bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning and transient expression in COS7 cells of a novel human PDE4B cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase, HSPDE4B3
Authors: HUSTON Elaine , LUMB Simon , RUSSELL Annette , CATTERALL Cath , ROSS H. Annette , STEELE R. Michael , BOLGER B. Graeme , PERRY J. Martin , OWENS J. Raymond , HOUSLAY D. Miles
Published: August 2015

5ʹ-Rapid amplification of cDNA ends, done on poly(A)+ RNA from human U87 cells, was used to identify 420 bp of novel 5ʹ sequence of a PDE4B cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE). This identified an open reading frame encoding a putative 721-residue ‘long-form’ PDE4B splice variant, which we term HSPDE4B3. HSPDE4B3 differs from the two known PDE4B forms by virtue of its unique 79-residue N-terminal region, compared with the unique N-terminal regions of 94 and 39 residues found in HSPDE4B1 and HSPDE4B2 respectively. In transfected COS7 cells the two long forms, HSPDE4B1 and HSPDE4B3, had molecular masses of approx. 104 and approx. 103 kDa respectively. Expressed in COS-7 cells, the three HSPDE4B isoforms were found in the high-speed supernatant (cytosol) fraction as well as both the high-speed pellet (P2) and low-speed pellet (P1) fractions. All isoforms showed similar Km values for cAMP hydrolysis (1.5-2.6 μM). The maximal activities of the soluble cytosolic activity of the two long forms were very similar, whereas that of the short form, HSPDE4B2, was approx. 4-fold higher. Particulate-associated HSPDE4B1 and HSPDE4B2 were less active (approx. 40%) than their cytosol forms, whereas particulate HSPDE4B3 was similar in activity to its cytosolic form. Particulate and cytosolic forms of HSPDE4B1 and HSPDE4B3 were similarly inhibited by rolipram {4-[3-(cyclopentoxyl)-4-methoxyphenyl]-2-pyrrolidone}, the selective inhibitor of PDE4 (IC50 0.05-0.1 μM), whereas particulate-associated HSPDE4B2 was profoundly (approx. 10-fold) more sensitive (IC50 0.02 μM) to rolipram inhibition than its cytosolic form (IC50 0.2 μM). The various particulate-associated HSPDE4B isoforms showed very different susceptibilities to solubilization with the detergent Triton X-100 and high NaCl concentration. A novel cDNA, called pRPDE74, was obtained by screening a rat olfactory lobe cDNA library. This contained an open reading frame encoding a 721-residue protein that showed approx. 96% amino acid identity with HSPDE4B3 and is proposed to reflect the rat homologue of this human enzyme and is thus called RNPDE4B3. Alternative splicing of mRNA generated from both the human and rat PDE4B genes produces long and short splice variants that have unique N-terminal splice regions. It is suggested that these alternatively spliced regions determine changes in the maximal catalytic activity of the isoforms, their susceptibility to inhibition by rolipram and mode of interaction with particulate fractions.
A newly synthesized molecule derived from ruthenium cation, with antitumour activity, activates NADPH oxidase in human neutrophils
Authors: CARBALLO Modesto , VILAPLANA Rosario , MÁRQUEZ Gracia , CONDE Manuel , BEDOYA J. Francisco , GONZÁLEZ-VÍLCHEZ Francisco , SOBRINO Francisco
Published: August 2015

To determine the nature of the mechanism by which certain derived ruthenium (Ru) complexes induce regression in tumour growth, we have investigated the possibility that this mechanism was associated with an increase of superoxide anion (O2-•) production by phagocytic cells, which are usually found in tumour nodes. Here we present evidence that a newly synthesized complex, Ru3+-propylene-1,2-diaminotetra-acetic acid (Ru-PDTA), derived from Ru and the sequestering ligand (PDTA), specifically stimulates O2-• production. This increase was associated with the translocation of cytosolic factors p47phox and p67phox of NADPH oxidase to the plasma membrane. The Ru-PDTA-complex-dependent O2-• production was abrogated by staurosporine, partially inhibited by diphenylene iodonium, and it was insensitive to pertussis toxin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP pretreatment. An increase of cytosolic Ca2+ levels were also detected in neutrophils treated with the Ru-PDTA complex. Also, Ru-PDTA complex induced the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues of several proteins as assessed by Western blotting. Present data are consistent with the possibility that Ru-PDTA-dependent antitumour effects are due in part to the complex's ability to stimulate the release of toxic oxygen metabolites from phagocytic cells infiltrating tumour masses.
Metal-ion-binding properties of synthetic conantokin-G
Authors: BLANDL Tamas , ZAJICEK Jaroslav , PROROK Mary , CASTELLINO J. Francis
Published: August 2015

