The coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) performs RNA replication on double membrane vesicles (DMVs) in the cytoplasm of the host cell. However, the mechanism by which these DMVs form has not been determined. Using genetic, biochemical, and cell imaging approaches, the role of autophagy in DMV formation and MHV replication was investigated. The results demonstrated that replication complexes co-localize with the autophagy proteins, microtubule-associated protein light-chain 3 and Apg12. MHV infection induces autophagy by a mechanism that is resistant to 3-methyladenine inhibition. MHV replication is impaired in autophagy knockout, APG5؊/؊, embryonic stem cell lines, but wild-type levels of MHV replication are restored by expression of Apg5 in the APG5؊/؊ cells. In MHV-infected APG5؊/؊ cells, DMVs were not detected; rather, the rough endoplasmic reticulum was dramatically swollen. The results of this study suggest that autophagy is required for formation of double membrane-bound MHV replication complexes and that DMV formation significantly enhances the efficiency of replication. Furthermore, the rough endoplasmic reticulum is implicated as the possible source of membranes for replication complexes.

To investigate molecular mechanisms controlling islet vascularization and revascularization after transplantation, we examined pancreatic expression of three families of angiogenic factors and their receptors in differentiating endocrine cells and adult islets. Using intravital lectin labeling, we demonstrated that development of islet microvasculature and establishment of islet blood flow occur concomitantly with islet morphogenesis. Our genetic data indicate that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A is a major regulator of islet vascularization and revascularization of transplanted islets. In spite of normal pancreatic insulin content and ␤-cell mass, mice with ␤-cell-reduced VEGF-A expression had impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. By vascular or diffusion delivery of ␤-cell secretagogues to islets, we showed that reduced insulin output is not a result of ␤-cell dysfunction but rather caused by vascular alterations in islets. Taken together, our data indicate that the microvasculature plays an integral role in islet function. Factors modulating VEGF-A expression may influence islet vascularity and, consequently, the amount of insulin delivered into the systemic circulation. Diabetes

High density lipoproteins (HDL) mediate cholesterol transport and protection from cardiovascular disease. Although synthetic HDLs have been studied for 30 years, the structure of human plasma-derived HDL, and its major protein apolipoprotein (apo)A-I, is unknown. We separated normal human HDL into 5 density subfractions and then further isolated those containing predominantly apoA-I (LpA-I). Using cross-linking chemistry and mass spectrometry, we found that apoA-I adopts a structural framework in these particles that closely mirrors that in synthetic HDL. We adapted established structural models for synthetic HDL to generate the first detailed models of authentic human plasma HDL in which apoA-I adopts a symmetrical cage-like structure. The models suggest that HDL particle size is modulated via a twisting motion of the resident apoA-I molecules. This understanding offers insights into how apoA-I structure modulates HDL function and its interactions with other apolipoproteins.

Spherical high density lipoproteins (HDL) † predominate in human plasma. However, little information exists on the structure of the most common HDL protein, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, in spheres vs. better studied discoidal forms. We produced spherical HDL by incubating reconstituted discoidal HDL with physiological plasmaremodeling enzymes and compared apoA-I structure in discs and spheres of comparable diameter (79 -80 and 93-96 Å). Using cross-linking chemistry and mass spectrometry, we determined that the general structural organization of apoA-I was overall similar between discs and spheres, regardless of diameter. This was the case despite the fact that the 93 Å spheres contained three molecules of apoA-I per particle compared with only two in the discs. Thus, apoA-I adopts a consistent general structural framework in HDL particles-irrespective of shape, size and the number of apoA-Is present. Furthermore, a similar cross-linking pattern was demonstrated in HDL particles isolated from human serum. We propose the first experiment-based molecular model of apoA-I in spherical HDL particles. This model provides a new foundation for understanding how apoA-I structure modulates HDL function and metabolism.sphere ͉ disk G iven the inverse correlation between high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and cardiovascular disease, a key question in vascular biology relates to how apolipoproteins modulate the metabolism and function of HDL. Significant evidence supports a role for HDL in the process of reverse cholesterol transport whereby lipids and cholesterol in the vessel wall are transported to the liver for catabolism. However, because of a lack of information on HDL structure and the molecular basis of its interactions with other proteins, our understanding of HDL metabolism and function is at a basic stage.The ''glue'' that holds most HDL particles together is apolipoprotein (apo)A-I, a highly ␣-helical, 28-kDa polypeptide. It comprises some 70% of HDL protein mass, making it the clear starting point for deriving a basic understanding of HDL structure. In humans, apoA-I is primarily present in two major spherical HDL species, HDL 2 (d ϭ 1.063-1.125 g/ml) and HDL 3 (d ϭ 1.125-1.210 g/ml) with diameters ranging from 70 to 120 Å. More minor, but clearly important, HDL subspecies include lipid-poor apoA-I and nascent discoidal particles (reviewed in ref. 1). Highly reactive but low abundance discoidal HDLs are critical intermediates between lipid-poor apoA-I and mature spherical HDL. Easily produced in vitro, they have been heavily used for structural studies (2). Despite some debates on details of certain regions of apoA-I in discs, the majority of recent theoretical and experimental data supports the so-called ''double belt'' model (3). In this scheme, each of two ring-shaped apoA-I molecules wrap around a leaflet of a disk-like patch of lipid bilayer in an anti-parallel orientation.Despite their abundance in plasma, much less is known about the structure of apoA-I in spherical particles. They contain a neutral lipid...

