Biology subjects

Roderer, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Roderer, D..

14 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Atomic structure and dynamics of the mechanosensitive channel MscL from E. coli by cryo-EM and solid-state NMR

Mechanosensitive channels are central to cellular responses to membrane tension, yet the structural basis of their gating remains incompletely understood. Here, we determine the structures of wild-type and G22S mutants of MscL from E. coli (EcMscL) by cryo-EM in peptide-based lipid nanodiscs and complement them with solid-state NMR measurements in liposomes to capture their dynamics in a native-like membrane environment. The cryo-EM structures reveal a closed conformation, whereas analysis of the low-threshold G22S mutant by NMR uncovers widespread conformational changes in both cytoplasmic and periplasmic regions. These data indicate enhanced dynamics and conformational heterogeneity in the mutant, revealing the early transitions from the closed towards the open state. Together, our results establish a synergistic framework integrating cryo-EM and NMR to resolve both structure and dynamics of mechanosensitive channels, and identify lipid-protein interactions as key determinants of MscL gating and mechanosensitivity. Our study further provides a quantitative benchmark for computational investigations of mechanogating and lays the foundation for the rational design of channels with tunable gating kinetics. TeaserBy integrating cryo-EM and solid-state NMR, we reveal how lipid-coupled dynamics prime MscL for opening, capturing the earliest transitions from closed to active states.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2026

Atomic structure and plasticity of the MthK-CTX complex investigated by cryo-EM, NMR, and MD simulations

Scorpion toxins block potassium channels, disrupting cellular excitability and causing symptoms such as pain, muscle spasms, or paralysis. Here, we use an integrated structural biology approach to uncover the binding mode of the scorpion toxin charybdotoxin (CTX) to the MthK channel, a model system for human large-conductance potassium (BK) channels. Cryo-EM defines the overall architecture of the MthK-CTX complex, while complementary solution- and solid-state NMR experiments identify key binding residues and show that toxin engagement alters the selectivity filter (SF) ion configuration without rearranging the filter itself. NMR and MD simulations further reveal an anchoring lysine residue stably inserted into the SF, while other contacts undergo fast NMR timescale dynamics. Together, these findings explain how CTX-like toxins maintain exceptionally high affinity while tolerating binding across multiple K+ channel subtypes, paving the way for site-specific extracellular modulation.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Monomeric and oligomeric forms of Bcl-xL in direct andindirect inhibition of apoptosis

The Bcl-2 protein Bcl-xL is an inhibitor of intrinsic apoptosis which either directly inhibits the pore-forming Bcl-2 proteins, like Bax or Bak, or indirectly inhibits pore formation by sequestering the pro-apoptotic BH3-only activators. The structural basis of the inhibition of pore formation in the outer mitochondrial membrane is still largely unknown due to the lack of atomic resolution structures of the relevant inhibitory complexes at the membrane. Here we present a protocol to obtain high-yield recombinant monomeric full-length Bcl-xL proteins. The monomeric Bcl-xL retains the ability to shuttle between membrane and aqueous environments and can successfully inhibit Bcl-2-induced membrane permeabilization via both modes of action, as proven by in vitro and in organelle assays with a minimal Bcl-2 interactome constituted by Bcl-xL, cBid, and Bax.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

Structural basis for immune cell binding of Fusobacterium nucleatum via the trimeric autotransporter adhesin CbpF

Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), a commensal in the human oral cavity, is overrepresented in the colon microbiota of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and is linked to tumor chemoresistance, metastasis, and a poor therapeutic prognosis. Fn produces numerous adhesins that mediate tumor colonization and downregulation of the hosts anti-tumor immune response. One of these, the trimeric autotransporter adhesin (TAA) CEACAM binding protein of Fusobacterium (CbpF), targets CEACAM1 on T-cells and has been associated with immune evasion of Fn-colonized tumors. Whereas the role of CEACAM1 in homophilic and heterophilic cell interactions and immune evasion is well described, the mechanistic details of its interaction with fusobacterial CbpF remain unknown due to the lack of a high-resolution structure of the adhesin-receptor complex. Here, we present two structures of CbpF alone and in complex with CEACAM1, obtained by cryogenic electron microscopy and single particle analysis. They reveal that CbpF forms a stable homotrimeric complex whose N-terminal part of the extracellular domain comprises a 64 [A] long {beta} roll domain with a unique lateral loop extension. CEACAM1 binds to this loop via its N-terminal IgV-like domain with high affinity with a nanomolar dissociation constant, as obtained by surface plasmon resonance. This study provides the first structural description of a fusobacterial TAA, illustrates a yet undescribed CEACAM1 binding mode, and paves the way for rational drug design targeting Fn in CRC.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

