Biology subjects

Tampe, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Tampe, R..

13 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Kinetic asymmetry drives directionality in an ATP-binding cassette transporter

How ATP binding and hydrolysis directionally reshape the conformational landscape remains unknown for ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Here, we identify two conserved ionic locks within the nucleotide-binding domains that govern transition barriers and energy transduction: an intra-subunit inward-facing (IF)-lock and an inter-subunit outward-facing (OF)-lock. Mg2+-ATP acts as a molecular key that disrupts the IF-lock, driving the forward transition. Following ATP hydrolysis, release of the {gamma}-phosphate, which, together with Mg2+, forms the pivot of the OF-lock, initiates the reverse transition. Directionality arises from kinetic asymmetry, driven by an anticorrelated exchange of the rate-limiting step between the consensus nucleotide-binding site and the transmembrane domains during forward and reverse transitions, respectively. Conservation of these molecular locks reveals a universal blueprint for ATP-driven mechanical transduction across the ABC superfamily.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2026

ATP-driven conformational dynamics reveal hidden intermediates in a heterodimeric ABC transporter

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are essential molecular machines whose conformational dynamics have largely been inferred from ensemble-averaged measurements. Resolving dynamic heterogeneity and transient intermediates, however, requires single-molecule approaches. Here, we use single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to resolve ATP-driven conformational dynamics of the heterodimeric type IV ABC transporter TmrAB, a functional homolog of the human antigen transporter TAP, at the level of individual molecules. Fluorophores positioned at the nucleotide-binding domains and periplasmic gate were validated by accessible-volume simulations, fluorescence lifetimes, and ensemble FRET, demonstrating that these reporters reliably track conformational transitions. Single-molecule analysis distinguishes ATP-free and ATP-bound states and quantifies ATP-dependent population shifts from nucleotide-free to physiological ATP concentrations. Kinetic analysis further reveals an unexpectedly long ATP-bound dwell time of [~]300 ms. Using complementary stabilization strategies, we directly resolve a previously hidden outward-facing open state that is kinetically masked under turnover conditions. These results provide the first single-molecule characterization of TmrAB and establish a quantitative single-molecule framework for dissecting ATP-coupled conformational dynamics in heterodimeric ABC transporters. Impact StatementATP-driven single-molecule imaging uncovers hidden outward-facing intermediates and unexpectedly long-lived ATP-bound states in the heterodimeric ABC transporter TmrAB, revealing how conformational heterogeneity shapes transport dynamics.

biophysics↗

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

Single-molecule dynamics reveal ATP binding alone powers substrate translocation by an ABC transporter

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are molecular machines involved in diverse physiological processes, including antigen processing by TAP, a key component of adaptive immunity. TAP and its bacterial homolog TmrAB use ATP to translocate peptides across membranes, yet the precise mechanism linking ATP binding to substrate movement remains unclear. Here, we employ a single-molecule FRET sensor to visualize single translocation events by individual ABC transporters, overcoming the limitations of ensemble averaging. This approach reveals that substrate transport is driven by a conformational switch from the inward-to the outward-facing state. Using a slow-turnover TmrAB variant, we demonstrate that ATP binding alone, even in the absence of Mg2+, is sufficient to drive a single round of peptide translocation. Cryo-EM structures of wild-type and slow-turnover TmrAB show that ATP binding induces the outward-facing conformation even without Mg2+. In wild-type TmrAB, this conformational transition supports a single translocation event, whereas Mg2+-dependent ATP hydrolysis is required to reset the transporter. These findings establish a direct mechanistic link between ATP binding and substrate translocation at single-molecule resolution, providing new insights into the catalytic cycle of ABC transporters.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

Braess' Paradox in Enzyme Kinetics: Asymmetry from Population Balance without Direct Cooperativity

The ATPase ABCE1, a member of the ubiquitous ATP-Binding Cassette protein superfamily, is essential in eukaryotic and archaeal ribosome recycling. It comprises a pair of homologous nucleotide-binding domains each containing a consensus nucleotide-binding site (NBS), where ATP hydrolysis takes place. Each of these sites can be either in an open or closed conformation. Despite this near symmetry, and quite unexpectedly, their hydrolysis kinetics are highly asymmetric. While substitution of the catalytic glutamate (E238Q) in NBSI reduced the overall turnover rate of the ATPase by a factor of two, as one might expect, the corresponding substitution in NBSII (E485Q) shows a so far unexplained tenfold increase. To address this issue, we used Markov models to study how such drastic asymmetry can arise. Specifically, we asked if previously proposed direct allosteric interaction between the two nucleotide-binding sites, such as electrostatic interactions, are required to explain this observation. Indeed, using a Bayesian approach, we found Markov models that quantitatively predict the experimentally observed kinetics as well as additional steady state ATP occupancy data without such direct allosteric interaction. In particular, our results show that the structure-induced property that opening and closing always involves both nucleotide-binding sites suffices to explain the observed remarkable asymmetry. These models can explain the unexpected fast kinetics of the mutant of NBSII in terms of a drastic population shift due to the mutation, which circumvents a kinetic trap state that slows down wild-type kinetics. Our Baysian Markov approach may help to quantitatively explain similar non-intuitive Braess-type kinetics also in other enzymes where chemical/conformation coupling is essential.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

