View and Specific Aims

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

View and Specific Aims Characterizing the Link between Biological Membranes and Thermal Physiology in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Amanda M. Biederman August 2019 © 2019 Amanda M. Biederman. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Characterizing the Link between Biological Membranes and Thermal Physiology in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes by AMANDA M. BIEDERMAN has been approved for the Department of Biological Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences by Elizabeth L. Crockett Professor of Biological Sciences Joseph Shields Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT BIEDERMAN, AMANDA M., Ph.D., August 2019, Biological Sciences Characterizing the Link between Biological Membranes and Thermal Physiology in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes Director of Dissertation: Elizabeth L. Crockett The Antarctic notothenioid fishes are among the most stenothermal animals on the planet and are likely to be vulnerable to the effects of global climate change. The physiological mechanisms that govern the thermal tolerance of Antarctic notothenioids are not fully understood. Membrane integrity and structure are highly sensitive to temperature and are critical to maintenance of cellular function. The two central hypotheses of this work are: (1) Variation in physical and biochemical membrane properties exists among notothenioids that display differences in thermal tolerance and thermal sensitivity of physiological processes; and (2) Membranes of Notothenia coriiceps undergo lipid remodeling in response to long-term thermal change in order to conserve membrane properties. Physical and biochemical properties of biological membranes from several tissues (cardiac ventricles and brain) were analyzed in several species of notothenioids in order to characterize variation in properties of biological membranes within this suborder of fishes. I also sought to determine whether notothenioids possess the capacity for acclimation to elevated temperature by determining the extent of compensation of membrane properties in several tissues (cardiac ventricles, brain, gill). Findings from this work provide novel insight into how notothenioids are likely to fare within a warmer climate. 4 An interspecific comparative analysis was performed between notothenioids that exhibit variation in thermal tolerance (Chapters 2, 3). Membrane fluidity and composition were measured in several brain (synaptic, myelin, mitochondria) and cardiac (mitochondria) membranes from the red-blooded (more thermotolerant) Notothenia coriiceps and the white-blooded Chaenocephalus aceratus. Synaptic membranes and cardiac mitochondria were more fluid in the icefish, compared to the red-blooded species. Hyperfluidization of membranes, particularly in the less thermotolerant species, C. aceratus, is consistent with the failure of the nervous and cardiovascular systems upon acute warming. Additionally, properties of membranes from N. coriiceps were analyzed following several weeks of acclimation to 0°C or 5ºC (Chapters 4, 5). In Chapter 4, fluidity was compared between thermal treatment groups in brain (synaptic membranes, myelin, mitochondria) and cardiac (mitochondria, microsomes) membranes. Biochemical analyses of membrane composition were performed on select membranes. Results suggest evidence of homeoviscous adaptation in the cardiac, but not brain, membranes. Both cardiac mitochondria and microsomes displayed reduced fluidity following acclimation to 5°C, indicating full thermal compensation when the membrane fluidity is compared at the animal’s respective acclimation temperature. In Chapter 5, fluidity, composition, and osmotic permeability were compared between thermal treatment groups in plasma membranes from gill epithelia. Results provide evidence for membrane remodeling, consistent with the observed preservation of membrane fluidity upon acclimation. 5 Further, measurements of osmotic uptake in gill epithelia suggest membrane permeability is reduced during acclimation to 5°C, possibly to compensate for the effects of higher temperatures that would otherwise render the membrane more permeable. For cardiac and branchial membranes, differences in fluidity were achieved by modulation of membrane cholesterol contents and/or fatty acyl chain length. Taken together, these results provide evidence for thermal plasticity of membrane properties in the cardiac and branchial systems of this species. The lack of a homeoviscous response and membrane restructuring in the brain would appear to limit the capacity for thermal acclimation in N. coriiceps. In total, these data indicate that the nervous system is likely to be the most susceptible to failure with increased warming in the Southern Ocean. 6 DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my fiancé, Steven, for always supporting me and for waiting patiently for me to finish my dissertation while we lived 335 miles apart. I love you so much. 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Lisa Crockett, for her mentorship and constant moral support over the past five years. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Janet Duerr, Dr. Daewoo Lee, Dr. Sarah Wyatt and Dr. Theresa Grove for their help and guidance. Thanks to members of the Crockett lab, especially Dr. Donald Kuhn and Elizabeth Evans, for help and support. I would like to acknowledge my advisor’s collaborators, especially Dr. Kristin O’Brien, as well as my fellow student field researchers, Anna Rix, William Joyce, and Jordan Scharping. Thanks to Mary Roth, Dr. Ruth Welti, Dr. John Robertson, Dr. Bruce Carlson, Dr. Luisa Diele Viegas, Juan Pablo Aguilar Cabezas, and Marilyn Seyfi for advice and analytical assistance. I am grateful to Dr. Chris Griffin, Dr. Ahmed Faik and Tasleem Javaid for generously lending equipment. This project would not have been possible without the logistic support of the staff at Palmer Station and the masters and crew of the ARSV Laurence M. Gould. Special thanks to Dan Nielsen, Tom Adams, Matt Boyer, Adina Scott, Emily Olson and Emily Longano. Financial support for this work was provided by the Ohio University Student Enhancement Award and the Ohio University Department of Biological Sciences. I was also supported through an NSF award granted to my advisor [PLR 1341602]. I would like to thank my friends and family, especially my fiancé, Steven, for their love and encouragement. I would also like to thank my undergraduate advisor, Dr. Gene Williams. Lastly, thank you to my parents, Angela and Michael, for encouraging my love of learning and for always challenging me to pursue my dreams. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 12 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 15 The Evolution of Antarctic Fishes .............................................................................. 15 Icefishes: Emergence of a Novel Trait ........................................................................ 18 Life in a Dynamic Thermal Climate ........................................................................... 20 What Physiological System(s) Set(s) Thermal Limits? .............................................. 22 Are Antarctic Notothenioids Thermally Plastic? ........................................................ 24 Membranes are Critical to Cell Structure and Function ............................................. 26 Membranes Are Highly Thermosensitive ................................................................... 28 Biological Membranes are Involved in Thermal Acclimation ................................... 29 Dissertation Overview and Specific Aims .................................................................. 31 Chapter 2: Variation in Properties of Brain Membranes in Notothenioids Helps Explain Differences in Acute Warming Behavior and Thermal Tolerance ................................... 36 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 36 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................ 38 Animal and Tissue Collection ............................................................................... 38 Membrane Preparations and Marker Enzyme Analyses ....................................... 39 Membrane Physical and Chemical Properties ...................................................... 39 Statistical Analyses ............................................................................................... 40 Results ......................................................................................................................... 40 Cell Fractionation
Recommended publications
  • Lipid Bilayer, with the Nonpolar Regions of the Lipids Facing Inward
    Chapter 7 Membranes: Their Structure, Function, and Chemistry Lectures by Kathleen Fitzpatrick Simon Fraser University © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Membranes: Their Structure, Function, and Chemistry • Membranes define the boundaries of a cell, and its internal compartments • Membranes play multiple roles in the life of a cell © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 7-1A © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 7-1B © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. The Functions of Membranes • 1. Define boundaries of a cell and organelles and act as permeability barriers • 2. Serve as sites for biological functions such as electron transport • 3. Possess transport proteins that regulate the movement of substances into and out of cells and organelles © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. The Functions of Membranes (continued) • 4. Contain protein molecules that act as receptors to detect external signals • 5. Provide mechanisms for cell-to-cell contact, adhesion, and communication © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 7-2 © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Models of Membrane Structure: An Experimental Approach • The development of electron microscopy in the 1950s was important for understanding membrane structure • The fluid mosaic model is thought to be descriptive of all biological membranes • The model envisions a membrane as two fluid layers of lipids with proteins within and on the layers © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Overton and Langmuir: Lipids Are Important Components of Membranes • In the 1890s Overton observed the easy penetration of lipid-soluble substances into cells and concluded that the cell surface had some kind of lipid “coat” on it • Langmuir studied phospholipids and found that they were amphipathic and reasoned that they must orient on water with the hydrophobic tails away from the water © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • An Overview of Lipid Membrane Models for Biophysical Studies
    biomimetics Review Mimicking the Mammalian Plasma Membrane: An Overview of Lipid Membrane Models for Biophysical Studies Alessandra Luchini 1 and Giuseppe Vitiello 2,3,* 1 Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; [email protected] 2 Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy 3 CSGI-Center for Colloid and Surface Science, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Cell membranes are very complex biological systems including a large variety of lipids and proteins. Therefore, they are difficult to extract and directly investigate with biophysical methods. For many decades, the characterization of simpler biomimetic lipid membranes, which contain only a few lipid species, provided important physico-chemical information on the most abundant lipid species in cell membranes. These studies described physical and chemical properties that are most likely similar to those of real cell membranes. Indeed, biomimetic lipid membranes can be easily prepared in the lab and are compatible with multiple biophysical techniques. Lipid phase transitions, the bilayer structure, the impact of cholesterol on the structure and dynamics of lipid bilayers, and the selective recognition of target lipids by proteins, peptides, and drugs are all examples of the detailed information about cell membranes obtained by the investigation of biomimetic lipid membranes. This review focuses specifically on the advances that were achieved during the last decade in the field of biomimetic lipid membranes mimicking the mammalian plasma membrane. In particular, we provide a description of the most common types of lipid membrane models used for biophysical characterization, i.e., lipid membranes in solution and on surfaces, as well as recent examples of their Citation: Luchini, A.; Vitiello, G.