C. perfringens enterotoxin-claudin pore complex: Models for structure, mechanism of pore assembly and cation permeability

The pore-forming Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), a common cause of foodborne diseases, facilitates Ca2+ influx in enterocytes, leading to cell damage. Upon binding to certain claudins (e.g. claudin-4), CPE forms oligomeric pores in the cell membrane. While the CPE-claudin interaction mechanism is well known, the structure and assembly of the pore complex remain elusive. Here, using AlphaFold2 complex prediction, structure alignment, and molecular dynamics simulations, we generated models of pre-pore and pore states of the CPE-claudin-4 complex sequentially addressing CPE-claudin, CPE-CPE, and claudin-claudin interactions, along with CPE conformational changes. The CPE pore is a hexameric variation of the typically heptameric pore stem and cap architecture of aerolysin-like {beta}-barrel pore-forming toxins ({beta}-PFT). The pore is lined with three hexa-glutamate rings, which differs from other {beta}-PFTs and confers CPE-specific cation selectivity of the pore. Additionally, the pore center is indicated to be anchored by a dodecameric claudin ring formed by a cis-interaction variant of an interface found in claudin-based tight junction strands. Mutation of an interfacial residue inhibited CPE-mediated cell damage in vitro. We propose that this claudin ring constitutes an anchor for a twisting mechanism that drives extension and membrane insertion of the CPE {beta}-hairpins. Our pore model agrees with previous key experimental data providing insights into the structural mechanisms of CPE-mediated cytotoxic cation influx.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NME1) catalyze its own oligophosphorylation

Protein phosphorylation is a central regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic cell signaling, and was recently expanded to include protein pyrophosphorylation and protein polyphosphorylation. Here, we report the discovery of yet another mode of phosphorylation - protein oligophosphorylation. Using site-specifically phosphorylated and pyrophosphorylated nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NME1), the effects of these modifications on enzyme activity were investigated. Phosphorylation, and more so pyrophosphorylation, on threonine 94 notably reduced the nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity. Nevertheless, both phosphoprotein and pyrophosphoprotein were able to catalyze their own oligophosphorylation - up to the formation of a hexaphosphate chain - using ATP as a co-factor. This reaction was critically dependent on the catalytic histidine residue H118, and cryo-EM analysis of the differently modified proteins suggests an intramolecular phosphoryl transfer, likely via a phosphohistidine intermediate. Oligophosphorylation of NME1 in biochemical samples, as well as cell lysates, was further confirmed using mass spectrometry, and oligophophorylation promoted a new set of protein interactions. Our results highlight the complex nature of phosphoregulation, and the methods described here provide the opportunity to investigate the impact of this novel modification in the future.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2024

Structural basis of Fusobacterium nucleatum adhesin Fap2 interaction with receptors on cancer and immune cells

The intestinal microbiome (IM) is decisive for the human hosts health. Numerous microbiota drive the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), the third-most common cancer worldwide. The Gram-negative Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is overrepresented in the IM of CRC patients and has been correlated with the emergence, progression, and metastasis of tumors. A key pathogenic factor of Fn is the adhesin Fap2, an autotransporter protein that facilitates association to cancer and immune cells via two receptors, the glycan Gal-GalNAc and the T-cell protein TIGIT, respectively. The latter interaction leads to deactivation of immune cells. Mechanistic details of the Fap2/TIGIT interaction remain elusive due to the lack of high-resolution structural data. Here, we report a system to recombinantly express functional Fap2 on the Escherichia coli surface, which interacts with Gal-GalNAc on cancer cells and with purified TIGIT with submicromolar affinity. Cryo-EM structures of Fap2, alone and in complex with TIGIT, show that the [~]50 nm long rod-shaped Fap2 extracellular region binds to TIGIT on its membrane-distal tip via an extension of a {beta}-helix domain. Moreover, by combining structure predictions, cryo-EM, docking and MD simulations, we identified a binding pit for Gal-GalNAc on the tip of Fap2. Our data represent the first purification and high-resolution structural analysis of a Fn autotransporter adhesin and its receptor association.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2024

