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Sodium-dependent succinate transport in renal outer cortical brush border membrane vesicles.

The transport of succinate into outer cortical brush border membrane vesicles (early proximal tubule) was studied. Succinate is taken up into an osmotically active space and exhibits the same distribution volume and the same degree of nonspecific binding and trapping as D-glucose. Succinate uptake is markedly enhanced by sodium and slightly enhanced by lithium but shows no stimulation by other monovalent cations tested. Kinetic analysis of the sodium-dependent component of succinate flux indicates a single transport site obeying Michaelis-Menten kinetics (Km = 1 mM and Vmax = 50 nmol X min -1 X mg protein -1 as measured under zero trans conditions at 100 mM NaCl and 28 degrees C with delta psi = 0). Direct evidence is given that succinate transport is coupled to sodium and is rheogenic, involving the net transfer of positive charge. The sodium:succinate coupling stoichiometry is found to be 2:1 by two independent methods.

Animals↗

Sodium-dependent sulfate transport in renal outer cortical brush border membrane vesicles.

The transport of sulfate into outer cortical brush border membrane vesicles (early proximal tubule) was studied. Sulfate uptake was markedly enhanced by sodium and slightly enhanced by lithium but showed no stimulation by other monovalent cations tested. Kinetic analysis of the sodium-dependent component of sulfate flux indicated a single transport system obeying Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Studies of the dependence of sulfate flux on sodium concentration indicated that more than one sodium ion was involved in the sulfate transport event. Although sulfate influx was found to be stimulated by negative intravesicular potentials, evidence is presented that sodium/sulfate cotransport is nevertheless an electroneutral event presumably involving 2 Na+ per SO2-4. Under zero trans sodium conditions sodium-dependent sulfate influx was stimulated by the presence of intravesicular unlabeled sulfate (trans stimulation); however, a similar stimulation of sulfate efflux by the presence of unlabeled extravesicular sulfate was not observed. These latter results are consistent with an ordered binding scheme for the transporter, with sulfate binding before sodium on the extravesicular (urine) surface and dissociating before sodium on the intravesicular (cytosolic) surface.

Animals↗

Special delivery: vesicle trafficking in prokaryotes.

Although the observation that Gram-negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles (MVs) was made over 40 years ago, their biological roles have become a focus of study only within the past 10 years. Recent progress in this area has revealed that bacterial MVs are utilized for several processes including delivery of toxins to eukaryotic cells, protein and DNA transfer between bacterial cells, and trafficking of cell-cell signals. Some of these roles appear to be generalized among the Gram-negative bacteria while others are restricted to specific bacterial species/strains. Here we review the known roles of MVs, propose other roles for MVs in mediating interspecies and inter-kingdom communication, and discuss the mechanism of MV formation.

Antibiosis↗

Human antibody responses to meningococcal outer membrane antigens after three doses of the Norwegian group B meningococcal vaccine.

The antibody kinetics in sera from 27 adults after three doses of the Norwegian group B meningococcal outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine was studied. The vaccinees received the third dose 4 to 5 years after the first two. Antibody responses against outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and lipopolysaccharides were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting and with serum bactericidal assays (SBA) with three variants of the vaccine strain, 44/76. Six weeks after the second injection, the geometric mean (GM) of the levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) against OMVs was about sevenfold higher than that of prevaccination levels, and 74% of the vaccinees developed a greater-than-twofold rise in SBA titer. After 6 months, the GM of IgG levels declined to about threefold higher, and after 4 to 5 years it declined to about twofold higher, than that before vaccination. The third dose induced a rapid increase in SBA titers in 96% of the vaccinees, and the GM of levels of IgG against OMVs rose to about 14-fold the prevaccination level. One year later, the IgG antibody levels had dropped to 4.6-fold the prevaccination level, but 88% of the vaccinees still showed bactericidal activity. The response after the two first doses was higher in individuals with prevaccination antibodies, but no such effect was found after three doses. The use of defined mutants in SBA and linear multiple regression analyses indicated that among the major OMPs, antibodies to the Opc and class 1 proteins made the most important single contributions to the bactericidal activity against the vaccine strain, but it also demonstrated the importance of antibodies against other antigens. After three doses, 68% of the vaccinees showed a significant SBA response against a strain lacking both the Opc and the class 1 proteins. Three doses converted almost all subjects to SBA responders and gave higher antibody levels and relatively less serosubtype-specific bactericidal activity than did two doses, probably indicating a broader cross-protection against heterologous strains.