The secondary structure of the synthetic 17-residue peptide, conantokin-G (con-G), a γ-carboxyglutamate-containing marine cone snail neuroactive protein, is altered from a random conformation to one containing a very high level (> 70%) of α-helix on binding of multivalent cations. The proportion of α-helix formed correlated well with the size of the cation and ranged from a low of approx. 7% with large cations, such as Ba2+, to more than 70% with smaller cations, such as Mn2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+. The valency of the multivalent cation was not as important, since tervalent lanthanides (Eu3+, Gd3+ and Tb3+) of ionic radius 106-109 pm induced similar levels (50-60%) of helix to those induced by Ca2+ and Cd2+ (ionic radii 109 and 114 pm respectively). Although the correlation was not as tight, smaller cations of the same valency allowed the helical transition to occur at lower concentrations than the larger cations. The spectroscopic and spectrometric properties of some of these cations permitted a more detailed analysis of the molecular nature of the cation-con-G binding. EPR-based titrations with Mn2+ provided a binding isotherm that was deconvoluted to a single class of 2-3 Mn2+ sites of average Kd 3.9 μM. This number of sites was similar to that for Ca2+ [Prorok, Warder, Blandl and Castellino (1996) Biochemistry 35, 16528-16534], but a much lower Kd was displayed with Mn2+. Determinations by 1H NMR of the longitudinal relaxation rates of the water protons in Mn2+/con-G solutions at different magnetic field strengths corresponding to the proton Langmuir frequencies of 24, 300 and 500 MHz permitted calculation of the hydration number of Mn2+ in the complex, which was found to be 1.0. This indicates that five of the six co-ordination sites of Mn2+ are occupied by peptide atoms, probably oxygens. Titrations of the changes in Tb3+ fluorescence as a result of its binding to con-G gave an EC50 of 58 μM, a value nearly identical with that obtained by titration of the change in helicity of the peptide as a function of Tb3+ concentration. This shows that the macroscopic binding of Tb3+ to con-G is directly responsible for the alteration in secondary structure of the peptide. Finally, Cd2+ was found to be an extremely suitable cation for an NMR-based investigation of the amino acid residues of apo-con-G that are perturbed by cation binding. In a limited example of the results of this study, it was discovered that originally equivalent CH2Δ protons of Arg13 became distinctly magnetically non-equivalent in the Cd2+-bound helical form of con-G. This indicates that Arg13 is situated in the helix in such a way that the mobility of its side chain is highly restricted. In conclusion, the data show that a variety of multivalent cations with measurable spectroscopic and spectrometric properties interact similarly with con-G and generate extensive α-helical conformation in this peptide.
Mechanism of the antimycin A-mediated enhancement oft-butylhydroperoxide-induced single-strand breakage in DNA
Authors: GUIDARELLI Andrea , CLEMENTI Emilio , BRAMBILLA Liliana , CANTONI Orazio
Published: August 2015

Inhibitors of complex III increased the DNA strand scission induced by t-butylhydroperoxide (tB-OOH) and cumene hydroperoxide but did not affect DNA damage induced by H2O2. The hypothesis that these effects are selectively linked to inhibition of the electron transport from cytochrome b to cytochrome c1 is validated by the following observations: (1) two complex III inhibitors, antimycin A and 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide, enhanced the tB-OOH-induced DNA cleavage over the same concentration range as that in which inhibition of oxygen consumption was observed; (2) the complex III inhibitor-mediated enhancement of tB-OOH-induced DNA damage was abolished by the complex I inhibitor rotenone or by glucose omission, and (3) the enhancing effects of antimycin A were not observed in respiration-deficient cells. The mechanism whereby the complex III inhibitors potentiate DNA cleavage promoted by tB-OOH was subsequently investigated with intact as well as permeabilized cells. H2O2, produced at the level of mitochondria via a Ca2+-dependent process, was found to account for the enhancing effects of antimycin A.
Characterization of a Drosophila phosphorylation-dependent nuclear-localization-signal-binding protein
Authors: CSERPÁN Imre , MÁTHÉ Endre , PATTHY András , UDVARDY Andor
Published: August 2015

A 94 kDa nuclear-localization-signal (NLS)-binding protein was purified from Drosophila embryos. The NLS of the simian-virus-40 T-antigen is specifically bound by the dephosphorylated form of the protein. After phosphorylation, the affinity of the protein for the NLS is sharply decreased. In the dephosphorylated form, p94 (protein of 94 kDa) is the major NLS-binding protein in Drosophila embryos. Immunoprecipitation confirmed the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of p94, and co-precipitation of two additional phosphorylated proteins, indicated that the NLS-binding protein is part of a larger complex in Drosophila embryos. In agreement with the immunoprecipitation results, cross-linking experiments demonstrated the interaction of p94 with three additional proteins. These protein-protein interactions were also phosphorylation-dependent.
Mechanism of acylphosphatase inactivation by Woodward's reagent K
Authors: PAOLI Paolo , FIASCHI Tania , CIRRI Paolo , CAMICI Guido , MANAO Giampaolo , CAPPUGI Gianni , RAUGEI Giovanni , MONETI Gloriano , RAMPONI Giampietro
Published: August 2015

The organ common-type (CT) isoenzyme of acylphosphatase is inactivated by Woodward's reagent K (WRK) (N-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium-3ʹ-sulphonate) at pH 6.0. The inactivation reaction follows apparent pseudo first-order kinetics. The dependence of the reciprocal of the pseudo first-order kinetic constant (kobs) on the reciprocal WRK concentration reveals saturation kinetics, suggesting that the WRK forms a reversible complex with the enzyme before causing inactivation. Competitive inhibitors, such as inorganic phosphate and ATP, protect the enzyme from WRK inactivation, suggesting that this reagent acts at or near to the enzyme active site. The reagent-enzyme adduct, which elicits a strong absorption band with λmax at 346 nm, was separated from unreacted enzyme by reverse phase HPLC and the modified protein was cleaved with endoproteinase Glu-C to produce fragments. The HPLC fractionation gave two reagent-labelled peptides (peak 1 and peak 2) that were analysed by ion-spray MS and sequenced. The former is VFFRKHTQAE (residues 20-29 of human CT acylphosphatase) and the latter IFGKVQGVFFRKHTQAE (residues 13-29). MS demonstrated that both peptides are WRK adducts. A fragment ion with m/z of 1171, which is present in the mass spectrum of peak 1, has been identified as a WRK adduct of the peptide fragment 20-26. The λmax at 346 nm of WRK adduct suggests that the modified residue is His-25. Five recombinant enzymes mutated in residues included in the 20-29 polypeptide stretch have been produced. Analysis of their reactivities with WRK demonstrates that His-25 is the molecular target of the reagent as its modification causes the inactivation of the enzyme. Since both His-25 → Gln and His-25 → Phe mutants maintain high catalytic activity, we suggest that the observed enzyme inactivation is caused by the reagent (covalently bound to His-25), which shields the active site.
Purification of feline lysosomal α-mannosidase, determination of its cDNA sequence and identification of a mutation causing α-mannosidosis in Persian cats
Authors: BERG Thomas , TOLLERSRUD K. Ole , WALKLEY U. Steven , SIEGEL Donald , NILSSEN Øivind
Published: August 2015

