The cation diffusion facilitator protein MamM's cytoplasmic domain exhibits metal-type dependent binding modes and discriminates against Mn2+

Cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) proteins are a conserved family of divalent transition metal cation transporters. CDF proteins are usually composed of two domains: the transmembrane domain (TMD), in which the metal cations are transported through, and a regulatory cytoplasmic C-terminal domain (CTD). Each CDF protein transports either one specific metal, or multiple metals, from the cytoplasm, and it is not known if the CTD takes an active regulatory role in metal recognition and discrimination during cation transport. Here, the model CDF protein MamM, an iron transporter from magnetotactic bacteria, was used to probe the role of the CTD in metal recognition and selectivity. Using a combination of biophysical and structural approaches, the binding of different metals to MamM CTD was characterized. Results reveal that different metals bind distinctively to MamM CTD in terms of their binding sites, thermodynamics and binding-dependent conformations, both in crystal form and in solution, which suggests a varying level of functional discrimination between CDF domains. Furthermore, these results provide the first direct evidence that CDF CTDs play a role in metal selectivity. We demonstrate that MamM's CTD can discriminate against Mn2+, supporting its postulated role in preventing magnetite formation poisoning in magnetotactic bacteria via Mn2+ incorporation

Metal binding to the dynamic cytoplasmic domain of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) protein MamM induces a 'locked-in' configuration

Cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) proteins are a conserved family of transmembrane transporters that ensure cellular homeostasis of divalent transition metal cations. Metal cations bind to CDF protein's cytoplasmic C-terminal domain (CTD), leading to closure from its apo open V-shaped dimer to a tighter packed structure, followed by a conformational change of the transmembrane domain thus enabling transport of the metal cation. By implementing a comprehensive range of biochemical and biophysical methods, we studied the molecular mechanism of metal binding to the magnetotactic bacterial CDF protein MamM CTD. Our results reveal that the CTD is rather dynamic in its apo form, and that two dependent metal binding sites, a single central binding site and two symmetrical, peripheral sites, are available for metal binding. However, only cation binding to the peripheral sites leads to conformational changes that lock the protein in a compact state. Thus, this work reveals how metal binding is regulating the sequential uptakes of metal cations by MamM, and extends our understanding of the complex regulation mechanism of CDF proteins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Self-assembling dipeptide antibacterial nanostructures with membrane disrupting activity.

Peptide-based supramolecular assemblies are a promising class of nanomaterials with important biomedical applications, specifically in drug delivery and tissue regeneration. However, the intrinsic antibacterial capabilities of these assemblies have been largely overlooked. The recent identification of common characteristics shared by antibacterial and self-assembling peptides provides a paradigm shift towards development of antibacterial agents. Here we present the antibacterial activity of self-assembled diphenylalanine, which emerges as the minimal model for antibacterial supramolecular polymers. The diphenylalanine nano-assemblies completely inhibit bacterial growth, trigger upregulation of stress-response regulons, induce substantial disruption to bacterial morphology, and cause membrane permeation and depolarization. We demonstrate the specificity of these membrane interactions and the development of antibacterial materials by integration of the peptide assemblies into tissue scaffolds. This study provides important insights into the significance of the interplay between self-assembly and antimicrobial activity and establishes innovative design principles toward the development of antimicrobial agents and materials

Cation Diffusion Facilitators Transport Initiation and Regulation Is Mediated by Cation Induced Conformational Changes of the Cytoplasmic Domain

Cation diffusion facilitators (CDF) are part of a highly conserved protein family that maintains cellular divalent cation homeostasis in all domains of life. CDF's were shown to be involved in several human diseases, such as Type-II diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we employed a multi-disciplinary approach to study the activation mechanism of the CDF protein family. For this we used MamM, one of the main ion transporters of magnetosomes - bacterial organelles that enable magnetotactic bacteria to orientate along geomagnetic fields. Our results reveal that the cytosolic domain of MamM forms a stable dimer that undergoes distinct conformational changes upon divalent cation binding. MamM conformational change is associated with three metal binding sites that were identified and characterized. Altogether, our results provide a novel auto-regulation mode of action model in which the cytosolic domain's conformational changes upon ligand binding allows the priming of the CDF into its transport mode

Understanding the Biomineralization Role of Magnetite-Interacting Components (MICs) From Magnetotactic Bacteria

Biomineralization is a process that takes place in all domains of life and which usually helps organisms to harden soft tissues by creating inorganic structures that facilitate their biological functions. It was shown that biominerals are under tight biological control via proteins that are involved in nucleation initiation and/or which act as structural skeletons. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) use iron biomineralization to create nano-magnetic particles in a specialized organelle, the magnetosome, to align to the geomagnetic field. A specific set of magnetite-associated proteins (MAPs) is involved in regulating magnetite nucleation, size, and shape. These MAPs are all predicted to contain specific 17–22 residue-long sequences involved in magnetite formation. To understand the mechanism of magnetite formation, we focused on three different MAPs, MamC, Mms6 and Mms7, and studied the predicted iron-binding sequences. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we differentiated the recognition mode of each MAP based on ion specificity, affinity, and binding residues. The significance of critical residues in each peptide was evaluated by mutation followed by an iron co-precipitation assay. Among the peptides, MamC showed weak ion binding but created the most significant effect in enhancing magnetite particle size, indicating the potency in controlling magnetite particle shape and size. Alternatively, Mms6 and Mms7 had strong binding affinities but less effect in modulating magnetite particle size, representing their major role potentially in initiating nucleation by increasing local metal concentration. Overall, our results explain how different MAPs affect magnetite synthesis, interact with Fe2+ ions and which residues are important for the MAPs functions

