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H Hauser

Publications and source records attributed to H Hauser.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Scavenger receptor BI transfers major lipoprotein-associated phospholipids into the cells.

The phospholipids of lipoproteins can be transferred to cells by an endocytosis-independent uptake pathway. We analyzed the role of scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) for the selective cellular phospholipid import. Human monocytes rapidly acquired the pyrene (py)-labeled phospholipids sphingomyelin (SM), phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine from different donors (low and high density lipoproteins (LDL, HDL), lipid vesicles). The anti-SR-BI antibody directed against the extracellular loop of the membrane protein lowered the cellular import of the phospholipids by 40-80%. The phospholipid transfer from the lipid vesicles into the monocytes was suppressed by LDL, HDL, and apoprotein AI. Transfection of BHK cells with the cDNA for human SR-BI enhanced the cellular import of the vesicle-derived py-phospholipids by 5-6-fold. In the case of the LDL donors, transfer of py-SM to the transfected cells was stimulated to a greater extent than the uptake of the other py-phospholipids. Similar differences were not observed when the vesicles and HDL were used as phospholipid donors. The concentration of LDL required for the half-maximal phospholipid import was close to the previously reported apparent dissociation constant for LDL binding to SR-BI. The low activation energy of the SR-BI-mediated py-phospholipid import indicated that the transfer occurs entirely in a hydrophobic environment. Disruption of cell membrane caveolae by cyclodextrin treatment reduced the SR-BI-catalyzed incorporation of py-SM, suggesting that intact caveolae are necessary for the phospholipid uptake. In conclusion, SR-BI mediates the selective import of the major lipoprotein-associated phospholipids into the cells, the transfer efficiency being dependent on the structure of the donor lipoprotein.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Intestinal sterol absorption mediated by scavenger receptors is competitively inhibited by amphipathic peptides and proteins.

Exchangeable serum apolipoproteins and amphipathic alpha-helical peptides are effective inhibitors of sterol (free and esterified cholesterol) uptake at the small-intestinal brush border membrane. The minimal structural requirement of an inhibitor is an amphipathic alpha-helix of 18 amino acids. The inhibition is competitive, indicating that the inhibitor binds to scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) present in the brush border membrane and responsible for sterol uptake. Binding of apolipoprotein A-I to SR-BI of rabbit brush border membrane is cooperative, characterized by a dissociation constant K(d) = 0.45 microM and a Hill coefficient of n = 2.8. The cooperativity of the interaction is due to binding of the inhibitor molecule to a dimeric or oligomeric form of SR-BI held together by disulfide bridges. Consistent with the competitive nature of the inhibition, the K(d) value agrees within experimental error with the IC(50) value of inhibition and with the inhibition constant K(I). After proteinase K treatment of brush border membrane vesicles, the affinity of the interaction of apolipoprotein A-I expressed as K(d) is reduced by a factor of 20, and the cooperativity is lost. The interaction of proteinase K-treated brush border membrane vesicles with apolipoprotein A-I is nonspecific partitioning of the apolipoprotein into the lipid bilayer of brush border membrane vesicles.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Stabilized, long-term expression of heterodimeric proteins from tricistronic mRNA.

A major problem in the use of recombinant mammalian cells for protein overexpression is their long-term stability, in particular, when the foreign gene product exerts a negative effect on the producer cells. We have addressed this issue and developed a vector system for the stable expression of heterodimeric recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. In this system, the two recombinant cDNAs and the puromycin-resistant gene are transcribed as a single tricistronic transcript. An efficient translation of the internal cistrons is mediated by internal ribosome entry sites between them. On the example of expression of a heterodimeric antibody fusion protein in BHK-21 cells, we show that the translational coupling of the antibody genes to the selectable marker in a tricistronic expression construct allows long-term stabilization of expression by continuous application of selection pressure. This vector system allows fast and straightforward construction of expression plasmids for the generation of producer cell lines, even for complex heterodimeric proteins with unlimited long-term stability.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Enhanced productivity during controlled proliferation of BHK cells in continuously perfused bioreactors.

