Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I Pastan

Publications and source records attributed to I Pastan.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Bacterial expression of the linker region of human MDR1 P-glycoprotein and mutational analysis of phosphorylation sites.

Phosphorylation may play a role in modulating multidrug resistance by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The linker region between the two homologous halves of human P-gp harbors several serine residues which are phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro. We used the glutathione S-transferase gene fusion system to express and purify a series of fusion proteins containing the relevant portion (residues 644-689) of the linker region of the human MDR1 gene product. The fusion proteins were subjected to in vitro phosphorylation and phosphopeptide mapping analysis to identify specific phosphorylation sites. On the basis of a mutational strategy in which individual serine residues were systematically replaced with nonphosphorylatable alanine residues, Ser-661 and Ser-667 were identified as major PKC sites and Ser-683 was identified as a minor PKC site. Ser-661 and Ser-667 were also found to be the primary sites of phosphorylation for a novel membrane-associated P-gp specific kinase isolated from the multidrug-resistant KB-V1 cell line. Individual phosphorylation sites were recognized independently of each other. These data show that the linker region of P-gp represents a target for multisite phosphorylation not only for PKC but also for the P-gp specific V1 kinase. Specific serine phosphorylation sites are identified, and evidence is presented that the V1 kinase has a specificity which overlaps, but is more restricted than, that of PKC. In addition, these studies also suggest that the use of GST fusion peptides may be applicable for the analysis of multisite and ordered protein phosphorylation in other systems.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1995

Cloning and characterization of a cellular apoptosis susceptibility gene, the human homologue to the yeast chromosome segregation gene CSE1.

We recently isolated human cDNA fragments that render MCF-7 breast cancer cells resistant to cell death caused by Pseudomonas exotoxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin-derived immunotoxins, diphtheria toxin, and tumor necrosis factor. We report here that one of these fragments is an antisense fragment of a gene homologous to the essential yeast chromosome segregation gene CSE1. Cloning and analysis of the full-length cDNA of the human CSE1 homologue, which we name CAS for cellular apoptosis susceptibility gene, reveals a protein coding region with similar length (971 amino acids for CAS, 960 amino acids for CSE1) and 59% overall protein homology to the yeast CSE1 protein. The conservation of this gene indicates it has an important function in human cells consistent with the essential role of CSE1 in yeast. CAS is highly expressed in human tumor cell lines and in human testis and fetal liver, tissues that contain actively dividing cells. Furthermore, CAS expression increases when resting human fibroblasts are induced to proliferate and decreases when they are growth-arrested. Thus, CAS appears to play an important role in both toxin and tumor necrosis factor-mediated cell death, as well as in cell proliferation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Identification of residues that stabilize the single-chain Fv of monoclonal antibodies B3.

B3(Fv)-PE38 is a recombinant single-chain immunotoxin in which the Fv portion of the B3 antibody in a single-chain form, which serves as the targeting moiety, is fused to PE38, a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin A, which serves as the cytotoxic moiety. B3(Fv)-PE38 is specifically cytotoxic to many human cancer cell lines and is currently evaluated in a clinical trial. Monoclonal antibodies B3 (IgG1k) and B5 (IgMk) recognize related carbohydrate epitopes on human carcinoma cells. The Fv regions of these antibodies were previously cloned and expressed as the single-chain Fv-immunotoxins B3(Fv)-PE38 and B5(Fv)-PE38, respectively. The B3(Fv)-PE38 immunotoxin binds to antigen-positive cancer cells with a higher affinity than B5(Fv)-PE38 and is a more potent cytotoxic agent than B5(Fv)-PE38. However, it is less stable and rapidly aggregates upon incubation at 37 degrees C. The VL domains of the two Fvs are very similar, differing by only three residues, the fourth and seventh Fr1 residues and the fifth CDR1 residue. The VH domains of the two Fvs vary considerably. To investigate whether any of the different VL residues may influence the stability of the B3(Fv), we constructed a chimeric immunotoxin containing the B3VH and the B5VL. This chimera had an improved stability and a higher apparent antigen binding affinity and cytotoxic activity when compared with B3(Fv)-PE38. Site-specific mutagenesis was used to show that the VL M4L mutation has an important role in stabilizing B3(Fv), although residues VL Ser-7 and VL Ile-28 also play a role in the increased stability. When tested in an in vivo model system, the chimera containing the B3VH and the B5VL had an improved antitumor activity in a human xenograft mouse model. These studies indicate that the common use of degenerate ("family-specific") primers to clone Fv fragments may introduce destabilizing mutations.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

The crystal structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin domain III with nicotinamide and AMP: conformational differences with the intact exotoxin.

