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The continued evolution of two-hybrid screening approaches in yeast: how to outwit different preys with different baits.

The original two-hybrid system, an experimental approach designed to detect protein interactions, exploited the modular nature of many transcription factors. It has provided the intellectual and technical seed for the evolution of an array of innovative approaches, the application of which broadens the scope of experimentally feasible questions to include the interaction of proteins with diverse binding partners. The available array of modified and alternative approaches facilitates the analysis of complex cellular machinery and signaling networks that rely on multiple protein interactions. Such advances have facilitated the functional analysis of proteins on the genome level, a feat considered untenable a decade ago.

Animals↗

Repression of the Transactivating Capacity of the Oncoprotein PLAG1 by SUMOylation.

Human pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1), a developmentally regulated proto-oncogene, is consistently rearranged and overexpressed in pleomorphic salivary gland adenomas and lipoblastomas with 8q12 translocations. Together with PLAGL1 and PLAGL2, PLAG1 belongs to a subfamily of C(2)H(2) zinc finger transcription factors that activate transcription through binding to the bipartite consensus sequence GRGGC(N)(6-8)GGG. Ectopic expression of PLAG1 deregulates target genes and presumably results in uncontrolled cell proliferation. To gain insight into molecular mechanisms regulating PLAG transcriptional capacity, we searched for interaction partners using the yeast two-hybrid system and confirmed these by glutathione S-transferase pull-down. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (UBC9) and protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS) proteins were first identified as genuine interacting partners of mouse PlagL2. Because UBC9 and PIAS are components of the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) modification pathway, we hypothesized that PLAG proteins could be SUMOylated. Here, we report results obtained for founding family member PLAG1. Its endogenous SUMOylation was demonstrated, and SUMOylation of PLAG1 was further investigated in cells co-transfected with PLAG1 and SUMO-1 DNA or a SUMO-1 mutant form and similarly examined in the presence or absence of DNA encoding the various PIAS proteins. Using anti-PLAG1 antibodies, we discovered single and double SUMO-1-modified forms of PLAG1. By mutating predicted SUMO consensus sites, we defined two important target lysines for SUMOylation in PLAG1, Lys-244 and Lys-263. Moreover, mutation of both SUMO consensus sequences, resulting in inhibition of SUMOylation, led to a significant increase of the transactivation capacity of PLAG1. Nuclear distribution of PLAG1 was not measurably influenced. Our results suggest a direct repression of the transactivating capacity of the oncoprotein PLAG1 by SUMOylation.

DNA-Binding Proteins↗

Prediction of physical protein-protein interactions.

Many essential cellular processes such as signal transduction, transport, cellular motion and most regulatory mechanisms are mediated by protein-protein interactions. In recent years, new experimental techniques have been developed to discover the protein-protein interaction networks of several organisms. However, the accuracy and coverage of these techniques have proven to be limited, and computational approaches remain essential both to assist in the design and validation of experimental studies and for the prediction of interaction partners and detailed structures of protein complexes. Here, we provide a critical overview of existing structure-independent and structure-based computational methods. Although these techniques have significantly advanced in the past few years, we find that most of them are still in their infancy. We also provide an overview of experimental techniques for the detection of protein-protein interactions. Although the developments are promising, false positive and false negative results are common, and reliable detection is possible only by taking a consensus of different experimental approaches. The shortcomings of experimental techniques affect both the further development and the fair evaluation of computational prediction methods. For an adequate comparative evaluation of prediction and high-throughput experimental methods, an appropriately large benchmark set of biophysically characterized protein complexes would be needed, but is sorely lacking.

Algorithms↗

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 accessory protein Vpr: a causative agent of the AIDS-related insulin resistance/lipodystrophy syndrome?

