bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biologically active monomeric and heterodimeric recombinant human calpain I produced using the baculovirus expression system
Authors: MEYER Sheryl L. , BOZYCZKO-COYNE Donna , MALLYA Satish K. , SPAIS Chrysanthe M. , BIHOVSKY Ron , KAWOOYA John K. , LANG Diane M. , SCOTT Richard W. , SIMAN Robert
Published: August 2015

Calpain I is a heterodimeric protein that is part of a family of calcium-activated intracellular cysteine proteases presumed to play a role in mediating signals transduced by calcium. Expression of bioactive recombinant human calpain I has been achieved using the baculovirus expression system, by either co-infection with two viruses, each expressing one of the subunits, or infection with a single virus containing both subunits. The ~80 kDa catalytic subunit exhibited calcium-dependent proteolytic activity when expressed alone or with the ~30 kDa regulatory subunit. Baculoviral recombinant calpain I appeared fully active in that the catalytic subunit in unpurified cell extracts exhibited calcium-dependent autocatalytic cleavage at the correct locus. The amount of ~80 kDa subunit accumulated at steady state was greatly increased by co-expression of the ~30 kDa subunit, suggesting a possible role for enzyme stabilization by the latter subunit. The recombinant human calpain I was purified to near homogeneity and compared with purified native human erythrocyte calpain I. The recombinant and native enzymes had equivalent inhibition constants for structurally diverse calpain inhibitors, identical calcium activation profiles, and similar specific activities, demonstrating the suitability of using the recombinant protein for studies of the native enzyme.
Structural and functional analysis of the globular domain IVa of the laminin α1 chain and its impact on an adjacent RGD site
Authors: SCHULZE Bettina , MANN Karlheinz , PÖSCHL Ernst , YAMADA Yoshihiko , TIMPL Rupert
Published: August 2015

The globular domain IVa (about 250 residues) of the laminin α1 chain was obtained in recombinant form from mammalian cell clones. It was prepared either with (α1IVa-R) or without (α1IVa) an adjacent cell-adhesive RGD site which seems to be masked in laminin-1. The recombinant products could be visualized as globular structures by rotary shadowing, were resistant to trypsin and shared immunological epitopes with laminin-1, indicating folding into a native structure. Sequence analysis of pepsin fragments demonstrated the insertion of the globular domain into an epidermal growth factor-like scaffold which is characteristic of the extracellular laminin domain IV (L4) module. Only little immunological cross-reaction was found, however, with other L4 modules from perlecan and different laminin isoforms. Fragment α1IVa-R, but not fragment α1IVa, bound to αVβ3 integrin, although to a distinctly lower level than a laminin fragment where the RGD site is fully exposed. The fragments also had no or only little cell attachment activity. This confirmed previous predictions that the globular domain α1IVa masks the RGD site in laminin-1. Domain α1IVa showed, in addition, a weak binding activity for the basement-membrane protein fibulin-1.
Oyxsterols induce membrane procoagulant activity in monocytic THP-1 cells
Authors: AUPEIX Karine , TOTI Florence , SATTA Nathalie , BISCHOFF Pierre , FREYSSINET Jean-Marie
Published: August 2015

Oxidized cholesterol compounds or oxysterols are thought to be potent membrane-destabilizing agents. Anionic phospholipids, chiefly phosphatidylserine, have a procoagulant potential due to their ability to favour the membrane assembly of the characteristic clotting enzyme complexes including the tissue factor-dependent initiating complex. However, in resting cells, phosphatidylserine is sequestered in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. When THP-1 monocytic cells were cultured in the presence of 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7β-OH) or 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OH), prothrombinase, which reflects anionic phospholipid exposure and tissue factor (TF) procoagulant activities, increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner. 7β-OH appeared 1.5- to 2-fold more potent than 25-OH. Interestingly, no effect of cholesterol itself could be detected on procoagulant activities. Nevertheless, no difference in TF activity could be detected between oxysterol-treated and control cells after disruption. TF antigen expression was the same in oxysterol-treated and control cells as shown by flow cytometry. In contrast, the use of labelled annexin V, a protein probe of anionic phospholipids, revealed an elevated number of cells with exposed phosphatidylserine. Because the latter also constitutes a signal for phagocyte recognition of apoptotic cells and fragments, and a proportion of cells displayed altered morphology with condensed chromatin and membrane blebs, analysis of DNA was performed and indicated apoptosis in oxysterol-treated cells. Hence, oxysterol-induced phosphatidylserine exposure and enhanced TF activity may result from apoptosis. These results suggest relationships between oxysterol and the amplification of coagulation reactions by monocytic cells resulting from induced phosphatidylserine exposure.
α and β isoforms of ryanodine receptor from chicken skeletal muscle are the homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3
Authors: OTTINI Laura , MARZIALI Giovanna , CONTI Antonio , CHARLESWORTH Alexandra , SORRENTINO Vincenzo
Published: August 2015