Adult↗

Cotranslational secretion of diphtheria toxin and alkaline phosphatase in vitro: involvement of membrane protein(s).

Crude messenger ribonucleic acid fractions isolated from Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Escherichia coli were translated in an E. coli in vitro protein-synthesizing system and yielded precursors of the secreted proteins diphtheria toxin and alkaline phosphatase, respectively. Addition of inverted E. coli inner membrane vesicles to the system during the initial stages of translation resulted in the intravesicular segregation of mature diphtheria toxin and alkaline phosphatase. Outer membrane vesicles or inner membrane vesicles whose cytoplasmic surfaces had been treated with pronase could not mediate transmembrane transfer of diphtheria toxin or alkaline phosphatase. However, inner membrane vesicles isolated from E. coli spheroplasts which had been treated with pronase and inner membrane vesicles complexed with ribosomes during pronase treatment were functional in transmembrane transfer. At temperatures below the phase transition of E. coli membranes, no intravesicular segregation of alkaline phosphatase or diphtheria toxin was observed. The precursor forms of each protein accumulated free from the vesicles. These results suggest that an inner membrane protein, exposed on the cytoplasmic surface, plays an integral role in secretion.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Ionic strength of the intermembrane space of intact mitochondria as estimated with fluorescein-BSA delivered by low pH fusion.

The electrostatic interactions of cytochrome c with its redox partners and membrane lipids, as well as other protein interactions and biochemical reactions, may be modulated by the ionic strength of the intermembrane space of the mitochondrion. FITC-BSA was used to determine the relative value of the mitochondrial intermembrane ionic strength with respect to bulk medium external to the mitochondrial outer membrane. FITC-BSA exhibited an ionic strength-dependent fluorescence change with an affinity in the mM range as opposed to its pH sensitivity in the microM range. A controlled, low pH-induced membrane fusion procedure was developed to transfer FITC-BSA encapsulated in asolectin liposomes, to the intermembrane space of intact mitochondria. The fusion procedure did not significantly affect mitochondrial ultrastructure, electron transport, or respiratory control ratios. The extent of fusion of liposomes with the mitochondrial outer membrane was monitored by fluorescence dequenching assays using a membrane fluorescent probe (octadecylrhodamine B) and the soluble FITC-BSA fluorescent probe, which report membrane and contents mixing, respectively. Assays were consistent with a rapid, low pH-induced vesicle-outer membrane fusion and delivery of FITC-BSA into the intermembrane space. Similar affinities for the ionic strength-dependent change in fluorescence were found for bulk medium, soluble (9.8 +/- 0.8 mM) and intermembrane space-entrapped FITC-BSA (10.2 +/- 0.6 mM). FITC-BSA consistently reported an ionic strength in the intermembrane space of the functionally and structurally intact mitochondria within +/- 20% of the external bulk solution. These findings reveal that the intermembrane ionic strength changes as does the external ionic strength and suggest that cytochrome c interactions, as well as other protein interactions and biochemical reactions, proceed in the intermembrane space of mitochondria in the intact cell at physiological ionic strength, i.e., 100-150 mM.

Animals↗

Characterization of an outer membrane protein of Pasteurella multocida belonging to the OmpA family.

The outer membrane vesicle and N-lauroylsarcosine-insoluble protein preparations of Pasteurella multocida 656 were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A major outer membrane protein (OMP) was found to be heat-modifiable, having a molecular mass of 28 kDa when the OMP preparation was solubilized at 60 degrees C and a molecular mass of 37 kDa when it was solubilized at 100 degrees C. A monoclonal antibody, designated mAb MT4.1, was generated against heat-modifiable OMP of P. multocida. This mAb reacted with the heat-modifiable OMP irrespective of the temperature at which it was solubilized, as demonstrated by immunoblot results. The heat-modifiable OMP of P. multocida showed a significant N-terminal amino acid sequence homology with OmpA family. Immunoelectron microscopic study revealed that the mAb Mt4.1 epitope was not surface exposed on the intact bacterium. The mAb MT4.1 reacted with all the reference strains of 5 capsular and 16 somatic serotypes, as well as with 75 field strains of P. multocida in immunoblot assay. This mAb MT4.1 also reacted with strains of various other Pasteurella species such as P. stomatis, P. aerogenes P. gallinarum, P. betti, P. sp, B, P. SP-g and P. canis, but not with strains of 12 other Gram-negative bacteria. These results indicated that this protein carried a genus-specific epitope and mAb MT4.1 may be useful for identification of Pasteurella species. This is the first report in which a major heat-modifiable OMP has been identified and characterized using a mAb, and has been shown belonging to the OmpA family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Transverse-plane topography of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase in the mitochondrial outer membrane.