Recent advances in the development of three different types of antiviral drugs, the nucleotide and non-nucleotide analogues acting as reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and the nonpeptidic viral protease inhibitors (PI), and their introduction in the management of patients with AIDS, either alone or in combination, have dramatically improved the clinical course of the disease and prolonged life expectancy in patients with AIDS. The increase in life expectancy in association with the long-term use of the above antiviral agents, however, have generated novel morbidities and complications. Central among them is the quite common AIDS-related insulin resistance and lipodystrophy syndrome, which is characterized by a striking phenotype and marked metabolic disturbances. To look for the pathologic causes of this particular syndrome, we focused on one of the HIV-1 accessory proteins, Vpr, which has multiple functions, such as virion incorporation, nuclear translocation of the HIV-1 preintegration complex, nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling, transcriptional activation, and induction of apoptosis. Vpr may also act like a hormone, which is secreted into the extracellular space and affects the function of distant organs. Vpr functions as a coactivator of the glucocorticoid receptor and potentiates the action of glucocorticoid hormones, thereby inducing tissue glucocorticoid hypersensitivity. Vpr also arrests host cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle by interacting with novel 14-3-3 proteins. Vpr facilitates the interaction of 14-3-3 and its partner protein Cdc25C, which is critical for the transition of G2/M checkpoint in the cell cycle, and suppresses its activity by segregating it into the cytoplasm. The same Vpr protein also suppresses the association of 14-3-3 with other partner molecules, the Foxo transcription factors. Since the Foxo proteins function as negative transcription factors for insulin, Vpr may cause resistance of tissues to insulin. Through these two newly identified functions of Vpr, namely, coactivation of glucocorticoid receptor activity and inhibition of insulin effects on Foxo proteins, Vpr may participate in the development of AIDS-related insulin resistance/lipodystrophy syndrome.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Interaction of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) with alpha-actinin-4: application of functional proteomics for identification of PDZ domain-associated proteins.

The use of recombinant "bait" proteins to capture protein-binding partners, followed by identification of protein interaction networks by mass spectrometry (MS), has gained popularity and widespread acceptance. We have developed an approach using recombinant PDZ protein interaction modules of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) to pull-down and screen for proteins that interact with these modules via their PDZ domain binding motifs. Identification of proteins by MS of pull-down material was achieved using a vacuum-based chromatography sample preparation device designed for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MS. MS analysis of tryptic fragments in pull-down material revealed a number of potential ZO-1 interacting candidates, including the presence of peptides corresponding to the cortical membrane scaffolding protein alpha-actinin-4. Interaction of alpha-actinin-4 with ZO-1 was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation of these two proteins from cultured cells, as well as from brain, liver, and heart, and by immunoblot detection of alpha-actinin-4 after pull-down with the first PDZ domain of ZO-1. In contrast, the highly homologous alpha-actinin family member, alpha-actinin-1, displayed no association with ZO-1. Immunofluorescence showed colocalization of alpha-actinin-4 with ZO-1 in cultured HeLa and C6 glioma cells, as well as in a variety of tissues in vivo, including brain, heart, liver, and lung. This study demonstrates the utility of MS-based functional proteomics for identifying cellular components of the ZO-1 scaffolding network. Our finding of the interaction of ZO-1 with alpha-actinin-4 provides a mechanism for linking the known protein recruitment and signaling activities of ZO-1 with alpha-actinin-4-associated plasma membrane proteins that have regulatory activities at cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts.

Actinin↗

A single-chain antibody/epitope system for functional analysis of protein-protein interactions.

Protein-protein interactions play a critical role in cellular processes such as signal transduction. Although many methods for identifying the binding partners of a protein of interest are available, it is currently difficult or impossible to assess the functional consequences of a specific interaction in vivo. To address this issue, we propose to modify proteins by addition of an artificial protein binding interface, thereby forcing them to interact in the cell in a pairwise fashion and allowing the functional consequences to be determined. For this purpose, we have developed an artificial binding interface consisting of a anti-Myc single-chain antibody (ScFv) and its peptide epitope. We found that the binding of an ScFv derived from anti-Myc monoclonal antibody 9E10 was relatively weak in vivo, so we selected an improved clone, 3DX, by in vitro mutagenesis and phage display. 3DX bound well to its epitope in a yeast two-hybrid system, and GST-fused 3DX also bound to several Myc-tagged proteins in mammalian cells. In vivo binding was relatively insensitive to the position of the ScFv in a fusion protein, but was improved by including multiple tandem copies of the Myc epitope in the binding partner. To test the system, we successfully replaced the SH3 domain-mediated interaction between the Abl tyrosine kinase and adaptor proteins Crk and Nck with an engineered interaction between 3DX and multiple Myc tags. We expect that this approach, which we term a functional interaction trap, will be a powerful proteomic tool for investigating protein-protein interactions.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Utilizing the split-ubiquitin membrane yeast two-hybrid system to identify protein-protein interactions of integral membrane proteins.

