Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Protein function”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Alterations of G protein function in cardiac tissues from streptozotocin-induced chronic diabetic rats.

1. This study was performed to investigate G protein function in cardiac tissues from chronic diabetic rats by using pertussis toxin (PTX) and cholera toxin (CTX) as probes for G(i) and Gs proteins, respectively. 2. In the 10-week control group, i.v. injection of PTX significantly elevated the basal heart rate without having any effect on the chronotropic response of right atria to increasing concentrations of isoproterenol (ISO). In the 10-week diabetic rats, PTX treatment had no effect on the basal heart rate or on the response of right atria to ISO. In the 6-month groups, PTX did not exert any effects on basal or ISO-stimulated heart rate in either control or diabetic rat. 3. The inhibitory effect of carbachol (CCH) on cardiac tension in ISO-stimulated left atria was completely abolished by i.v. injection of PTX in the 10-week groups (both control and diabetic rats). The same treatment, however, only slightly reduced the effect of CCH on left atria contraction in rats from 6-month groups. 4. In both control and diabetic rats in the 10-week groups, incubation with CTX caused a significant increase in heart rate in right atria, and in developed cardiac tension in left atria preparations. The magnitude of the increase was the same in both control and diabetic rats. 5. Studies carried out using ADP-ribosylation technique indicated that the amount of G(i) protein was not changed in the ventricular muscle of the 10-week diabetic rat. Labelling of Gs protein could not be detected in either control or diabetic rat heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1991

Transient anticardiolipin antibodies, functional protein S deficiency, and deep vein thrombosis.

A 30-year-old man presented with an episode of deep vein thrombosis. He was found to have primary antiphospholipid syndrome with anticardiolipin antibodies and protein S deficiency. All other investigations were negative. Three months later, anticardiolipin antibodies were negative and protein S levels were normal. The transient presence of anticardiolipin antibodies and functional protein S deficiency in this patient suggests a new mechanism for the association between anticardiolipin antibodies and venous thrombosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Contractile protein function in failing and nonfailing human myocardium.

Isometric heat and force measurements were used to relate mechanical performance to function of contractile proteins in muscle strips from failing and nonfailing human hearts (37 degrees C, 60 beats per minute). Compared to control myocardium, crossbridge behavior was altered in myocardium from hearts with end-stage failing dilated and ischemic cardiomyopathy, resulting in increased crossbridge force-time integral by 33% and 36%, respectively. Peak isometric twitch tension was reduced significantly by 46% in muscle strips from hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy. In myocardium from hearts with ischemic cardiomyopathy peak isometric twitch tension was comparable to values from nonfailing hearts. Including all three types of myocardium, there was a close correlation between the number of crossbridge interactions during the isometric twitch (tension-dependent heat) and peak twitch tension (r = 0.88; p less than 0.001). Compared to control, in failing myocardium from dilated cardiomyopathic hearts, tension-independent heat (calcium cycling) was significantly reduced. This indicates that in dilated cardiomyopathy reduced peak twitch tension results from decreased calcium activation of contractile proteins with reduced number of crossbridge interactions during the isometric twitch. In ischemic cardiomyopathy mechanisms different from those observed in dilated cardiomyopathy seem to be involved in the development of heart failure.

Actomyosin↗
PubMed1992

Sec23p and a novel 105-kDa protein function as a multimeric complex to promote vesicle budding and protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum.

A cell-free protein transport reaction has been used to monitor the purification of a functional form of the Sec23 protein, a SEC gene product required for the formation or stability of protein transport vesicles that bud from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Previously, we reported that Sec23p is an 84-kDa peripheral membrane protein that is released from a sedimentable fraction by vigorous mechanical agitation of yeast cells and is required for ER to Golgi transport assayed in vitro. We have purified soluble Sec23p by complementation of an in vitro ER to Golgi transport reaction reconstituted with components from sec23 mutant cells. Sec23p overproduced in yeast exists in two forms: a monomeric species and a species that behaves as a 250- to 300-kDa complex that contains Sec23p and a distinct 105-kDa polypeptide (p105). Sec23p purified from cells containing one SEC23 gene exists solely in the large multimeric form. A stable association between Sec23p and p105 is confirmed by cofractionation of the two proteins throughout the purification. p105 is a novel yeast protein involved in ER to Golgi transport. Like Sec23p, it is required for vesicle budding from the ER because p105 antiserum completely inhibits transport vesicle formation in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Rapid localization and characterization of random mutations within the 2 micron circle site-specific recombinase: a general strategy for analysis of protein function.

A method for rapidly localizing and characterizing mutations within the 2 micron circle site-specific recombinase enzyme (FLP) is described. The strategy consists of dividing the gene coding for FLP (FLP) by artificially introduced unique restriction enzyme sites (that do not alter the amino acid sequence of the protein) into segments of 150-200 bp, mutagenizing the engineered gene and selecting mutants in vivo, localizing each mutation to one of the gene segments by an in vivo complementation assay, and characterizing the mutation by sequencing of only this DNA segment. The experimental designs embodied by this method should be of wide application in investigations of protein function in general and of DNA-protein interactions in particular.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Chemical modification of prothrombin fragment 1: documentation of sequential, two-stage loss of protein function.

The amino groups of prothrombin fragment 1 (amino acids 1-156 of prothrombin) were derivatized by acetylation, amidination, and reductive methylation. Conditions that caused complete acetylation of protein amino groups produced a fragment 1 derivative which no longer displayed a metal ion dependent intrinsic fluorescence change and had lost its membrane binding capability as well. However, when derivatized in the presence of calcium ions, extensive acetylation yielded a product that underwent protein fluorescence quenching at metal ion concentrations similar to those observed for the native protein. This derivative bound to membranes in a calcium-dependent manner with only a small reduction in affinity. Several results showed the existence of a partially functional protein that was characterized by a high degree of calcium-dependent protein fluorescence quenching but which had a requirement for 10-fold higher calcium concentration. This derivative was produced by partial acetylation (greater than 3 equiv) of metal-free protein. This partially acetylated protein had greatly diminished membrane binding. The calcium-protected amino group, therefore, was among the most reactive acetylation sites in the metal-free protein. The second site, responsible for abolishing all metal ion induced fluorescence change, was resistant to acetylation and became derivatized at the last stages of amino group acetylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylation↗
PubMed1985

A lysine-rich protein functions as an H1 histone in Dictyostelium discoideum chromatin.

Mononucleosomes released from Dictyostelium discoideum chromatin by micrococcal nuclease contained two distinctive DNA sizes (166-180 and 146 bp). Two dimensional gel electrophoresis suggested a lysine-rich protein protected the larger mononucleosomes from nuclease digestion. This was confirmed by stripping the protein from chromatin with Dowex resin. Subsequently, only the 146 bp mononucleosome was produced by nuclease digestion. Reconstitution of the stripped chromatin with the purified lysine-rich protein resulted in the reappearance of the larger mononucleosomes. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed the protein was associated with mononucleosomes. Hence, the protein functions as an H1 histone in bringing the two DNA strands together at their exit point from the nucleosome. Trypsin digestion of the lysine-rich protein in nuclei resulted in a limiting peptide of approx. 10 kilodaltons. Trypsin concentrations which degraded the protein to peptides of 12-14 kilodaltons and partially degraded the core histones did not change the DNA digestion patterns obtained with micrococcal nuclease. Thus, the trypsin-resistant domain of the lysine-rich protein is able to maintain chromatosome structure.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Structural genomics sheds light on protein functions and remote homologs across the insect tree of life.