Transverse-plane topography of mitochondrial outer-membrane long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase was investigated using proteases as probes for exposure of crucial domains, i.e. domains containing the active site or otherwise required for enzymatic activity. Incubation of intact mitochondria with the nonspecific proteases proteinase K and subtilisin resulted in a time-dependent loss of 90% or more of the long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase activity compared to control incubations. The integrity of the outer membrane before and during this treatment was shown by cytochrome c oxidase latency as well as the stability of adenylate kinase activity in the presence of protease. After a 15-min incubation in these conditions, site-specific proteases such as trypsin and chymotrypsin had only a limited inhibitory effect (29 and 58% loss of activity, respectively); however, treatment of hypotonically disrupted mitochondria with these proteases resulted in increased (71 and 77%, respectively) loss of activity. Exposure of trypsin-sensitive crucial domains on the inner surface of the membrane was directly demonstrated by incubation of trypsin-loaded outer-membrane vesicles. Together, these results suggest that mitochondrial long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase is a transmembrane enzyme, possessing crucial domains on both sides of the outer membrane. However, the cytosolic exposure of the enzyme does not appear to be affected by a change in the medium ionic strength as seen previously for other outer-membrane enzymes. In an experiment investigating the topography of the active site of the enzyme, an immobilized substrate analog, desulfo-CoA-agarose, was preincubated with intact mitochondria. This resulted in up to a 42% loss of the activity of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase, consistent with a cytosolic exposure for at least the CoA-binding domain of the active site.

Animals↗

The topography of glycerophosphate acyltransferase in the transverse plane of the mitochondrial outer membrane.

In low ionic media, mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase was inhibited virtually completely within 15 min by the nonspecific proteases, proteinase K and subtilisin. In high ionic media, the mitochondrial enzyme was either not inhibited or was marginally inhibited by these proteases. Chymotrypsin and trypsin, regardless of the ionic strength of the medium, did not inhibit the acyltransferase. Substantial inhibition by proteinase K and subtilisin was observed in the high ionic media when the incubation was continued for 30 or 45 min. Adenylate kinase, an intermembrane enzyme, was not inhibited under any of the above conditions. These results demonstrate a cytosolic exposure of the mitochondrial acyltransferase. In a low ionic environment, when the outer membrane integrity was damaged either by gradually decreasing the tonicity of the medium or by stepwise addition of Triton X-100, either chymotrypsin or trypsin caused virtually parallel inhibition of glycerophosphate acyltransferase and adenylate kinase. A more direct approach in establishing the existence of protease-susceptible sites on the inner side of the outer membrane was taken by observing the inhibition of mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase and adenylate kinase in trypsinloaded right-side-out outer membrane vesicles incubated in the presence of externally located soybean trypsin inhibitor. The above results, taken together, suggest that mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase spans the transverse plane of the outer membrane.

Acyltransferases↗

Characterization of rat TOM40, a central component of the preprotein translocase of the mitochondrial outer membrane.