    [Show full text]
  • Membrane Proteins Are Associated with the Membrane of a Cell Or Particular Organelle and Are Generally More Problematic to Purify Than Water-Soluble Proteins
    Strategies for the Purification of Membrane Proteins Sinéad Marian Smith Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Email: [email protected] Abstract Although membrane proteins account for approximately 30 % of the coding regions of all sequenced genomes and play crucial roles in many fundamental cell processes, there are relatively few membranes with known 3D structure. This is likely due to technical challenges associated with membrane protein extraction, solubilization and purification. Membrane proteins are classified based on the level of interaction with membrane lipid bilayers, with peripheral membrane proteins associating non- covalently with the membrane, and integral membrane proteins associating more strongly by means of hydrophobic interactions. Generally speaking, peripheral membrane proteins can be purified by milder techniques than integral membrane proteins, whose extraction require phospholipid bilayer disruption by detergents. Here, important criteria for strategies of membrane protein purification are addressed, with a focus on the initial stages of membrane protein solublilization, where problems are most frequently are encountered. Protocols are outlined for the successful extraction of peripheral membrane proteins, solubilization of integral membrane proteins, and detergent removal which is important not only for retaining native protein stability and biological functions, but also for the efficiency of downstream purification techniques. Key Words: peripheral membrane protein, integral membrane protein, detergent, protein purification, protein solubilization. 1. Introduction Membrane proteins are associated with the membrane of a cell or particular organelle and are generally more problematic to purify than water-soluble proteins. Membrane proteins represent approximately 30 % of the open-reading frames of an organism’s genome (1-4), and play crucial roles in basic cell functions including signal transduction, energy production, nutrient uptake and cell-cell communication.
    [Show full text]
  • Biological Membranes
    14 Biological Membranes To understand the structure The fundamental unit of life is the cell. All living things are composed of Goal and composition of biological cells, be it a single cell in the case of many microorganisms or a highly membranes. organized ensemble of myriad cell types in the case of multicellular organisms. A defining feature of the cell is a membrane, the cytoplasmic Objectives membrane, that surrounds the cell and separates the inside of the cell, the After this chapter, you should be able to cytoplasm, from other cells and the extracellular milieu. Membranes also • distinguish between cis and trans surround specialized compartments inside of cells known as organelles. unsaturated fatty acids. Whereas cells are typically several microns (μm) in diameter (although • explain why phospholipids some cells can be much larger), the membrane is only about 10 nanometers spontaneously form lipid bilayers and (nm) thick. Yet, and as we will see in subsequent chapters, the membrane is sealed compartments. not simply an ultra-thin, pliable sheet that encases the cytoplasm. Rather, • describe membrane fluidity and how it membranes are dynamic structures that mediate many functions in the is affected by membrane composition life of the cell. In this chapter we examine the composition of membranes, and temperature. their assembly, the forces that stabilize them, and the chemical and physical • explain the role of cholesterol in properties that influence their function. buffering membrane fluidity. The preceding chapters have focused on two kinds of biological molecules, • explain how the polar backbone namely proteins and nucleic acids, that are important in the workings of a membrane protein can be accommodated in a bilayer.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lipid Bilayer: Composition and Structural Organization
    THE LIPID BILAYER: COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION • MR. SOURAV BARAI • ASSISTANT PROFESSOR • DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY • JHARGRAM RAJ COLLEGE THELIPID BILAYER: COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION The Fluid Mosaic Model of Biomembrane Plasma membrane • 1. Affect shape and function • 2. Anchor protein to the membrane • 3. Modify membrane protein activities • 4. Transducing signals to the cytoplasm “A living cell is a self-reproducing system of molecules held inside a container - the plasma membrane” Membrane comprised of lipid sheet (5 nm thick) • Primary purpose - barrier to prevent cell contents spilling out BUT, must be selective barrier Lipid Composition and struCturaL organization • Phospholipids of the composition