bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isoform diversity of the inositol trisphosphate receptor in cell types of mouse origin
Authors: SMEDT Humbert De , MISSIAEN Ludwig , PARYS Jan B. , HENNING Robert H. , SIENAERT Ilse , VANLINGEN Sara , GIJSENS Antoon , HIMPENS Bernard , CASTEELS Rik
Published: August 2015

Previous reports suggested the expression of four or five different Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor [Ins(1,4,5)P3R] isoforms in mouse cells [Ross, Danoff, Schell, Snyder and Ullrich (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 4265–4269; De Smedt, Missiaen, Parys, Bootman, Mertens, Van Den Bosch and Casteels (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 21691–21698]. To explore this diversity further, we have isolated and sequenced partial clones of two Ins(1,4,5)P3R mRNAs from the mouse embryonic C3H10T½ cell line. These clones showed between 94.2 and 94.9% sequence identity with the corresponding rat Ins(1,4,5)P3R-II and Ins(1,4,5)P3R-III isoforms. Based on these newly obtained sequences we have determined the relative expression of the different Ins(1,4,5)P3R mRNAs in cultured cells and in animal tissues of mouse origin by a ratio reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Ins(1,4,5)P3R-I was very prominent in brain and cerebellum and Ins(1,4,5)P3R-II in epithelia such as kidney as well as in both cardiac and skeletal muscle. Ins(1,4,5)P3R-III was highly expressed in all cultured cell types and in tissues with high cell turnover, e.g. testis. The prominent expression of Ins(1,4,5)P3R-I and Ins(1,4,5)P3R-III in A7r5 and C3H10T½ cells respectively was confirmed by immunoblot analysis and was compatible with a lower threshold for Ins(1,4,5)P3-induced Ca2+ release in the former cell type. Screening of a large number of mouse cell lines and tissues revealed the presence of Ins(1,4,5)P3R-I as well as of the Ins(1,4,5)P3R-II and Ins(1,4,5)P3R-III isoforms which were identified in the present study, but in contrast with previous reports there was no evidence for more isoform diversity.
Unsaturated fatty acids enhance cell yields and perturb the energy metabolism of an antibody-secreting hybridoma
Authors: BUTLER Michael , HUZEL Norman , BARNABÉ Norman
Published: August 2015

Growth of the murine B-lymphocyte cell line CC9C10 and the myeloma SP2/0 was enhanced significantly by the presence of the unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids in serum-free culture. The cellular content of linoleic and oleic acids gradually increased during continuous culture passage, with no evidence of regulatory control. Over 10 culture passages in the presence of these fatty acids, the unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio of all cellular lipid fractions increased substantially. Most of the fatty acid accumulated in the polar lipid fraction (more than 74%) and only a small proportion was oxidized to CO2 (0.5%).

Linoleic acid caused a decrease to one-eighth in the rate of metabolism of glutamine and a 1.4-fold increase in the rate of metabolism of glucose. There was no change in the relative flux of glucose through the pathways of glycolysis, pentose phosphate or the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The changes in energy metabolism were reversed when the cells were removed from fatty acid-supplemented medium. The most plausible explanation for these effects is the observed decrease in the rate of uptake of glutamine into cells loaded with linoleic acid. Growth of the CC9C10 cells in linoleic acid caused the Km of glutamine uptake to increase from 2.7 to 23 mM, whereas glucose uptake was unaffected.
Chemoattractant-induced respiratory burst: increases in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations are essential and synergize with a kinetically distinct second signal
Authors: FOYOUZI-YOUSSEFI Reyhaneh , PETERSSON Fredric , LEW Daniel P. , KRAUSE Karl-Heinz , NÜSSE Oliver
Published: August 2015

The role of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) and its relationship to other second messengers in the signalling between chemoattractant [e.g. N-formyl-l-methionyl-l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine (fMLP)] receptors and the NADPH oxidase is still poorly understood. In this study, we have used thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the Ca2+-ATPase of intracellular stores, as a tool to selectively manipulate Ca2+ release from intracellular stores and Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane. We thereby temporarily separated the Ca2+ signal from other signals generated by fMLP and analysed the consequences on the respiratory burst. Under all conditions investigated, the extent of fMLP-induced respiratory burst activation was critically determined by [Ca2+]c elevation. fMLP was unable to activate the respiratory burst without [Ca2+]c elevation. Thapsigargin-induced Ca2+ influx activated the respiratory burst in the absence of fMLP, but only to approx. 20% of the values observed in the presence of fMLP. The second signal generated by fMLP did not activate the respiratory burst by itself, but acted in synergy with [Ca2+]c elevation. The second signal was long lasting (> 15 min) provided that there was no rise in [Ca2+]c and that the receptor was continuously occupied. The second signal was inactivated by high [Ca2+]c elevation. Our results demonstrate that [Ca2+]c elevations are an essential step in the signalling between the fMLP receptor and NADPH oxidase. They also provide novel information about the properties of the second Ca2+-independent signal that activates the respiratory burst in synergy with [Ca2+]c.
Regulation of lactase–phlorizin hydrolase gene expression by the caudal-related homoeodomain protein Cdx-2
Authors: TROELSEN Jesper T. , MITCHELMORE Cathy , SPODSBERG Nikolaj , JENSEN Anette M. , NORÉN Ove , SJÖSTRÖM Hans
Published: August 2015

