Proximal Leaflets Research Articles

Developmental Analysis of Compound Leaf Development in Arachis hypogaea.

Leaves are the primary photosynthetic structures, while photosynthesis is the direct motivation of crop yield formation. As a legume plant, peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is one of the most economically essential crops as well as an important source of edible oil and protein. The leaves of A. hypogaea are in the tetrafoliate form, which is different from the trifoliate leaf pattern of Medicago truncatula, a model legume species. In A. hypogaea, an even-pinnate leaf with a pair of proximal and distal leaflets was developed; however, only a single terminal leaflet and a pair of lateral leaflets were formed in the odd-pinnate leaf in M. truncatula. In this study, the development of compound leaf in A. hypogaea was investigated. Transcriptomic profiles revealed that the common and unique differentially expressed genes were identified in a proximal leaflet and a distal leaflet, which provided a research route to understand the leaf development in A. hypogaea. Then, a naturally occurring mutant line with leaf developmental defects in A. hypogaea was obtained, which displayed a pentafoliate form with an extra terminal leaflet. The characterization of the mutant indicated that cytokinin and class I KNOTTED-LIKE HOMEOBOX were involved in the control of compound leaf pattern in A. hypogaea. These results expand our knowledge and provide insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the formation of different compound leaf patterns among species.

Myomerger promotes fusion pore by elastic coupling between proximal membrane leaflets and hemifusion diaphragm

Myomerger is a muscle-specific membrane protein involved in formation of multinucleated muscle cells by mediating the transition from the early hemifusion stage to complete fusion. Here, we considered the physical mechanism of the Myomerger action based on the hypothesis that Myomerger shifts the spontaneous curvature of the outer membrane leaflets to more positive values. We predicted, theoretically, that Myomerger generates the outer leaflet elastic stresses, which propagate into the hemifusion diaphragm and accelerate the fusion pore formation. We showed that Myomerger ectodomain indeed generates positive spontaneous curvature of lipid monolayers. We substantiated the mechanism by experiments on myoblast fusion and influenza hemagglutinin-mediated cell fusion. In both processes, the effects of Myomerger ectodomain were strikingly similar to those of lysophosphatidylcholine known to generate a positive spontaneous curvature of lipid monolayers. The control of post-hemifusion stages by shifting the spontaneous curvature of proximal membrane monolayers may be utilized in diverse fusion processes.

Differential Diffusional Properties in Loose and Tight Docking Prior to Membrane Fusion

Fusion of biological membranes, although mediated by divergent proteins, is believed to follow a common pathway. It proceeds through distinct steps, including docking, merger of proximal leaflets (stalk formation), and formation of a fusion pore. However, the structure of these intermediates is difficult to study because of their short lifetime. Previously, we observed a loosely and tightly docked state preceding leaflet merger using arresting point mutations in SNARE proteins, but the nature of these states remained elusive. Here, we used interferometric scattering (iSCAT) microscopy to monitor diffusion of single vesicles across the surface of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). We observed that the diffusion coefficients of arrested vesicles decreased during progression through the intermediate states. Modeling allowed for predicting the number of tethering SNARE complexes upon loose docking and the size of the interacting membrane patches upon tight docking. These results shed new light on the nature of membrane-membrane interactions immediately before fusion.

A Model for Myomerger Function in Myoblast Fusion

Myomerger, an integral membrane protein, has been recently established to play a crucial role in myoblast fusion by driving the transition from the hemifusion to the full fusion stage of the reaction. To accomplish this task, the ectodomains of myomerger molecules located at the proximal (outer) leaflets of the fusing plasma membranes must be able to mediate formation of a fusion pore in the hemifusion diaphragm (HD), which consist of the distal (inner) membrane leaflets. We now report that, similarly to myomerger, the phospholipid lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) promotes hemifusion-to-fusion transition, if added to the proximal leaflets of the hemifused membranes. An apparent similarity between LPC and myomerger consists in their ability to generate a positive spontaneous curvature of lipid monolayers. This effect of LPC is known to be driven by its effective molecular shape, while myomerger could act through insertion of its N-terminal amphipathic domain into the membrane matrix. Here we propose a mechanism of indirect promotion of the fusion pore formation. The essence of the mechanism is a geometrical and mechanical coupling of the proximal and distal leaflets of the fusing membranes mediated by the HD rim. The elastic stresses generated by LPC and/or myomerger in the distal membrane leaflets are transmitted through the HD rim into the leaflets of the hemifusion diaphragm, which facilitates the fusion pore generation and growth. To substantiate the mechanism, using the theory of the membrane bending, splay and tilt elasticity, we computed the elastic stresses propagating into the HD as functions of LPC concentration in the proximal membrane leaflets, determined the effective values of HD line tension and calculated the kinetic barriers of the fusion pore formation. We predicted, quantitatively, the degree of acceleration of the fusion pore formation by relevant LPC amounts in the membrane.

Reduction of glass-surface charge density slows the lipid diffusion in the proximal leaflet of a supported lipid bilayer.

Understanding the effect of a solid support on the dynamical properties of a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) is a prerequisite for the applications of SLB as a model biomembrane. Here, we applied two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy to examine the effect of solution pH on the diffusion of lipids in the proximal/distal leaflets of a zwitterionic SLB. Leaflet-specific diffusion analyses at various pH revealed that the diffusion of lipids in the proximal leaflet facing a glass surface becomes slower by decreasing pH with the transition pH of ∼7.4. We attributed it to the reduction of the surface charge density of a glass support. Furthermore, the data clearly showed that the lipid diffusion in the distal leaflet facing a bulk solution is insensitive to the change in the diffusion property of the proximal leaflet. This reflects a weak interleaflet coupling between the proximal and distal leaflets of the SLB.

Quantifying the Diffusion of Lipids in the Proximal/Distal Leaflets of a Supported Lipid Bilayer by Two-Dimensional Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy.

A supported lipid bilayer (SLB) is a versatile platform for examining the dynamical properties of biomembranes. However, the effect of a prerequisite solid substrate on the dynamics of a SLB remains very elusive. Especially, it is not clarified how the diffusivity of each leaflet in a SLB is affected by the SLB-solid substrate interaction. In this study, we applied two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy to a SLB for elucidating the diffusion of lipids in the proximal and distal leaflets of a SLB. We find that the autocorrelation curve of a fluorescent lipid in the proximal leaflet decays more slowly than that in the distal leaflet, meaning that the proximal leaflet is less diffusive. This result indicates stronger interaction between the proximal leaflet and a solid substrate.

Biaxial Mechanical Behavior of Bovine Saphenous Venous Valve Leaflets

Chronic venous disease is caused by chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), which results in significant symptoms such as venous ulcers, ankle eczema, leg swelling, etc. Venous valve incompetence is a major cause of CVI. When the valves of veins in the leg become incompetent (i.e., do not close properly), blood is able to flow backwards (i.e., reflux), which results in blood pooling in the lower extremities, distal venous hypertension, and CVI. Current clinical therapies, such as surgical venous valve reconstruction and bioprosthetic venous valve replacement, are highly invasive and only moderately successful. This is due, in part, to the scanty information available about venous valve leaflet structure and mechanical properties. To date, only one previous study by our research group has reported on the mechanical properties of venous valve leaflet tissue, and specifically in the case of jugular vein valves. In this study, we conducted equibiaxial tensile tests on bovine saphenous vein valve leaflet tissues to better understand their nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical behavior. By stretching the valvular tissues to 60% strain in both the circumferential and radial directions, we generated stress-strain curves for proximal (i.e., those closest to the heart) and distal (i.e., those furthest from the heart) valve leaflets. Histology and collagen assays were also conducted to study corresponding leaflet microstructures and the biochemical properties of the tissues. Results showed: (1) saphenous venous valve tissues possessed overall anisotropic properties. The tissues were stiffer in the circumferential direction than in the radial direction (p<0.01), and (2) saphenous venous valve tissues from the proximal end showed nonlinear isotropic mechanical properties, while those from the distal end showed nonlinear anisotropic mechanical properties. (3) Distal saphenous venous valve tissues appeared to be stiffer than proximal ones in the circumferential direction, p=0.04 (i.e., inter-valvular variability), and (4) the collagen concentration showed a decreasing trend from the proximal to the distal end. This study focuses on highly relevant animal (bovine) tissues to develop test protocols, establish biomechanical structure-function correlations, and to provide data critical to the design of clinical prosthetic venous valves. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study reporting the biaxial mechanical properties of saphenous venous valve leaflet tissues and thus contributes toward refining our collective understanding of valvular tissue biomechanics.

Lipid diffusion in the distal and proximal leaflets of supported lipid bilayer membranes studied by single particle tracking.

Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) have been studied extensively as simple but powerful models for cellular membranes. Yet, potential differences in the dynamics of the two leaflets of a SLB remain poorly understood. Here, using single particle tracking, we obtain a detailed picture of bilayer dynamics. We observe two clearly separate diffusing populations, fast and slow, that we associate with motion in the distal and proximal leaflets of the SLB, respectively, based on fluorescence quenching experiments. We estimate diffusion coefficients using standard techniques as well as a new method based on the blur of images due to motion. Fitting the observed diffusion coefficients to a two-leaflet membrane hydrodynamic model allows for the simultaneous determination of the intermonolayer friction coefficient and the substrate-membrane friction coefficient, without any prior assumptions on the strengths of the relevant interactions. Remarkably, our calculations suggest that the viscosity of the interfacial water confined between the membrane and the substrate is elevated by ∼104 as compared to bulk water. Using hidden Markov model analysis, we then obtain insight into the transbilayer movement of lipids. We find that lipid flip-flop dynamics are very fast, with half times in the range of seconds. Importantly, we find little evidence for membrane defect mediated lipid flip-flop for SLBs at temperatures well above the solid-to-liquid transition, though defects seem to be involved when the SLBs are cooled down. Our work thus shows that the combination of single particle tracking and advanced hydrodynamic modeling provides a powerful means to obtain insight into membrane dynamics.

Molecular-Level Insight into the Interaction of Phospholipid Bilayers with Cellulose.

Molecular-level insight into the interactions of phospholipid molecules with cellulose is crucial for the development of novel cellulose-based materials for wound dressing. Here we employ the state-of-the-art computer simulations to unlock for the first time the molecular mechanisms behind such interactions. To this end, we performed a series of atomic-scale molecular dynamics simulations of phospholipid bilayers on a crystalline cellulose support at various hydration levels of the bilayer leaflets next to the cellulose surface. Our findings clearly demonstrate the existence of strong interactions between polar lipid head groups and the hydrophilic surface of a cellulose crystal. We identified two major types of interactions between phospholipid molecules and cellulose chains: (i) direct attractive interactions between lipid choline groups and oxygens of hydroxyl (hydroxymethyl) groups of cellulose and (ii) hydrogen bonding between phosphate groups of lipids and cellulose's hydroxymethyl/hydroxyl groups. When the hydration level of the interfacial bilayer/support region is low, these interactions lead to a pronounced asymmetry in the properties of the opposite bilayer leaflets. In particular, the mass density profiles of the proximal leaflets are split into two peaks and lipid head groups become more horizontally oriented with respect to the bilayer surface. Furthermore, the lateral mobility of lipids in the leaflets next to the cellulose surface is found to slow down considerably. Most of these cellulose-induced effects are likely due to hydrogen bonding between lipid phosphate groups and hydroxymethyl/hydroxyl groups of cellulose: the lipid phosphate groups are pulled toward the water/lipid interface due to the formation of hydrogen bonds. Overall, our findings shed light on the molecular details of the interactions between phospholipid bilayers and cellulose nanocrystals and can be used for identifying possible strategies for improving the properties of cellulose-based dressing materials via, e.g., chemical modification of their surface.

Biaxial mechanical behavior of bovine saphenous venous valve leaflets.

Chronic venous disease is caused by chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), which results in significant symptoms such as venous ulcers, ankle eczema, leg swelling, etc. Venous valve incompetence is a major cause of CVI. When the valves of veins in the leg become incompetent (i.e., do not close properly), blood is able to flow backwards (i.e., reflux), which results in blood pooling in the lower extremities, distal venous hypertension, and CVI. Current clinical therapies, such as surgical venous valve reconstruction and bioprosthetic venous valve replacement, are highly invasive and only moderately successful. This is due, in part, to the scanty information available about venous valve leaflet structure and mechanical properties. To date, only one previous study by our research group has reported on the mechanical properties of venous valve leaflet tissue, and specifically in the case of jugular vein valves. In this study, we conducted equibiaxial tensile tests on bovine saphenous vein valve leaflet tissues to better understand their nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical behavior. By stretching the valvular tissues to 60% strain in both the circumferential and radial directions, we generated stress-strain curves for proximal (i.e., those closest to the heart) and distal (i.e., those furthest from the heart) valve leaflets. Histology and collagen assays were also conducted to study corresponding leaflet microstructures and the biochemical properties of the tissues. Results showed: (1) saphenous venous valve tissues possessed overall anisotropic properties. The tissues were stiffer in the circumferential direction than in the radial direction (p<0.01), and (2) saphenous venous valve tissues from the proximal end showed nonlinear isotropic mechanical properties, while those from the distal end showed nonlinear anisotropic mechanical properties. (3) Distal saphenous venous valve tissues appeared to be stiffer than proximal ones in the circumferential direction, p=0.04 (i.e., inter-valvular variability), and (4) the collagen concentration showed a decreasing trend from the proximal to the distal end. This study focuses on highly relevant animal (bovine) tissues to develop test protocols, establish biomechanical structure-function correlations, and to provide data critical to the design of clinical prosthetic venous valves. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study reporting the biaxial mechanical properties of saphenous venous valve leaflet tissues and thus contributes toward refining our collective understanding of valvular tissue biomechanics.

Hemi-fused structure mediates and controls fusion and fission in live cells.

Membrane fusion and fission are vital to eukaryotes’ life1–5. For three decades, it has been proposed that fusion is mediated by fusion between proximal leaflets of two bilayers (hemi-fusion) that produces a hemi-fused structure, followed by fusion between distal leaflets, whereas fission is via hemi-fission, which also produces a hemi-fused structure, followed by full fission1, 4, 6–10. This hypothesis remained unsupported owing to the lack of observation of hemi-fusion/hemi-fission in live cells. A competing fusion hypothesis involving protein-lined pore formation has also been proposed2, 11–15. Using confocal and super-resolution STED microscopy, we observed the hemi-fused Ω-shaped structure for the first time in live cells, neuroendocrine chromaffin cells and pancreatic β-cells. This structure was generated from fusion pore opening or closure (fission) at the plasma membrane. Unexpectedly, its transition to full fusion or fission was determined by competition between fusion and calcium/dynamin-dependent fission mechanisms, and was surprisingly slow (seconds to tens of seconds) in a significant fraction of the events. These results provide key missing evidence over the past three decades proving the hemi-fusion and hemi-fission hypothesis in live cells, and reveal the hemi-fused intermediate as a key structure controlling fusion/fission, as fusion and fission mechanisms compete to determine its transition to fusion or fission.

Visualization and Sequencing of Membrane Remodeling Leading to Influenza Virus Fusion.

