Autoregulation and multifunctionality among trans-acting factors that regulate alternative pre-mRNA processing.
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The effects of human alternative splicing factor, ASF, on in vitro splicing of adenovirus E1A pre-mRNA were examined. E1A pre-mRNA is a complex substrate, and splicing in HeLa cell nuclear extracts produces six different RNAs using three alternative 5' splice sites and two 3' splice sites. Addition of excess ASF to splicing reactions produced a simplified splicing pattern, in which only one spliced product, 13S RNA, was detected. Inhibition of 12S and 9S splicing, which use 5' splice sites upstream of the 13S 5' splice site, extends previous observations that when multiple 5' splice sites compete for the same 3' splice site, ASF causes preferential selection of the proximal 5' splice site. However, inhibition of the other splices, which use a different upstream 3' splice site, represents a novel activity of ASF, as competition between 5' splice sites is not involved. The effect of ASF on 12S splicing was found to depend on its position relative to competing 5' splice sites, indicating that the ability of ASF to activate proximal 5' splice sites is position- but not sequence-dependent. Finally, addition of small amounts of ASF to ASF-lacking S100 extract was able to activate distal as well as proximal 5' splice sites in two of three pre-mRNAs tested, indicating that in these cases changes in the concentration of ASF alone can be sufficient to modulate alternative 5' splice site selection.
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) (older terminology, eIF-4D) is unique in that it contains the unusual amino acid hypusine (N epsilon-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine). Hypusine is formed by a post-translational event in which a specific lysine residue is modified by a structural contribution from spermidine. Metabolic labeling of chick embryo fibroblasts with [3H]spermidine or [3H]lysine gives rise to two distinct proteins, designated I (approximately 20 kDa and pI 5.6) and II (approximately 18 kDa and pI 5.35), that contain [3H]hypusine. Upon incubation with [3H]lysine the labeling of the two proteins followed a similar time course and showed approximately the same ratio over the 6-h incubation period. [3H]Hypusine-containing proteins from cells which had been cultured with [3H]spermidine were employed as tracers for isolation of hypusine-containing proteins from whole chick embryos. Four such proteins were obtained. Two of these proteins, I and II, correspond to the two native proteins synthesized in chick embryo fibroblasts; the other two forms, Ia and IIa, displayed properties suggesting that they were derived from the native proteins, I and II, respectively, during purification. The amino acid compositions and the tryptic peptide maps of the 20-kDa protein (I) and the 18 kDa protein (II) suggest that they are closely related but distinct proteins. In fact, amino acid sequence analysis of the two major proteins revealed differences in the polypeptide backbone of the two proteins. In spite of structural differences, the two native forms (I and II), as well as the two altered forms (Ia and IIa), were effective in stimulating methionyl-puromycin synthesis, providing evidence that they are indeed functional isoforms of eIF-5A.
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The Y-box factors interact specifically with both DNA and RNA. Biologically they have roles in both transcriptional and translational regulation. Conserved through evolution from prokaryotic to eukaryotic organisms they represent a new family of nucleic acid binding proteins.
Previous work has revealed a striking similarity between the sequence of mRNP4, a major mRNA-binding protein of Xenopus laevis oocytes and FRG Y2, a transcription factor specific for Y-box-containing promoters. However, the apparent molecular mass of mRNP4 exceeds by 50-60% the cDNA-deduced molecular mass of FRG Y2. To resolve this discrepancy we have measured the real molecular mass of mRNP4 by sedimentation equilibrium. The molecular mass of mRNP4 closely agrees with that of FRG Y2. We conclude that mRNP4 is identical to FRG Y2 and has a dual function in oocytes. As a DNA-binding protein, mRNP4 stimulates transcription from a specific set of promoters. As a mRNA-binding protein, mRNP4 favors accumulation of the transcripts it contributes to produce.
Hemonectin is a lineage-specific cytoadhesive protein that may be involved in the developmentally regulated adhesion of granulocytic cells to bone marrow stroma. Immunoblot analysis using an anti-hemonectin antibody recognizes two distinct immunoreactive species in endothelial cell lysates (approximately M(r) 65,000) and human serum (approximately M(r) 55,000). Initial characterization of the 55-kDa protein has now been completed by isolating the cDNA from a human endothelial cell expression library. Sequence analysis of overlapping clones identifies a composite sequence spanning 2030 nucleotides with an open reading frame of 1173 base pairs. No significant sequence similarity was observed on analysis of current GenBank databases. The open reading frame was expressed as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli and used as an immunogen for the production of a specific polyclonal antibody. Immunoblotting with this antibody identifies a single immunoreactive species of apparent M(r) 55,000 in HUVEC lysates and human serum, confirming that a secreted form normally circulates as a serum constituent protein. This antibody fails to recognize purified hemonectin, suggesting that the M(r) 55,000 protein is not hemonectin. Cross-species Southern blot analysis reveals persistent hybridizing fragments in all species tested, suggestive of a developmentally conserved function. Northern blot analysis demonstrates expression limited to endothelial and bone marrow stromal cells, but not poly(A) RNA from monkey liver, spleen, brain, lung, and kidney. On this basis, we have designated this novel protein MSE55, for marrow stromal/endothelial cell protein with a molecular mass of 55,000 daltons. Its tissue-specific expression may suggest a functional role in hematopoiesis.
Cleavage-polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) is one of five separable factors known to be required for 3' cleavage and polyadenylation of mRNA precursors in vitro. Previous studies have shown that the cleavage and poly(A) addition reactions can be uncoupled in vitro and have suggested that CPSF may be the only factor essential for both of these subreactions. Here we report the purification of CPSF to near homogeneity from calf thymus and show that the purified factor contains three polypeptides of 165, 105, and 70 kDa. These polypeptides cosediment precisely with CPSF activity, which has a sedimentation coefficient of 11.5 S. Consistent with previous reports from our laboratory, purified CPSF does not contain a detectable RNA component, indicating that it is a multisubunit protein and not a small nuclear ribonucleoprotein. Extensively purified bovine CPSF can function with human poly(A) polymerase to bring about AAUAAA-dependent poly(A) addition or with human cleavage factors to catalyze accurate 3' cleavage of a pre-mRNA substrate. UV cross-linking and gel retention analyses demonstrate that highly purified CPSF interacts with one of these cleavage factors, the multisubunit cleavage-stimulation factor, to facilitate stable binding of both to an AAUAAA-containing pre-mRNA. Likewise, evidence is presented indicating that poly(A) polymerase and CPSF can interact directly.
A gene designated "FMR-1" has been isolated at the fragile-X locus. One exon of this gene is carried on a 5.1-kb EcoRI fragment that exhibits length variation in fragile-X patients because of amplification of or insertion into a CGG-repeat sequence. This repeat probably represents the fragile site. The EcoRI fragment also includes an HTF island that is hypermethylated in fragile-X patients showing absence of FMR-1 mRNA. In this paper, we present further evidence that the FMR-1 gene is involved in the clinical manifestation of the fragile-X syndrome and also in the expression of the cellular phenotype. A deletion including the HTF island and exons of the FMR-1 gene was detected in a fragile X-negative mentally retarded male who presented the clinical phenotype of the fragile-X syndrome. The deletion involves less than 250 kb of genomic DNA, including DXS548 and at least five exons of the FMR-1 gene. These data support the hypothesis that loss of function of the FMR-1 gene leads to the clinical phenotype of the fragile-X syndrome. In the fragile-X syndrome, there are pathogenetic mechanisms other than amplification of the CGG repeat that do have the same phenotypic consequences.
Yeast NSR1 protein is structurally related to mammalian nucleolin and is involved in ribosome synthesis as described in the preceding paper (Kondo, K., and Inouye, M. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 16252-16258). We report here the regulation of NSR1 gene expression and the effect of nsr1 deletion on growth and pre-rRNA processing after cold shock. A basal level of the transcript was detected at 30 degrees C only in exponentially growing cells and increased approximately 3-fold after cold shock to 10 degrees C. NSR1 protein level also increased about 3-fold after the shock. The nsr1 deletion caused a severe growth defect at low temperatures as well as a long growth lag after temperature shift from 30 to 10 degrees C. Northern hybridization analysis demonstrated that cold shock led to a rapid decrease in the amounts of 27 S, 20 S, and 7 S rRNA precursors in the nsr1 strain, although at 30 degrees C a major defect was observed only in 20 S pre-rRNA synthesis. Pulse-chase labeling of rRNA showed that pre-rRNA processing in the nsr1 strain was greatly impaired after cold shock. These results demonstrate that the NSR1 protein is required for normal pre-rRNA processing and cell growth in yeast when cells are exposed to abrupt temperature drop.
The interaction of high density lipoproteins (HDL) with the HDL receptor stimulates the translocation of cholesterol from intracellular pools to the plasma membrane where the cholesterol becomes available for removal by appropriate acceptors. The role of signal transduction through protein kinase C in HDL receptor-dependent cholesterol translocation and efflux was examined using cholesterol-loaded cultured human skin fibroblasts. Treatment of cells with HDL3 activated protein kinase C, demonstrated by a transient increase in membrane associated kinase activity. Kinase activation appeared to be dependent on binding of HDL3 to the HDL receptor, since tetranitromethane-modified HDL3, which does not bind to the receptor, was without effect. Translocation of intracellular sterol to the plasma membrane was stimulated by treatment of cells with the protein kinase C activators, dioctanoylglycerol and phorbol myristic acetate, and the calcium ionophore A23187. Conversely, treatment of cells with sphingosine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, reduced HDL3-mediated translocation and efflux of intracellular sterols. However, sphingosine had no effect on efflux of labeled cholesterol derived from the plasma membrane. Down-regulation of cellular protein kinase C activity by long term incubation with phorbol esters also inhibited HDL3-mediated efflux of intracellular sterols and abolished the ability of sphingosine to further inhibit HDL3-mediated efflux. These studies support the conclusion that HDL receptor-mediated translocation and efflux of intracellular cholesterol occurs through activation of protein kinase C.
The characteristics of HDL3 binding sites on cultured smooth muscle cells originally isolated from rabbit aorta were studied with 125I-labelled rabbit HDL3. The results indicated that specific and high-affinity HDL3 binding sites were present on the surface of smooth muscle cells (Bmax = 0.321 micrograms/mg cell protein; KD = 5.6 x 10(-8) mol/L). The presence of a high concentration of non-labelled apo A1 blocked the 125I-HDL3 binding rate by 50%. 125I-HDL3 pretreated (blocked) with rat antirabbit apo A1 IgG lost up to 70% of its original binding activity. Additionally, rabbit apo A1 was isolated, purified and its amino acid composition analyzed. The binding rate of 125I-HDL3 to smooth muscle cells was not affected by the presence of various concentrations of cholesterol. It was also relatively unaffected by trypsin or pronase treatment and independent of Ca2+ concentration. The optimal temperature and pH were 4 degrees C and 2 respectively. All of these characteristics differ from those of the LDL receptors. These results suggest that apo A1 is a major ligand of HDL3 receptors.
The mechanisms which control the production of erythropoietin (Epo) remain enigmatic. Recent data suggest that the half-time of Epo messenger RNA (mRNA) is increased by hypoxia in Hep 3B cells, a human hepatoma line. The post-transcriptional regulation of other rapidly degraded mRNAs is mediated by sequence-specific mRNA binding proteins. In order to determine if Epo mRNA specific binding proteins exist, we probed cytosolic lysates from Hep 3B cells and mouse tissues with radiolabeled Epo RNA. A cytosolic protein that binds specifically to Epo RNA was identified in the Epo-producing, hepatoblastoma Hep 3B cell line by gel mobility shift assay. This protein was identified in both normoxic and hypoxic cells and bound specifically to a 120-base fragment of the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Epo mRNA. Binding was completed with unlabeled Epo RNA, but not with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor RNA. Ultraviolet light cross-linked Epo RNA-protein complexes migrated as two bands of 70 and 135-140 kD on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Binding activity was markedly increased in brain and spleen lysates from mice subjected to 24 h of hypoxia. Therefore, the post-transcriptional regulation of Epo expression in response to hypoxia may in part be due to the interaction of Epo RNA with its specific binding protein.
There is good evidence that high density lipoprotein (HDL) interacts with high affinity sites present on hepatocytes. The precise nature of the ligand recognized by putative HDL receptors remains controversial, although there is a consensus that apolipoprotein AI (apoAI) is involved. This suggestion would be strengthened if a biologically active site demonstrating a high affinity for the receptor could be isolated. Cyanogen bromide fragments (CF) of apoAI (CF1-CF4) were complexed with phospholipid, and their ability to associate with the receptor was compared in various binding studies. Careful analysis of the concentration-dependent association of 125I-labeled dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) recombinants to rat liver plasma membranes revealed high and low affinity binding components. As all DMPC recombinants displayed the low affinity binding component, it was postulated that this interaction was independent of the protein present in the particle and may well represent a lipid-lipid or lipid-protein association with the membranes. Only 125I-labeled CF4.DMPC displayed a high affinity binding component with similar Kd and Bmax (8 x 10(-9) M, 1.6 x 10(-12) mol/mg plasma membrane protein) to that of 125I-labeled AI.DMPC (7 x 10(-9), 1.4 x 10(-12) mol/mg plasma membrane protein). Similarly, egg yolk phosphatidylcholine complexes containing CF4 (CF4.egg PC) showed higher affinity binding than CF1-egg yolk phosphatidylcholine complexes confirming the results obtained with DMPC complexes. Furthermore, ligand blotting studies showed that only 125I-labeled CF4.DMPC associated specifically with HB1 and HB2, two HDL binding proteins recently identified in rat liver plasma membranes. We conclude that a region within the carboxyl-terminus of apoAI is responsible for the interaction with putative HDL receptors present in rat liver plasma membranes.