These findings suggest that abnormal HDL capacity to mediate cholesterol efflux is a key driver of excess CVD in patients on chronic hemodialysis and may explain why statins have limited effect to decrease CV events. The findings also suggest cellular cholesterol transporters as potential therapeutic targets to decrease CV risk in this population.

The role of the cellular microenvironment in enabling metazoan tissue genesis remains obscure. Ctenophora has recently emerged as one of the earliest-branching extant animal phyla, providing a unique opportunity to explore the evolutionary role of the cellular microenvironment in tissue genesis. Here, we characterized the extracellular matrix (ECM), with a focus on collagen IV and its variant, spongin short-chain collagens, of non-bilaterian animal phyla. We identified basement membrane (BM) and collagen IV in Ctenophora, and show that the structural and genomic features of collagen IV are homologous to those of non-bilaterian animal phyla and Bilateria. Yet, ctenophore features are more diverse and distinct, expressing up to twenty genes compared to six in vertebrates. Moreover, collagen IV is absent in unicellular sister-groups. Collectively, we conclude that collagen IV and its variant, spongin, are primordial components of the extracellular microenvironment, and as a component of BM, collagen IV enabled the assembly of a fundamental architectural unit for multicellular tissue genesis.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24176.001

In humans, the plasma concentration of HDLs has been repeatedly shown to be inversely correlated with the risk of developing coronary heart disease ( 1, 2 ). The concentrations of plasma HDL has been shown to be largely dependent on hepatic ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) ( 3-5 ), which transports and promotes the effl ux of glycerophosphocholine (PC), free cholesterol (FC), and sphingomyelin (SM) to wild-type apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), resulting in the formation of nascent HDLs (nHDLs). Functional mutations in human ABCA1 cause Tangier disease ( 6, 7 ), which is characterized by very low levels of plasma HDL apoA-I. Tangier disease is believed to alter a process termed "reverse cholesterol transport." Although defects in ABCA1 function have been identifi ed by Abstract This report details the lipid composition of nascent HDL (nHDL) particles formed by the action of the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) on apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I). nHDL particles of different size (average diameters of ‫ف‬ 12, 10, 7.5, and <6 nm) and composition were purifi ed by size-exclusion chromatography. Electron microscopy suggested that the nHDL were mostly spheroidal. The proportions of the principal nHDL lipids, free cholesterol, glycerophosphocholine, and sphingomyelin were similar to that of lipid rafts, suggesting that the lipid originated from a raft-like region of the cell. Smaller amounts of glucosylceramides, cholesteryl esters, and other glycerophospholipid classes were also present. The largest particles, ‫ف‬ 12 nm and 10 nm diameter, contained ‫ف‬ 43% free cholesterol, 2-3% cholesteryl ester, and three apoA-I molecules. Using chemical cross-linking chemistry combined with mass spectrometry, we found that three molecules of apoA-I in the ‫ف‬ 9-14 nm nHDL adopted a belt-like conformation. The smaller (7.5 nm diameter) spheroidal nHDL particles carried 30% free cholesterol and two molecules of apoA-I in a twisted, antiparallel, double-belt conformation. Overall, these new data offer fresh insights into the biogenesis and structural constraints involved in forming nascent HDL from ABCA1 . -Sorci-Thomas, M. G., J. S. Owen, B. Fulp, S. Bhat, These studies were supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health grants and Abbreviations: BMDM, bone marrow-derived macrophage; CE, cholesteryl ester; DSP, dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) ; EM, electron microscopy; FC, free cholesterol; FPLC, fast protein liquid chromatography; GP, glycerophospholipids; HEK, human embryonic kidney; HexCer; hexosylceramides; LPC, lyso-glycerophosphocholine; MSCE, mass spectrometer collision energy; NDGGE, nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; nHDL, nascent HDL; PC, glycerophosphocholine; PE, glycerophospho ethanolamine; PG, glycerophosphoglycerol; PI, glyerophos phoinositol; PM, plasma membrane; POPC, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; PS, glycerophosphoserine; rHDL, recombinant HDL; RT, room temperature; SL, sphingolipid; TC, total cholesterol.1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail...

ApoA-I is a uniquely flexible lipid-scavenging protein capable of incorporating phospholipids into stable particles. Here we report molecular dynamics simulations on a series of progressively smaller discoidal high density lipoprotein particles produced by incremental removal of palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine via four different pathways. The starting model contained 160 palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholines and a belt of two antiparallel amphipathic helical lipid-associating domains of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I. The results are particularly compelling. After a few nanoseconds of molecular dynamics simulation, independent of the starting particle and method of size reduction, all simulated double belts of the four lipidated apoA-I particles have helical domains that impressively approximate the x-ray crystal structure of lipid-free apoA-I, particularly between residues 88 and 186. These results provide atomic resolution models for two of the particles produced by in vitro reconstitution of nascent high density lipoprotein particles. These particles, measuring 95 angstroms and 78 angstroms by nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, correspond in composition and in size/shape (by negative stain electron microscopy) to the simulated particles with molar ratios of 100:2 and 50:2, respectively. The lipids of the 100:2 particle family form minimal surfaces at their monolayer-monolayer interface, whereas the 50:2 particle family displays a lipid pocket capable of binding a dynamic range of phospholipid molecules.