Protein-mediated membrane fusion is an essential step in many fundamental biological events, including enveloped virus infection. The nature of protein and membrane intermediates and the sequence of membrane remodeling during these essential processes remain poorly understood. Here we used cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to image the interplay between influenza virus and vesicles with a range of lipid compositions. By following the population kinetics of membrane fusion intermediates imaged by cryo-ET, we found that membrane remodeling commenced with the hemagglutinin fusion protein spikes grappling onto the target membrane, followed by localized target membrane dimpling as local clusters of hemagglutinin started to undergo conformational refolding. The local dimples then transitioned to extended, tightly apposed contact zones where the two proximal membrane leaflets were in most cases indistinguishable from each other, suggesting significant dehydration and possible intermingling of the lipid head groups. Increasing the content of fusion-enhancing cholesterol or bis-monoacylglycerophosphate in the target membrane led to an increase in extended contact zone formation. Interestingly, hemifused intermediates were found to be extremely rare in the influenza virus fusion system studied here, most likely reflecting the instability of this state and its rapid conversion to postfusion complexes, which increased in population over time. By tracking the populations of fusion complexes over time, the architecture and sequence of membrane reorganization leading to efficient enveloped virus fusion were thus resolved. Enveloped viruses employ specialized surface proteins to mediate fusion of cellular and viral membranes that results in the formation of pores through which the viral genetic material is delivered to the cell. For influenza virus, the trimeric hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein spike mediates host cell attachment and membrane fusion. While structures of a subset of conformations and parts of the fusion machinery have been characterized, the nature and sequence of membrane deformations during fusion have largely eluded characterization. Building upon studies that focused on early stages of HA-mediated membrane remodeling, here cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) was used to image the three-dimensional organization of intact influenza virions at different stages of fusion with liposomes, leading all the way to completion of the fusion reaction. By monitoring the evolution of fusion intermediate populations over the course of acid-induced fusion, we identified the progression of membrane reorganization that leads to efficient fusion by an enveloped virus.

The Viral Restriction Factor IFITM3 Promotes Hemifusion but Blocks Full Fusion of Influenza Virus

Interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) are up-regulated as part of a cell's defense against viral challenges. These small proteins inhibit entry of diverse viruses, such as influenza A (IAV), West Nile and dengue virus. The mechanism by which IFITMs block viral entry is not understood. Recent reports suggest that IFITMs inhibits viral hemifusion (merger of proximal leaflets of the viral and cellular membranes), presumably by disrupting cholesterol trafficking and causing aberrant cholesterol accumulation in late endosomes. Here we employed time-resolved single IAV imaging to identify fusion step(s) affected by IFITM3 protein ectopically expressed in lung epithelial cells. These experiments revealed that, contrary to previous reports, lipid mixing between IAV and endosomes was, in fact, promoted upon IFITM3 expression. In contrast, virus-cell fusion assays monitoring the release of the viral content showed marked inhibition of fusion pore formation by IFITM3. This effect was not due to excessive cholesterol accumulation in endosomes or to reduced endosome acidity in IFITM3-expressing cells. Furthermore, conditions that induced the accumulation of cholesterol in late endosomes/lysosomes did not restrict IAV fusion. To conclude, IFITM3 blocks IAV fusion by disfavoring the formation of fusion pores, and this phenomenon is independent of cholesterol levels. We propose that IFITM3 can block viral fusion at a post-hemifusion stage either directly, by inserting into and stabilizing the cytosolic leaflet of endosomal membranes, or indirectly, by altering the lipid composition and thus disfavoring the formation of fusion pores. This work was partially supported by the NIH R01 GM054787 (to GBM) and 1R01AI091786 (to ALB) grants.