α-Mannosidosis is a lysosomal storage disorder that is caused by the deficiency of lysosomal α-mannosidase. Feline α-mannosidosis is a well-characterized animal model used for studying pathological and therapeutic aspects of lysosomal storage disorders. We here report the purification of feline liver lysosomal α-mannosidase and determination of its cDNA sequence. The active enzyme consisted of three polypeptides, with molecular masses of 72, 41 and 12 kDa, joined by non-covalent forces. The cDNA sequence of feline lysosomal α-mannosidase was determined from reverse transcriptase PCR products obtained from skin fibroblast mRNA. The deduced amino acid sequence contained the N-terminal sequences of the 72 and 41 kDa peptides. This indicated that the enzyme is synthesized as a single-chain precursor with a putative signal peptide of 50 amino acids followed by a polypeptide chain of 957 amino acids, which is cleaved into the three polypeptides of the mature enzyme. The deduced amino acid sequence was 81.1 and 83.2% identical with the human and bovine lysosomal α-mannosidases sequences respectively. A 4 bp deletion was identified in an α-mannosidosis-affected Persian cat by DNA sequencing of reverse transcriptase PCR products. The deletion resulted in a frame shift from codon 583 and premature termination at codon 645. No lysosomal α-mannosidase activity could be detected in the liver of this cat. A domestic long-haired cat expressing a milder α-mannosidosis phenotype than the Persian cat had a lysosomal α-mannosidase activity of 2% of normal. This domestic long-haired cat did not possess the 4 bp deletion, proving molecular heterogeneity for feline α-mannosidosis.
Cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase gene is a member of the glucose-regulated protein gene family in adipocytes
Authors: PLEE-GAUTIER Emmanuelle , GRIMAL Hélène , AGGERBECK Martine , BAROUKI Robert , FOREST Claude
Published: August 2015

Stress controls the expression of a cohort of genes. Among these, the glucose-regulated protein (GRP) genes are specifically activated by glucose deprivation, reducing agents, glycosylation block, intracellular calcium or ex vivo incubations of tissues or cells. We demonstrate that these stimuli induce the expression of the cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase gene in adipocytes by a process involving the region of the promoter between -2405 and -26 bp. Therefore this transaminase is a new member of the GRP family.
Serine-294 and threonine-295 in the exofacial loop domain between helices 7 and 8 of glucose transporters (GLUT) are involved in the conformational alterations during the transport process
Authors: DOEGE Holger , SCHÜRMANN Annette , OHNIMUS Hartmut , MONSER Volker , HOLMAN D. Geoffrey , JOOST Hans-Georg
Published: August 2015

The role of a conserved polar motif (STS) in the exofacial loop between helices 7 and 8 of GLUT4 for transporter function was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and expression of the constructs in COS-7 cells. Reconstituted glucose-transport activity, cytochalasin B binding and photolabelling with the exofacial label 2-N4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl-1,3-bis-(d-mannosyloxy)-2-propylamine (ATB-BMPA) were assayed in membranes from transfected cells and corrected for immunoreactivity of expressed transporters. Replacement of Ser-294 with Ala or Thr suppressed transport activity and cytochalasin B binding. ATB-BMPA photolabelling was normal in S294A mutants, and even increased in S294T mutants. Replacement of Thr-295 with Ala suppressed transport activity and cytochalasin B binding, whereas ATB-BMPA photolabelling was normal; substitution of Ser failed to alter the investigated parameters. Similarly, exchanging Ser-296 for Ala generated a normally functioning protein. The data suggest that Ser-294 and Thr-295 are involved in the conformational change in GLUT during the transport process, and that their substitution may arrest the transporter in an outward-facing conformation.
Two invertebrate acetylcholinesterases show activation followed by inhibition with substrate concentration
Authors: MARCEL Véronique , PALACIOS Laurent Gagnoux , PERTUY Christophe , MASSON Patrick , FOURNIER Didier
Published: August 2015

In vertebrates there are two cholinesterases, with differences in catalytic behaviour with respect to substrate concentration: butyrylcholinesterase displays an increased activity at low substrate concentrations, whereas acetylcholinesterase displays inhibition by excess substrate. In two invertebrates, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans, we found cholinesterases that showed both kinetic complexities: substrate activation at low substrate concentrations followed by inhibition at higher concentrations. These triphasic kinetics can be explained by the presence of two enzymes with different kinetic behaviours or more probably by the existence of a single enzyme regulated by the substrate concentration.
Re-feeding after starvation involves a temporal shift in the control site of glycogen synthesis in rat muscle
Authors: JAMES P. Anthony , FLYNN B. Carrie , JONES L. Sioned , PALMER T. Norman , FOURNIER A. Paul
Published: August 2015

The starved-to-fed transition is accompanied by rapid glycogen deposition in skeletal muscles. On the basis of recent findings [Bräu, Ferreira, Nikolovski, Raja, Palmer and Fournier (1997) Biochem. J. 322, 303-308] that during recovery from exercise there is a shift from a glucose 6-phosphate/phosphorylation-based control of glycogen synthesis to a phosphorylation-based control alone, this paper seeks to establish whether a similar shift occurs in muscle during re-feeding after starvation in the rat. Chow re-feeding after 48 h of starvation resulted in glycogen deposition in all muscles examined (white, red and mixed quadriceps, soleus and diaphragm) to levels higher than those in the fed state. Although the early phase of re-feeding was associated with increases in glucose 6-phosphate levels in all muscles, there was no accompanying increase in the fractional velocity of glycogen synthase except in the white quadriceps muscle. This finding, together with the observation that the fractional velocity of glycogen synthase in most muscles was already high in the starved state, suggests that in the initial phase of glycogen deposition the phosphorylation state of the enzyme may be adequate to support net glycogen synthesis. In the later phase of re-feeding, the progressive decrease in the fractional velocity of glycogen synthase in association with a decrease in the rate of glycogen deposition suggests that glycogen synthesis is controlled primarily by changes in the phosphorylation state of glycogen synthase. In conclusion, this study suggests that there is a temporal shift in the site of control of glycogen synthesis as glycogen deposition progresses during re-feeding after starvation.
Binding of cGMP to both allosteric sites of cGMP-binding cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE5) is required for its phosphorylation
Authors: TURKO V. Illarion , FRANCIS H. Sharron , CORBIN D. Jackie
Published: August 2015

cGMP-binding phosphodiesterases contain two homologous allosteric cGMP-binding sites (sites and ) that are arranged in tandem; they constitute a superfamily of mammalian cyclic nucleotide receptors distinct from the cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases/cation channels family. The functional role of each of these two sites in the phosphodiesterases is not known. The cGMP-binding sites of one of these phosphodiesterases, the cGMP-binding cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase (cGB-PDE, PDE5), have been analysed by using site-directed mutagenesis. Mutations that affect cGMP binding to either one or both allosteric sites do not influence cGMP hydrolysis in the catalytic site under the conditions used. However, compared with wild-type enzyme, the D289A, D478A and D289A/D478A mutants, which are defective in cGMP binding to either site or site , or both allosteric sites, require much higher cGMP concentrations for the allosteric stimulation of phosphorylation by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The cGMP effect is on the cGB-PDE rather than on the catalytic subunit of the protein kinase because the latter enzyme does not require cGMP for activity. The D289N mutant, which has higher binding affinity for cGMP than does the wild-type enzyme, is phosphorylated at lower concentrations of cGMP than is the wild-type enzyme. It is concluded that cGMP binding to the allosteric sites of cGB-PDE does not directly affect catalysis, but binding to both of these sites regulates phosphorylation of this enzyme.
Synthesis and secretion of the pancreatic-type carboxyl ester lipase by human endothelial cells
Authors: LI Feng , HUI Y. David
Published: August 2015

Human aortic extracts contain significant cholesteryl ester hydrolytic activity. The enzymic activity was shown to be activated by trihydroxylated bile salt, but not by dihydroxylated bile salt. Monospecific antibodies prepared against rat pancreatic carboxyl ester lipase (CEL, cholesterol esterase) immunoprecipitated cholesteryl ester hydrolytic activity from human aorta, demonstrating that the neutral CEL in aorta is highly similar to and probably identical with the pancreatic enzyme. Reverse transcriptase PCR amplification of mRNA from human aortic endothelial cells revealed de novo synthesis of the pancreatic-type CEL by these cells. Preincubating human aortic endothelial cells with oxidized or native low-density lipoprotein resulted in an 8- and 3-fold increase in CEL activity secreted into the culture medium respectively. A potential physiological role for the endothelial CEL was demonstrated by studies showing its ability to confer partial protection against the cytotoxic effects of lysophosphatidylcholine. The protective effect of CEL is related to its bile-salt-independent lysophospholipase activity. However, CEL hydrolysis of lysophosphatidylcholine can be inhibited by excess cholesterol. Taken together, these results indicate that pancreatic-type CEL is synthesized by cells lining the vessel wall. Moreover, vascular CEL may interact with cholesterol and oxidized lipoproteins to modulate the progression of atherosclerosis.
Purification, cDNA cloning and expression of 15-oxoprostaglandin 13-reductase from pig lung
Authors: ENSOR Charles Mark , ZHANG Hongxing , TAI Hsin-Hsiung
Published: August 2015

15-Oxoprostaglandin 13-reductase (PGR) has been purified to apparent homogeneity from pig lung. The enzyme was estimated to have a molecular mass of 36 kDa by both SDS/PAGE and non-denaturing PAGE, indicating that the enzyme is a monomer. 15-Oxo-PGE1, 15-oxo-PGE2 and 15-oxo-PGF2α were found to be substrates for the enzyme, whereas the corresponding 15-hydroxyprostaglandins were not. The reverse reaction, the oxidation of 13,14-dihydro-15-oxo-PGE1 to 15-oxo-PGE1, was not observed. Either NADH or NADPH could serve as a coenzyme. However, the Vmax with NADH was approx. 3-fold that with NADPH, while the Km for NADPH was approx. one-tenth that for NADH. Cloning of the cDNA was achieved by PCR and library screening. A 600 bp PCR product containing the sequences of three different tryptic peptides derived from purified PGR was used for cDNA library screening by plaque hybridization. A cDNA clone that contained the entire PGR coding sequence of 987 bp was obtained. The sequence codes for a protein of 329 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 35791 Da. Homology analysis indicated that the sequence is virtually identical with that of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) 12-hydroxydehydrogenase [Yokomizo, Ogawa, Uozumi, Kume, Izumi and Shimizu (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 2844-2850]. Expression of this cDNA in Escherichia coli resulted in a protein exhibiting both PGR and LTB4 12-hydroxydehydrogenase activities. However, the specific activity of PGR with 15-oxo-PGE1 as a substrate was approx. 300-fold that of LTB4 12-hydroxydehydrogenase. These results indicate that the cloned cDNA codes for a protein with two different enzyme activities, with 15-oxoprostaglandins as the preferred substrates.
Mildly oxidized low-density lipoproteins suppress the proliferation of activated CD4+ T-lymphocytes and their interleukin 2 receptor expression in vitro
Authors: CASPAR-BAUGUIL Sylvie , SAADAWI Majed , NEGRE-SALVAYRE Anne , THOMSEN Mogens , SALVAYRE Robert , BENOIST Hervé
Published: August 2015

