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T L Leto

Publications and source records attributed to T L Leto.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Characterization of the effector-specifying domain of Rac involved in NADPH oxidase activation.

Production of microbicidal oxidants by phagocytic leukocytes requires activation of a latent NADPH oxidase by the coordinated assembly of a membrane-associated flavocytochrome b558, with three cytosolic components, p47phox, p67phox, and the low molecular weight GTP-binding protein Rac. Rac1 and Rac2 have 92% sequence identity and are both active in supporting the oxidase, while CDC42Hs, the closest relative to Rac with 70% sequence identity, only weakly supports oxidase activation in vitro. We have used CDC42Hs as a foil to identify residues in Rac that are critical for oxidase activation. Most of the divergent sequences of CDC42Hs could be incorporated into Rac-CDC42Hs chimeric proteins without affecting cell-free NADPH oxidase activity. However, incorporation of the amino-terminal segment of CDC42Hs (residues 1-40), which differs from Rac1 by only four residues (positions 3, 27, 30, and 33), resulted in a marked loss of oxidase activation capacity. Point mutagenesis studies showed that this was due to changes at residues 27 and 30, but not residues 3 and 33. Conversely, incorporation of the amino terminus of Rac1 (residues 1-40) into CDC42Hs increased its activity to that of Rac1, indicating that this terminus contains the effector-specifying domain of Rac. Taken together, these studies show that the difference in the activity between CDC42Hs and Rac1 is due entirely to differences in amino acids at position 27 and 30.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Functional reconstitution of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase by transfection of its multiple components in a heterologous system.

The phagocyte NADPH oxidase system, as previously defined by cell-free reconstitution, is comprised of five essential components, three of which are produced during late phagocytic differentiation--namely, two cytosolic proteins, p47- and p67-phox--and the large subunit of cytochrome b558, gp91-phox. To confirm that these are the only phagocyte-specific components necessary for oxidase activity in whole cells, the recombinant NADPH oxidase was reconstituted in a heterologous cell line. An undifferentiated multipotent leukemic cell line, K562, which expresses endogenous Rac and the small subunit of the flavocytochrome b558 (p22-phox), was cotransfected with episomal expression vectors containing cDNAs for the three other oxidase components. After 4 days of selection, the complete oxidase system was functionally reconstituted in transfected cells stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate or calcium ionophore. These easily transfected cells provide an ideal model system in which several oxidase components can be genetically manipulated and readily expressed. This system can be used to test the effects of mutations associated with any of the genes affected in chronic granulomatous disease and will facilitate studies on structure-function relationships within several oxidase components. This system will also aid in delineation of upstream regulators functioning through various signaling pathways.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1994

Assembly of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase: binding of Src homology 3 domains to proline-rich targets.

The NADPH oxidase responsible for generation of superoxide anion and related microbicidal oxidants by phagocytes is assembled from at least five distinct proteins. Two are cytosolic components (p47-phox and p67-phox) that contain Src homology 3 (SH3) domains and associate with a transmembrane cytochrome b558 upon activation. We show here that the SH3 domains of p47-phox bind to proline-rich sequences in p47-phox itself and the p22-phox subunit of cytochrome b558. Binding of the p47-phox SH3 domains to p22-phox was abolished by a mutation in one proline-rich sequence (Pro156-->Gln) noted in a distinct form of chronic granulomatous disease and was inhibited by a short proline-rich synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 149-162 of p22-phox. Expression of mutated p22-phox did not restore oxidase activity to p22-phox-deficient B cells and did not enable p22-phox-dependent translocation of p47-phox to membranes in phorbol ester-stimulated cells. We also show that the cytosolic oxidase components associate with one another through the C-terminal SH3 domain of p67-phox and a proline-rich C-terminal sequence in p47-phox. These SH3 target sites conform to consensus features deduced from SH3 binding sites in other systems. We propose a model in which the oxidase complex assembles through a mechanism involving SH3 domains of both cytosolic proteins and cognate proline-rich targets in other oxidase components.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Role of p67-phox SH3 domains in assembly of the NADPH oxidase system.

