Membrane-Protein-Hydration Interaction of α-Synuclein with Anionic Vesicles Probed via Angle-Resolved Second-Harmonic Scattering

J Phys Chem B. 2019 Feb 7;123(5):1044-1049. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b11096. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Abstract

Amyloid formation of the protein α-synuclein promotes neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. The normal function of α-synuclein includes synaptic vesicle transport and fusion, and the protein binds strongly to negatively charged vesicles in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that nonresonant angle-resolved second-harmonic scattering detects α-synuclein binding to liposomes through changes in water orientational correlations and can thus be used as a high-accuracy and high-throughput label-free probe of protein-liposome interactions. The obtained results support a binding model in which the N-terminus of α-synuclein adopts an α-helical conformation that lies flat on the vesicle surface while the negatively charged C-terminus remains in solution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Liposomes / chemistry
  • Liposomes / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Phosphatidylglycerols / chemistry
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical
  • Water / chemistry*
  • alpha-Synuclein / chemistry
  • alpha-Synuclein / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Liposomes
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Phosphatidylglycerols
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • Water
  • 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol