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At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum phospholipase D is genetically and functionally similar to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis phospholipase D.

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum, a pathogen of the human upper respiratory tract and other systems, has been reported to produce soluble toxins, including a phospholipase D (PLD). We confirmed production of PLD by this organism and cloned and sequenced pld. Arcanobacterial PLD (PLD-A) was found to be a protein of approximately 31.5 kDa with a pI of approximately 9.4. Cosmid cloning, followed by subcloning into phagemid pBluescriptIISK+, yielded Escherichia coli(pAh140), a recombinant with a gene product corresponding to PLD-A. Evidence of PLD activity was found by three assays in supernatant fluid of cultures of E. coli(pAh140) and A. haemolyticum, but not in E. coli(pBluescriptIISK+). Experiments to determine if this protein was secreted were not conducted, but previous work with PLD from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis suggested that the presence of the enzyme in culture supernatant fluids was due to lysis of E. coli rather than to active transport. Antibodies in polyclonal sera from goats immunized with native or recombinant PLD-A neutralized native and recombinant PLD-A activity, and antibodies against native or recombinant PLD from C. pseudotuberculosis (PLD-P) partially neutralized native and recombinant PLD-A. Antibodies prepared against recombinant PLD-A labelled both recombinant and native PLD-A in Western blots (immunoblots) and dot blots, but antibodies against PLD-P did not. Sequencing of the insert in pAh140 revealed an open reading frame of 930 bp coding for 309 amino acids, including a putative signal sequence of 26 amino acids (3.2 kDa, determined on the basis of homology with the 24-amino-acid signal sequence of pld from C. pseudotuberculosis bv. ovis) and the mature PLD protein (31.5 kDa). Sequence comparisons of coding regions revealed 65% DNA homology with pld genes from C. pseudotuberculosis and Corynebacterium ulcerans. Comparison of amino acid sequences revealed 64% homology of PLD-A both with PLD-P and with PLD produced by C. ulcerans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1978

Biosynthesis of riboflavin in Bacillus subtilis: function and genetic control of the riboflavin synthase complex.

Two riboflavin synthase activities (heavy and light) have been observed in earlier studies with Bacillus subtilis. The heavy enzyme is a complex of one molecule of light enzyme (consisting of three alpha subunits) and approximately 60 beta subunits (A. Bacher, R. Bauer, U. Eggers, H. Harders, and H. Schnepple, p. 729--732, in T. P. Singer (ed.), Flavins and Flavoproteins, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1976). The formation of alpha and beta subunits is coordinately controlled. Mutants apparently deficient in beta subunits were isolated as riboflavin requires after mutagenesis of B. subtilis with ICR 191. The mutants could grow with diacetyl instead of riboflavin. Growth with diacetyl was associated with the accumulation of substantial amounts of the riboflavin precursor, 6,7-dimethyl-8-(D-ribityl)lumazine. It follows that the mutants are deficient in an enzyme activity required for the formation of the lumazine from the pyrimidine precursor. We conclude that heavy riboflavin synthase is a bifunctional enzyme. The riboflavin synthase activity is mediated by the alpha subunits, whereas the beta subunits are necessary for an earlier biosynthetic step.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1993

Genetic and functional analysis of the multiple antibiotic resistance (mar) locus in Escherichia coli.

A 7.8-kbp fragment of chromosomal DNA from a region controlling multiple antibiotic resistance (Mar) in Escherichia coli has been sequenced. Within the fragment is a potential divergent promoter region including marO, which contains two pairs of direct repeats, suggesting possible operator-regulatory sites. To the left of marO (region I) are one or two transcriptional units with three putative open reading frames (ORFs) encoding 64, 157, and 70 amino acids. To the right (region II) is a transcriptional unit containing three putative ORFs (ORF125/144, ORF129, and ORF72). Of six independent Mar mutants, four had mutations within the ORF encoding the first putative protein (ORF125/144) downstream of marO, including three different single-point mutations and an IS2 insertion. One of the other mutations occurred in marO (20-bp duplication), and the other occurred in a site in marO or ORF144 (a 1-bp change). All six mutations led to increased transcription of the region II transcript. High-copy-number plasmids containing marO and the adjacent ORF125/144 region from a wild-type source but not from a Mar mutant reduced the antibiotic resistance of a Mar mutant to levels comparable to those of wild-type cells. High-copy-number plasmids containing wild-type marO alone caused an increase in resistance to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and norfloxacin in a wild-type strain. The nature of the Mar mutations and the results of the complementation studies suggest that ORF125/144 encodes a repressor (designated MarR) which acts at marO. The second ORF (ORF129), designated marA, would encode a protein, MarA, whose sequence shows strong similarity to those of a family of positive transcriptional regulators. A Tn5 insertion in marA inactivated the multiresistance phenotype of Mar mutants. The function of ORF72, designated marB, encoding the third putative protein in the operon, and that of other ORFs detected within the 7.8-kb fragment have not yet been determined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Genetic and functional analyses of the conserved C-terminal core domain of Escherichia coli FtsZ.