Lactase–phlorizin hydrolase is exclusively expressed in the small intestine and is often used as a marker for the differentiation of enterocytes. The cis-element CE-LPH1 found in the lactase–phlorizin hydrolase promoter has previously been shown to bind an intestinal-specific nuclear factor. By electrophoretic mobility-shift assay it was shown that the factor Cdx-2 (a homoeodomain-protein related to caudal) binds to a TTTAC sequence in the CE-LPH1. Furthermore it was demonstrated that Cdx-2 is able to activate reporter gene transcription by binding to CE-LPH1. A mutation in CE-LPH1, which does not affect Cdx-2 binding, results in a higher transcriptional activity, indicating that the CE-LPH1 site contains other binding site(s) in addition to the Cdx-2-binding site.
Sequence elements surrounding the acceptor site suppress alternative splicing of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2 gene transcript
Authors: BOSCH Ludo VAN DEN , MERTENS Luc , GIJSBERS Sofie , HEYEN Mark VER , WUYTACK Frank , EGGERMONT Jan
Published: August 2015

Expression of the muscle-specific 2a isoform of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2) requires activation of an inefficient optional splice process at the 3´ end of the primary gene transcript. The sequence elements required for this regulated splice event were studied by modifying a minigene containing the 3´ end of the SERCA2 gene. An important requirement appears to be a strong muscle-specific acceptor site, as replacing it by a weak one prevented the induction of muscle-type splicing during myogenic differentiation. The induction of muscle-type splicing did not depend on positive cis-active sequences in the muscle-specific exon. On the other hand, replacement of a broad region around the acceptor site dramatically deregulated the expression pattern, as this modification strongly induced muscle-type splicing in undifferentiated muscle cells and in fibroblasts. This cis-active region is also involved in the suppression of the neuronal type of splicing. Furthermore selective replacement of the acceptor site as well as deletions or replacements in the muscle-specific exon induced muscle-type splicing to various extents in undifferentiated myogenic cells. Therefore sequence elements in the distal part of the optional intron and in the muscle-specific exon contribute to the suppression of muscle-specific SERCA2 splicing.
ATP depletion inhibits glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis
Authors: STEFANELLI Claudio , BONAVITA Francesca , STANIC' Ivana , FARRUGGIA Giovanna , FALCIERI Elisabetta , ROBUFFO Iole , PIGNATTI Carla , MUSCARI Claudio , ROSSONI Carmen , GUARNIERI Carlo , CALDARERA Claudio M.
Published: August 2015

In quiescent thymocytes, mitochondrial de-energization was not correlated to apoptotic death. In fact, thymocytes treated with oligomycin, a highly specific inhibitor of ATP synthase, alone or with atractyloside to block ATP translocation from the cytoplasm, were alive, even if their mitochondria were depolarized, as revealed by flow cytometry after Rhodamine 123 staining. Furthermore, oligomycin was a powerful inhibitor of apoptosis induced in rat thymocytes by dexamethasone and, to a lesser extent, by the calcium ionophore A23187 and etoposide, but was without effect when apoptosis was induced by staurosporine, and increased cell death in mitogen-treated thymocytes. The inhibition of apoptosis was confirmed by morphological criteria, inhibition of inter-nucleosomal DNA fragmentation and inhibition of the loss of membrane integrity. The anti-apoptotic effect of oligomycin in cells treated with A23187 or etoposide was correlated to the inhibition of protein synthesis, while inhibition of apoptosis induced by dexamethasone, already evident at an oligomycin concentration of 10 ng/ml, was instead strictly correlated to the effect exerted on the cellular ATP level. Thymocyte apoptosis triggered by dexamethasone was blocked or delayed by inhibitors of respiratory-chain uncouplers, inhibitors of ATP synthase and antioxidants: a lasting protection from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis was always correlated to a drastic and rapid reduction in ATP level (31–35% of control), while a delay in the death process was characterized by a moderate decrease in ATP (73–82% of control). Oligomycin inhibited the specific binding of radioactive corticosteroid to thymocyte nuclei, confirming the inhibitory effect of ATP depletion on glucocorticoid binding and suggesting that ATP depletion is a common mediator of the anti-apoptotic action of different effectors in glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, the reported data indicate that ATP may act as a cellular modulator of some forms of apoptosis, depending on the death trigger, and that in quiescent cells the de-energization of mitochondria is not necessarily linked to apoptosis.
Overt and latent activities of diacylglycerol acytransferase in rat liver microsomes: possible roles in very-low-density lipoprotein triacylglycerol secretion
Authors: OWEN Mark R. , CORSTORPHINE Clark C. , ZAMMIT Victor A.
Published: August 2015

The possibility that triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis occurs on both aspects of the endoplasmic-reticular membrane during the process of incorporation of TAG into secreted very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) [Zammit (1996) Biochem. J. 314, 1-14] was investigated by measuring the latency of diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) in microsomal fractions obtained from rat liver homogenates. Permeabilization of microsomes with taurocholate resulted in the doubling of the activity, indicating that DGAT activities of approximately equal magnitude occur on either aspect of the microsomal membrane. The taurocholate concentrations required for exposure of the latent activity of DGAT were identical with those that resulted in the exposure of marker enzymes for the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Fractionation of the microsomes into smooth and rough populations indicated that the distribution of overt and latent DGAT activities was the same throughout. The possibility that taurocholate effects may result from non-specific activation of the overt enzyme was excluded by employing the channel-forming peptide alamethicin to effect permeabilization, and by varying the mode of delivery of diacylglycerol substrate to the microsomal membranes. Permeabilization using alamethicin gave a slightly higher latent/overt ratio for DGAT. The possible roles of overt and latent DGAT activities in the synthesis and secretion of TAG by the liver are discussed.
Purification and characterization of three constitutive cytochrome P-450 isoforms from bovine olfactory epithelium
Authors: LONGO Vincenzo , AMATO Giada , SANTUCCI Annalisa , GERVASI Pier Giovanni
Published: August 2015

Three constitutive forms of cytochrome P-450 (P-450s) were isolated from olfactory microsomes of cattle. The purified P-450s, designated P-450bov1, P-450bov2 and P-450bov3, were electrophoretically nearly homogeneous by SDS/PAGE and their apparent relative molecular masses were estimated to be 50000, 53000 and 51000 respectively. As indicated by several criteria including the N-terminal sequence and absorption spectra, the three olfactory forms of P-450 were distinct from each other and from all the other P-450s currently known in cattle. P-450bov1 and P-450bov2 were purified in the low-spin state, whereas P-450bov3 was in the high-spin state. Studies to evaluate, by Western blot analysis, the reactivity of these purified P-450s with antibodies raised against rat hepatic P-450 2E1, 2B, 1A and 3A and rabbit olfactory P-450NMa and P-450NMb showed that P-450bov3 strongly cross-reacted with anti-P-450NMb IgG, and P-450bov1 moderately with anti-P-450NMa IgG. As determined by immunoblots, P-450bov1 and P-450bov3 represented a great portion of the total olfactory P-450. In a reconstituted system with NADPH:cytochrome P-450 reductase and phospholipids, P-450bov1 was more active in the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds (i.e. O-de-ethylation of ethoxycoumarin and N-demethylation of hexamethylphosphoramide) than towards endogenous substrates (testosterone and progesterone). Conversely, P-450bov3 metabolized the xenobiotics at lower rates but exhibited total oxidation rates of the above sex hormones higher than those of P-450bov1. From the comparison of the catalytic, immunochemical and structural properties, it was inferred that P-450bov1 and P-450bov3 are the bovine orthologues of P-450NMa (2A) and P-450NMb (2G1) respectively, the only two olfactory P-450s previously purified from rabbit. P-450bov2, which showed low activity toward some exogenous and endogenous compounds, represents a novel purified olfactory hemoprotein possibly belonging to the 3A subfamily. These results are consistent with a specific presence of catalytically and structurally similar P-450s, at least for the major ones, in the olfactory mucosa of mammals.
Cysteine-200 of human inducible nitric oxide synthase is essential for dimerization of haem domains and for binding of haem, nitroarginine and tetrahydrobiopterin
Authors: CUBBERLEY Rachael R. , ALDERTON Wendy K. , BOYHAN Angela , CHARLES Ian G. , LOWE Peter N. , OLD Robert W.
Published: August 2015

Nitric oxide synthase (EC 1.14.13.39) is a homodimer. Limited proteolysis has previously shown that it consists of two major domains. The C-terminal or reductase domain binds FMN, FAD and NADPH. The N-terminal or oxygenase domain is known to bind arginine, (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-l-biopterin (tetrahydrobiopterin) and haem. The exact residues of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein involved in binding to these molecules have yet to be identified, although the haem moiety is known to be co-ordinated through a cysteine thiolate ligand. We have expressed two forms of the haem-binding domain of human iNOS (residues 1-504 and 59-504) in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins. The iNOS 1-504 and 59-504 fusion proteins bound similar amounts of haem, Nω-nitro-l-arginine (nitroarginine) and tetrahydrobiopterin, showing that the first 58 residues are not required for binding these factors. Using site-directed mutagenesis we have mutated Cys-200, Cys-217, Cys-228, Cys-290, Cys-384 and Cys-457 to alanine residues within the iNOS 59-504 haem-binding domain. Mutation of Cys-200 resulted in a complete loss of haem, nitroarginine and tetrahydrobiopterin binding. Mutants of Cys-217, Cys-228, Cys-290, Cys-384 or Cys-457 showed no effect on the haem content of the fusion protein, no effect on the reduced CO spectral peak (444 nm) and were able to bind nitroarginine and tetrahydrobiopterin at levels equivalent to the wild-type fusion protein. After removal of the GST polypeptide, the wild-type iNOS 59-504 domain was dimeric, whereas the C200A mutant form was monomeric. When the mutated domains were incorporated into a reconstructed full-length iNOS protein expressed in Xenopus oocytes, only the Cys-200 mutant showed a loss of catalytic activity: all the other mutant iNOS proteins showed near wild-type enzymic activity. From this systematic approach we conclude that although Cys-217, Cys-228, Cys-290, Cys-384 and Cys-457 are conserved in all three NOS isoforms they are not essential for cofactor or substrate binding or for enzymic activity of iNOS, and that Cys-200 provides the proximal thiolate ligand for haem binding in human iNOS.
Response of microtubules to the addition of colchicine and tubulin–colchicine: evaluation of models for the interaction of drugs with microtubules
Authors: VANDECANDELAERE André , MARTIN Stephen R. , ENGELBORGHS Yves
Published: August 2015

The effects of free drug and tubulin-drug complexes on steady-state GTP/GDP-associated microtubules and on equilibrium guanosine 5´-[β,γ-imido]triphosphate-associated microtubules are compared. The addition of colchicine or the tubulin-colchicine complex (TuCol) to steady-state microtubules induces microtubule disassembly. Only limited disassembly of equilibrium microtubules is observed under similar conditions. Addition of colchicine or the bifunctional colchicine analogue 2-methoxy-5-(2´,3´,4´-trimethoxyphenyl)tropone to preassembled steady-state or equilibrium microtubules does induce disassembly, but establishment of the new steady state or equilibrium is very slow. These observations are related to the fact that TuCol readily adds to the microtubule end, but is only incorporated into the lattice with difficulty. As a result, microtubule growth is effectively inhibited and the critical concentration is significantly increased. Nevertheless, drug-induced disassembly can be extremely slow, because the frequency of addition reactions increases as the concentration of soluble dimers increases. The efficiency of incorporation of TuCol decreases as its concentration increases. This work further confirms the existence of colchicine-binding sites with low affinity (association constant KMT ∼3×102 M-1) along the microtubule lattice. This value suggests that part of the colchicine-binding site on tubulin remains available in the polymer. The interaction of colchicine with these sites has no appreciable effect on microtubule dynamics. These observations are reproduced and rationalized by the model described elsewhere [Vandecandelaere, Martin, Bayley and Schilstra (1994) Biochemistry 33, 2792-2801], and the possibility that there are co-operative effects in the inhibition is considered.
5-Hydroxytryptamine-induced calcium-channel gating in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) peripheral blood lymphocytes
Authors: FERRIERE François , KHAN Naïm A. , MEYNIEL Jean P. , DESCHAUX Pierre
Published: August 2015

The present study was conducted on peripheral blood lympho-cytes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to assess the role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; ‘serotonin’) in calcium signalling. 5-HT-induced increases in intracellular free calcium concentrations, [Ca2+]i, and its action was mediated by 5-HT receptor subtype 3 (5-HT3), but not by 5-HT receptor subtype 1A (5-HT1A) or subtype 2 (5-HT2) in these cells. In Ca2+-containing medium (1 mM CaCl2), 5-HT and 2-methyl-5-HT (5-HT3 receptor agonist) induced increases in [Ca2+]i, whereas in Ca2+-free medium (0 Ca2+, 1 mM EGTA), these two agents failed to evoke increases in [Ca2+]i in these cells, demonstrating that 5-HT mobilizes Ca2+ from the extracellular environment. Furthermore, 5-HT-induced increases in [Ca2+]i are not contributed to by the intracellular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pool, as thapsigargin, an agent that recruits Ca2+ from ER stores, had additive effects on 5-HT-induced [Ca2+]i responses in fish peripheral lymphocytes. 5-HT-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were mediated by 5-HT3 receptors via gating the calcium through L-type, but not N-type, calcium channels in trout lymphocytes.
Promotion-resistant JB6 mouse epidermal cells exhibit defects in phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis and phorbol ester-induced phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis
Authors: KISS Zoltan , GUYER Brad , DONG Zigang
Published: August 2015

The tumour-promotion-sensitive (P+) and -resistant (P-) variants of mouse JB6 epidermis-derived cells have often been used to study the requirements for the tumour-promoting effect of PMA. As part of an effort to identify the defect(s) in JB6 P- cells that might prevent the promoting effect of PMA, stimulation of phospholipase D (PLD)-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) by PMA as well as the rate of phospholipid synthesis were compared in three P+ variants, two P- variants and a transformed variant of the JB6 cell line. PMA (5–100 nM) had significantly less stimulatory effect on PtdCho hydrolysis in P- cells than in P+ or transformed JB6 cells. The effects of PMA on PtdEtn hydrolysis in the P+ and P- cell lines were similar, whereas in transformed cells PMA had slightly less effect. Each JB6 cell line was found to contain similar amounts of PtdCho. In contrast, P- cells contained significantly less PtdEtn and a correspondingly higher level of ethanolamine phosphate compared with P+ and transformed cells. P- cells also secreted ethanolamine phosphate into the medium; this process was greatly enhanced by PMA. In the two P- variants the synthesis of PtdEtn from [14C]ethanolamine was reduced to various extents, whereas the rate of PtdCho synthesis was comparable in each JB6 cell line. The synthesis of PtdCho, but not PtdEtn, was greatly stimulated by PMA in both the P+ and P- clones. The results indicate that decreased synthesis/level of PtdEtn and suboptimal functioning of a PtdCho-specific PLD are common characteristics of the P- JB6 cells examined so far. The observed alterations in phospholipid metabolism may play a role in the resistance of P- cells to the tumour-promoting action of PMA.
Amino acid sequence of the α subunit and computer modelling of the α and β subunits of echicetin from the venom of Echis carinatus (saw-scaled viper)
Authors: POLGÁR János , MAGNENAT Edith M. , PEITSCH Manuel C. , WELLS Timothy N. C. , SAQI Mansoor S. A. , CLEMETSON Kenneth J.
Published: August 2015

Echicetin, a heterodimeric protein from the venom of Echis carinatus, binds to platelet glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and so inhibits platelet aggregation or agglutination induced by various platelet agonists acting via GPIb. The amino acid sequence of the β subunit of echicetin has been reported and found to belong to the recently identified snake venom subclass of the C-type lectin protein family. Echicetin α and β subunits were purified. N-terminal sequence analysis provided direct evidence that the protein purified was echicetin. The paper presents the complete amino acid sequence of the α subunit and computer models of the α and β subunits. The sequence of α echicetin is highly similar to the α and β chains of various heterodimeric and homodimeric C-type lectins. Neither of the fully reduced and alkylated α or β subunits of echicetin inhibited the platelet agglutination induced by von Willebrand factor–ristocetin or α-thrombin. Earlier reports about the inhibitory activity of reduced and alkylated echicetin β subunit might have been due to partial reduction of the protein.
Diadenosine polyphosphate hydrolase from presynaptic plasma membranes of Torpedo electric organ
Authors: MATEO Jesús , ROTLLAN Pedro , MARTI Eulalia , ARANDA Inmaculada GOMEZ DE , SOLSONA Carles , MIRAS-PORTUGAL M. Teresa
Published: August 2015

