Pontus Gourdon

Light stimulates growth of proteorhodopsin-containing marine Flavobacteria

Proteorhodopsins are bacterial light-dependent proton pumps. Their discovery within genomic material from uncultivated marine bacterioplankton caused considerable excitement because it indicated a potential phototrophic function within these organisms, which had previously been considered strictly chemotrophic. Subsequent studies established that sequences encoding proteorhodopsin are broadly distributed throughout the world’s oceans. Nevertheless, the role of proteorhodopsins in native marine bacteria is still unknown. Here we show, from an analysis of the complete genomes of three marine Flavobacteria, that cultivated bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes, one of the principal components of marine bacterioplankton, contain proteorhodopsin. Moreover, growth experiments in both natural and artificial seawater (low in labile organic matter, which is typical of the world’s oceans) establish that exposure to light results in a marked increase in the cell yield of one such bacterium (Dokdonia sp. strain MED134) when compared with cells grown in darkness. Thus, our results show that the phototrophy conferred by proteorhodopsin can provide critical amounts of energy, not only for respiration and maintenance but also for active growth of marine bacterioplankton in their natural environment.

Crystal structure of a copper-transporting PIB-type ATPase

Heavy-metal homeostasis and detoxification is crucial for cell viability. P-type ATPases of the class IB (PIB) are essential in these processes, actively extruding heavy metals from the cytoplasm of cells. Here we present the structure of a PIB-ATPase, a Legionella pneumophila CopA Cu+-ATPase, in a copper-free form, as determined by X-ray crystallography at 3.2 Å resolution. The structure indicates a three-stage copper transport pathway involving several conserved residues. A PIB-specific transmembrane helix kinks at a double-glycine motif displaying an amphipathic helix that lines a putative copper entry point at the intracellular interface. Comparisons to Ca2+-ATPase suggest an ATPase-coupled copper release mechanism from the binding sites in the membrane via an extracellular exit site. The structure also provides a framework to analyse missense mutations in the human ATP7A and ATP7B proteins associated with Menkes’ and Wilson’s diseases.

Crystal Structure of Na+, K+-ATPase in the Na+-Bound State

Pumping Out Sodium Mammalian cells contain relatively high concentrations of potassium but low concentrations of sodium. This balance is maintained by an ion pump, the Na+, K+–adenosine triphosphatase, in an adenosine triphosphate–driven transport cycle that results in the export of three sodium ions and the import of two potassium ions. Structures of potassium-bound conformations of the pump have been determined. Now, Nyblom et al. (p. 123, published online 19 September) report on the high-resolution crystal structure of a Na+-bound conformation, which reveals conformational changes associated with Na+ binding. The location of three bound sodium ions and the mechanism of sodium release in a key plasma membrane ion pump are revealed. The Na+, K+–adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) maintains the electrochemical gradients of Na+ and K+ across the plasma membrane—a prerequisite for electrical excitability and secondary transport. Hitherto, structural information has been limited to K+-bound or ouabain-blocked forms. We present the crystal structure of a Na+-bound Na+, K+-ATPase as determined at 4.3 Å resolution. Compared with the K+-bound form, large conformational changes are observed in the α subunit whereas the β and γ subunit structures are maintained. The locations of the three Na+ sites are indicated with the unique site III at the recently suggested IIIb, as further supported by electrophysiological studies on leak currents. Extracellular release of the third Na+ from IIIb through IIIa, followed by exchange of Na+ for K+ at sites I and II, is suggested.

Optimized in vitro and in vivo expression of proteorhodopsin: A seven-transmembrane proton pump

Proteorhodopsin is an integral membrane light-harvesting proton pump that is found in bacteria distributed throughout global surface waters. Here, we present a protocol for functional in vitro production of pR using a commercial cell-free synthesis system yielding 1.0mg purified protein per milliliter of cell lysate. We also present an optimized protocol for in vivo over-expression of pR in Escherichia coli, and a two-step purification yielding 5mg of essentially pure functional protein per liter of culture. Both approaches are straightforward, rapid, and easily scalable. Thus either may facilitate the exploitation of pR for commercial biotechnological applications. Finally, the implications of some observations of the in vitro synthesis behavior, as well as preliminary results towards a structural determination of pR are discussed.

Conformational regulation of charge recombination reactions in a photosynthetic bacterial reaction center

In bright light the photosynthetic reaction center (RC) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides stabilizes the P+870·Q−A charge-separated state and thereby minimizes the potentially harmful effects of light saturation. Using X-ray diffraction we report a conformational change that occurs within the cytoplasmic domain of this RC in response to prolonged illumination with bright light. Our observations suggest a novel structural mechanism for the regulation of electron transfer reactions in photosynthesis.

Crystal structure of an ammonia-permeable aquaporin.