Activated T-lymphocytes are present in early atherosclerotic lesions where they may interact with oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs). In this study the non-specific effect of oxLDLs on the activation of T-cells in vitro was investigated. LDLs were oxidized by UV irradiation and characterized by a low level of lipid peroxidation and only slight apolipoprotein B modification. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal individuals were stimulated in vitro with the polyclonal activator phytohaemagglutinin in the presence of various doses of LDLs and oxLDLs. LDLs enhanced the proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes at doses up to 100 μg/ml but were inhibitory at 200 μg/ml, whereas low doses of oxLDLs (over 10 μg/ml) inhibited the proliferation. OxLDLs also inhibited the proliferative responses of an alloreactive CD4+ T-cell line immortalized by Herpes virus saimiri and an influenza haemagglutinin-specific CD4+ T-cell clone. Viability tests using Trypan Blue exclusion or expression of Apo2.7, an apoptosis marker, did not indicate any significant cell death at doses up to 100 μg/ml oxLDL. At this concentration, cell-cycle analysis showed an accumulation of cells at the G1/S interface in the CD4+ cell clone, without significant DNA fragmentation. The expression of the activation antigen CD25 on T-lymphocytes (on phytohaemagglutinin-activated T-cells and on CD4+ T-cell clone), requisite to the commitment of activated T-cells from G1 phase to S phase, was also inhibited by oxLDLs whereas expression of other activation antigens such as CD69 and HLA-DR was unchanged. In conclusion, these data show that mildly oxidized LDLs inhibit the proliferation and CD25 expression of activated T-lymphocytes and suggest that oxLDLs may slow down the T-cell response in atherosclerotic lesions.
Identification of reaction products and intermediates of aromatic-amine dehydrogenase by 15N and 13C NMR
Authors: BISHOP G. Reid , ZHU Zhenyu , WHITEHEAD L. Tracy , HICKS P. Rickey , DAVIDSON L. Victor
Published: August 2015

13C- and 15N-NMR studies of the reaction of aromatic amine dehydrogenase (AADH) with methylamine demonstrated that the products of the reductive half-reaction are an equivalent of formaldehyde hydrate and a reduced aminoquinol form of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor which contains covalently bound substrate-derived N. These data are consistent with the Ping Pong kinetic mechanism and aminotransferase-type chemical reaction mechanism which have been previously proposed for AADH. Comparison of the 15N-NMR spectra of the aminoquinol TTQ intermediates of AADH and methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) revealed that the substrate-derived aminoquinol N of AADH and MADH exhibited distinct 15N chemical shifts which are separated by approx. 7 p.p.m. In each case, the signal for the substrate-derived aminoquinol N appears optimally with short pulse delay and exhibits a relaxation time and chemical shift which are consistent with 15N covalently bound to an aromatic ring (i.e. aminoquinol) which is attached to a rigid protein matrix. The aminoquinol of AADH is less stable against reoxidation than that of MADH. These data suggest that differences in the active-site mediated electrostatic environments of the aminoquinol N in the respective enzymes may influence both the observed 15N chemical shift and the relative reactivities of the TTQ aminoquinols towards oxygen. These data also demonstrate the utility of 13C- and 15N-NMR spectroscopy as a tool for monitoring the intermediates and products of enzyme-catalysed transformations.
Cloning and characterization of mouse intestinal MUC3 mucin: 3′ sequence contains epidermal-growth-factor-like domains
Authors: SHEKELS L. Laurie , HUNNINGHAKE A. Denise , TISDALE S. Ann , GIPSON K. Ilene , KIELISZEWSKI Marcia , KOZAK A. Christine , HO B. Samuel
Published: August 2015

