bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a dog thyroid cDNA encoding a novel inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 5-phosphatase
Authors: Verjans B , De Smedt F , Lecocq R , Vanweyenberg V , Moreau C , Erneux C
Published: August 2015

In brain and many other tissues, type I inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) 5-phosphatase is the major isoenzyme hydrolysing the calcium-mobilizing second messenger InsP3. This protein has been purified to apparent homogeneity from a crude soluble fraction of bovine brain, yielding a single major protein band with a molecular mass of 43 kDa after SDS/PAGE. This material was used to determine internal microsequences. A partial DNA sequence has been amplified by PCR by using degenerate primers deduced from two protein sequences (FKAKKYKKV and DENYKSQE). A cDNA clone (BVCT) was isolated by screening a dog thyroid cDNA library. The encoded protein of 412 amino acids has a calculated molecular mass of 47,681 Da. Peptide sequences generated from the bovine brain enzyme were found to be 96% conserved compared with the dog thyroid protein. When clone BVCT was expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant protein was shown to hydrolyse both InsP3 and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, with apparent Km values of 28 and 3 microM respectively. Enzyme activity was inhibited by EDTA and 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, both inhibitors of native InsP3 5-phosphatase, but not by EGTA and LiCl, as previously shown for the bovine brain enzyme. Our data show the cloning of type I InsP3 5-phosphatase which, interestingly, does not share any significant sequence identity with the previously cloned type III isoenzyme.
Selective inhibition of adenylate cyclase in bovine cortex by quinones: a novel cellular substrate for quinone cytotoxicity
Authors: Moullet O , Dreyer J L
Published: August 2015

Quinones are widely distributed substances of often potential toxicological significance. On the other hand, cyclic AMP is known to promote a cell-survival response and to retard apoptosis [Berridge, Tan and Hilton (1993) Exp. Hematol. 21, 269-276]. Therefore the effects of quinones on adenylate cyclase were tested. Adenylate cyclase is rapidly inhibited by quinones, with IC50 values of 40-45 microM for p-benzoquinone (BQ) or 200 microM for dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCIP), with 2-substituted quinones being inactive. Membrane solubilization decreases the IC50 values for BQ and DCIP to 18 microM and 40 microM respectively. The inhibition is not affected by GTP, GDP or analogues, or by cholera and pertussis toxins; therefore it is not mediated by a G-protein or the activation of a defined receptor. Further, the inhibition stoichiometrically competes with forskolin activation of adenylate cyclase, equimolar concentrations of quinone and forskolin restoring the enzyme activity to its basal value. Reduction of BQ with sodium dithionite stoichiometrically prevents the inhibition of adenylate cyclase; in turn, oxidation of hydroquinone with ferricyanide fully restores it, indicating that the oxidized state of the quinone is required for inhibition. In addition, BQ is cytotoxic in vivo on HepG2, a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, but the effect can be prevented with forskolin. In plasma membranes, BQ tightly binds only one major and two minor proteins; these BQ-binding proteins were purified by means of labelling with [14C]BQ followed by PAGE under native conditions. Together these observations indicate that the action of quinone can be traced to targeting a limited number of proteins at the plasma membrane in a highly selective way and to affecting key enzymes such as adenylate cyclase.
Evidence for a cell-specific negative regulatory element in the first intron of the gene for bovine elastin
Authors: Manohar A , Anwar R A
Published: August 2015

A cell-specific negative regulatory element has been identified in the first intron of the gene for elastin in a region between 442 and 464 bp from the translational start site. This regulatory element functions both when it is located 5′ of the promoter and 3′ of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. The inhibition is observed both with the homologous elastin promoter and the heterologous SV1 promoter in transient expression experiments using rat aortic smooth-muscle cells. No inhibition was observed with NIH 3T3, Hep G2 and little, if any, with HeLa cells. Cell specificity was further confirmed by DNA mobility shift assays and the position of the negative regulatory element was localized with the use of synthetic duplex oligomers. It is proposed that this negative element plays a significant role in the modulation of the expression of the gene for elastin in the smooth-muscle cells of the aorta during development.
The analysis of rate limitation within enzymes: relations between flux control coefficients of rate constants and unidirectional rates, rate constants and thermodynamic parameters of single isolated enzymes
Authors: Brown G C , Cooper C E
Published: August 2015

The extent to which a rate constant or step within an enzyme mechanism limits the net enzyme rate in a particular condition can be quantified as a flux control coefficient. We derive here a number of relations between the control coefficients and the unidirectional rates, rate constants, and thermodynamic parameters of the enzyme. These and other relations are used to suggest a number of methods for experimentally measuring control coefficients within enzymes.
Regulation of fos-lacZ fusion gene expression in primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes isolated from transgenic mice
Authors: Bollag W B , Xiong Y , Ducote J , Harmon C S
Published: August 2015