We have demonstrated previously that HDL-mediated efflux of plasma membrane cholesterol is independent of specific binding of apolipoproteins to the high density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor in either control or cholesterol-enriched cells (Karlin, J. B., Johnson, W. J., Benedict, C. R., Chacko, G. K., Phillips, M. C., and Rothblat, G. H. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 12557-12564 and Johnson, W. J., Mahlberg, F. H., Chacko, G. K., Phillips, M. C., and Rothblat, G. H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 14099-14106). The present studies were conducted to determine if the process for removal of intracellular (lysosomal) cholesterol is similar to that of membrane cholesterol or if, in contrast, it is selectively regulated by specific apolipoproteins of HDL. For these reasons, we examined the influence of each of the major apolipoproteins of human HDL, apoAI, apoAII, and apoCs on the metabolism of membrane and lysosomal cholesterol in a macrophage foam cell model. We developed an experimental system which allows, for the first time, the simultaneous determination of lysosomal hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester and efflux and esterification of both lysosomal and membrane cholesterol. J774 and elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages were loaded with cholesteryl ester within lysosomes through phagocytosis of sonicated lipid droplets. Membrane and lysosomal pools of cholesterol were differentially radiolabeled. Discoidal complexes of egg phosphatidylcholine and purified apolipoproteins having a similar size and composition were used as cholesterol acceptors. Our results demonstrate that lysosomal hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester is independent of the presence of extracellular acceptors. Lysosomal production of cholesterol stimulates the esterification by acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase of membrane and lysosomal cholesterol. All the particles tested induce the efflux of both pools of cholesterol at a similar ratio. As efflux is stimulated, esterification by acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase is reduced. We conclude that none of these apolipoproteins selectively influences the efflux or the esterification of membrane of lysosomal cholesterol. In addition, we observe that particles containing apoAI are the most efficient acceptors, but this effect is not linked to specific binding to the HDL receptor.
Saturable high-affinity VLDL and HDL receptor on parenchymal cells (PC), and non-parenchymal cells (NPC) freshly isolated from rat liver were studied. The VLDL- and HDL-receptor could mediate liver PC and NPC to bind, uptake, and degrade 125I-labeled human VLDL and apoE-deficient HDL3, and the activities of these two receptors (expressed as ng/mg cell protein) on NPC were about 10- and 4-fold higher than those on PC, respectively. VLDL receptor on NPC with kd 15.0-34.2 micrograms/ml and Bmax 2170-2607 ng/mg cell protein could be inhibited by EDTA, and down-regulated by cell cholesterol content. HDL receptor on NPC with kd 10.1-17.7 micrograms/ml and Bmax 1004-2738 ng/mg cell protein could not be inhibited by EDTA, but could be up-regulated by cell cholesterol content. Competitive inhibition assay showed that VLDL receptor could not only bind VLDL and LDL, but also bind HDL3 to some extent. Unlabeled purified apolipoprotein CIII-1, but apoAI, CI, CII, could effectively inhibit 125I-labeled VLDL binding to NPC. These results suggest that liver NPC may be more active than PC in clearing VLDL and HDL from circulation, and apolipoprotein CIII play an important inhibitory role in these receptor-mediated processes.
These studies provide evidence that binding of HDL3 to the HDL receptor stimulates translocation and efflux of intracellular cholesterol through mechanisms involving the activation of protein kinase C. This conclusion is supported by data demonstrating that HDL is able to increase cell diacylglycerol levels and activate protein kinase C. Sphingosine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, was able to inhibit HDL3-mediated cholesterol translocation and efflux, further suggesting a role for protein kinase C in HDL receptor-dependent cholesterol efflux. Inhibition of HDL-mediated diacylglycerol formation by pertussis toxin suggests the possible involvement of a G protein-activated phospholipase. Further studies are needed to understand how activation of protein kinase C promotes cholesterol translocation and to identify the target proteins for protein kinase C phosphorylation.
The sequence 260-283 of the nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza A virus is an epitope recognized by virus-immune lymph node cells from CBA (H-2k), B6 (H-2b), and B10.S (H-2s) mice. Further analysis shows that there are at least two Th epitopes within this sequence: the one close to the N-terminal (p260-273) is recognized by T cells from CBA and B6 mice while that close to the carboxyl-terminal (p270-283) is a dominant Th determinant in B10.S mice. The fine specificity of the recognition of this epitope by NP-specific T cell clones is also studied. When B10.S mice were infected intranasally or i.v. with live influenza virus, or immunized by different ways with various Ag preparations, P270-283 persistently emerged as a dominant T cell epitope. Immunization of B10.S mice with peptide p270-283 induces T cells with different in vivo functions including class II-restricted cytotoxicity, cognate help for Ag-specific antibody synthesis and delayed type hypersensitivity. This may have important implications for the understanding of the differentiation and classification of subsets of CD4+ T cells. The corresponding sequence of the NP of an equine influenza virus, A/Eq/Prague/56, which has a substitution (leucine to proline) at position 283, was not recognized by the lymph node cells from mice primed with either A/Okuda or A/Eq/Prague. However, the peptide, p270-283(E), representing this sequence induced T cell responses to both human and equine viruses. The data are discussed with respect to the development of viral vaccines.