Mucin glycoproteins are a heterogeneous family of high-molecular-mass, heavily glycosylated proteins differentially expressed in epithelial tissue of the gastrointestinal, reproductive and respiratory tracts. We report here the cloning of a mouse caecal mucin (MCM). Amino acid analysis of purified MCM revealed a high content of serine (10.8%) and threonine (25.1%). Antibodies against deglycosylated MCM were prepared for immunohistochemical analysis and for screening a mouse caecal cDNA library. Immunohistochemical analysis showed strong staining of goblet cells and patchy staining of surface columnar cells in the duodenum, small intestine, caecum, colon and rectum. Screening of a mouse caecal cDNA library yielded clones containing tandem repeats of 18 bp with two predominant peptide sequences of TTTADV and TTTVVV. The tandem repeat domain is followed by 1137 bp of non-repetitive sequence and 521 bp of 3ʹ untranslated sequence prior to the poly(A) tail. Two cysteine-rich regions lie within the 3ʹ non-repetitive domain. The arrangement of the cysteines within these regions corresponds to epidermal growth factor-like domains. Following the second cysteine-rich region is a stretch of 19 hydrophobic amino acids which may act as a transmembrane domain or allow for interaction with hydrophobic molecules. Northern blot analysis indicates the mRNA is approximately 13.5 kb with greatest expression in the caecum and lesser amounts in the colon and small intestine. No MCM message is found in mouse stomach, trachea, lung, kidney, oesophagus or pancreas. In situ hybridization studies show that MCM message is expressed at the tips of villi in the intestine and in the upper crypts and surface cells of the caecum and colon. Chromosomal analysis assigns this gene to mouse chromosome 5 in a region of conserved linkage with human chromosome 7, the location of the human MUC3 gene. We conclude that we have identified a mouse caecal mucin which represents the mouse homologue of human MUC3. The mouse MUC3 cDNA sequence suggests that it is a novel non-polymerizing mucin which may participate in membrane or intermolecular interactions through its 3ʹ non-repetitive region.
PAX 8 activates the enhancer of the human thyroperoxidase gene
Authors: ESPOSITO Claudio , MICCADEI Stefania , SAIARDI Adolfo , CIVITAREALE Donato
Published: August 2015

In this study we report on a novel natural target of the paired domain transcription factor PAX 8 in the enhancer element of the human thyroperoxidase gene, one of the most important thyroid differentiation markers. It is the primary enzyme involved in thyroid hormone synthesis and PAX 8 has been previously identified as an activating factor of the rat thyroperoxidase gene promoter. In vitro, PAX 8 binds a ciselement of the human enhancer and its exogenous expression induces the enhancer activity in co-transfection experiments in Cos-7 cells. When mutated at this binding site, the enhancer is no longer activated by PAX 8. Our finding strengthens the PAX 8 role in the maintenance of thyroid differentiation and in particular in the tissue-specific thyroperoxidase gene expression.
Induction of tissue transglutaminase by dexamethasone: its correlation to receptor number and transglutaminase-mediated cell death in a series of malignant hamster fibrosarcomas
Authors: JOHNSON Timothy S. , SCHOLFIELD Claire I. , PARRY James , GRIFFIN Martin
Published: August 2015

Treatment of the hamster fibrosarcoma cell lines (Met B, D and E) and BHK-21 hamster fibroblast cells with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone led to a powerful dose-dependent mRNA-synthesis-dependent increase in transglutaminase activity, which can be correlated with dexamethasone-responsive receptor numbers in each cell line. Increasing the number of dexamethasone-responsive receptors by transfection of cells with the HG1 glucocorticoid receptor protein caused an increase in transglutaminase activity that was proportional to the level of transfected receptor. In all experiments the levels of the tissue transglutaminase-mediated detergent-insoluble bodies was found to be comparable with increases in transglutaminase activity. Despite an increase in detergent-insoluble body formation, an increase in apoptosis as measured by DNA fragmentation was not found. Incubation of cells with the non-toxic competitive transglutaminase substrate fluorescein cadaverine led to the incorporation of this fluorescent amine into cellular proteins when cells were damaged after exposure to trypsin during cell passage. These cross-linked proteins containing fluorescein cadaverine were shown to be present in the detergent-insoluble bodies, indicating that the origin of these bodies is via activation of tissue transglutaminase after cell damage by trypsinization rather than apoptosis per se,since Met B cells expressing the bcl-2 cDNA were not protected from detergent-insoluble body formation. We describe a novel mechanism of cell death related to tissue transglutaminase expression and cell damage.
Effects of dietary treatment of rats with eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid on hepatic lipid metabolism
Authors: OSMUNDSEN Harald , BRAUD Hélène , BEAUSEIGNEUR Frédérick , GRESTI Joseph , TSOKO Marcelline , CLOUET Pierre
Published: August 2015

(1) Effects of dietary treatment of male albino rats with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid on hepatic mitochondrial lipid metabolism have been investigated. (2) Mitochondria isolated from rats given these treatments were shown to have increased ability to respire on acyl-CoA esters in the presence of malonate. This effect was expressed with most of the long-chain acyl-CoA esters used as substrates. When malonate in the incubations was replaced with malate, mitochondria from treated animals were found to exhibit diminished rates of respiration on polyunsaturated acyl-CoA esters, in particular linolenoyl-, eicosapentaenoyl- and docosahexaenoyl-CoA. This phenomenon could not be attributed to changes in activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I or in peroxisomal β-oxidation. (3) Uncoupled respiration on glutamate, malate or succinate was also affected by treatment with EPA. With liver mitochondria isolated from rats that had been treated with a ω-3 fatty acid in the fasted state, the respiratory rates were lower than those observed with mitochondria isolated from control rats. Respiratory rates with mitochondria isolated from rats given the ω-3 fatty acid in the fed state was not significantly different from control rates. (4) In rats treated with EPA in the fed state, the amount of EPA incorporated into mitochondrial lipids was markedly more increased as compared to rats given ω-3 fatty acid in the fasted state. Incorporation of dietary EPA into tissue lipids was investigated, also following mildronate treatment of rats (an inhibitor of carnitine biosynthesis). (5) A hypolipidaemic effect of dietary EPA was only observed when the fatty acid was given to fed rats. Rats treated with EPA in the fasted state, in contrast, exhibited hypoglycaemia, the hypolipidaemic effects now being absent. (6) These results suggest that hypolipidaemia is most pronounced when the metabolic state favours incorporation of dietary EPA into body lipids rather than its β-oxidation, as mediated by the fed/fasted transition or by treatment with mildronate.
Functional effects of single amino acid substitutions in the region of Phe113 to Asp138 in the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 molecule
Authors: SUI Guang-Chao , WIMAN Björn
Published: August 2015