US6 hijacks the peptide-loading complex by trapping transporter-chaperone dynamics

Adaptive immune responses are initiated by major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) presentation of antigenic peptides on the cell surface. This process relies on the peptide-loading complex (PLC), a dynamic transporter-multichaperone assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to ensure high-fidelity selection, editing, and loading of peptides onto MHC I heterodimers1. The PLC is the primary target for viral immune evasion2, elicited in particular by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)3, causing lifelong infections with severe risks for immunocompromised individuals. While the overall architecture of the PLC is known4, how its activity is jeopardized by viral immune evasins remains unclear. Here, we present the 2.59-2.88 [A] cryogenic electron microscopy structure of native human PLC associated with the HCMV immune evasin US6. US6 inhibits the heterodimeric transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP1/2) by latching its transmembrane helix laterally onto TAP2 and using its central disulfide-rich domain to mimic a translocating peptide. This effectively plugs the ER-lumenal exit and locks TAP in an outward-facing open conformation with closed nucleotide-binding domains and asymmetrically occluded ATP and ADP. The structure also highlights the role of the unique N-terminal transmembrane domains of TAP as dynamic scaffolds that recruit the MHC I-specific chaperone tapasin by clamping its transmembrane helix to the core transmembrane domain of each transporter subunit. Our findings uncover the molecular mechanism of US6-mediated viral immune evasion and reveal potential targets for therapeutic modulation of antigen presentation in cancer and infectious diseases.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

The ER folding sensor UGGT1 acts on TAPBPR-chaperoned peptide-free MHC I

Adaptive immune responses are triggered by antigenic peptides presented on major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) at the surface of pathogen-infected or cancerous cells. Formation of stable peptide-MHC I complexes is facilitated by tapasin and TAPBPR, two related MHC I-specific chaperones that catalyze selective loading of suitable peptides onto MHC I in a process called peptide editing or proofreading. On their journey to the cell surface, MHC I complexes must pass a quality control step performed by UGGT1, which senses the folding status of the transiting N-linked glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). UGGT1 reglucosylates non-native glycoproteins and thereby allows them to revisit the ER folding machinery. Here, we describe a reconstituted in-vitro system of purified human proteins that enabled us to delineate the function of TAPBPR during the UGGT1-catalyzed quality control and reglucosylation of MHC I. By combining glycoengineering with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we show that TAPBPR promotes reglucosylation of peptide-free MHC I by UGGT1. Thus, UGGT1 cooperates with TAPBPR in fulfilling a crucial function in the quality control mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Structural basis of substrate recognition by human tRNA splicing endonuclease TSEN

The heterotetrameric human transfer RNA (tRNA) splicing endonuclease (TSEN) catalyzes the excision of intronic sequences from precursor tRNAs (pre-tRNAs)1. Mutations in TSEN and its associated RNA kinase CLP1 are linked to the neurodegenerative disease pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH)2-8. The three-dimensional (3D) assembly of TSEN/CLP1, the mechanism of substrate recognition, and the molecular details of PCH-associated mutations are not fully understood. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of human TSEN with intron-containing pre-tRNATyrO_SCPLOWGTAC_SCPLOW and pre-tRNAArgO_SCPLOWTCTC_SCPLOW. TSEN exhibits broad structural homology to archaeal endonucleases9 but has evolved additional regulatory elements that are involved in handling and positioning substrate RNA. Essential catalytic residues of subunit TSEN34 are organized for the 3 splice site which emerges from a bulge-helix configuration. The triple-nucleotide bulge at the intron/3-exon boundary is stabilized by an arginine tweezer motif of TSEN2 and an interaction with the proximal minor groove of the helix. TSEN34 and TSEN54 define the 3 splice site by holding the tRNA body in place. TSEN54 adapts a bipartite fold with a flexible central region required for CLP1 binding. PCH-associated mutations are located far from pre-tRNA binding interfaces explaining their negative impact on structural integrity of TSEN without abrogating its catalytic activity in vitro10. Our work defines the molecular framework of pre-tRNA recognition and cleavage by TSEN and provides a structural basis to better understand PCH in the future.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2021

