Effect of Headgroups on Small‐Ion Permeability across Archaea‐Inspired Tetraether Lipid Membranes

This paper examines the effects of four different polar headgroups on small‐ion membrane permeability from liposomes comprised of Archaea‐inspired glycerolmonoalkyl glycerol tetraether (GMGT) lipids. We found that the membrane‐leakage rate across GMGT lipid membranes varied by a factor of ≤1.6 as a function of headgroup structure. However, the leakage rates of small ions across membranes comprised of commercial bilayer‐forming 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycerol (PO) lipids varied by as much as 32‐fold within the same series of headgroups. These results demonstrate that membrane leakage from GMGT lipids is less influenced by headgroup structure, making it possible to tailor the structure of the polar headgroups on GMGT lipids while retaining predictable leakage properties of membranes comprised of these tethered lipids.     

Archaeal tetraether lipids

The extremely stable biomolecules manufactured by organisms from extreme environments are of great scientific and engineering interest in the development of robust and stable industrial biocatalysts. Identification of molecules that impart stability under extremes will also have a profound impact on our understanding of cellular survival. This review discusses isolation and characterization of archaeal tetraethers as well as target technologies for tetraether lipid application. The isolation and characterization of archaeal tetraether lipids has led to some interesting applications improving on ester lipid technologies. Potential applications include novel lubricants, gene-delivery systems, monolayer lipid matrices for sensor devices, and protein stabilization. Following this review, patent abstracts and additional literature pertaining to the isolation, characterization, and application of archaeal membrane lipids are listed.     

Rapid discrimination of archaeal tetraether lipid cores by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (APCI LC-MS/MS) of tetraether lipid cores of archaeal origin reveals distinct dissociation pathways for three classes of core lipid extracted from Methanobacter thermautotrophicus. Within these classes, two isobaric tetraether lipids, one a scarcely reported lipid constituent of M. thermautotrophicus and the other an artefact formed during extraction from cultured cells, were identified and distinguished via their MS(2) spectra. APCI LC-MS/MS discriminates different tetraether core lipid types and isobaric species and reveals the mass of the constituent biphytanyl chains within the tetraether cores, albeit without full elucidation of their structures. Furthermore, the method allows direct estimation of the relative proportions of tetraether core lipids from chromatographic peak area measurement, allowing rapid profiling of these compounds in microbiological and environmental extracts.     

Facile distinction of neutral and acidic tetraether lipids in archaea membrane by halogen atom adduct ions in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Calditocaldarchaeol (neutral tetraether lipid) from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (acidothermophilic archaea) and intact total lipid from the thermoacidophilic archaea Sulfolobus sp. was examined by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in the negative-ion mode using high resolution. When the sample was injected as a solution in a 3:1 mixture of methanol (MeOH) and chloroform (CHCl(3)) using an infusion system, the total ether lipid afforded molecular-related ions as [M - H](-) for acidic polar lipids containing a phosphoric or sulfuric group, and as [M + Cl](-) ion for neutral glycolipids. The attachment of chloride was confirmed by the observation of [M + Br](-) ion, instead of [M + Cl](-) ion, when a 3:1 mixture of MeOH and CHBr(3) was used in place of MeOH-CHCl(3) as the solvent. The composition of tetraether neutral glycolipids that are different from each other only in the number of five-membered rings in the isoprenoid chain was determined on the basis of the isotope-resolved mass spectrum of [M + Cl](-) ions. As for acidic tetraether lipids, molecular-related ions [M - H](-)) were not observed when the 3:1 MeOH-CHBr(3) mixture was used as the solvent. These results together afforded a facile method of distinguishing neutral from acidic tetraether lipids in intact total lipids of acidothermophilic archaea. This method was applied to determine the difference of the number of five-membered rings in isoprenyl chains of neutral tetraether glycolipids yielded by the Sulfolobus sp. grown at different temperatures. Discrimination of neutral tetraether glycolipids from acidic tetraether lipids in the total lipids obtained from Thermoplasma sp. was also achieved by this method.     

Synthesis of archaeal bipolar lipid analogues: a way to versatile drug/gene delivery systems

A synthetic route for the preparation of symmetrical and unsymmetrical archaeal tetraether-like analogues has been described. The syntheses are based upon the elaboration of hemimacrocyclic tetraether lipid cores from versatile building blocks followed by simultaneous or sequential introduction of polar head groups. Functionalizations of the tetraether lipids with neutral lactose or phosphatidylcholine polar heads and cationic glycine betaine moieties were envisaged both to increase membrane stability and to exhibit interactions with charged nucleic acids. Additionally, mannose and lactose triantennary clusters designed as multivalent ligands for selective interaction with lectin-type receptors were also efficiently synthesized for active cell/tissue targeting.     