Domain III of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A catalyses the transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD to a modified histidine residue of elongation factor 2 in eukaryotic cells, thus inactivating elongation factor 2. This domain III is inactive in the intact toxin but is active in the isolated form. We report here the 2.5-A crystal structure of this isolated domain crystallized in the presence of NAD and compare it with the corresponding structure in the intact Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. We observe a significant conformational difference in the active site region from Arg-458 to Asp-463. Contacts with part of domain II in the intact toxin prevent the adoption of the isolated domain conformation and provide a structural explanation for the observed inactivity. Additional electron density in the active site region corresponds to separate AMP and nicotinamide and indicates that the NAD has been hydrolyzed. The structure has been compared with the catalytic domain of the diphtheria toxin, which was crystallized with ApUp.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Increased antitumor activity of a circularly permuted interleukin 4-toxin in mice with interleukin 4 receptor-bearing human carcinoma.

We reported previously that circularly permuted interleukin-4 (IL4), composed of amino acids 38-129 of IL4 connected by a linker peptide GGNGG to amino acids 1-37, is preferable to native IL4 for fusing to the amino terminus of truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) to make a recombinant toxin, because the new ligand-toxin junction results in improved IL4 receptor (IL4R)-binding (R. J. Kreitman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 91: 6889-6893, 1994). We now report that the improved binding of circularly permuted IL4-toxin is associated with improved antitumor activity in tumor-bearing mice. For in vivo testing, we made an improved circularly permuted IL4-toxin, termed IL4(38-37)-PE38KDEL. It contains an N38D mutation at the amino terminus, allowing improved expression and large-scale production in Escherichia coli. It also contains the truncated toxin PE38KDEL, which is composed of amino acids 253-364 and 381-608 of PE, followed by KDEL. To evaluate antitumor activity, nude mice carrying s.c. tumors composed of IL4R-bearing human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells were injected with recombinant toxins i.v. every other day for three doses. IL4(38-37)-PE38KDEL induced complete remissions in 80% of mice receiving 50 micrograms/kg x 3 and 100% of mice receiving 100 micrograms/kg x 3, while only 70% of mice receiving 200 micrograms/kg x 3 of the native IL4-toxin IL4-PE38KDEL obtained complete remission. Disease-free survival after obtaining complete remissions was higher in mice treated with IL4(38-37)-PE38KDEL 50 micrograms/Kg QOD x 3 than with IL4-PE38KDEL 200 micrograms/Kg QOD x 3 (P < 0.03). IL4(38-37)-PE38KDEL and IL4-PE38KDEL exhibited similar toxicity and pharmacokinetics in the mice, indicating that the improved antitumor activity of the circularly permuted IL4-toxin was due to its improved binding to the IL4R on the target cells.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Administration of disulfide-stabilized Fv-immunotoxins B1(dsFv)-PE38 and B3(dsFv)-PE38 by continuous infusion increases their efficacy in curing large tumor xenografts in nude mice.