The expression of a fos-lacZ fusion gene was studied in primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes obtained from transgenic mice. This gene construct contains the entire upstream regulatory sequence of c-fos, and expression of the endogenous and fusion gene was shown by Northern analysis to correlate upon induction with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Using a chromogenic substrate of beta-galactosidase, we also demonstrated that expression of the fusion gene product, like that of Fos, was localized to the cell nucleus. In addition, we showed that epidermal keratinocytes responded to dialysed fetal bovine serum (FBS), TPA and high-calcium medium with enhanced Fos-lacZ expression and an inhibition of proliferation. The time course of induction of Fos-lacZ expression was similar for dialysed FBS and TPA, with a peak approximately 2 h after exposure. Exposure for approximately 24 h to an elevated extracellular calcium concentration was required to elicit an increase in Fos-lacZ expression. The lack of an immediate effect of raising medium calcium levels on Fos-lacZ expression contrasted with the rapidity of its effect on DNA synthesis, which was significantly inhibited within 6-8 h. In addition, we found that the protein kinase C inhibitor Ro 31-7549 blocked Fos-lacZ expression induced by TPA but had little or no effect on that elicited by high calcium levels. Thus, although our results indicate that the fos gene product may be involved in mediating epidermal keratinocyte growth arrest in response to differentiative agents such as FBS, TPA and high medium calcium levels, the exact role of this gene product remains unclear.
Domain assembly of the GLUT1 glucose transporter
Authors: Cope D L , Holman G D , Baldwin S A , Wolstenholme A J
Published: August 2015

A full-length construct of the glucose transporter isoform GLUT1 has been expressed in Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperida Clone 9) insect cells, and a photolabelling approach has been used to show that the expressed protein binds the bismannose compound 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl-1,3-bis-(D-mannos- 4-yloxy)-2-propylamine (ATB-BMPA) and cytochalasin B at its exofacial and endofacial binding sites respectively. Constructs of GLUT1 which produce either the N-terminal (amino acids 1-272) or C-terminal (amino acids 254-492) halves are expressed at levels in the plasma membrane which are similar to that of the full-length GLUT1 (approximately 200 pmol/mg of membrane protein), but do not bind either ATB-BMPA or cytochalasin B. When Sf9 cells are doubly infected with virus constructs producing both the C- and N-terminal halves of GLUT1, then the ligand labelling is restored. Only the C-terminal half is labelled, and, therefore, the labelling of this domain is dependent on the presence of the N-terminal half of the protein. These results suggest that the two halves of GLUT1 can assemble to form a stable complex and support the concept of a bilobular structure for the intact glucose transporters in which separate C- and N-domain halves pack together to produce a ligand-binding conformation.
A novel human airway mucin cDNA encodes a protein with unique tandem-repeat organization
Authors: Shankar V , Gilmore M S , Elkins R C , Sachdev G P
Published: August 2015

Highly specific affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies against deglycosylated human tracheobronchial mucin was used to select immunoreactive clones from a Uni-ZAP cDNA expression library prepared from normal human tracheal mRNA. The largest of three positive clones, designated pAM1, which reacted strongly with the polyclonal antibodies, was further characterized. Sequence analyses revealed a partial 941 bp cDNA that encoded a 313-amino-acid polypeptide. Bases 3-892 consisted of imperfect 41-nucleotide tandem repeats (CCAGGAGGGGACACCGGGTTCACGAGCTGCCCACGCCCTCT) that encoded a unique polypeptide with two types of consensus repeats, TSCPRPLQEGTRV and TSCPRPLQEGTPGSRAAHALSRRGHRVHELPTSSPGGDTGF. The overall composition of the deduced amino acid sequence matched that expected for a mucin protein core and is rich in serine, threonine, proline, glycine and alanine (approximately 51%). Northern blots probed with the mucin cDNA exhibited intense polydisperse hybridization bands with RNA isolated from normal human trachea and cystic-fibrosis bronchus. The data indicate that mucin encoded by clone pAM1 represents a unique type of peptide organization which has not been described in mucin cDNAs reported thus far.
Molecular characterization of human stathmin expressed in Escherichia coli: site-directed mutagenesis of two phosphorylatable serines (Ser-25 and Ser-63)
Authors: Curmi P A , Maucuer A , Asselin S , Lecourtois M , Chaffotte A , Schmitter J M , Sobel A
Published: August 2015

Stathmin, a probable relay protein possibly integrating multiple intracellular regulatory signals [reviewed in Sobel (1991) Trends Biochem. Sci. 16, 301-305], was expressed in Escherichia coli at levels as high as 20% of total bacterial protein. Characterization of the purified recombinant protein revealed that it had biochemical properties very similar to those of the native protein. It is a good substrate for both cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and p34cdc2, on the same four sites as the native eukaryotic protein. As shown by m.s., the difference in isoelectric points from the native protein is probably due to the absence of acetylation of the protein produced in bacteria. C.d. studies indicate that stathmin probably contains about 45% of its sequence in an alpha-helical conformation, as also predicted for the sequence between residues 47 and 124 by computer analysis. Replacement of Ser-63 by alanine by in vitro mutagenesis resulted in a ten times less efficient phosphorylation of stathmin by PKA which occurred solely on Ser-16, confirming that Ser-63 is the major target of this kinase. Replacement of Ser-25, the major site phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase in vitro and in vivo, by the charged amino acid glutamic acid reproduced, in conjunction with the phosphorylation of Ser-16 by PKA, the mobility shift on SDS/polyacrylamide gels induced by the phosphorylation of Ser-25. This result strongly suggests that glutamic acid in position 25 is able to mimic the putative interactions of phosphoserine-25 with phosphoserine-16, as well as the resulting conformational changes that are probably also related to the functional regulation of stathmin.
Investigation of the nature of the two metal-binding sites in 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase from Escherichia coli
Authors: Spencer P , Jordan P M
Published: August 2015