To define the relationship between the two ryanodine receptor (RyR) isoforms present in chicken skeletal muscle, we cloned two groups of cDNAs encoding the chicken homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3. Equivalent amounts of the two chicken isoform mRNAs were detected in thigh and pectoral skeletal muscles. RyR1 and RyR3 mRNAs were co-expressed in testis and cerebellum whereas RyR3 mRNA was expressed also in cerebrum and heart. The full-length sequence of the chicken RyR3 cDNA was established. The RyR3 receptor from chicken had the same general structure as mammalian and amphibian RyRs. The 15089 nt cDNA encoded a 4869-amino-acid-long protein with a molecular mass of 552445. The predicted amino acid sequence of the chicken RyR3 showed 86.9% identity to mammalian RyR3 and 85.6% to frog RyR3. Antibodies specific for chicken RyR1 and RyR3 recognized two different proteins with an apparent molecular mass of about 500 kDa. The two proteins differ slightly in their apparent molecular mass on SDS/PAGE: the protein recognized by antibodies against RyR3 had a higher mobility than the protein recognized by the antiserum against RyR1. Antibodies against RyR1 detected a protein already present in chicken skeletal muscle from 12-day-old embryos and older, while antibodies against RyR3 isoform detected a protein in muscle from only 18-day-old embryos and older. The expression patterns of RyR1 and RyR3 superimpose with those previously reported for the α and the β isoforms respectively. We conclude that α and β isoforms present in chicken skeletal muscle are the homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3.
Efficient catalysis by β-lactamase from Staphylococcus aureus PC1 accompanied by accumulation of an acyl-enzyme
Authors: QI Xiaolin , VIRDEN Richard
Published: August 2015

The pH- and temperature-dependence of steady-state kinetic parameters for 6-β-(2-furyl)-acryloylamido-penicillanic acid showed it to be a good substrate of staphylococcal PC1 β-lactamase, and the viscosity-dependence of Km/kcat indicated that steps up to the formation of the acyl-enzyme were partially diffusion-limited. In the pH range 4–9, a pre-steady-state transient blue shift in the UV absorption spectrum of the bound furyl-acryloylamido chromophore was of constant amplitude and decayed to the spectrum of the product with a first-order rate constant equal to kcat. The spectrum of the isolated denatured acyl-enzyme was similar to that of the methyl ester of furyl-acryloylpenicilloic acid, pointing to non-covalent interactions with the folded protein, possibly associated with the charge on Glu-166, as the source of the blue-shifted spectrum. Taken together, these results point to a rapid acylation and slower deacylation at Ser-70 and imply that ionization of groups affecting enzyme activity at alkaline pH, for which likely candidates are Lys-73 and Lys-234, affect the rate of deacylation.
Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) formation by 4-hydroxynonenal in primary cultures of rabbit synovial fibroblasts
Authors: ULLRICH Oliver , SIEMS Werner G. , LEHMANN Kerstin , HUSER Hans , EHRLICH Wilhelm , GRUNE Tilman
Published: August 2015

The formation of poly(ADP-ribose) in primary cultures of rabbit synovial fibroblasts after treatment with active oxygen released by xanthine/xanthine oxidase is inhibited by addition of 1 and 10 μM 4-hydroxy-2,3-trans-nonenal (HNE). The endogenous formation of HNE by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system is not responsible for the inhibitory effect of the aldehyde, owing to the low accumulation rate of the lipid peroxidation product in the system used. HNE is able to inhibit the isolated nuclear enzyme ADP-ribosyltransferase, as shown by an in vitro assay with an Ki of 4 μmol/litre. Therefore the molecular basis of HNE-mediated effects on cell proliferation, differentiation and transformation might be due to the inhibitory effect of poly(ADP-ribos)ylation.
Differential distribution of ryanodine receptor type 3 (RyR3) gene product in mammalian skeletal muscles
Authors: CONTI Antonio , GORZA L. , SORRENTINO Vincenzo
Published: August 2015

Activation of intracellular Ca2+-release channels/ryanodine receptors (RyRs) is a fundamental step in the regulation of muscle contraction. In mammalian skeletal muscle, Ca2+-release channels containing the type 1 isoform of RyR (RyR1) open to release Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) upon stimulation by the voltage-activated dihydropyridine receptor on the T-tubule/plasma membrane. In addition to RyR1, low levels of the mRNA of the RyR3 isoform have been recently detected in mammalian skeletal muscles. Here we report data on the distribution of the RyR3 gene product in mammalian skeletal muscles. Western-blot analysis of SR of individual muscles indicated that, at variance with the even distribution of the RyR1 isoform, the RyR3 content varies among different muscles, with relatively higher amounts being detected in diaphragm and soleus, and lower levels in abdominal muscles and tibialis anterior. In these muscles RyR3 was localized in the terminal cisternae of the SR. No detectable levels of RyR3 were observed in the extensor digitorum longus. Preferential high content of RyR3 in the diaphragm muscle was observed in several mammalian species. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that RyR3 transcripts are not restricted to a specific subset of skeletal-muscle fibres. Differential utilization of the RyR3 isoform in skeletal muscle may be relevant to the modulation of Ca2+ release with respect to specific muscle-contraction properties.
A comparison of nitrophenyl esters and lactones as substrates of cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase
Authors: KITSON Trevor M. , KITSON Kathryn E.
Published: August 2015

1. p-Nitrophenyl (PNP) acetate and propionate show a burst of p-nitrophenoxide release when their hydrolysis is catalysed by sheep liver cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase. This is not seen in the presence of NAD+ or NADH, implying a change in rate-determining step. 2. 6-Nitrodihydrocoumarin (6-NDC) shows no burst of absorbance in the visible region. We propose that the pKa of the transient ‘reporter group’ produced during the hydrolysis of this lactone is high (approx. 10) and that the incipient covalently linked p-nitrophenoxide moiety is protonated immediately on formation. The small burst seen in the hydrolysis of 5-nitro-2-coumaranone (5-NC) suggests that the pKa of its reporter group is about 8.5. 3. NADH markedly enhances the steady-state rate with the lactones. 5-NC shows a large rapid burst of colour development in the presence of NADH; this implies that NADH decreases the pKa of the reporter group to 7–7.5. 4. In the presence of NAD+, 5-NC and 6-NDC give an unusual ‘negative burst’ in the stopped-flow traces. We propose that, under these circumstances, acylation of the enzyme is extremely fast and that the first event seen in the stopped-flow traces is protonation of the reporter group. NAD+ also greatly increases the steady-state rate. 5. With the lactones in the presence of NADH, the kcat value (nearly 6 s-1), a measure of the deacylation rate, is compatible with the single-site model for dehydrogenase and esterase activities.
Apolipoprotein J and Alzheimer's amyloid β solubility
Authors: MATSUBARA Etsuro , SOTO Claudio , GOVERNALE Sam , FRANGIONE Blas , GHISO Jorge
Published: August 2015