Membrane interactions and metal ion effects on bilayer permeation of the lipophilic ion modulator DP-109. Biochemistry 44:12077–12085

ABSTRACT: DP-109, a lipophilic bivalent metal ion modulator currently under preclinical development for neurodegenerative disorders, was designed to have membrane-associated activity, thereby restricting its action to the vicinity of cell membranes. We describe the application of a colorimetric phospholipid/ polydiacetylene (PDA) biomimetic membrane assay in elucidating DP-109 membrane interactions and penetration into lipid bilayers. In this membrane model, visible quantifiable color changes were monitored in studying membrane interactions. The colorimetric data identified a biphasic concentration-dependent interaction, with a break point around the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of DP-109. The kinetics and colorimetric dose-response profile of DP-109 indicate that the compound inserts into the lipid bilayers rather than being localized at the bilayer surface. Analysis of interactions of DP-109 with phospholipid/ PDA vesicles in which ionic gradients were imposed indicates that membrane activity of DP-109 is strongly affected by electrochemical gradients imposed by K + and Zn 2+ . The ionic gradient effects suggest that the insertion of DP-109 into the membrane may depend on the membrane potential. Ion modulation has recently been shown to be a prominent factor in varied neuropathologies and neurodegenerative is a synthetic lipid analogue of the known metal ion chelator BAPTA (3, 4) The goal of this study was to investigate the interactions and incorporation of DP-109 into lipid bilayers and to evaluate the impact of metal ions and ionic gradients on its membrane interaction and permeation. Analysis of membrane interactions of DP-109 was carried out here using the newly developed colorimetric phospholipid/polydiacetylene (PDA) 1 vesicle assay (7-12). The lipid/PDA assay quantifies the blue-to-red transitions induced by membrane-active compounds in solutions of mixed vesicles composed of membrane phospholipids and PDA, mimicking membrane environments (12). In particular, the lipid/PDA vesicles exhibit organized bilayer structures, a fundamental feature of the cellular membrane (12). The colorimetric transitions in the biomimetic system are ascribed to interactions of the tested compounds with the phospholipid bilayers The color transitions of PDA in mixed lipid/polymer assemblies have been attributed to conformational transitions in the conjugated (ene-yne) PDA backbone, induced by structural perturbations in the lipid domains The experiments reported here compared the membrane action of DP-109 to that of other BAPTA derivatives, and further investigated the effect of lipid composition on membrane interactions of the molecule. The assay was also applied for analysis of membrane interactions of DP-109. The colorimetric dose-response curves reflected, for example, the distinct effect of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of DP-109 upon bilayer binding. Experiments were designed to examine the extent of lipid surface interactions and bilayer insertion of the compound. The data revealed that membrane interactions of DP-109 depend on the existence of ion gradients by specific monovalent and divalent metal ions, emphasizing the importance of membrane potential on DP-109-bilayer interactions

Water-Soluble Lead Sulfide Nanoparticles: Direct Synthesis and Ligand Exchange Routes

Colloidal semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) represent an emergent state of matter with unique properties, bridging bulk materials and molecular structures. Their distinct physical attributes, such as bandgap and photoluminescence, are intricately tied to their size and morphology. Ligand passivation plays a crucial role in shaping NPs and determining their physical properties. Ligand exchange (LE) offers a versatile approach to tailoring NP properties, often guided by Pearson’s Hard–Soft Acid–Base theory. Lead sulfide (PbS), a semiconductor of considerable interest, exhibits size-dependent tunable bandgaps from the infrared to the visible range. Here, we present two methods for synthesizing water-soluble, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated PbS NPs. The first involves direct synthesis in an aqueous solution while utilizing PVP as the surfactant for the formation of nano-cubes with a crystal coherence length of ~30 nm, while the second involves LE from octadecylamine-coated PbS truncated nano-cubes to PVP-coated PbS NPs with a crystal coherence length of ~15 nm. Multiple characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis, confirmed the results of the synthesis and allowed us to monitor the ligand exchange process. Our findings demonstrate efficient and environmentally friendly approaches for synthesizing PVP-coated PbS NPs

Author's personal copy Polydiacetylene-supported silica films formed at the air/water interface

a b s t r a c t Mesostructured silica films have attracted interest as potential platforms for sensing, molecular sieving, catalysis, and others. The fabrication of free-standing silica films on water, however, is challenging due to the need for scaffolding agents that would constitute effective templates. We describe the assembly of thin film at the air/water interface comprising quaternary silicates and polydiacetylene (PDA), a unique chromatic polymer forming two-dimensional conjugated networks, and the use of these films for biological sensing. PDA exhibits a dual role in the system-both as the amphiphilic matrix facilitating immobilization of the silicate colloidal units at the air/water interface and additionally a chromatic reporter that undergoes visible blue-red transitions, accompanied by fluorescence transformations, in the presence of analytes. We demonstrate the application of the silicate/PDA thin films for the detection of bacterial proliferation