present in cells spontaneously form sheet like phospholipid bilayers, which are two molecules thick. • The hydrocarbon chains of the phospholipids in each layer, or leaflet, form a hydrophobic core that is 3–4 nm thick in most biomembranes. • Approx 10^6 lipid molecule in 1µm×1µm area of lipid bilayer. • Electron microscopy of thin membrane sections stained with osmium tetroxide, which binds strongly to the polar head groups of phospholipids, reveals the bilayer structure. • A cross section of all single membranes stained with osmium tetroxide looks like a railroad track: two thin dark lines (the stain–head group complexes) with a uniform light space of about 2nm (the hydrophobic tails) between them. PROPERTIES • PERMIABILITY: The hydrophobic core is an impermeable barrier that prevents the diffusion of water-soluble (hydrophilic) solutes across the membrane. • STABILITY: The bilayer structure is maintained by hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions between the lipid chains. Even though the exterior aqueous environment can vary widely in ionic strength and pH, the bilayer has the strength to retain its characteristic architecture.
    [Show full text]
  • Structure and Activity of Lipid Bilayer Within a Membrane-Protein Transporter
    Structure and activity of lipid bilayer within a membrane-protein transporter Weihua Qiua,b,1, Ziao Fuc,1, Guoyan G. Xua, Robert A. Grassuccid, Yan Zhanga, Joachim Frankd,e,2, Wayne A. Hendricksond,f,g,2, and Youzhong Guoa,b,2 aDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298; bInstitute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219; cIntegrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; dDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; eDepartment of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027; fDepartment of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; and gNew York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027 Contributed by Wayne A. Hendrickson, October 15, 2018 (sent for review July 20, 2018; reviewed by Yifan Cheng and Michael C. Wiener) Membrane proteins function in native cell membranes, but extrac- 1.9 Å (30). Nevertheless, the mechanism of active transport is still tion into isolated particles is needed for many biochemical and far from clear, in part because crucial structural information re- structural analyses. Commonly used detergent-extraction meth- garding protein–lipid interaction is missing (31). The AcrB trimer ods destroy naturally associated lipid bilayers. Here, we devised a has a central cavity between transmembrane (TM) domains of the detergent-free method for preparing cell-membrane nanopar- three protomers, where a portion of lipid bilayer may exist (26). ticles to study the multidrug exporter AcrB, by cryo-EM at 3.2-Å Although detergent molecules and some alkane chains have been resolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Reference Transcriptome for the High- Antarctic Cryopelagic Notothenioid Fish Pagothenia Borchgrevinki Kevin T Bilyk1,2* and C-H Christina Cheng1
    Bilyk and Cheng BMC Genomics 2013, 14:634 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/14/634 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Model of gene expression in extreme cold - reference transcriptome for the high- Antarctic cryopelagic notothenioid fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki Kevin T Bilyk1,2* and C-H Christina Cheng1 Abstract Background: Among the cold-adapted Antarctic notothenioid fishes, the high-latitude bald notothen Pagothenia borchgrevinki is particularly notable as the sole cryopelagic species, exploiting the coldest and iciest waters of the Southern Ocean. Because P. borchgrevinki is a frequent model for investigating notothenioid cold-adaptation and specialization, it is imperative that “omic” tools be developed for this species. In the absence of a sequenced genome, a well annotated reference transcriptome of the bald notothen will serve as a model of gene expression in the coldest and harshest of all polar marine environments, useful for future comparative studies of cold adaptation and thermal responses in polar teleosts and ectotherms. Results: We sequenced and annotated a reference transcriptome for P. borchgrevinki, with added attention to capturing the transcriptional responses to acute and chronic heat exposures. We sequenced by Roche 454 a normalized cDNA library constructed from pooled mRNA encompassing multiple tissues taken from environmental, warm acclimating, and acute heat stressed specimens. The resulting reads were assembled into 42,620 contigs, 17,951 of which could be annotated. We utilized this annotated portion of the reference transcriptome to map short Illumina reads sequenced from the gill and liver of environmental specimens, and also compared the gene expression profiles of these two tissue transcriptomes with those from the temperate model fish Danio rerio.
