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The annexins are a family of Ca 2+ -dependent peripheral membrane proteins. Several annexins are implicated in plasma membrane repair and are overexpressed in cancer cells. Annexin A4 (ANXA4) and annexin A5 (ANXA5) form trimers that induce high curvature on a membrane surface, a phenomenon deemed to accelerate membrane repair. Despite being highly homologous to ANXA4, annexin A3 (ANXA3) does not form trimers on the membrane surface. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we have reverse engineered an ANXA3-mutant to trimerize on the surface of the membrane and induce high curvature reminiscent of ANXA4. In addition, atomic force microscopy images show that, like ANXA4, the engineered protein forms crystalline arrays on a supported lipid membrane. Despite the trimer-forming and curvature-inducing properties of the engineered ANXA3, it does not accumulate near a membrane lesion in laser-punctured cells and is unable to repair the lesion. Our investigation provides insights into the factors that drive annexin-mediated membrane repair and shows that the membrane-repairing property of trimer-forming annexins also necessitates high membrane binding affinity, other than trimer formation and induction of negative membrane curvature., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In contrast with most inhalational anesthetics, the anesthetic gases xenon (Xe) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) act by blocking the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Using x-ray crystallography, we examined the binding characteristics of these two gases on two soluble proteins as structural models: urate oxidase, which is a prototype of a variety of intracellular globular proteins, and annexin V, which has structural and functional characteristics that allow it to be considered as a prototype for the NMDA receptor. The structure of these proteins complexed with Xe and N(2)O were determined. One N(2)O molecule or one Xe atom binds to the same main site in both proteins. A second subsite is observed for N(2)O in each case. The gas-binding sites are always hydrophobic flexible cavities buried within the monomer. Comparison of the effects of Xe and N(2)O on urate oxidase and annexin V reveals an interesting relationship with the in vivo pharmacological effects of these gases, the ratio of the gas-binding sites' volume expansion and the ratio of the narcotic potency being similar. Given these data, we propose that alterations of cytosolic globular protein functions by general anesthetics would be responsible for the early stages of anesthesia such as amnesia and hypnosis and that additional alterations of ion-channel membrane receptor functions are required for deeper effects that progress to "surgical" anesthesia.

Annexin A5 is a protein that binds to membranes containing negatively charged phospholipids in a calcium-dependent manner. We previously found that annexin A5 self-assembles into two-dimensional (2D) crystals on supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) formed on mica while a monolayer of disordered trimers is formed on SLBs on silica. Here, we investigated in detail and correlated the adsorption kinetics of annexin A5 on SLBs, supported on silica and on mica, with the protein's 2D self-assembly behavior. For this study, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and ellipsometry were combined with atomic force microscopy. We find, in agreement with previous studies, that the adsorption behavior is strongly dependent on the concentration of dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) in the SLB and the calcium concentration in solution. The adsorption kinetics of annexin A5 are similar on silica-SLBs and on mica-SLBs, when taking into account the difference in accessible DOPS between silica-SLBs and mica-SLBs. In contrast, 2D crystals of annexin A5 form readily on mica-SLBs, even at low protein coverage (< or =10%), whereas they are not found on silica-SLBs, except in a narrow range close to maximal coverage. These results enable us to construct the phase diagram for the membrane binding and the states of 2D organization of annexin A5. The protein binds to the membrane in two different fractions, one reversible and the other irreversible, at a given calcium concentration. The adsorption is determined by the interaction of protein monomers with the membrane. We propose that the local membrane environment, as defined by the presence of DOPS, DOPC, and calcium ions, controls the adsorption and reversibility of protein binding.

Background: Annexin V, an abundant anticoagulant protein, has been proposed to exert its effects by self-assembling into highly ordered arrays on phospholipid membranes to form a protective anti-thrombotic shield at the cell surface. The protein exhibits very high-affinity calcium-dependent interactions with acidic phospholipid membranes, as well as specific binding to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as heparin and heparan sulfate, a major component of cell surface proteoglycans. At present, there is no structural information to elucidate this interaction or the role it may play in annexin V function at the cell surface., Results: We report the 1.9 A crystal structure of annexin V in complex with heparin-derived tetrasaccharides. This structure represents the first of a heparin oligosaccharide binding to a protein where calcium ions are essential for the interaction. Two distinct GAG binding sites are situated on opposite protein surfaces. Basic residues at each site were identified from the structure and site-directed mutants were prepared. The heparin binding properties of these mutants were measured by surface plasmon resonance. The results confirm the roles of these mutated residues in heparin binding, and the kinetic and thermodynamic data define the functionally distinct character of each distal binding surface., Conclusion: The annexin V molecule, as it self-assembles into an organized array on the membrane surface, can bind the heparan sulfate components of cell surface proteoglycans. A novel model is presented in which proteoglycan heparan sulfate could assist in the localization of annexin V to the cell surface membrane and/or stabilization of the entire molecular assembly to promote anticoagulation.

