Staphylococcal ADP-ribosyltransferase-sensitive small G protein is involved in brefeldin A action.

An early event in the action of brefeldin A (BFA) is the dissociation of beta-coat protein (beta-COP) from the Golgi membrane. We have recently shown that staphylococcal ADP-ribosyltransferase (epidermal cell differentiation inhibitor (EDIN)), which specifically modifies a small G protein, rho, mimics the action of BFA and disassembles the Golgi apparatus in Vero cells (Sugai, M., Chen, C-h., and Wu, H. C. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 8903-8907). Three independent BFA-resistant cell lines (BER-40 from Vero cells, PtK1, and MDCK) showed cross-resistance to EDIN regarding the release of the beta-COP from the Golgi membrane by EDIN or BFA. BFA as well as EDIN induced disassembly of the actin microfilaments in Vero cells, and they both failed to induce the disassembly of actin microfilaments in BER-40, PtK1, and MDCK cells. BFA inhibited protein secretion in Vero cells but not in BFA-resistant cell lines, whereas EDIN did not inhibit protein secretion in either Vero or other cell lines. AlF-4 inhibited the effect of EDIN as well as that of BFA on the distribution of the beta-COP. These results suggest that an EDIN-sensitive rho protein together with trimeric and other small G protein(s) is involved in the regulation of the assembly of coated vesicles and vesicular transport in the Golgi apparatus.


The endoplasmic reticulum stress protein GRP94, in addition to BiP, associates with unassembled immunoglobulin chains.

The molecular chaperone BiP/GRP78 associates with various polypeptides in the endoplasmic reticulum, including immunoglobulin chains. We now show, using chemical cross-linking, that another endoplasmic reticulum stress protein, GRP94, associates with newly synthesized immunoglobulin light and heavy chains. We demonstrate the presence of ternary complexes composed of immunoglobulin chains, BiP and GRP94. Because both BiP and GRP94 associate far less with fully assembled immunoglobulin than with unassembled subunits, our data suggest that GRP94, like BiP, functions as a molecular chaperone. The presence of both BiP and GRP94 in the same complex further suggests that the two stress proteins work in concert during the folding and assembly of immunoglobulins.


Cloning and expression of a rat somatostatin receptor enriched in brain.

The tetradecapeptide somatostatin (SRIF) is a hormone release-inhibiting substance that mediates diverse effects in brain and peripheral organs via specific receptors. A cDNA encoding a rat SRIF receptor was identified by use of degenerate oligonucleotide primers and polymerase chain reaction amplification of cDNA prepared from transcripts expressed in rat brain. The complete cDNA encodes a protein of 391 amino acids with seven potential transmembrane domains. Expression of the cDNA product in transfected COS-7 cell lines provides the same high affinity of binding to [125I-Tyr11]SRIF-14 as that of rat cerebral cortex tissues. However, the binding of [125I-Tyr11]SRIF-14 to cloned rat SRIF receptor is not displaced by MK678, a SRIF analog that partially displaces [125I-Tyr11]SRIF-14 binding sites in membranes of rat cerebral cortex. Northern analysis and in situ hybridization indicate that mRNA (4.0 kilobases) for cloned rat SRIF receptor is preferentially expressed in rat brain regions such as cerebral cortex and hippocampus with no detectable expression in most peripheral organs. This pattern contrasts with the exclusive peripheral expression of a recently cloned human SRIF receptor. The cDNA probe of rat receptor detects mRNA from mouse brain but not from human cerebral cortex and cerebellum.


Solubilization and reconstitution of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa high affinity branched-chain amino acid transport system.

The high affinity branched-chain amino acid transport system (LIV-I) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is composed of five components: BraC, a periplasmic binding protein for branched-chain amino acids; BraD and BraE, integral membrane proteins; BraF and BraG, putative nucleotide-binding proteins. By using a T7 RNA polymerase/promoter system we overproduced the BraD, BraE, BraF, and BraG proteins in Escherichia coli. The proteins were found to form a complex in the E. coli membrane and solubilized from the membrane with octyl glucoside. The LIV-I transport system was reconstituted into proteoliposomes from solubilized proteins by a detergent dilution procedure. In this reconstituted system, leucine transport was completely dependent on the presence of all five Bra components and on ATP loaded internally to the proteoliposomes. Alanine and threonine in addition to branched-chain amino acids were transported by the proteoliposomes, reflecting the substrate specificity of the BraC protein. GTP replaced ATP well as an energy source, and CTP and UTP also replaced ATP partially. Consumption of loaded ATP and concomitant production of orthophosphate were observed only when BraC and leucine, a substrate for LIV-I, were added together to the proteoliposomes, indicating that the LIV-I transport system has an ATPase activity coupled to translocation of branched-chain amino acids across the membrane.


Purification and characterization of 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one 12 alpha-hydroxylase.

The isoform of cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the 12 alpha-hydroxylation of 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, an intermediate in the conversion of cholesterol to cholic acid, was purified to homogeneity from rabbit liver microsomes. The extent of purification in the various steps was judged by an assay involving high performance liquid chromatography. The purified enzyme showed a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (M(r) = 50,000). The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence is as follows: Val-Leu-Trp-Gly-Leu-Leu-Gly-Ala-Leu-Leu-Met-Val-Met-Val-Gly-, which is different from that of any other P450s so far reported. The specific content of the enzyme was 13.3 nmol of cytochrome P450/mg of protein. Upon reconstitution with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and cytochrome b5, the P450 enzyme showed a high activity of 12 alpha-hydroxylation with a turnover number of 36.6 min-1 at 37 degrees C. The omission of either cytochrome P450 or NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase resulted in complete loss of activity, and the omission of cytochrome b5 resulted in 40% loss of activity. Antibodies prepared from mouse inhibited the 12 alpha-hydroxylase activity of rabbit liver microsomes about 90% and that of the rat liver microsomes 50%. The enzyme activity was not inhibited by other antibodies raised against other forms of P450 that catalyze different monooxygenation reactions toward xenobiotics or endogenous substrates. Anti-cytochrome b5 antibody inhibited the activity 40%, suggesting the functional role of this protein, and anti-reductase inhibited the activity almost completely. The microsomal enzyme activity was markedly elevated by starvation or streptozotocin administration to the animals. However, an immunoblotting experiment showed no correlation between the enzyme activity and the amount of protein, suggesting that post-translational modification may occur.


Expression of human soluble tissue factor in yeast and enzymatic properties of its complex with factor VIIa.

The extracellular domain of human tissue factor (TF, amino acids 1-217) was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using the inducible yeast acid phosphatase promoter and the yeast invertase signal sequence to direct its secretion into the culture broth. Two active soluble forms sTF alpha (high molecular weight form) and sTF beta (low molecular weight form) were purified, the yield being approximately 10 and 1 mg/liter of culture supernatant, respectively. sTF alpha had an apparent molecular mass of 150 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and contained more than 200 residues of mannose/mol of protein. sTF beta had an apparent molecular mass of 37 kDa and contained 22 residues of mannose/mol of protein. N-Glycosidase F treatments of both rTFs reduced the apparent molecular mass to 35 kDa. The amino-terminal sequences and amino acid compositions of sTF alpha and sTF beta were consistent with those deduced from the cDNA sequence, thereby indicating that the difference in molecular mass is caused by heterogeneity of oligosaccharide structures. Of these recombinant TFs, sTF beta enhanced factor VIIa-amidolytic activity 40-fold toward the chromogenic substrate and 147-fold toward the fluorogenic substrate, affecting mainly the kcat value. The enhancement was comparable with that of TF purified from human placenta. The TF-mediated enhancement of factor VIIa-amidolytic activity was inhibited by heparin-activated antithrombin III, forming a high molecular weight complex. As treatment of sTF beta with denaturants such as guanidine hydrochloride or urea led to a biphasic loss of the activity, the extracellular domain of TF probably consists of two discrete domains. This expression system provides a significant amount of the extracellular domain of TF so that studies of interactions with factor VII are feasible.


Pancreatic beta cell heterogeneity in glucose-induced insulin secretion.

Rat pancreatic beta cells differ in their individual sensitivity to glucose-inducible metabolic changes. The present study examines whether beta cells with a higher metabolic threshold require higher glucose levels for stimulation of their secretory activity. Purified beta cells were distributed according to their metabolic redox state at 7.5 mM glucose; the metabolically responsive (high responsive) and unresponsive (low responsive) subpopulations of comparable size and viability were reaggregated in the presence of [3H]tyrosine and then perfused at 2.8 mM glucose with 10-min pulses of increasing glucose concentration. Glucose elicited first-phase insulin release in both high and low responsive subpopulations from, respectively, 4.2 and 8.3 mM on. The amplitude of both secretory responses increased dose dependently, the rates in the high responsive subpopulation being 2-fold higher than in the low responsive one. At all stimulating glucose levels, fractional release of 3H-labeled insulin was 3- to 4-fold higher than that of immunoreactive insulin. Preferential release of newly formed insulin was already maximally stimulated at 4.2 mM glucose in the high responsive subpopulation, whereas it increased dose-dependently in the low responsive one. These results indicate the existence of intercellular differences in the secretory activity of glucose-exposed beta cells, both in terms of glucose sensitivity and of amplitude. This heterogeneity in beta cell secretory responsiveness parallels that which has been previously described for the cellular metabolic and biosynthetic functions. It is concluded that glucose dose-dependently recruits beta cells into both biosynthetic and secretory activities. Co-existence of inactive and activated cells can explain preferential release of newly synthesized over preformed hormone during glucose stimulation.


Cross-linking of the gamma subunit of the Escherichia coli ATPase (ECF1) via cysteines introduced by site-directed mutagenesis.

The gamma subunit of the Escherichia coli F1 ATPase (ECF1) has been altered by site-directed mutagenesis to create five different mutants, gamma-S8C, gamma-S81C, gamma-T106C, gamma-S179C, and gamma-V286C, respectively. ECF1 isolated from four of these mutants had ATPase activities similar to that of a wild-type isogenic strain used as a control, the exception was enzyme isolated from mutant gamma-S81C, which had an ATPase activity of around 70-80% of the wild type. ECF1 isolated from each of the various mutants was reacted with N-(4-(7-(diethylamino)-4-methylcoumarin-3-yl))maleimide (CM). The fluorescent reagent was incorporated into Cys residues placed at positions 8, 106, 179, and 286, but not at 81, indicating which of these Cys residues are on the surface of the gamma subunit in the enzyme complex. Modification of the Cys at position 106 with CM activated the enzyme, and modification of the Cys at position 8 inhibited ATPase activity a small amount; however, modification of Cys at 179 or 286 had no effect on enzyme activity. The four mutants with a reactive Cys were reacted with tetrafluorophenylazide maleimides (TFPAMs), novel photoactivatable cross-linkers. In the mutant gamma-S8C, cross-links were formed between the introduced Cys on the gamma subunit and sites on the beta subunit. This cross-linking between gamma and beta depended on nucleotide conditions under which the photolysis was carried out, with differently migrating cross-linked products being obtained in ATP + EDTA compared with ATP + Mg2+ or ATP + Mg2+ Pi. Cross-linking between beta and gamma inhibited ATPase activity in proportion to the yield of cross-linked product. In the mutant gamma-V286C, cross-links were formed between the introduced Cys on gamma and the alpha subunit which were the same in all nucleotide conditions and which led to inhibition of ATPase activity.


Molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of the cDNA for the rat hepatic squalene synthase.

Amino acid sequence information was obtained for the NH2 terminus, and for endogenous peptides generated by trypsin digestion, of a purified, truncated form of rat hepatic squalene synthase (RSS, EC 2.5.1.21) (Shechter, I., Klinger, E., Rucker, M. L., Engstrom, R. G., Spirito, J. A., Islam, M. A., Boettcher, B. R., and Weinstein, D. B. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 8628-8635). Degenerate primers, based on the amino acid sequences, were synthesized and used for the amplification and sequencing of a 1708-base pair (bp) cDNA for RSS from the rat hepatoma cell line H35. An open reading frame of 1248 bp encoding 416 amino acids (M(r) = 48,103) was detected for RSS. We have constructed a pRSS1327 expression vector by molecular cloning of a 1327-bp cDNA, which includes sequences of the entire coding region for RSS, into pBluescript. Expression in Escherichia coli of a functional, full-length RSS was confirmed by immunoblot analysis and enzymatic activity. We present and evaluate a model for the secondary structure of RSS and its possible membrane orientation. The model predicts a 315-residue domain at the center of the protein that contains the catalytic site and is released in a soluble form by partial proteolysis. The 33-residue NH2-terminal and 98-residue COOH-terminal sections are not involved in catalysis. Sequence analysis of the catalytic domain of RSS indicate three regions with high homology to sequences in a number of functionally distinct proteins that utilize polyprenyl diphosphate substrates.


The human MUC2 intestinal mucin has cysteine-rich subdomains located both upstream and downstream of its central repetitive region.

The human MUC2 mucin is a large secretory glycoconjugate that coats the epithelia of the intestines, airways, and other mucus membrane-containing organs. Previous work has shown that this mucin contains an extended tandem repeat-containing domain rich in Thr and Pro. In the present work we describe two additional regions of this mucin located both upstream and downstream of the tandem repeat array. The carboxyl-terminal domain contains 984 residues and can be divided into mucin-like (139 residues) and cysteine-rich (845 residues) subdomains. This latter subdomain exhibits varying degrees of sequence similarity to a wide range of mucins and mucin-like proteins including those isolated from rats, pigs, cows, and frogs. We also report here the sequence of 1270 residues lying immediately upstream of the tandem repeats. This region contains a repetitive, mucin-like subdomain and a second cysteine-rich stretch of more than 700 residues. Both cysteine-rich subdomains of this mucin have sequence similarity with von Willebrand factor, a serum protein that exists as a disulfide-linked polymer. This suggests that these cysteine-rich subdomains are important in the catenation of mucin monomers into oligomers, the structures that confer viscoelasticity upon mucus.


Intermediate steps in cellular iron uptake from transferrin. Detection of a cytoplasmic pool of iron, free of transferrin.

The uptake of transferrin-bound iron by receptor-mediated endocytosis has been the subject of extensive experimental investigation. However, the path followed by iron (Fe) after release from transferrin (Tf) remains obscure. Once Fe is released from Tf within the endosome, it must be transported across the endosomal membrane into the cell. The present investigation describes the presence of a cytoplasmic Tf-free Fe pool which is detectable only when cells are detached from their culture dishes at low temperature, after initial incorporation of diferric transferrin at 37 degrees C. This cellular iron pool was greatly reduced if incubation temperatures were maintained at 37 degrees C or if cells were treated with pronase. Human melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28) in culture were prelabeled by incubation with human 125I-59Fe-transferrin for 2 h, washed, and reincubated at 4 degrees C or 37 degrees C in balanced salt solution in the presence or absence of pronase. The cells were then mechanically detached from the plates and separated into "internalized" and supernatant fractions by centrifugation. Approximately 90% of cellular 59Fe and 20% of 125I-Tf remained internalized when this reincubation procedure was carried out in balanced salt solution at 37 degrees C. However, at 4 degrees C, cellular internalized iron was reduced to approximately 50% of the initial value. The release of this component of cellular 59Fe (approximately 40% of total cell 59Fe) at 4 degrees C was completely inhibited in the presence of pronase and other general proteinases at 4 degrees C and at 37 degrees C, without affecting internalized transferrin levels. Similar results were obtained in fibroblasts and hepatoma cells, indicating that this phenomenon is not unique to melanoma cells. The characterization of this Tf-free cellular Fe pool which is detectable at low temperature may yield valuable insights into the metabolic fate of iron following its transport across the membrane of the endocytotic vesicle.


An essential and specific subunit of RNA polymerase III (C) is encoded by gene RPC34 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The RPC34 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned by immunological screening, using antibodies raised against the C34 polypeptide of the RNA polymerase III (C). This single copy gene was located near the centromere of chromosome XIV. It included a coding sequence of 317 amino acids that strictly matched two internal oligopeptides of C34. This polypeptide is a specific component of RNA polymerase III, with no significant homology to any other RNA polymerase subunit known so far. It is an essential subunit, since inactivation by deletion or nonsense mutations led to a recessive lethal phenotype. Moreover, a partially blocked mutant, rpc34-F297, had a reduced tRNA synthesis in vivo but no detectable effect on 5 S RNA synthesis. The latter phenotype was observed for all conditionally defective RNA polymerase III mutants isolated so far.


Domain-dependent protein folding is indicated by the intracellular kinetics of disulfide bond formation of human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit.

We have measured the intracellular rates of formation of the six disulfide bonds in the human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit (hCG-beta) to determine whether the folding pathway of this molecule can be described by a simple sequential model. If such a model is correct, the formation of disulfide bonds, which is indicative of tertiary structural changes during protein folding, should occur in a discrete order. The individual rates of disulfide bridging were determined by identifying the extent of disulfide bond formation in hCG-beta intermediates purified from choriocarcinoma cells that had been metabolically labeled for 40 to 120 s and chased for 0 to 25 min. The results of these kinetic studies describe a folding pathway in which the disulfide bonds between cysteines 34-88, 38-57, 9-90 and 23-72 stabilize, in a discrete order, the putative domain(s) involving amino acids 1-90 of hCG-beta. However, the S-S bonds 93-100 and 26-110 begin to form before the complete formation of the disulfide bonds that stabilize the amino acid 1-90 domain(s), and continue to form after complete formation of these disulfide bonds, suggesting that hCG-beta does not fold by a simple sequential pathway. The order of completion of each of the six disulfide bonds of hCG-beta is: 34-88 (t1/2 = 1-2 min), 38-57 (t1/2 = 2-3 min), 9-90 and 23-72, 93-100, and 26-110. Moreover, 60-100% of each of the six disulfide bonds form posttranslationally, and nonnative disulfide bonds do not form in detectable amounts during intracellular folding of hCG-beta.


Quantitative analysis of transcription and RNA levels of 15 barley chloroplast genes. Transcription rates and mRNA levels vary over 300-fold; predicted mRNA stabilities vary 30-fold.

Higher plant plastid genomes encode rRNAs, tRNAs, and protein subunits of the RNA polymerase, ribosomes, and the photosynthetic apparatus which vary over 1000-fold in abundance. Quantitative analysis of transcription and RNA levels was carried out on 15 plastid genes which are located in 14 different transcription units covering 50% of the barley plastid genome. Transcription of 16S rRNA, trnfM-trnG, and trnK was high relative to most other plastid genes. Transcription of trnfM-trnG was 5 times greater than trnK indicating that differences in tRNA levels in plastids could be due, in part, to differences in transcription. Among the protein coding genes, mRNA levels varied over 900-fold and transcription over 300-fold. The gene showing the lowest transcription rate and mRNA level, rpoB, is located in a gene cluster which encodes subunits of the plastid RNA polymerase (rpoB-rpoC1-rpoC2). RpoA, which encodes the alpha subunit of the RNA polymerase, was located in a gene cluster encoding ribosomal proteins (rpl23, rps19, rpl16) and infA. RNA from this gene cluster is 30-fold more abundant than rpoB mRNA, suggesting that expression of rpoA is regulated at the level of translation or protein stability. Polycistronic operons encoding subunits of the photosynthetic apparatus (psbB-psbH-petB-petD; psbK-psbI-psbD-psbC; atpB-atpE; psaA-psaB) had higher transcription rates and correspondingly higher mRNA levels than genes which encode ribosomal proteins or RNA polymerase subunits. RbcL and psbA, which are located in separate transcription units, exhibited the highest transcription rates and mRNA levels. Correspondence between transcription rate, mRNA level, and protein abundance indicates that transcription is a primary determinant of barley plastid gene expression. In addition, a 30-fold variation in predicted mRNA stability was observed which further increases the dynamic range of plastid mRNA abundance.


Transgenic mice expressing full-length human apolipoprotein B-100. Full-length human apolipoprotein B mRNA is essentially not edited in mouse intestine or liver.

Apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 mRNA is edited in the small intestine (in all mammals examined) and the liver (in mice and rats only) to produce apoB-48 mRNA. ApoB mRNA editing involves a C-->U conversion of the first base of the codon CAA for Gln-2153 in apoB-100, changing it to an in-frame stop codon (UAA). The edited mRNA encodes apoB-48, which is colinear with the N-terminal 48% of apoB-100. ApoB mRNA editing can be reproduced in vitro using cellular extracts from one species to edit synthetic apoB mRNA sequences from a different species. Editing of transcripts from transfected genes also appears not to be species-specific. We have produced transgenic mice that express full-length human apoB-100 mRNA at high levels in the liver and small intestine. Human apoB-100 (a 550-kDa protein) but not apoB-48 (a 260-kDa protein) is detected in total plasma (at approximately 22 mg/dl) and in very low density and low density lipoproteins. The endogenous mouse plasma apoB concentration is reduced by approximately 45% in the transgenic animals. Thus, the transgenic mice form an animal model for familial hyperapolipoprotein B, an inherited form of hyperlipidemia. To our surprise, we found that the full-length human apoB mRNA consists of > 99% apoB-100 mRNA in both the liver and small intestine; < 1% of edited (apoB-48) mRNA was detected. The proportions of endogenous mouse apoB-48 (edited) mRNA (60 and 90% in the liver and small intestine, respectively) were identical in transgenic mice and their nontransgenic littermates. Therefore, full-length human apoB mRNA is resistant to editing by the mouse editing enzyme in vivo; the unchanged proportion of endogenous mouse apoB-48 mRNA in the transgenic mice suggests that the human mRNA competes poorly with the mouse sequence for interacting with the editing enzyme. This observation has implications for the sequence specificity and mechanism of RNA editing. Furthermore, we should exercise caution in the interpretation of in vitro RNA-editing experiments.