Physical properties of archaeal tetraether lipid membranes as revealed by differential scanning and pressure perturbation calorimetry, molecular acoustics, and neutron reflectometry: effects of pressure and cell growth temperature

The polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) is a major tetraether lipid component in the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Using differential scanning and pressure perturbation calorimetry as well as ultrasound velocity and density measurements, we have determined the compressibilities and volume fluctuations of PLFE liposomes derived from different cell growth temperatures (T(g) = 68, 76, and 81 °C). The compressibility and volume fluctuation values of PLFE liposomes, which are substantially less than those detected from diester lipid membranes (e.g., DPPC), exhibit small but significant differences with T(g). Among the three T(g)s employed, 76 °C leads to the least compressible and most tightly packed PLFE membranes. This temperature is within the range for optimal cell growth (75-80 °C). It is known that a decrease in T(g) decreases the number of cyclopentane rings in archael tetraether lipids. Thus, our data enable us to present the new view that membrane packing in PLFE liposomes varies with the number of cyclopentane rings in a nonlinear manner, reaching maximal tightness when the tetraether lipids are derived from cells grown at optimal T(g)s. In addition, we have studied the effects of pressure on total layer thickness, d, and neutron scattering length density, ρ(n), of a silicon-D(2)O interface that is covered with a PLFE membrane using neutron reflectometry (NR). At 55 °C, d and ρ(n) are found to be rather insensitive to pressure up to 1800 bar, suggesting minor changes of the thickness of the membrane's hydrophobic core and headgroup orientation upon compression only.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of an archaeal lipid bilayer with sodium chloride

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of a bilayer formed by the synthetic archaeal lipid, diphytanyl phosphatidylcholine, in NaCl electrolyte solution at four different concentrations (0-4 M) to investigate how structural and dynamic properties of the model archaeal membrane are changed due to the ionic strength of the solution. The archaeal lipid bilayer shows minor changes in their physical properties, indicating the unusual high stability of the membrane against salt, though small reductions of molecular area and lateral diffusion of the lipid are detected at the highest electrolyte concentration of 4 M. Sodium ions penetrate to the ether-rich region, where the ions are likely bound to the ether oxygen in the sn-1 chain rather than to that in the sn-2 chain. The observed salt bridges among two or three neighboring lipids account for the small reduction in the molecular area. The bound ions together with the counter (chloride) ions give rise to a diffusive electric double layer; as a result, the membrane dipole potential is slightly increased with increasing NaCl concentration.     

Systematic fragmentation patterns of archaeal intact polar lipids by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry

Archaea are ubiquitous and abundant microorganisms on Earth that mediate key global biogeochemical cycles. The headgroup attached to the sn-1 position of the glycerol backbone and the ether-linked isoprenoid lipids are among the diagnostic traits that distinguish Archaea from Bacteria and Eukarya. Over the last 30 years, numerous archaeal lipids have been purified and described in pure cultures. Coupled high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ion-trap mass spectrometry (ITMS) now enables the detection and rapid identification of intact polar lipids in relatively small and complex samples, revealing a wide range of archaeal lipids in natural environments. Although major structural groups have been identified, the lack of a systematic evaluation of MS/MS fragmentation patterns has hindered the characterization of several atypical components that are therefore considered as unknowns. Here, we examined mass spectra resulting from lipid analysis of natural microbial communities using HPLC/electrospray ionization (ESI)-ITMS(n), and depicted the systematics in MS(2) fragmentation of intact archaeal lipids. This report will be particularly useful for environmental scientists interested in a rapid and straightforward characterization of intact archaeal membrane lipids.     

Structural characterization of ether lipids from the archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus by high‐resolution shotgun lipidomics

