Reconstitution of membrane proteins. Spontaneous incorporation of integral membrane proteins into preformed bilayers of pure phospholipid

The spontaneous reconstitution of lipid-protein complexes was examined by mixing bacteriorhodopsin or UDP-glucuronosyltransferase with preformed, unilamellar bilayers of pure dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Spontaneous insertion of these proteins into vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine was facilitated by resonicating the vesicles at 4 degrees C. The property of resonicated vesicles that led to spontaneous reconstitution could be annealed by melting the bilayers, which slowed down reconstitution. The overall process of reconstitution consisted, however, of two steps. There was an initial insertion of proteins into a small portion of vesicles followed by subsequent fusion between protein-free vesicles and vesicles containing lipid-protein complexes. The first step appeared to proceed rapidly in all vesicles in a gel phase, whether or not they were resonicated or whether or not resonicated vesicles were annealed. The rate of the second step was sensitive to these treatments. The membrane proteins also inserted into preformed vesicles in a liquid crystalline phase, but this step was slower than for vesicles in a gel phase. Fusion between protein-free and protein-containing vesicles in a liquid crystalline phase was extremely slow. The data show that the spontaneous insertion of pure membrane proteins into preformed vesicles can be a facile event and that the overall reconstitution of membrane proteins into preformed unilamellar vesicles may be simpler to achieve than has been appreciated.     

Reconstitution of membrane proteins: sequential incorporation of integral membrane proteins into preformed lipid bilayers

Several integral membrane proteins can be inserted sequentially into preformed unilamellar vesicles (ULV's) composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and cholesterol in a gel phase. Thus, proteoliposomes of DMPC, cholesterol, and bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobium rapidly incorporate UDPglucuronosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) from pig liver microsomes, cytochrome oxidase from beef heart mitochondria, and additional bacteriorhodopsin, added sequentially. This process of spontaneous incorporation can be regulated to produce complex artificial membranes that contain phospholipids and proteins at ratios (mol/mol) equivalent to what is found in biological membranes. The ability of the lipid-protein bilayers to incorporate additional integral membrane proteins is not affected by annealing of the proteoliposomes at 37 degrees C nor by the order of addition of the proteins. Bacteriorhodopsin-containing vesicles formed by the sequential addition of integral membrane proteins demonstrate light-driven proton pumping. Therefore, they have retained a vesicular structure. Vesicles containing one or two different proteins will fuse with each other at 21 degrees C or with ULV's devoid of proteins. Incorporation of bacteriorhodopsin or UDPglucuronosyltransferase into proteoliposomes containing DMPC, with or without cholesterol as impurity, also occurs above the phase transition for DMPC. The presence of a protein in a liquid-crystalline bilayer provides the necessary condition for promoting the spontaneous incorporation of other membrane proteins into preformed bilayers.     

Reconstitution of membrane proteins: catalysis by cholesterol of insertion of integral membrane proteins into preformed lipid bilayers

The presence of cholesterol in small unilamellar vesicles (ULV) of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) catalyzes fusion of the vesicles at temperatures below the upper limit for the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition of the DMPC. The extent to which ULV grow depends on the concentration of cholesterol in the vesicles and on temperature. Maximum growth occurs at 21 degrees C. It decreases as the temperature is lowered below 21 degrees C. Growth does not occur at temperatures above the phase transition. In addition, the presence of cholesterol in ULV of DMPC catalyzes the insertion of integral membrane proteins into the vesicles. Thus, bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobrium, UDPglucuronosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) from pig liver microsomes, and cytochrome oxidase from beef heart mitochondria formed stable lipid-protein complexes spontaneously when added to ULV containing cholesterol at temperatures under which these vesicles would fuse. Incorporation of these proteins into the ULV of DMPC did not occur in the absence of cholesterol or in the presence of cholesterol when the temperature of the system was above that for the phase transition. It appears that cholesterol lowers the energy barrier for fusion of ULV of DMPC and for insertion of integral membrane proteins into these bilayers. Studies with bacteriorhodopsin suggest that the energy barrier for insertion of proteins into ULV containing cholesterol is smaller than the energy barrier for fusion of the ULV with each other.     