    [Show full text]
  • Induction of Heat Shock Proteins in Cold- Adapted and Cold
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by ScholarWorks@UA INDUCTION OF HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS IN COLD- ADAPTED AND COLD- ACCLIMATED FISHES By Laura Elizabeth Teigen Dr. Kristin O'Brien Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Diane Wagner Chair, Department of Biology and Wildlife APPROVED: ;t.-/ INDUCTION OF HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS IN COLD- ADAPTED AND COLD- ACCLIMATED FISHES A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE By Laura Elizabeth Teigen, B.A. Fairbanks, Alaska May 2014 v Abstract I examined the effects of oxidative stress and changes in temperature on heat shock protein (Hsp) levels in cold-adapted and cold-acclimated fishes. Adaptation of Antarctic notothenioids to cold temperature is correlated with high levels of Hsps, thought to minimize cold-induced protein denaturation. Hsp70 levels were measured in red- and white-blooded Antarctic notothenioid fishes exposed to their critical thermal maximum (CTMax), 4C warm acclimated, and notothenioids from different latitudes. I determined the effect of cold acclimation on Hsp levels and the role of sirtuins in regulating Hsp expression and changes in metabolism in threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, cold-acclimated to 8C. Levels of Hsps do not increase in Antarctic notothenioids exposed to their CTMax, and warm acclimation reduced levels of Hsp70. Hsp70 levels were higher in Antarctic notothenioids compared to a temperate notothenioid and higher in white-blooded notothenioids compared to red-blooded notothenioids, despite higher oxidative stress levels in red-blooded fish, suggesting Hsp70 does not mitigate oxidative stress.
    [Show full text]
  • Lipid Players of Cellular Senescence
    H OH metabolites OH Review Lipid Players of Cellular Senescence Alec Millner and G. Ekin Atilla-Gokcumen * Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; alecmill@buffalo.edu * Correspondence: ekinatil@buffalo.edu; Tel.: +1-716-6454130 Received: 3 August 2020; Accepted: 19 August 2020; Published: 21 August 2020 Abstract: Lipids are emerging as key players of senescence. Here, we review the exciting new findings on the diverse roles of lipids in cellular senescence, most of which are enabled by the advancements in omics approaches. Senescence is a cellular process in which the cell undergoes growth arrest while retaining metabolic activity. At the organismal level, senescence contributes to organismal aging and has been linked to numerous diseases. Current research has documented that senescent cells exhibit global alterations in lipid composition, leading to extensive morphological changes through membrane remodeling. Moreover, senescent cells adopt a secretory phenotype, releasing various components to their environment that can affect the surrounding tissue and induce an inflammatory response. All of these changes are membrane and, thus, lipid related. Our work, and that of others, has revealed that fatty acids, sphingolipids, and glycerolipids are involved in the initiation and maintenance of senescence and its associated inflammatory components. These studies opened up an exciting frontier to investigate the deeper mechanistic understanding of the regulation and function of these lipids in senescence. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of the field and share our enthusiasm for the prospect of potential lipid-related protein targets for small-molecule therapy in pathologies involving senescence and its related inflammatory phenotypes.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of Thermal Stress in Tropical Marine Organisms in the Context of Climate Warming
    UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS Evaluation of thermal stress in tropical marine organisms in the context of climate warming Doutoramento em Biologia Especialidade em Biologia Marinha e Aquacultura Sara Carolina Gusmão Coito Madeira Tese orientada por: Doutora Catarina Vinagre Professor Doutor Mário Diniz Professor Doutor Henrique Cabral Documento especialmente elaborado para a obtenção do grau de doutor 2018 2018 UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS Evaluation of thermal stress in tropical marine organisms in the context of climate warming Doutoramento em Biologia Especialidade em Biologia Marinha e Aquacultura Sara Carolina Gusmão Coito Madeira Tese orientada por: Doutora Catarina Vinagre Professor Doutor Mário Diniz Professor Doutor Henrique Cabral Documento especialmente