Protein structure bridges the sequence-function relationship, enabling deep exploration of biological processes across diverse organisms. Insects, the most diverse animal lineage, accounting for over 50% of all described animal species, provide an exceptional system for exploring sequence-structure-function relationships. Here, we reconstructed a comprehensive and well-resolved phylogeny of 4854 insects, spanning all orders. Leveraging this framework, we created an atlas of 13.29 million predicted protein structures from 824 representative species, including 11.63 million newly predicted structures. Structural clustering revealed that proteins with divergent sequences but similar structures could be effectively grouped together. Structural similarity searches against proteins with well-characterized functions yielded annotations for 7.61 million insect proteins, including up to 14% of previously unannotated proteins. We further identified 750 million remote homologs between insect proteins, many of which trace back to ancient branches of the insect phylogeny. Remarkably, despite extensive sequence divergence, cGAS-like receptors (cGLRs) were structurally conserved across all 824 insects. Experimental assays demonstrated that these structurally identified cGLRs play a crucial role in antiviral defense in the yellow fever mosquito. Our findings highlight the significance of structural genomics for understanding protein function and evolution across the tree of life.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Tau protein function in living cells.

Tau protein from mammalian brain promotes microtubule polymerization in vitro and is induced during nerve cell differentiation. However, the effects of tau or any other microtubule-associated protein on tubulin assembly within cells are presently unknown. We have tested tau protein activity in vivo by microinjection into a cell type that has no endogenous tau protein. Immunofluorescence shows that tau protein microinjected into fibroblast cells associates specifically with microtubules. The injected tau protein increases tubulin polymerization and stabilizes microtubules against depolymerization. This increased polymerization does not, however, cause major changes in cell morphology or microtubule arrangement. Thus, tau protein acts in vivo primarily to induce tubulin assembly and stabilize microtubules, activities that may be necessary, but not sufficient, for neuronal morphogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Effect of reagents of protein functional groups on the ADH-induced urea facilitated transport across toad urinary bladder.

1--The mechanism of the vasopressin-induced, facilitated transport across toad urinary bladder was studied by treating the luminal membrane of the epithelium with the following reagents of protein functional groups: NEM (SH groups), SITS (amino groups), EEDQ (carboxylic groups), DEPC (histidine). 2--Treatment of the luminal side of the epithelium by NEM strongly inhibits the ADH-induced urea transport, leaving unmodified the effect of the hormone on the flux of antipyrine, a lipid soluble molecule. These results confirm the hypothesis that the urea carrier is of proteic nature. 3--Treatment of the luminal side by SITS strongly inhibits ADH action on urea and antipyrine permeability; thus this effect can be considered rather unspecific. 4--On the contrary the EEDQ effect is more specific; in fact treatment of the luminal side by EEDQ strongly inhibits ADH effect on the permeability of urea, slightly increasing the ADH effect on that of antipyrine. 5--Finally, the luminal treatment by diethylpyrocarbonate inhibits almost completely the ADH action on the urea fluxes, slightly increasing the hormone effect on the antipyrine ones. 6--Based on these results we conclude that carboxylic groups and the imidazolic ring are more important than the amino groups in determining the urea transport across toad bladder, in the presence of ADH.

4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfo↗
PubMed1986

Recurrent coumarin-induced skin necrosis in a patient with an acquired functional protein C deficiency.

An elderly woman who had been receiving long-term oral anticoagulant therapy developed skin and subcutaneous fat necrosis on five repeated occasions of extreme hypocoagulability, associated with coinciding periods of congestive cardiac failure. In each episode, the skin necrosis developed within days after the prothrombin time (as determined with Thrombotest) exceeded 200 s (International Normalized Ratio greater than 5.4). Widespread thrombosis in the subcutaneous vasculature and interstitial bleeding, as observed in a skin biopsy specimen, were consistent with a diagnosis of coumarin necrosis. On two occasions, an acquired functional protein C deficiency was present. It is hypothesized that an imbalance between anticoagulant and procoagulant vitamin K-dependent factors contributed to the pathogenesis of coumarin-induced skin necrosis. This imbalance was related to repeated periods of congestive heart failure.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1992

Interfacial pH modulation of membrane protein function in vivo. Effect of anionic phospholipids.