In Escherichia coli, FtsZ is required for the recruitment of the essential cell division proteins FtsA and ZipA to the septal ring. Several C-terminal deletions of E. coli FtsZ, including one of only 12 amino acids that removes the highly conserved C-terminal core domain, failed to complement chromosomal ftsZ mutants when expressed on a plasmid. To identify key individual residues within the core domain, six highly conserved residues were replaced with alanines. All but one of these mutants (D373A) failed to complement an ftsZ chromosomal mutant. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that whereas I374A and F377A proteins were unstable in the cell, L372A, D373A, P375A, and L378A proteins were synthesized at normal levels, suggesting that they were specifically defective in some aspect of FtsZ function. In addition, all four of the stable mutant proteins were able to localize and form rings at potential division sites in chromosomal ftsZ mutants, implying a defect in a function other than localization and multimerization. Because another proposed function of FtsZ is the recruitment of FtsA and ZipA, we tested whether the C-terminal core domain was important for interactions with these proteins. Using two different in vivo assays, we found that the 12-amino-acid truncation of FtsZ was defective in binding to FtsA. Furthermore, two point mutants in this region (L372A and P375A) showed weakened binding to FtsA. In contrast, ZipA was capable of binding to all four stable point mutants in the FtsZ C-terminal core but not to the 12-amino-acid deletion.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1993

Biochemical, genetic, and functional analyses of the phosphorylation sites on the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded oncogenic latent membrane protein LMP-1.

LMP-1 is the only Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent protein known to have the properties of a transforming oncogene in rodent fibroblasts and the only latent protein, besides EBNA-1, detected in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma biopsies. LMP-1 is characterized by serine/threonine phosphorylation and rapid turnover (half-life, 2 to 3 h) due to specific proteolytic cleavage, which causes release of a phosphorylated C-terminal fragment (p25) into the cytoplasm. We used biochemical, functional, and mutational analyses to identify sites of phosphorylation. All of the phosphorylation sites detected lie in the C-terminal domain. In particular, we identified S-313 and T-324 as functionally important sites. Prevention of phosphorylation at S-313, by altering it to a glycine, prevented detectable phosphorylation of both LMP-1 and p25, indicating that it is a major site on both forms of the molecule. However, lack of detectable phosphorylation had no effect on p25 cleavage or on the ability of LMP-1 to transform Rat-1 fibroblasts. Alteration of S-313 to an aspartate resulted in a form of LMP-1 that was toxic to Rat-1 cells. Alteration of T-324 to a glycine residue had no detectable effect on the ability of LMP-1 to become serine phosphorylated or transform Rat-1 cells. Alteration of T-324 to a glutamate, however, inhibited all detectable phosphorylation and resulted in a form of LMP-1 that was unable to transform Rat-1 fibroblasts. These results are discussed in the context of a model in which LMP-1 function is modulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation at S-313 and T-324.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Genetic and functional analysis of R5X4 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoproteins derived from two individuals homozygous for the CCR5delta32 allele.

We characterized human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoproteins (Env) isolated from two HIV-1-infected CCR5delta32 homozygotes. Envs from both subjects used CCR5 and CXCR4 for entry into transfected cells. Most R5X4 Envs were lymphocyte-tropic and used CXCR4 exclusively for entry into peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), but a subset was dually lymphocyte- and macrophage-tropic and used either CCR5 or CXCR4 for entry into PBMC and monocyte-derived macrophages. The persistence of CCR5-using HIV-1 in two CCR5delta32 homozygotes suggests the conserved CCR5 binding domain of Env is highly stable and provides new mechanistic insights important for HIV-1 transmission and persistence.

Alleles↗
PubMed1984

Differential rate of age-related decline in immune functions in genetically defined mice with different tumor incidence and life span.

Immunological studies were performed in aging C57BL/6 and BDF1 mice. In C57BL/6 mice the incidence of malignant tumor was high and their mean life span was 665 days in males and 649 days in females. In BDF1 mice, the incidence of malignant tumors was significantly lower, and their mean life span was 954 days in males and 846 days in females. Immunologically, either the onset of decline occurred earlier, the rate of the age-related decline in activity was more rapid, and/or the magnitude of decline was greater in the shorter-lived C57BL/6 than in the longer-lived BDF1 mice. The close relationship between (a) the susceptibility especially to malignant lymphoma; (b) the onset, rate and magnitude of age-related decline in T-cell-dependent immunologic activities, and (c) the life span would suggest that T-cell immunity may be playing an important role in the resistance against life-shortening malignant lymphoma in C57BL/6 mice.

Aging↗
PubMed2006

Statistical deconvolution of enthalpic energetic contributions to MHC-peptide binding affinity.