Aquaporins of the TIP subfamily (Tonoplast Intrinsic Proteins) have been suggested to facilitate permeation of water and ammonia across the vacuolar membrane of plants, allowing the vacuole to efficiently sequester ammonium ions and counteract cytosolic fluctuations of ammonia. Here, we report the structure determined at 1.18 Å resolution from twinned crystals of Arabidopsis thaliana aquaporin AtTIP2;1 and confirm water and ammonia permeability of the purified protein reconstituted in proteoliposomes as further substantiated by molecular dynamics simulations. The structure of AtTIP2;1 reveals an extended selectivity filter with the conserved arginine of the filter adopting a unique unpredicted position. The relatively wide pore and the polar nature of the selectivity filter clarify the ammonia permeability. By mutational studies, we show that the identified determinants in the extended selectivity filter region are sufficient to convert a strictly water-specific human aquaporin into an AtTIP2;1-like ammonia channel. A flexible histidine and a novel water-filled side pore are speculated to deprotonate ammonium ions, thereby possibly increasing permeation of ammonia. The molecular understanding of how aquaporins facilitate ammonia flux across membranes could potentially be used to modulate ammonia losses over the plasma membrane to the atmosphere, e.g., during photorespiration, and thereby to modify the nitrogen use efficiency of plants.

Structure and Function of Cu(I)- and Zn(II)-ATPases

Copper and zinc are micronutrients essential for the function of many enzymes while also being toxic at elevated concentrations. Cu(I)- and Zn(II)-transporting P-type ATPases of subclass 1B are of key importance for the homeostasis of these transition metals, allowing ion transport across cellular membranes at the expense of ATP. Recent biochemical studies and crystal structures have significantly improved our understanding of the transport mechanisms of these proteins, but many details about their structure and function remain elusive. Here we compare the Cu(I)- and Zn(II)-ATPases, scrutinizing the molecular differences that allow transport of these two distinct metal types, and discuss possible future directions of research in the field.

Picosecond calorimetry : time-resolved x-ray diffraction studies of liquid CH2Cl2

Liquid phase time-resolved x-ray diffraction with 100 ps resolution has recently emerged as a powerful technique for probing the structural dynamics of transient photochemical species in solution. It is intrinsic to the method, however, that a structural signal is observed not only from the photochemical of interest but also from the embedding solvent matrix. To experimentally characterize the x-ray diffraction signal deriving from the solvent alone we performed time-resolved diffraction studies of a pure liquid sample over a time domain from -250 ps to 2.5 micros. Multiphoton excitation was used to rapidly heat liquid CH(2)Cl(2) using UV pulses of 100 fs duration. A significant x-ray diffraction signal is visible prior to the onset of thermal expansion, which characterizes a highly compressed superheated liquid. Liquid CH(2)Cl(2) then expands as a shock wave propagates through the sample and the temporal dependence of this phenomenon is in good agreement with theory. An unexpectedly slow initial release of energy into the liquid as heat is observed from multiphoton excited CH(2)Cl(2), revealing the presence of a metastable state of multiphoton excited CH(2)Cl(2).

A sulfur‐based transport pathway in Cu+‐ATPases

Cells regulate copper levels tightly to balance the biogenesis and integrity of copper centers in vital enzymes against toxic levels of copper. PIB‐type Cu+‐ATPases play a central role in copper homeostasis by catalyzing the selective translocation of Cu+ across cellular membranes. Crystal structures of a copper‐free Cu+‐ATPase are available, but the mechanism of Cu+ recognition, binding, and translocation remains elusive. Through X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, ATPase activity assays, and charge transfer measurements on solid‐supported membranes using wild‐type and mutant forms of the Legionella pneumophila Cu+‐ATPase (LpCopA), we identify a sulfur‐lined metal transport pathway. Structural analysis indicates that Cu+ is bound at a high‐affinity transmembrane‐binding site in a trigonal‐planar coordination with the Cys residues of the conserved CPC motif of transmembrane segment 4 (C382 and C384) and the conserved Met residue of transmembrane segment 6 (M717 of the MXXXS motif). These residues are also essential for transport. Additionally, the studies indicate essential roles of other conserved intramembranous polar residues in facilitating copper binding to the high‐affinity site and subsequent release through the exit pathway.

A high-yield co-expression system for the purification of an intact Drs2p-Cdc50p lipid flippase complex, critically dependent on and stabilized by phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate

P-type ATPases from the P4 subfamily (P4-ATPases) are energy-dependent transporters, which are thought to establish lipid asymmetry in eukaryotic cell membranes. Together with their Cdc50 accessory subunits, P4-ATPases couple ATP hydrolysis to lipid transport from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet of plasma membranes, late Golgi membranes, and endosomes. To gain insights into the structure and function of these important membrane pumps, robust protocols for expression and purification are required. In this report, we present a procedure for high-yield co-expression of a yeast flippase, the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex. After recovery of yeast membranes expressing both proteins, efficient purification was achieved in a single step by affinity chromatography on streptavidin beads, yielding ∼1–2 mg purified Drs2p-Cdc50p complex per liter of culture. Importantly, the procedure enabled us to recover a fraction that mainly contained a 1∶1 complex, which was assessed by size-exclusion chromatography and mass spectrometry. The functional properties of the purified complex were examined, including the dependence of its catalytic cycle on specific lipids. The dephosphorylation rate was stimulated in the simultaneous presence of the transported substrate, phosphatidylserine (PS), and the regulatory lipid phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P), a phosphoinositide that plays critical roles in membrane trafficking events from the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Likewise, overall ATP hydrolysis by the complex was critically dependent on the simultaneous presence of PI4P and PS. We also identified a prominent role for PI4P in stabilization of the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex towards temperature- or C12E8-induced irreversible inactivation. These results indicate that the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex remains functional after affinity purification and that PI4P as a cofactor tightly controls its stability and catalytic activity. This work offers appealing perspectives for detailed structural and functional characterization of the Drs2p-Cdc50p lipid transport mechanism.