Biology subjects

Morgner, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Morgner, N..

8 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Reconstitution of glycan-driven MHC I recycling reveals calreticulin as mediator between TAPBPR and tapasin

Protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is essential for about one-third of the mammalian proteome. N-linked glycosylation and subsequent glycan remodeling barcodes glycoproteins during their maturation in the ER. Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecules, key for adaptive immunity, rely on a dedicated quality control cycle that involves specialized chaperones and glycan-modifying enzymes for their maturation and loading of immunogenic peptides. However, the functional interplay of the MHC I editors tapasin as part of the peptide-loading complex (PLC), TAP-binding protein-related (TAPBPR), the UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (UGGT1), and calreticulin in glycan-dependent transfer of MHC I clients has not been determined in a reconstituted system. With isolated components, we show that transfer of peptide-receptive MHC I from the downstream quality control factor TAPBPR back to tapasin depends on the recognition of the monoglucosylated glycan of MHC I by calreticulin. While calreticulins C-terminal acidic helix is dispensable for disengaging reglucosylated MHC I from TAPBPR, it is essential for docking MHC I onto tapasin. Our data provide a mechanistic basis for glycan-surveillance by calreticulin necessary for retrograde trafficking of misfolded or suboptimally loaded MHC I that escaped the first quality control at the PLC and were trapped by TAPBPR. Such finetuned dynamic network of glycan-dependent and MHC I-specific chaperones guarantees maturation of MHC I molecules and highlight the fundamental processes driving ER protein quality control. TeaserOur study dissects the mechanistic network of dedicated chaperones and glycan modifiers that quality-control MHC I. Significance StatementThe immune system relies on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to present protein fragments from within cells, enabling detection of infection or disease. This study uncovers how a dynamic, glycan-dependent chaperone network in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) orchestrates the recycling of misfolded or suboptimally loaded MHC I. Using isolated components, the work shows how monoglucosylation of MHC I glycans by UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (UGGT1) allows calreticulin to mediate transfer from the post-ER chaperone TAPBPR back to the ER-resident chaperone tapasin as part of the peptide-loading complex. These findings illuminate the coordinated action of TAPBPR, UGGT1, calreticulin, and tapasin-ERp57 in MHC I quality control, offering new insights in immune surveillance and how its disruption may contribute to disease.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Mechanistic insight into the oligomerization of Arabidopsis CRY1 and its inhibition by BIC1

Cryptochromes (CRY) convert blue light signals into biological responses, however, the molecular processes underlying their activation are not fully understood. In this study, we uncover the molecular mechanism underlying the blue-light activation of Arabidopsis CRY1 using time-resolved native mass spectrometry combined with kinetic modelling - an approach that allows us to monitor light-driven complex formation with temporal and molecular resolution. We show that CRY1 activation follows a defined, reversible assembly pathway in which monomers rapidly form dimers that then assemble into tetramers. A quantitative two-step model captures the dynamic interplay between light-driven assembly and thermal disassembly. Strikingly, ATP accelerates tetramer formation and stabilises oligomers by tuning the underlying photochemistry of the FAD chromophore. In contrast, the Blue-light Inhibitor of Cryptochromes 1 (BIC1) acts as a potent antagonist. We found that BIC1 binds to CRY1 even in the dark, with a significant increase in binding strength under blue-light conditions. BIC1 not only blocks CRY1 oligomerisation, but also actively dismantles pre-assembled tetramers. This disassembly process is light-independent and occurs regardless of CRY1s redox state. Together, these findings reveal a finely balanced regulatory system in which ATP and BIC1 act as opposing regulators to control CRY1 activation. This work provides a kinetic and mechanistic framework for reversible cryptochrome signalling and highlights how blue light responses can be precisely modulated at the molecular level.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Conformational plasticity of LptC regulates lipopolysaccharide transportby the LptB2FGC complex

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is coated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The Lpt system maintains membrane asymmetry by transporting LPS from the inner to the outer membrane. Transport begins with the LptB2FGC complex, where the ABC transporter LptB2FG associates with LptC to extract LPS. LPS is then passed via LptA to the LptDE translocon. While LptB2FGC structures suggest an extrusion mechanism, the role of LptC remains unclear. Here, we reconstituted the complex in vitro from purified LptB2FG and LptC, and demonstrate that LptC stabilizes the complex and modulates ATPase activity. Using differential isotope labeling and solid-state NMR including dynamic nuclear polarization, we observed that the LptC transmembrane helix LptCTMH is tightly associated with the transporter in the apo state. Upon LPS or ATP binding, LptCTMH becomes dynamic, favoring cavity collapse and substrate-coupled ATPase activity. Our data support a model in which LptC acts as a mechanical transducer linking transport and energy consumption.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