Thirteen amino acid substitutions have been introduced within the stretch Phe113 to Asp138 in the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) molecule by site-directed mutagenesis. The different proteins and wild-type (wt) PAI-1 have been overexpressed in Escherichia coliand purified by chromatography on heparin–Sepharose and on anhydrotrypsin–agarose. The PAI-1 variants have been characterized by their reactivity with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), interactions with vitronectin or heparin, and stability. Most PAI-1 variants, except for Asp125 → Lys, Phe126 → Ser and Arg133 → Asp, displayed a high spontaneous inhibitory activity towards tPA, which did not change greatly on reactivation with 4 M guanidinium chloride, followed by dialysis at pH 5.5. The variants Asp125 → Lys and Arg133 → Asp became much more active after reactivation and they were also more rapidly transformed to inactive forms (t½ 22–31 min) at physiological pH and temperature than the other variants. However, in the presence of vitronectin they were both almost equally stable (t½ 2.3 h) as wtPAI-1 (t½ 3.0 h). The mutant Glu130 → Lys showed an increased stability, both in the absence and in the presence of vitronectin compared with wtPAI-1. Nevertheless a similar affinity between all the active PAI-1 variants and vitronectin was observed. Further, all mutants, including the three mutants with low activity, were to a large extent adsorbed on anhydrotrypsin–agarose and were eluted in a similar fashion. In accordance with these data, the three variants with a low activity were all to a large extent cleaved as a result of their reaction with tPA, suggesting that they occurred predominantly in the substrate conformation. Our results do not support the presence of a binding site for vitronectin in this part of the molecule, but rather that it might be involved in controlling the active PAI-1 to substrate transition. Partly, this region of the PAI-1 molecule (Arg115 to Arg118) seems also to be involved in the binding of heparin to PAI-1.
cADP-ribose formation by blood platelets is not responsible for intracellular calcium mobilization
Authors: OHLMANN Philippe , LERAY Claude , RAVANAT Catherine , HALLIA Adel , CASSEL Dominique , CAZENAVE Jean-Pierre , GACHET Christian
Published: August 2015

Human platelet CD38 is a multifunctional ectoenzyme catalysing the synthesis and hydrolysis of cADP-ribose (cADPR), a recently identified calcium-mobilizing agent that acts independently of d-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and is known to be expressed by human platelets. The present work shows that ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity is exclusively a membrane activity, of which the major part is located in plasma membranes and a small part in internal membranes. In broken cells, cyclase activity was insensitive to the presence of calcium and was not modulated by agonists such as thrombin or ADP, whereas in intact cells thrombin increased cADPR formation by 30%, an effect due to fusion of granules with the plasma membrane. In order to assess the role of cADPR as a calcium-mobilizing agent, vesicles were prepared from internal membranes and loaded with 45CaCl2. These vesicles were efficiently discharged by IP3 in a dose-dependent manner, but were not responsive to cADPR or ryanodine in the presence or absence of calmodulin. Thus cADPR is unlikely to play a role in intracellular calcium release in human blood platelets.
Pyrazole-inducible proteins in DBA/2 mouse liver bind with high affinity to the 3′-untranslated regions of the mRNAs of coumarin hydroxylase (CYP2A5) and c-jun
Authors: THULKE-GROSS Monika , HERGENHAHN Manfred , TILLOY-ELLUL Anne , LANG Matti , BARTSCH Helmut
Published: August 2015

An important mechanism in the up-regulation of cytochrome P-450 2A5 (CYP2A5, coumarin hydroxylase, Coh) is the stabilization of the corresponding mRNA; some evidence suggests that proteins binding to CYP2A5 mRNA may be involved in this stabilization. Here we report that pyrazole, a well known inducer of CYP2A5 and stabilizer of its message, enhances the binding of a set of proteins to 32P-labelled 3´-untranslated region (3´UTR) of CYP2A5 to give 32P-labelled bands of apparent molecular mass 37/39, 45/48 and 70/72 kDa after UV cross-linking/RNase cleavage; in addition, we found different proteins binding to other parts of CYP2A5 mRNA. The 70/72 kDa bands are also formed with the 3´UTR of c-jun. The inducible proteins are found in different cellular subfractions at different concentrations, with a maximum of five-fold induction of binding activity in microsomes. When a gel-mobility-shift assay was combined with UV cross-linking to resolve different pyrazole-inducible RNA–protein complexes into single RNA-binding protein bands, the smallest complex contained a double band of 37/39 kDa, 45/48 kDa bands, 70/72 kDa bands, and additional weaker bands at higher molecular masses (around 120 kDa). This composition was found also for all other complexes detected by gel-mobility-shift assay; occasionally, bands at higher molecular masses were also observed. The proteins of the smallest complex might therefore represent a core with which other proteins interact to build up larger complexes. Binding of proteins 37/39 kDa and 70/72 kDa was located to a 20-base loop and adjacent sequences in a 70 nt AU-rich region of the 3´UTR of the CYP2A5. Based on our previous evidence, this 70-nt sequence may play an important role in the stabilization and processing of the message.
Purification and partial characterization of a peroxidase from plant cell cultures of Cassia didymobotrya and biotransformation studies
Authors: VITALI Alberto , BOTTA Bruno , MONACHE Giuliano DELLE , ZAPPITELLI Sabrina , RICCIARDI Paola , MELINO Sonia , PETRUZZELLI Raffaele , GIARDINA Bruno
Published: August 2015