Dynamic in situ confinement triggers ligand-free neuropeptide receptor signaling

Membrane receptors are central to cell-cell communication. Receptor clustering at the plasma membrane modulates physiological responses, and mesoscale receptor organization is critical for downstream signaling. Spatially restricted cluster formation of the neuropeptide Y2 hormone receptor (Y2R) was observed in vivo; however, the relevance of this confinement is not fully understood. Here, we controlled Y2R clustering in situ by a chelator nanotool. Due to the multivalent interaction, we observed a dynamic exchange in the microscale confined regions. Fast Y2R enrichment in clustered areas triggered a ligand-independent downstream signaling determined by an increase in cytosolic calcium, cell spreading, and migration. We revealed that the cell response to ligand-induced activation was amplified when cells were pre-clustered by the nanotool. Ligand-independent signaling by clustering differed from ligand-induced activation in the binding of arrestin-3 as downstream effector, which was recruited to the confined regions only in the presence of the ligand. This approach enables in situ clustering of membrane receptors and raises the possibility to explore different modalities of receptor activation. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=93 SRC="FIGDIR/small/472742v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (43K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@9c7823org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@93660corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@110c414org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b906d3_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2020

Chemical modification of proteins by insertion of synthetic peptides using tandem protein trans-splicing

Manipulation of proteins by chemical modification is a powerful way to decipher their function or harness that function for therapeutic purposes. Despite recent progress in ribosome-dependent and semi-synthetic chemical modifications, these techniques sometimes have limitations in the number and type of modifications that can be simultaneously introduced or their application in live eukaryotic cells. Here we present a new approach to incorporate single or multiple post-translational modifications or non-canonical amino acids into soluble and membrane proteins expressed in eukaryotic cells. We insert synthetic peptides into proteins of interest via tandem protein trans-splicing using two orthogonal split intein pairs and validate our approach by investigating different aspects of GFP, NaV1.5 and P2X2 receptor function. Because the approach can introduce virtually any chemical modification into both intracellular and extracellular regions of target proteins, we anticipate that it will overcome some of the drawbacks of other semi-synthetic or ribosome-dependent methods to engineer proteins.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2020

PAKC: A novel Panel of HLA class I Antigen presentation machinery Knockout Cells from the same genetic origin

With the emergence of immunotherapies, the understanding of functional HLA class I antigen presentation to T cells is more relevant than ever. Current knowledge on antigen presentation is based on decades of research in a wide variety of cell types with varying antigen presentation machinery (APM) expression patterns, proteomes and HLA haplotypes. This diversity complicates the establishment of individual APM contributions to antigen generation, selection and presentation. Therefore, we generated a novel Panel of APM Knockout Cell lines (PAKC) from the same genetic origin. After CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing of ten individual APM components in a human cell line, we derived clonal cell lines and confirmed their knockout status and phenotype. We then show how PAKC will accelerate research on the functional interplay between APM components and their role in antigen generation and presentation. This will lead to improved understanding of peptide-specific T cell responses in infection, cancer and autoimmunity. Key pointsO_LIWe generated a panel of cell lines to study HLA class I antigen presentation C_LIO_LIWe show how this will spark research in infection, tumor biology and autoimmunity C_LI

immunology↗

bioRxiv2017

Cytosolic delivery of large supramolecular proteincomplexes arranged on DNA nanopegboards

A generic methodology for cytosolic delivery of large supramolecular multiprotein complexes into living cells is described that takes advantage of the highly-controllable bottom-up fabrication of protein-decorated DNA nanostructures and the microfluidic \"cell squeezing\" technique. Therein, cells are deformed upon passage through a narrow constriction leading to formation of transient holes in the cell membrane that enable the diffusion of the protein-DNA nanostructures from the surrounding buffer into the cytosol. A diverse set of multiprotein complexes was assembled on DNA origami nanostructures using streptavidin and the sensitive glucose sensor protein FLIP as model systems. We demonstrate that our approach allows for the direct cytosolic delivery of these multifunctional protein complexes into the cytosol of HeLa cells. We also demonstrate that targeting groups can be incorporated into the protein-DNA nanoassemblies to enable their intracellular targeting to cytosolic compartments, such as the cytoskeleton or nucleus. We believe that this methodology will open up novel strategies for research in fundamental cell biology, such as the reverseengineering of the supramolecular machinery involved in gene regulation, cell signalling, or cell division. Furthermore, direct applications in immunotherapy can be foreseen.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Multiplexed Live-Cell Visualization Of Endogenous Proteins With Nanometer Precision By Fluorobodies

The visualization of endogenous proteins in living cells is a major challenge. A fundamental requirement for spatiotemporally precise imaging is a minimal disturbance of protein function at high signal-to-background ratio. Current approaches for visualization of native proteins in living cells are limited by dark emitting, bulky fluorescent proteins and uncontrollable expression levels. Here, we demonstrate the labeling of endogenous proteins using nanobodies with site-specifically engineered bright organic fluorophores, named fluorobodies. Their fast and fine-tuned intracellular transfer by microfluidic cell squeezing allowed for low background, low toxicity, and high-throughput. Multiplexed imaging of distinct cellular structures was facilitated by specific protein targeting, culminating in live-cell super-resolution imaging of protein networks. The high-throughput delivery of engineered nanobodies will open new avenues in visualizing native cellular structures with unprecedented accuracy in cell-based screens.

cell biology↗