Apolipoprotein J (apoJ) has been found associated with soluble amyloid β (sAβ) in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in normal individuals and co-deposited with fibrillar Aβ in Alzheimer's cerebrovascular and parenchymal lesions. Although studies in vitro and in vivo indicate that apoJ is a major carrier protein for sAβ, its role in the fibrillogenesis process is not known. We report herein that apoJ in its native high-density lipoprotein lipidic environment is fully active to interact with Aβ peptides. Furthermore, apoJ prevents aggregation and polymerization of synthetic Aβ in vitro. The interaction was stable for at least 14 days at 37 °C in physiologic buffers, and the peptide retrieved after complex dissociation at low pH retained its inherent aggregation properties. In addition, the binding to apoJ protects synthetic Aβ from proteolytic degradation; both Aβ1–42 and Aβ1–40 were more resistant to proteolysis by trypsin and chymotrypsin when complexed to apoJ. The data suggest that the interaction may preclude sAβ aggregation in biological fluids and point to a protecting role of apoJ for complexed Aβ species.
An H+-ATPase regulates cytoplasmic pH in Pneumocystis carinii trophozoites
Authors: DOCAMPO Roberto , VANDERHEYDEN Nicole M. J. , SHAW Margaret M. , DURANT Pamela J. , BARTLETT Marilyn S. , SMITH James W. , McLAUGHLIN Gerald L.
Published: August 2015

Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic fungus which causes interstitial pneumonia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cytoplasmic pH (pHi) regulation in short-term-cultured P. carinii trophozoites was studied using the fluorescent dye 2´,7´-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(-6)-carboxyfluorescein. With an extracellular pH of 7.4, the mean baseline pHi of P. carinii trophozoites was 7.40±0.10 (n = 8). This steady-state pHi was not significantly affected in the absence of extracellular Na+ or K+. Moreover, steady-state pHi was maintained in the nominal absence of HCO3- and was not affected by the Cl-/HCO3--exchanger inhibitor 4,4´-di-isothiocyanatodihydrostilbene-2,2´-disulphonic acid (100 μM), or the Na+/H+-exchanger inhibitor N-ethyl-N-isopropylamiloride (100 μM). In contrast, the general inhibitors of ATPases, N-ethylmaleimide (1 mM), and dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide (100 μM), and the inhibitor of yeast H+-ATPase, diethylstilbestrol (12.5–100 μM), decreased pHi, while the K+/H+-ATPase inhibitor omeprazole (50–400 μM), and the vacuolar-type H+-ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin A1 (1–5 μM) only produced a dose-dependent acidification of the cells when used at high concentrations. In addition, steady-state pHi depended on the availability of cellular ATP, since it was decreased by the ATP synthase inhibitors oligomycin (1 μg/ml) and sodium azide (1 mM), and by the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation carbonyl cyanide p-trifluorophenylhydrazone (1 μM), agents that were able to deplete significantly the intracellular ATP levels. Taken together, these results are consistent with an important role of an H+-ATPase similar to those found in other fungi in the regulation of pHi homoeostasis in P. carinii trophozoites.
Protein phosphatase and kinase activities possibly involved in exocytosis regulation in Paramecium tetraurelia
Authors: KISSMEHL Roland , TREPTAU Tilman , HOFER Hans Werner , PLATTNER Helmut
Published: August 2015

In Paramecium tetraurelia cells synchronous exocytosis induced by aminoethyldextran (AED) is accompanied by an equally rapid dephosphorylation of a 63 kDa phosphoprotein (PP63) within 80 ms. In vivo, rephosphorylation occurs within a few seconds after AED triggering. In homogenates (P)P63 can be solubilized in all three phosphorylation states (phosphorylated, dephosphorylated and rephosphorylated) and thus tested in vitro. By using chelators of different divalent cations, de- and rephosphorylation of PP63 and P63 respectively can be achieved by an endogenous protein phosphatase/kinase system. Dephosphorylation occurs in the presence of EDTA, whereas in the presence of EGTA this was concealed by phosphorylation by endogenous kinase(s), thus indicating that phosphorylation of P63 is calcium-independent. Results obtained with protein phosphatase inhibitors (okadaic acid, calyculin A) allowed us to exclude a protein serine/threonine phosphatase of type 1 (with selective sensitivity in Paramecium). Protein phosphatase 2C is also less likely to be a candidate because of its requirement for high Mg2+ concentrations. According to previous evidence a protein serine/threonine phosphatase of type 2B (calcineurin; CaN) is possibly involved. We have now found that bovine brain CaN dephosphorylates PP63in vitro. Taking into account the specific requirements of this phosphatase in vitro, with p-nitrophenyl phosphate as a substrate, we have isolated a cytosolic phosphatase of similar characteristics by combined preparative gel electrophoresis and affinity-column chromatography. In Paramecium this phosphatase also dephosphorylates PP63 in vitro (after 32P labelling in vivo). Using various combinations of ion exchange, affinity and hydrophobic interaction chromatography we have also isolated three different protein kinases from the soluble fraction, i.e. a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) and a casein kinase. Among the kinases tested, PKA cannot phosphorylate P63, whereas either PKG or the casein kinase phosphorylate P63 in vitro. On the basis of these findings we propose that a protein phosphatase/kinase system is involved in the regulation of exocytosis in P. tetraurelia cells.
Drosophila melanogaster angiotensin I-converting enzyme expressed in Pichia pastoris resembles the C domain of the mammalian homologue and does not require glycosylation for secretion and enzymic activity
Authors: WILLIAMS Tracy A. , MICHAUD Annie , HOUARD Xavier , CHAUVET Marie-Thérèse , SOUBRIER Florent , CORVOL Pierre
Published: August 2015

