Substrate-dependent conformational dynamics of the Escherichia coli membrane insertase YidC

The binding of Pf3 coat protein to the membrane insertase YidC from Escherichia coli induces a conformational change in the tertiary structure of the insertase, resulting in a quenching of the intrinsic tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence. Tryptophan mutants of YidC were generated to examine such conformational movements in detail with time-resolved and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Ten of the 11 Trp residues within YidC were substituted to phenylalanines generating single Trp mutants either at position 354, 454, or 508. In addition, a double mutant with Trp residues at 332 and 334 was studied. Purified YidC mutants were reconstituted into DOPC/DOPG vesicles and titrated with a Trp-free mutant of Pf3 coat, enabling a detailed conformational study of the periplasmic P1, P2, and P3 domains of YidC before and after binding of substrate. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy revealed that the mobility of the residues W332/W334 and W508 was considerably increased after binding of Pf3 coat to the insertase. Furthermore, analysis of the fluorescence emission spectra and the decay times showed that all Trp residues are embedded in an equivalent environment that is a membrane/water interface.     

Real Time Observation of Single Membrane Protein Insertion Events by the Escherichia coli Insertase YidC

Membrane protein translocation and insertion is a central issue in biology. Here we focus on a minimal system, the membrane insertase YidC of Escherichia coli that inserts small proteins into the cytoplasmic membrane. In a reconstituted system individual insertion processes were followed by single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), with a pair of fluorophores on YidC and the substrate Pf3 coat protein. After addition of N-terminally labeled Pf3 coat protein a close contact to YidC at its cytoplasmic label was observed. This allowed to monitor the translocation of the N-terminal domain of Pf3 coat protein across the membrane in real time. Translocation occurred within milliseconds as the label on the N-terminal domain rapidly approached the fluorophore on the periplasmic domain of YidC at the trans side of the membrane. After the close contact, the two fluorophores separated, reflecting the release of the translocated Pf3 coat protein from YidC into the membrane bilayer. When the Pf3 coat protein was labeled C-terminally, no translocation of the label was observed although efficient binding to the cytoplasmic positions of YidC occurred.     

YidC-driven membrane insertion of single fluorescent Pf3 coat proteins

The membrane insertion of single bacteriophage Pf3 coat proteins was observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Within seconds after addition of the purified and fluorescently labeled protein to liposomes or proteoliposomes containing the purified and reconstituted membrane insertase YidC of Escherichia coli, the translocation of the labeled residue was detected. The 50-amino-acid-long Pf3 coat protein was labeled with Atto520 and inserted into the proteoliposomes. Translocation of the dye into the proteoliposome was revealed by quenching the fluorescence outside of the vesicles. This allowed us to distinguish single Pf3 coat proteins that only bound to the surface of the liposomes from proteins that had inserted into the bilayer and translocated the dye into the lumen. The Pf3 coat protein required the presence of the YidC membrane insertase, whereas mutants that have a membrane-spanning region with an increased hydrophobicity were autonomously inserted into the liposomes without YidC.     

Isolation of cold-sensitive yidC mutants provides insights into the substrate profile of the YidC insertase and the importance of transmembrane 3 in YidC function

YidC, a 60-kDa integral membrane protein, plays an important role in membrane protein insertion in bacteria. YidC can function together with the SecYEG machinery or operate independently as a membrane protein insertase. In this paper, we describe two new yidC mutants that lead to a cold-sensitive phenotype in bacterial cell growth. Both alleles impart a cold-sensitive phenotype and result from point mutations localized to the third transmembrane (TM3) segment of YidC, indicating that this region is crucial for YidC function. We found that the yidC(C423R) mutant confers a weak phenotype on membrane protein insertion while a yidC(P431L) mutant leads to a stronger phenotype. In both cases, the affected substrates include the Pf3 coat protein and ATP synthase F₁F_o subunit c (F_oC), while CyoA (the quinol binding subunit of the cytochrome bo3 quinol oxidase complex) and wild-type procoat are slightly affected or not affected in either cold-sensitive mutant. To determine if the different substrates require various levels of YidC activity for membrane insertion, we performed studies where YidC was depleted using an arabinose-dependent expression system. We found that −3M-PC-Lep (a construct with three negatively charged residues inserted into the middle of the procoat-Lep [PC-Lep] protein) and Pf3 P2 (a construct with the Lep P2 domain added at the C terminus of Pf3 coat) required the highest amount of YidC and that CyoA-N-P2 (a construct with the amino-terminal part of CyoA fused to the Lep P2 soluble domain) and PC-Lep required the least, while F_oC required moderate YidC levels. Although the cold-sensitive mutations can preferentially affect one substrate over another, our results indicate that different substrates require different levels of YidC activity for membrane insertion. Finally, we obtained several intragenic suppressors that overcame the cold sensitivity of the C423R mutation. One pair of mutations suggests an interaction between TM2 and TM3 of YidC. The studies reveal the critical regions of the YidC protein and provide insight into the substrate profile of the YidC insertase.     

Dynamic disulfide scanning of the membrane-inserting Pf3 coat protein reveals multiple YidC substrate contacts

The membrane insertase YidC inserts newly synthesized proteins into the plasma membrane. While defects in YidC homologs in animals and plants cause diseases, YidC in bacteria is essential for life. Membrane insertion and assembly of ATP synthase and respiratory complexes is catalyzed by YidC. To investigate how YidC interacts with membrane-inserting proteins, we generated single cysteine mutants in YidC and in the model substrate Pf3 coat protein. The single cysteine mutants were expressed and analyzed for disulfide formation during 30 s of synthesis. The results show that the substrate contacts different YidC residues in four of the six transmembrane regions. The residues are located either in the region of the inner leaflet, in the center, as well as in the periplasmic leaflet, consistent with the hypothesis that YidC presents a hydrophobic platform for inserting membrane proteins. In a YidC mutant where most of the contacting residues were mutated to serines, YidC function was severely disturbed and no longer active in a complementation test, suggesting that the residues are important for function. In addition, a Pf3 mutant with a defect in membrane insertion was deficient to contact the periplasmic residues of YidC.     

Direct interaction of YidC with the Sec-independent Pf3 coat protein during its membrane protein insertion.

YidC is a newly defined translocase component that mediates the insertion of proteins into the membrane bilayer. How YidC functions in the insertion process is not known. In this study, we report that the Sec-independent Pf3 coat protein requires the YidC protein specifically for the membrane translocation step. Using photocrosslinking techniques and ribosome-bound Pf3 coat derivatives with an extended carboxyl-terminal region, we found that the transmembrane region of the Pf3 coat protein physically interacts with YidC and the bacterial signal recognition particle Ffh component. We also find that in the insertion pathway, Pf3 coat interacts strongly with YidC only after its transmembrane segment is fully exposed outside the ribosome tunnel. Interaction between Pf3 coat and YidC occurs even in the absence of the proton motive force and with a Pf3 coat mutant that is defective in transmembrane insertion. Our study demonstrates that YidC can directly interact with a Sec-independent membrane protein, and the role of YidC is at the stage of folding the Pf3 protein into a transmembrane configuration.     

The Pf3 coat protein contacts TM1 and TM3 of YidC during membrane biogenesis

The coat protein of bacteriophage Pf3 is inserted into the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli by the insertase YidC. To identify which of the six transmembrane regions of YidC bind the single-spanning Pf3 coat protein during membrane protein biogenesis, we used the disulfide cross-linking approach. We generated single cysteines in each of the transmembrane regions of YidC and in the center of the hydrophobic region of Pf3 coat protein. We found that the substrate Pf3 coat contacts the first and third transmembrane segment (TM) of YidC as crosslinks between these two proteins can be formed in vivo during membrane biogenesis. A detailed disulfide-mapping study revealed that one face of TM3 of YidC makes contact with the Pf3 protein.

