Depolarisation-Dependent Protein Phosphorylation and Dephosphorylation in Rat Cortical Synaptosomes Is Modulated by Calcium

The effect of calcium on protein phosphorylation was investigated using intact synaptosomes isolated from rat cerebral cortex and prelabelled with 32Pi. For nondepolarised synaptosomes a group of calcium-sensitive phosphoproteins were maximally labelled in the presence of 0.1 mM calcium. The phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly decreased in the presence of strontium and absent in the presence of barium, consistent with the decreased ability of these cations to activate calcium-stimulated protein kinases. Addition of calcium alone to synaptosomes prelabelled in its absence increased phosphorylation of a number of proteins. On depolarisation in the presence of calcium certain of the calcium-sensitive phosphoproteins were further increased in labelling above nondepolarised levels. These increases were maximal and most sustained after prelabelling at 0.1 mM calcium. On prolonged depolarisation at this calcium concentration a slow decrease in labelling was observed for most phosphoproteins, whereas a greater rate and extent of decrease occurred at higher calcium concentrations. At 2.5 mM calcium a rapid and then a subsequent slow dephosphorylation was observed, indicating two distinct phases of dephosphorylation. Of all the phosphoproteins normally stimulated by depolarisation, only phosphoprotein 59 did not exhibit the rapid phase of dephosphorylation at high calcium concentrations. Replacing calcium with strontium markedly decreased the extent of change observed on depolarisation whereas barium decreased phosphorylation changes even further. Taken together these data suggest that an influx of calcium into synaptosomes initially activates protein phosphorylation, but as the levels of intrasynaptosomal calcium rise protein dephosphorylation predominates. Other phosphoproteins were dephosphorylated immediately on depolarisation in the presence of calcium. The fine control of protein phosphorylation levels exerted by calcium supports the idea that the synaptosomal phosphoproteins could play a role in modulating events such as neurotransmitter release in the nerve terminal.     

Mechanisms of generation of local ΔpH in mitochondria and bacteria

The concepts of global and local coupling between proton generators, the enzymes of the respiratory chain, and the consumer, the ATP synthase, coexist in the theory of oxidative phosphorylation. Global coupling is trivial proton transport via the aqueous medium, whereas local coupling implies that the protons pumped are consumed before they escape to the bulk phase. In this work, the conditions for the occurrence of local coupling are explored. It is supposed that the membrane retains protons near its surface and that the proton current generated by the proton pumps rapidly decreases with increasing proton motive force (pmf). It is shown that the competition between the processes of proton translocation across the membrane and their dissipation from the surface to the bulk can result in transient generation of a local ΔpH in reply to a sharp change in pmf; the appearance of local ΔpH, in turn, leads to rapid recovery of the pmf, and hence, it provides for stabilization of the potential at the membrane. Two mechanisms of such kind are discussed: 1) pH changes in the surface area due to proton pumping develop faster than those due to proton escape to the bulk; 2) the former does not take place, but the protons leaving the surface do not equilibrate with the bulk immediately; rather, they give rise to a non-equilibrium concentration near the surface and, as a result, to a back proton flow to the surface. The first mechanism is more efficient, but it does not occur in mitochondria and neutrophilic bacteria, whereas the second can produce ΔpH on the order of unity. In the absence of proton retardation at the surface, local ΔpH does not arise, whereas the formation of global ΔpH is possible only at buffer concentration of less than 10 mM. The role of the mechanisms proposed in transitions between States 3 and 4 of the respiratory chain is discussed. The main conclusion is that surface protons, under conditions where they play a role, support stabilization of the membrane pmf and rapid communication between proton generators and consumers, while their contribution to the energetics is not significant.     