G protein-bound conformation of mastoparan-X, a receptor-mimetic peptide.

Mastoparans are a family of 14-residue peptide toxins from wasp venom which have been proposed to stimulate secretion from a variety of cells, by directly activating GTP-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins). In vitro studies have shown that mastoparans activate G proteins by a mechanism remarkably similar to that used by agonist-bound receptors (Higashijima, T., Uzu, S., Nakajima, T., and Ross, E. M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 6491-6494). Here, we report the conformation of mastoparan-X (INWKGIAAMAKKLL-NH2) when it is bound to the alpha subunits of recombinant G(i) and G(o), derived from an analysis of transferred nuclear Overhauser effects in a two-dimensional 1H NMR spectrum of mastoparan-X obtained in the presence of these G proteins. Restrained molecular dynamic simulations with NMR-derived distance constraints were used to determine conformations consistent with NMR data. The G(i)- and G(o)-bound conformations of mastoparan-X are very similar, and in both cases, a major part of the molecule adopts an amphiphilic alpha-helical conformation. The lysine residues are known to be crucial for activity, and it is thus likely that at least the polar face of the amphiphilic helix is in contact with the G proteins. These conclusions should be useful in the design of potent and selective analogs of mastoparan and in the development of models for receptor-G protein interaction.


Calcium and magnesium dependence of phospholipase A2-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles.

The Ca2+ requirement for lipid hydrolysis catalyzed by phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus (App-D49) and porcine pancreas has been examined using small, unilamellar vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC SUV). Hydrolysis was affected by product inhibition even at early times, and the extent of this inhibition depended on the concentration of divalent cations. The Ca2+ requirement for half-maximal rates of hydrolysis reflected, in part, this non-catalytic role of divalent cations. The presence of 10 mM Mg2+, a cation which does not support catalysis, reduced the Ca2+ required for half-maximal rates of hydrolysis from millimolar concentrations to 40 microM for App-D49. Since the dissociation constant of the enzyme for Ca2+ in solution is 2 mM, these results indicate a change in the interaction of the enzyme with Ca2+ under catalytic conditions. The kinetic dissociation constant of Ca2+ for the pancreatic enzyme was 20 microM which is substantially lower than the dissociation constant in solution, 0.35 mM. The similarity of apparent kinetic dissociation constants for these enzymes suggests that structurally similar features determine the affinity for Ca2+ under catalytic conditions. Evidence is presented that the affinity of phospholipase A2 for Ca2+ changes subsequent to the initial interaction of the enzyme with the substrate interface. However, the apparent Michaelis constant, KMapp, for App-D49, 0.03-0.06 mM, is independent of [Ca2+] and is about the same as the equilibrium dissociation constant for DPPC SUV, 0.14 mM. We thus suggest that KMapp is a steady-state constant.


Identification of a pharmacologically distinct prostaglandin H synthase in cultured epithelial cells.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit the action of prostaglandin H synthase (PGH synthase), and this effect may constitute the basis for therapeutic and idiosyncratic responses to these agents. We found that aspirin treatment of cultured ovine tracheal epithelial cells blocked PGH synthase-catalyzed formation of PG as expected but also caused a dose-dependent increase in 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) production from arachidonic acid. In contrast, aspirin caused only inhibition of PG production without enhancing 15-HETE formation in ovine seminal vesicle and other tissues. The 15-HETE formed by aspirin-treated ovine tracheal epithelial cells was generated by a PGH synthase-dependent mechanism because: (i) the 15-HETE forming activity was just as sensitive as PG forming activity to selective inhibition by indomethacin; (ii) both 15-HETE and PG forming activities were quantitatively immunoprecipitated (depleted from supernatants and recovered in immune complex pellets) by a specific anti-PGH synthase antiserum. Additional immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that anti-PGH synthase monoclonal antibodies (cyo-1 and cyo-5) raised against the aspirin-inhibited form of the enzyme (contained in seminal vesicle) did not recognize the aspirin-stimulated 15-HETE-forming PGH synthase (contained in cultured epithelial cells). Thus, sequential immunoprecipitation of cultured epithelial cell material first with excess cyo-1 followed by anti-PGH synthase antiserum indicated that two isoforms of PGH synthase were expressed in these cells. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of immunoprecipitated PGH synthase from cultured epithelial cells revealed distinct protein bands for each form of the enzyme (M(r) = 70,000 and 72,000). The identification of a distinct PGH synthase which may be modified by aspirin so that selective oxygenation of fatty acid substrate is enhanced (while PG formation is inhibited) indicates that isozymes of PGH synthase exist which are pharmacologically distinct.


Human DNA polymerases alpha and beta are able to incorporate anti-HIV deoxynucleotides into DNA.

Deoxynucleoside analogs, AZT and/or ddN, are the therapeutic agents currently utilized to inhibit the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase. The effects of their anabolic products, AZT-triphosphate (AZT-TP) and ddCTP on human cellular DNA metabolic processes were studied using highly purified, structurally and enzymatically defined forms of the two major human host DNA polymerases, alpha and beta, and compared to those of the reverse transcriptase purified from HIV viron. Human DNA polymerase alpha during processive DNA synthesis is able to incorporate AZT-monophosphate (AZT-MP) but not ddCMP into DNA, causing chain termination. During its initial encounter with a primer terminus, polymerase alpha is able to incorporate both AZT-MP and ddCMP into DNA chains. Polymerase beta is able to incorporate AZT-MP and ddCMP into DNA, causing chain termination in both modes of DNA synthesis. Steady state kinetic analyses demonstrate that polymerase alpha inserts one AZT-MP molecule into DNA for every 2500 dTMP molecules incorporated. Polymerase beta incorporates ddCMP with efficiency nearly equal to that of dCMP. HIV reverse transcriptase prefers to incorporate AZT-MP and ddCMP rather than dTMP and dCMP, respectively. The findings described here raise the concern that the capability of the two major host DNA polymerases to incorporate AZT-MP or ddCMP into DNA might cause adverse side effects on human DNA metabolism and mutation in the genomes of patients under long term continuous treatment with AZT and ddC.


Flow cytometric kinetic measurements of neutrophil phospholipase A activation.

The interrelationships between activation of phospholipases and neutrophil stimulus-induced Ca2+ responses remain unclear. We report here that immune complexes activate a phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase A in a neutrophil only after the cytoplasmic Ca2+ transient has been initiated in the same cell, while chemotactic peptide activation does not proceed via such a phospholipase A-mediated mechanism. Measurements of [Ca2+] changes and of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase A activity were made by flow cytometry, using Indo-1 for Ca2+ indication, and a new fluorescent probe, bis-BODIPY-phosphatidylcholine, localized in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, to measure phospholipase A activation. Both 100 nM formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (with or without cytochalasin B) and 60 micrograms/ml insoluble immune complexes elicited cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients, but only insoluble immune complexes stimulated phospholipase A activation in a subpopulation of cells exhibiting an elevation of [Ca2+]in. Phospholipase A activation followed the Ca2+ transient, starting, in each cell, after [Ca2+]in had begun to decrease as Ca2+ redistributed in the activated cell. The products of this phospholipase activation were confirmed by thin layer chromatography. We conclude that neutrophils respond to immune complexes with an elevated cytoplasmic Ca(2+)-requiring phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase A activation and to chemotactic peptides by a different mechanism.


Further examination of seventeen mutations in Escherichia coli F1-ATPase beta-subunit.

Seventeen mutations in beta-subunit of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase which had previously been characterized in strain AN1272 (Mu-induced mutant) were expressed in strain JP17 (beta-subunit gene deletion). Six showed unchanged behavior, namely: C137Y; G142D; G146S; G207D; Y297F; and Y354F. Five failed to assemble F1F0 correctly, namely: G149I; G154I; G149I,G154I; G223D; and P403S,G415D. Six assembled F1F0 correctly, but with membrane ATPase lower than in AN1272, namely: K155Q; K155E; E181Q; E192Q; D242N; and D242V. AN1272 was shown to unexpectedly produce a small amount of wild-type beta-subunit; F1-ATPase activities reported previously in AN1272 were referable to hybrid enzymes containing both mutant and wild-type beta-subunits. Purified F1 was obtained from K155Q; K155E; E181Q; E192Q; and D242N mutants in JP17. Vmax ATPase values were lower, and unisite catalysis rate and equilibrium constants were perturbed to greater extent, than in AN1272. However, general patterns of perturbation revealed by difference energy diagrams were similar to those seen previously, and the new data correlated well in linear free energy relationships for reaction steps of unisite catalysis. Correlation between multisite and unisite ATPase activity was seen in the new enzymes. Overall, the data give strong support to previously proposed mechanisms of unisite catalysis, steady-state catalysis, and energy coupling in F1-ATPases (Al-Shawi, M. K., Parsonage, D. and Senior, A. E. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 4402-4410). The K155Q, K155E, D242N, and E181Q mutations caused 5000-fold, 4000-fold, 1800-fold, and 700-fold decrease, respectively, in Vmax ATPase, implying possibly direct roles for these residues in catalysis. Experiments with the D242N mutant suggested a role for residue beta D242 in catalytic site Mg2+ binding.


Chimeras of hepatic lipase and lipoprotein lipase. Domain localization of enzyme-specific properties.