A perfused cell-culture process was developed to investigate the stability of IRF-1-mediated proliferation control in BHK cells and to evaluate the efficacy of a novel promoter in these cells. The cell density of proliferation-controlled producer cells was effectively regulated for over 7 weeks in a microcarrier-based continuously perfused bioreactor. An IRF-1-inducible promoter was employed to express a heterodimeric IgG antibody as a relevant model protein. Basal expression levels were equivalent to that of a highly active viral promoter, while productivity increased up to sixfold during growth arrest. However, no stably expressing clone was isolated in this study. Protein expression decreased gradually with time and could not be induced further in subsequent growth-repression cycles. The results demonstrate that the regulatory system is sufficiently stable to allow controlled growth in a continuous scalable reactor system and that productivity increases can be achieved in a proliferation controlled microcarrier culture.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Structure of sterol carrier protein 2 at 1.8 A resolution reveals a hydrophobic tunnel suitable for lipid binding.

Sterol carrier protein 2, also known as nonspecific lipid transfer protein is a ubiquitous, small, basic protein of 13 kDa found in animals. Its primary structure is highly conserved between different species, and it has been implicated in the intracellular transport of lipids and in a wide range of other in vitro functions related to sterol and fatty acid metabolism. Sterol carrier protein 2 deficiency in mice leads to elevated concentrations of phytanic acid in the serum and causes hepatocarcinogenesis. However, its actual physiological role is still unknown. Although sterol carrier protein 2 has been studied extensively in the past 20 years, very little is known concerning its three-dimensional structure. The crystal structure of rabbit sterol carrier protein 2, determined at 1.8 A resolution with the MIRAS method, shows a unique alpha/beta-fold. The core of this protein forms a five-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet flanked by five helices. A C-terminal segment (residues 114-123), together with part of the beta-sheet and four alpha-helices, form a hydrophobic tunnel providing the environment for apolar ligands such as fatty acids and fatty acyl-coenzyme As. Structurally well-characterized nonspecific lipid transfer proteins from plants have hydrophobic tunnel-like cavities, which were identified as the binding site for fatty acids and related apolar ligands. Despite the fact that plant nonspecific lipid transfer proteins are smaller proteins than sterol carrier protein 2, show no sequence homology to sterol carrier protein 2, and are structurally unrelated, the cavities of these two classes of proteins are very similar with respect to size, shape, and hydrophobicity, suggesting a common functional role.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Recognition of 5'-terminal TAR structure in human immunodeficiency virus-1 mRNA by eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2.

TAR, a 59 nt 5'-terminal hairpin in human immuno-deficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) mRNA, binds viral Tat and several cellular proteins. We report that eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2) recognizes TAR. TAR and the AUG initiation codon domain, located well downstream from TAR, both contribute to the affinity of HIV-1 mRNA for eIF2. The affinity of TAR for eIF2 was insensitive to lower stem mutations that modify sequence and structure or to sequence changes throughout the remainder that leave the TAR secondary structure intact. Hence, eIF2 recognizes structure rather than sequence in TAR. The affinity for eIF2 was severely reduced by a 3 nt change that converts the single A bulge into a 7 nt internal loop. T1 footprinting showed that eIF2 protects nucleotides in the loop as well as in the strand opposite the A bulge. Thus, eIF2 recognizes the TAR loop and lower part of the sub-apical stem. Though not contiguous, these regions are brought into proximity in TAR by a bend in the helical structure induced by the UCU bulge; binding of eIF2 opens up the bulge context and apical stem. The ability to bind eIF2 suggests a function for TAR in HIV-1 mRNA translation. Indeed, the 3 nt change that reduces the affinity of TAR for eIF2 impairs the ability of reporter mRNA to compete in translation. Interaction of TAR with eIF2 thus allows HIV-1 mRNA to compete more effectively during protein synthesis.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2000

NMR structure of the sterol carrier protein-2: implications for the biological role.