Multi-state kinetics of the syringe-like injection mechanism of Tc toxins

Tc toxins are virulence factors of many insects and human pathogenic bacteria. They attach as soluble prepores to receptors on host cells and following acidification in the late endosome, perforate the cell membrane like a syringe to translocate toxic enzymes into the host cell through their pore-forming channel. Although this complex transformation has been structurally well studied, the functional aspects of this large-scale rearrangement, such as the reaction pathway with possible intermediate states and the resulting temporal evolution have remained elusive. Here, we used an integrated biophysical approach to monitor the prepore-to-pore transition and found that it takes [~]28 h when induced by high pH in the absence of other factors. In the presence of liposomes, an increasingly high pH or receptors, such as heparin or Vsg, the probability to transform prepores to pores increases by a factor of up to 4. This effect can also be mimicked by biotinylation or site-directed mutagenesis of the shell, demonstrating that shell destabilization is a crucial step in prepore-to-pore transition. We show that shell opening is a heterogeneous process with transition times ranging from 60 ms to 1.6 s and resolve three sequential intermediate states: an initial transient intermediate during shell destabilization, a first stable intermediate where the receptor-binding domains on the shell rearrange and a second stable intermediate with an open shell. In contrast, the ejection of the pore-forming channel from the open shell is highly cooperative with a transition time of < 60 ms. This detailed knowledge of the Tc toxin mechanism of action, even in the absence of receptors, is important for the future application of Tc toxins as biomedical devices or biopesticides.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2023

Spatial N-glycan rearrangement on α5β1 integrin nucleates galectin-3 oligomers to determine endocytic fate α

Membrane glycoproteins frequently adopt different conformations when altering between active and inactive states. Here, we discover a molecular switch that exploits dynamic spatial rearrangements of N-glycans during such conformational transitions to control protein function. For the conformationally switchable cell adhesion glycoprotein 5{beta}1 integrin, we find that only the bent-closed state arranges N-glycans to nucleate the formation of up to tetrameric oligomers of the glycan-binding protein galectin-3. We propose a structural model of how these galectin-3 oligomers are assembled and how they clamp the bent-closed state to prime it for endocytic uptake and subsequent retrograde trafficking to the Golgi for polarized distribution in cells. Our findings highlight an unexpectedly dynamic regulation of the glycan landscape at the cell surface to achieve oligomerization of galectin-3. Galectin-3 oligomers are thereby identified as decoders of defined spatial patterns of N-glycans and as functional extracellular interactors of specifically the bent- closed conformational state of 5{beta}1 integrin and possibly other family members.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Mechanism of threonine ADP-ribosylation of F-actin by a Tc toxin

Tc toxins deliver toxic enzymes into host cells by a unique injection mechanism. One of these enzymes is TccC3, an ADP-ribosyltransferase from Photorhabdus luminescens. Once TccC3 is translocated into the target cell, the enzyme ADP-ribosylates actin, resulting in clustering of the actin cytoskeleton and ultimately cell death. Here, we combine biochemistry, solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy and cryo-EM to show in atomic detail how TccC3 modifies actin. We find that the ADP-ribosyltransferase does not bind to G-actin but interacts with two consecutive actin subunits of F-actin. The binding of TccC3 to F-actin occurs via an induced-fit mechanism that facilitates access of NAD+ to the nucleotide binding pocket. The following nucleophilic substitution reaction results in the transfer of ADP-ribose to threonine-148 of F-actin. We demonstrate that this site-specific modification of F-actin prevents its interaction with depolymerization factors, such as cofilin, which impairs actin network turnover and leads to steady actin polymerization. Our findings reveal in atomic detail a new mechanism of action of a bacterial toxin through specific targeting and modification of F-actin.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2019