We cloned a 38-kDa rat mitochondrial outer membrane protein (OM38) with structural homology to the central component of preprotein translocase of the fungal mitochondrial outer membrane, Tom40. Although it has no predictable alpha-helical transmembrane segments, OM38 is resistant to alkaline carbonate extraction and is inaccessible to proteases and polyclonal antibodies added from outside the mitochondria, suggesting that it is embedded in the membrane, probably in a beta-barrel structure, as has been similarly speculated for fungal Tom40. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated that OM38 is associated with the major import receptors rTOM20 and rTOM22, and several other unidentified components with molecular masses of 5-10 kDa in digitonin-solubilized membrane: OM10, OM7.5, and OM5. Blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that OM38 is a component of a approximately 400-kDa complex, firmly associating with rTOM22 and loosely associating with rTOM20. The preprotein in transit to the matrix interacted with the TOM complex containing OM38, and immunodepletion of OM38 resulted in the loss of preprotein import activity of the detergent-solubilized and reconstituted outer membrane vesicles. Taken together, these results indicate that OM38 is a structural and functional homolog of fungal Tom40 and functions as a component of the preprotein import machinery of the rat mitochondrial outer membrane.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Expression of heterologous antigens in commensal Neisseria spp.: preservation of conformational epitopes with vaccine potential.

Commensal neisseriae share with Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) a tendency towards overproduction of the bacterial outer envelope, leading to the formation and release during growth of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). OMVs from both meningococci and commensal neisseriae have shown promise as vaccines to protect against meningococcal disease. We report here the successful expression at high levels of heterologous proteins in commensal neisseriae and the display, in its native conformation, of one meningococcal outer membrane protein vaccine candidate, NspA, in OMVs prepared from such a recombinant Neisseria flavescens strain. These NspA-containing OMVs conferred protection against otherwise lethal intraperitoneal challenge of mice with N. meningitidis serogroup B, and sera raised against them mediated opsonophagocytosis of meningococcal strains expressing this antigen. This development promises to facilitate the design of novel vaccines containing membrane protein antigens that are otherwise difficult to present in native conformation that provide cross-protective efficacy in the prevention of meningococcal disease.

Animals↗

Isolation and partial characterization of Borrelia burgdorferi inner and outer membranes by using isopycnic centrifugation.

In order to characterize the protein composition of the outer membrane of Borrelia burgdorferi, we have isolated inner and outer membranes by using discontinuous sucrose density step gradients. Outer and inner membrane fractions isolated by this method contained less than 1 and 2%, respectively, of the total lactate dehydrogenase activity (soluble marker) in cell lysate. More importantly, the purified outer membranes contained less than 4% contamination by the C subunit of F1/F0 ATPase (inner membrane marker). Very little flagellin protein was present in the outer membrane sample. This indicated that the outer membranes were relatively free of contamination by cytoplasmic, inner membrane or flagellar components. The outer membrane fractions (rho = 1.19 g/cm3) contained 0.15 mg (dry weight) of protein per mg. Inner membrane samples (rho = 1.12 g/cm3) contained 0.60 mg (dry weight) of protein per mg. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed that the outer membrane vesicles contained about 1,700 intramembranous particles per micron 2 while inner membrane densities for inner and outer membranes. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and nonequilibrium pH gel electrophoresis-SDS-PAGE analyses of inner and outer membrane samples revealed several proteins unique to the inner membrane and 20 proteins that localized specifically to the outer membrane. This analysis clearly shows that the inner and outer membranes isolated by this technique are unique structures.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Anti-PorA antibodies elicited by immunization with peptides conjugated to P64k.

To increase the humoral immune response against two cyclic synthetic peptides, derived from variable regions within the outer membrane meningococcal protein PorA (subtypes 19 and 15), we conjugated the peptides to P64k, a novel carrier protein from the same bacterium expressed in Escherichia coli. In addition, one of these peptides was restricted to a linear conformation before it was chemically coupled to the carrier. The conjugates were administered to mice in a three-dose immunization schedule, resulting in a potent anti-peptide immune response, which suggested that chemical conjugation to this carrier provided T-cell help. Antisera directed to the three conjugates reacted with Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane PorA upon immunoblot analysis. Moreover, in two out of three conjugates, the anti-peptide sera reacted with native meningococcal outer membrane vesicles in ELISA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dual electron microscopic localization of mitochondrial creatine kinase in brain mitochondria.

Mitochondrial creatine kinase in brain mitochondria appears to be located at two different intramitochondrial sites. By using immunogold-labeling techniques, a peripheral immunoreactivity was localized between the two boundary membranes, while an additional, central immunoreactivity was found at the crista surface. The peripheral enzyme was accessible to the antibodies after treatment of the brain mitochondria with 100-300 micrograms digitonin/mg mitochondrial protein, which left 75% of the activity bound to the membranes. Electron microscopic analyses revealed that 43% of the labeled, peripheral creatine kinase was bound at those places where outer membrane vesicles remained attached to the inner envelope membrane, suggesting that the enzyme is involved in contact formation between outer and inner mitochondrial membranes. Postembedding staining of mitochondria on thin sections of brain tissue or in the isolated state led to the observation of a second location of creatine kinase inside the mitochondria, along the cristae, which was not accessible to the antibodies in isolated, digitonin-treated mitochondria.

Animals↗

Immunogenicity of peptide-vaccine candidates predicted by molecular dynamics simulations.

We present an in silico, structure-based approach for design and evaluation of conformationally restricted peptide-vaccines. In particular, we designed four cyclic peptides of ten or 11 residues mimicking the crystallographically observed beta-turn conformation of a predicted immunodominant loop of PorA from Neisseria meningitidis. Conformational correctness and stability of the peptide designs, as evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations, correctly predicted the immunogenicity of the peptides. We observed a peptide-induced functional antibody response that, remarkably, exceeded the response induced by the native protein in outer membrane vesicles, without losing specificity for related strains. The presented approach offers tools for a priori design and selection of peptide-vaccine candidates with full biological activity. This approach could be widely applicable: to outer membrane proteins of Gram-negative bacteria, and to other epitopes in a large range of pathogens.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Carotenoid-containing outer membrane of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6714.

Outer membranes, free of cytoplasmic or thylakoid membranes and peptidoglycan components, were obtained from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6714. Electron microscope studies revealed double-track outer membrane vesicles with a smooth-appearing exoplasmic surface, an exoplasmic fracture face covered by closely packed particles and a corresponding plasmic fracture face with regularly distributed holes. Lipopolysaccharide, proteins, lipids, and carotenoids were the constituents of the outer membrane of Synechocystis sp. PCC6714. Twelve polypeptides were found in outer membrane fractions, among them two dominant outer membrane proteins (Mrs, 67,000 and 61,000). Lipopolysaccharide-specific components were GlcN and an unidentified heptose. Outer membrane lipid extracts contained phosphatidylglycerol, sulfolipid, phosphatidylcholine, and unknown lipids. The carotenoids, myxoxanthophyll, related carotenoid-glycosides, zeaxanthin, echinenone, and beta-carotene were found to be true constituents of the outer membrane of Synechocystis sp. PCC6714.

Carotenoids↗

GTP-binding proteins in adrenocortical mitochondria.

We have identified two GTP-binding proteins in mitochondria from bovine adrenal cortex (fasciculata). Sub-mitochondrial particles were fractionated into inner membrane, contact point and outer membrane vesicles on sucrose density gradients. These sub-mitochondrial fractions were identified by the presence of enzyme markers and electron microscopy. Photoaffinity labelling with [gamma-32P]GTP identified a 45 kDa GTP-binding protein in outer mitochondrial membranes and a 19 kDa protein in the contact points. The molecular weight of 45 kDa and requirement for Mg2+ ions raise the possibility that this protein is an alpha subunit of a heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein or a novel GTP-binding protein. The specificity of nucleotide binding, the requirement for low concentrations of Mg2+ (0.1 mM) and molecular weight of 19 kDa suggest that this protein is a typical member of the so-called small GTP-binding protein family. The location of 45 kDa in the outer membrane and that of 19 kDa in the contact points suggest roles for these proteins in the interaction with the extramitochondrial environment and in the regulation of mitochondrial membranes, respectively.

Adrenal Cortex↗

The use of specific antiserum induced by lectin-antigen complexes to investigate the outer membrane antigens of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Extracts of gonococcal surface antigens, examined by crossed affinity electrophoresis (CAE) with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), yielded a single antigen-lectin precipitate in agarose gels. This precipitate induced in rabbits a potent antiserum specific for the gonococcal antigen which reacted with WGA. Immune electron microscopy on whole gonococci showed that this antiserum reacted with outer membrane vesicles. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) purified by phenol-water extraction of whole gonococci reacted with WGA and also with the antiserum to the WGA-antigen complex. This indicated that the antiserum was specific for antigen(s) of the outer membrane complex.

Animals↗