Chimeric molecules between human lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and rat hepatic lipase (HL) were used to identify structural elements responsible for functional differences. Based on the close sequence homology with pancreatic lipase, both LPL and HL are believed to have a two-domain structure composed of an amino-terminal (NH2-terminal) domain containing the catalytic Ser-His-Asp triad and a smaller carboxyl-terminal (COOH-terminal) domain. Experiments with chimeric lipases containing the HL NH2-terminal domain and the LPL COOH-terminal domain (HL/LPL) or the reverse chimera (LPL/HL) showed that the NH2-terminal domain is responsible for the catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) of these enzymes. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the stimulation of LPL activity by apolipoprotein C-II and the inhibition of activity by 1 M NaCl originate in structural features within the NH2-terminal domain. HL and LPL bind to vascular endothelium, presumably by interaction with cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. However, the two enzymes differ significantly in their heparin affinity. Experiments with the chimeric lipases indicated that heparin binding avidity was primarily associated with the COOH-terminal domain. Specifically, both HL and the LPL/HL chimera were eluted from immobilized heparin by 0.75 M NaCl, whereas 1.1 M NaCl was required to elute LPL and the HL/LPL chimera. Finally, HL is more active than LPL in the hydrolysis of phospholipid substrates. However, the ratio of phospholipase to neutral lipase activity in both chimeric lipases was enhanced by the presence of the heterologous COOH-terminal domain, demonstrating that this domain strongly influences substrate specificity. The NH2-terminal domain thus controls the kinetic parameters of these lipases, whereas the COOH-terminal domain modulates substrate specificity and heparin binding.


Chromatin changes accompany the developmental activation of insulin-like growth factor I gene transcription.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a potent regulator of postnatal growth in mammals, yet little is known about the developmental control of IGF-I synthesis. We have investigated the regulation of IGF-I expression in the rat in order to gain insight into the mechanisms of growth factor induction during early postnatal life. Steady-state levels of liver IGF-I mRNA increased by more than 15-fold during the period from fetal day 18 to postnatal day 7 and reached 50% of adult values by day 14. Transcription run-on experiments using isolated hepatic nuclei and direct analysis of nuclear RNA each demonstrated a comparable rise in nascent IGF-I mRNA over the same time period. Over 90% of transcripts were directed by promoter 1, the more 5' of the two IGF-I gene promoters. By contrast IGF-II gene transcription rates and mRNA levels fell during the first 3 weeks after birth, and albumin expression rose slightly. Analysis of chromatin structure around the IGF-I gene revealed 15 DNase I-hypersensitive sites in adult rat liver in the 120 kilobases (kb) comprising the 6 exon gene and its flanking regions (8 sites within 10 kb at the 5'-end including exons 1-3, 5 sites in the 50-kb third intron, and 2 sites in the 15-kb fifth intron). During development there was a progressive appearance of DNase I-hypersensitive sites that coincided with activation of IGF-I gene expression. One site that became fully hypersensitive by postnatal day 7 was mapped by in vivo DNAse I footprinting to the proximal 200 nucleotides of promoter 1. Since serum IGF-I values rose from 10 to 120 micrograms/liter during the initial postnatal week, these results indicate that transcriptional mechanisms are principally responsible for the stimulation of IGF-I synthesis that occurs shortly after birth. Because discrete changes in chromatin organization coincided with induction of IGF-I gene transcription, it is likely that a series of developmentally modulated transcription factors are involved the activation process.


Inhibition of eukaryotic DNA polymerase alpha with a novel lysophosphatidic acid (PHYLPA) isolated from myxoamoebae of Physarum polycephalum.

A specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha was isolated from the lipid fraction prepared from myxoamoebae of a true slime mold, Physarum polycephalum. The purified substance was subjected to structural studies by fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structure of this substance was thereby suggested to be a novel lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) composed of cyclic phosphate and cyclopropane-containing hexadecanoic acid. Then we named this substance PHYLPA (Physarum LPA). PHYLPA inhibited more than 80% of the affinity-purified calf thymus DNA polymerase alpha activity at a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml (approximately 20 microM). Inhibition was observed for DNA polymerase alpha but not for DNA polymerase beta or gamma from various eukaryotic species, nor did it inhibit DNA polymerase I from E. coli. From kinetic analyses, the inhibition was considered to be caused by the interaction of PHYLPA with the template DNA.


Identification of C8-methylguanine in the hydrolysates of DNA from rats administered 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Evidence for in vivo DNA alkylation by methyl radicals.

C8-Methylguanine was identified in the neutral hydrolysates of DNA isolated from the liver or colon tissue of rats administered 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. In all the samples examined, the biologically isolated adducts were characterized by co-elution with synthetic C8-methylguanine under different high pressure liquid chromatography conditions. The sample isolated from liver DNA was also identified by UV spectroscopy at different pH values and by mass spectrometry. The estimated yields of C8-methylguanine obtained in hydrolysates of DNA from the liver or colon tissue were comparable to those of O6-methylguanine. C8-Methylguanine was not detected when the spin trap alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert- butylnitrone was administered together with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. The spin trap also inhibited N7-methylguanine and O6-methylguanine yields, although to a lesser extent. These results constitute the first evidence that DNA alkylation by carbon-centered radicals can occur in vivo.


Characterization of oligomers as kinetic intermediates in myosin subfragment 1-induced polymerization of G-actin.

The nature of the kinetic intermediates involved in S1-induced polymerization of G-actin into F-acto-S1-decorated filaments has been investigated using as probes light scattering, the fluorescence of pyrenyl- or NBD-labeled actin, and the anisotropy of fluorescence of N-iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-napthyl)ethylene diamine (AEDANS)-labeled actin. With AEDANS-G-actin, the initial formation of a ternary G2S complex between two G-actin and one S1 molecules (Valentin-Ranc, C., Combeau, C., Carlier, M. F., and Pantaloni, D. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 17871-17879) has been confirmed. Data obtained with all probes are consistent with the subsequent rapid formation of G-actin-S1 oligomers in which the actin/S1 molar ratio is 2:1. Oligomers form above 0.6 microM G-actin with S1(A1) and above 3.5 microM G-actin with S1(A2), at 20 degrees C. Oligomerization is endothermic with a delta H of 14 kcal/mol. A tentative model is proposed to comprehensively account for the data and the structural features of the F-actin-S1 filament. Within this model, longitudinal actin-actin interactions take place in G2S, and lateral, hydrophobic actin-actin interactions appear upon formation of (G2S)n oligomers.


Tyrosine phosphatase activity of lymphoma CD45 (GP180) is regulated by a direct interaction with the cytoskeleton.

GP180 is one of the major transmembrane glycoproteins in mouse T-lymphoma cells. This molecule is an isoform of CD45 and is known to contain an intrinsic protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity. Using several complementary biochemical techniques, we have found that fodrin (a spectrin-like protein) is preferentially co-isolated with CD45 (GP180), suggesting that a complex between CD45 (GP180) and the cytoskeleton exists in mouse T-lymphoma cells. Furthermore, we have determined that this CD45 (GP180)-fodrin complex is dissociated by high salt treatment. Using in vitro binding assays, we have shown that CD45 (GP180) binds directly and specifically to fodrin (Kd approximately 1.1 nM) or spectrin (Kd approximately 3.2 nM) in a saturable manner. Additional analyses indicate that a 48-kDa phosphopeptide of CD45 (GP180) contains the fodrin/spectrin-binding domain. Most importantly, the direct binding of fodrin/spectrin to CD45 (GP180) is found to significantly stimulate the PTPase activity of CD45. Enzyme kinetic analysis indicates that fodrin and spectrin increase the Vmax of CD45 (GP180)-mediated dephosphorylation by 7.5 and 3.2-fold, respectively, without significantly changing the Km value. These results strongly suggest that the cytoskeletal proteins, fodrin and spectrin, play an important role in the regulation of the CD45 (GP180) PTPase activity during lymphocyte activation.


Cloning and characterization of a cysteine proteinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have isolated a gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that encodes a protein homologous to the mammalian cysteine proteinase bleomycin hydrolase. Sequence comparison between the yeast and rabbit proteins indicates an amino acid identity of 41.5% over 277 residues and a similarity of 78.3% when conservative substitutions are included. The apparent mass of the yeast protein by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 47 kDa, although sequence analysis indicates two potential initiator methionines that suggest calculated masses of either 51 or 55 kDa. The protein is nonessential in yeast as haploid mutants disrupted at several positions along the open reading frame remain viable. Furthermore, these mutants do not exhibit any readily observable growth defects under varying conditions of temperature, nutrients, osmotic strength, or exogenous bleomycin. However, the purified protein does exhibit marked hydrolytic activity toward the substrate arginine 4-methyl-7-coumarylamide (Km = 12.8 microM, Vmax = 2.56 mumol mg-1 h-1), and yeast cells engineered to express this protein at higher levels maintain increased resistance to bleomycin compared to wild-type cells. Because this protein represents the first example of a cysteine proteinase identified in yeast, we have named it Ycp1 (yeast cysteine proteinase).


Site-directed mutagenesis reveals the involvement of an additional thioredoxin-dependent regulatory site in the activation of recombinant sorghum leaf NADP-malate dehydrogenase.

The chloroplastic enzyme NADP-malate dehydrogenase is activated by a reversible thiol/disulfide interchange with reduced thioredoxin. Its target disulfide bridge is considered to be located at the amino terminus. To further substantiate the regulatory role of this disulfide, site-directed mutagenesis has been used to replace each or both of the amino-terminal cysteines of the sorghum leaf NADP-malate dehydrogenase, expressed in Escherichia coli, by serines. A truncation mutant lacking the amino terminus has also been produced. Surprisingly, the mutant proteins still required activation by reduced thioredoxin. However, their activation was almost instantaneous, whereas the native enzyme reached full activity after a 10-20 min preincubation. The 8 1/2 for reduced thioredoxin was decreased 2-fold in the mutants, but their Km values for NADPH and oxaloacetate did not change significantly. The inhibition of activation by NADP and inhibition of activity by thiol-derivatizing agents were also retained. These results are interpreted as an indication that two thioredoxin-dependent reduction steps are involved in NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase light activation, hence that two disulfides per monomer participate in the process. The overall activation rate would depend on a conformational change following the reduction of the amino-terminal disulfide bridge. The amino terminus also plays a role in the dimerization of the protein.


Fluoride-inhibited calcium ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Magnesium and fluoride stoichiometry.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) CaATPase is inactivated by fluoride in the presence of magnesium (Murphy, A. J., and Coll, R. J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 5229-5235). The inactive complex is very stable and can be isolated free of other components by 48 h of dialysis at 4 degrees C (Murphy, A. J., and Coll, R. J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 16990-16994). In this study, we used a fluoride-specific electrode to determine that the amount of tightly bound fluoride in the complex was 9.4 +/- 2 nmol mg-1 SR protein. The rate constant of inactivation was very similar to the rate constant of fluoride incorporation and varied directly as the square of the fluoride concentration. Luminal Ca2+ accelerated reactivation of the inhibited enzyme, and the rate constants of activity regain and fluoride release were very similar. Although required for inhibition, added magnesium did not accelerate reactivation. Analysis for magnesium using antipyrylazo III of the inhibited enzyme showed 4.1 +/- 0.4 nmol mg-1 SR protein. As there is much evidence in the literature supportive of an estimate of calcium pumps equal to approximately 4-5 nmol mg-1 SR protein, our results indicate that each inhibited enzyme contains two tightly bound fluorides and one tightly bound magnesium.


