Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes
Sedimentary rocks host a vast reservoir of organic carbon, such as 2-methylhopane biomarkers, whose evolutionary significance we poorly understand. Our ability to interpret this molecular fossil record is constrained by ignorance of the function of their molecular antecedents. To gain insight into t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2015-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/05663 |
| _version_ | 1811253429160378368 |
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| author | Chia-Hung Wu Maja Bialecka-Fornal Dianne K Newman |
| author_facet | Chia-Hung Wu Maja Bialecka-Fornal Dianne K Newman |
| author_sort | Chia-Hung Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sedimentary rocks host a vast reservoir of organic carbon, such as 2-methylhopane biomarkers, whose evolutionary significance we poorly understand. Our ability to interpret this molecular fossil record is constrained by ignorance of the function of their molecular antecedents. To gain insight into the meaning of 2-methylhopanes, we quantified the dominant (des)methylated hopanoid species in the membranes of the model hopanoid-producing bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1. Fluorescence polarization studies of small unilamellar vesicles revealed that hopanoid 2-methylation specifically renders native bacterial membranes more rigid at concentrations that are relevant in vivo. That hopanoids differentially modify native membrane rigidity as a function of their methylation state indicates that methylation itself promotes fitness under stress. Moreover, knowing the in vivo (2Me)-hopanoid concentration range in different cell membranes, and appreciating that (2Me)-hopanoids' biophysical effects are tuned by the lipid environment, permits the design of more relevant in vitro experiments to study their physiological functions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:50:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-55f028e916bd4d5eba181ab75dc70d99 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:50:44Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-55f028e916bd4d5eba181ab75dc70d992022-12-22T03:24:24ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2015-01-01410.7554/eLife.05663Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranesChia-Hung Wu0Maja Bialecka-Fornal1Dianne K Newman2Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United StatesDivision of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United StatesDivision of Biology and Biological Engineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States; Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United StatesSedimentary rocks host a vast reservoir of organic carbon, such as 2-methylhopane biomarkers, whose evolutionary significance we poorly understand. Our ability to interpret this molecular fossil record is constrained by ignorance of the function of their molecular antecedents. To gain insight into the meaning of 2-methylhopanes, we quantified the dominant (des)methylated hopanoid species in the membranes of the model hopanoid-producing bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1. Fluorescence polarization studies of small unilamellar vesicles revealed that hopanoid 2-methylation specifically renders native bacterial membranes more rigid at concentrations that are relevant in vivo. That hopanoids differentially modify native membrane rigidity as a function of their methylation state indicates that methylation itself promotes fitness under stress. Moreover, knowing the in vivo (2Me)-hopanoid concentration range in different cell membranes, and appreciating that (2Me)-hopanoids' biophysical effects are tuned by the lipid environment, permits the design of more relevant in vitro experiments to study their physiological functions.https://elifesciences.org/articles/05663Rhodospeudomonas palustris TIE-12-methyl hopanoidphysiological functionbiophysical propertiesevolutionary interpretation |
| spellingShingle | Chia-Hung Wu Maja Bialecka-Fornal Dianne K Newman Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes eLife Rhodospeudomonas palustris TIE-1 2-methyl hopanoid physiological function biophysical properties evolutionary interpretation |
| title | Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes |
| title_full | Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes |
| title_fullStr | Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes |
| title_short | Methylation at the C-2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes |
| title_sort | methylation at the c 2 position of hopanoids increases rigidity in native bacterial membranes |
| topic | Rhodospeudomonas palustris TIE-1 2-methyl hopanoid physiological function biophysical properties evolutionary interpretation |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/05663 |
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