starting at day 28 post-infection (pi). Monocyte expansion and activation were assessed by flow cytometry, cell traffic to lymph nodes, CD16 regulation, viral replication, and cytokine production were studied. Results Minocycline treatment decreased plasma virus and pro-inflammatory CD14+CD16+ and CD14loCD16+ monocytes, and reduced their expression of CD11b, CD163, CD64, CCR2 and HLA-DR. There was reduced recruitment of monocyte/macrophages and productively infected cells in axillary lymph nodes. There was an inverse correlation between brain NAA/Cr (neuronal injury) and circulating CD14+CD16+ and CD14loCD16+ monocytes. Minocycline treatment in vitro reduced SIV replication CD16 expression on activated CD14+CD16+ monocytes, and IL-6 production by monocytes following LPS stimulation. Conclusion Neuroprotective effects of minocycline are due in part to reduction of activated monocytes, monocyte traffic. Mechanisms for these effects include CD16 regulation, reduced viral replication, and inhibited immune activation.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy has emerged as one of the most informative neuroimaging modalities for studying the effect of HIV infection in the brain, providing surrogate markers by which to assess disease progression and monitor treatment. Reductions in the level of N-Acetylaspartate and N-Acetylaspartate/creatine are established markers of neuronal injury or loss. However, the biochemical basis of altered creatine levels in neuroAIDS is not well understood. This study used a rapid progression macaque model of neuroAIDS to elucidate the changes in creatine. As the disease progressed, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a decrease in N-Acetylaspartate, indicative of neuronal injury, and an increase in creatine yet to be elucidated. Subsequently, immunohistochemistry and stereology measures of decreased synaptophysin, microtubule-associated protein 2, and neuronal density confirmed neuronal injury. Furthermore, increases in ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein indicated microglial and astroglial activation, respectively. Given these data, elevated creatine may reflect enhanced high-energy phosphate turnover in highly metabolizing activated astrocytes and microglia.

Background: Despite the advent of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders continue to be a significant problem. In efforts to understand and alleviate neurocognitive deficits associated with HIV, we used an accelerated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) macaque model of NeuroAIDS to test whether minocycline is neuroprotective against lentiviral-induced neuronal injury. Methodology/Principal Findings: Eleven rhesus macaques were infected with SIV, depleted of CD8+ lymphocytes, and studied until eight weeks post inoculation (wpi). Seven animals received daily minocycline orally beginning at 4 wpi. Neuronal integrity was monitored in vivo by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and post-mortem by immunohistochemistry for synaptophysin (SYN), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), and neuronal counts. Astrogliosis and microglial activation were quantified by measuring glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1), respectively. SIV infection followed by CD8+ cell depletion induced a progressive decline in neuronal integrity evidenced by declining N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr), which was arrested with minocycline treatment. The recovery of this ratio was due to increases in NAA, indicating neuronal recovery, and decreases in Cr, likely reflecting downregulation of glial cell activation. SYN, MAP2, and neuronal counts were found to be higher in minocyclinetreated animals compared to untreated animals while GFAP and IBA-1 expression were decreased compared to controls. CSF and plasma viral loads were lower in MN-treated animals. Conclusions/Significance: In conclusion, oral minocycline alleviates neuronal damage induced by the AIDS virus.

Background In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies of HIV-infected humans have demonstrated significant metabolic abnormalities that vary by brain region, but the causes are poorly understood. Metabolic changes in the frontal cortex, basal ganglia and white matter in 18 SIV-infected macaques were investigated using MRS during the first month of infection. Results Changes in the N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo-inositol (MI), creatine (Cr) and glutamine/glutamate (Glx) resonances were quantified both in absolute terms and relative to the creatine resonance. Most abnormalities were observed at the time of peak viremia, 2 weeks post infection (wpi). At that time point, significant decreases in NAA and NAA/Cr, reflecting neuronal injury, were observed only in the frontal cortex. Cr was significantly elevated only in the white matter. Changes in Cho and Cho/Cr were similar across the brain regions, increasing at 2 wpi, and falling below baseline levels at 4 wpi. MI and MI/Cr levels were increased across all brain regions. Conclusion These data best support the hypothesis that different brain regions have variable intrinsic vulnerabilities to neuronal injury caused by the AIDS virus.