Team Publications
Year of publication 2021
Membrane binding controls ordered self-assembly of animal septins
eLifeeLife : eLife 2021;10:e63349 : DOI : 10.7554/eLife.63349 Learn moreSummary
Septins are conserved cytoskeletal proteins that regulate cell cortex mechanics. The mechanisms of their interactions with the plasma membrane remain poorly understood. Here we show by cell-free reconstitution that binding to flat lipid membranes requires electrostatic interactions of septins with anionic lipids and promotes the ordered self-assembly of fly septins into filamentous meshworks. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that both fly and mammalian septin hexamers form arrays of single and paired filaments. Atomic force microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance demonstrate that the fly filaments form mechanically rigid, 12 to 18 nm thick, double layers of septins. By contrast, C-terminally truncated septin mutants form 4 nm thin monolayers, indicating that stacking requires the C-terminal coiled coils on DSep2 and Pnut subunits. Our work shows that membrane binding is required for fly septins to form ordered arrays of single and paired filaments and provides new insights into the mechanisms by which septins may regulate cell surface mechanics.
Fold upComparing physical mechanisms for membrane curvature-driven sorting of BAR-domain proteins
Soft Matter : DOI : 10.1039/D0SM01573C Learn moreSummary
Protein enrichment at specific membrane locations in cells is crucial for many cellular functions. It is well-recognized that the ability of some proteins to sense membrane curvature contributes partly to their enrichment in highly curved cellular membranes. In the past, different theoretical models have been developed to reveal the physical mechanisms underlying curvature-driven protein sorting. This review aims to provide a detailed discussion of the two continuous models that are based on the Helfrich elasticity energy, (1) the spontaneous curvature model and (2) the curvature mismatch model. These two models are commonly applied to describe experimental observations of protein sorting. We discuss how they can be used to explain the curvature-induced sorting data of two BAR proteins, amphiphysin and centaurin. We further discuss how membrane rigidity, and consequently the membrane curvature generated by BAR proteins, could influence protein organization on the curved membranes. Finally, we address future directions in extending these models to describe some cellular phenomena involving protein sorting.
Fold upLa cryomicroscopie électronique révèle une nouvelle vision de la cellule et de ses composants
Medecine/Science : 37 : 379-85 : DOI : 10.1051/medsci/2021034 Learn moreSummary
La cryo-microscopie électronique (cryo-EM) estune technique d’imagerie du vivant qui prend
désormais une place prépondérante en biologie structurale, avec des retombées en biologie cellulaire
et du développement, en bioinformatique, en biomédecine ou en physique de la cellule. Elle permet de déterminer des structures de protéines purifiées in vitro ou au sein des cellules. Cette revue décrit les principales avancées récentes de la cryo-EM, illustrées par des exemples d’élucidation de structures de protéines d’intérêt en biomédecine, et les pistes de développements futurs.
Year of publication 2020
Characterization of the first tetrameric transcription factor of the GntR superfamily with allosteric regulation from the bacterial pathogen Agrobacterium fabrum
Nucleic Acids Reseach : DOI : 10.1093/nar/gkaa1181 Learn moreSummary
A species-specific region, denoted SpG8-1b allowing hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) degradation is important for the transition between the two lifestyles (rhizospheric versus pathogenic) of the plant pathogen Agrobacterium fabrum. Indeed, HCAs can be either use as trophic resources and/or as induced-virulence molecules. The SpG8-1b region is regulated by two transcriptional regulators, namely, HcaR (Atu1422) and Atu1419. In contrast to HcaR, Atu1419 remains so far uncharacterized. The high-resolution crystal structures of two fortuitous citrate complexes, two DNA complexes and the apoform revealed that the tetrameric Atu1419 transcriptional regulator belongs to the VanR group of Pfam PF07729 subfamily of the large GntR superfamily. Until now, GntR regulators were described as dimers. Here, we showed that Atu1419 represses three genes of the HCAs catabolic pathway. We characterized both the effector and DNA binding sites and identified key nucleotides in the target palindrome. From promoter activity measurement using defective gene mutants, structural analysis and gel-shift assays, we propose N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate as the effector molecule, which is not a direct product/substrate of the HCA degradation pathway. The Zn2+ ion present in the effector domain has both a structural and regulatory role. Overall, our work shed light on the allosteric mechanism of transcription employed by this GntR repressor