B1 (dsFv)-PE38 and B3(dsFv)-PE38 are recombinant immunotoxins in which the Fv fragments of MAbs B1 and B3, respectively, are stabilized by an engineered interchain disulfide bond and are fused at their C-termini to a modified Pseudomonas exotoxin from which the cell-binding domain has been deleted (PE38). Both immunotoxins have been shown to be specifically cytotoxic toward human cancer cell lines which express Le gamma-related carbohydrates on their surface, and when given i.v., eradicated 30- to 50-mm3 s.c. A431 tumors growing in nude mice. A major advantage of dsFv-immunotoxins is their stability at 37 degrees C compared with the relatively unstable single-chain Fvs. This allows them to be given continuously by osmotic pumps placed in the peritoneal cavity. In an attempt to increase the therapeutic index of the immunotoxins, we have now delivered them continuously for 6 days through mini-osmotic pumps placed in the peritoneal cavity of tumor-bearing nude mice. Using this mode of administration, we were able to maintain a constant level of immunotoxin in the serum which was non-toxic to the mice, but caused complete regressions of large 150- to 200-mm3 tumors which lasted for over a month at 1/11 of the LD50 with B1(dsFv)-PE38 and 1/6 of the LD50 with B3(dsFv)-PE38. Complete regression of tumors of similar size could also be achieved by i.v. bolus injections of these immunotoxins at 1/7 of the LD50 with B1(dsFv)-PE38) and 1/3 of the LD50 with B3(dsFv)-PE38. These results suggest that in patients it may be advantageous to administer dsFv-immunotoxins by continuous infusion, since a larger therapeutic index is achieved.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

A novel chimeric protein composed of interleukin 13 and Pseudomonas exotoxin is highly cytotoxic to human carcinoma cells expressing receptors for interleukin 13 and interleukin 4.

Chimeric proteins provide a unique opportunity to target therapeutic bacterial toxins to a subset of specific cells. We have generated a new recombinant chimeric toxin composed of human interleukin 13 (hIL13) and a Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) mutant, PE38QQR. The hIL13-PE38QQR chimera is highly cytotoxic to cell lines derived from several human epithelial carcinomas such as adenocarcinoma of stomach, colon, and skin. The cytotoxic action of hIL13-PE38QQR, which can only occur upon internalization of ligand-receptor complex, is blocked by an excess of hIL13 but not of hIL2. This action is not solely hIL13-specific because an excess of hIL4 also blocks the cytotoxicity of hIL13-toxin. Conversely, hIL13 blocks the cytotoxicity of a hIL4-PE38QQR chimera. Binding studies showed that hIL13 displaces competitively 125I-labeled hIL4-PE38QQR on carcinoma cells. These results indicate that IL4 and IL13 compete for a common binding site on the studied human cell lines. Despite this competition, hIL4 but not hIL13 decreased protein synthesis in malignant cells susceptible to the cytotoxicity of both hIL13- and hIL4-PE38QQR. Our results suggest that a spectrum of human carcinomas express binding sites for IL13. Furthermore, hIL13 and hIL4 compete reciprocally for a form of the receptor that is internalized upon binding a ligand. Thus, cancer cells represent an interesting model for studying receptors for these two growth factors. Finally, hIL13-PE38QQR may be a useful agent in the treatment of several malignancies.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Efficient expression of functional human MDR1 gene in murine bone marrow after retroviral transduction of purified hematopoietic stem cells.

A procedure for efficient transfer of the human MDR1 (multi-drug resistance) gene into murine hematopoietic stem cells was developed. Cells expressing Sca-1 but no lineage-specific or major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens (Lin-MHC II-Sca-1+) were enriched from 5-fluorouracil-pretreated bone marrow by Ficoll density-gradient and immunomagnetic sorting. Purified cells were cocultured with growth factors and fibroblasts producing replication-deficient retroviruses containing human MDR1 cDNA. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis and rhodamine-123 efflux experiments showed that greater than 60% of cocultured hematopoietic cells expressed functional human P-glycoprotein. After 6 to 8 days, hematopoietic cells were injected intravenously into sublethally irradiated SCID mice. Stem cell properties of the isolated population were confirmed by sustained expression of MDR1 marker cDNA for greater than 4 to 6 months after transplantation, multilineage engraftment, and presence of MDR1 cDNA in bone marrow of secondary recipient mice after retransplantation. Reconstitution of H-2K-mismatched SCID mice showed high engraftment capacity of Lin-MHC II-Sca-1+ cells. MDR1 cDNA was detected in blood of 78% of recipients. P-glycoprotein was expressed in bone marrow of 71% of mice, in both lymphocytes and myelomonocytoid progenitors. P-glycoprotein function in host marrow was confirmed by rhodamine-123 efflux. Transduction of P-glycoprotein may be useful for gene therapy in two ways: to protect bone marrow from myelosuppression after chemotherapy and as a selectable marker in vivo for the introduction of otherwise nonselectable genes.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1995

Phage display of disulfide-stabilized Fv fragments.