The diadenosine polyphosphate hydrolase present in presynaptic plasma membranes from the Torpedo electric organ has been characterized using fluorogenic substrates of the form di-(1,N6-ethenoadenosine) 5´,5‴-P1,Pn-polyphosphate. The enzyme hydrolyses diadenosine polyphosphates (Apn A, where n = 3–5), producing AMP and the corresponding adenosine (n-1) 5´-phosphate, Ap(n-1). The Km values of the enzyme were 0.543± 0.015, 0.478±0.043 and 0.520±0.026 μM, and the Vmax values were 633±4, 592±18 and 576±45 pmol/min per mg of protein, for the etheno derivatives of Ap3A (adenosine 5´,5‴-P1,P3-triphosphate), Ap4A (adenosine 5´,5‴-P1,P4 -tetraphosphate) and Ap5A (adenosine 5´,5‴-P1,P5-pentaphosphate) respectively. Ca2+, Mg2+ and Mn2+ are enzyme activators, with EC50 values of 0.86±0.11, 1.35±0.24 and 0.58±0.10 mM respectively. The fluoride ion is an inhibitor with an IC50 value of 1.38±0.19 mM. The ATP analogues adenosine 5´-tetraphosphate and adenosine 5´-[γ-thio]triphosphate are potent competitive inhibitors and adenosine 5´-[α,β-methylene]diphosphate is a less potent competitive inhibitor, the Ki values being 0.29±0.03, 0.43±0.05 and 7.18±0.8 μM respectively. The P2-receptor antagonist pyridoxal phosphate 6-azophenyl-2´,4´-disulphonic acid behaves as a non-competitive inhibitor with a Ki value of 29.7±3.1 μM, and also exhibits a significant inhibitory effect on Torpedo apyrase activity. The effect of pH on the Km and Vmax values, together with inhibition by diethyl pyrocarbonate, strongly suggests the presence of functional histidine residues in Torpedo diadenosine polyphosphate hydrolase. The enzyme from Torpedo shows similarities with that of neural origin from neurochromaffin cells, and significant differences compared with that from endothelial vascular cells.
Biochemical characterization of the mouse muscle-specific enolase: developmental changes in electrophoretic variants and selective binding to other proteins
Authors: MERKULOVA Tatyana , LUCAS Marguerite , JABET Carole , LAMANDÉ Noël , ROUZEAU Jean-Denis , GROS François , LAZAR Monique , KELLER Angélica
Published: August 2015

The glycolytic enzyme enolase (EC 4.2.1.11) is active as dimers formed from three subunits encoded by different genes. The embryonic αα isoform remains distributed in many adult cell types, whereas a transition towards ββ and γγ isoforms occurs in striated muscle cells and neurons respectively. It is not understood why enolase exhibits tissue-specific isoforms with very close functional properties. We approached this problem by the purification of native ββ-enolase from mouse hindlimb muscles and by raising specific antibodies of high titre against this protein. These reagents have been useful in revealing a heterogeneity of the β-enolase subunit that changes with in vivo and in vitro maturation. A basic carboxypeptidase appears to be involved in generating an acidic β-enolase variant, and may regulate plasminogen binding by this subunit. We show for the first time that pure ββ-enolase binds with high affinity the adjacent enzymes in the glycolytic pathway (pyruvate kinase and phosphoglycerate mutase), favouring the hypothesis that these three enzymes form a functional glycolytic segment. ββ-Enolase binds with high affinity sarcomeric troponin but not actin and tropomyosin. Some of these binding properties are shared by the αα-isoenolase, which is also expressed in striated muscle, but not by the neuron-specific γγ-enolase. These results support the idea that specific interactions with macromolecules will address muscle enolase isoforms at the subcellular site where ATP, produced through glycolysis, is most needed for contraction. Such a specific targeting could be modulated by post-translational modifications.
Involvement of the N-terminal region of the human mineralocorticoid receptor hormone-binding domain in agonist and antagonist binding as revealed by a new monoclonal antibody
Authors: JALAGUIER Stéphan , LUPO Brigitte , HUGON Gérald , RAFESTIN-OBLIN Marie-Edith , AUZOU Gilles
Published: August 2015

To gain a better understanding of the mechanism of binding to the human mineralocorticoid receptor (hMR), we developed a new monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against the hormone-binding domain (HBD). For this purpose, mice were immunized with a fusion protein including the sequence Thr729–Lys984 of hMR. After ELISA screening, mAb 18C7 was selected for its specificity towards the HBD. This antibody recognized both the denatured and native MR forms, as well as the hetero-oligomeric MR form and the transformed MR state. By using several HBD subfragments, the mAb 18C7 epitope was located in the N-terminal region of the HBD from Thr729 to Leu765. We then studied the effect of the antibody on aldosterone and progesterone binding to the hMR. When 18C7 was incubated with liganded MR, it was able to partly displace (20%) the hormone from its binding site. When 18C7 was incubated with MR before aldosterone or progesterone, the antibody inhibited 75–80% of the binding. The effect of 18C7 on the binding was similar with both hormones. A sucrose gradient analysis indicated the simultaneous presence of two kinds of receptor complexes: the steroid–MR complex and the antibody–MR complex. After its associated proteins, especially the heat-shock protein hsp90, had been cross-linked with the hMR by dimethylpimelimidate, 18C7 was still able to react with the receptor. Our results indicated that the epitope recognized by 18C7 was directly implicated in hormone binding. The lack of steroid binding of HBD mutants with the Thr729–Leu765 sequence deleted [Jalaguier, Mesnier, Léger and Auzou (1996) J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 57, 43–50] supports this hypothesis. Because of the similar behaviours of aldosterone and progesterone, we conclude that the N-terminal Thr729–Leu765 region of the HBD is similarly involved in the binding of both hormones.
Metabolic evidence for PtdIns(4,5)P2-directed phospholipase C in permeabilized plant protoplasts
Authors: BREARLEY Charles A. , PARMAR Paroo N. , HANKE David E.
Published: August 2015