Activation of Helicobacter pylori CagA by tyrosine phosphorylation is essential for dephosphorylation of host cell proteins in gastric epithelial cells

Helicobacter pylori type I strains harbour the cag pathogenicity island (cag-PAI), a 37 kb sequence,which encodes the components of a type IV secretion system. CagA, the first identified effector protein of the cag-PAI, is translocated into eukaryotic cells and tyrosine phosphorylated (CagAP-tyr) by a host cell tyrosine kinase. Translocation of CagA induces the dephosphorylation of a set of phosphorylated host cell proteins of unknown identity. CagA proteins of independent H. pylori strains vary in sequence and thus in the number and composition of putative tyrosine phosphorylation motifs (TPMs). The CagA protein of H. pylori strain J99 (CagAJ99) does not carry any of three putative tyrosine phosphorylation motifs (TPM-A, TPM-B or TPM-C) predicted by the MOTIF algorithm in CagA proteins. CagA,n is not tyrosine phosphorylated and is inactive in the dephosphorylation of host cell proteins. By site-specific mutagenesis,we introduced a TPM-C into CagA,. by replacing a single lysine with a tyrosine. This slight modification resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of CagAJ99 and host cell protein dephosphorylation. In contrast, the removal of the indigenous TPM-C from CagAP12 did not abolish its tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that further phosphorylated sites are present in CagAP12. By generation of hybrid CagA proteins, a phosphorylation of the most N-terminal TPM-A could be excluded. Our data suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation at TPM-C is sufficient, but not exclusive,to activate translocated CagA. Activated CagAPtr might either convert into a phosphatase itself or activate a cellular phosphatase to dephosphorylate cellular phosphoproteins and modulate cellular signalling cascades of the host.     

Protein phosphorylation in amyloplasts regulates starch branching enzyme activity and protein-protein interactions

Protein phosphorylation in amyloplasts and chloroplasts of Triticum aestivum (wheat) was investigated after the incubation of intact plastids with gamma-(32)P-ATP. Among the soluble phosphoproteins detected in plastids, three forms of starch branching enzyme (SBE) were phosphorylated in amyloplasts (SBEI, SBEIIa, and SBEIIb), and both forms of SBE in chloroplasts (SBEI and SBEIIa) were shown to be phosphorylated after sequencing of the immunoprecipitated (32)P-labeled phosphoproteins using quadrupole-orthogonal acceleration time of flight mass spectrometry. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the phosphorylated SBE forms indicated that the proteins are all phosphorylated on Ser residues. Analysis of starch granule-associated phosphoproteins after incubation of intact amyloplasts with gamma-(32)P-ATP indicated that the granule-associated forms of SBEII and two granule-associated forms of starch synthase (SS) are phosphorylated, including SSIIa. Measurement of SBE activity in amyloplasts and chloroplasts showed that phosphorylation activated SBEIIa (and SBEIIb in amyloplasts), whereas dephosphorylation using alkaline phosphatase reduced the catalytic activity of both enzymes. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation had no effect on the measurable activity of SBEI in amyloplasts and chloroplasts, and the activities of both granule-bound forms of SBEII in amyloplasts were unaffected by dephosphorylation. Immunoprecipitation experiments using peptide-specific anti-SBE antibodies showed that SBEIIb and starch phosphorylase each coimmunoprecipitated with SBEI in a phosphorylation-dependent manner, suggesting that these enzymes may form protein complexes within the amyloplast in vivo. Conversely, dephosphorylation of immunoprecipitated protein complex led to its disassembly. This article reports direct evidence that enzymes of starch metabolism (amylopectin synthesis) are regulated by protein phosphorylation and indicate a wider role for protein phosphorylation and protein-protein interactions in the control of starch anabolism and catabolism.     