Two distinct metal-binding sites, termed alpha and beta, have been characterized in 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase from Escherichia coli. The alpha-site binds a Zn2+ ion that is essential for catalytic activity. This site can also utilize other metal ions able to function as a Lewis acid in the reaction mechanism, such as Mg2+ or Co2+. The beta-site is exclusively a transition-metal-ion-binding site thought to be involved in protein conformation, although a metal bound at this site only appears to be essential for activity if Mg2+ is to be bound at the alpha-site. The alpha- and beta-sites may be distinguished from one another by their different abilities to bind divalent-metal ions at different pH values. The occupancy of the beta-site with Zn2+ results in a decrease of protein fluorescence at pH 6. Occupancy of the alpha- and beta-sites with Co2+ results in u.v.-visible spectral changes. Spectroscopic studies with Co2+ have tentatively identified three cysteine residues at the beta-site and one at the alpha-site. Reaction with N-ethyl[14C]maleimide preferentially labels cysteine-130 at the alpha-site when Co2+ occupies the beta-site.
The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is localized on specialized sub-regions of the endoplasmic reticulum in rat liver
Authors: Lièvremont J P , Hill A M , Hilly M , Mauger J P
Published: August 2015

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) is involved in the mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular non-mitochondrial stores. In rat liver, it has been shown that the InsP3-binding site co-purifies with the plasma membrane. This suggests that in the liver the InsP3 receptor (InsP3R) associates with plasma membrane. We studied the subcellular distribution of the liver InsP3R by measuring the maximal binding capacity of [3H]InsP3 and using antibodies against the 14 C-terminal residues of the type 1 InsP3R. The antibodies recognized a large amount of an InsP3R protein of 260 kDa in a membrane fraction which is also enriched with [3H]InsP3-binding sites and with markers of the basal, the lateral and the bile-canalicular membrane and the plasma-membrane Ca2+ pump (PMCA). The fractions enriched in markers of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Ca2+ pump of the ER (SERCA2b) contained low levels of InsP3 receptors. The immunofluorescent labelling of cultured hepatocytes with anti-InsP3R antibodies indicated that the receptor is concentrated in the perinuclear area and in some regions near the plasma membrane. The fraction enriched with InsP3R is also contaminated with markers of the ER and with SERCA2b. It was exposed to alkaline medium (pH 10.5) to extract endogenous actin and membrane-associated proteins before being subfractionated by Percoll-gradient centrifugation. The alkaline treatment allowed partial separation of the markers of the ER from the markers of the plasma membrane. The InsP3R was recovered in the heavy subfraction, which was also enriched with markers for the ER and with the SERCA2b and contained low levels of markers of the plasma membrane. These data indicate that the InsP3R is neither localized on the plasma membrane itself nor homogeneously distributed on the ER membrane. This supports the view that part of the receptor is localized on a specialized sub-region of the ER which interacts with the plasma membrane.
Reconstitution of proteolipid protein: some properties and its role in interlamellar attachment
Authors: ter Beest M B A , Hoekstra K , Sein A , Hoekstra D
Published: August 2015

Proteolipid apoprotein (PLP) isolated from human brain was reconstituted in dioleoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles by dialysis from 2-chloroethanol, using a dialysis buffer of pH 5.0. Under these conditions, and in contrast with dialysis carried out at pH 7.4, well-defined unilamellar vesicles containing the protein were formed. As judged by electron microscopy and quasi-elastic light scattering, the size of the vesicles was determined by the initial protein/lipid ratio used for reconstitution. When the vesicles were incubated in a buffer at neutral pH, aggregation of the vesicles was observed, but their structure remained intact. Asymmetric aggregation occurred when the reconstituted vesicles were incubated with large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) devoid of protein. This aggregation was accompanied by loss of membrane integrity, as revealed by extensive leakage of the LUVs, and by membrane lipid dilution, indicative of the occurrence of membrane fusion. Destabilization of the vesicles depended on the presence of negatively charged phosphatidylserine in the membrane of the LUVs. Similar effects, but to a lesser extent, were seen when the LUVs contained sulphatide, a negatively charged lipid prominently present in myelin. DM 20, a natural mutant of PLP, appeared to be far less potent in causing membrane lipid dilution than PLP. This could suggest that a distinct protein sequence of PLP, which is absent from DM 20, may be involved in triggering the observed membrane destabilization. Temperature-dependent experiments indicate that this sequence in PLP displays dynamic properties, its exposure being affected by conformational criteria. Exposure of this particular domain, in conjunction with its affinity for negatively charged lipid, could be related to a perturbation of the integrity of the myelin sheath, as will be discussed.
Differences in methotrexate and 7-hydroxymethotrexate inhibition of folate-dependent enzymes of purine nucleotide biosynthesis
Authors: Baggott J E , Morgan S L , Vaughn W H
Published: August 2015

7-Hydroxymethotrexate (7-OH-MTX) is the major and, frequently the only, pteridine metabolite found in bone-marrow aspirates of patients chronically treated with low-dose oral methotrexate (MTX) [Sonneveld, Schultz, Nooter and Hahlen (1986) Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 18, 111-116]. The Ki values for MTX and 7-OH-MTX for avian liver 5-amino-imidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase differ by 4.5-fold in favour of 7-OH-MTX as the better inhibitor, while Ki values for avian liver glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase differ by 1.9-fold favouring MTX as the better inhibitor. Thus 7-OH-MTX possesses a different enzyme-inhibiting repertoire from its parent drug and this information may be useful in explaining the mechanism of action of low-dose MTX therapies used to treat autoimmune disease.
Evidence against direct involvement of phosphorylation in the activation of carnitine palmitoyltransferase by okadaic acid in rat hepatocytes
Authors: Guzman M , Kolodziej M P , Caldwell A , Corstorphine C G , Zammit V A
Published: August 2015