BACKGROUND: MHC Class I molecules present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T cells, which forms an integral part of the adaptive immune response. Peptides are bound within a groove formed by the MHC heavy chain. Previous approaches to MHC Class I-peptide binding prediction have largely concentrated on the peptide anchor residues located at the P2 and C-terminus positions. RESULTS: A large dataset comprising MHC-peptide structural complexes was created by re-modelling pre-determined x-ray crystallographic structures. Static energetic analysis, following energy minimisation, was performed on the dataset in order to characterise interactions between bound peptides and the MHC Class I molecule, partitioning the interactions within the groove into van der Waals, electrostatic and total non-bonded energy contributions. CONCLUSION: The QSAR techniques of Genetic Function Approximation (GFA) and Genetic Partial Least Squares (G/PLS) algorithms were used to identify key interactions between the two molecules by comparing the calculated energy values with experimentally-determined BL50 data. Although the peptide termini binding interactions help ensure the stability of the MHC Class I-peptide complex, the central region of the peptide is also important in defining the specificity of the interaction. As thermodynamic studies indicate that peptide association and dissociation may be driven entropically, it may be necessary to incorporate entropic contributions into future calculations.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1991

Estrogen receptor messenger RNA expression in rat hypothalamus as a function of genetic sex and estrogen dose.

Previously, we showed that estrogen receptor (ER) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels are decreased in cells of the mediobasal hypothalamus of ovariectomized (OVX) female rats following an acute estradiol treatment. Here, we examined whether the level of ER mRNA remains depressed in the continued long-term presence of estradiol, and questioned if there is a systematic relationship between the concentration of estradiol and the decrease in ER mRNA level. OVX female rats were implanted for 2 weeks with silastic capsules containing various concentrations of estradiol. Tissue sections were hybridized with a [3H] single-stranded DNA probe prepared from the region of the rat ER complementary DNA corresponding to the steroid binding domain, and relative mRNA level was assessed by counting grains over cells in specific hypothalamic nuclei. Estradiol induced a dose-dependent decrease in ER mRNA levels. Message levels declined in the ventrolateral aspect of the ventromedial nucleus (VLVM) by 57% and in the arcuate nucleus by 62% at the highest hormone concentrations used. Thus, ER mRNA down-regulation in female rat hypothalamus exhibits orderly dose dependence at a time following hormone treatment which ensures the system is at steady state. A second study determined if there exist differences in basal levels of ER mRNA expression between castrated (CAS) females and males, and if estradiol can down-regulate ER mRNA levels in male hypothalamus. CAS rats of both sexes were exposed acutely to estradiol benzoate (EB) for different periods of time. Again, in females, EB significantly decreased ER mRNA levels in VLVM by 55% (18 h) and in the arcuate nucleus by 74% (18 h). Interestingly, control CAS males had significantly lower basal ER mRNA levels than OVX females (52% lower than female levels in VLVM; 56% in arcuate), suggesting a sex difference in constitutive expression levels. Moreover, EB failed to down-regulate significantly ER message levels in males. There was no significant effect of sex or EB treatment on ER mRNA levels in medial amygdala. Thus, the second study shows sex differences and brain-region specificity in hormonal regulation of ER mRNA. These findings show that differences in basal levels and regulation of ER mRNA could be a substrate for sex differences in ER concentrations in the hypothalamus of the rat, and further raise the possibility of sex differences in concentrations of nuclear proteins related to the control of ER gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Genetic and functional analyses of membrane cofactor protein (CD46) mutations in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by the triad of thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and acute renal failure. The non-Shiga toxin-associated HUS (atypical HUS [aHUS]) has been shown to be a disease of complement dysregulation. Mutations in the plasma complement regulators factor H and factor I and the widely expressed membrane cofactor protein (MCP; CD46) have been described recently. This study looked for MCP mutations in a panel of 120 patients with aHUS. In this cohort, approximately 10% of patients with aHUS (11 patients; nine pedigrees) have mutations in MCP. The onset typically was in early childhood. Unlike patients with factor I or factor H mutations, most of the patients do not develop end-stage renal failure after aHUS. The majority of patients have a mutation that causes reduced MCP surface expression. A small proportion expressed normal levels of a dysfunctional protein. As in other studies, incomplete penetrance is shown, suggesting that MCP is a predisposing factor rather than a direct causal factor. The low level of recurrence of aHUS in transplantation in patients with MCP mutations is confirmed, and the first MCP null individuals are described. This study confirms the association between MCP deficiency and aHUS and further establishes that a deficiency in complement regulation, specifically cofactor activity, predisposes to severe thrombotic microangiopathy in the renal vasculature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Genetic and functional analyses exclude mortality factor 4 (MORF4) as a keratinocyte senescence gene.

Approximately 50% of immortal human keratinocyte lines show loss of heterozygosity of chromosome region 4q33-q34, and the reintroduction of chromosome 4 into one such line, BICR 6, causes proliferation arrest and features of replicative senescence. Recently, a candidate gene, mortality factor 4 (MORF4), was identified in this region and sequenced in 21 immortal keratinocyte lines. There were no mutations or deletions, and two of the seven lines that showed loss of heterozygosity at 4q33-q34 were heterozygous for MORF4 itself. Furthermore, the transfer of a chromosomal segment containing the entire MORF4 gene did not mimic the senescence effect of chromosome 4 in BICR 6. These results suggest that the inactivation of MORF4 is not required for human keratinocyte immortality.

Cell Line, Transformed↗