Biology subjects

Wrobel, A. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Wrobel, A. G..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Mechanism of spike opening in a mammalian gammacoronavirus

Coronavirus spike proteins mediate receptor binding and fusion and are key determinants of viral host range. To bind protein receptors, some CoV spikes undergo conformational changes termed opening, which expose the receptor-binding surface. Yet, the prerequisites and mechanism of spike opening remain poorly understood, especially outside of beta-CoVs, and many CoV spikes have been observed only in the closed conformation. The receptor specificities of gamma-CoVs, for which birds are natural hosts, await in-depth characterisation and their spikes have not been observed to open. Here, we report structures of the spike from an unusual mammalian gamma-CoV isolated from a beluga whale (BwCoV), in closed and open conformations, the latter with two S1B domains erect. BwCoV spike opening is associated with changes throughout S1 that resemble those observed in beta-CoV spikes and similarly propagate into destabilisation of the fusogenic S2 core. Furthermore, the BwCoV-S structure contains an additional density likely corresponding to a fatty acid, consistent with lipid binding stabilising the closed conformation through a pocket distinct from that identified for beta-CoVs. These structural insights reveal conserved principles regulating spike dynamics across coronavirus genera and support lipid binding as a potential modulatory mechanism of spike opening.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2023

The V-ATPase/ATG16L1 axis is controlled by the V1H subunit

Defects in organellar acidification indicate compromised or infected compartments. Recruitment of the autophagy-related ATG16L1 complex to pathologically de-acidified compartments targets ubiquitin-like ATG8 molecules to perturbed membranes. How this process is coupled to pH gradient disruption is unclear. Here, we reveal a direct role for the V1H subunit of the V-ATPase proton pump in recruiting ATG16L1. The interaction between V1H and ATG16L1 occurs within assembled V-ATPases, but not dissociated V1 complexes. This selectivity allows recruitment to be coupled to changes in V-ATPase assembly that follow pH dissipation. Cells lacking V1H undergo canonical macroautophagy but are unable to recruit ATG16L1 in response to influenza infection or ionophore drugs. We identify a loop within V1H that mediates ATG16L1 binding, which is absent in a neuronal isoform of V1H. Thus, V1H controls ATG16L1 recruitment in response to proton gradient dissipation, suggesting that the V-ATPase acts autonomously as a cell-intrinsic damage sensor.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

O-Linked Sialoglycans Modulate the Proteolysis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Contribute to the Mutational Trajectory in Variants of Concern

The emergence of a polybasic cleavage motif for the protease furin in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been established as a major factor for enhanced viral transmission in humans. The peptide region N-terminal to that motif is extensively mutated in major variants of concern including Alpha, Delta and Omicron. Besides furin, spike proteins from these variants appear to rely on other proteases for maturation, including TMPRSS2 that may share the same cleavage motif. Glycans found near the cleavage site have raised questions about proteolytic processing and the consequences of variant-borne mutations. Here, with a suite of chemical tools, we establish O-linked glycosylation as a major determinant of SARS-CoV-2 spike cleavage by the host proteases furin and TMPRSS2, and as a likely driving force for the emergence of common mutations in variants of concern. We provide direct evidence that the glycosyltransferase GalNAc-T1 primes glycosylation at Thr678 in the living cell, and this glycosylation event is suppressed by many, but not all variant mutations. A novel strategy for rapid bioorthogonal modification of Thr678-containing glycopeptides revealed that introduction of a negative charge completely abrogates furin activity. In a panel of synthetic glycopeptides containing elaborated O-glycans, we found that the sole incorporation of N-acetylgalactosamine did not substantially impact furin activity, but the presence of sialic acid in elaborated O-glycans reduced furin rate by up to 65%. Similarly, O-glycosylation with a sialylated trisaccharide had a negative impact on spike cleavage by TMPRSS2. With a chemistry-centered approach, we firmly establish O-glycosylation as a major determinant of spike maturation and propose that a disruption of O-GalNAc glycosylation is a substantial driving force for the evolution of variants of concern. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=89 SRC="FIGDIR/small/508093v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (26K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@71b54eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1361b4aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@139bdd9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1df192b_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

FCHO controls AP2's critical endocytic roles through a PtdIns4,5P2 membrane-dependent switch

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is the main mechanism by which mammalian cells control their cell surface proteome. Proper operation of the pivotal CME cargo-adaptor AP2 requires membrane-localised FCHO. Here, live-cell eTIRF-SIM shows that FCHO marks sites of clathrin- coated pit (CCP) initiation, which mature into uniform sized CCPs comprising a central patch of AP2 and clathrin corralled by an FCHO/Eps15 ring. We dissect the network of interactions between the FCHO interdomain-linker and AP2, which concentrates, orients, tethers and partially destabilizes closed AP2 at the plasma membrane. AP2s subsequent membrane deposition drives its opening, which triggers FCHO displacement through steric competition with PtdIns4,5P2, clathrin, cargo and CME accessory factors. FCHO can now relocate toward a CCPs outer edge to engage and activate further AP2s to drive CCP growth/maturation. 125 character summaryFCHO primes AP2 for CCV incorporation, a process that triggers FCHO release to enable activation/recruitment of further AP2s

cell biology↗