Phage display of single-chain Fvs (scFvs) is a powerful tool to enrich and isolate specific antibody fragments from large pools (libraries) of Fv coding genes. However, many scFvs and scFv fusion proteins are unstable, not only as soluble proteins but also on the surface of phage. This limits and biases the recovery of specific Fv phage from display libraries to relatively stable scFvs. Also, the peptide linker in scFvs can diminish antigen binding of scFvs and scFv-fusion proteins. Disulfide-stabilized Fvs (dsFv) which have the VH-VL heterodimer stabilized by an interchain disulfide bond connecting framework regions in VH and VL rather than a peptide linker are more stable than scFvs and in some instances show better binding. To analyze whether these advantages can be utilized in a phage display system and to prove the feasibility of dsFv display, we constructed phage for dsFv display of the anti-Tac antibody and a dsFv-phage library. We find that dsFv phage can specifically bind antigen although the titer of dsFv phage in supernatants appears to be reduced compared to scFv phage. But this reduction in titer does not hamper the isolation of dsFv phages from large pools (libraries) as demonstrated by 'panning' of anti-Tac scFv and dsFv phages on living leukemia cells in suspension. In addition, dsFv phage are more stable than scFv phage. Therefore, display of dsFvs on phage is a useful alternative and addition to scFv-phage display.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Importance of the glutamate residue of KDEL in increasing the cytotoxicity of Pseudomonas exotoxin derivatives and for increased binding to the KDEL receptor.

It was previously shown that amino acids 609-613 (REDLK) at the C-terminus of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) are necessary for cytotoxicity, presumably by directing the toxin to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) [Chaudhary, Jinno, FitzGerald and Pastan (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 308-312]. Using the anti-[interleukin 2 receptor (IL2R)] immunotoxin anti-Tac(Fv)-PE38 (AT-PE38REDLK), it was found that removing the terminal lysine did not alter the activity, but replacing REDL with KDEL, the most common ER retention sequence, increased activity. To determine which amino acid in KDEL was responsible for the increase in activity, we tested eight C-terminal mutants of AT-PE38REDLK. Using IL2R-bearing MT-1 cells, we found that the glutamate residue of KDEL was required for high activity, as the cytotoxicity of AT-PE38 ending in KDEL, RDEL, KEEL or REEL was much greater than that of AT-PE38 ending in REDL, KEDL, RDDL or KDDL. Using freshly isolated lymphocytic leukaemia cells, AT-PE38 ending in KDEL, REEL or RDEL was more than 100-fold more cytotoxic than AT-PE38 ending in KEDL, REDL, RDDL or the native sequence REDLK. The RDEL sequence also improved the cytotoxic activity of an interleukin 4-PE38 toxin fusion protein. Improved cytotoxic activity correlated with improved binding of the C-termini to the KDEL receptor on rat Golgi membranes. These data indicate that the glutamate residue of KDEL improves the cytotoxicity of PE by increasing binding to a sorting receptor which transports the toxin from the transreticular Golgi apparatus to the ER, where it is translocated to the cytosol and inhibits protein synthesis.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Differential effects of P-glycoprotein inhibitors on NIH3T3 cells transfected with wild-type (G185) or mutant (V185) multidrug transporters.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) may be associated with the expression of the MDR1 gene which encodes the 170-kDa cell surface P-glycoprotein (PGP) acting as an energy-dependent multidrug efflux pump. This pump can be inhibited by a variety of drugs including cyclosporin A, quinidine, and verapamil. Substrate specificity of the MDR1 gene product can be altered by a point mutation at amino acid residue 185 in which valine is substituted for glycine, but the effect of this mutation on inhibition of PGP is unknown. Multidrug-resistant NIH3T3 cells transfected with the MDR1 retroviral vector pHaMDR-1/A (G185) or pHaMDR1/A (V185) expressing comparable levels of PGP were compared for patterns of drug resistance and inhibition of drug resistance by MDR reversing agents. The NIH-MDR-G185 transfectants were somewhat preferentially resistant to daunorubicin, taxol, and vinblastine. The mutant (V185) conferred increased resistance to colchicine. This MDR phenotype in both NIH-MDR-G185- and NIH-MDR-V185-transfected NIH3T3 cells was overcome by the addition of cyclosporin A, quinidine, or verapamil. Verapamil was the most potent of the three agents affecting wild-type PGP. However, specific inhibitors showed different potency with wild-type or mutant transporters, depending on the cytotoxic drug whose resistance was being reversed. For example, cyclosporin A at a concentration of 1 microgram/ml, was a powerful reverser of taxol and colchicine resistance for the mutant drug transporter, but was much less effective for the wild-type transporter. In contrast, verapamil reversed resistance to vinblastine more efficiently for the wild-type transporter than for the mutant transporter. These results suggest that the sensitivity of a multidrug transporter to a reversing agent will depend on the reversing agent, the cytotoxic drug, and the presence or absence of mutations which alter substrate specificity.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

