Critical residues and motifs for homodimerization of the first transmembrane domain of the plasma membrane glycoprotein CD36.
The plasma transmembrane (TM) glycoprotein CD36 is critically involved in many essential signaling processes, especially the binding/uptake of long-chain fatty acids and oxidized low-density lipoproteins. The association of CD36 potentially activates cytosolic protein tyrosine kinases that are thought to associate with the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of CD36. To understand the mechanisms by which CD36 mediates ligand binding and signal transduction, we have characterized the homo-oligomeric interaction of CD36 TM domains in membrane environments and with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Analysis of pyrene- and coumarin-labeled TM1 peptides in SDS by FRET confirmed the homodimerization of the CD36 TM1 peptide. Homodimerization assays of CD36 TM domains with the TOXCAT technique showed that its first TM (TM1) domain, but not the second TM (TM2) domain, could homodimerize in a cell membrane. Small-residue, site-specific mutation scanning revealed that the CD36 TM1 dimerization is mediated by the conserved small residues Gly12, Gly16, Ala20, and Gly23Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies demonstrated that CD36 TM1 exhibited a switching dimerization with two right-handed packing modes driven by the12GXXXGXXXA20and20AXXG23motifs, and the mutational effect of G16I and G23I revealed these representative conformations of CD36 TM1. This packing switch pattern of CD36 TM1 homodimer was further examined and confirmed by FRET analysis of monobromobimane (mBBr)-labeled CD36 TM1 peptides. Overall, this work provides a structural basis for understanding the role of TM association in regulating signal transduction via CD36.
From the Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.|the School of Basic Medical Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China, and.
Peng
P
Wei
From the Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Fu-de
FD
Sun
the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100050, China.
Li-Min
LM
Zuo
From the Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Jing
J
Qu
From the Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Peng
P
Chen
From the Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Li-da
LD
Xu
From the Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China, luosz@mail.buct.edu.cn.
Shi-Zhong
SZ
Luo
D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D018955:CD36 Antigens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D000072417:Protein Domains; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary
D018955:CD36 Antigens
CD36; TOXCAT; fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET); homodimerization; molecular dynamics; packing switch; protein conformation; protein motif; protein self-assembly