Drosophila melanogaster angiotensin I-converting enzyme (AnCE) is a secreted single-domain homologue of mammalian angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) which comprises two domains (N and C domains). In order to characterize in detail the enzymic properties of AnCE and to study the influence of glycosylation on the secretion and enzymic activity of this enzyme, we overexpressed AnCE (expression level, 160 mg/l) and an unglycosylated mutant (expression level, 43 mg/l) in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme was apparently homogeneous on SDS/PAGE without purification and partial deglycosylation demonstrated that all three potential sites for N-linked glycosylation were occupied by oligosaccharide chains. Each N-glycosylation sequence (Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr) was disrupted by substituting a glutamine for the asparagine residue at amino acid positions 53, 196 and 311 by site-directed mutagenesis to produce a single mutant. Expression of the unglycosylated mutant in Pichia produced a secreted catalytically active enzyme (AnCEΔCHO). This mutant displayed unaltered kinetics for the hydrolyses of hippuryl-His-Leu, angiotensin I and N-acetyl-Ser-Asp-Lys-Pro (AcSDKP) and was equally sensitive to ACE inhibitors compared with wild-type AnCE. However, AnCEΔCHO was less stable, displaying a half-life of 4.94 h at 37 °C, compared with AnCE which retained full activity under the same conditions. Two catalytic criteria demonstrate the functional resemblance of AnCE with the human ACE C domain: first, the kcat/Km of AcSDKP hydrolysis and secondly, the kcat/Km and optimal chloride concentration for hippuryl-His-Leu hydrolysis. A range of ACE inhibitors were far less potent towards AnCE compared with the human ACE domains, except for captopril which suggests an alternative structure in AnCE corresponding to the region of the S1 subsite in the human ACE active sites.
Regulation of 15-lipoxygenase expression in lung epithelial cells by interleukin-4
Authors: BRINCKMANN Roland , TOPP Max S. , ZALÁN Ildikó , HEYDECK Dagmar , LUDWIG Peter , KÜHN Hartmut , BERDEL Wolfgang E. , HABENICHT Andreas J. R.
Published: August 2015

We have studied the expression of the 15-lipoxygenase gene in various permanent mammalian cell lines in response to interleukins-4 and -13, and found that none of the cell lines tested expressed 5-, 12- or 15-lipoxygenase when cultured under standard conditions. However, when the lung carcinoma cell line A549 was maintained in the presence of either interleukin for 24 h or more, we observed a major induction of 15-lipoxygenase, as indicated by quantification of 15-lipoxygenase mRNA, by immunohistochemistry, by immunoblot analysis and by enzyme activity assays. This effect was 15-lipoxygenase-specific, since expression of 5- and 12-lipoxygenases remained undetectable. The time course of interleukin-4 treatment indicated maximal accumulation of both 15-lipoxygenase mRNA and functional protein after 48 h. Binding studies revealed that A549 cells express about 2100 high-affinity interleukin-4 binding sites per cell. The interleukin-4 mutant Y124D, which is capable of binding to the interleukin-4 receptor but is unable to trigger receptor activation, counteracted the effect of the wild-type cytokine. Other cell lines, including several epithelial cells and various monocytic cell lines expressing comparable numbers of interleukin-4 receptors, did not express 15-lipoxygenase when stimulated with interleukin-4. These data indicate that A549 cells selectively express 15-lipoxygenase when stimulated with interleukins-4 and -13. The activation of the interleukin-4/13 receptor(s) appears to be mandatory, but not sufficient, for 15-lipoxygenase gene expression.
The human cardiac muscle ryanodine receptor-calcium release channel: identification, primary structure and topological analysis
Authors: TUNWELL Richard E. A. , WICKENDEN Colin , BERTRAND Bénédicte M. A. , SHEVCHENKO Valery I. , WALSH Martina B. , ALLEN Paul D. , LAI F. Anthony
Published: August 2015

Rapid Ca2+ efflux from intracellular stores during cardiac muscle excitation–contraction coupling is mediated by the ryanodine-sensitive calcium-release channel, a large homotetrameric complex present in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. We report here the identification, primary structure and topological analysis of the ryanodine receptor–calcium release channel from human cardiac muscle (hRyR-2). Consistent with sedimentation and immunoblotting studies on the hRyR-2 protein, sequence analysis of ten overlapping cDNA clones reveals an open reading frame of 14901 nucleotides encoding a protein of 4967 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 564569 Da for hRyR-2. In-frame insertions corresponding to eight and ten amino acid residues were found in two of the ten cDNAs isolated, suggesting that novel, alternatively spliced transcripts of the hRyR-2 gene might exist. Six hydrophobic stretches, which are present within the hRyR-2 C-terminal 500 amino acids and are conserved in all RyR sequences, may be involved in forming the transmembrane domain that constitutes the Ca2+-conducting pathway, in agreement with competitive ELISA studies with a RyR-2-specific antibody. Sequence alignment of hRyR-2 with other RyR isoforms indicates a high level of overall identity within the RyR family, with the exception of two important regions that exhibit substantial variability. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the RyR-2 isoform diverged from a single ancestral gene before the RyR-1 and RyR-3 isoforms to form a distinct branch of the RyR family tree.
Cloning of cDNA for the γ-subunit of mammalian translation initiation factor 2B, the guanine nucleotide-exchange factor for eukaryotic initiation factor 2
Authors: PRICE Nigel T , KIMBALL Scot R. , JEFFERSON Leonard S. , PROUD Christopher G.
Published: August 2015