Immunotoxin-mediated conditional disruption of specific neurons in transgenic mice.

We have developed a transgenic approach, termed immunotoxin-mediated cell targeting (IMCT), to ablate conditionally selective neurons in the brain with the cytotoxic activity of immunotoxins. Transgenic mice were created that express the human interleukin 2 receptor alpha subunit (IL-2R alpha) under the control of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene promoter. The animals were treated intracerebroventricularly with a recombinant immunotoxin, anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40, which selectively kills animal cells bearing human IL-2R alpha. The immunotoxin caused a characteristic behavioral abnormality only in the transgenic mice. This was accompanied by a dramatic loss of DBH-containing neurons and a significant decrease in DBH activity and norepinephrine levels in various regions of the brain. IMCT should provide a general technique to create animal models of human neurodegenerative disorders by targeting neurons or other cell types.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Rapid and specific uptake of anti-Tac disulfide-stabilized Fv by interleukin-2 receptor-bearing tumors.

The disulfide-stabilized Fv (dsFv) is a novel form of a variable-region fragment (Fv) of an antibody which is stabilized by an interchain disulfide bond. As a consequence, it is more stable than its Fv analogue. Anti-Tac(dsFv) is derived from anti-Tac(IgG) which specifically binds to the p55 subunit of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R alpha). The receptor is found in large numbers on activated T cells and many T-cell leukemias. The biodistribution patterns of 125I-anti-Tac(dsFv) and 125I-anti-Tac(IgG) were determined in athymic nude mice bearing two s.c. tumors, one expressing a stably transfected plasmid encoding IL2R alpha (ATAC4) and one composed of parental untransfected A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells. Anti-Tac(dsFv), which has a molecular weight of 25,000, was specifically captured by the ATAC4 tumors but not by control A431 tumors. The antigen-specific tumors accumulated > 2% of the injected dose/g within 15-45 min after i.v. injection. The level of radioactivity in the ATAC4 tumors was maintained at > 1% of the injected dose/g for nearly 6 h, at which time the ATAC4 tumors contained 11-fold more 125I-anti-Tac(dsFv) than did the A431 tumors. Unbound 125I-anti-Tac(dsFv) was rapidly cleared from the blood with apparently biphasic pharmacokinetics (alpha t 1/2 = < 10 min; beta t 1/2 = approximately 5.5 h). Initially, the bulk of the 125I-anti-Tac(dsFv) appeared in the kidneys. In contrast, 125I-anti-Tac(IgG) showed no tumor- or tissue-specific uptake over the 24-h time course of the experiments and remained primarily in the blood stream (blood clearance t 1/2 = approximately 12 h). This is the first report of the biodistribution of a dsFv fragment. Because of its rapid uptake by IL2 receptor-bearing tumors, short serum half-life, and increased stability, radiolabeled anti-Tac(dsFv) may be useful for the imaging and therapy of neoplasias expressing the IL2 receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Cytotoxic activity of chimeric toxins containing the epidermal growth factor-like domain of heregulins fused to PE38KDEL, a truncated recombinant form of Pseudomonas exotoxin.

