Stepwise Insertion of Cobra Cardiotoxin CT2 into a Lipid Bilayer Occurs as an Interplay of Protein and Membrane Dynamic Molecular Portraits

For many peripheral membrane-binding polypeptides(MBPs), especially beta-structural ones, the precise molecular mechanisms of membrane insertion remain unclear. In most cases, only the terminal water-soluble and membrane-bound states have been elucidated, whereas potential functionally important intermediate stages are still not understood in sufficient detail. In this study, we present one of the first successful attempts to describe step-by-step embedding of the MBP cardiotoxin 2 (CT2) from cobra Naja oxiana venom into a lipid bilayer at the atomistic level. CT2 possesses a highly conservative and rigid beta-structured three-finger fold shared by many other exogenous and endogenous proteins performing a wide variety of functions. The incorporation of CT2 into the lipid bilayer was analyzed via a 2 ps all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation without restraints. This process was shown to occur over a number of distinct steps, while the geometry of initial membrane attachment drastically differs from that of the final equilibrated state. In the latter one, the hydrophobic platform (bottom) formed by the tips of the three loops is deeply buried into the lipid bilayer. This agrees well with the NMR data obtained earlier for CT2 in detergent micelles. However, the bottom is too bulky to insert itself into the membrane at once. Instead, the gradual immersion of CT2 initiated by the loop-1 was observed. This initial binding stage was also demonstrated in a series of MD runs with varying starting orientations of the toxin with respect to the bilayer surface. Apart from the nonspecific long-range electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic match/mismatch factor, several specific lipid-binding sites were identified in CT2. They were shown to promote membrane insertion by engaging in strong interactions with lipid head groups, fine-tuning the toxin-membrane accommodation. We therefore propose that the toxin insertion relies on the interplay of nonspecific and specific interactions, which are determined by the dynamic molecular portraits of the two players, the protein and the membrane. The proposed model does not require protein oligomerization for membrane insertion and can be further employed to design MBPs with predetermined properties with regard to particular membrane targets.

Automated summary

This study presents a successful attempt to describe the step-by-step embedding of the MBP cardiotoxin CT2 into a lipid bilayer, revealing distinct stages and molecular interactions involved in membrane insertion. The dynamic molecular portraits of the protein and the membrane determine the interplay of specific and nonspecific interactions, facilitating the design of MBPs with predetermined properties for specific membrane targets.