The molecular structures, biosynthetic pathways and physiological functions of membrane lipids produced by organisms in the domain Archaea are poorly characterized as compared with that of counterparts in Bacteria and Eukaryota. Here we report on the use of high‐resolution shotgun lipidomics to characterize, for the first time, the lipid complement of the archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus. To support the identification of lipids in S. islandicus, we first compiled a database of ether lipid species previously ascribed to Archaea. Next, we analyzed the lipid complement of S. islandicus by high‐resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry using an ion trap‐orbitrap mass spectrometer. This analysis identified five clusters of molecular ions that matched ether lipids in the database with sub‐ppm mass accuracy. To structurally characterize and validate the identities of the potential lipid species, we performed structural analysis using multistage activation on the ion trap‐orbitrap instrument as well as tandem mass analysis using a quadrupole time‐of‐flight machine. Our analysis identified four ether lipid species previously reported in Archaea, and one ether lipid species that had not been described before. This uncharacterized lipid species features two head group structures composed of a trisaccharide residue carrying an uncommon sulfono group (?SO₃) and an inositol phosphate group. Both head groups are linked to a glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether core structure having isoprenoid chains with a total of 80 carbon atoms and 4 cyclopentane moieties. The shotgun lipidomics approach deployed here defines a novel workflow for exploratory lipid profiling of Archaea. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mono‐, di‐ and trimethylated homologues of isoprenoid tetraether lipid cores in archaea and environmental samples: mass spectrometric identification and significance

Higher homologues of widely reported C₈₆ isoprenoid diglycerol tetraether lipid cores, containing 0–6 cyclopentyl rings, have been identified in (hyper)thermophilic archaea, representing up to 21% of total tetraether lipids in the cells. Liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry confirms that the additional carbon atoms in the C_87‐88 homologues are located in the etherified chains. Structures identified include dialkyl and monoalkyl (‘H‐shaped’) tetraethers containing C_40‐42 or C_81‐82 hydrocarbons, respectively, many representing novel compounds. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometric analysis of hydrocarbons released from the lipid cores by ether cleavage suggests that the C₄₀ chains are biphytanes and the C₄₁ chains 13‐methylbiphytanes. Multiple isomers, having different chain combinations, were recognised among the dialkyl lipids. Methylated tetraethers are produced by Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus in varying proportions depending on growth conditions, suggesting that methylation may be an adaptive mechanism to regulate cellular function. The detection of methylated lipids in Pyrobaculum sp. AQ1.S2 and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius represents the first reported occurrences in Crenarchaeota. Soils and aquatic sediments from geographically distinct mesotemperate environments that were screened for homologues contained monomethylated tetraethers, with di‐ and trimethylated structures being detected occasionally. The structural diversity and range of occurrences of the C_87‐89 tetraethers highlight their potential as complementary biomarkers for archaea in natural environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereochemical effect revealed in self-assemblies based on archaeal lipid analogues bearing a central five-membered carbocycle: a SAXS study

The relative stereochemistry (cis or trans) of a 1,3-disubstituted cyclopentane unit in the middle of tetraether archaeal bipolar lipid analogues was found to have a dramatic influence on their supramolecular self-assembly properties. SAXS studies of two synthetic diastereomeric archaeal lipids bearing two lactosyl polar head groups at opposite ends revealed different lyotropic behaviors. The cis isomer led to L(c)-L(α)-Q(II) transitions whereas the trans isomer retained an L(α) phase from 20 to 100 °C. These main differences originate from the conformational equilibrium (pseudorotation) of 1,3-disubstituted cyclopentanes. Indeed, this pseudorotation exhibits quite similar orientations of the two substituents in a trans isomer whereas several orientations of the two alkyl chains are expected in a cis-1,3-dialkyl cyclopentane, thus authorizing more conformational flexibility in the lipid packing.     

New synthetic,bolaamphiphilic, macrocyclic lipids forming artificial membranes

In order to obtain stable but fluid membranes attached to a solid or gel support, two fundamental problems had to be solved. First, stable coupling of the lipid layer to the surface had to be achieved, and second, it was necessary to prevent the second lipid layer of the membrane from floating on top of the first one. To overcome these limitations we redesigned lipids to mimic the structure and properties of the cyclic tetraether lipids from Archaebacteria. Our new type of artificial lipid is a linear rigid bolaamphiphile consisting of a long hydrophobic core and hydrophilic head groups at both ends. Up to 72-membered macrocyclic tetraesters were prepared in a highly efficient two-step synthesis from maleic anhydride and long-chain linear diols. The lipid building block was modified by attaching various hydrophilic head groups to meet the various biological needs. Lipids were coated on surfaces, studied by Langmuir-Blodgett technology and used to form stable films on patch clamp pipettes.     