Carbachol-induced protein phosphorylation changes in bovine tracheal smooth muscle

The changes in protein phosphorylation associated with bovine tracheal smooth muscle contraction were studied by labeling intact muscle strips with [32P]PO4(3-) and analyzing the phosphoproteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Among 20 to 30 phosphoproteins resolvable with the two-dimensional electrophoresis system, the phosphorylation of 12 proteins was reproducibly affected by treatment with carbachol, in a time-dependent manner. Five of these proteins have been identified as 20-kDa myosin light chain, caldesmon, synemin, and two isoelectric variants of desmin. The other 7 are low molecular weight (Mr less than 40,000) cytosolic proteins. One cytosolic protein and myosin light chain are quickly but transiently phosphorylated by carbachol, the peak of myosin light chain phosphorylation being at about 1 min after agonist addition. In contrast, both variants of desmin, synemin, caldesmon, and 5 cytosolic proteins are phosphorylated at varying rates and remain phosphorylated for the duration of carbachol action. These "late" phosphorylation changes occur simultaneously with the dephosphorylation of one cytosolic protein. These carbachol-induced phosphorylation changes, like the contractile response, appear to be calcium-dependent. The addition of 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate, a protein kinase C activator, causes a dose-dependent, sustained contraction of tracheal smooth muscle which develops more slowly than that induced by carbachol. This contractile response is associated with the same protein phosphorylation changes as those observed after prolonged carbachol treatment. In contrast, forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator and a potent smooth muscle relaxant, induces the phosphorylation protein 3 and one variant of desmin. These observations strongly suggest that different phosphoproteins may be mediators of tension development and tension maintenance in agonist-induced contraction of tracheal smooth muscle.     

Inhibition of tyrosine phosphatases antagonizes CD95-mediated apoptosis.

Ligation of the CD95 receptor resulted in a transient increase of cellular tyrosine phosphorylation. The inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases by pervanadate, a potent activator of B cells and T cells through the induction of tyrosine phosphorylation and downstream signaling events in the activation cascade, antagonized CD95-triggered apoptosis. Pervanadate exerted its inhibitory effect only during the early phase of apoptosis prior to the CD95-induced decrease of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Inhibition of tyrosine phosphatases delayed the cleavage and activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 and antagonized the tyrosine dephosphorylation of the CD95 receptor-associated phosphoproteins p61 and p89/92. In contrast, ligation of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor resulted in a continuous tyrosine dephosphorylation of cellular proteins. Pervanadate-induced tyrosine phosphorylation increased the TNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity and NF-kappaB activation, suggesting that it stimulates early signaling events prior to the separation of the two signaling pathways.     

Protein phosphorylation in meiotically competent and incompetent mouse oocytes

Specific changes in the two-dimensional gel electrophoretic pattern of mouse oocyte phosphoproteins precede germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). We report that changes in the relative abundance of phosphoamino acids occurred prior to GVBD. We also report data that further strengthen the close association of the changes in phosphoprotein patterns with resumption of meiosis. The calmodulin antagonist W7, which transiently inhibits GVBD, inhibited partially at least two of the maturation-associated phosphoprotein changes, the dephosphorylation of a 60,000 Mr phosphoprotein and the phosphorylation of a 36,000 Mr protein. In oocytes from juvenile mice that were incompetent to resume meiosis, neither these changes nor the phosphorylation of proteins of Mr 24,000 and 28,000 occurred; all these changes occurred, however, in oocytes from juvenile mice that were competent to resume meiosis. The microinjection of the heat-stable inhibitor of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKI), which induces GVBD in fully grown oocytes, did not induce GVBD in meiotically incompetent oocytes. Microinjected PKI did not induce the increased protein phosphorylations associated with maturation, but it did induce the dephosphorylation of the 60,000 Mr phosphoprotein. These results provide molecular markers for commitment to resume meiosis in GV-intact oocytes and indicate a potential basis for meiotic incompetence.     

Proton slip in the ATP synthase of Rhodobacter capsulatus: induction, proton conduction, and nucleotide dependence