Co-translational association of cell-free expressed membrane proteins with supplied lipid bilayers

Abstract

Routine strategies for the cell-free production of membrane proteins in the presence of detergent micelles and for their efficient co-translational solubilization have been developed. Alternatively, the expression in the presence of rationally designed lipid bilayers becomes interesting in particular for biochemical studies. The synthesized membrane proteins would be directed into a more native-like environment and cell-free expression of transporters, channels or other membrane proteins in the presence of supplied artificial membranes could allow their subsequent functional analysis without any exposure to detergents. In addition, lipid-dependent effects on activity and stability of membrane proteins could systematically be studied. However, in contrast to the generally efficient detergent solubilization, the successful stabilization of membrane proteins with artificial membranes appears to be more difficult. A number of strategies have therefore been explored in order to optimize the co-translational association of membrane proteins with different forms of supplied lipid bilayers including liposomes, bicelles, microsomes or nanodiscs. In this review, we have compiled the current state-of-the-art of this technology and we summarize parameters which have been indicated as important for the co-translational association of cell-free synthesized membrane proteins with supplied membranes.     

Lipid enrichment and selectivity of integral membrane proteins in two-component lipid bilayers

A model recently used to study lipid-protein interactions in one-component lipid bilayers (Sperotto and Mouritsen, 1991 a, b) has been extended in order to include two different lipid species characterized by different acyl-chain lengths. The model, which is a statistical mechanical lattice model, assumes that hydrophobic matching between lipid-bilayer hydrophobic thickness and hydrophobic length of the integral protein is an important aspect of the interactions. By means of Monte Carlo simulation techniques, the lateral distribution of the two lipid species near the hydrophobic protein-lipid interface in the fluid phase of the bilayer has been derived. The results indicate that there is a very structured and heterogeneous distribution of the two lipid species near the protein and that the protein-lipid interface is enriched in one of the lipid species. Out of equilibrium, the concentration profiles of the two lipid species away from the protein interface are found to develop a long-range oscillatory behavior. Such dynamic membrane heterogeneity may be of relevance for determining the physical factors involved in lipid specificity of protein function.     

Reconstitution of membrane proteins into giant unilamellar vesicles via peptide-induced fusion

In this work, we present a protocol to reconstitute membrane proteins into giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) via peptide-induced fusion. In principle, GUV provide a well-defined lipid matrix, resembling a close-to-native state for biophysical studies, including optical microspectroscopy, of transmembrane proteins at the molecular level. Furthermore, reconstitution in this manner would also eliminate potential artifacts arising from secondary interactions of proteins, when reconstituted in planar membranes supported on solid surfaces. However, assembly procedures of GUV preclude direct reconstitution. Here, for the first time, a method is described that allows the controlled incorporation of membrane proteins into GUV. We demonstrate that large unilamellar vesicles (LUV, diameter 0.1 microm), to which the small fusogenic peptide WAE has been covalently attached, readily fuse with GUV, as revealed by monitoring lipid and contents mixing by fluorescence microscopy. To monitor contents mixing, a new fluorescence-based enzymatic assay was devised. Fusion does not introduce changes in the membrane morphology, as shown by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Analysis of fluorescence confocal imaging intensity revealed that approximately 6 to 10 LUV fused per microm(2) of GUV surface. As a model protein, bacteriorhodopsin (BR) was reconstituted into GUV, using LUV into which BR was incorporated via detergent dialysis. BR did not affect GUV-LUV fusion and the protein was stably inserted into the GUV and functionally active. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy experiments show that BR inserted into GUV undergoes unrestricted Brownian motion with a diffusion coefficient of 1.2 microm(2)/s. The current procedure offers new opportunities to address issues related to membrane-protein structure and dynamics in a close-to-native state.     