The mechanism of activation of mitochondrial overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT I) by treatment of hepatocytes with okadaic acid (OA) was investigated. Activation was observed when cells were permeabilized with digitonin, but not when a total membrane fraction was obtained by sonication. Both cell disruption methods preserved the activation of phosphorylase observed in OA-treated hepatocytes. Activation of CPT I was also observed in crude homogenates of OA-treated hepatocytes, but it was lost upon subsequent isolation of mitochondria from such homogenates. In all experiments, any activation observed did not depend on the presence or absence of fluoride ions in the permeabilization/homogenization media. When hepatocytes were permeabilized in the absence of fluoride and further incubated with exogenous phosphatases 1 and 2A, the OA-induced activation of CPT was not reversed, whereas the activation of glycogen phosphorylase in the same cells was rapidly reversed. Treatment of hepatocytes with OA, followed by permeabilization and incubation before assay of CPT I, demonstrated that OA had no short-term effect on the sensitivity of CPT I to malonyl-CoA, although the difference in sensitivity between cells isolated from fed and starved rats was fully preserved. Incubation of isolated mitochondria or purified mitochondrial outer membranes with cyclic AMP-dependent or AMP-activated protein kinases, under phosphorylating conditions, did not affect the activity of CPT I or its sensitivity to malonyl-CoA inhibition. Under the same conditions, the use of [32P]ATP resulted in the labelling of several outer-membrane proteins but, unlike [3H]etomoxir-labelled CPT I, none of them was specifically removed from membrane extracts by a specific polyclonal antibody to the enzyme. We conclude that the increase in overt CPT activity observed in permeabilized hepatocytes is not due to direct phosphorylation of CPT I, but may involve interactions between the mitochondrial outer membrane and other membranous or soluble cytosolic components of the cell.
The catalytic role of aspartate in the active site of glutamate dehydrogenase
Authors: Dean J L E , Wang X G , Teller J K , Waugh M L , Britton K L , Baker P J , Stillman T J , Martin S R , Rice D W , Engel P C
Published: August 2015

A putative catalytic aspartyl residue, Asp-165, in the active site of clostridial glutamate dehydrogenase has been replaced with serine by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant enzyme is efficiently overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble protein and can be successfully purified by the dye-ligand chromatographic procedure normally employed for the wild-type enzyme. By several criteria, including circular dichroism spectrum, sulphydryl reactivity with Ellman's reagent, crystallization and mobility in non-denaturing electrophoresis, the enzyme appears to be correctly folded. NAD+ protects the D165S mutant against modification by Ellman's reagent, suggesting unimpaired binding of coenzyme. In standard assays the specific activity is decreased 10(3)-fold in the reductive amination reaction and 10(5)-fold for oxidative deamination. Kinetic studies show that apparent Km values for NADH and 2-oxoglutarate are almost unchanged. The large reduction in the reaction rate coincides with a weakening of the affinity for ammonium ion (Km > 300 mM, compared with 60 mM for the wild-type). The data are entirely consistent with the direct involvement of D165 in catalysis rather than in the binding of coenzyme or 2-oxoglutarate.
The chicken retinoid-X-receptor-γ gene gives rise to two distinct species of mRNA with different patterns of expression
Authors: Seleiro E A P , Darling D , Brickell P M
Published: August 2015

Retinoids are metabolites of vitamin A that can regulate gene expression in a range of embryonic and adult cell types. They do this by binding to nuclear receptors belonging to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors. Vertebrates possess two classes of nuclear retinoid-receptor genes, each with three members. These are the RAR-alpha, RAR-beta and RAR-gamma genes and the RXR-alpha, RXR-beta and RXR-gamma genes. In this paper we show by cDNA cloning and ribonuclease protection that the chicken RXR-gamma gene gives rise to two mRNA species (RXR-gamma 1 and RXR-gamma 2) that differ at their 5′ ends. The two mRNAs have different tissue distributions in the 10-day-old chick embryo. RXR-gamma 2 mRNA was present in the eye and dorsal root ganglia but was undetectable in the liver. In contrast, RXR-gamma 1 mRNA was present in liver, was undetectable in dorsal root ganglia and was just detectable in the eye, where it was much less abundant than RXR-gamma 2 mRNA. The predicted protein products of the RXR-gamma 1 and RXR-gamma 2 mRNAs differ at their N-termini, in a region thought to modulate transcriptional transactivation by the receptor. These results show that at least one of the retinoid-X-receptor (RXR) genes gives rise to more than one protein product, a principle previously established for the retinoic acid-receptor (RAR) genes. The existence of multiple RXR protein isoforms would increase the range of heterodimers formed between RXRs and other nuclear receptors, including RARs and the receptors for thyroid hormone, vitamin D and peroxisome proliferators. This could increase the diversity of transcriptional responses mediated by these molecules.
Uptake of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors by macrophage RAW 264.7 cells
Authors: Schmidt K , Klatt P , Mayer B
Published: August 2015

