Phosphatidylinositides constitute only 1%–3% of plasma membranes but play vital roles in cellular signaling. In particular, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is involved in processes such as cytoskeleton organization and ion channel regulation. Pleckstrin homology (PH) domains are modular domains found in many proteins and are known for their strong affinity for PIP2 headgroups. The role of lipid composition in PH domain binding to PIP2, particularly the inclusion of phos phatidylserine (PS), is not well understood. This study explores the mechanisms of PH domain binding to PIP2 using fluores cence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. We find that anionic PIP2 and PS alter the interfacial environment compared to phosphatidylcholines. Additionally, the PH domain promotes the localization of anionic lipid domains upon binding. Our results highlight the role of PSinlipid domain formation within membranes and its potential influence on protein binding affinities and lipid geometries. Spe cifically, we discovered a strong interaction between PIP2 and PS whereby hydrogen bonding within these anionic lipids drives localization in the membrane. This interaction also regulates protein binding at the membrane interface. Our findings suggest that cooperativity between PIP2 and PS is key to the formation of localized lipid domains and the recruitment of proteins such as the PH domain of phospholipase C-d1
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Binding-induced lipid domains: Peptide-membrane interactions with PIP2 and PS
Cell signaling is an important process involving complex interactions between lipids and proteins. The myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) has been established as a key signaling regulator, serving a range of biological roles. Its effector domain (ED), which anchors the protein to the plasma membrane, induces domain formation in membranes containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylserine (PS). The mechanisms governing the MARCKS-ED binding to membranes remain elusive. Here, we investigate the composition-dependent affinity and MARCKS-ED-binding-induced changes in interfacial environments using two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence anisotropy. Both negatively charged lipids facilitate the MARCKS-ED binding to lipid vesicles. Although the hydrogen-bonding structure at the lipid-water interface remains comparable across vesicles with varied lipid compositions, the dynamics of interfacial water show divergent patterns due to specific interactions between lipids and peptides. Our findings also reveal that PIP2 becomes sequestered by bound peptides, while the distribution of PS exhibits no discernible change upon peptide binding. Interestingly, PIP2 and PS become colocalized into domains both in the presence and absence of MARCKS-ED. More broadly, this work offers molecular insights into the effects of membrane composition on binding.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2129209
- PAR ID:
- 10645497
- Publisher / Repository:
- Cell Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Biophysical Journal
- Volume:
- 123
- Issue:
- 14
- ISSN:
- 0006-3495
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 2001 to 2011
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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