Diffusion of complex objects embedded in free and supported lipid bilayer membranes: role of shape anisotropy and leaflet structure

We present a versatile numerical scheme to predict diffusion coefficients for arbitrarily shaped objects embedded in lipid bilayer membranes. Diffusion coefficients for micron-scale diamond-shaped solid domains are calculated for direct comparison to recent experiments. In supported membranes, identical objects in the distal and proximal leaflets may diffuse differently from one another; quantitative predictions for this asymmetry are provided, both for experimental systems and coarse-grained molecular simulations. We show that though recent experiments comparing the diffusion of monomeric, dimeric and trimeric protein assemblies moving over the surface of supported bilayers are inconsistent with the simplest Saffman–Delbrück model, they may be explained by a hydrodynamic model appropriate for supported membranes.

Membrane fusion intermediates via directional and full assembly of the SNARE complex.

Cellular membrane fusion is thought to proceed through intermediates including docking of apposed lipid bilayers, merging of proximal leaflets to form a hemifusion diaphragm, and fusion pore opening. A membrane-bridging four-helix complex of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) mediates fusion. However, how assembly of the SNARE complex generates docking and other fusion intermediates is unknown. Using a cell-free reaction, we identified intermediates visually and then arrested the SNARE fusion machinery when fusion was about to begin. Partial and directional assembly of SNAREs tightly docked bilayers, but efficient fusion and an extended form of hemifusion required assembly beyond the core complex to the membrane-connecting linkers. We propose that straining of lipids at the edges of an extended docking zone initiates fusion.

Direct Visualization of Large and Protein-Free Hemifusion Diaphragms

Membrane fusion is ubiquitous in life requiring remodeling of two phospholipid bilayers. As supported by many experimental results and theoretical analyses, merging of membranes seems to proceed via similar sequential intermediates. Contacting membranes form a stalk between the proximal leaflets which expand radially into a hemifusion diaphragm (HD) and subsequently open to a fusion pore. Direct experimental verification of the HD is difficult due to its transient nature. Using confocal fluorescence microscopy we have investigated the fusion of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) containing fluorescent membrane protein anchors and fluorescent lipid analogues in the presence of divalent cations. Time resolved imaging revealed that fusion was preceded by displacement of peptides and lipid analogues from the GUV-GUV contact region being of several Âμm in size. A detailed analysis showed that this structure is consistent with the formation of an HD. A quantitative model of the hemifusion equilibrium and kinetics of the growing HD was developed. Bilayer tension could be shown to drive HD expansion and interleaflet tension was found to act as a counterforce, because the outer leaflets are compressed upon HD growth. The model and its predictions fit nicely with observations above. In addition we are currently investigating the influence of membrane tension on the fusion pathway directly using the GUV system within a micromanipulation approach.

The Mechanism of Calcium-Mediated Hemifusion on the Pathway to Fusion

In many synthetic and biological membrane systems the pathway to fusion passes through a hemifused intermediate where only proximal leaflets are fused. Evidence suggests the unfused distal leaflets engage one another in a hemifusion diaphragm (HD) but the nature of this intermediate is poorly understood even in protein-free systems where divalent cations drive fusion of lipid vesicles. Recently lipid vesicle hemifusion was directly visualized and quantitatively characterized for the first time [Nikolaus et al, Biophys J, 2010]: nucleated HDs grew at ∼20 υm2/s and fully developed equilibrium HDs were microns in diameter and occupied ∼9% of the surface area of the hemifusing vesicles. We have developed a general model of hemifusion which mechanistically explains these findings and predicts HD properties in many other published fusion experiments. We show membrane tension and cationic electrostatic forces, resisted by interleaflet tension, peel back proximal leaflets and grow the HD until the forces balance in equilibrium. Model predictions are in excellent agreement with dynamic and equilibrium HD measurements of Nikolaus et al. Our model predicts HDs occupied 3-7% of vesicle areas in other studies depending on the lipid composition and calcium concentration. The predictions for time-dependent HD area and HD tension constitute the necessary information for a quantitative model of the entire hemifusion-fusion pathway via HD rupture. In vesicle-planar bilayer systems [Chanturiaya et al, PNAS, 1997], a common model of vesicle-plasma membrane fusion, we show the equilibrated HD constitutes half the area of the vesicle which straddles the planar bilayer. In cellular systems we argue that calcium levels that trigger intracellular fusion are often sufficient to induce strong local tensions which may drive HD growth in preparation for SNARE-dependent fusion.