Uptake of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors NG-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMA) and NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) by macrophages is mediated by two different mechanisms. Activation of the cells with cytokines resulted in an up-regulation of L-NMA uptake but did not affect L-NNA transport. Characterization of the transport sites revealed that uptake of L-NMA is mediated by a cationic amino acid transporter (system y+) whereas a neutral amino acid transporter (system L) accounts for the uptake of L-NNA.
Platelet-derived growth factor A-chain gene transcription is mediated by positive and negative regulatory regions in the promoter
Authors: Kaetzel D M , Maul R S , Liu B , Bonthron D , Fenstermaker R A , Coyne D W
Published: August 2015

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a disulphide-linked heterodimer of two polypeptide chains, the A and B chains, which are encoded by genes on separate chromosomes. The A-chain gene is transcribed in a number of transformed and non-transformed cell lines and is inducible by a wide variety of growth factors, cytokines and other mitogenic agonists. To localize DNA elements that mediate basal transcription in the promoter regulatory region of the A-chain gene, we have employed 5′-endpoint deletion mutagenesis and transient expression analysis in the renal epithelial cell line BSC-1 (African green monkey). Studies conducted in this cell line, which expresses high concentrations of PDGF A-chain mRNA, reveal a positive regulatory element (PRE) in a GC-rich stretch of the A-chain promoter between -82 and -40, relative to the transcription start site. Two discrete regions of the promoter were identified as negative regulatory elements (NREs), located between -1029 and -880 (NRE1) and between -1800 and -1029 (NRE2). The -1800 to -812 region, which contains both NREs, functions as a potent NRE when relocated in either orientation adjacent to the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, reducing transcription activity by 60% in the positive orientation and 85% in the negative orientation. Comparison of BSC-1 cells and Saos-2 cells (human osteogenic sarcoma), which do not express significant quantities of PDGF A-chain mRNA or protein, indicates that basal transcription of the gene is determined by enhancer activity mediated by the GC-rich region rather than through de-repression of the upstream NREs. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays reveal a complex pattern of nuclear protein binding to the GC-rich PRE (-73 to -46). Competition studies conducted with mutant oligonucleotides that alternately disrupt consensus binding sites for Sp-1 or Egr-1 demonstrate a requirement for the presence of an Sp1-like core sequence (GGCGGG) but not Egr-1/Krox-24 [GCG(G/T)-GGGCG] for the formation of specific DNA-protein complexes. Our observations suggest that basal transcription of the A-chain gene in renal epithelial cells is achieved through active enhancement, mediated by a GC-rich PRE and nuclear proteins that bind to Sp-1-like consensus DNA sequences.
The mechanism of action of dd-peptidases: the role of Threonine-299 and -301 in the Streptomyces R61 dd-peptidase
Authors: Wilkin J M , Dubus A , Joris B , Frère J M
Published: August 2015

The side chains of residues Thr299 and Thr301 in the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase have been modified by site-directed mutagenesis. These amino acids are part of a beta-strand which forms a wall of the active-site cavity. Thr299 corresponds to the second residue of the Lys-Thr(Ser)-Gly triad, highly conserved in active-site beta-lactamases and penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Modification of Thr301 resulted only in minor alterations of the catalytic and penicillin-binding properties of the enzyme. No selective decrease of the rate of acylation was observed for any particular class of compounds. By contrast, the loss of the hydroxy group of the residue in position 299 yielded a seriously impaired enzyme. The rates of inactivation by penicillins were decreased 30-50-fold, whereas the reactions with cephalosporins were even more affected. The efficiency of hydrolysis against the peptide substrate was also seriously decreased. More surprisingly, the mutant was completely unable to catalyse transpeptidation reactions. The conservation of an hydroxylated residue in this position in PBPs is thus easily explained by these results.
Activation of human complement serine-proteinase C1r is down-regulated by a Ca2+-dependent intramolecular control that is released in the C1 complex through a signal transmitted by C1q
Authors: Thielens N M , Illy C , Bally I M , Arlaud G J
Published: August 2015

The activation of human C1, a Ca(2+)-dependent complex proteinase comprising a non-enzymic protein, C1q, and two serine proteinases, C1r and C1s, is based primarily on the intrinsic property of C1r to autoactivate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of C1r autoactivation, with particular attention to the role of Ca2+ ions. Spontaneous activation of proenzyme C1r was observed upon incubation in the presence of EDTA, whereas Ca2+ ions reduced markedly the activation process. Several lines of evidence indicated that Ca2+ inhibited the intramolecular activation reaction but had little or no effect on the intermolecular activation reaction. C1q caused partial release of this inhibitory effect of Ca2+. Complete stabilization of C1r in its proenzyme form was obtained upon incorporation within the Ca(2+)-dependent C1s-C1r-C1r-C1s tetramer, and a comparable effect was observed when C1s was replaced by its Ca(2+)-binding alpha-fragment. Both tetramers, C1s-C1r-C1r-C1s and C1s alpha-C1r-C1r-C1s alpha, readily associated with C1q to form 16.0 S and 14.7 S complexes respectively in which C1r fully recovered its activation potential. Both complexes showed indistinguishable activation kinetics, indicating that the gamma B catalytic region of C1s plays no role in the mechanism that triggers C1r activation in C1. The collagen-like fragments of C1q retained the ability to bind to C1s-C1r-C1r-C1s, but, in contrast with intact C1q, failed to induce C1r activation in the resulting complex at temperatures above 25 degrees C. On the basis of these observations it is proposed that activation of the serine-proteinase domain of C1r is controlled by a Ca(2+)-dependent intramolecular mechanism involving the Ca(2+)-binding alpha-region, and that this control is released in C1 by a signal originating in C1q and transmitted through the C1q/C1r interface.
Fatty acid and phospholipid selectivity of different phospholipase A2 enzymes studied by using a mammalian membrane as substrate
Authors: Diez E , Chilton F H , Stroup G , Mayer R J , Winkler J D , Fonteh A N
Published: August 2015