Peptide sequence data were obtained from rabbit protein synthesis initiation factor subunit eIF2Bγ. Searching the database of expressed sequence tags (dbEST) revealed nucleotide sequences potentially encoding human eIF2Bγ that contained peptides corresponding to those from the rabbit subunit. PCR primers were derived from these sequences and used to generate a probe. This was used to screen a rat skeletal muscle cDNA library, and a clone encoding rat eIF2Bγ was isolated. This cDNA gave a product in coupled transcription/translation that co-migrated with the γ-subunit of purified eIF2B under SDS/PAGE. The sequence of this rat eIF2Bγ cDNA is reported. The protein sequence shows homology with that of yeast eIF2Bγ (the GCD1 gene product). We have also identified an open reading frame from the Caenorhabditis elegans genome project that probably encodes the γ-subunit of C. elegans eIF2B. All these sequences show similarity to nucleotidyl- and acyltransferases, as previously reported for GCD1 [Koonin (1995) Protein Sci. 4, 1608–1617], and contain conserved motifs potentially involved in nucleotide binding. They also contain ‘I-patch’ motifs: isoleucine-rich hexamer repeats that have been associated with the binding of acyl groups in bacterial acyltransferases. The roles of these motifs are discussed in relation to the known properties of eIF2B.
Regulation of inositol trisphosphate-induced membrane currents in Xenopus oocytes by a Jurkat cell calcium influx factor
Authors: THOMAS David , KIM Hak Yong , HANLEY Michael R
Published: August 2015

The functional interactions of a Jurkat cell-derived calcium influx factor (CIF) with Ins(1,4,5)P3 were examined by microinjection and voltage-clamp recording of current responses in Xenopus oocytes. CIF, which stimulates Ca2+ entry directly on microinjection, was active at dilutions at which it had no direct effect by augmenting both initial rapid Ins(1,4,5)P3-mediated Ca2+ discharge-activated currents and later sustained Ca2+ entry-activated currents. Augmented initial membrane currents were 3–5-fold greater in peak amplitude than currents evoked by injection of the same dose of Ins(1,4,5)P3 alone. The augmented initial response was not decreased by removal of extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that there is potentiation of Ins(1,4,5)P3-mediated discharge from intracellular Ca2+ stores. However, the augmentation of Ins(1,4,5)P3-mediated discharge cannot be due to an enhanced production of endogenous Ins(1,4,5)P3 because maximal Ins(1,4,5)P3-activated currents saturate (approx. 500 nA) with supramaximal levels of Ins(1,4,5)P3 (10–50 µM). Depletion of Ca2+ stores, by pretreatment with thapsigargin or by prior injection with the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor antagonist heparin, abolished membrane currents elicited by Ins(1,4,5)P3/CIF co-injection, further suggesting that the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor was the target for the initial-current-potentiating actions of CIF. In this regard, CIF also induced augmented initial currents with co-injection of either Ins(2,4,5)P3 or Ins(1,3,4,5)P4. The augmentation of Ins(1,4,5)P3-mediated currents by CIF was bell-shaped with regard to Ins(1,4,5)P3 concentration, reminiscent of the regulatory influence of Ca2+ on Ins(1,4,5)P3 responses. Co-injection of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and CIF also augmented (2–3-fold) later current responses arising from sustained Ca2+ entry. The augmented late-current responses were not due to enhanced Ca2+ store depletion because supramaximal levels of Ins(1,4,5)P3 (50 µM) or injection of the poorly metabolized Ins(1,4,5)P3 analogue, Ins(2,4,5)P3, cannot activate the same magnitude of Ca2+-entry-dependent currents. These results suggest that CIF at low levels interacts with Ins(1,4,5)P3 to sensitize two pathways of Ca2+ signalling: initial discharge and later Ca2+ entry. Thus under physiological conditions CIF might be more potent as a co-messenger than as a direct Ca2+ entry signal and might provide a novel type of direct feedback regulation between the stores-activated influx pathway and the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor. Moreover these results suggest that CIF modulation of the receptor for Ins(1,4,5)P3 may underlie control of both augmentation of discharge and Ca2+ entry, as has been predicted from the conformational coupling model of Ca2+ entry.
Translocation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 to the nuclear envelope elicits topographically localized phospholipid hydrolysis
Authors: PETERS-GOLDEN Marc , SONG Keli , MARSHALL Teresa , BROCK Thomas
Published: August 2015