The Effect of Photodynamic Action on Leakage of Ions Through Liposomal Membranes that Contain Oxidatively Modified Lipids

Singlet oxygen, created in photosensitization, peroxidizes unsaturated fatty acids of the membrane's lipids. This generates alcoholic or aldehyde groups at double bonds' breakage points. In a previous study, we examined the leakage of a K⁺‐induced cross‐membrane electric potential of liposomes that undergo photosensitization. The question remains to what extent peroxidized lipids can compromise the stability of the membrane. In this study, we studied the effect of the oxidatively modified lipids PGPC and ALDOPC in the membrane on its stability, by monitoring the membrane electric potential with the potentiometric dye DiSC₂(5). As the content of the modified lipids increases the membrane becomes less stable, and even at just 2% of the modified lipids the membrane's integrity is affected, in respect to the leakage of ions through it. When the liposomes that contain the modified lipids undergo photosensitization by hematoporphyrin, the lipid bilayer becomes even more unstable and passage of ions is accelerated. We conclude that the existence of lipids with a shortened fatty acid that is terminated by a carboxylic acid or an aldehyde and more so when photosensitized damage occurs to unsaturated fatty acids in lecithin, add up to a critical alteration of the membrane, which becomes leaky to ions.     

Bioactive Structure of Membrane Lipids and Natural Products Elucidated by a Chemistry‐Based Approach

Determining the bioactive structure of membrane lipids is a new concept, which aims to examine the functions of lipids with respect to their three‐dimensional structures. As lipids are dynamic by nature, their “structure” does not refer solely to a static picture but also to the local and global motions of the lipid molecules. We consider that interactions with lipids, which are completely defined by their structures, are controlled by the chemical, functional, and conformational matching between lipids and between lipid and protein. In this review, we describe recent advances in understanding the bioactive structures of membrane lipids bound to proteins and related molecules, including some of our recent results. By examining recent works on lipid‐raft‐related molecules, lipid–protein interactions, and membrane‐active natural products, we discuss current perspectives on membrane structural biology.     

Construction of higher-ordered monolayer membranes derived from archaeal membrane lipid-inspired cyclic lipids with longer alkyl chains

A series of artificial cyclic lipids that mimic archaeal membrane ones has been synthesized. The structural features of these molecules include a longer cyclic framework, in which the alkyl chain length ranges from 24 to 32 in carbon number, which is longer than our first analogous molecule with 20-carbon long alkyl chains [K. Miyawaki, T. Takagi, M. Shibakami, Synlett 8 (2002) 1326]. Microscopic observation reveals that these molecules have a self-assembling ability: hydration of the lipids yields multilamellar vesicles in aqueous solution and monolayer sheets on solid supports. High-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (24- and 28-carbon alkyl chain lipids) indicates that (i) the alkyl chain length affects their phase behavior and (ii) the enthalpies of endothermic peaks accompanied by phase transition were considerably lower than those of their monomeric phospholipid analogs. Fluorescence polarization measurements suggest that the membranes made from the 24-carbon alkyl chain lipid have a higher polarization factor than membranes composed of DMPC and DMPC plus cholesterol. These findings imply that the cyclic lipids containing 24- and 28-carbon alkyl chain construct well-organized monolayer membranes and, in particular, that the molecular order of the 24-carbon alkyl chain lipid is higher than that of bilayer membranes in the liquid-ordered phase.     

Supramolecular self-assembling properties of membrane-spanning archaeal tetraether glycolipid analogues

The self-assembling properties of a new series of archaeal tetraether glycolipid analogues 1-6 that are characterized by a bipolar architecture with two similar or different glycosidic and/or phosphate polar heads and a lipid core possessing a cyclopentane unit and/or branched chains were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, X-ray scattering, freeze-fracture electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Unsymmetrical phosphate derivatives 1 and 2 spontaneously formed thermostable multilamellar and unilamellar vesicles in which most of the bipolar lipids adopted a trans-membrane conformation, as revealed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Supramolecular aggregates of neutral glycolipids 3-6 were found to depend on both the saccharidic polar heads and the chain composition. The presence of one glycosidic residue with rather marked hydrophilic properties, such as the lactosyl moiety, was required to allow the formation of multilamellar vesicles. Surprisingly, the introduction of a cyclopentane unit in the bridging chain was able to induce an apparent two-by-two membrane association: this unusual behaviour might be the result of unsymmetrical interfacial properties of the lipid layer caused by the presence of the cyclopentane unit.     

First Isolation and Structure Elucidation of GDNT-β-Glu – Tetraether Lipid Fragment from Archaeal Sulfolobus Strains

Due to their special chemical structure, tetraether lipids (TEL) represent essential elements of archaeal membranes, providing these organisms with extraordinary properties. Here we describe the characterization of a newly isolated structural element of the main lipids. The TEL fragment GDNT-β-Glu was isolated from Sulfolobus metallicus and characterized in terms of its chemical structure by NMR- and MS-investigations. The obtained data are dissimilar to analogically derived established structures – in essence, the binding relationships in the polar head group are re-determined and verified. With this work, we provide an important contribution to the structure elucidation of intact TEL also contained in other Sulfolobus strains such as Solfulobus acidocaldarius and Sulfolobus solfataricus.     