Direct Simulation of Protein-Mediated Vesicle Fusion: Lung Surfactant Protein B

We simulated spontaneous fusion of small unilamellar vesicles mediated by lung surfactant protein B (SP-B) using the MARTINI force field. An SP-B monomer triggers fusion events by anchoring two vesicles and facilitating the formation of a lipid bridge between the proximal leaflets. Once a lipid bridge is formed, fusion proceeds via a previously described stalk – hemifusion diaphragm – pore-opening pathway. In the absence of protein, fusion of vesicles was not observed in either unbiased simulations or upon application of a restraining potential to maintain the vesicles in close proximity. The shape of SP-B appears to enable it to bind to two vesicles at once, forcing their proximity, and to facilitate the initial transfer of lipids to form a high-energy hemifusion intermediate. Our results may provide insight into more general mechanisms of protein-mediated membrane fusion, and a possible role of SP-B in the secretory pathway and transfer of lung surfactant to the gas exchange interface.

Genetic control of leaf-blade morphogenesis by the INSECATUS gene in Pisum sativum.

To understand the role of INSECATUS (INS) gene in pea, the leaf blades of wild-type, ins mutant and seven other genotypes, constructed by recombining ins with uni-tac, af, tl and mfp gene mutations, were quantitatively compared. The ins was inherited as a recessive mutant allele and expressed its phenotype in proximal leaflets of full size leaf blades. In ins leaflets, the midvein development was arrested in distal domain and a cleft was formed in lamina above this point. There was change in the identity of ins leaflets such that the intercalary interrupted midvein bore a leaf blade. Such adventitious blades in ins, ins tl and ins tl mfp were like the distal segment of respective main leaf blade. The ins phenotype was not seen in ins af and ins af uni-tac genotypes. There was epistasis of uni-tac over ins. The ins, tl and mfp mutations interacted synergistically to produce highly pronounced ins phenotype in the ins tl mfp triple mutant. The role(s) of INS in leaf-blade organogenesis are: positive regulation of vascular patterning in leaflets, repression of UNI activity in leaflet primordia for ectopic growth and in leaf-blade primordium for indeterminate growth of rachis, delimitation of proximal leaflet domain and together with TL and MFP homeostasis for meristematic activity in leaflet primordia. The variant apically bifid shape of the affected ins leaflets demonstrated that the leaflet shape is dependent on the venation pattern.

Solvent-Exposed Tails as Prestalk Transition States for Membrane Fusion at Low Hydration

Membrane fusion is a key step in intracellular trafficking and viral infection. The underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. We have used molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with a coarse grained model to study early metastable and transition states during the fusion of two planar palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayers separated by five waters per lipid in the cis leaflets at zero tension. This system mimics the contact area between two vesicles with large diameters compared to the membrane thickness at conditions where fusion may start in the core of the contact area. At elevated temperatures, the two proximal leaflets become connected via multiple lipid molecules and form a stalklike structure. At room temperature, this structure has a free energy of 3k(B)T and is separated from the unconnected state by a significant free energy barrier of 20k(B)T. Stalk formation is initiated by the establishment of a localized hydrophobic contact between the bilayers. This contact is either formed by two partially splayed lipids or a single fully splayed one leading to the formation of a (metastable) splayed lipid bond intermediate. These findings indicate that, for low hydration, early membrane fusion kinetics is not determined by the stalk energy but by the energy of prestalk transition states involving solvent-exposed lipid tails.