Previous studies using phospholipid mixed vesicles have demonstrated that several types of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes exhibit different selectivity for fatty acids at the sn-2 position, for the type of chemical bond at the sn-1 position or for the phosphobase moiety at the sn-3 position of phospholipids. In the present study, we have utilized natural mammalian membranes from U937 monocytes to determine whether two purified 14 kDa PLA2 isoenzymes (Type I, Type II) and a partially purified 110 kDa PLA2 exhibit substrate selectivity for certain fatty acids or phospholipids. In these studies, arachidonic acid (AA) release from membranes was measured under conditions where the remodelling of AA mediated by CoA-independent transacylase (CoA-IT) activity has been eliminated. In agreement with the mixed-vesicle models, AA was the major unsaturated fatty acid hydrolysed from membranes by the 110 kDa PLA2, suggesting that this PLA2 is selective in releasing AA from natural membranes. By contrast, Type I and Type II PLA2s were less selective in releasing AA from phospholipids and released a variety of unsaturated fatty acids at molar ratios that were proportional to the ratios of these fatty acids in U937 microsomal membranes. Examination of AA release from phospholipid classes indicated that all three enzymes released AA from the major AA-containing phospholipid classes (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol) of U937 membranes. The 110 kDa PLA2 released AA from phospholipid subclasses in ratios that were proportional to the AA content within phospholipid classes and subclasses of U937 membranes. These data suggested that the 110 kDa PLA2 shows no preference either for the sn-1 linkage or for the sn-3 phosphobase moiety of phospholipids. By contrast, Type I and Type II PLA2s preferentially released AA from ethanolamine-containing phospholipids and appeared to prefer the 1-acyl-linked subclass. Taken together, these data indicate that the 110 kDa PLA2 selectively releases AA from U937 membranes, whereas Type I and Type II PLA2 release a variety of unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the 110 kDa PLA2 releases the same molar ratios of AA from all major phospholipid subclasses, whereas Type I and Type II PLA2s show some specificity for phosphatidylethanolamine when these enzymes are incubated with a complex mammalian membrane substrate.
Purification and characterization of an α-l-arabinofuranosidase from Streptomyces lividans 66 and DNA sequence of the gene (abfA)
Authors: Manin C , Shareek F , Morosoli R , Kluepfel D
Published: August 2015

The gene encoding an alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (abfA) was homologously cloned in Streptomyces lividans and its DNA sequence was determined. The enzyme was purified from the cytoplasm of the hyperproducing clone S. lividans IAF116. Its M(r) was estimated by gel filtration and found to be approx. 380,000. Since SDS/PAGE indicated a native protein of M(r) 69,000, it can be concluded that the native protein consists of several subunits of that size. The pI value was 4.6. The kinetic constants determined with p-nitrophenyl alpha-L-arabinofuranoside as substrate were a Vmax of 180 units/mg of protein and a Km of 0.6 mM. The specific activity of the purified enzyme on this substrate was 153 units/mg of protein. Optimal enzyme activity was obtained at 60 degrees C and pH 6.0. The enzyme cleaved p-nitrophenyl alpha-L-arabinofuranoside, but had no activity on a variety of other p-nitrophenyl glycosides, except on p-nitrophenyl beta-D-xylopyranoside. The enzyme showed no activity on oat-spelts (Avena sativa) xylan or arabinogalactan, but acted on beet (Beta) arabinan or arabinoxylan. Hydrolysis occurred on arabino-oligoxylosides obtained from oat-splets xylan after digestion with xylanases. Since S. lividans normally does not secrete arabinofuranosidase, this enzyme may play a role in the assimilation of arabinose moieties from arabinose-containing xylo-oligosaccharides generated by beta-xylosidases or xylanases.
Evidence for a role for tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ2 in collagen-induced platelet cytosolic calcium mobilization
Authors: Daniel J L , Dangelmaier C , Smith J B
Published: August 2015

(1) The non-specific protein kinase C inhibitor, staurosporine, inhibited collagen-induced increases in cytosolic free Ca2+ while having no effect on Ca2+ mobilization by other platelet agonists. A more specific inhibitor of protein kinase C, Ro 31-8220, did not inhibit collagen-induced Ca2+ mobilization. Neither drug had an effect on platelet adhesion to collagen. (2) Staurosporine inhibited collagen-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation, while Ro 31-8220 had no effect. (3) It also inhibited collagen-induced phosphatidic acid formation, inositol trisphosphate formation and arachidonic acid liberation. (4) Ro 31-8220 did not inhibit collagen-stimulated arachidonic acid formation, but it enhanced collagen-stimulated phosphatidic acid and inositol trisphosphate formation. (5) Immunoprecipitation of phospholipase C gamma 2 (PLC gamma 2) with a specific antibody demonstrated that PLC gamma 2 was phosphorylated on tyrosine after stimulation by collagen. (6) The phosphorylation of PLC gamma 2 was inhibited by staurosporine but not by Ro 31-8220. These results provide additional evidence that the mechanism of signal transduction for collagen is different from other platelet agonists and indicate that it involves activation of PLC gamma through a tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanism.
Rapid and efficient purification of Src homology 2 domain-containing proteins: Fyn, Csk and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85
Authors: Koegl M , Kypta R M , Bergman M , Alitalo K , Courtneidge S A
Published: August 2015

