Can Membrane Composition Traffic Toxins? Mycolactone and Preferential Membrane Interactions

Abstract

ABSTRACTMycolactone is a cytotoxic and immunosuppressive macrolide produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans and the sole causative agent of the neglected tropical skin disease Buruli ulcer. The toxin acts by invading host cells and interacting with intracellular targets to disrupt multiple fundamental cellular processes. Mycolactone’s amphiphilic nature enables strong interactions with lipophilic environments, including cellular membranes; however, the specificity of these interactions and the role of membranes in the toxin’s pathogenicity remain unknown. It is likely that preferential interactions with lipophilic carriers play a key role in the toxin’s distribution in the host, which, if understood, could provide insights to aid in the development of needed diagnostics for Buruli ulcer disease. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were combined with enhanced free energy sampling to characterize mycolactone’s association with and permeation through models of the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membranes (PM). We find that increased order in the PM not only leads to a different permeation mechanism compared to that in the ER membrane, but also an energetic driving force for ER localization. Increased hydration, membrane deformation, and preferential interactions with unsaturated lipid tails stabilize the toxin in the ER membrane, while disruption of lipid packing is a destabilizing force in the PM.STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEMycolactone is sole the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease involving large necrotic lesions that can cause permanent disfigurement if left untreated. Due to its amphiphilic nature, the toxin hides from traditional diagnostic detection and the host immune system by associating with lipophilic carriers, including cellular membranes. Our work uses extensive all-atom simulations to query if the toxin has preferential interactions with different types of membranes. We find a clear preference for more disordered membranes, like the endoplasmic reticulum’s, via interactions with unsaturated lipid tails and membrane deformation. The revealed insights can be used to predict host cell distribution between different types of lipophilic carriers and to aid in the design of Buruli ulcer diagnostics.