FOF1-ATP synthase converts two energetic "currencies" of the cell (ATP and protonmotive force, pmf) by coupling two rotary motors/generators. Their coupling efficiency is usually very high. Uncoupled proton leakage (slip) has only been observed in chloroplast enzyme at unphysiologically low nucleotide concentration. We investigated the properties of proton slip in chromatophores (sub-bacterial vesicles) from Rhodobacter capsulatus in the single-enzyme-per-vesicle mode. The membrane was energized by excitation with flashing light and the relaxation of the transmembrane voltage and pH difference was photometrically detected. We found that: (1) Proton slip occurred only at low nucleotide concentration (<1 microM) and after pre-illumination over several seconds. (2) Slip induction by pmf was accompanied by the release of approximately 0.25 mol ADP per mole of enzyme. There was no detectable detachment of F1 from FO. (3) The transmembrane voltage and the pH difference were both efficient in slip induction. Once induced, slip persisted for hours, and was only partially reverted by the addition of ADP or ATP (>1 microM). (4) There was no pmf threshold for the proton transfer through the slipping enzyme; slip could be driven both by voltage and pH difference. (5) The conduction was ohmic and weakly pH-dependent in the range from 5.5 to 9.5. The rate constant of proton transfer under slip conditions was 185 s(-1) at pH 8. Proton slip probably presents the free-wheeling of the central rotary shaft, subunit gamma, in an open structure of the (alphabeta)3 hexagon with no nucleotides in the catalytic sites.     

Light-driven primary sodium ion transport in halobacterium halobium membranes

Light-induced sodium extrusion from H halobium cell envelope vesicles proceeds largely through an uncoupler-sensitive pathway involving bacteriorhodopsin and a proton/sodium antiporter. Vesicles from bacteriorhodopsin-negative strains also extrude sodium ions during illumination, but this transport is not sensitive to uncouplers and has been proposed to involve a light-energized primary sodium pump. Proton uptake in such vesicles is passive, and under steady-state illumination the large electrical potential (negative inside) is just balanced by a pH difference (acid inside), so that the protonmotive force is near zero. Action spectra indicated that this effect of illumination is attributable to a pigment absorbing near 585 nm (of 568 for bacteriorhodopsin). Bleaching of the vesicles by prolonged illumination with hydroxylamine results in inactivation of the transport; retinal addition causes partial return of the activity. Retinal addition also causes the appearance of an absorption peak at 588 nm, while the absorption of free retinal decreases. The 588 nm pigment is present in very small quantities (0.13 nmole/mg protein), and behaves differently from bacteriorhodopsin in a number of respects. Vesicles can be prepared from bacteriorhodopsin-containing H halobium strains in which primary transport for both protons and sodium can be observed. Both pumps appear to cause the outward transport of the cations. The observations indicate the existence of a second retinal protein, in addition to bacteriorhodopsin, in H halobium, which is associated with primary sodium translocation. The initial proton uptake normally observed during illumination of whole H halobium cells may therefore be a passive flux in response to the primary sodium extrusion.     

Functional Analysis of Centrosomal Kinase Substrates in Drosophila melanogaster Reveals a New Function of the Nuclear Envelope Component Otefin in Cell Cycle Progression

Phosphorylation is one of the key mechanisms that regulate centrosome biogenesis, spindle assembly, and cell cycle progression. However, little is known about centrosome-specific phosphorylation sites and their functional relevance. Here, we identified phosphoproteins of intact Drosophila melanogaster centrosomes and found previously unknown phosphorylation sites in known and unexpected centrosomal components. We functionally characterized phosphoproteins and integrated them into regulatory signaling networks with the 3 important mitotic kinases, cdc2, polo, and aur, as well as the kinase CkIIβ. Using a combinatorial RNA interference (RNAi) strategy, we demonstrated novel functions for P granule, nuclear envelope (NE), and nuclear proteins in centrosome duplication, maturation, and separation. Peptide microarrays confirmed phosphorylation of identified residues by centrosome-associated kinases. For a subset of phosphoproteins, we identified previously unknown centrosome and/or spindle localization via expression of tagged fusion proteins in Drosophila SL2 cells. Among those was otefin (Ote), an NE protein that we found to localize to centrosomes. Furthermore, we provide evidence that it is phosphorylated in vitro at threonine 63 (T63) through Aurora-A kinase. We propose that phosphorylation of this site plays a dual role in controlling mitotic exit when phosphorylated while dephosphorylation promotes G(2)/M transition in Drosophila SL2 cells.     