Src homology 3 (SH3) domains direct cellular localization and signal transduction through specific protein-protein interactions with proline-rich target sequences. The two SH3 domain in p67-phox, a cytosolic component of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase system, may mediate interactions within the oxidase complex and direct its translocation to membranes. The requirement for SH3 domains in p67-phox was studied both in cell-free and whole cell oxidase assay systems. The amino-terminal domain of p67-phox (amino acids 1-246) that lacks both SH3 domains was active in vitro. Various forms of p67-phox lacking one or both SH3 domains were produced in whole cells using episomal expression vectors to stably transfect p67-phox-deficient Epstein-Barr virus-B cells derived from chronic granulomatous disease patients. Complete restoration of NADPH oxidase activity was achieved with full-length p67-phox cDNA expression. Deletion of either SH3 domain resulted in dramatic reductions of NADPH oxidase activity relative to corrected transfected cells, which correlated with decreases in membrane binding. Deletion of both SH3 domains completely abolished p67-phox membrane binding and oxidase activity. Thus, in contrast to oxidase reconstitution in a cell-free system, we observed a requirement for both SH3 motifs for restoration of oxidase activity and binding of p67-phox to membranes.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

p21rac does not participate in the early interaction between p47-phox and cytochrome b558 that leads to phagocyte NADPH oxidase activation in vitro.

The phagocyte superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase, a multicomponent, membrane-bound electron transport chain, consists of cytochrome b558, p47-phox, p67-phox, and p21rac1 or p21rac2. The mechanisms of oxidase assembly are poorly understood. In previous studies using a cell-free NADPH oxidase system, we showed that preincubation of neutrophil membrane with neutrophil cytosol containing p47-phox, but not p67-phox, led to formation of a long-lived NADPH oxidase intermediate. This suggested that p47-phox interacted with cytochrome b558 in the early stages of oxidase assembly while p67-phox participated in a later stage. Peptides containing the sequence RGVHFIF (corresponding to amino acids 559-565 of the 91-kDa subunit of cytochrome b558) inhibit NADPH oxidase activity by blocking the early interaction between p47-phox and cytochrome b558. In the present study, we examined whether p21rac facilitated the interaction between p47-phox and cytochrome b558. We preincubated pure recombinant p47-phox with neutrophil membrane containing cytochrome b558 in the cell-free system. Superoxide-generating activity was subsequently reconstituted by adding pure rp67-phox and partially purified p21rac. RGVHFIF inhibited superoxide production if added to the cell-free system during preincubation of rp47-phox with membrane. RGVHFIF was markedly less inhibitory if added to the cell-free system after membrane was preincubated with pure rp47-phox. In contrast to p47-phox, preincubation of membrane with either p21rac or rp67-phox conferred no protection from inhibition of superoxide-generating activity by RGVHFIF added after preincubation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

The requirement of p47 phosphorylation for activation of NADPH oxidase by opsonized zymosan in human neutrophils.

Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, staurosporine or 1,5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7), inhibited NADPH oxidase activity and phosphorylation of 47 kDa protein (p47) in PMA-stimulated neutrophils in a dose-dependent manner. These PKC inhibitors, at the same doses, did not affect oxidase activity and caused only partial inhibition of p47 phosphorylation in OZ-stimulated neutrophils. There was residual (20%) phosphorylated p47 in the membranes of OZ-stimulated cells in the presence of PKC inhibitors, at concentrations which caused total inhibition of oxidase activity and p47 phosphorylation in PMA-stimulated neutrophils. In the presence of ionomycin, which increased intracellular calcium ion concentrations, staurosporine was less effective in inhibiting both superoxide generation and p47 phosphorylation stimulated by PMA, similar to its effect in OZ-stimulated cells. The results indicate that some phosphorylation of p47 always accompanied oxidase activation induced by PMA or OZ, though the degree of phosphorylation of membrane-bound p47 does not directly correlate with rates of superoxide production.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗
PubMed1994

Elevated NADPH-oxidase activity in neutrophils from bile-duct-ligated rats: changes in the kinetic parameters and in the oxidase cytosolic factor p47.

Stimulated superoxide generation was 2-fold higher in neutrophils from 20 rats with common bile-duct ligation (CBDL) compared to that of 20 sham-operated control rats. In order to study the mechanism of the higher NADPH oxidase activity in CBDL rats, the kinetic parameters of NADPH oxidase were analyzed. The Vmax of the NADPH oxidase in CBDL rat neutrophils was significantly higher than that of control rat neutrophils (10.2 and 5.3 nmol/min, respectively). The membrane and cytosol fractions of the oxidase were studied in a cell-free system. Neutrophil cytosol from CBDL rats added to neutrophil membranes from either CBDL or control rats produced 22.4 +/- 1.6 and 21.0 +/- 1.4 nmol/10(6) cells per 10 min, respectively. When neutrophil cytosol from control rats was mixed with neutrophil membranes from control or CBDL rats the generation of superoxide was 10.6 +/- 1.4 and 10.0 +/- 1.5 nmol/10(6) cells per 10 min, respectively. These results suggest that the cytosol components of the oxidase regulate its activity. By immunoblot analysis it was shown that the amount of the cytosolic factor p47 in neutrophils of CBDL rats is higher than that present in an equal number of neutrophils from control rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of the p67phox gene: genomic organization and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for prenatal diagnosis in chronic granulomatous disease.

The genetic defect in the p67phox-deficient form of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) follows an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. When genomic DNA from normal individuals is digested with HindIII and probed with p67phox cDNA an allelic restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of 4.0 kb or 2.3 kb is detected. We cloned and characterized the p67phox gene using the cDNA and sequenced the exon/intron boundaries, mapping 16 exons on the 40-kb gene. The polymorphic region was then sequenced to identify the inheritance pattern of amniocentesis-derived fetal cells by genomic amplification. The proband, a 9-year-old female patient with p67phox-deficient CGD, and her phenotypically normal mother are homozygous for the RFLP marker, whereas the father and two brothers are heterozygous. The fetus was shown to be heterozygous as well, showing it had inherited at least one normal p67phox gene from the father and that it was predicted to have a normal phenotype. Cord blood samples at birth showed normal oxidative function. Amplification allows rapid detection of the inheritance pattern for fetal diagnosis in informative families. We report the genomic structure of p67phox and an amplification-based method for detection of the marker on chromosome 1q25, used here for prenatal diagnosis of CGD.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Regulation of the human neutrophil NADPH oxidase by rho-related G-proteins.

Superoxide production by phagocytic white blood cells requires the assembly of an NADPH oxidase from membrane and cytosolic proteins. Recombinant cytosolic proteins p47phox and p67phox and neutrophil membranes were used to purify a third cytosolic component that is necessary and sufficient for cell-free reconstitution of NADPH oxidase. The component was isolated as a complex of rho-GDP dissociation inhibitor (rho-GDI) and two members of the rho subfamily of ras-related guanine nucleotide binding proteins, rac2 and CDC42Hs. Oxidase reconstitution with these pure cytosolic proteins was unaffected by GTP gamma S but was inhibited by GDP beta S, suggesting that the active complex contained endogenous bound GTP. Direct binding of rho-GDI to the GTP gamma S-bound forms of these G-proteins was demonstrated by gel filtration following exchange with radiolabeled guanine nucleotide. rho-GDI was shown to be nonessential for cell-free oxidase reconstitution in experiments that compared the activities of pure recombinant forms of these G-proteins. Recombinant rac augmented superoxide production, while recombinant CDC42Hs, which shares 70% amino acid sequence identity with rac, did not. Three highly conserved regions of rac1 and rac2 were noted as markedly divergent in CDC42Hs. It is proposed that one or more of these regions of rac may be involved in the specific interaction of rac with the other NADPH oxidase protein(s).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Cytochrome b558: the flavin-binding component of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase.

The phagocyte respiratory burst oxidase is a flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent dehydrogenase and an electron transferase that reduces molecular oxygen to superoxide anion, a precursor of microbicidal oxidants. Several proteins required for assembly of the oxidase have been characterized, but the identity of its flavin-binding component has been unclear. Oxidase activity was reconstituted in vitro with only the purified oxidase proteins p47phox, p67phox, Rac-related guanine nucleotide (GTP)-binding proteins, and membrane-bound cytochrome b558. The reconstituted oxidase required added FAD, and FAD binding was localized to cytochrome b558. Alignment of the amino acid sequence of the beta subunit of cytochrome b558 (gp91phox) with other flavoproteins revealed similarities to the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced) (NADPH)-binding domains. Thus flavocytochrome b558 is the only obligate electron transporting component of the NADPH oxidase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Retroviral expression of recombinant p47phox protein by Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B lymphocytes from a patient with autosomal chronic granulomatous disease.

Patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) have recurrent infections resulting from a failure of phagocytic cells to produce superoxide. One third of CGD patients have an autosomal gene defect resulting in absence of p47phox protein, a cytoplasmic component critical to superoxide production by phagocytic cells. cDNA encoding p47phox has been cloned and recombinant p47phox (rp47phox) restores superoxide-generating activity to a cell-free assay containing cell membranes and cytosol from p47phox-deficient CGD neutrophils. The goal of the present study was to determine the feasibility of retrovirus mediated expression of rp47phox in the HL60 and U937 human hematopoietic cell lines, and in an Epstein-Barr virus transformed B-lymphocyte cell line (EBV-BCL) derived from a p47phox-deficient CGD patient. Normal EBV-BCL contain p47phox and generate small amounts of superoxide, while this CGD EBV-BCL lacks any detectable p47phox protein. Defective amphotropic retrovirus containing p47phox sequence inserted in the LXSN vector in sense and antisense orientations were used to transduce HL60, U937, and CGD EBV-BCL. p47phox mRNA sequence was detected in cells transduced with either sense or antisense retroviral constructs while rp47phox protein was detected only with the sense construct. The amount of rp47phox protein produced within these cells was greater than the native p47phox present in uninduced HL60 or U937 cells, but substantially less than that present in normal neutrophils, induced HL60 cells, or even normal EBV-BCL. Differentiation of transduced HL60 cells and the associated production of native p47phox in response to dimethyl sulfoxide was not affected. These studies demonstrate that retrovirus constructs can be used to mediate stable expression of rp47phox protein in human hematopoietic cell lines and can restore rp47phox protein within the cytosol of p47phox-deficient EBV-BCL from patients with CGD.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1992

Baculovirus mediated expression of human phagocytic cell oxidase cytochrome b558 in sf9 insect cells.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) results from deficient production of components of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Most commonly affected is cytochrome b558, a heterodimer composed of a 22-kDa protein (p22phox) noncovalently bound to a 91-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein (gp91phox). CGD phagocytes lack both p22phox and gp91phox peptides when either gene is affected, suggesting that both peptides must be produced for individual subunit stability. Both genes have been cloned, but eukaryotic expression of recombinant gp91phox has not been reported. To investigate the stability and interaction of cytochrome b558 subunits, we introduced p22phox and gp91phox cDNA into recombinant baculoviruses. Recombinant gp91phox (rgp91phox) and p22phox (rp22phox) were detected individually and together in the same cells by in situ immunofluorescence and by SDS-PAGE immunoblotting of membranes from sf9 cells infected with baculovirus constructs. Formation of rp22phox/rgp91phox complexes was demonstrated by coprecipitation using subunit-specific antibodies. This study demonstrates for the first time that cDNA encoding either subunit is capable of initiating production of stable recombinant cytochrome b558 subunits in eukaryotic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Delineation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase through studies of chronic granulomatous diseases of childhood.

The phagocyte NADPH oxidase is a complex system consisting of membrane and cytosolic components that must assemble at the membrane for proper activation. Studies of patients with chronic granulomatous diseases of childhood have enabled the molecular characterization of these components, which has led to studies defining their interaction during NADPH complex assembly. Understanding NADPH oxidase assembly provides an opportunity to develop therapeutics for the regulation of this important reaction of inflammation.

Child↗
PubMed1992

Modulation of neutrophil activation by okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor.

We determined the effects of okadaic acid (OA), a specific inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), on protein phosphorylation and on the activation of the NADPH oxidase in human neutrophils. In otherwise unstimulated cells, OA induced phosphoprotein accumulation, revealing the presence of constitutively active protein kinases. Pulse-chase experiments in electropermeabilized cells confirmed that this effect was due, at least in part, to inhibition of dephosphorylation. OA potentiated phosphoprotein accumulation induced by phorbol esters and by the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). In phorbol ester-stimulated cells, OA prolonged the respiratory response after inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) with staurosporine, consistent with a reduced rate of dephosphorylation of active phosphorylated components. Similarly, OA delayed the inactivation of the burst after displacement of FMLP from its receptor by a competitive antagonist. This suggests that the substrates of the protein kinases activated by FMLP are dephosphorylated by PP1 and/or PP2A. That phosphatases control the intensity and duration of the respiratory response is suggested by the finding that OA magnified and prolonged the oxidative burst elicited by FMLP. In contrast, pretreatment with OA produced a time-dependent inhibition of the phorbol ester-induced respiratory burst. Under conditions where inhibition of the phorbol ester response was nearly complete, activation by the chemoattractant peptide not only persisted but was in fact accentuated. These findings provide strong evidence that receptor-mediated stimulation of the NADPH oxidase can occur by pathways not involving PKC.

Cell Membrane Permeability↗
PubMed1992

Identification of a thermolabile component of the human neutrophil NADPH oxidase. A model for chronic granulomatous disease caused by deficiency of the p67-phox cytosolic component.

Mild heating of human neutrophils inactivates the respiratory burst oxidase, producing a defect in superoxide production and bacterial killing comparable to that seen in patients afflicted with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). We have now investigated the mechanism and specificity of this inactivation by examining the effect of mild heating on the known oxidase components: the membrane-bound subunits of the cytochrome b558 (gp91-phox and p22-phox) and the two cytosolic oxidase factors (p47-phox and p67-phox). Heating (46 degrees C for 7.5 min) caused intact neutrophils to lose greater than 85% of their capacity to produce superoxide, a defect which was localized to the cytosolic, but not the membrane, fraction. Complementation studies with CGD cytosols deficient in either p47-phox or p67-phox suggested that the defective component of heat-inactivated cytosol was p67-phox. This was confirmed by experiments showing that recombinant p67-phox, but not p47-phox, exhibited lability at 46 degrees C and completely reconstituted oxidase activity of heat-treated cytosol. These studies indicate that mild heating of either intact neutrophils or normal neutrophil cytosol results in a selective inactivation of p67-phox, providing a model oxidase system for the extremely rare p67-phox-deficient form of CGD.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of neutrophil NADPH oxidase factors p47-phox and p67-phox from recombinant baculoviruses.

Superoxide production by phagocytic blood cells involves assembly of an active NADPH oxidase complex from components found both in membrane and cytosolic locations in resting cells. We recently cloned cDNAs encoding two cytosolic components (p47-phox and p67-phox) of the oxidase that are deficient in distinct forms of autosomal recessive chronic granulomatous disease. The precise roles of p47-phox and p67-phox were explored further using purified factors produced in large quantities using recombinant baculoviruses to infect cultured Sf9 insect cells. Neither p47-phox nor p67-phox are thought to represent the flavoprotein components of the oxidase, since neither of the purified recombinant factors contained or bound FAD. Recombinant p47-phox and p67-phox are capable of restoring the deficient cytosol from chronic granulomatous disease patient neutrophils to nearly normal levels in a cell-free reconstitution system. Both p47-phox and p67-phox, used together in the absence of neutrophil cytosol, are incapable of supporting cell free production of superoxide, confirming the involvement of other soluble factor(s) in the assembly of an active oxidase in vitro.

Baculoviridae↗
PubMed1990

Phosphorylation of neutrophil 47-kDa cytosolic oxidase factor. Translocation to membrane is associated with distinct phosphorylation events.

Activation of the phagocytic cell superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase requires interaction of cytosolic and membrane-associated components. With most stimuli activation of the oxidase is accompanied by multisite phosphorylation of the 47-kDa cytosolic oxidase factor (p47) which translocates from cytosol to membranes. Native p47 is a highly basic protein that undergoes stepwise charge shifts with successive phosphorylation events. Phosphorylation of p47 was studied by immunoprecipitation from neutrophil cytosol and membrane fractions followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. In the resting cell p47 was not phosphorylated. In the cytosol of phorbol myristate acetate-activated neutrophils eight distinct p47 phosphoproteins were present. The membrane fraction from these activated cells contained a family of p47 phosphoproteins of electrophoretic mobilities identical to those seen in cytosol plus an additional, more acidic p47 phosphoprotein not present in cytosol. Very early after activation (30 s) only the four most acidic p47 phosphoproteins were present in the membrane fraction. Only at later times (5-15 min) was the full spectrum of p47 phosphoproteins present in the membrane fraction. In contrast, the full spectrum of p47 phosphoproteins was present in the cytosol over the entire time course we studied. In neutrophils from patients with cytochrome b558-deficient chronic granulomatous disease p47 phosphorylation was incomplete and p47 translocation to membrane did not occur. These studies demonstrated that the cytochrome was essential for formation of the three most acidic p47 phosphoproteins and greatly augmented formation of the fourth most acidic p47 phosphoprotein found in normal neutrophils. The temporal correlation between specific p47 phosphorylation events and p47 translocation to membrane is consistent with a model of oxidase activation in which a series of p47 phosphorylation events which occurs in cytosol precedes and may be required for p47 interaction with membrane.

Autoradiography↗