Reconstitution of integral membrane proteins into isotropic bicelles with improved sample stability and expanded lipid composition profile

Reconstitution of integral membrane proteins into membrane mimetic environments suitable for biophysical and structural studies has long been a challenge. Isotropic bicelles promise the best of both worlds-keeping a membrane protein surrounded by a small patch of bilayer-forming lipids while remaining small enough to tumble isotropically and yield good solution NMR spectra. However, traditional methods for the reconstitution of membrane proteins into isotropic bicelles expose the proteins to potentially destabilizing environments. Reconstituting the protein into liposomes and then adding short-chain lipid to this mixture produces bicelle samples while minimizing protein exposure to unfavorable environments. The result is higher yield of protein reconstituted into bicelles and improved long-term stability, homogeneity, and sample-to-sample reproducibility. This suggests better preservation of protein structure during the reconstitution procedure and leads to decreased cost per sample, production of fewer samples, and reduction of the NMR time needed to collect a high quality spectrum. Furthermore, this approach enabled reconstitution of protein into isotropic bicelles with a wider range of lipid compositions. These results are demonstrated with the small multidrug resistance transporter EmrE, a protein known to be highly sensitive to its environment.     

Reconstitution of vacuolar ion channels into planar lipid bilayers.

Vacuolar ion channels were characterized after reconstitution into planar lipid bilayers. (1) Channel activity was observed after incorporation of tonoplast-enriched microsomal membranes, purified tonoplast membranes or of solubilized tonoplast proteins. (2) Channels of varying single-channel conductances were detected after reconstitution. In symmetrical 100 mmol l-1 KCl, conductances between 1 and 110 pS were frequently measured; the largest number of independent reconstitution events was seen for single-channel conductances of 16-25 pS (28 experiments), 30-42 pS (26), 49-56 pS (15) and 64-81 pS (15). Channel current usually increased linearly with voltage. (3) In asymmetrical solutions, cation-, non-selective and, for the first time for the tonoplast, anion-selective channels were detected. Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of channel opening was not observed in our reconstitution system. (4) Permeability was also observed for Cl-, NO3-, SO4(2-) and phosphate. (5) After fractionation of tonoplast proteins by size exclusion chromatography, ion channel activity was recovered in specific fractions. (6) Some of these fractions catalyzed sulfate transport after reconstitution into liposomes. The results suggest that different channels are active at the tonoplast membrane at a larger number than has been concluded from previous work.     

Oligomerization of integral membrane proteins under lipid peroxidation

Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of Na-SDS, the oligomerization of membrane proteins of the retinal rod outer segments of the frog and the wall-eyed pollock and of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum was studied. It was shown that under storage of the retinal rod outer segments the rhodopsin oligomerization is inhibited by the lipid peroxidation inhibitor--ionol. Similar oligomerization was observed under induction of lipid peroxidation in the membranes; the accumulation of the lipid peroxidation product--malonic dialdehyde--was accompanied by disappearance of the rhodopsin monomeric form in the outer segments. The cross-linking agent--glutaric dialdehyde--also causes oligomerization of the rhodopsins. Similar aggregation is also characteristic of the major protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments, i. e. Ca2+-dependent ATP-ase. Thus, one of the main changes in the protein content of biomembranes under lipid peroxidation is the oligomerization of integral proteins due to their interaction with bifunctional reagents, i. e. lipid peroxidation products.     