The EGF-like domains of heregulin alpha, beta 1, beta 2, and beta 3 were fused to a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE38KDEL), which contains a modified carboxyl-terminal sequence, KDEL, that increases that toxin activity. The resulting chimeric toxins were produced in Escherichia coli, purified to near homogeneity, and shown to be cytotoxic to target cells with very high activity on HTB20, N-87 MCF-7, and HepG2 cells; high activity on A431 and MDA-MB468 cells; and low activity toward SK-OV3, L929, and KB cells. The fact that cytotoxicity did not correlate with the levels of erbB2 expression indicated that another receptor in the erb family might be involved. Accordingly, cytotoxicity assays were performed on NIH/3T3 cell lines transfected with EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, or ErbB4. The results indicate that the heregulin toxins target ErbB4 or possibly ErbB3 but not ErbB2.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

Circularly permuted interleukin 4 retains proliferative and binding activity.

In human interleukin 4(IL-4), the carboxyl and amino termini of the 129 amino acid hormone are close to each other and this region is believed to be important for binding to the IL-4 receptor (IL-4r). We constructed plasmids encoding circularly permuted IL-4 mutants with the peptide Gly-Gly-Asn-Gly-Gly (GGNGG) joining the carboxyl to the amino terminus and with new amino and carboxyl termini elsewhere. Mutant IL-4(38-37) is composed of IL-4 residues 38-129 GGNGG and 1-37. Mutant IL-4(105-104) is composed of IL-4 residues 105-129, GGNGG and 1-104. IL-4(38-37) and IL-4(105-104) were purified from E. coli to near homogeneity and retained 50-100% of the binding and proliferative activity of IL-4, and in addition retained the ability to upregulate CD23 on Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Circular dichroism studies indicated that the tertiary structures of both IL-4(38-37) and IL-4(105-104) were retained, with the former molecule most similar to native IL-4. We conclude that while both native termini of IL-4 may be near its binding site, neither is required to be free for optimum activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Targeting Pseudomonas exotoxin to hematologic malignancies.

Malignant cells of hematopoietic origin often express a variety of different growth factor receptors and antigens on their surface, at levels much higher than normal cells. These malignant cells can be selectively targeted with Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) derivatives directed by interleukins 2, 4 and 6, and by Fv fragments of monoclonal antibodies to interleukin 2 receptor (IL2R) subunits, CD22 and other antigens present on these cells. Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE38, a single-chain recombinant immunotoxin which targets cells bearing the IL2Ra, is furthest along in preclinical development and is being prepared for clinical testing in patients with IL2Ra-positive leukemia, lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1995

Heterologous expression systems for P-glycoprotein: E. coli, yeast, and baculovirus.

Chemotherapy, though it remains one of the front-line weapons used to treat human cancer, is often ineffective due to drug resistance mechanisms manifest in tumor cells. One common pattern of drug resistance, characterized by simultaneous resistance to multiple amphipathic, but otherwise structurally dissimilar anticancer drugs, is termed multidrug resistance. Multidrug resistance in various model systems, covering the phylogenetic range from bacteria to man, can be conferred by mammalian P-glycoproteins (PGPs), often termed multidrug transporters. PGPs are 170-kD polytopic membrane proteins, predicted to consist of two homologous halves, each with six membrane spanning regions and one ATP binding site. They are members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of transporters, and are known to function biochemically as energy-dependent drug efflux pumps. However, much remains to be learned about PGP structure-function relationships, membrane topology, posttranslational regulation, and bioenergetics of drug transport. Much of the recent progress in the study of the human and mouse PGPs has come from heterologous expression systems which offer the benefits of ease of genetic selection and manipulation, and/or short generation times of the organism in which PGPs are expressed, and/or high-level expression of recombinant PGP. Here we review recent studies of PGP in E. coli, baculovirus, and yeast systems and evaluate their utility for the study of PGPs, as well as other higher eukaryotic membrane proteins.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