title: FRET-assisted determination of CLN3 membrane topology.
abstract: Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is caused by mutations in the CLN3 gene, which encodes for a putative lysosomal transmembrane protein with thus far undescribed structure and function. Here we investigate the membrane topology of human CLN3 protein with a combination of advanced molecular cloning, spectroscopy, and in silico computation. Using the transposomics cloning method we first created a library of human CLN3 cDNA clones either with a randomly inserted eGFP, a myc-tag, or both. The functionality of the clones was evaluated by assessing their ability to revert a previously reported lysosomal phenotype in immortalized cerebellar granular cells derived from Cln3Δex7/8 mice (CbCln3Δex7/8). The double-tagged clones were expressed in HeLa cells, and FRET was measured between the donor eGFP and an acceptor DyLight547 coupled to a monoclonal α-myc antibody to assess their relative membrane orientation. The data were used together with previously reported experimental data to compile a constrained membrane topology model for hCLN3 using TOPCONS consensus membrane prediction algorithm. Our model with six transmembrane domains and cytosolic N- and C-termini largely agrees with those previously suggested but differs in terms of the transmembrane domain positions as well as in the size of the luminal loops. This finding improves understanding the function of the native hCLN3 protein.
authors: Max-Planck Society Graduate School for Neurosciences, Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Ratajczak
authors: Center for Membrane Proteomics, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors: Anton
authors: A
authors: Petcherski
authors: Center for Membrane Proteomics, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors: Juliana
authors: J
authors: Ramos-Moreno
authors: Center for Membrane Proteomics, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors: Mika O
authors: MO
authors: Ruonala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008958:Models, Molecular; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: C105199:CLN3 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones