analyzing-protein-architectures-protein-ligand-complexes-integrative

Analyzing Protein Architectures and Protein-Ligand Complexes by Integrative Structural Mass Spectrometry

Proteins are an important class of biological macromolecules that play many key roles in cellular functions including gene expression, catalyzing ...

King's College London

The interplay between membrane proteins and the lipids of the membrane is important for cellular function, however, tools enabling the interrogation of protein dynamics within native lipid environments are scarce and often invasive. We show that the styrene-maleic acid lipid particle (SMALP) technology can be coupled with hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) to investigate membrane protein conformational dynamics within native lipid bilayers. We demonstrate changes in accessibility and dynamics of the rhomboid protease GlpG, captured within three different native lipid compositions, and identify protein regions sensitive to changes in the native lipid environment. Our results illuminate the value of this approach for distinguishing the putative role(s) of the native lipid composition in modulating membrane protein conformational dynamics.

Interrogating Membrane Protein Conformational Dynamics within Native Lipid Compositions.

Secondary transporters undergo structural rearrangements to catalyze substrate translocation across the cell membrane - yet how such conformational changes happen within a lipid environment remains poorly understood. Here, we combine hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to understand how lipids regulate the conformational dynamics of secondary transporters at the molecular level. Using the homologous transporters XylE, LacY and GlpT from Escherichia coli as model systems, we discover that conserved networks of charged residues act as molecular switches that drive the conformational transition between different states. We reveal that these molecular switches are regulated by interactions with surrounding phospholipids and show that phosphatidylethanolamine interferes with the formation of the conserved networks and favors an inward-facing state. Overall, this work provides insights into the importance of lipids in shaping the conformational landscape of an important class of transporters.

Chloe Martens

Department of Chemistry

King's College London

Analyzing Protein Architectures and Protein-Ligand Complexes by Integrative Structural Mass Spectrometry

Chloe Martens

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Chemistry

King's College London

Analyzing Protein Architectures and Protein-Ligand Complexes by Integrative Structural Mass Spectrometry

Department of Chemistry