Regulated, but not constitutive, secretory proteins bind porcine chymotrypsinogen.

Endocrine and exocrine cells exhibit both a constitutive and a regulated secretory pathway. In the latter pathway, secretory proteins are stored at a high concentration in secretory granules and are released by exocytosis in response to appropriate external stimuli. Sorting between the two secretory pathways is believed to take place in the trans-Golgi tubular network. To account for experimental data, it has been proposed that sorting receptors exist which bind a variety of regulated secretory proteins, including foreign secretory proteins introduced into the cells by transfection. In support of the sorting receptor hypothesis Chung et al. (Chung, K.-N., Walter, P., Aponte, G. W., and Moore, H.-P.H. (1989) Science 243, 192-197) isolated a group of 25-kDa canine pancreatic "hormone-binding proteins" that bound regulated but not constitutive secretory proteins. To determine if similar proteins are present in other species and tissues, we have screened porcine pancreas, parathyroid, adrenal medulla, and pituitary glands. A 31-kDa protein, similar to that identified by Chung et al. (1989), which binds to regulated but not to constitutive secretory proteins was identified in porcine pancreas. This protein was not detected in the parathyroid, adrenal medulla, or pituitary glands, however, which argues against it serving as a general sorting receptor. NH2-terminal sequencing, immunoreactivity, and proteolytic activity data indicate that the porcine 31-kDa protein is similar if not identical to porcine chymotrypsinogen A or B.


Nerve growth factor stimulates the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 38-kDa protein that specifically associates with the src homology domain of phospholipase C-gamma 1.

The cellular actions of nerve growth factor (NGF) involve changes in protein phosphorylation, initiated by the binding and subsequent activation of its tyrosine kinase receptor, the trk protooncogene (pp140c-trk). Upon exposure to NGF, a 38-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated protein (pp38) is identified in both PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells and NIH3T3 cells transfected with the full-length human pp140c-trk cDNA (3T3-c-trk) that is specifically coimmunoprecipitated with pp140c-trk or phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma 1. In both PC-12 and 3T3-c-trk cells, NGF rapidly stimulates the association of pp140c-trk and pp38 with a fusion protein containing the src homology (SH) domains of PLC gamma 1. This phosphorylation and subsequent association are specific for NGF, since epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and insulin do not stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins or their association with the PLC gamma 1 SH domains, although the receptors for these growth factors do undergo tyrosine phosphorylation and association with the PLC-gamma 1 fusion protein under these conditions. Furthermore, the NGF-dependent pp38-SH binding is specific for the SH2 domains of PLC-gamma 1, since the phosphoprotein does not bind to fusion proteins containing SH domains of ras GTPase-activating protein or the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase. Both amino- and carboxyl-terminal SH2 domains of PLC-gamma 1 are necessary for the association of pp38 with PLC-gamma 1, although each SH2 domain is sufficient for the association of pp140c-trk with PLC-gamma 1. In both PC-12 and 3T3-c-trk cells, the phosphorylation and association of pp38 with PLC gamma 1 is rapid, occurring maximally at 1 min and declining thereafter. Moreover, this effect of NGF is dose-dependent over a physiological concentration of the growth factor. The specificity and rapidity of pp38 phosphorylation and its association with PLC-gamma 1 suggest that it may be an important component in signal transduction for NGF.


The induction by human interleukin-6 of apoptosis in the promonocytic cell line U937 and human neutrophils.

Apoptosis of neutrophils at sites of inflammation in vivo is thought to lead to their recognition and safe elimination by macrophages. Little is known, however, about the regulation of apoptosis in myeloid cells. We report here that the human promonocytic leukemic cell line, U937, and mature human neutrophils can be induced to become apoptotic when cultured with interleukin-6. Apoptosis of U937 cells, assessed morphologically and by the presence of DNA fragmentation, was increased significantly in a dose-dependent fashion by concentrations of 0.5-100 ng/ml interleukin-6. Apoptosis of U937 cells was evident after 48 h of incubation with 20 ng/ml interleukin-6, and the effect was eliminated by adsorption of interleukin-6 with a specific monoclonal antibody. Apoptosis was not evident in the presence of the differentiating agent phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate; the induction of apoptosis in U937 cells was not therefore a consequence of differentiation. Apoptosis of mature neutrophils was enhanced after 24 h in culture with interleukin-6. Interleukin-6 might be an important factor in the normal resolution of inflammation through the induction of apoptosis of neutrophils.


Expression of human apolipoprotein A-II and its effect on high density lipoproteins in transgenic mice.

Apolipoproteins A-I and A-II comprise approximately 70 and 20%, respectively, of the total protein content of HDL. Evidence suggests that apoA-I plays a central role in determining the structure and plasma concentration of HDL, while the role of apoA-II is uncertain. To help define the function of apoA-II and determine what effect increasing its plasma concentration has on HDL, transgenic mice expressing human apoA-II and both human apoA-I and human apoA-II were produced. Human apoA-II mRNA is expressed exclusively in the livers of transgenic animals, and the protein exists as a dimer as it does in humans. High level expression of human apoA-II did not increase HDL concentrations or decrease plasma concentrations of murine apoA-I and apoA-II in contrast to what was observed in mice overexpressing human apoA-I. The primary effect of overexpressing human apoA-II was the appearance of small HDL particles composed exclusively of human apoA-II. HDL from mice transgenic for both human apoA-I and human apoA-II displayed a unique size distribution when compared with either apoA-I or apoA-II transgenic mice and contain particles with both these human apolipoproteins. These results in mice, indicating that human apoA-II participates in determining HDL size, parallel results from human studies.


Differential stimulation of protein kinase C activity by phorbol ester or calcium/phosphatidylserine in vitro and in intact synaptosomes.

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was compared with calcium/phosphatidylserine (Ca/PS). The substrate specificity of PKC was more limited with PS/PMA. Substrates could be divided into three overlapping groups according to their relative level of phosphorylation: C1, relatively preferred substrates with Ca/PS, included dephosphin, histone, and peptide GS1-10. C2, relatively preferred with PS/PMA, included myelin basic protein and MARCKS. C3, substrates independent of activators. PS/PMA altered the Vmax of PKC for substrate, and decreased the Km for Mg2+. Differential substrate phosphorylation by PS/PMA also occurred for PKC isozymes resolved by hydroxylapatite chromatography and was most dramatic for PKC-alpha, which could no longer phosphorylate histone or GS1-12. Differential activities of PKC were also observed in synaptosol and in intact synaptosomes where PMA stimulated phosphorylation of MARCKS, but not dephosphin. It was further shown that dephosphin was indeed a substrate of PKC in the intact synaptosomes by use of a repolarization-dependent dephosphin phosphorylation assay. The differential PKC activities could also be distinguished by inhibitors. H-7 was equipotent, palmitoylcarnitine did not inhibit in vitro C2 phosphorylation, but inhibited dephosphin in intact synaptosomes, and sphingosine did not inhibit C1 substrates and was without effect on dephosphin in intact synaptosomes. Therefore PS/PMA alters or limits the substrate specificity of PKC, leading to a differential substrate phosphorylation in vitro and in intact synaptosomes and differential inhibitor sensitivity. The pattern of protein phosphorylation observed after PKC activation in intact cells will therefore be dependent upon the activator.


Purification and characterization of mitochondrial imidazoline-guanidinium receptive site from rabbit kidney.

The imidazoline-guanidinium receptive site (IGRS) is a membrane-bound protein that may mediate some of the pharmacological effects of imidazoline and guanidinium compounds. The structure and functionality of this protein are unknown but, in addition to its location at the plasma membrane, it is found in high density in the outer membrane of mitochondria (Tesson, F., Prip-Buus, C., Lemoine, A., Pegorier, J.-P., and Parini, A. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 155-160). Using a two-step procedure, we report the purification of mitochondrial IGRS from rabbit kidney to the apparent homogeneity. After solubilization of mitochondrial membranes with digitonin, an apparently homogeneous IGRS preparation was obtained by two sequential purification steps, chromatofocusing and hydroxylapatite-agarose chromatography. One- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the purified preparation after silver staining or radioiodination indicated that IGRS binding subunit was purified at the apparent homogeneity since a single band (M(r) approximately 60,000) was observed. IGRS behaves as an acidic protein (pI 5.5) whose binding activity is regulated by H+ concentration near a physiological pH of 7.4. The ability to achieve rapid purification of IGRS should facilitate efforts to define molecular properties and functionality of this protein.


Primary structure of the alanine carrier protein of thermophilic bacterium PS3.

Purified alanine carrier proteins were cleaved into peptides either chemically after solubilization in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol or proteolytically with lysylendopeptidase. From the amino acid sequence analyses of these peptides, we synthesized a DNA probe and utilized it for successful cloning of a gene encoding the alanine carrier protein (acp gene). The 5'-flanking region was determined by an inverse polymerase chain reaction, and an open reading frame consisting of 1,335 nucleotides was found. The amino acid sequence deduced from the open reading frame consists of 445 amino acids, and all the partial amino acid sequences determined are included in the sequence. Although the calculated M(r) of 47,803 is significantly larger than the apparent M(r) of 42,500 as reported previously (Hirata, H., Kambe, T., and Kagawa, Y. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 10653-10656), an in vitro translation experiment revealed that the product of the acp gene migrates at a position coinciding with that of the purified alanine carrier. Hydropathy analysis suggests that the protein contains at least 8 hydrophobic segments presumably spanning membrane. A homology search on a database reveals relatively high scores of homology with either the Escherichia coli melibiose carrier or the human Na+/glucose symporter, particularly in the region from Leu246 to Glu286. Furthermore, the region also reveals low but significant similarities to other Na(+)-coupled symporters.


Evidence for two distinct major protein components, PAR 1 and PAR 2, in the paraflagellar rod of Trypanosoma cruzi. Complete nucleotide sequence of PAR.

The previously identified major protein components of the paraflagellar rod in Trypanosoma cruzi, PAR 1 and PAR 2, were analyzed to determine if they are distinct proteins or different conformations of a single polypeptide as has been suggested for other trypanosomatids. Amino acid sequence analysis showed PAR 1 and PAR 2 to be two distinct polypeptides. Antibodies specific against either PAR 1 or PAR 2 were shown to each react with a distinct band in Western blots of paraflagellar isolates of T. cruzi and other trypanosomatids if rigorous protease inhibition was used. The PAR 2 message was isolated and characterized by Northern blot and nucleic acid sequence analysis. Preliminary analysis of the PAR 2 gene indicates that PAR 2 is a member of a multigene family with all members residing on a single chromosome.