The determination of the NMR structure of the sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP2), analysis of backbone (15)N spin relaxation parameters and NMR studies of nitroxide spin-labeled substrate binding are presented as a new basis for investigations of the mode of action of SCP2. The SCP2 fold is formed by a five-stranded beta-sheet and four alpha-helices. Fatty acid binding to a hydrophobic surface area formed by amino acid residues of the first and third helices, and the beta-sheet, which are all located in the polypeptide segment 8-102, was identified with the use of the spin-labeled substrate 16-doxylstearic acid. In the free protein, the lipid-binding site is covered by the C-terminal segment 105-123, suggesting that this polypeptide segment, which carries the peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS1), might be involved in the regulation of ligand binding.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Polyvalent DNA vaccines with bidirectional promoters.

The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and core antigen (HBcAg) were coexpressed from a synthetic bidirectional promoter with the tetracycline-inactivated transactivator (tTA). The function of this autoregulative system was evaluated following either transfer into established cell lines or intramuscular and intradermal injection of high or low doses of DNA into mice. We measured in vitro antigen expression and in vivo the induction of specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Successful regulation of antigen expression was observed in cultured cells. DNA vaccination with these constructs efficiently primed hepatitis B virus (HBV) specific immunity. However, immunogenic concentrations of the antigens were expressed even in the absence of the transactivator, indicating that low expression level is sufficient to prime an immune response. The bidirectional promoter allows coexpression of either both HBV antigens or a HBV antigen and enhanced green fluorescent protein leading to efficient priming of stable immunity against both antigens. This study demonstrates the potential of synthetic polyvalent plasmids in DNA vaccination.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of an integral protein of the brush border membrane mediating the transport of divalent metal ions.

The transport of Fe(2+) and other divalent transition metal ions across the intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) was investigated using brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) as a model. This transport is an energy-independent, protein-mediated process. The divalent metal ion transporter of the BBM is a spanning protein, very likely a protein channel, that senses the phase transition of the BBM, as indicated by a break in the Arrhenius plot. The transporter has a broad substrate range that includes Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+). Under physiological conditions the transport of divalent metal ions is proton-coupled, leading to the acidification of the internal cavity of BBMVs. The divalent metal ion transporter can be solubilized in excess detergent (30 mM diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine or 1% Triton X-100) and reconstituted into an artificial membrane system by detergent removal. The reconstituted membrane system showed metal ion transport characteristics similar to those of the original BBMVs. The properties of the protein described here closely resemble those of the proton-coupled divalent cation transporter (DCT1, Nramp2) described by, Nature. 388:482-488). We may conclude that a protein of the Nramp family is present in the BBM, facilitating the transport of Fe(2+) and other divalent transition metal ions.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Interplay between repressing and activating domains defines the transcriptional activity of IRF-1.

Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a transcriptional activator with weak activation capacity. By defining the transcriptional activation domain of IRF-1 we identified two activator fragments located between amino acids 185 and 256 functioning in an additive manner. Another fragment of IRF-1, which has no activator function alone, acts as a strong enhancer element of these activator sequences. This enhancer element resides between the activator domains and the C-terminus. In addition, we identified a novel type of inhibitory domain in the N-terminal 60 amino acids of IRF-1 which strongly inhibits its transcriptional activity. Because this fragment is conserved in all interferon regulatory factors, we found similar repression effects in the corresponding fragments in IRF-2, IRF-3 and interferon consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP/IRF-8). Interestingly, the corresponding sequence in p48/IRF-9 is divergent, so that it does not show this inhibitory activity. A five-amino-acid sequence distinguishes the p48/IRF-9 N-terminus from the homologous parts in other interferon regulatory factors containing the repressing function. Replacing the diverged amino acids in IRF-1 with the corresponding sequence of p48/IRF-9 resulted in a loss of inhibitory activity within IRF-1. The opposing activities within interferon regulatory factors may contribute to balanced or tuned regulation of gene activation, depending on the promoter context.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Translation of NRF mRNA is mediated by highly efficient internal ribosome entry.