Bradykinin transiently activates protein kinase C in Swiss 3T3 cells. Distinction from activation by bombesin and vasopressin

The results presented here demonstrate that bradykinin, acting through a B2 subtype receptor, induces a unique pattern of early signals in quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells. Bradykinin caused a rapid mobilization of calcium from internal stores, as judged by measurements of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in fura-2-loaded cells and by 45Ca2+ efflux from radiolabeled cells. Analysis of phosphoproteins from 32P-labeled Swiss 3T3 cells by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that bradykinin stimulated transient phosphorylation of an acidic cellular protein migrating with an apparent Mr = 80,000 (termed 80K), identified as a major and specific substrate of protein kinase C. Down-regulation of protein kinase C by pretreatment with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) completely abolished the increase in 80K phosphorylation. In contrast to the sustained effect induced by bombesin, vasopressin, or PDBu, the stimulation of 80K phosphorylation by bradykinin reached a maximum after 1 min of incubation, and then it rapidly decreased to almost basal levels. Furthermore, bradykinin did not induce protein kinase C-mediated events such as inhibition of 125I-epidermal growth factor binding or enhancement of cAMP accumulation. Bombesin and vasopressin elicited both responses in parallel cultures. Bradykinin induced rapid accumulation of total inositol phosphates in cells labeled with myo-[3H]inositol. In contrast to bombesin and vasopressin which stimulated a linear increase in inositol phosphate accumulation over a 10-min period, the effect of bradykinin reached a plateau after 2.5 min of incubation with no further increase up to 10 min. The results demonstrate that the early signaling events triggered by bradykinin can be distinguished from those elicited by bombesin and vasopressin in Swiss 3T3 cells.     

Phosphorylation of triton X-100 soluble and insoluble protein substrates in a demembranated/reactivated human sperm model

Sperm motility is a process which involves a cascade of events mediated by cAMP and Ca²⁺, cAMP in the initiation of flagellar movement, and Ca²⁺ in the regulation of beat asymmetry, and it has been suggested that these two messengers act through phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of axonemal proteins. Only a few studies on human sperm protein phosphorylation have been reported and no relation of this process with motility or other function has been established. In the present study, phosphorylation of human sperm proteins was performed using detergent-demembranated spermatozoa, in which motility is reactivated by the addition of ATP. This system allows direct accessibility of intracellular kinases to [³²P]-γATP and allows some relation between protein phosphorylation and flagellar movements. After electrophoresis and autoradiography, numerous phosphoproteins were detected. Phosphorylation of 2 proteins (36 and 51 kDa) was stimulated by cAMP in a concentration-dependent manner, and this increase was prevented by inhibitors of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In order to characterize phosphoproteins originating from the cytoskeleton or axoneme, detergent extracted spermatozoa were also subjected to phosphorylation. Three major phosphorylated proteins (14.8, 15.3, and 16.2 kDa) were detected, the first two expressing cAMP-dependency according to their cAMP concentration-dependent increase in phosphorylation and the reversal of this effect by inhibitors of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Proteins phosphorylation during the reactivation of demembranated spermatozoa previously immobilized H₂O₂, xanthine + xanthine oxidase-generated reactive oxygen species, or the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler rotenone, revealed increases in cAMP-independent phosphorylation of proteins of 16.2, 46, and 93 kDa. These results documenting human sperm phosphoproteins form a base for further studies on the role of protein phosphorylation in sperm functions. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Dephosphorylation by default, a potential mechanism for regulation of insulin receptor substrate-1/2, Akt, and ERK1/2