elaborado para a obtenção do grau de doutor 2018 2018 UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS Evaluation of thermal stress in tropical marine organisms in the context of climate warming Doutoramento em Biologia Especialidade em Biologia Marinha e Aquacultura Sara Carolina Gusmão Coito Madeira Tese orientada por: Doutora Catarina Vinagre Professor Doutor Mário Diniz Professor Doutor Henrique Cabral Júri: Presidente: ● Doutora Maria Manuela Gomes Coelho de Noronha Trancoso, Professora Catedrática e Membro do Conselho Científico, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Vogais: ● Doutor Luís Miguel dos Santos Russo Vieira, Investigador Auxiliar, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR) da Universidade do Porto
    [Show full text]
  • Modeling Membrane-Protein Interactions
    Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 4 September 2018 doi:10.20944/preprints201809.0055.v1 Peer-reviewed version available at Biomolecules 2018, 8, 120; doi:10.3390/biom8040120 Review Modeling membrane-protein interactions Haleh Alimohamadi and Padmini Rangamani* Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, CA 92093, USA * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-858-534-4734 Abstract: In order to alter and adjust the shape of the membrane, cells harness various mechanisms of curvature generation. Many of these curvature generation mechanisms rely on the interactions between peripheral membrane 1 proteins, integral membrane proteins, and lipids in the bilayer membrane. One of the challenges in modeling these 2 processes is identifying the suitable constitutive relationships that describe the membrane free energy that includes 3 protein distribution and curvature generation capability. Here, we review some of the commonly used continuum elastic 4 membrane models that have been developed for this purpose and discuss their applications. Finally, we address some 5 fundamental challenges that future theoretical methods need to overcome in order to push the boundaries of current model 6 applications. 7 8 Keywords: Plasma membrane; Spontaneous curvature; Helfrich energy; Area difference elastic model; Protein crowding; Deviatoric curvature 9 10 11 1. Introduction 12 The ability of cellular membranes to bend and adapt their configurations is critical for a variety of cellular functions 13 including membrane trafficking processes [1,2], fission [3,4], fusion [5,6], differentiation [7], cell motility [8,9], and signal 14 transduction [10–12]. In order to dynamically reshape the membrane, cells rely on a variety of molecular mechanisms from 15 forces exerted by the cytoskeleton [13–15] and membrane-protein interactions [16–19].
    [Show full text]
  • THREE PINNIPED SPECIES, by Susan D. Inglis, MS a Dissertation
    Dietary effects on protein turnover in three pinniped species, Eumetopias jubatus, Phoca vitulina, and Leptonychotes weddellii Item Type Thesis Authors Inglis, Susan D. Download date 11/10/2021 13:32:47 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/10505 DIETARY EFFECTS ON PROTEIN TURNOVER IN THREE PINNIPED SPECIES, EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS, PHOCA VITULINA, AND LEPTONYCHOTES WEDDELLII By Susan D. Inglis, MS A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks May 2019 ©2019 Susan D. Inglis APPROVED: Michael Castellini, Committee Chair Shannon Atkinson, Committee Member Perry Barboza, Committee Member James Carpenter, Committee Member Lorrie Rea, Committee Member Matthew Wooller, Chair Department of Marine Biology Bradley S. Moran, Dean College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Michael Castellini, Dean of the Graduate School Abstract The role of dietary protein in pinniped (seal and sea lion) nutrition is poorly understood. Although these marine mammals derive the majority of their daily energetic needs from lipid, lipids cannot supply essential amino acids which have to come from protein fractions of the diet. Protein regulation is vital for cellular maintenance, molt, fasting metabolism, exercise and development. Proteins are composed of linked amino acids (AA), and net protein turnover is the balance between protein synthesis from component AA, and degradation back to AA. Protein regulation is influenced by dietary intake and quality, as well as physiological and metabolic requirements. In this work, pinniped diet quality was assessed through comparisons of amino acid profiles between maternal milk, blood serum, and seasonal prey of wild juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Southcentral Alaska.
    [Show full text]