Nerve growth factor-activated protein kinase N. Characterization and rapid near homogeneity purification by nucleotide affinity-exchange chromatography.

Protein kinase N (PKN) is a protein kinase rapidly activated by nerve growth factor (NGF) and other agents in PC12 pheochromocytoma and additional cell types. PKN is selectively inhibited by purine analogs, and this property has served both as a diagnostic for PKN activity and to establish its apparent involvement in certain pathways of the NGF mechanism of action. The present work has focused on further characterization, identification, and purification of NGF-activated PKN. We show here that PKN can be substantially enriched by elution from ion exchange resins with ATP. We exploited this novel technique (nucleotide affinity exchange chromatography) to devise two alternative isolation schemes for PKN. One utilizes sequential chromatographic steps and provides a preparation that is apparently 60% homogeneous for PKN and represents a total enrichment of approximately 10,000-fold. The other is a single column procedure and includes prewashes with NAD. This method yields material that is about 5-10% homogeneous for PKN, requires about 1 h, and can be applied to multiple samples in parallel. The ATP elution technique furthermore distinguishes NGF-regulated from basal PKN activity and thereby suggests the presence of distinct PKN isoforms. The applications of sucrose gradient centrifugation, gel filtration chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)/silver staining, affinity labeling with 8-azido-ATP/SDS-PAGE, and autophosphorylation (after SDS-PAGE, blotting and renaturation) all indicate that PKN has an apparent molecular mass of 45-47 kDa and is mainly monomeric in solution. These and additional properties appear to distinguish PKN from many previously described protein kinases.


Purification and initial characterization of the proteasome from the higher plant Spinacia oleracea.

The proteasome (multicatalytic protease complex), a high molecular weight protein complex, has been purified from spinach leaves by successive chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Bio-Gel A-1.5m, DEAE-TOYOPEARL 650C, and DEAE-5PW. The molecular mass was estimated to be 850 kDa by gel filtration. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the proteasome gave a single protein band under nondenaturing conditions and at least 10 bands in the range of 21-32 kDa in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. By electron microscopy after negative staining with uranyl acetate, the proteasome from spinach appeared as symmetrical ring-shaped particles. The substrate specificity of proteasomes indicates that they contain at least three types of activity, namely, chymotrypsin-like, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease-like, and trypsin-like activities. The former two activities were enhanced by poly-L-lysine or sodium dodecyl sulfate. Moreover, we examined the immunological reactivities of proteasomes from various eukaryotes. As a result, cross-immunoreactivities of some subunits were observed. These properties of the proteasome are similar to those of proteasomes isolated from various other eukaryotic sources.


Nuclear-encoded tobacco chloroplast ribosomal protein L24. Protein identification, sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding its cytoplasmic precursor, and mRNA and genomic DNA analysis.

Using a Nicotiana tabacum leaf cDNA library in the expression vector lambda gt11, two cDNAs encoding the full-length precursor polypeptide (M(r) 20,696) of tobacco chloroplast ribosomal protein L24 were identified and sequenced. These cDNAs encode a mature protein of 146 amino acids (M(r) 16,418) with a transit peptide of 41 amino acids (M(r) 4,278). The mature tobacco L24 protein has 78, 65, 45, and 35% sequence identity with ribosomal proteins L24 of pea, spinach, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli, respectively. The transit peptide of tobacco L24 is 54 and 57% identical with that of L24 chloroplast ribosomal proteins of pea and spinach, respectively. An expressed beta-galactosidase:L24 fusion protein, bound to nitrocellulose filters, was used as affinity matrix to purify monospecific antibody to L24 protein. Using this monospecific antibody protein L24 was identified among high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-purified tobacco chloroplast ribosome 50 S subunit proteins. The predicted amino terminus of the mature L24 protein was confirmed by partial sequencing of the HPLC-purified L24 protein. Northern blot analysis revealed a single mRNA band (0.85-0.90 kilobase) corresponding in size to full-length L24 cDNA. The presence of multiple genes for L24 is suggested by Southern blot hybridization and characterization of two cDNAs for L24 which only differ in their 3'-noncoding sequences.


Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (92-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase) from HT 1080 human fibrosarcoma cells. Purification and activation of the precursor and enzymic properties.

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) has been purified as an inactive zymogen of M(r) 92,000 (proMMP-9) from the culture medium of HT 1080 human fibrosarcoma cells. The NH2-terminal sequence of proMMP-9 is Ala-Pro-Arg-Gln-Arg-Gln-Ser-Thr-Leu-Val-Leu-Phe-Pro, which is identical to that of the 92-kDa type IV collagenase/gelatinase. The zymogen can be activated by 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate, yielding an intermediate form of M(r) 83,000 and an active species of M(r) 67,000, the second of which has a new NH2 terminus of Met-Arg-Thr-Pro-Arg-(Cys)-Gly-Val-Pro-Asp-Leu-Gly-Arg-Phe-Gln-Thr- Phe-Glu. Immunoblot analyses demonstrate that this activation process is achieved by sequential processing of both NH2- and COOH-terminal peptides. TIMP-1 complexed with proMMP-9 inhibits the conversion of the intermediate form to the active species of M(r) 67,000. The proenzyme is fully activated by cathepsin G, trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and MMP-3 (stromelysin 1) but not by plasmin, leukocyte elastase, plasma kallikrein, thrombin, or MMP-1 (tissue collagenase). During the activation by MMP-3, proMMP-9 is converted to an active species of M(r) 64,000 that lacks both NH2- and COOH-terminal peptides. In addition, HOCl partially activates the zymogen by reacting with an intermediate species of M(r) 83,000. The enzyme degrades type I gelatin rapidly and also cleaves native collagens including alpha 2 chain of type I collagen, collagen types III, IV, and V at undenaturing temperatures. These results indicate that MMP-9 has different activation mechanisms and substrate specificity from those of MMP-2 (72-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase).


Cytochrome P-450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase. Regulatory control of the renal epoxygenase by dietary salt loading.

The rat kidney microsomal epoxygenase catalyzed the asymmetric epoxidation of arachidonic acid to generate as major products: 8(R),9(S)-, 11(R),12(S)- and 14(S),15(R)-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids with optical purities of 97, 88, and 70%, respectively. Inhibition studies utilizing a panel of polyclonal antibodies to several rat liver cytochrome P-450 isoforms, indicated that the renal epoxygenase(s) belongs to the cytochrome P-450 2C gene family. Dietary salt, administered either as a 2-2.5% (w/v) solution in the drinking water or as a modified solid diet containing 8% NaCl (w/w), resulted in marked and selective increases in the renal microsomal epoxygenase activity (416 and 260% of controls, for the liquid and solid forms of NaCl, respectively) with no significant changes in the microsomal omega/omega-1 oxygenase or in the hepatic arachidonic acid monooxygenase reaction. Immunoblotting studies demonstrated that dietary salt induced marked increases in the concentration of a cytochrome P-450 isoform(s) recognized by polyclonal antibodies raised against human liver cytochrome P-450 2C10 or rat liver cytochrome P-450 2C11. Comparisons of the stereochemical selectivity of the induced and non-induced microsomal epoxygenase(s) with that of purified rat liver cytochrome P-450 2C11 suggest that the salt-induced protein(s) is catalytically and structurally different from liver cytochrome P-450 2C11. The in vivo significance of dietary salt in regulating the activities of the kidney endogenous arachidonic acid epoxygenase was established by the demonstration of a salt-induced 10-20-fold increase in the urinary output of epoxygenase metabolites. These results, in conjunction with published evidence demonstrating the potent biological activities of its metabolites, suggest a role for the epoxygenase in the renal response to dietary salt.


Identification of B beta chain domains involved in human fibrinogen assembly.

Fibrinogen chains are assembled in a stepwise manner in the rough endoplasmic reticulum prior to secretion of the final six-chain dimeric molecule. Previous studies indicated that the synthesis of B beta may be a rate-limiting factor in the assembly of human fibrinogen. To determine the domains of B beta which interact with the other two component chains of fibrinogen, deletion mutants of B beta were transiently co-expressed, together with A alpha and gamma chains, in COS cells, and fibrinogen assembly and secretion were measured. Deletion of the COOH-terminal half of the B beta chain (amino acids 208-461) did not affect assembly and secretion. Assembly of A alpha, gamma, and B beta also occurred when the first NH2-terminal 72 amino acids of B beta were deleted, but not when 93 amino acids were deleted. This indicates that the B beta domain between amino acids 73 and 93 is necessary for the assembly of the three fibrinogen chains. This domain marks the start of the alpha-helical "coiled-coil" region of fibrinogen.


The role of the cathepsin D propeptide in sorting to the lysosome.

The propeptides of lysosomal enzymes have been implicated in membrane association and mannose 6-phosphate-independent sorting to the lysosome (Rijnboutt, S., Aerts, H., Geuze, H. J., Tager, J. M., and Strous, G. J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4862-4868; McIntyre, G. F., and Erickson, A. H. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 15438-15445). In this report, the function of the propeptide of procathepsin D in sorting to the lysosome was directly assessed using a cathepsin D deletion mutant lacking the propeptide, and using a chimeric cDNA encoding the cathepsin D propeptide fused to the secretory protein alpha-lactalbumin. Proteins encoded by these cDNAs were expressed in mouse Ltk- cells and in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells, and then immunoprecipitated and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The deletion mutant was glycosylated but was rapidly degraded in a chloroquine-independent fashion and did not assume an active conformation. Thus the propeptide appeared to be necessary for correct folding. The chimeric protein was glycosylated and secreted. The coincidence of complex oligosaccharide modification and secretion of the chimeric protein suggested that it was slowly released from the endoplasmic reticulum and rapidly passed through the cell to the extracellular compartment. This was confirmed by immunofluorescent localization of the proteins. The data indicated that the propeptide appeared to be necessary for folding of cathepsin D but, unlike the yeast vacuolar propeptides, was not sufficient to direct a secretory protein to the lysosome in fibroblasts or in epithelial cells.


Binding of the metalloregulatory protein DtxR to the diphtheria tox operator requires a divalent heavy metal ion and protects the palindromic sequence from DNase I digestion.