Protein phosphorylation is an important mechanism that controls many cellular activities. Phosphorylation of a given protein is precisely controlled by two opposing biochemical reactions catalyzed by protein kinases and protein phosphatases. How these two opposing processes are coordinated to achieve regulation of protein phosphorylation is unresolved. We have developed a novel experimental approach to directly study protein dephosphorylation in cells. We determined the kinetics of dephosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1/2, Akt, and ERK1/2, phosphoproteins involved in insulin receptor signaling. We found that insulin-induced ERK1/2 and Akt kinase activities were completely abolished 10 min after inhibition of the corresponding upstream kinases with PD98059 and LY294002, respectively. In parallel experiments, insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2, and insulin receptor substrate-1/2 was decreased and followed similar kinetics. Our findings suggest that these proteins are dephosphorylated by a default mechanism, presumably via constitutively active phosphatases. However, dephosphorylation of these proteins is overcome by activation of protein kinases following stimulation of the insulin receptor. We propose that, during acute insulin stimulation, the kinetics of protein phosphorylation is determined by the interplay between upstream kinase activity and dephosphorylation by default.     

Protein phosphorylation and the respiratory burst

The exposure of 32P-loaded neutrophils to any of a variety of activating agents induces changes in the levels of phosphorylation of a large number of phosphoproteins. The uptake of phosphate by one set of phosphoproteins in particular, a family whose members migrate at Mr 48K with near neutral pI values, appears to be closely related to the activation of the respiratory burst oxidase, the O2--producing enzyme of phagocytes that is responsible for the generation of microbicidal oxidants by these cells. Evidence for the relationship between the phosphorylation of these proteins and the activation of the respiratory burst oxidase has been furnished by kinetic studies as well as by studies on protein phosphorylation in neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease, a group of inherited disorders affecting this oxidase. The details of this relationship are obscure, although the evidence suggests that these phosphoproteins act in substoichiometric amounts with respect to the oxidase.     

Inhibitory Interactions between Phosphorylation Sites in the C Terminus of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid-type Glutamate Receptor GluA1 Subunits

The C terminus of AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR) GluA1 subunits contains several phosphorylation sites that regulate AMPAR activity and trafficking at excitatory synapses. Although many of these sites have been extensively studied, little is known about the signaling mechanisms regulating GluA1 phosphorylation at Thr-840. Here, we report that neuronal depolarization in hippocampal slices induces a calcium and protein phosphatase 1/2A-dependent dephosphorylation of GluA1 at Thr-840 and a nearby site at Ser-845. Despite these similarities, inhibitors of NMDA-type glutamate receptors and protein phosphatase 2B prevented depolarization-induced Ser-845 dephosphorylation but had no effect on Thr-840 dephosphorylation. Instead, depolarization-induced Thr-840 dephosphorylation was prevented by blocking voltage-gated calcium channels, indicating that distinct Ca²⁺ sources converge to regulate GluA1 dephosphorylation at Thr-840 and Ser-845 in separable ways. Results from immunoprecipitation/depletion assays indicate that Thr-840 phosphorylation inhibits protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated increases in Ser-845 phosphorylation. Consistent with this, PKA-mediated increases in AMPAR currents, which are dependent on Ser-845 phosphorylation, were inhibited in HEK-293 cells expressing a Thr-840 phosphomimetic version of GluA1. Conversely, mimicking Ser-845 phosphorylation inhibited protein kinase C phosphorylation of Thr-840 in vitro, and PKA activation inhibited Thr-840 phosphorylation in hippocampal slices. Together, the regulation of Thr-840 and Ser-845 phosphorylation by distinct sources of Ca²⁺ influx and the presence of inhibitory interactions between these sites highlight a novel mechanism for conditional regulation of AMPAR phosphorylation and function.     

Use the Protonmotive Force: Mitochondrial Uncoupling and Reactive Oxygen Species

Mitochondrial respiration results in an electrochemical proton gradient, or protonmotive force (pmf), across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The pmf is a form of potential energy consisting of charge (?ψ_m) and chemical (?pH) components, that together drive ATP production. In a process called uncoupling, proton leak into the mitochondrial matrix independent of ATP production dissipates the pmf and energy is lost as heat. Other events can directly dissipate the pmf independent of ATP production as well, such as chemical exposure or mechanisms involving regulated mitochondrial membrane electrolyte transport. Uncoupling has defined roles in metabolic plasticity and can be linked through signal transduction to physiologic events. In the latter case, the pmf impacts mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Although capable of molecular damage, ROS also have signaling properties that depend on the timing, location, and quantity of their production. In this review, we provide a general overview of mitochondrial ROS production, mechanisms of uncoupling, and how these work in tandem to affect physiology and pathologies, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and immunity. Overall, we highlight that isolated bioenergetic models—mitochondria and cells—only partially recapitulate the complex link between the pmf and ROS signaling that occurs in vivo.     