Comparison of the sequences of the genes encoding phospholipase C (PLC) which have been cloned to date in plants with their mammalian counterparts suggests that plant PLC is similar to PLCδ of mammalian cells. The physiological role and mechanism of activation of PLCδ is unclear. It has recently been shown that Ins(1,4,5)P3 may not solely be the product of PtdIns(4,5)P2-directed PLC activity. Enzyme activities capable of producing Ins(1,4,5)P3 from endogenous inositol phosphates are present in Dictyostelium and also in rat liver. Significantly it has not been directly determined whether Ins(1,4,5)P3 present in higher plants is the product of a PtdIns(4,5)P2-directed PLC activity. Therefore we have developed an experimental strategy for the identification of d-Ins(1,4,5)P3 in higher plants. By the use of a short-term non-equilibrium labelling strategy in permeabilized plant protoplasts, coupled to the use of a ‘metabolic trap‘ to prevent degradation of [32P]Ins(1,4,5)P3, we were able to determine the distribution of 32P in individual phosphate esters of Ins(1,4,5)P3. The [32]Ins(1,4,5)P3 identified showed the same distribution of label in individual phosphate esters as that of [32P]PtdIns(4,5)P2 isolated from the same tissue. We thus provide in vivo evidence for the action of a PtdIns(4,5)P2-directed PLC activity in plant cells which is responsible for the production of Ins(1,4,5)P3 observed here. This observation does not, however, exclude the possibility that in other cells or under different conditions Ins(1,4,5)P3 can be generated by alternative routes.
Developmental regulation of mRNA species for types II, IX and XI collagens during mouse embryogenesis
Authors: PERÄLÄ Merja , SAVONTAUS Mikko , METSÄRANTA Marjo , VUORIO Eero
Published: August 2015

Several techniques were used to study the co-ordination of mRNA levels for five constituent chains of cartilage collagen fibrils during mouse development. Short cDNA clones were first constructed for mouse and human α3(IX) and for mouse proα1(XI) collagen mRNA species. Northern analysis of developing mouse embryos revealed that the mRNA species for α1, α2 and α3 chains of type IX collagen peaked earlier than those for proα1(II) and proα1(XI) collagen chains. Quantification of these mRNA species by slot-blot hybridization confirmed this developmental regulation: the mRNA ratios for type II/type IX/type XI collagens changed from 5.7:1:0.6 (at embryonic day 12.5) to 10.6:1:0.9 (in newborn mice). However, the genes coding for the three chains of type IX collagen seemed to be under more co-ordinated regulation during mouse development. In addition to high mRNA levels in cartilages and the eye, low levels of type IX collagen transcripts were identified in brain and skin of newborn mouse using RNase protection and reverse transcriptase–PCR assays. Finally, hybridization in situ revealed identical tissue distributions of the three type IX collagen mRNA species during early chondrogenesis but somewhat more widespread expression of the α1(IX) and α3(IX) mRNA species during endochondral ossification at day 16.5 of embryonic development. These results suggest a relatively tight co-ordination of the α1(IX), α2(IX), and α3(IX) collagen mRNA species in chondrocytes, but a lack of co-ordination in several non-cartilaginous tissues.
TFIIF, a basal eukaryotic transcription factor, is a substrate for poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation
Authors: RAWLING Jean M. , ALVAREZ-GONZALEZ Rafael
Published: August 2015

We have examined the susceptibility of some of the basal eukaryotic transcription factors as covalent targets for poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. Human recombinant TATA-binding protein, transcription factor (TF)IIB and TFIIF (made up of the 30 and 74 kDa RNA polymerase II-associated proteins RAP30 and RAP74) were incubated with calf thymus poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and [32P]NAD+ at 37 °C. On lithium dodecyl sulphate/PAGE and autoradiography, two bands of radioactivity, coincident with RAP30 and RAP74, were observed. No radioactivity co-migrated with TATA-binding protein or TFIIB. The phenomenon was dependent on the presence of nicked DNA, which is essential for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity. Covalent modification of TFIIF increased with time of incubation, with increasing TFIIF concentration and with increasing NAD+ concentration. High-resolution PAGE confirmed that the radioactive species associated with RAP30 and RAP74 were ADP-ribose polymers. From these observations, we conclude that both TFIIF subunits are highly specific substrates for covalent poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation.
Molecular cloning and expression of the Candida albicans TOP2 gene allows study of fungal DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors in yeast
Authors: KELLER Beatrice A. , PATEL Sandhiya , FISHER L. Mark
Published: August 2015

