SUMMARY Understanding how functional lipid domains in live cell membranes are generated has posed a challenge. Here, we show that transbilayer interactions are necessary for the generation of cholesteroldependent nanoclusters of GPI-anchored proteins mediated by membrane-adjacent dynamic actin filaments. We find that long saturated acyl-chains are required for forming GPI-anchor nanoclusters. Simultaneously, at the inner leaflet, long acyl-chaincontaining phosphatidylserine (PS) is necessary for transbilayer coupling. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of asymmetric multicomponent-membrane bilayers in a mixed phase provide evidence that immobilization of long saturated acyl-chain lipids at either leaflet stabilizes cholesterol-dependent transbilayer interactions forming local domains with characteristics similar to a liquid-ordered (lo) phase. This is verified by experiments wherein immobilization of long acyl-chain lipids at one leaflet effects transbilayer interactions of corresponding lipids at the opposite leaflet. This suggests a general mechanism for the generation and stabilization of nanoscale cholesterol-dependent and actin-mediated lipid clusters in live cell membranes.

Summary Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are a major class of lipid-anchored plasma membrane proteins. GPI-APs form nanoclusters generated by cortical acto-myosin activity. While our understanding of the physical principles governing this process is emerging, the molecular machinery and functional relevance of GPI-AP nanoclustering are unknown. Here, we first show that a membrane receptor signaling pathway directs nanocluster formation. Arg-Gly-Asp motif-containing ligands bound to the β1-integrin receptor activate src and focal adhesion kinases, resulting in RhoA signaling. This cascade triggers actin-nucleation via specific formins, which, along with myosin activity, drive the nanoclustering of membrane proteins with actin-binding domains. Concurrently, talinmediated activation of the mechano-transducer vinculin is required for the coupling of the acto-myosin machinery to inner-leaflet lipids, thereby generating GPI-AP nanoclusters. Second, we show that these nanoclusters are functional; disruption of their formation either in GPI-anchor remodeling mutants or in vinculin mutants impairs cell spreading and migration, hallmarks of integrin function.

of the protein called glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins. The basic structure of a GPI-anchored protein consists of phosphatidylinositol (PI) linked to an unusual non-N -acetyl glucosamine, which, in turn, is linked to three mannose residues followed by an ethanolamine covalently linked to the protein via an amide linkage (EtNP-6Man ␣ 1-2Man ␣ 1-6Man ␣ 1-4GlcN ␣ 1-6 myo inositolphospholipid, Fig. 1A ). Depending on the species and functional context, there may exist variations in the side chain associated with the glycan core. These have been summarized in ( 1 ). The lipid moiety is necessary for the incorporation of GPI-anchored proteins into so-called lipid rafts/microdomains ( 2, 3 ), which can serve as a sorting station for a number of cell signaling molecules, thereby functioning as a reaction center. GPI-anchored proteins can exist in different forms depending on the context and the tissue in which they are expressed. Alternate splicing can cause the same protein to exhibit TM, soluble, or GPI-anchored forms; for example, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) can exist in its GPI-anchored and soluble form when expressed in muscles; whereas, it takes up a TM form instead of the soluble form in brain. GPI anchoring of proteins occurs at the luminal face of The plasma membrane of the cell is comprised of a diverse set of proteins, many of which are transmembrane (TM) proteins spanning the entire bilayer, but a significant proportion of proteins are also lipid tethered, containing a complex glycan core attached to the C terminus