An acidic peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) produced by cell suspension cultures of Cassia didymobotrya(wild senna) was purified from culture medium collected on the 29th day. The enzyme was shown to be a glycoprotein with a pI of 3.5, a molecular mass of approx. 43 kDa by SDS/PAGE and 50 kDa by gel filtration. The N-terminal sequence was very similar to those of other plant peroxidases. The peroxidase was characterized by a high specificity towards coniferyl alcohol and other natural phenolics such as guaiacol and ferulic and caffeic acids. These findings suggest that the enzyme is involved in lignification processes of the cell wall. Moreover, the enzyme was able to catalyse the oxidation of 4,3´,4´-trihydroxychalcone and 4,3´,4´-trihydroxy-3-methoxychalcone to the corresponding 3,3´-biflavanones, as mixtures of racemic and mesoforms.
Characterization of the leupeptin-inactivating enzyme from Streptomyces exfoliatus SMF13 which produces leupeptin
Authors: KIM In Seop , KIM Young Bae , LEE Kye Joon
Published: August 2015

Leupeptin-inactivating enzyme (LIE) was purified from Streptomyces exfoliatusSMF13 by ammoniumm sulphate fractionation of cell-free culture broth, ultrafiltration, anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE–Sephadex A-50 and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-75. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was measured as 34700 Da and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was APTPPDIPLANVPA. Acetyl-leucine, leucine and argininal were identified as the products of leupeptin inactivated by the LIE, indicating that leupeptin is inactivated by hydrolysis of peptide bond between leucine and leucine and between leucine and argininal of leupeptin (acetyl-leucine-leucine-argininal). Synthetic-peptide substrates specificity of LIE showed that LIE has absolute specificity for peptide bonds with leucine in the P1 position, suggesting that LIE is a leucine-specific protease. The optimum pH and temperature were pH 9.0 and 45 °C, respectively. LIE activity was inhibited by metalloprotease inhibitors such as EDTA, EGTA, o-phenanthroline and bestatin, but activated by Mg2+ and Ca2+, suggesting that the enzyme is a metalloprotease. Aerial-mycelium growth and aerial spore formation of S. exfoliatus SMF13 were inhibited by the addition of bestatin, an inhibitor of LIE. The inhibition of morphological differentiation was due to the inhibition of trypsin-like protease (TLP) activity, which is essential for aerial-mycelium formation and is inhibited specifically by remaining leupeptin that was not inactivated. These results show that LIEs play a role in controlling the amount of leupeptin during colony development. Therefore, it is suggested that the physiological function of LIE is to inactivate leupeptin when or where TLP activity is required for aerial-mycelium formation.
Overexpression of prothymosin α accelerates proliferation and retards differentiation in HL-60 cells
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ Pilar , VIÑUELA Juan E. , ÁLVAREZ-FERNÁNDEZ Leoncio , BUCETA Montserrat , VIDAL Anxo , DOMÍNGUEZ Fernando , GÓMEZ-MÁRQUEZ Jaime
Published: August 2015

Prothymosin α (ProTα) is an acidic nuclear protein the expression of which is related to the proliferation and differentiation processes in mammalian cells. In the present study we have stably transfected HL-60 cells, a biological system that allows the study of both proliferation and differentiation, with recombinant vectors encoding sense and antisense ProTα mRNA. In the HL-60 cell clones overexpressing ProTα we observed an acceleration in the growth rate, whereas expression of the antisense orientation showed the opposite effect. Moreover, cell-cycle analysis demonstrated that the G1-phase was shortened in the cells expressing the sense construct. Before studying how ProTα affects differentiation, we showed that the down-regulation of ProTα gene during differentiation occurs in all mammalian cell lines (HL-60, K562, U937, MEL C88, N2A and PC12) analysed. The biological effect evoked by the induction of the ProTα sense vector was the retardation of cell differentiation, although expression of the antisense construct showed no effect on differentiation. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that ProTα is directly implicated in cellular proliferation and that the maintenance of high levels of ProTα inside HL-60 cells is incompatible with their ability to differentiate.
Functional consequences of relocating the C-terminal calmodulin-binding autoinhibitory domains of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump near the N-terminus
Authors: ADAMO Hugo P. , GRIMALDI Mirta E.
Published: August 2015

A mutant of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump (PMCA) called (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120), in which the C-terminal regulatory segment including the calmodulin-binding autoinhibitory domains C and I had been relocated near the N-terminus, has been expressed in COS-1 cells. The measurements of Ca2+ transport in microsomal preparations showed that the rearranged enzyme was functional. The activity of the (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120) mutant was compared with those of the wild-type hPMCA4b and the fully active calmodulin-insensitive mutant hPMCA4b(ct120). In the absence of calmodulin the activity of (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120) was higher than that of hPMCA4b but only 45% of that of hPMCA4b(ct120). Mutant (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120) exhibited an apparent affinity for Ca2+ similar to that of hPMCA4b, typical of the inhibited state of the enzyme. Calmodulin at concentrations that fully activated hPMCA4b increased the activity of (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120) to 68% of that of hPMCA4b(ct120). The lower maximal activity of (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120) was not due to a lower affinity for calmodulin because the concentration of calmodulin required for half-maximal activation of (nCI)hPMCA4b(ct120) was equal to that of the wild-type hPMCA4b. These results indicate that (1) the disturbance of the N-terminal region of the PMCA by the insertion of the C-terminal segment decreased the ability of the pump to transport Ca2+, and (2) the calmodulin-binding autoinhibitory domain was still able to access its acceptor site from the N-terminal end of the molecule. However, although the calmodulin-binding and inhibitory functions of the C-domain were fully preserved, the I domain at its new position seemed less effective at inhibiting the pump.