Candida albicans topoisomerase II, encoded by the TOP2 gene, mediates chromosome segregation by a double-strand DNA break mechanism and is a potential target for anti-fungal therapy. In this paper, we report the characterization of the C. albicans TOP2 gene and its use to develop a yeast system that allows the identification and study of anti-fungal topoisomerase II inhibitors in vivo. The gene, specifying a 1461-residue polypeptide with only 40% identity with human topoisomerase IIα and β isoforms, was isolated from C. albicans on a 6.3 kb EcoRI fragment that mapped to chromosome 4. It was used to construct a plasmid in which TOP2 expresses a recombinant enzyme (residues 57–1461 of C. albicans topoisomerase II fused to the first five residues of Saccharomyces cerevisiae topoisomerase II) under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter. The plasmid rescued the lethal phenotype of a temperature-sensitive S. cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase II mutant allowing growth at 35 °C. Yeast cells, bearing ISE2 permeability and rad52 double-strand-break-repair mutations the growth of which at 35 °C was dependent on C. albicans topoisomerase II, were killed by the known topoisomerase II inhibitors amsacrine and doxorubicin. Parallel experiments in yeast expressing human topoisomerase IIα allowed the relative sensitivities of the fungal and host topoisomerases to be examined in the same genetic background. To compare the killing in vivo with drug inhibition in vitro, the recombinant C. albicans topoisomerase II protein was expressed and purified to near-homogeneity from S. cerevisiae yielding a 160 kDa polypeptide that displayed the expected ATP-dependent DNA-relaxation and DNA-decatenation activities. The enzyme, whether examined in vitro or complementing in S. cerevisiae, was comparably sensitive to amsacrine and doxorubicin. Our results suggest that potential topoisomerase II-targeting anti-fungal inhibitors can be identified and studied in S. cerevisiae.
Inactivation kinetics of dihydrofolate reductase from Chinese hamster during urea denaturation
Authors: WU Jia-Wei , WANG Zhi-Xin , ZHOU Jun-Mei
Published: August 2015

The kinetic theory of substrate reaction during modification of enzyme activity has been applied to the study of inactivation kinetics of Chinese hamster dihydrofolate reductase by urea [Tsou (1988) Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Areas Mol. Biol. 61, 381–436]. On the basis of the kinetic equation of substrate reaction in the presence of urea, all microscopic kinetic constants for the free enzyme and enzyme–substrate binary and ternary complexes have been determined. The results of the present study indicate that the denaturation of dihydrofolate reductase by urea follows single-phase kinetics, and changes in enzyme activity and tertiary structure proceed simultaneously in the unfolding process. Both substrates, NADPH and 7,8-dihydrofolate, protect dihydrofolate reductase against inactivation, and enzyme–substrate complexes lose their activity less rapidly than the free enzyme.
Reactions of the oxidized organic cofactor in copper-depleted bovine serum amine oxidase
Authors: AGOSTINELLI Enzo , DE MATTEIS Giovanna , SINIBALDI Alessandra , MONDOVÌ Bruno , MORPURGO Laura
Published: August 2015

A novel copper-depleted bovine serum amine oxidase (BSAO), in which about half the molecules contained the organic cofactor in the oxidized form, was prepared by adding a reductant in anaerobic conditions to the cyanide-reacted protein. The CuI-semiquinone formed in these conditions reoxidizes after the removal of copper. The inactive derivative was reduced by benzylamine at approx. 1/1000 the rate of BSAO. The pseudo-first-order reaction was preceded by the formation of a protein–benzylamine complex with dissociation constant, Kd, of 4.9±0.5 mM, similar to the Km of BSAO (2.2 mM). Also the reactions with phenylhydrazine and benzohydrazide were considerably slower than in holo-BSAO, whereas the reactions with p-pyridine-2-ylphenylacetohydrazide, containing a longer aromatic tail, and semicarbazide, lacking an aromatic moiety, were less severely affected. Removal of copper had no effect on the optical spectra of BSAO and of most adducts, containing the cofactor in quinol form, showing that copper is bound to neither the oxidized nor the reduced cofactor. Benzylhydrazine did not produce optical effects but was tightly bound, as inferred from its inhibitory effect on reaction with other molecules. Substrate and inhibitors might bind a hydrophobic pocket at some distance from the quinone, probably near the protein surface, with their affinity depending on the hydrophobic character and pKa. The binding, which is not greatly influenced by copper removal, probably induces a copper-dependent change of conformation, ‘opening’ a pathway to the active site buried in the protein interior.
Asymmetrical distribution of cardiolipin in yeast inner mitochondrial membrane triggered by carbon catabolite repression
Authors: GALLET Paul François , PETIT Jean-Michel , MAFTAH Abderrahman , ZACHOWSKI Alain , JULIEN Raymond
Published: August 2015