Structured summary

MINT-6795850, MINT-6795869, MINT-6795912, MINT-6795927, MINT-6795942:

Coat protein (uniprotkb:P03623) binds (MI:0408) YidC (uniprotkb:P25714) by cross-linking studies (MI:0030)

MINT-6795898:

Coat protein (uniprotkb:P03623) binds (MI:0408) Coat protein (uniprotkb:P03623) by cross-linking studies (MI:0030)

     

Conditional lethal mutations separate the M13 procoat and Pf3 coat functions of YidC: different YIDC structural requirements for membrane protein insertion

Conditional lethal YidC mutants have been isolated to decipher the role of YidC in the assembly of Sec-dependent and Sec-independent membrane proteins. We now show that the membrane insertion of the Sec-independent M13 procoat-lep protein is inhibited in a short time in a temperature-sensitive mutant when shifted to the nonpermissive temperature. This provides an additional line of evidence that YidC plays a direct role in the insertion of the Sec-independent M13 procoat protein. However, in the temperature-sensitive mutant, the insertion of the Sec-independent Pf3 phage coat protein and the Sec-dependent leader peptidase were not strongly inhibited at the restricted temperatures. Conversely, using a cold-sensitive YidC strain, we find that the membrane insertion of the Sec-independent Pf3 coat protein is blocked, and the Sec-dependent leader peptidase is inhibited at the nonpermissive temperature, whereas the insertion of the M13 procoat protein is nearly normal. These data show that the YidC function for procoat and its function for Pf3 coat and possibly leader peptidase are genetically separable and suggest that the YidC structural requirements are different for the Sec-independent M13 procoat and Pf3 coat phage proteins that insert by different mechanisms.     

Escherichia coli YidC is a membrane insertase for Sec-independent proteins

YidC is a recently discovered bacterial membrane protein that is related to the mitochondrial Oxa1p and the Alb3 protein of chloroplasts. These proteins are required in the membrane integration process of newly synthesized proteins that do not require the classical Sec machinery. Here we demonstrate that YidC is sufficient for the membrane integration of a Sec-independent protein. Microgram amounts of the purified single-spanning Pf3 coat protein were efficiently inserted into proteoliposomes containing the purified YidC. A mutant Pf3 coat protein with an extended hydrophobic region was inserted independently of YidC into the membrane both in vivo and in vitro, but its insertion was accelerated by YidC. These results show that YidC can function separately from the Sec translocase to integrate membrane proteins into the lipid bilayer.     

YidC as a potential antibiotic target

The membrane insertase YidC, is an essential bacterial component and functions in the folding and insertion of many membrane proteins during their biogenesis. It is a multispanning protein in the inner (cytoplasmic) membrane of Escherichia coli that binds its substrates in the “greasy slide” through hydrophobic interaction. The hydrophilic part of the substrate transiently localizes in the groove of YidC before it is translocated into the periplasm. The groove, which is flanked by the greasy slide, is within the center of the membrane, and provides a promising target for inhibitors that would block the insertase function of YidC. In addition, since the greasy slide is available for the binding of various substrates, it could also provide a binding site for inhibitory molecules. In this review we discuss in detail the structure and the mechanism of how YidC interacts not only with its substrates, but also with its partner proteins, the SecYEG translocase and the SRP signal recognition particle. Insight into the substrate binding to the YidC catalytic groove is presented. We wind up the review with the idea that the hydrophilic groove would be a potential site for drug binding and the feasibility of YidC-targeted drug development.     