In yeast cells, the magnitude of the membrane surface potential (phi) is determined to a large extent by the relative amount of anionic phospholipids (Cerbón and Calderón (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1028, 261-267). When a significant surface potential exists, the pH at the membrane surface (interfacial pH) will be different to that in the bulk suspending medium. We now report that: (1) In cells with higher phi (phosphatidylinositol-rich cells (PI-rich) and phosphatidylserine-rich cells (PS-rich) a 10-times lower proton concentration in the bulk was enough to achieve the maximum transport activity of H(+)-linked transport systems when compared to normal cells. (2) When the phi was reduced by increasing the concentration of cations in the medium, more protons were required to achieve maximum transport, that is, the pH activity curves shifted downwards to a more acidic pH. (3) The magnitude of the downward pH shift was around 2.5-times higher for the more charged membranes. (4) Around 10-times more KCl than MgCl2 was necessary to give an equivalent pH shift, in agreement with their capacity to reduce the phi of artificial bilayers. The interfacial pH calculated from the values of phi indicates that it was 0.4 pH units lower in the anionic phospholipid rich cells as compared to normal cells. The results indicate that membrane surface potential may explain the complex relationship between pH, ionic strength and membrane protein function. Maximum transport activities were found for glutamate at interfacial pH of 4.2-4.8 and were inhibited at interfacial pH = 3.2-3.4, suggesting that surface groups of the carrier proteins with pK values in the region 3.8-4.2 (aspartyl and glutamyl) are involved in binding and/or release of charged substrates.

Arginine↗
PubMed1987

Biosynthesis and secretion of functional protein S by a human megakaryoblastic cell line (MEG-01).

A human megakaryoblastic cell line (MEG-01) was investigated for the presence of protein S in culture medium and cell lysates using a specific enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and a functional assay. When 5 X 10(5) MEG-01 cells/mL was subcultured in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), the concentration of protein S antigen in the culture medium increased progressively with time from less than 8 ng/mL on day 0 to 105.6 +/- 6.0 ng/mL on day 13. Vitamin K2(1 microgram/mL) increased the production of functional protein S, whereas warfarin (1 microgram/mL) profoundly decreased the quantity and the specific activity of secreted protein S. By an indirect immunofluorescent technique, protein S antigen was detected in both MEG-01 cells and human bone marrow megakaryocytes. Immunoblot analysis of culture medium revealed two distinct bands (mol wt 84,000 and 78,000) that are identical to the doublets of purified plasma protein S. De novo synthesis of protein S was demonstrated by the presence of specific immunoprecipitable radioactivity in the medium after 5 hours of labeling of the cells with [35S]-methionine as a 84,000 mol wt protein. Plasma protein S levels of nine patients with severe aplastic anemia were not significantly different from those of normal controls. These results suggest that megakaryocytes produce functional protein S and contain the enzymes required for the carboxylation of selected glutamic acid residues, and that protein S synthesized by megakaryocytes does not represent a main source of plasma protein S.

Anemia, Aplastic↗
PubMed1992

Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding chicken T-protein of the glycine cleavage system and expression of the functional protein in Escherichia coli. Effect of mRNA secondary structure in the translational initiation region on expression.

DNA clones encoding chicken T-protein of the glycine cleavage system were isolated from chicken liver lambda gt10 cDNA libraries. Three overlapping clones provided an open reading frame of 1176 nucleotides that predicts a polypeptide of 392 amino acids (M(r) 42,056) comprised of a 16-residue mitochondrial targeting sequence and a 376-residue mature protein (M(r) 40,292). The amino acid sequence predicted for the mature protein showed 67% identity with that of bovine T-protein. A cDNA encoding mature T-protein was constructed, and the nucleotide sequence just downstream of the initiation codon was modified without amino acid substitution to reduce the free energy of formation for the folded mRNA. Expression plasmids containing these cDNA variants produced large amounts of T-protein in Escherichia coli, while very low expression was observed with a plasmid containing wild type cDNA. Enzymatically active T-protein was obtained when the expression was conducted at 30 degrees C with 25 microM isopropyl-1-thio-beta-D-galactopyranoside. Under the full inducing condition (at 37 degrees C and 1 mM inducer), the expressed T-protein was recovered as insoluble and inactive protein. The recombinant T-protein was purified to near homogeneity with a yield of about 30%. Apparent molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is approximately 40,000, similar to the size of T-protein purified from chicken liver. NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis (9 residues) revealed 100% identity with chicken T-protein determined chemically. The kinetic properties of the recombinant T-protein resembled those of the native chicken T-protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Renal function, protein excretion and pathology of Balkan endemic nephropathy. I. Renal function.