Transmembrane asymmetry of cardiolipin in yeast was monitored during the switch from fermentative to gluconeogenic growth and the reverse. As soon as cells used ethanol as an electron donor to produce ATP by oxidative phosphorylation, rapid and abundant cardiolipin synthesis was observed on the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane followed by a transverse rearrangement between the two leaflets. The cardiolipin distribution changed from about 20:80 (in/out) to 70:30 (in/out), and after translocation towards the outer leaflet it finally became 37:63 (in/out). At the same time, cytochrome coxidase activity remained stable, then increased as a possible result of the topographical rearrangement. During the reverse process from gluconeogenic to fermentative growth, the amount of cardiolipin rapidly decreased by half, its bilayer distribution apparently changing to a monolayer organization before the 20:80 (in/out) asymmetry of repressed cells was re-established. Experimental impairment of cardiolipin topography by antibiotic inhibition of gene expression or in situdissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential produced data that prove that the amount and transmembrane distribution of the phospholipid are two specific parameters of the mitochondrial inner membrane organization in both fermentative (2.2 fmol/cell and 20:80, in/out) and gluconeogenic (4.2 fmol/cell and 37:63, in/out) growing yeast cells. Finally, the inner mitochondrial membrane topography of cardiolipin appeared to be closely associated with the transmembrane redox potential.
Stimulation of transcription in vitro from a liver-specific promoter by human glucocorticoid receptor (hGRα)
Authors: SCHWEIZER-GROYER Ghislaine , CADEPOND Françoise , JIBARD Nicole , NEAU Eric , SEGARD-MAUREL Ingrid , BAULIEU Etienne-Emile , GROYER André
Published: August 2015

The rat tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) gene is a liver-specific and glucocorticoid-inducible gene. Previous studies have shown that the TAT promoter (TAT0.35; nt -350 to +1) is able to sustain liver-specific gene expression both in transient transfection and in a transcription assay in vitro [Schweizer-Groyer, Groyer, Cadepond, Grange, Baulieu and Pictet (1994) Nucleic Acids Res. 22, 1583–1592]. Here we report that the basal transcriptional activity generated from TAT0.35 in the presence of crude liver nuclear extracts is enhanced by added human glucocorticoid receptor (hGRα), provided that TAT0.35 sequences were flanked (5′) with a glucocorticoid responsive unit (GREII of the TAT gene, including its 5′-CCAAT flanking sequence). Two sources of hGRα were used: nuclear extracts prepared from Sf9 insect (Sf9-NEs) cells over-expressing hGRα, and hGRα from pRShGRα-transfected COS-7 cells, enriched by high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. The enhancement of transcription in vitro (1.5–4.5-fold) was dependent on the amount of added hGRα and independent of the nature (agonist or antagonist) of the ligand. Moreover, the hGRα-mediated stimulation of transcription was (i) dependent on GRE/progesterone response element (PRE) (it was inhibited by a 25-fold excess of GRE/PRE but not by a 100-fold excess of oestrogen response element) and (ii) receptor-dependent (Sf9-NEs prepared from uninfected Sf9 cells or from Sf9 cells infected with wild-type baculoviral DNA did not enhance transcription). Taken together, these experiments support the conclusions that in vitro the glucocorticoid receptor is able to enhance transcription from genomic, liver-specific, promoter sequences (those of the TAT gene), and that this enhancement of transcription from the liver-specific TAT0.35 promoter is dependent both on the glucocorticoid receptor and on the latter's interaction with its cognate response elements.
Identification of a minimal promoter element of the mouse epidermal growth factor gene
Authors: PASCALL John C. , BROWN Kenneth D.
Published: August 2015

We have previously generated a transgenic mouse line (EGF/Tag) in which simian virus 40 (SV40) T-antigen expression is directed by the mouse epidermal growth factor (EGF) gene promoter. In these mice, cellular hyperproliferation is observed in the submaxillary gland associated with SV40 T-antigen expression. In addition, SV40 T-antigen-expressing tumours of prostatic origin are seen. We have now derived immortalized cell lines from these tissues and have used the cells to perform a functional analysis of the EGF gene promoter. Cells were transfected with EGF promoter/reporter constructs, and an element located between 51 and 35 bases upstream of the EGF mRNA start site required for basal activity of the promoter was identified. Electrophoretic mobility-shift analysis suggests that three proteins bind to this region, one of which is either Sp1 or a closely related protein.
Specificity and kinetic effects of nitrophenol analogues that activate myosin subfragment 1
Authors: SALERNO Verônica P. , RIBEIRO Adriana S. , DINUCCI Adriana N. , MIGNACO Julio A. , SORENSON Martha M.
Published: August 2015

2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) activates the myosin ATPase of mammalian skeletal muscle in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+, and inhibits it when the bivalent cations are replaced by K+ and EDTA. Activation of Mg2+ATPase is abolished by the presence of unregulated actin. 3-Nitrophenol (3-NP) is also an activator, whereas other analogues (2-nitrophenol, 2-NP, and 4-nitrophenol, 4-NP) are much less effective. Concentrations required for their half-maximal effects (K0.5) range from 2 to 15 mM for 3-NP and DNP in the presence of different cations, and the sequence for the analogues is 3-NP ⩽ DNP ≪ 2-NP ≈ 4-NP, which is apparently unrelated to either hydrophobicity or pK. DNP and 3-NP have almost identical effects on the ATPase activity of chymotryptic subfragment 1 as they do on myosin, which is an indication that their target is the globular head region rather than the tail, or the 18 kDa (regulatory) light chain. Analysis of the ATP concentration dependence for subfragment-1 ATPase in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+ shows that DNP activates only at high substrate concentrations, becoming increasingly effective with ATP concentrations in the physiological range. At low substrate concentrations, DNP inhibits hydrolysis by increasing the apparent Km for ATP at the catalytic site. In the presence of Mg2+, it mimics the effect of actin, which increases the Km and accelerates the release of products following hydrolysis. At high substrate concentrations, activation by DNP appears to involve a kinetic component with low affinity for ATP that can increase the overall reaction rate by a factor of 2- to 9-fold, depending on the bivalent cation. This low-affinity component is either induced by the drug (in the presence of Mg2+) or shifted by the drug to a lower ATP concentration range (in the presence of Ca2+).