Fold upFast recovery of disrupted tip links induced by mechanical displacement of hair bundles.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America : 30722-30727 : DOI : 10.1073/pnas.2016858117 Learn moreSummary
Hearing and balance rely on the capacity of mechanically sensitive hair bundles to transduce vibrations into electrical signals that are forwarded to the brain. Hair bundles possess tip links that interconnect the mechanosensitive stereocilia and convey force to the transduction channels. A dimer of dimers, each of these links comprises two molecules of protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) joined to two of cadherin 23 (CDH23). The “handshake” that conjoins the four molecules can be disrupted in vivo by intense stimulation and in vitro by exposure to Ca chelators. Using hair bundles from the rat’s cochlea and the bullfrog’s sacculus, we observed that extensive recovery of mechanoelectrical transduction, hair bundle stiffness, and spontaneous bundle oscillation can occur within seconds after Ca chelation, especially if hair bundles are deflected toward their short edges. Investigating the phenomenon in a two-compartment ionic environment that mimics natural conditions, we combined iontophoretic application of a Ca chelator to selectively disrupt the tip links of individual frog hair bundles with displacement clamping to control hair bundle motion and measure forces. Our observations suggest that, after the normal Ca concentration has been restored, mechanical stimulation facilitates the reconstitution of functional tip links.
Fold upMyosin 1b Flattens and Prunes Branched Actin Filaments.
Journal of Cell Science : DOI : 10.1242/jcs.247403 Learn moreSummary
Abstract
Motile and morphological cellular processes require a spatially and temporally
coordinated branched actin network that is controlled by the activity of various regulatory
proteins including the Arp2/3 complex, profilin, cofilin and tropomyosin. We have previously
reported that myosin 1b regulates the density of the actin network in the growth cone. Using
in vitro F-actin gliding assays and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy we
show in this report that this molecular motor flattens the Arp2/3-dependent actin branches
up to breaking them and reduces the probability to form new branches. This experiment
reveals that myosin 1b can produce force sufficient enough to break up the Arp2/3-mediated
actin junction. Together with the former in vivo studies, this work emphasizes the essential
role played by myosins in the architecture and in the dynamics of actin networks in different
cellular regions.
Synergistic role of nucleotides and lipids for the self-assembly of Shs1 septin oligomers
Biochemical Journal : 477 : 2697-2714 : DOI : 10.1042/BCJ20200199 Learn moreSummary
Budding yeast septins are essential for cell division and polarity. Septins assemble as
palindromic linear octameric complexes. The function and ultra-structural organization of
septins are finely governed by their molecular polymorphism. In particular, in budding
yeast, the end subunit can stand either as Shs1 or Cdc11. We have dissected, here, for
the first time, the behavior of the Shs1 protomer bound to membranes at nanometer
resolution, in complex with the other septins. Using electron microscopy, we have shown
that on membranes, Shs1 protomers self-assemble into rings, bundles, filaments or twodimensional
gauzes. Using a set of specific mutants we have demonstrated a synergistic
role of both nucleotides and lipids for the organization and oligomerization of budding
yeast septins. Besides, cryo-electron tomography assays show that vesicles are
deformed by the interaction between Shs1 oligomers and lipids. The Shs1–Shs1 interface
is stabilized by the presence of phosphoinositides, allowing the visualization of micrometric
long filaments formed by Shs1 protomers. In addition, molecular modeling experiments
have revealed a potential molecular mechanism regarding the selectivity of septin
subunits for phosphoinositide lipids.