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is a good candidate for mediating the agonist-stimulated release of arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane phospholipids. This enzyme undergoes a Ca2+-dependent translocation from the cytosol to a membrane site in a variety of cell types, and this site has recently been identified as the nuclear envelope in leucocytes. The functional correlate of this finding has not yet been established. The present study was therefore undertaken to determine whether translocation of cPLA2 to the nuclear envelope was associated with localized phospholipid hydrolysis at this site. Rat alveolar epithelial cells, previously shown to contain cPLA2, were prelabelled with [3H]AA and stimulated with the model agonist, ionophore A23187. Ionophore-induced AA release exhibited characteristics typical of a cPLA2-mediated response, in that it was Ca2+-dependent, sn-2 AA-selective, and inhibited by arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone. As determined by indirect immunofluorescence microscopic analysis as well as subcellular fractionation with immunoblotting, ionophore treatment resulted in a translocation of cPLA2 protein from the cytoplasm to the nuclear envelope. To determine whether the nuclear membrane was indeed the source of released AA, prelabelled cells were incubated in the presence or absence of A23187, after which the phospholipid radioactivity was quantified in nuclear and non-nuclear membrane fractions. [3H]AA was distributed in both nuclear and non-nuclear membrane phospholipids. Following A23187 stimulation, the loss of [3H]AA from nuclear membrane phospholipids accounted for 88.1±5.8% of the total loss from phospholipids and for 92.9±2.3% of the total [3H]AA released into the medium. These results demonstrate for the first time that agonist-stimulated translocation of cPLA2 to the nuclear envelope is associated with phospholipid hydrolysis which is preferentially localized to that site.
Stable overexpression of the type-1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in L fibroblasts: subcellular distribution and functional consequences
Authors: MACKRILL John J. , WILCOX Robert A , MIYAWAKI Atsushi , MIKOSHIBA Katsuhiko , NAHORSKI Stefan R , CHALLISS R. A. John
Published: August 2015

InsP3 receptor (InsP3R)/Ca2+-release channels differ markedly in abundance in different tissues/cell types and InsP3R expression levels may be modulated in response to a variety of external cues. Cell lines overexpressing InsP3Rs will provide useful models for the study of the influence of receptor density and subtype on InsP3-mediated Ca2+ signalling. We have investigated the properties of InsP3Rs in mouse L fibroblast cell lines transfected with either type-1 InsP3R cDNA (L15) or vector control (Lvec). L15 cells express approximately eightfold higher levels of the type-1 InsP3R protein than Lvec cells, as assessed by radioligand binding and immunoblotting. Increased expression was stable since it did not alter over ten cell passages. Both L15 and Lvec cells express predominantly the type-1 InsP3R isoform, indicating that functional differences in the InsP3-mediated Ca2+ signalling in these cell lines are due to alteration in the levels of receptor rather than changes in the isoform expressed. Type-1 InsP3R in L15 cells is largely associated with subcellular membrane fractions bearing the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase pump, appropriate for rapidly exchanging Ca2+ pools. Functionally, there is an approximately fourfold increase in the sensitivity of permeabilized L15-cell Ca2+ mobilization in response to increasing concentrations of Ins(1,4,5)P3. This study indicates that L15/Lvec cells provide a suitable model for studying the effects of InsP3R expression level on InsP3-induced Ca2+ mobilization.
Binding and degradation of thrombospondin-1 mediated through heparan sulphate proteoglycans and low-density-lipoprotein receptor-related protein: localization of the functional activity to the trimeric N-terminal heparin-binding region of thrombospondin-1
Authors: CHEN Hui , SOTTILE Jane , STRICKLAND Dudley K. , MOSHER Deane F.
Published: August 2015

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a multimodular trimeric protein involved in cell adhesion, motility and growth. TSP-1 binds to cells and is internalized and degraded in a process that requires the presence of heparan sulphate proteoglycan; the process is inhibited by heparin or receptor-associated protein (RAP), an antagonist of the low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family. We characterized the attributes of TSP-1 that mediate the process. TSP277, which is truncated at Gln-277 of TSP-1 and contains the heparin-binding domain and the heptad repeat region that mediates trimerization, bound to and was degraded by a variety of cells with kinetics similar to those of the binding and degradation of intact TSP-1. Degradation of TSP277 was inhibited by heparin or RAP with dose responses similar to those for inhibition of degradation of TSP-1. Binding and degradation of TSP277 were decreased in Chinese hamster ovary cells lacking heparan sulphate. These results indicate that the N-terminal heparin-binding domain in a trivalent configuration is sufficient to mediate binding and degradation of TSP-1 via the proteoglycan–LDLR family pathway.
Characterization of a non-reducing terminal fragment from bovine articular cartilage keratan sulphates containing α(2-3)-linked sialic acid and α(1-3)-linked fucose. A sulphated variant of the VIM-2 epitope
Authors: BROWN Gavin M. , HUCKERBY Thomas N. , ABRAM Beverley L. , NIEDUSZYNSKI Ian A.
Published: August 2015

Alkaline-borohydride-reduced keratan sulphate chains were isolated from bovine articular cartilage (6–8-year-old animals) and digested with keratanase II, an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase. The resulting oligosaccharides were borohydride-reduced and fractionated on a strong anion-exchange column. 1H-NMR spectroscopic analysis of the products revealed one containing both α(2-3)-linked sialic acid and α(1-3)-linked fucose which was shown to have the structure (I) shown. This structure is a sulphated variant of the VIM-2 epitope (CD65), a putative ligand of E-selectin. No oligosaccharide containing the sialyl-Lex structure [NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAcβ1-] was identified in this study.
Distinct inhibitory ATP-regulated modulatory domain (ARMi) in membrane guanylate cyclases
Authors: DUDA Teresa , GORACZNIAK Rafal , SHARMA Rameshwar K
Published: August 2015