Self-assembly of single integral membrane proteins into soluble nanoscale phospholipid bilayers

One of the biggest challenges in pharmaceutical research is obtaining integral membrane proteins in a functional, solubilized, and monodisperse state that provides a native-like environment that maintains the spectrum of in vivo activities. Many of these integral membrane proteins are receptors, enzymes, or other macromolecular assemblies that are important drug targets. An example is the general class of proteins composed of seven-transmembrane segments (7-TM) as exemplified by the G-protein-coupled receptors. In this article, we describe a simple system for self-assembling bacteriorhodopsin, as a model protein containing 7-TM helices, with phospholipids to form a nanometer-scale soluble bilayer structure encircled by a 200 amino acid scaffold protein. The result is the single molecule incorporation of an integral membrane protein target into a soluble and monodisperse structure that allows the structural and functional tools of solution biochemistry to be applied.     

Non-vesicular transfer of membrane proteins from nanoparticles to lipid bilayers

Discoidal lipoproteins are a novel class of nanoparticles for studying membrane proteins (MPs) in a soluble, native lipid environment, using assays that have not been traditionally applied to transmembrane proteins. Here, we report the successful delivery of an ion channel from these particles, called nanoscale apolipoprotein-bound bilayers (NABBs), to a distinct, continuous lipid bilayer that will allow both ensemble assays, made possible by the soluble NABB platform, and single-molecule assays, to be performed from the same biochemical preparation. We optimized the incorporation and verified the homogeneity of NABBs containing a prototypical potassium channel, KcsA. We also evaluated the transfer of KcsA from the NABBs to lipid bilayers using single-channel electrophysiology and found that the functional properties of the channel remained intact. NABBs containing KcsA were stable, homogeneous, and able to spontaneously deliver the channel to black lipid membranes without measurably affecting the electrical properties of the bilayer. Our results are the first to demonstrate the transfer of a MP from NABBs to a different lipid bilayer without involving vesicle fusion.     

Tethered polymer-supported planar lipid bilayers for reconstitution of integral membrane proteins: silane-polyethyleneglycol-lipid as a cushion and covalent linker

There is increasing interest in supported membranes as models of biological membranes and as a physiological matrix for studying the structure and function of membrane proteins and receptors. A common problem of protein-lipid bilayers that are directly supported on a hydrophilic substrate is nonphysiological interactions of integral membrane proteins with the solid support to the extent that they will not diffuse in the plane of the membrane. To alleviate some of these problems we have developed a new tethered polymer-supported planar lipid bilayer system, which permitted us to reconstitute integral membrane proteins in a laterally mobile form. We have supported lipid bilayers on a newly designed polyethyleneglycol cushion, which provided a soft support and, for increased stability, covalent linkage of the membranes to the supporting quartz or glass substrates. The formation and morphology of the bilayers were followed by total internal reflection and epifluorescence microscopy, and the lateral diffusion of the lipids and proteins in the bilayer was monitored by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Uniform bilayers with high lateral lipid diffusion coefficients (0.8-1.2 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s) were observed when the polymer concentration was kept slightly below the mushroom-to-brush transition. Cytochrome b(5) and annexin V were used as first test proteins in this system. When reconstituted in supported bilayers that were directly supported on quartz, both proteins were largely immobile with mobile fractions < 25%. However, two populations of laterally mobile proteins were observed in the polymer-supported bilayers. Approximately 25% of cytochrome b(5) diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 1 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s, and 50-60% diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 2 x 10(-10) cm(2)/s. Similarly, one-third of annexin V diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 3 x 10(-9) cm(2)/s, and two-thirds diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 4 x 10(-10) cm(2)/s. A model for the interaction of these proteins with the underlying polymer is discussed.     

Reconstitution of expressed KCa channels from Xenopus oocytes to lipid bilayers.