The ubiquitous transcription factor NRF (NF-kappaB repressing factor) is a constitutive transcriptional silencer of the multifunctional cytokine interferon-beta. NRF mRNA contains a long 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) predicted to fold into a strong secondary structure. The presence of stable hairpins is known to be incompatible with efficient translation by ribosomal scanning. Using dicistronic reporter gene constructs, we show that the NRF 5'UTR acts as an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) which directs ribosomes to the downstream start codon by a cap-independent mechanism. The relative activity of this IRES in various cell lines is at least 30-fold higher than that of picornaviral IRESs. The NRF 5'UTR also functions as a translational enhancer in the context of monocistronic mRNAs. Our results indicate that the NRF 5'UTR contains a highly potent IRES, which may allow for an alternate mode of translation under physiological conditions in which cap-dependent translation is inhibited.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

New approaches towards ex vivo and in vivo gene therapy.

A number of hurdles have to be overcome for efficient and specific gene therapy approaches. Here, we report on two different strategies that should lead to an improvement of current protocols. A strategy is presented to tag unique chromosomal integration sites by means of retroviral infection, which can be reused for exchange with the gene of interest by action of site-specific recombinases. Targeting exchange is achieved in one step with 100% efficiency by a stringent positive selection, which makes further screening superfluous. With this strategy a predictable gene expression is obtained for foreign genes integrated into a predefined chromatin structure. A second approach aims at the stabilization of mouse retroviruses towards human serum which is a prerequisite for in vivo gene therapy protocols. To stabilize murine leukemia virus-based retroviruses against human serum, complement regulatory proteins were fused to the retroviral ENV proteins. This resulted in infectious and human complement-protected particles.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

NRF, a nuclear inhibitor of NF-kappaB proteins silencing interferon-beta promoter.

The family of NF-kappaB/rel transcription factors regulates a variety of promoters through specific DNA-binding sites. Consistent with the role of NF-kappaB activation as a response to pathogens, it regulates the expression of immune modulating cytokines like interferon-beta3 (IFN-3). Transcriptional regulation of IFN-beta is characterized by strict constitutive repression and virus-mediated activation. A nuclear protein, called NRF (NF-kappaB repressing factor) silences constitutively the IFN-beta3 promoter by binding to the negative regulatory element (NRE). This control is achieved by a direct protein-protein interaction between NRF and proximal bound NF-kappaB factors preventing the transcriptional activation. After viral induction NRF still binds but does not any more exert its specific inhibition. NRE-related sequences found in a number of promoters like those of HIV-1, HTLV-1 and the genes of the IL-2Ralpha and IL-8 constitute functionally related silencer elements which repress the constitutive enhancing activity of NF-kappaB/rel-binding sites from these promoters.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Protein-protein and DNA-protein interactions affect the activity of lymphoid-specific IFN regulatory factors.

IFN regulatory factors (IRFs) constitute a family of transcription factors that are involved in IFN signaling and the development and differentiation of the immune system. Targeted gene disruption studies in mice assigned their primary role to the immune system. Two lymphoid-specific IRF members, IFN consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP) and IRF-4, bind target DNA with greater efficiency following interaction with two transcription factors, PU.1 and E47, leading to transcriptional synergy. PU.1 and E47 are essential for proper differentiation and maturation of lymphoid cells. In addition, ICSBP interacts with two IRF members, IRF-1 and IRF-2, which also have central roles in the regulation of cell-mediated immunity. Previously, we identified a region in ICSBP, termed the IRF association domain (IAD), that is conserved in all IRFs (excluding IRF-1 and IRF-2) and is essential for its interactions with other IRF proteins. Here we show that the IAD is an independent module used by ICSBP and IRF-4 for protein-protein interactions. In addition, an IAD of IRF-2 (IAD2), necessary for interaction with ICSBP, was identified and found to be conserved in IRF-1. The IAD2 shares similar characteristics with the PEST domain that is essential for the interaction of PU.1 with IRF-4. We also show that the ICSBP DNA binding domain is indispensable for the formation of DNA binding heterocomplexes and transcriptional activity. Therefore, our results shed light on the molecular mechanisms that affect IRF activities in the immune system via discrete functional domains.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1999