Nesprin-2 accumulates at the front of the nucleus during confined cell migration
EMBO Reports : DOI : 10.15252/embr.201949910 Learn moreSummary
Fold upSPIN90 associates with mDia1 and the Arp2/3 complex to regulate cortical actin organization
Nature Cell BiologyNature Cell Biology : DOI : 10.1038/s41556-020-0531-y Learn moreSummary
Cell shape is controlled by the submembranous cortex, an actomyosin network mainly generated by two actin nucleators: the Arp2/3 complex and the formin mDia1. Changes in relative nucleator activity may alter cortical organization, mechanics and cell shape. Here we investigate how nucleation-promoting factors mediate interactions between nucleators. In vitro, the nucleation-promoting factor SPIN90 promotes formation of unbranched filaments by Arp2/3, a process thought to provide the initial filament for generation of dendritic networks. Paradoxically, in cells, SPIN90 appears to favour a formin-dominated cortex. Our in vitro experiments reveal that this feature stems mainly from two mechanisms: efficient recruitment of mDia1 to SPIN90–Arp2/3 nucleated filaments and formation of a ternary SPIN90–Arp2/3–mDia1 complex that greatly enhances filament nucleation. Both mechanisms yield rapidly elongating filaments with mDia1 at their barbed ends and SPIN90–Arp2/3 at their pointed ends. Thus, in networks, SPIN90 lowers branching densities and increases the proportion of long filaments elongated by mDia1.
Fold upHuman ESCRT-III polymers assemble on positively curved membranes and induce helical membrane tube formation
Nature Communications : 11 : 2663 : DOI : 10.1038/s41467-020-16368-5 Learn moreSummary
Endosomal sorting complexes for transport-III (ESCRT-III) assemble in vivo onto membranes with negative Gaussian curvature. How membrane shape influences ESCRT-III polymerization and how ESCRT-III shapes membranes is yet unclear. Human core ESCRT-III proteins, CHMP4B, CHMP2A, CHMP2B and CHMP3 are used to address this issue in vitro by combining membrane nanotube pulling experiments, cryo-electron tomography and AFM. We show that CHMP4B filaments preferentially bind to flat membranes or to tubes with positive mean curvature. Both CHMP2B and CHMP2A/CHMP3 assemble on positively curved membrane tubes. Combinations of CHMP4B/CHMP2B and CHMP4B/CHMP2A/CHMP3 are recruited to the neck of pulled membrane tubes and reshape vesicles into helical “corkscrewlike” membrane tubes. Sub-tomogram averaging reveals that the ESCRT-III filaments assemble parallel and locally perpendicular to the tube axis, highlighting the mechanical stresses imposed by ESCRT-III. Our results underline the versatile membrane remodeling activity of ESCRT-III that may be a general feature required for cellular membrane remodeling processes.
Fold upRoles of actin in the morphogenesis of the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo
International Journal of Molecular Sciences : DOI : 10.3390/ijms21103652 Learn moreSummary
Fold upFinger-like membrane protrusions are favored by heterogeneities in the actin network
Soft Matter : DOI : 10.1039/c9sm02444a Learn moreSummary
Fold upActin modulates shape and mechanics of tubular membranes
Science Advances : DOI : 10.1126/sciadv.aaz3050 Learn moreSummary
Fold upYear of publication 2019
Curving Cells Inside and Out: Roles of BAR Domain Proteins in Membrane Shaping and Its Cellular Implications.
Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology : 35 : DOI : 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100617-060558 Learn moreSummary
Many cellular processes rely on precise and timely deformation of the cell membrane. While many proteins participate in membrane reshaping and scission, usually in highly specialized ways, Bin/amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain proteins play a pervasive role, as they not only participate in many aspects of cell trafficking but also are highly versatile membrane remodelers. Subtle changes in the shape and size of the BAR domain can greatly impact the way in which BAR domain proteins interact with the membrane. Furthermore, the activity of BAR domain proteins can be tuned by external physical parameters, and so they behave differently depending on protein surface density, membrane tension, or membrane shape. These proteins can form 3D structures that mold the membrane and alter its liquid properties, even promoting scission under various circumstances. As such, BAR domain proteins have numerous roles within the cell. Endocytosis is among the most highly studied processes in which BAR domain proteins take on important roles. Over the years, a more complete picture has emerged in which BAR domain proteins are tied to almost all intracellular compartments; examples include endosomal sorting and tubular networks in the endoplasmic reticulum and T-tubules. These proteins also have a role in autophagy, and their activity has been linked with cancer. Here, we briefly review the history of BAR domain protein discovery, discuss the mechanisms by which BAR domain proteins induce curvature, and attempt to settle important controversies in the field. Finally, we review BAR domain proteins in the context of a cell, highlighting their emerging roles in cell signaling and organelle shaping.
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