Mass Spectrometry Defines the C-Terminal Dimerization Domain and Enables Modeling of the Structure of Full-Length OmpA

•Full-length OmpA is partially present as a dimer•The dimer interface is localized on the soluble C-terminal domain•A structural model of FL-OmpA based on experimental data is described

SummaryThe transmembrane domain of the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) from Escherichia coli is an excellent model for structural and folding studies of β-barrel membrane proteins. However, full-length OmpA resists crystallographic efforts, and the link between its function and tertiary structure remains controversial. Here we use site-directed mutagenesis and mass spectrometry of different constructs of OmpA, released in the gas phase from detergent micelles, to define the minimal region encompassing the C-terminal dimer interface. Combining knowledge of the location of the dimeric interface with molecular modeling and ion mobility data allows us to propose a low-resolution model for the full-length OmpA dimer. Our model of the dimer is in remarkable agreement with experimental ion mobility data, with none of the unfolding or collapse observed for full-length monomeric OmpA, implying that dimer formation stabilizes the overall structure and prevents collapse of the flexible linker that connects the two domains.

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