Recombinant glycoprotein product quality in proliferation-controlled BHK-21 cells.

We analyzed product quality to determine the applicability of proliferation-controlled mammalian cells for recombinant pharmaceutical protein production. Baby hamster kidney (BHK)-21 cells were engineered to express a dicistronic, stabilized, self-selecting growth control system consisting of a beta-estradiol-activatable transcription factor IRF-1 fusion protein. IRF-1 activity led to a reduced growth rate, whereas productivity, protein integrity, and glycosylation pattern of the industrially relevant secreted pharmaceutical glycoprotein erythropoietin remained consistent, showing that this technique has the potential for improving the consistency of high-quality pharmaceutical products and thus warrants further development.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Constitutive silencing of IFN-beta promoter is mediated by NRF (NF-kappaB-repressing factor), a nuclear inhibitor of NF-kappaB.

Transcriptional regulation of the interferon-beta (IFN-beta) gene is characterized by strict constitutive repression and virus-specific activation. Previous studies have shown that the IFN-beta promoter is constitutively repressed by a negative regulatory element (NRE). Isolated NRE acts as a constitutive and position-independent silencer on the NF-kappaB-binding sites. Here, we describe the identification and functional characterization of the NRE-binding protein, called NRF (NF-kappaB-repressing factor), which abolishes the transcriptional activity of the bordering NF-kappaB- binding sites by a distance-independent mechanism. Deletion studies show that a minimal repression domain of NRF is sufficient to exert its inhibitory effect. In vitro, NF-kappaB proteins bind to purified NRF by a direct protein-protein interaction. We demonstrate that NRF is a ubiquitous and constitutive nuclear protein. In fibroblasts, the expression of the NRF antisense RNA releases the endogenous IFN-beta gene transcription. Our data strongly suggest that the NRF-mediated inhibition of NF-kappaB is a critical component of the IFN-beta gene silencing prior to viral infection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Cell lines with reduced UDP-N-acetylhexosamine pool in the presence of ammonium.

The glycosylation of pharmaglycoproteins from recombinant cell lines can be affected by an uncontrolled accumulation of ammonium in the medium. Glucosamine-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) has been proposed as the key enzyme responsible for elevating the intracellular UDP-N-acetylhexosamine pool (UDPGNAc) by accepting ammonium from the medium of cultured mammalian cells. As previously reported, the increased UDPGNAc pool then affects the N-glycan complexity in glycoproteins. To understand the entry of extracellular ammonium into the cellular metabolism, GPI has been isolated to homogeneity from BHK-21 cells and characterized. Thus, the complete pathway by which ammonium enters the cellular metabolism was elucidated. To reduce the negative effects of ammonium, GPI was inhibited using two different strategies. First, the addition of mannose to the culture media and, second, antisense RNA expression. In both cases, the cellular UDPGNAc pool was suppressed in the presence of high ammonium concentrations in the medium. However, constant suppression of the UDPGNAc pool could not be achieved by antisense RNA expression because antisense clones were apparently unstable. Further studies showed that the main reason for instability was the inducibility of GPI by its substrate ammonium. GPI was induced to a factor of two under ammonium-containing medium conditions. We propose gene knockout technology for GPI repression to obtain cell lines consisting of an UDPGNAc pool unaffected by the presence of ammonium.

Aldose-Ketose Isomerases↗