Transcription of the corynebacteriophage diphtheria tox operon has been shown to be regulated through a corynebacterial determined factor DtxR. The dtxR gene has been recently cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and shown to regulate the expression of beta-galactosidase expression from a diphtheria tox promoter/operator-lacZ transcriptional fusion. Tao et al. (Tao, X., Boyd, J., and Murphy, J. R. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 5897-5901) have recently shown by gel mobility shift assay that the binding of DtxR to the tox operator requires a divalent heavy metal ion, as well as the 27-base pair interrupted palindromic sequence. We now show the activation of DtxR in the presence of Co2+, Fe2+, or Mn2+ results in the protection of a 33- and 27-nucleotide region on the coding and non-coding strand from DNase I digestion, respectively. DtxR is also activated in the presence of Ni2+; however, this metalloregulatory factor is only weakly activated by Zn2+. The diphtheria tox regulatory region protected from DNase I digestion in the presence of activated DtxR encompasses the 27-base pair interrupted palindromic sequence.


Statin, a protein specifically present in nonproliferating cells, is a phosphoprotein and forms a complex with a 45-kilodalton serine/threonine kinase.

The protein statin is found in nuclei of nonproliferating cells. Here we report that statin is a phosphoprotein, phosphorylated at serine residues in cultured cells. During immunoprecipitation with anti-statin (S44) antibody, a 45-kDa protein co-precipitates with the 57-kDa statin. In vitro kinase assays demonstrate that the S44 immunoprecipitates can phosphorylate, besides statin, immunoglobulins, enolase, and casein, at either serine or serine/threonine residues. Kinase assays with immunoprecipitated proteins performed on casein- or enolase-impregnated gels show that these substrates are phosphorylated by the 45-kDa (p45) protein. When the S44 immunoprecipitates from human cultured fibroblasts with different in vitro life-spans were compared, the p45 kinase activity was present only in young nongrowing and senescent cells, but not in young growing ones. In other cell cultures, the kinase is detected only in protein complexes precipitated from quiescent 3T3 cells, but not from cycling 3T3 cells or from transformed human glioma (U251-4) cells. Cell fractionation studies, indicating that the phosphorylating activity of S44 immunoprecipitates correlates both qualitatively and quantitatively with the amount of statin present, provide strong evidence that in vivo statin is specifically associated with the p45 kinase. These results suggest that the nonproliferation-specific nature of statin is indeed related to the phosphorylated property of this protein and maybe contributed by the associated kinase.


Assembly of the oligomeric membrane pore formed by Staphylococcal alpha-hemolysin examined by truncation mutagenesis.

The alpha-hemolysin (alpha HL) from Staphylococcus aureus causes the lysis of susceptible cells such as rabbit erythrocytes (rRBCs). Lysis is associated with the formation of a hexameric pore in the plasma membrane. Here we show that truncation mutants of alpha HL missing 2 to 22 N-terminal amino acids form oligomers on the surfaces of rRBCs but fail to lyse the cells. By contrast, mutants missing 3 or 5 amino acids at the C terminus are very inefficient at oligomerization but do lyse rRBCs, albeit extremely slowly. The C-terminal truncation mutants, retarded as monomers on the cell surface, undergo a conformational change in which the protease-sensitive loop located near the midpoint of the polypeptide chain becomes occluded. Judged by this criterion, polypeptides truncated at the N terminus, frozen as nonlytic oligomers, are in a similar conformation. A second proteolytic site near the N terminus of the polypeptide becomes inaccessible in the lytic pore formed by the wild-type polypeptide, supporting the idea that a second conformational change occurs upon pore formation. These findings suggest a pathway for assembly of the lytic pore in which alpha HL first binds to target cells as a monomer, which is converted to a nonlytic oligomeric intermediate before formation of the pore. In keeping with this model, an N-terminal truncation mutant blocks the slow lysis induced by a C-terminal truncation mutant, presumably by diverting the weakly lytic subunits into inactive oligomers.


Molecular analysis of dibasic endoproteolytic cleavage signals.

Biologically active peptide hormones are synthesized from larger precursor proteins by a variety of post-translational processing reactions. To characterize these processing reactions further we have expressed preprogastrin in two endocrine cell lines and examined the molecular determinants involved in endoproteolysis at dibasic cleavage sites. The Gly93-Arg94-Arg95 carboxyl-terminal processing site of progastrin must be processed sequentially by an endoprotease, a carboxypeptidase, and an amidating enzyme to produce bioactive gastrin. For these studies the dibasic Arg94-Arg95 residues that serve as signals for the initiation of this processing cascade were mutated to Lys94-Arg95, Arg94-Lys95, and Lys94-Lys95. In the GH3 cells the Lys94-Arg95 mutation slightly diminished synthesis of carboxyl-terminally amidated gastrin, whereas in the MTC 6-23 cells this mutation had no effect on amidated gastrin synthesis. In contrast, both Arg94-Lys95 and Lys94-Lys95 mutations resulted in significantly diminished production of amidated gastrin in both cell lines. A specific hierarchy of preferred cleavage signals at this progastrin processing site was demonstrated in both cell lines, indicating that cellular dibasic endoproteases have stringent substrate specificities. Progastrins with the Lys94-Arg95 mutation in GH3 cells also demonstrated diminished processing at the Lys74-Lys75 dibasic site, thus single amino acid changes at one processing site may alter cleavage at distant sites. These studies provide insight into the post-translational processing and biological activation of not only gastrin but other peptide hormones as well.


Molecular cloning and characterization of a gene encoding pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase.

A gene encoding cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (ApxI) from pea (Pisum sativum L.) was isolated and its nucleotide sequence determined. By homologous alignment between the ApxI cDNA (Mittler, R., and Zilinskas, B. (1991) FEBS Lett. 289, 257-259) and the genomic clone, positions of introns and exons were determined. The isolated ApxI gene was found to contain 9 introns, the first of which was located within the 5'-untranslated region of the mRNA. Southern blot analysis of pea genomic DNA suggests that in pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase is encoded by a single copy gene. Steady state ApxI transcript levels were found to increase in response to several stresses imposed by drought, heat, and application of ethephon, abscisic acid, and the superoxide-generating agent paraquat. Increases in ascorbate peroxidase activity in response to stresses were less marked than changes observed in transcript levels; cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase protein levels measured by immunoblot analysis remained unchanged.


Glycosylation and membrane insertion of newly synthesized rat dopamine beta-hydroxylase in a cell-free system without signal cleavage.

Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH, EC 1.14.17.1) is present in both membrane-bound and soluble forms in neurosecretory vesicles. This study was designed to investigate the differences between membrane-bound and soluble DBH and how they may arise from translation of a single mRNA. Antisera to a peptide corresponding to the carboxyl terminus of rat DBH was found to specifically immunoprecipitate the 77- and 73-kDa subunits of newly synthesized DBH in rat brain. Thus, both soluble and membrane-bound forms contain the same carboxyl terminus. To investigate differences at the amino terminus, full-length rat DBH mRNA, translated in a cell-free system, produced a 66-kDa peptide. An additional higher molecular mass product was synthesized upon co-translational addition of microsomal membranes. This product was glycosylated since it bound to concanavalin A-Sepharose and reverted to the 66-kDa polypeptide after treatment with endoglycosidase H. This glycosylated product was resistant to protease digestion and fractionated with microsomal membranes on sucrose gradients, indicating that it is incorporated into the microsomal membranes. Amino-terminal sequencing of the glycosylated translation product indicated that the amino-terminal "signal" sequence was not cleaved. The results indicate that in the cell-free system newly synthesized DBH undergoes glycosylation and incorporation into microsomal membranes without cleavage of the NH2-terminal signal sequence.


Alpha-thrombin stimulates nuclear diglyceride levels and differential nuclear localization of protein kinase C isozymes in IIC9 cells.

The mechanism by which an agonist, binding to a cell surface receptor, exerts an effect on events in the nucleus is not known. We have previously shown (Leach, K. L., Ruff, V. A., Wright, T. M., Pessin, M. S., and Raben, D. M. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 3215-3221) that alpha-thrombin treatment of IIC9 cells results in increased levels of cellular 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) and activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Here, we have examined whether changes in nuclear PKC and nuclear DAG also are induced following alpha-thrombin treatment. IIC9 cells were treated with 500 ng/ml alpha-thrombin, and nuclei were then isolated. Western blot analysis using isozyme-specific antibodies demonstrated the presence of PKC alpha, but not PKC epsilon or zeta in the nuclei of cells treated with either phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or alpha-thrombin. The increase in nuclear PKC alpha levels was accompanied by a 10-fold increase in nuclear PKC specific activity and stimulated phosphorylation of at least six nuclear proteins. The rise in nuclear PKC levels occurred rapidly and reached a maximum at 30-60 s, which was followed by a decline back to the control level over the next 15 min. In addition, alpha-thrombin treatment resulted in an immediate rise in DAG mass levels in the nuclear fractions. Kinetic analysis indicated that a maximum increase in DAG levels occurred 2.5-5 min after the addition of alpha-thrombin and remained elevated for at least 30 min. In cells labeled with [3H]myristic acid, alpha-thrombin treatment induced an increase in radiolabeled nuclear diglycerides, suggesting that the stimulated nuclear DAGs are derived, at least in part, from phosphatidylcholine. Our results suggest that increases in both nuclear DAG levels and PKC activity following alpha-thrombin treatment may play a role in mediating thrombin-induced nuclear responses such as changes in gene expression and cellular proliferation.


Cloning of cDNA for mosquito lysosomal aspartic protease. Sequence analysis of an insect lysosomal enzyme similar to cathepsins D and E.

A cDNA coding for the lysosomal aspartic protease from the mosquito (mLAP) was cloned and sequenced. The mLAP cDNA is 1420 base pairs long with an open reading frame of 387 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a signal pre-propeptide sequence of 18 amino acids followed by 369 amino acids with a 35-amino acid putative pro-enzyme domain in the NH2-terminal. The amino acid sequence of mLAP is 92 and 81% similar to human cathepsin D and cathepsin E, respectively. Typical cleavage sites for cathepsin D processing into light and heavy chains are lacking in mLAP. A single glycosylation site occurs in the mLAP sequence at a position corresponding to the first glycosylation site of cathepsins D. The mLAP sequence shares putative phosphorylation determinants, which in cathepsins D are linked to the formation of mannose 6-phosphate. In the mosquito fat body, lysosomal enzymes specifically degrade organelles involved in the biosynthesis and secretion of vitellogenin. The mLAP mRNA accumulates to its highest level 24 h after initiation of vitellogenin synthesis and 12 h before the peak of mLAP protein accumulation and its enzymatic activity. Translational regulation of mLAP mRNA may occur. The 5'-untranslated region of mLAP mRNA is similar to elements conferring negative translational control by steroids.


Standardization of mRNA titration using a polymerase chain reaction method involving co-amplification with a multispecific internal control.

