Structural basis for the association of PLEKHA7 with membrane-embedded phosphatidylinositol lipids

Summary PLEKHA7 (pleckstrin homology domain containing family A member 7) plays key roles in intracellular signaling, cytoskeletal organization and cell adhesion, and is associated with multiple human cancers. The interactions of its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain with membrane phosphatidyl-inositol-phosphate (PIP) lipids, are critical for proper cellular localization and function, and their inhibition is an attractive target for anti-cancer therapy. While structural data can provide insights in this area, little is known about the way in which PLEKHA7 and other PH domains interact with membrane-embedded PIPs. Here we report atomic-resolution structures of the PLEHA7 PH domain and describe the molecular mechanism for its recognition of membrane-bound PIPs. Using X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), we show – in atomic-level detail – that the interaction of PLEKHA7 with PIPs is multivalent and induces PIP clustering. The PIP binding mechanism is distinct from a discrete one-to-one interaction. Our findings reveal a central role of the membrane assembly in mediating protein-PIP association and provide a roadmap for the design of PLEKHA7-PIP inhibitors.