Reconstitution of large conductance calcium-activated potassium (KCa) channels from native cell membranes into planar lipid bilayers provides a powerful method to study single channel properties, including ion conduction, pharmacology, and gating. Recently, KCa channels derived from the Drosophila Slowpoke (Slo) gene have been cloned and heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In this report, we describe the reconstitution of cloned and expressed Slo KCa channels from Xenopus oocyte membranes into lipid bilayers. The reconstituted channels demonstrate functional properties characteristic of native KCa channels. They possess a mean unitary conductance of approximately 260 pS in symmetrical potassium (250 mM), and they are voltage- and calcium-sensitive. At 50 microM Ca2+, their half-activation potential was near -20 mV; and their affinity for calcium is in the micromolar range. Reconstituted Slo KCa channels were insensitive to external charybdotoxin (40-500 nM) and sensitive to micromolar concentrations of external tetraethylammonium (KD = 158 microM, at 0 mV) and internal Ba2+ (KD = 76 microM, at 40 mV). In addition, they were blocked by internally applied "ball" inactivating peptide (KD = 480 microM, at 40 mV). These results demonstrate that cloned KCa channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes can be readily incorporated into lipid bilayers where detailed mechanistic studies can be performed under controlled internal and external experimental conditions.     

Electron spin resonance and steady-state fluorescence polarization studies of lipid bilayers containing integral proteins

We derive equations that describe changes in the steady-state fluorescence polarization of the probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) or in the spectrum of electron spin resonance (ESR) nitroxide spin-labeled lipid probes as a function of the intrinsic molecule concentration in lipid bilayer membranes. We make use of an assumption used by us in an earlier paper. The equations are independent of any membrane model. They are valid when a DPH probe or a spin-labeled chain is equivalent to an unlabeled lipid hydrocarbon chain only as far as their general space-filling properties are concerned. We consider cases where the bilayer is either in a single homogeneous phase or in a two-phase region. We apply our equations to analyze ESR data from delipidated sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes and from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine bilayers containing Ca2+-ATPase, and DPH data from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers containing Ca2+-ATPase, both for T greater than Tc. The following conclusions were derived: (i) Ca2+-ATPase oligomers are "randomly" distributed, for the concentrations studied, in the fluid phase. (ii) There is no fixed stoichiometric ratio of "boundary" lipids and oligomers. (iii) Between 24k and 28k lipid molecules are able to surround each isolated oligomer composed of k Ca2+-ATPase monomers. Finally, we apply our equations to analyze DPH studies on DPPC bilayers containing Ca2+-ATPase for T less than Tc. We find that the results reported are in accord with the predictions of the model. In the Appendix, we show that an analytical expression for probabilities used by us is in very good agreement with the results of computer simulation.     

Control of high affinity lectin binding to an integral membrane glycoprotein in lipid bilayers

High affinity binding of wheat germ agglutinin to glycophorin is demonstrated to be potently affected by non-specific interaction of the receptor with other protein and oligosaccharide structures present at the membrane surface. It is suggested that this may represent a significant general mechanism of receptor control.     

Reconstitution of highly purified saxitoxin-sensitive Na+-channels into planar lipid bilayers.

Highly purified Na+-channels isolated from rat brain have been reconstituted into virtually solvent-free planar lipid bilayer membranes. Two different types of electrically excitable channels were detected in the absence of any neurotoxins. The activity of both channels was blocked by saxitoxin. The first channel type is highly selective for Na+ over K+ (approximately 10:1), it shows a bursting behavior, a conductance of 25 pS in Na+-Ringer and undergoes continuous opening and closing events for periods of minutes within a defined range of negative membranes voltages. The second channel type has a conductance of 150 pS and a lower selectivity for Na+ and K+ (2.2:1); only a few opening and closing events are observed with this channel after one voltage jump. The latter type of channel is also found with highly purified Na+-channel from Electrophorus electricus electroplax. A qualitative analysis of the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of the high conductance channel has been carried out. Channel properties are affected not only by saxitoxin but also by a scorpion (Centruroides suffusus suffusus) toxin and a sea anemone (Anemonia sulcata) toxin both known to be selective for the Na+-channel. The spontaneous transformation of the large conductance channel type into the small one has been considered; the two channel types may represent the expression of activity of different conformational states of the same protein.