Distinct requirements for translocation of the N-tail and C-tail of the Escherichia coli inner membrane protein CyoA

Inner membrane proteins (IMPs) of Escherichia coli use different pathways for membrane targeting and integration. YidC plays an essential but poorly defined role in the integration and folding of IMPs both in conjunction with the Sec translocon and as a Sec-independent insertase. Depletion of YidC only marginally affects the insertion of Sec-dependent IMPs, whereas it blocks the insertion of a subset of Sec-independent IMPs. Substrates of this latter "YidC-only" pathway include the relatively small IMPs M13 procoat, Pf3 coat protein, and subunit c of the F(1)F(0) ATPase. Recently, it has been shown that the steady state level of the larger and more complex CyoA subunit of the cytochrome o oxidase is also severely affected upon depletion of YidC. In the present study we have analyzed the biogenesis of the integral lipoprotein CyoA. Collectively, our data suggest that the first transmembrane segment of CyoA rather than the signal sequence recruits the signal recognition particle for membrane targeting. Membrane integration and assembly appear to occur in two distinct sequential steps. YidC is sufficient to catalyze insertion of the N-terminal domain consisting of the signal sequence, transmembrane segment 1, and the small periplasmic domain in between. Translocation of the large C-terminal periplasmic domain requires the Sec translocon and SecA, suggesting that for this particular IMP the Sec translocon might operate downstream of YidC.     

The role of the N-terminal amphipathic helix in bacterial YidC: Insights from functional studies,the crystal structure and molecular dynamics simulations

The evolutionary conserved YidC is a unique dual-function membrane protein that adopts insertase and chaperone conformations. The N-terminal helix of Escherichia coli YidC functions as an uncleaved signal sequence and is important for membrane insertion and interaction with the Sec translocon. Here, we report the first crystal structure of Thermotoga maritima YidC (TmYidC) including the N-terminal amphipathic helix (N-AH) (PDB ID: 6Y86). Molecular dynamics simulations show that N-AH lies on the periplasmic side of the membrane bilayer forming an angle of about 15° with the membrane surface. Our functional studies suggest a role of N-AH for the species-specific interaction with the Sec translocon. The reconstitution data and the superimposition of TmYidC with known YidC structures suggest an active insertase conformation for YidC. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of TmYidC provide evidence that N-AH acts as a membrane recognition helix for the YidC insertase and highlight the flexibility of the C1 region underlining its ability to switch between insertase and chaperone conformations. A structure-based model is proposed to rationalize how YidC performs the insertase and chaperone functions by re-positioning of N-AH and the other structural elements.     

Involvement of SecDF and YidC in the membrane insertion of M13 procoat mutants

The M13 phage Procoat protein is one of the best characterized substrates for the novel YidC pathway. It inserts into the membrane independent of the SecYEG complex but requires the 60 kDa YidC protein. Mutant Procoat proteins with alterations in the periplasmic region had been found to require SecYEG and YidC. In this report, we show that the membrane insertion of these mutants also strongly depends on SecDF that bridges SecYEG to YidC. In a cold-sensitive mutant of YidC, the Sec-dependent function of YidC is strongly impaired. We find that specifically the SecDF-dependent mutants are inhibited in the cold-sensitive YidC strain. Finally, we find that subtle changes in the periplasmic loop such as the number and location of negatively charged residues and the length of the periplasmic loop can make the Procoat strictly Sec-dependent. In addition, we successfully converted Sec-independent Pf3 coat into a Sec-dependent protein by changing the location of a negatively charged residue in the periplasmic tail. Protease mapping of Pf3 coat shows that the insertion-arrested proteins that accumulate in the YidC- or in the SecDF-deficient strains are not translocated. Taken together, the data suggest that the Sec-dependent mutants insert at the interface of YidC and the translocon with SecDF assisting in the translocation step in vivo.     

Mechanisms of YidC-mediated insertion and assembly of multimeric membrane protein complexes

The YidC protein fulfills a dual and essential role in the assembly of inner membrane proteins in Escherichia coli. Besides interacting with transmembrane segments of newly synthesized membrane proteins that insert into the membrane via the SecYEG complex, YidC also functions as an independent membrane protein insertase and assists in membrane protein folding. Here, we discuss the mechanisms of YidC substrate recognition and membrane insertion with emphasis on its role in the assembly of multimeric membrane protein complexes such as the F1F0-ATP synthase.     