Dynamic basis of lipopolysaccharide export by LptB2FGC

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) confer resistance against harsh conditions, including antibiotics, in Gram-negative bacteria. The lipopolysaccharide transport (Lpt) complex, consisting of seven proteins (A-G), exports LPS across the cellular envelope. LptB2FG forms an ATP-binding cassette transporter that transfers LPS to LptC. How LptB2FG couples ATP binding and hydrolysis with LPS transport to LptC remains unclear. We observed the conformational heterogeneity of LptB2FG and LptB2FGC in micelles and/or proteoliposomes using pulsed dipolar electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, we monitored LPS binding and release using laser-induced liquid bead ion desorption mass spectrometry. The {beta}-jellyroll domain of LptF stably interacts with the LptG and LptC {beta}-jellyrolls in both the apo and vanadate-trapped states. ATP binding at the cytoplasmic side is allosterically coupled to the selective opening of the periplasmic LptF {beta}-jellyroll domain. In LptB2FG, ATP binding closes the nucleotide binding domains, causing a collapse of the first lateral gate as observed in structures. However, the second lateral gate, which forms the putative en try site for LPS, exhibits a heterogeneous conformation. LptC binding limits the flexibility of this gate to two conformations, likely representing the helix of LptC as either released from or inserted into the transmembrane domains. Our results reveal the regulation of the LPS entry gate through the dynamic behavior of the LptC transmembrane helix, while its {beta}-jellyroll domain is anchored in the periplasm. This, combined with long-range ATP-dependent allosteric gating of the LptF {beta}-jellyroll domain, may ensure efficient and unidirectional transport of LPS across the periplasm.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

The Mycobacterium lipid transporter MmpL3 is dimeric in detergent solution, SMALPs and reconstituted nanodiscs

The mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (MmpL3) transports key precursor lipids to the outer membrane of Mycobacterium species. Multiple structures of MmpL3 from both M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis in various conformational states indicate that the protein is both structurally and functionally monomeric. However, most other resistance, nodulation and cell division (RND) transporters structurally characterised to date are either dimeric or trimeric. Here we present an in depth biophysical and computational analysis revealing that MmpL3 from M. smegmatis exists as a dimer in a variety of membrane mimetic systems (SMALPs, detergent-based solution and nanodiscs). Sucrose gradient separation of MmpL3 populations from M. smegmatis, reconstituted into nanodiscs, identified monomeric and dimeric populations of the protein using laser induced liquid bead ion desorption (LILBID), a native mass spectrometry technique. Preliminary cryo-EM analysis confirmed that MmpL3 forms physiological dimers. Untargeted lipidomics experiments on membrane protein co-purified lipids revealed PE and PG lipid classes were predominant. Molecular dynamics simulations, in the presence of physiologically-relevant lipid compositions revealed the likely dimer interface.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2023

Cell free expression in proteinosomes prepared from native protein-PNIPAAm conjugates

Towards the goal of building synthetic cells from the bottom-up, the establishment of micrometer-sized compartments that contain and support cell free transcription and translation that couple cellular structure to function is of critical importance. Proteinosomes, formed from crosslinked cationized protein-polymer conjugates offer a promising solution to membrane-bound compartmentalisation with an open, semi-permeable membrane. Critically, to date, there have been no demonstration of cell free transcription and translation within water-in-water proteinosomes. Herein, we present a novel approach to the fabrication of proteinosomes directly from native protein-polymer (BSA-PNIPAAm) conjugates. We show that these native proteinosomes offer an excellent alternative as artificial cell chassis. Significantly, the native proteinosomes are stable under high salt conditions and can consequently support cell free transcription and translation. The native proteinosomes offer enhanced protein expression compared to proteinosomes prepared from traditional methodologies. Furthermore, we demonstrate the integration of proteinosomes into higher order cellular architectures with membrane free compartments and liposomes. The integration of bioinspired architectural elements with the central dogma is an essential building block for realizing minimal synthetic cells and is key for exploiting artificial cells in real-world applications.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Lateral gating mechanism and plasticity of the BAM complex in micelles and E. coli

The {beta}-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) mediates folding and insertion of the majority of OMPs in Gram-negative bacteria. BAM is a penta-heterooligomeric complex consisting of the central {beta}-barrel BamA and four interacting lipoproteins BamB, C, D, and E. The conformational switching of BamA between inward-open (IO) and lateral-open (LO) conformations is required for substrate recognition and folding. However, the mechanism for the lateral gating or how the structural details observed in vitro correspond with the cellular environment remains elusive. Here we addressed these questions by characterizing the conformational heterogeneity of BamAB, BamACDE and BamABCDE complexes in detergent micelles and or E. coli using pulsed dipolar electron spin resonance spectroscopy (PDS). We show that the binding of BamB does not induce any visible changes in BamA and the BamAB complex exists in the IO conformation. The BamCDE complex induces an IO to LO transition through a coordinated movement along the BamA barrel. However, the extracellular loop (L6) is unaffected by the presence of lipoproteins and exhibits a large segmental dynamics extending to the exit pore. PDS experiments with BamABCDE complex in intact E. coli confirmed the dynamic behavior of both the lateral gate and the L6 in the native environment. Our results demonstrate that the BamCDE complex plays a key role for the function by regulating lateral gating in BamA.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2023

Two conformations of the Tom20 preprotein receptor in the TOM holo complex

The TOM complex is the main entry point for precursor proteins into mitochondria. Precursor proteins containing targeting sequences are recognized by the TOM complex and imported into the mitochondria. We have determined the structure of the TOM core complex from Neurospora crassa by single-particle cryoEM at 3.3 [A] resolution, showing its interaction with a bound presequence at 4 [A] resolution, and of the TOM holo complex including the Tom20 receptor at 6-7 [A] resolution. TOM is a transmembrane complex consisting of two {beta}-barrels, three receptor subunits and three short transmembrane subunits. Tom20 has a transmembrane helix and a receptor domain on the cytoplasmic side. We propose that Tom20 acts as a dynamic gatekeeper, guiding precursor proteins into the pores of the TOM complex. We analyze the interactions of Tom20 with other TOM subunits, present insights into the structure of the TOM holo complex, and suggest a translocation mechanism.

biophysics↗