To analyse the regulation of Src family tyrosine kinases in vitro, we have purified Fyn and Csk, a kinase capable of regulating Fyn activity by phosphorylation, from baculovirus-infected insect cells. The proteins were purified by affinity purification over a phosphotyrosine column. Highly purified proteins were eluted from the resin by a salt gradient and further purified by ion-exchange chromatography. This purification scheme was successfully applied to a third, unrelated protein that also contains the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, namely the 85 kDa subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, indicating that this method is versatile and should prove applicable to any protein with an accessible SH2 domain. The binding of Csk to different phosphopeptides was tested, and specificity for the autophosphorylation site of Fyn was demonstrated. Pure Csk was used to phosphorylate Fyn and down-regulate its kinase activity, and the kinetic parameters of both the active and the repressed forms of Fyn were determined. Repression of Fyn activity by Csk reduced binding of Fyn to phosphopeptides to undetectable levels, supporting the model that predicts an intramolecular interaction of the Fyn SH2 domain with a C-terminal phosphotyrosine residue.
Purification and characterization of an oxygen-stable form of dinitrogenase reductase-activating glycohydrolase from Rhodospirillum rubrum
Authors: Nielsen G M , Bao Y , Roberts G P , Ludden P W
Published: August 2015

Dinitrogenase reductase-activating glycohydrolase (DRAG) is responsible for removing the ADP-ribose moiety from post-translationally inactivated nitrogenase of Rhodospirillum rubrum. Using DRAG purified from an overexpressing strain (UR276), further properties of this enzyme were studied, including its u.v.-visible and fluorescence spectra and its stability in air. DRAG appears to require no covalently bound inorganic cofactors for its activity or regulation. Previously, purified DRAG was found to be rapidly inactivated in air. The air-catalysed lability originated with the presence of sodium dithionite and Mn2+ throughout the purification of the enzyme. This lability can be mimicked using H2O2, which is known to oxidatively inactivate proteins containing bivalent metals. Implications for the regulation of nitrogenase are discussed with respect to the lack of sensitivity to air of the regulatory enzyme, DRAG.
Expression of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase in sheep is regulated at the RNA level
Authors: Lacey S W , Naim H Y , Magness R R , Gething M J , Sambrook J F
Published: August 2015

Lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) is expressed on the intestinal brush border and is responsible for the hydrolysis of lactose, the chief sugar in mammalian milk. The enzyme activity of LPH peaks soon after birth in most mammals and declines to much lower levels before adolescence. The molecular basis of this pattern of expression has not been clearly established. We have measured relative amounts of LPH mRNA in intestine from sheep with ages across a developmental spectrum, including third trimester fetal lambs, newborn lambs and adult sheep. LPH mRNA levels in the jejunum decline approximately 50-fold between infancy and adulthood, in parallel with the reduction in both lactase specific activity and immunologically reactive lactase protein expression in sheep jejunum. LPH mRNA is present in high concentration in the duodenum of newborn lambs, but steadily declines by day 34 and is dramatically reduced in adults. Because the changes in LPH mRNA, protein, and enzymic activity are generally parallel, we conclude that the developmental regulation of LPH in sheep is probably mediated primarily at the mRNA level.
Cloning and characterization of the human osteopontin gene and its promoter
Authors: Hijiya N , Setoguchi M , Matsuura K , Higuchi Y , Akizuki S , Yamamoto S
Published: August 2015

We isolated the human osteopontin (hOP) gene and the 5′ upstream region, and analysed its exon-intron structure and potential regulatory sequences of the promoter region in comparison with those of the mouse and porcine gene. The coding sequence is split into 7 exons which are similar to those of the mouse gene, although the hOP gene is longer than the mouse gene. The difference in length is mainly due to variations in intron 3, which is approximately 2.7-fold longer than that of the mouse OP gene. The 5′ upstream region of the hOP, which is highly conserved up to nucleotide -250, contains a number of potential cis regulatory consensus sequences. A series of sequentially 5′-deleted chimeric clones was tested for the ability to stimulate chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Initial CAT analysis demonstrated that nucleotides at positions -474 to -270, -124 to -80, and -55 to -39 contained cis-acting enhancing sequences in a human monocyte cell line, SCC-3, although the -124 to -80 region was much more active than other regions. Deletion of the sequences between -474 and -270 localized this cis region to the sequence at positions -439 to -410, whereas the deletion between -124 to -80 localized the regions to -124 to -115, and -94 to -80. Gel-shift analysis using as probes synthesized double-stranded DNA corresponding to the 10 and 15 bp region at positions -124 to -115 and -94 to -80 respectively revealed that each probe formed a major band complexed with nuclear proteins prepared from SCC-3 cells.
Analysis of glucocerebrosidase activity using N-(1-[14C]hexanoyl)-d-erythro-glucosylsphingosine demonstrates a correlation between levels of residual enzyme activity and the type of Gaucher disease
Authors: Meivar-Levy I , Horowitz M , Futerman A H
Published: August 2015