Different regions of the nonconserved large periplasmic domain of Escherichia coli YidC are involved in the SecF interaction and membrane insertase activity

The YidC protein of Escherichia coli is required for inserting Sec-independent membrane proteins and has a supportive role for the insertion of Sec-dependent proteins into the membrane bilayer. Because a portion of YidC copurifies with the Sec translocase, this interaction might be necessary to assist in the membrane insertion of Sec-dependent proteins. This study describes a deletion analysis that investigates which parts of YidC are required for its interaction with the SecDF complex of the Sec translocase and for the function of YidC as an insertase for the Sec-dependent membrane proteins. The results suggest that the first periplasmic region, which includes residues 24-346, is required for the interaction of YidC with the Sec translocase, in particular with the SecF protein. Further studies showed that residues 215-265 of YidC are sufficient for SecF binding. Surprisingly, the interaction of YidC with SecF is not critical for cell viability as YidC, lacking residues 24-264, was fully functional to support the growth of E. coli. It was also observed that this YidC mutant was fully functional to insert the Sec-dependent subunit A of the F(1)F(o) ATP synthase and an M13 procoat derivative, as well as the Sec-independent M13 procoat protein and subunit C of the ATP synthase. Only when additional residues of the periplasmic region were deleted (265-346) was the membrane insertase function of YidC inhibited.     

Role of the Cytosolic Loop C2 and the C Terminus of YidC in Ribosome Binding and Insertion Activity

Members of the YidC/Oxa1/Alb3 protein family mediate membrane protein insertion, and this process is initiated by the assembly of YidC·ribosome nascent chain complexes at the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer. The positively charged C terminus of Escherichia coli YidC plays a significant role in ribosome binding but is not the sole determinant because deletion does not completely abrogate ribosome binding. The positively charged cytosolic loops C1 and C2 of YidC may provide additional docking sites. We performed systematic sequential deletions within these cytosolic domains and studied their effect on the YidC insertase activity and interaction with translation-stalled (programmed) ribosome. Deletions within loop C1 strongly affected the activity of YidC in vivo but did not influence ribosome binding or substrate insertion, whereas loop C2 appeared to be involved in ribosome binding. Combining the latter deletion with the removal of the C terminus of YidC abolished YidC-mediated insertion. We propose that these two regions play an crucial role in the formation and stabilization of an active YidC·ribosome nascent chain complex, allowing for co-translational membrane insertion, whereas loop C1 may be involved in the downstream chaperone activity of YidC or in other protein-protein interactions.     

Post-translational membrane insertion of an endogenous YidC substrate

Membrane protein insertion is controlled by proteinaceous factors embedded in the lipid bilayer. Bacterial inner membrane proteins utilise the Sec translocon as the major facilitator of insertion; however some proteins are Sec independent and instead require only YidC. A common feature of YidC substrates is the exposure of a signal anchor sequence when translation is close to completion; this allows minimal time for targeting and favours a post-translational insertion mechanism. Despite this there is little evidence of YidC's post-translational activity. Here we develop an experimental system that uncouples translation and insertion of the endogenous YidC substrate F₀c (subunit c of the F₀F₁ ATP synthase). In this process we (i) develop a novel one step purification method for YidC, including an on column membrane reconstitution, (ii) isolate a soluble form of F₀c and (iii) show that incubation of F₀c with YidC proteoliposomes results in a high level of membrane integration. Conformational analyses of inserted F₀c through Blue Native PAGE and fluorescence quenching reveal a native, oligomerised structure. These data show that YidC can act as a post-translational insertase, a finding which could explain the absence of a ribosome binding domain on YidC. This correlates with the post-translational activity of other YidC family members lacking the ribosome binding domain.     