We describe a simplified and reliable polymerase chain reaction-based method for assaying RNAs of low abundancy. The technique involves the co-amplification of cellular RNA-derived cDNA with a multispecific cDNA of synthetic origin added as an internal standard, using primer pairs common to both templates. We show that the co-amplified templates accumulate in a parallel manner throughout both the exponential and nonexponential phases of amplification, even when the starting amounts of the templates differ by up to 2 orders of magnitude. This finding means that preliminary experiments designed to determine either the late exponential region or the amplification efficiency for each pair of primers are unnecessary. This has enabled us to develop a greatly simplified quantitation protocol. We illustrate our approach by quantifying the effect of the immunosuppressor cyclosporin A on the accumulation of interleukin-4, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-2 receptor mRNAs in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.


Calcium-activated potassium transport and high molecular weight forms of calpromotin.

Investigations of human red blood cells show that a cytoplasmic protein called calpromotin is involved in the regulation of calcium-activated potassium transport. Calpromotin associates with the membrane in the presence of calcium and undergoes a chemical transformation. High performance gel filtration and gel electrophoresis show that the cytoplasmic and membrane-bound calpromotin can exist in both low and high molecular weight forms. The biochemical properties of the high molecular weight membrane-bound calpromotin are not the same as the high molecular weight cytoplasmic calpromotin. The high molecular weight membrane forms of calpromotin are increased by leupeptin and diminished by iodoacetic acid. Therefore, the leupeptin enhancement and iodoacetic inhibition of calcium-activated potassium transport may involve the high molecular weight forms of membrane-bound calpromotin.


Tyrosine phosphorylation of receptor beta subunits and common substrates in response to interleukin-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

The receptors for interleukin-3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) consist of two polypeptides each belonging to a new class of molecules referred to as the hemopoietin receptor family. When expressed alone, receptor polypeptides of this family often bind their respective factors with lower affinity than the receptors identified in whole cells. Despite the lack of structural evidence for any enzymatic activity of the receptor polypeptides, both IL-3 and GM-CSF stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple intracellular substrates. We investigated IL-3 and GM-CSF receptor structure and signaling in a myeloid cell line, FDC-P1, which is dependent on either IL-3 or GM-CSF for growth. Antiphosphotyrosine antibodies were used to immunoprecipitate tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins from 32P-labeled cells or to probe immunoblots. Both IL-3 and GM-CSF stimulated the phosphorylation of a similar pattern of polypeptides on tyrosine. One tyrosine phosphorylated polypeptide migrated with M(r) = 135,000 and increased to 150,000 over a period of 10 min following stimulation of cells with IL-3 or GM-CSF. The M(r) = 135,000-150,000 polypeptide phosphorylated in response to IL-3 was shown to be primarily the Aic-2A polypeptide, the low affinity IL-3 receptor. Phosphatase treatment showed that the dramatic IL-3-induced shift in apparent molecular weight from M(r) = 125,000 in unstimulated cells was entirely due to phosphorylation. The closely related receptor, Aic-2B, was also tyrosine phosphorylated in response to IL-3, although to a lesser extent than Aic-2A. Treatment with GM-CSF resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of the Aic-2B polypeptide exclusively. It was intriguing that GM-CSF treatment did affect the mobility of the Aic-2A polypeptide on polyacrylamide gels. Together, these results suggest that the Aic-2A polypeptide is part of the IL-3 receptor complex, but not the GM-CSF receptor. In contrast, the Aic-2B polypeptide is a component of the GM-CSF receptor, but it can also be utilized in an IL-3 receptor.


Effects of site-directed mutagenesis of the highly conserved aspartate residues in domain II of farnesyl diphosphate synthase activity.

Comparison of the farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase amino acid sequences from four species with amino acid sequences from the related enzymes hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase show the presence of two aspartate rich highly conserved domains. The aspartate motif ((I, L, or V)XDDXXD) of the second of those domains has homology with at least 9 prenyl transfer enzymes that utilize an allylic prenyl diphosphate as one substrate. In order to investigate the role of this second aspartate-rich domain in rat FPP synthase, we mutated the first or third aspartate to glutamate, expressed the wild-type and mutant enzymes in Escherichia coli, and purified them to apparent homogeneity using a single chromatographic step. Approximately 12 mg of homogeneous protein was isolated from 120 mg of crude bacterial extract. The kinetic parameters of the purified wild-type recombinant FPP synthase containing the DDYLD motif were as follows: Vmax = 0.84 mumol/min/mg; GPP Km = 1.0 microM; isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) Km = 2.7 microM. Substitution of glutamate for the first aspartate (EDYLD) decreased the Vmax by over 90-fold. The Km for IPP increased, whereas the Km for GPP remained the same in this D243E mutant. Substitution of glutamate for the third aspartate (DDYLE) did not result in altered enzyme kinetics in the D247E mutant. These results suggest that the first aspartate in the second domain is involved in the catalysis by FPP synthase.


Molecular characterization of a rat negative regulator with a basic helix-loop-helix structure predominantly expressed in the developing nervous system.

We report here the cDNA cloning and characterization of a rat basic helix-loop-helix (HLH) factor, designated HES-5. This factor has a distant sequence homology to Drosophila hairy and Enhancer-of-split proteins, both of which are required for normal neurogenesis. DNase I footprinting analyses show that HES-5 binds to the sequence CACNAG (called N box), a recognition sequence of Enhancer-of-split proteins. Although HES-5 does not bind to the sequence CANNTG (called E box) recognized by other HLH factors, it attenuates the binding of E47, an HLH activator, to E box by forming a hetero-oligomer. In cotransfection analyses using NIH 3T3 cells, HES-5 significantly represses transcription originating from the promoter containing the N box sequences. Furthermore, HES-5 also partially inhibits the E47-induced expression from the promoter containing E boxes. Northern blot, RNase protection, and in situ hybridization analyses demonstrate that the HES-5 mRNA is specifically expressed in the nervous system. Prominent expression is observed in the ventricular zones of the embryonal brain vesicles and the outer nuclear layer of the neural retina. These results suggest that the negative regulator HES-5 may play an important role in neural development.


Cell-specific translation of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase mRNA. Regulation by the 5' transcript leader.

The mRNA encoding S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) has an unusual distribution in polysomes from cells of T lymphocyte origin. It associates predominantly with monosomes and small polysomes with none located in the preribosomal or ribonucleoprotein pool. In sharp contrast, it associates broadly with larger polysomes in several nonlymphoid cell lines, including fibroblasts and the adrenal carcinoma line, Y1. The AdoMetDC 5'-transcript leader (5'-TL) is highly conserved between human and bovine mRNAs. It has a length of about 330 nucleotides and contains a 21-nucleotide upstream open reading frame (uORF) approximately 14 nucleotides downstream of the cap site. The AdoMetDC 5'-TL, when used to replace the 5'-TL of the human growth hormone gene in a chimeric expression construct, causes a suppressed polysomal distribution of the chimeric mRNA identical to that of the endogenous AdoMetDC mRNA in the T cell line, Jurkat. In contrast, mRNA encoded by the same chimeric construct, when expressed in Y1 cells, mimics the broad polysomal distribution of the endogenous AdoMetDC mRNA. Mutations that remove the uORF, or prevent its initiation, abolish the translational suppression in T cells, establishing that the uORF is a negative element that modulates the cell-specific polysomal distribution of AdoMetDC mRNA.


Distal AP-1 binding sites mediate basal level enhancement and TPA induction of the mouse heme oxygenase-1 gene.

Basal expression of a chimeric gene (pMHO4CAT) consisting of approximately 7 kilobase pairs (kbp) of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene is 2- to 10-fold greater than that of an analogous construct containing only 1287 bp of the 5'-flanking region (pMHO1CAT) in transiently transfected cultured cells. The enhancer activity has been localized to a 268-base pair (bp) fragment positioned approximately 4 kilobase pairs upstream of the transcription initiation site. This fragment contains two high affinity protein binding sites, regions A and B, as determined by DNase I protection assays using nuclear protein extracts from rat C6 glioma cells. Both sites include core sequence elements, TGAGTCA (region A) and TGTGTCA (region B), that resemble the consensus binding site, TGA(G/C)TCA, of the Jun/Fos (AP-1) family of transcription factors. Purified, bacterially expressed AP-1 (c-Jun homodimer) specifically binds to both elements, exhibiting greater affinity for the region A motif. The expression of pMHO4CAT, but not of pMHO1CAT, is stimulated by the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and the 268-bp enhancer fragment confers TPA inducibility and c-Jun/c-Fos transactivation to the heterologous SV40 promoter. These functions are mediated by the AP-1 binding sites as multiple copies of the region A motif also confer TPA induction and c-Jun/c-Fos transactivation upon a heterologous promoter.


Ribosome-bound eukaryotic elongation factor 2 protects 5 S rRNA from modification.

The interaction between eukaryotic elongation factor eEF-2 and reconstituted 80 S ribosomes was investigated by analyzing the accessibility of 5 S ribosomal RNA for chemical and enzymatic modification. Ribosomes reconstituted from derived subunits were modified, and the positions of the modified sites were identified by primer extension using a 5 S rRNA-specific probe. All reactive sites were located between nucleotides 38 and 99, and most of them were found in putative single-stranded regions of the 5 S rRNA. Conversion of the ribosomes to the post-translocation type of particles by treatment with the translational inhibitor ricin resulted in the exposure of 3 additional bases for chemical modification, suggesting that the 5 S rRNA was more exposed in this type of ribosome. After binding of eEF-2 in complex with the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-methylene)-triphosphate, most of the exposed bases in the 5 S rRNA were protected against both chemical and enzymatic modification.


Membrane assembly of the triple-spanning coronavirus M protein. Individual transmembrane domains show preferred orientation.

The M protein of mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 is a triple-spanning membrane protein which assembles with an uncleaved internal signal sequence, adopting an NexoCcyt orientation. To study the insertion mechanism of this protein, domains potentially involved in topogenesis were deleted and the effects analyzed in topogenesis were deleted and the effects analyzed in several ways. Mutant proteins were synthesized in a cell-free translation system in the presence of microsomal membranes, and their integration and topology were determined by alkaline extraction and by protease-protection experiments. By expression in COS-1 and Madin-Darby canine kidney-II cells, the topology of the mutant proteins was also analyzed in vivo. Glycosylation was used as a biochemical marker to assess the disposition of the NH2 terminus. An indirect immunofluorescence assay on semi-intact Madin-Darby canine kidney-II cells using domain-specific antibodies served to identify the cytoplasmically exposed domains. The results show that each membrane-spanning domain acts independently as an insertion and anchor signal and adopts an intrinsic preferred orientation in the lipid bilayer which corresponds to the disposition of the transmembrane domain in the wild-type assembled protein. These observations provide further insight into the mechanism of membrane integration of multispanning proteins. A model for the insertion of the coronavirus M protein is proposed.