Depending upon the cofactors Mg2+ or Mn2+, ATP stimulates or inhibits the signal transduction activities of the natriuretic factor receptor guanylate cyclases, ANF-RGC and CNP-RGC: there is stimulation in the presence of Mg2+ and inhibition in the presence of Mn2+. A defined core ATP-regulated modulatory (ARM) sequence motif within the intracellular ‘kinase-like’ domain of the cyclases is critical for stimulation, but the mechanism of the inhibitory transduction process is not known. In addition, ATP inhibits the basal cyclase activity of a rod outer segment membrane guanylate cyclase (ROS-GC). The mechanism of this inhibitory transduction process is also not known. These issues have been addressed in the present investigation through a program of deletion mutagenesis/expression studies of the cyclases. The study shows that the ATP-mediated inhibitory transduction processes of the natriuretic factor receptor cyclases and of ROS-GC are identical. The ATP-regulated inhibitory domain of all these cyclases resides within the C-terminal segment of the cyclase. This domain is in a different location from the one representing the ATP-stimulatory ARM. The identification of the inhibitory domain in the C-terminal segment of the cyclase indicates that this segment is composed of two separate domains: one representing a catalytic cyclase domain and the other an ATP-regulated inhibitory (ARMi) domain. These findings establish a novel ATP-mediated inhibitory transduction mechanism of the membrane guanylate cyclases which is distinct from that of its counterpart, the stimulatory ATP-mediated hormonal signal transduction mechanism. Thus, they define a new paradigm of guanylate cyclase-linked signal transduction pathways.
Up-regulation of the expression of the gene for liver fatty acid-binding protein by long-chain fatty acids
Authors: MEUNIER-DURMORT Claire , POIRIER Hélène , NIOT Isabelle , FOREST Claude , BESNARD Philippe
Published: August 2015

The role of fatty acids in the expression of the gene for liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) was investigated in the well-differentiated FAO rat hepatoma cell line. Cells were maintained in serum-free medium containing 40 µM BSA/320 µM oleate. Western blot analysis showed that oleate triggered an approx. 4-fold increase in the cytosolic L-FABP level in 16 h. Oleate specifically stimulated L-FABP mRNA in time-dependent and dose-dependent manners with a maximum 7-fold increase at 16 h in FAO cells. Preincubation of FAO cells with cycloheximide prevented the oleate-mediated induction of L-FABP mRNA, showing that protein synthesis was required for the action of fatty acids. Run-on transcription assays demonstrated that the control of L-FABP gene expression by oleate was, at least in part, transcriptional. Palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid were similarly potent whereas octanoic acid was inefficient. This regulation was also found in normal hepatocytes. Therefore long-chain fatty acids are strong inducers of L-FABP gene expression. FAO cells constitute a useful tool for studying the underlying mechanism of fatty acid action.
Bradykinin B2 receptor-induced and inositol tetrakisphosphate-evoked Ca2+ entry is sensitive to a protein tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitor in ras-transformed NIH/3T3 fibroblasts
Authors: HASHII Minako , NAKASHIMA Shigeru , YOKOYAMA Shigeru , ENOMOTO Koh-ichi , MINABE Yoshio , NOZAWA Yoshinori , HIGASHIDA Haruhiro
Published: August 2015

Signal transduction from mouse bradykinin B2 receptors to calcium influx was studied in ras-transformed NIH/3T3 (DT) fibroblasts. DT cells were preloaded with fura-2 and whole-cell voltage-clamped. Activation of B2 receptors resulted in a decrease of cellular fluorescence at the excitation wavelength of 340, or 360 nm after MnCl2 application, in both the presence and absence of external Ca2+ in DT cells, at a holding potential of -40 mV. This Mn2+ entry through the Ca2+ influx pathway increased with membrane hyperpolarization. Internal application of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (InsP4), but not of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, mimicked membrane potential-dependent Mn2+ entry. Bradykinin- and InsP4-induced Ca2+ influx was blocked by 10–100 µM genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. B2 receptor activation induced time-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and 120 kDa protein, which was dose-dependently inhibited by genistein. Bradykinin was unable to induce Ca2+ oscillations in genistein-treated DT cells. Our results show that bradykinin-induced Ca2+ influx and oscillations depend upon protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The results suggest that two bradykinin B2 receptor-activated signal pathways, protein tyrosine phosphorylation and formation of InsP4, merge at the Ca2+ influx process in ras-transformed NIH/3T3 fibroblasts.
Amino acid sequence and molecular modelling of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa and fibronectin receptor iso-antagonists from Trimeresurus elegans venom
Authors: SCALONI Andrea , MARTINO Elisabetta DI , MIRAGLIA Nadia , PELAGALLI Alessandra , MORTE Rossella DELLA , STAIANO Norma , PUCCI Piero
Published: August 2015

Low-molecular-mass Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing polypeptides were isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus elegans by a simple two-step procedure consisting of membrane filtration and reverse-phase HPLC. A combination of electrospray MS, fast-atom bombardment MS and Edman degradation allowed us to ascertain the presence in the venom of different isoforms and to determine their primary structures. The amino acid sequences resembled the structure of elegantin, the only disintegrin previously reported from the T. elegans venom [Williams, Rucinski, Holt and Niewiarowski (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1039, 81–89]. MS analyses indicated the occurrence of differential proteolytic processing at both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the polypeptide chains. The amino acid sequence alignment of the elegantin isoforms with known components of the disintegrin family demonstrated the complete conservation of the 12 cysteine residues involved in disulphide bridges. Molecular modelling of elegantins predicted an overall folding of these molecules quite similar to that reported for the kistrin solution structure. The newly identified polypeptide isoforms strongly inhibited ADP-induced aggregation in both human and canine platelet-rich plasma but showed a different species-dependent specificity. These molecules were also able to inhibit B16-BL6 murine melanoma cell adhesion to immobilized fibronectin. The comparison of the structures and biological activities of elegantin isoforms and kistrin allowed us to highlight some structural features that, in addition to the RGD locus, might be involved in the interaction of these snake-venom polypeptides with the integrin receptors on the platelet and cell surface.
Expression of functional recombinant human procathepsin B in mammalian cells
Authors: REN Wei-Ping , FRIDMAN Rafael , ZABRECKY James R. , MORRIS Leticia D. , DAY Nancy A , SLOANE Bonnie F.
Published: August 2015