Structure and phase behavior of archaeal lipid monolayers

We report X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) measurements of archaeal bipolar tetraether lipid monolayers at the air-water interface. Specifically, Langmuir films made of the polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) isolated from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius grown at three different temperatures, i.e., 68, 76, and 81 °C, were examined. The dependence of the structure and packing properties of PLFE monolayers on surface pressure were analyzed in a temperature range between 10 and 50 °C at different pH values. Additionally, the interaction of PLFE monolayers (using lipids derived from cells grown at 76 °C) with the ion channel peptide gramicidin was investigated as a function of surface pressure. A total monolayer thickness of approximately 30 ? was found for all monolayers, hinting at a U-shaped conformation of the molecules with both head groups in contact with the interface. The monolayer thickness increased with rising film pressure and decreased with increasing temperature. At 10 and 20 °C, large, highly crystalline domains were observed by GIXD, whereas at higher temperatures no distinct crystallinity could be observed. For lipids derived from cells grown at higher temperatures, a slightly more rigid structure in the lipid dibiphytanyl chains was observed. A change in the pH of the subphase had an influence only on the structure of the lipid head groups. The addition of gramicidin to an PLFE monolayer led to a more disordered state as observed by XRR. In GIXD measurements, no major changes in lateral organization could be observed, except for a decrease of the size of crystalline domains, indicating that gramicidin resides mainly in the disordered areas of the monolayer and causes local membrane perturbation, only.     

Intact polar membrane lipids in prokaryotes and sediments deciphered by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometry--new biomarkers for biogeochemistry and microbial ecology

Lipids from prokaryotic cell membranes can serve as sources of information on the biogeochemistry and microbial ecology of natural ecosystems. Traditionally, apolar derivatives of the intact polar membrane molecules, e.g., fatty acids, have been the major target of lipid-based biogeochemical studies. However, when still intact, i.e., as glycerol esters and ethers with attached polar headgroups, membrane lipids are diagnostic for living prokaryotes, which makes them excellent biomarkers for the study of in situ microbial processes in geological systems such as sediments or soils. Intact polar lipids (IPLs) are attractive analytical targets because they are taxonomically more specific than their apolar derivatives and avoid exclusion of signals from prokaryotes that primarily build their membranes with ether-bound lipids such as archaea and some bacteria. Here we report results from analyses of IPLs in pure cultures of biogeochemically relevant prokaryotes and marine sediments by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-IT-MSn). This technique is suitable for screening of biomass and environmental samples for distinctive taxonomic structural features such as distribution of polar lipid headgroups, types of bonds between alkyl moiety and glycerol backbone, and the chain length and degree of unsaturation in the alkyl moieties. We present analytical protocols to decipher structural information from mass spectral data. The IPL contents in selected archaeal and bacterial species are diverse and qualify as molecular fingerprints. Applied to marine sediments, the approach provided detailed information on the dominant microbial groups. The IPLs from bacterial members of anaerobic methanotrophic communities in surface sediments at Hydrate Ridge resemble those found in Desulfosarcina variabilis. The presence of dietherglycerophospholipids, however, suggests the presence of other bacteria possibly affiliated with the deepest phylogenetic branches in the tree of life. Sediments from approximately 90 m below the seafloor on the Peruvian continental margin are dominated by intact archaeal tetraethers with glycosidically bound hexoses as headgroups, consistent with a significant fraction of the community being archaea. Additional calditol-based tetraethers imply that the sedimentary archaea are taxonomically linked to the crenarchaeal Sulfolobales.     

Structural Studies of Self‐Assembled Subviral Particles: Combining Cell‐Free Expression with 110 kHz MAS NMR Spectroscopy

Viral membrane proteins are prime targets in combatting infection. Still, the determination of their structure remains a challenge, both with respect to sample preparation and the need for structural methods allowing for analysis in a native‐like lipid environment. Cell‐free protein synthesis and solid‐state NMR spectroscopy are promising approaches in this context, the former with respect to its great potential in the native expression of complex proteins, and the latter for the analysis of membrane proteins in lipids. Herein, we show that milligram amounts of the small envelope protein of the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) can be produced by cell‐free expression, and that the protein self‐assembles into subviral particles. Proton‐detected 2D NMR spectra recorded at a magic‐angle‐spinning frequency of 110 kHz on <500 μg protein show a number of isolated peaks with line widths comparable to those of model membrane proteins, paving the way for structural studies of this protein that is homologous to a potential drug target in HBV infection.