Glycan-dependent two-step cell adhesion mechanism of Tc toxins

Toxin complex (Tc) toxins are virulence factors widespread in insect and human bacterial pathogens. Tcs are composed of three subunits: TcA, TcB and TcC. TcA facilitates receptor-toxin interaction and membrane permeation, TcB and TcC form a toxin-encapsulating cocoon. While the mechanisms of holotoxin assembly and prepore-to-pore transition have been well-described, little is known about receptor binding and cellular uptake of Tcs. Here, we identify two classes of glycans, heparins/heparan sulfates and Lewis antigens, that act as receptors for different TcAs from insect- and human pathogenic bacteria. Glycan array screening and electron cryo microscopy (cryo-EM) structures reveal that all tested TcAs bind unexpectedly with their -helical part of the shell domain to negatively charged heparins. In addition, TcdA1 from the insect-pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens binds to Lewis antigens with micromolar affinity. A cryo-EM structure of the TcdA1-Lewis X complex reveals that the glycan interacts with the receptor-binding domain D of the toxin. Our results suggest a two-step association mechanism of Tc toxins involving glycans on the surface of host cells.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Towards the application of Tc toxins as a universal protein translocation system

Tc toxins are large bacterial protein complexes that inject cytotoxic enzymes into target cells using a sophisticated syringe-like mechanism. Tc toxins are composed of a membrane translocator and a cocoon that encapsulates a toxic enzyme. The toxic enzyme varies between Tc toxins from different species and is not conserved. Here, we investigated whether the toxic enzyme can be replaced by other small proteins of different origin and properties, namely human Cdc42, herpes simplex virus ICP47, Arabidopsis thaliana iLOV, Escherichia coli DHFR, human Ras-binding domain of CRAF kinase, and tobacco etch virus protease. Using a combination of electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography and in vitro translocation assays, we demonstrate that it is possible to turn Tc toxins into customizable molecular syringes for delivering proteins of interest across membranes. We also infer the guidelines that protein cargos must obey in terms of size, charge, and fold in order to successfully take advantage of this new universal protein translocation system.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2019

Conserved architecture of Tc toxins from human and insect pathogenic bacteria

Tc toxin complexes use a syringe-like mechanism to penetrate the membrane and translocate a toxic enzyme into the host cytosol. They are composed of three components: TcA, TcB and TcC. Until recently, low-resolution structures of TcA from different bacteria suggested that Tc toxins differ considerably in their architecture and possibly in their mechanism of action. Here, we present high-resolution structures and functional studies of five TcAs from different insect and human pathogenic bacteria. Contrary to previous expectations, their overall composition and domain organization is almost identical. The TcAs assemble as a pentamer with a central -helical channel surrounded by a shell composed of conserved -helical domains and variable {beta}-sheet domains. Essential structural features, including a conserved trefoil protein knot, are present in all five TcAs, suggesting a common mechanism of action. All TcAs form functional pores and can be combined with TcB-TcC subunits from other species resulting in chimeric holotoxins. We have identified a conserved ionic pair that stabilizes the shell, likely operating as a strong latch that only springs open after the destabilization of other regions. Our results lead to new insights into the architecture and host specificity of the Tc toxin family.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Structure of a Tc holotoxin pore provides insights into the translocation mechanism

Tc toxins are modular toxin systems that are composed of a pentameric membrane translocator (TcA) and a cocoon (TcB and TcC) encapsulating the toxic enzyme. Binding of Tcs to target cells and a pH shift trigger the conformational transition from the soluble prepore state to the membrane-embedded pore. Subsequently, the toxic enzyme is translocated and released into the cytoplasm. Here, we show in atomic detail an assembled Tc toxin complex from P. luminescens in the membrane. We find that the five TcA protomers conformationally adapt to fit around the cocoon during prepore-to-pore transition. The architecture of the Tc toxin complex also allows TcB-TcC to bind to an already membrane-embedded TcA pore to form a holotoxin. Mammalian lipids with zwitterionic head groups are preferred over other lipids for Tc toxin integration. The translocated toxic enzyme, which can be partially visualized, transiently interacts with alternating negative charges and hydrophobic stretches.

molecular biology↗