Cathepsin B has been implicated in numerous pathobiological processes. In order to study its interactions with other proteins implicated in these processes, quantities of functional recombinant cathepsin B are needed. Therefore, we expressed recombinant human procathepsin B in mammalian cells (BSC-1 monkey kidney cells and HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells) using a vaccinia virus expression system. The recombinant human procathepsin B appeared to be authentic and expressed in its native conformation as indicated by: (1) N-terminal sequencing; (2) molecular size; (3) processing intracellularly to mature double-chain cathepsin B; (4) in vitro cleavage by pepsin to mature cathepsin B coincident with appearance of activity against a selective synthetic substrate; and (5) substrate/inhibitor profiles. This is the first report of the expression of functional recombinant human procathepsin B in mammalian cells. We also report a single-step immunoaffinity purification procedure for the isolation of electrophoretically pure proenzyme. By the methodologies described, human procathepsin B can now be obtained in high yield. This should facilitate studies of its interactions with protease inhibitors, other proteases, extracellular matrices, cell-surface proteins and biological substrates that may be of relevance to the pathobiological functions of this enzyme.
Regulation of natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity by serine/threonine phosphatases: identification of a calyculin A-sensitive serine/threonine kinase
Authors: BAJPAI Anil , BRAHMI Zacharie
Published: August 2015

We have recently reported that Ser/Thr phosphatases play a key role in regulating natural killer (NK) cell lytic activity and that calyculin A and okadaic acid affect this activity differently [Bajpai and Brahmi (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 18864–18869]. Here, we investigate a mechanism that might account for this differential action of calyculin A and okadaic acid on NK cells. Calyculin A specifically inhibited the lytic activity of YT-INDY, an NK-like cell line, and hyperphosphorylated 60 and 78 kDa proteins. The kinetics of appearance of these two proteins was correlated with the loss of lytic activity. In contrast, okadaic acid did not significantly affect either of these activities. The 78 kDa protein is localized in the cytosolic compartment whereas the 60 kDa protein is distributed equally between the membrane and the cytosolic fractions. Both proteins display a kinase activity and are phosphorylated mainly at serine and threonine residues but not at tyrosine residues. The activation of these kinases is specific to calyculin A treatment; it is independent of protein kinase C, protein kinase A, Ca2+, phosphotyrosine phosphatase and protein synthesis de novo. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that calyculin A, but not okadaic acid, hyperphosphorylates two proteins with Ser/Thr kinase activity, thus explaining the differential regulation of NK cells by these two Ser/Thr phosphatase inhibitors.
Extracellular high-mobility group 1 protein is essential for murine erythroleukaemia cell differentiation
Authors: SPARATORE Bianca , PASSALACQUA Mario , PATRONE Mauro , MELLONI Edon , PONTREMOLI Sandro
Published: August 2015

A high-mobility group 1 (HMG1) protein type isolated from murine erythroleukaemia (MEL) cells promotes acceleration of the differentiation process when added to a MEL cell culture together with the inducer hexamethylene bisacetamide. We now provide direct evidence that the presence of HMG1 protein in the extracellular medium is essential for terminal erythroid differentiation. An extracellular function for HMG1 protein in MEL cell is further supported by a demonstration that this protein is released from MEL cells exposed to the chemical inducer and that the addition of an anti-(HMG1 protein) monoclonal antibody to the cell culture inhibits the differentiation process almost completely. The release of HMG1 protein from MEL cells is modulated by compounds affecting cell calcium homoeostasis, such as a calcium ionophore or verapamil. In fact, in the presence of the ionophore an increased rate of differentiation is accompanied by an enhanced extracellular release of HMG1 protein, whereas in the presence of verapamil both phenomena are significantly decreased.
MOAT4, a novel multispecific organic-anion transporter for glucuronides and mercapturates in mouse L1210 cells and human erythrocytes
Authors: SAXENA Manju , HENDERSON Gary B
Published: August 2015

Glucuronides and mercapturates were examined as possible high-affinity substrates for a low-affinity ATP-dependent transport system for 2,4-dinitrophenyl S-glutathione (DNP-SG) in mouse L1210 cells. Initial inhibitor studies with inside-out vesicles revealed that the low-affinity transport of [3H]DNP-SG (Km 450 µM) exhibits a high sensitivity to N-acetyl 2,4-dinitrophenyl cysteine (NAc-DNP-Cys) (Ki 5.0 µM) and α-naphthyl β-D-glucuronide (naphthyl glucuronide) (Ki 8.5 µM). Direct transport measurements showed the presence of ATP-dependent uptake activities for NAc-DNP-[35S]Cys and naphthyl [14C] glucuronide, and Km values for half-maximal transport were comparable to the Ki values of these compounds for inhibition of [3H]DNP-SG transport. Transport of [3H]DNP-SG, NAc-DNP-[35S]Cys and naphthyl [14 C]glucuronide each showed the same sensitivity to various anions and anion conjugates. Inhibition was competitive and was most potent for bilirubin ditaurate, indoprofen, 4-biphenylacetic acid, 4-acridine 4β-D-glucuronide, N-acetyl leukotriene E4, 17β-oestradiol 3β-D-glucuronide and taurolithocholate 3-sulphate. Inside-out vesicles from human erythrocytes contain a comparable ATP-dependent transport system. These results show that NAc-DNP-Cys and naphthyl glucuronide are high-affinity substrates for a single system identified previously as a low-affinity transporter of DNP-SG. Substrate and inhibitor studies identify this system as a novel multispecific organic-anion transport system (MOAT4) that accommodates glucuronides and mercapturates and is distinct from other MOAT transporters. Human erythrocytes contain an additional ATP-dependent system for NAc-DNP-Cys (Km 33 µM) that does not transport monoglucuronides.