Glucosylceramide, a degradation product of complex glycosphingolipids, is hydrolysed in lysosomes by glucocerebrosidase (GlcCerase). Mutations in the human GlcCerase gene cause a reduction in GlcCerase activity and accumulation of glucosylceramide, which results in the onset of Gaucher disease, the most common lysosomal storage disease. Significant clinical heterogeneity is observed in Gaucher disease, with three main types known, but no clear correlation has been reported between the different types and levels of residual GlcCerase activity. We now demonstrate that a correlation exists by using a radioactive, short-acyl chain substrate, N-(1-[14C]hexanoyl)-D-erythro-glucosylsphingosine ([14C]hexanoyl-GlcCer). This substrate rapidly transferred into biological membranes in the absence of detergent [Futerman and Pagano (1991) Biochem. J. 280, 295-302] and was hydrolyzed to N-(1-[14C]hexanoyl)-D-erythro-sphingosine ([14C]hexanoyl-Cer) both in vitro and in situ, with an acid pH optimum. A strict correlation was observed between levels of [14C]hexanoyl-GlcCer hydrolysis and Gaucher type in human skin fibroblasts. The mean residual activity measured in vitro for 3 h incubation in type 1 Gaucher fibroblasts (the mild form of the disease) was 46.3 +/- 4.6 nmol of [14C]hexanoyl-Cer formed per mg protein (n = 9), and in type 2 and 3 fibroblasts (the neuronopathic forms of the disease) was 19.6 +/- 6.5 (n = 9). A similar correlation was observed when activity was measured in situ, suggesting that the clinical severity of a lysosomal storage disease is related to levels of residual enzyme activity.
Regulation of glycosylation of Lamp-1 in the bovine renal epithelial cell line NBL-1 by changes in the concentration of extracellular phosphate
Authors: Helps C R , McGivan J D
Published: August 2015

We have identified the bovine renal homologue of Lamp-1 (lysosomal-associated membrane glycoprotein 1). It has very similar physical characteristics to other Lamp-1 proteins from a wide variety of tissues and species. Partial sequence analysis has shown it to be 61% identical with human Lamp-1 and about 50% identical with rat and mouse Lamp-1. The extent of glycosylation of bovine Lamp-1 alters in response to changes in the concentration of extracellular phosphate. Bovine renal epithelial cells (NBL-1) grown in normal or phosphate-starved medium contain Lamp-1 of 120 kDa. However, if cells are grown in medium containing 8-10 mM phosphate, they contain Lamp-1 of only 100 kDa. The core protein and mRNA levels have been shown to remain constant under both conditions. Therefore the only conclusion is that the extent of Lamp-1 glycosylation must be changing in response to the extracellular concentration of phosphate. Unlike Carlsson and Fukuda [(1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 20488-20495], who showed that the human Lamp-1 protein contained polylactosaminoglycan residues, we have been unable to demonstrate the partial deglycosylation of bovine Lamp-1 by endo-beta-galactosidase. This enzyme removes polylactosaminoglycan groups from glycoproteins, and therefore indicates that the carbohydrate structure of bovine Lamp-1 is probably different from that of other Lamp-1 proteins. At present the physiological importance of bovine renal Lamp-1 and the changes in its extent of glycosylation are unknown. In this paper we postulate that Lamp-1 may be involved in the cycling of plasma-membrane proteins to the lysosome. This is based on the finding that the only other known effect of high extracellular phosphate on NBL-1 cells is to cause a decrease in the Vmax. of plasma-membrane-associated Na(+)-dependent phosphate transport [Helps and McGivan (1991) Eur. J. Biochem. 200, 797-803].
Activation of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane dipeptidase upon release from pig kidney membranes by phospholipase C
Authors: Brewis I A , Turner A J , Hooper N M
Published: August 2015

Incubation of pig kidney microvillar membranes with Bacillus thuringiensis or Staphylococcus aureus phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) resulted in the release of a number of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored hydrolases, including alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1), amino-peptidase P (EC 3.4.11.9), membrane dipeptidase (EC 3.4.13.19), 5′-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) and trehalase (EC 3.2.1.28). Of these five ectoenzymes only for membrane dipeptidase was there a significant (approx. 100%) increase in enzymic activity upon release from the membrane. Maximal activation occurred at a PI-PLC concentration 10-fold less than that required for maximal release. In contrast solubilization of the membranes with n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside had no effect on the enzymic activity of membrane dipeptidase. A competitive e.l.i.s.a. with a polyclonal antiserum to membrane dipeptidase indicated that the increase in enzymic activity was not due to an increase in the amount of membrane dipeptidase protein. Although PI-PLC cleaved the GPI anchor of the affinity-purified amphipathic form of pig membrane dipeptidase there was no concurrent increase in enzymic activity. In the absence of PI-PLC, membrane dipeptidase in the microvillar membranes hydrolysed Gly-D-Phe with a Km of 0.77 mM and a Vmax. of 602 nmol/min per mg of protein. However, in the presence of a concentration of PI-PLC which caused maximal release from the membrane and maximal activation of membrane dipeptidase the Km was decreased to 0.07 mM while the Vmax. remained essentially unchanged at 624 nmol/min per mg of protein. Overall these results suggest that cleavage by PI-PLC of the GPI anchor on membrane dipeptidase may relax conformational constraints on the active site of the enzyme which exist when it is anchored in the lipid bilayer, thus resulting in an increase in the affinity of the active site for substrate.