There is increasing interest in supported membranes as models of biological membranes and as a physiological matrix for studying the structure and function of membrane proteins and receptors. A common problem of protein-lipid bilayers that are directly supported on a hydrophilic substrate is nonphysiological interactions of integral membrane proteins with the solid support to the extent that they will not diffuse in the plane of the membrane. To alleviate some of these problems we have developed a new tethered polymer-supported planar lipid bilayer system, which permitted us to reconstitute integral membrane proteins in a laterally mobile form. We have supported lipid bilayers on a newly designed polyethyleneglycol cushion, which provided a soft support and, for increased stability, covalent linkage of the membranes to the supporting quartz or glass substrates. The formation and morphology of the bilayers were followed by total internal reflection and epifluorescence microscopy, and the lateral diffusion of the lipids and proteins in the bilayer was monitored by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Uniform bilayers with high lateral lipid diffusion coefficients (0.8-1.2 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s) were observed when the polymer concentration was kept slightly below the mushroom-to-brush transition. Cytochrome b(5) and annexin V were used as first test proteins in this system. When reconstituted in supported bilayers that were directly supported on quartz, both proteins were largely immobile with mobile fractions < 25%. However, two populations of laterally mobile proteins were observed in the polymer-supported bilayers. Approximately 25% of cytochrome b(5) diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 1 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s, and 50-60% diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 2 x 10(-10) cm(2)/s. Similarly, one-third of annexin V diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 3 x 10(-9) cm(2)/s, and two-thirds diffused with a diffusion coefficient of approximately 4 x 10(-10) cm(2)/s. A model for the interaction of these proteins with the underlying polymer is discussed.

Protein structure determination by classical x-ray crystallography requires three-dimensional crystals that are difficult to obtain for most proteins and especially for membrane proteins. An alternative is to grow two-dimensional (2D) crystals by adsorbing proteins to ligand-lipid monolayers at the surface of water. This confined geometry requires only small amounts of material and offers numerous advantages: self-assembly and ordering over micrometer scales is easier to obtain in two dimensions; although fully hydrated, the crystals are sufficiently rigid to be investigated by various techniques, such as electron crystallography or micromechanical measurements. Here we report structural studies, using grazing incidence synchrotron x-ray diffraction, of three different 2D protein crystals at the air-water interface, namely streptavidine, annexin V, and the transcription factor HupR. Using a set-up of high angular resolution, we observe narrow Bragg reflections showing long-range crystalline order in two dimensions. In the case of streptavidin the angular range of the observed diffraction corresponds to a resolution of 10 A in plane and 14 A normal to the plane. We show that this approach is complementary to electron crystallography but without the need for transfer of the monolayer onto a grid. Moreover, as the 2D crystals are accessible from the buffer solution, the formation and structure of protein complexes can be investigated in situ.

Polarized attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy of aligned membranes provides essential information on the secondary structure content and orientation of the associated membrane proteins. Quantitation of the relative content of different secondary structures, however, requires allowance for geometric relations of the electric field components (E(x), E(y), E(z)) of the evanescent wave, and of the components of the infrared transition moments, in combining absorbances (A and A(perpendicular)) measured with radiation polarized parallel with and perpendicular to, respectively, the plane of incidence. This has hitherto not been done. The appropriate combination for exact evaluation of relative integrated absorbances is A + (2E(z)(2)/E(y)(2) - E(x)(2)/E(y)(2))A(perpendicular), where z is the axis of ordering that is normal to the membrane plane, and the x-axis lies in the membrane plane within the plane of incidence. This combination can take values in the range approximately from A - 0.4A(perpendicular) to A + 2.7A(perpendicular), depending on experimental conditions and the attenuated total reflection crystal used. With unpolarized radiation, this correction is not possible. Similar considerations apply to the dichroic ratios of multicomponent bands, which are also treated.

Annexins comprise a family of proteins that exhibit a Ca2+-dependent binding to phospholipid membranes that is possibly relevant to their in vivo function. Although substantial structural information about the ternary (protein/lipid/Ca2+) interaction in bulk phases has been derived from a variety of techniques, little is known about the temporal and spatial organization of ternary monolayer films. The effect of Ca2+ on the interactions between annexin V (AxV) and anionic DMPA monolayers was therefore investigated using three complementary approaches: surface pressure measurements, infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). In the absence of Ca2+, the injection of AxV into an aqueous subphase beneath a DMPA monolayer initially in a liquid expanded phase produced BAM images revealing domains of protein presumably surrounded by liquid-expanded lipid. The protein-rich areas expanded with time, resulting in reduction of the area available to the DMPA and, eventually, in the formation of condensed lipid domains in spatial regions separate from the protein film. There was thus no evidence for a specific binary AxV/lipid interaction. In contrast, injection of AxV/Ca2+ at a total Ca2+ concentration of 10 microM beneath a DMPA monolayer revealed no pure protein domains, but rather the slow formation of pinhead structures. This was followed by slow (>2 h) rigidification of the whole film accompanied by an increase in surface pressure, and connection of solid domains to form a structure resembling strings of pearls. These changes were characteristic of this specific ternary interaction. Acyl chain conformational order of the DMPA, as measured by nu(sym)CH2 near 2850 cm(-1), was increased in both the AxV/DMPA and AxV/DMPA/Ca2+ monolayers compared to either DMPA monolayers alone or in the presence of Ca2+. The utility of the combined structural and temporal information derived from these three complementary techniques for the study of monolayers in situ at the air/water interface is evident from this work.

We present here some sensitive optical and mechanical experiments for monitoring the process of formation and growth of two-dimensional (2D) crystals of proteins on a lipid monolayer at an air-water interface. The adsorption of proteins on the lipid monolayer was monitored by ellipsometry measurements. An instrument was developed to measure the shear elastic constant (in plane rigidity) of the monolayer. These experiments have been done using cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and annexin V as model proteins interacting with a monosialoganglioside (GM1) and dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS), respectively. Electron microscopy observations of the protein-lipid layer transferred to grids were systematically used as a control. We found a good correlation between the measured in-plane rigidity of the monolayer and the presence of large crystalline domains observed by electron microscopy grids. Our interpretation of these data is that the crystallization process of proteins on a lipid monolayer passes through at least three successive stages: 1) molecular recognition between protein and lipid-ligand, i.e., adsorption of the protein on the lipid layer; 2) nucleation and growth of crystalline patches whose percolation is detected by the appearance of a non-zero in-plane rigidity; and 3) annealing of the layer producing a slower increase of the lateral or in-plane rigidity.