Elucidating the Native Architecture of the YidC: Ribosome Complex

Membrane protein biogenesis in bacteria occurs via dedicated molecular systems SecYEG and YidC that function independently and in cooperation. YidC belongs to the universally conserved Oxa1/Alb3/YidC family of membrane insertases and is believed to associate with translating ribosomes at the membrane surface. Here, we have examined the architecture of the YidC:ribosome complex formed upon YidC-mediated membrane protein insertion. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was employed to investigate the complex assembly under physiological conditions. A slightly acidic environment stimulates binding of detergent-solubilized YidC to ribosomes due to electrostatic interactions, while YidC acquires specificity for translating ribosomes at pH-neutral conditions. The nanodisc reconstitution of the YidC to embed it into a native phospholipid membrane environment strongly enhances the YidC:ribosome complex formation. A single copy of YidC suffices for the binding of translating ribosome both in detergent and at the lipid membrane interface, thus being the minimal functional unit. Data reveal molecular details on the insertase functioning and interactions and suggest a new structural model for the YidC:ribosome complex.     

The crystal structure of the periplasmic domain of the Escherichia coli membrane protein insertase YidC contains a substrate binding cleft

In bacteria the biogenesis of inner membrane proteins requires targeting and insertion factors such as the signal recognition particle and the Sec translocon. YidC is an essential membrane protein involved in the insertion of inner membrane proteins together with the Sec translocon, but also as a separate entity. YidC of Escherichia coli is a member of the conserved YidC (in bacteria)/Oxa1 (in mitochondria)/Alb3 (in chloroplasts) protein family and contains six transmembrane segments and a large periplasmic domain (P1). We determined the crystal structure of the periplasmic domain of YidC from E. coli (P1D) at 1.8 A resolution. The structure of P1D shows the conserved beta-supersandwich fold of carbohydrate-binding proteins and an alpha-helical linker region at the C terminus that packs against the beta-supersandwich by a highly conserved interface. P1D exhibits an elongated cleft of similar architecture as found in the structural homologs. However, the electrostatic properties and molecular details of the cleft make it unlikely to interact with carbohydrate substrates. The cleft in P1D is occupied by a polyethylene glycol molecule suggesting an elongated peptide or acyl chain as a natural ligand. The region of P1D previously reported to interact with SecF maps to a surface area in the vicinity of the cleft. The conserved C-terminal region of the P1 domain was reported to be essential for the membrane insertase function of YidC. The analysis of this region suggests a role in membrane interaction and/or in the regulation of YidC interaction with binding partners.     

YidC is strictly required for membrane insertion of subunits a and c of the F(1)F(0)ATP synthase and SecE of the SecYEG translocase

YidC was previously discovered to play a critical role for the insertion of the Sec-independent M13 procoat and Pf3 coat phage proteins into the Escherichia coli inner membrane. To determine whether there is an absolute requirement of YidC for membrane protein insertion of any endogenous E. coli proteins, we investigated a few representative membrane proteins. We found that membrane subunits of the F(0) sector of the F(1)F(0)ATP synthase and the SecE protein of the SecYEG translocase are highly dependent on YidC for membrane insertion, based on protease mapping and immunoblot analysis. We found that the SecE dependency on YidC for membrane insertion does not contradict the observation that depletion of YidC does not block SecYEG-dependent protein export at 37 degrees C. YidC depletion does not decrease the SecE level low enough to block export at 37 degrees C. In contrast, we found that protein export of OmpA is severely blocked at 25 degrees C when YidC is depleted, which may be due to the decreased SecE level, as a 50% decrease in the SecE levels drastically affects protein export at the cold temperature [Schatz, P. J., Bieker, K. L., Ottemann, K. M., Silhavy, T. J., and Beckwith, J. (1991) EMBO J. 10, 1749-57]. These studies reported here establish that physiological substrates of YidC include subunits of the ATP synthase and the SecYEG translocase, demonstrating that YidC plays a vital role for insertion of endogenous membrane proteins in bacteria.