Renal function studies were performed on 59 patients who had the clinical criteria for Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). They were divided into three groups according to DTPA clearance (DTPA). Group 1, 11 individuals, had a mean age of 41.6 years and DTPA greater than 100 ml/min. Group 2, 20 persons, had a mean age of 49 years and DTPA of 60 to 100 ml/min. Group 3 was made up of 28 people with a DTPA less than 60 ml/min and an average age of 50.4 years. No distinguishing specific or characteristic symptoms of BEN were found in any of the three groups. Anemia was not found to be an early indicator when compared to other forms of progressive renal disease. Proteinuria was minimal and intermittent in all three groups. Maximum concentrating ability was significantly reduced only in the third group. These features do not allow the clinical differentiation of BEN from other chronic progress tubulointerstitial nephropathies. The geographic isolation and familial nature of the disease, associated with minimal proteinuria make BEN a unique entity. Kidney size by ultrasound was decreased in all three groups, suggesting that this may be another early and characteristic feature to BEN.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The T4 mot protein functions as part of a pre-replicative DNA-protein complex.

Middle-mode RNA synthesis in T4-infected cells takes place before replication of phage DNA commences. What distinguishes it from early-mode RNA synthesis is that initiation of middle RNA depends on T4-coded proteins, in particular on the mot gene product. mot protein is localized in a DNA-protein complex which forms during the first few minutes of infection. All of the cell's mot protein is bound in this complex, and it continues to be bound long after the synthesis of mot protein has stopped. When we infect Escherichia coli with T4 carrying a temperature-sensitive mutation in the mot gene, we find a correlation between the physiology of this mot mutant and the amount of mot protein bound in the DNA-protein complex. Although there is some host RNA polymerase in the complex, mot protein does not seem to bind to this enzyme. Two other T4-coded proteins, of molecular weights 17,600 and 15,000, are also found in the pre-replicative DNA-protein complex. One of these, p17,600, is coded for by a 750-base pair region located between genes 39 and 56; p17,600 appears to be the recently described motB gene product. The other protein, p15,000, is not an RNA polymerase-binding protein; it is characterized by its strong binding to the DNA-protein complex.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1991

G protein function in the ischaemic myocardium.

The activity of adenylyl cyclase (AC) is controlled by its interaction with receptor-regulated G proteins. The efficiency to form cyclic AMP is strongly influenced by the amount, the subspecies and function of these regulatory proteins. An impairment of AC function has been shown to occur in sarcolemmal preparations (SL) of hearts exposed to either local or global ischaemia. To examine the contribution of G protein function to this phenomenon, cholera toxin (CT)-catalysed ADP-ribosylation of Gs and pertussis toxin (PT)-catalysed ADP-ribosylation of G proteins have been investigated in SL of porcine hearts exposed to global ischaemia for 15-45 min. ADP-ribosylation by CT of an approximately 45 kDa polypeptide was 0.46 +/- 0.06 and ADP-ribosylation by PT of three 39-41 kDa polypeptides was 4.77 +/- 0.77 pmol mg-1 protein in SL of non-ischaemic myocardium. Whereas no change was observed in CT-catalyzed ribosylation after 30 min of ischaemia, there was a reduction in PT-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation to 3.7 +/- 0.35 pmol mg-1 protein after 30 min of ischaemia. Prolongation of ischaemia to 45 min did not reduce further ADP-ribosylation capacity. Quantitative immunoblotting of PT-sensitive G proteins suggests that the diminution of ADP-ribosylation occurred because of a loss of alpha-subunits of G0, Gi-1, and Gi-2 from sarcolemmal membranes.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