Proton transport by bacteriorhodopsin through an interface film

Summary Interface films of purple membrane and lipid containing spectroscopically intact and oriented bacteriorhodopsin have been used as a model system to study the function of this protein. Small positive charges in surface potential (<1 mV) are detected upon illumination of these films at the air-water interface. These photopotentials, are not affected by overlaying the interface film with a thin layer (0.3 mm) of decane. However, they are dramatically increased when lipid soluble proton carriers FCCP or DNP are added to the decane. The polarity of the photopotential indicates that, in the light, positive charges are transported through the interface from the aqueous to the organic phase. The action spectrum of the photopotential is identical to the absorption spectrum of bacteriorhodopsin. Since bacteriorhodopsin molecules are oriented with their intracellular surface towards the aqueous subphase, the characteristics of the photopotential indicate that in the light bacteriorhodopsin translocates protons from its intracellular to its extracellular surface. The kinetics of the photopotential reveal that the rate and extent of proton transport are proportional both to the fraction of bacteriorhodopsin molecules excited and to the concentration of proton acceptor. The photopotentials result from changes in the ionic distribution across the decane-water interface and can be cancelled by lipid soluble anions.     

Molecular modeling of the bacterial outer membrane receptor energizer, ExbBD/TonB, based on homology with the flagellar motor, MotAB

The MotA/MotB proteins serve as the motor that drives bacterial flagellar rotation in response to the proton motive force (pmf). They have been shown to comprise a transmembrane proton pathway. The ExbB/ExbD/TonB protein complex serves to energize transport of iron siderophores and vitamin B₁₂ across the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacterial cell using the pmf. These two protein complexes have the same topology and are homologous. Based on molecular data for the MotA/MotB proteins, we propose simple three-dimensional channel structures for both MotA/MotB and ExbB/ExbD/TonB using modeling methods. Features of the derived channels are discussed, and two possible proton transfer pathways for the ExbBD/TonB system are proposed. These analyses provide a guide for molecular studies aimed at elucidating the mechanism by which chemiosmotic energy can be transferred either between two adjacent membranes to energize outer membrane transport or to the bacterial flagellum to generate torque.     

The proton‐motive force is required for translocation of CDI toxins across the inner membrane of target bacteria

Contact‐dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is a mode of bacterial competition orchestrated by the CdiB/CdiA family of two‐partner secretion proteins. The CdiA effector extends from the surface of CDI⁺ inhibitor cells, binds to receptors on neighbouring bacteria and delivers a toxin domain derived from its C‐terminal region (CdiA‐CT). Here, we show that CdiA‐CT toxin translocation requires the proton‐motive force (pmf) within target bacteria. The pmf is also critical for the translocation of colicin toxins, which exploit the energized Ton and Tol systems to cross the outer membrane. However, CdiA‐CT translocation is clearly distinct from known colicin‐import pathways because ΔtolA ΔtonB target cells are fully sensitive to CDI. Moreover, we provide evidence that CdiA‐CT toxins can be transferred into the periplasm of de‐energized target bacteria, indicating that transport across the outer membrane is independent of the pmf. Remarkably, CDI toxins transferred under de‐energized conditions remain competent to enter the target‐cell cytoplasm once the pmf is restored. Collectively, these results indicate that outer‐ and inner‐membrane translocation steps can be uncoupled, and that the pmf is required for CDI toxin transport from the periplasm to the target‐cell cytoplasm.     

Effects of calmodulin and calmodulin binding protein BP-10 on phosphorylation of thylakoid membrane protein

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