Self-assembly molecular dynamics simulations shed light into the interaction of the influenza fusion Peptide with a membrane bilayer.

Abstract

Influenza virus is one of the most devastating human pathogens. In order to infect host cells, this virus fuses its membrane with the host membrane in a process mediated by the glycoprotein hemagglutinin. During fusion, the N-terminal region of hemagglutinin, which is known as the fusion peptide (FP), inserts into the host membrane, promoting lipid mixing between the viral and host membranes. Therefore, this peptide plays a key role in the fusion process, but the exact mechanism by which it promotes lipid mixing is still unclear. To shed light into this matter, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the influenza FP in different environments (water, dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles, and a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) membrane). While in pure water the peptide lost its initial secondary structure, in simulations performed in the presence of DPC micelles it remained stable, in agreement with previous experimental observations. In simulations performed in the presence of a preassembled DMPC bilayer, the peptide became unstructured and was unable to insert into the membrane as a result of technical limitations of the method used. To overcome this problem, we used a self-assembly strategy, assembling the membrane together with the peptide. These simulations revealed that the peptide can adopt a membrane-spanning conformation, which had not been predicted by previous MD simulation studies. The peptide insertion had a strong effect on the membrane, lowering the bilayer thickness, disordering nearby lipids, and promoting lipid tail protrusion. These results contribute to a better understanding of the role of the FP in the fusion process.

• Authors: Bruno L Victor, Diana Lousa, Jorge M Antunes, Cláudio M Soares
• Journal: Journal of chemical information and modeling (J Chem Inf Model) Vol. 55 Issue 4 Pg. 795-805 (Apr 27 2015) ISSN: 1549-960X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25826469 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Lipid Bilayers
• Micelles
• Viral Fusion Proteins
• Water
• Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine

Topics

• Cell Membrane (chemistry, metabolism)
• Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (metabolism)
• Lipid Bilayers (chemistry, metabolism)
• Micelles
• Molecular Dynamics Simulation
• Orthomyxoviridae
• Protein Binding
• Protein Conformation
• Viral Fusion Proteins (chemistry, metabolism)
• Water (chemistry)