Various modifications of the conventional yeast two-hybrid system have played an essential role in confirming or detecting protein-protein interactions among nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. These approaches have permitted the identification of novel interaction partners, as well as provided hints as to their function. However, membrane proteins, such as receptor tyrosine kinases, G protein-coupled receptors, membrane-bound phosphatases, and transporters, which represent important classes of signaling molecules, are difficult to study using classical protein interaction assays because of their hydrophobic nature. Here, we describe a genetic system that allows the identification of integral membrane-interacting proteins. This so-called "split-ubiquitin membrane-based yeast two-hybrid assay" involves fusing the halves of ubiquitin to two interacting proteins, at least one of which is membrane bound. Upon interaction of these two proteins, the halves of ubiquitin are brought together, and the transcription factor that is fused to a membrane protein of interest is cleaved and released. The free transcription factor then enters the nucleus and activates transcription of reporter genes. We also describe how this technology is used to screen complementary DNA libraries to identify novel binding partners of a membrane protein of interest.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Cadherin sequences that inhibit beta-catenin signaling: a study in yeast and mammalian cells.

Drosophila Armadillo and its mammalian homologue beta-catenin are scaffolding proteins involved in the assembly of multiprotein complexes with diverse biological roles. They mediate adherens junction assembly, thus determining tissue architecture, and also transduce Wnt/Wingless intercellular signals, which regulate embryonic cell fates and, if inappropriately activated, contribute to tumorigenesis. To learn more about Armadillo/beta-catenin's scaffolding function, we examined in detail its interaction with one of its protein targets, cadherin. We utilized two assay systems: the yeast two-hybrid system to study cadherin binding in the absence of Armadillo/beta-catenin's other protein partners, and mammalian cells where interactions were assessed in their presence. We found that segments of the cadherin cytoplasmic tail as small as 23 amino acids bind Armadillo or beta-catenin in yeast, whereas a slightly longer region is required for binding in mammalian cells. We used mutagenesis to identify critical amino acids required for cadherin interaction with Armadillo/beta-catenin. Expression of such short cadherin sequences in mammalian cells did not affect adherens junctions but effectively inhibited beta-catenin-mediated signaling. This suggests that the interaction between beta-catenin and T cell factor family transcription factors is a sensitive target for disruption, making the use of analogues of these cadherin derivatives a potentially useful means to suppress tumor progression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Small heat shock protein Hsp20 (HspB6) as a partner of 14-3-3gamma.

Interaction of human 14-3-3gamma with the small heat shock protein Hsp20 was analyzed by means of size-exclusion chromatography and chemical crosslinking. Unphosphorylated Hsp20 and its mutant S16D mimicking phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase did not interact with 14-3-3. Phosphorylated Hsp20 formed a tight complex with 14-3-3 in which dimer of 14-3-3 was bound to dimer of Hsp20. 14-3-3 did not affect the chaperone activity of unphosphorylated Hsp20 but increased the chaperone activity of phosphorylated Hsp20 if insulin was used as a model substrate. Estimation of the effect of 14-3-3 on the chaperone activity of Hsp20 with other model substrates was complicated by the fact that under in vitro conditions isolated 14-3-3 possessed its own high chaperone activity. Taken into account high content of Hsp20 in different muscles it is supposed that upon phosphorylation Hsp20 might effectively compete with multiple protein targets of 14-3-3 and by this means indirectly affect many intracellular processes.

14-3-3 Proteins↗

Chromo-domain proteins: linking chromatin structure to epigenetic regulation.

Chromo-domain proteins appear to be a central component in the epigenetic regulation of heterochromatin function and euchromatic gene expression. The recent discovery of a variety of interacting partners of chromo-domain proteins is yielding new molecular insights into epigenetic regulatory processes acting at the level of higher order chromatin structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Growth transformation of human T cells by herpesvirus saimiri requires multiple Tip-Lck interaction motifs.

Lymphoma induction and T-cell transformation by herpesvirus saimiri strain C488 depends on two viral oncoproteins, StpC and Tip. The major interaction partner of Tip is the protein tyrosine kinase Lck, a key regulator of T-cell activation. The Lck binding domain (LBD) of Tip comprises two interaction motifs, a proline-rich SH3 domain-binding sequence (SH3B) and a region with homology to the C terminus of Src family kinase domains (CSKH). In addition, biophysical binding analyses with purified Lck-SH2 domain suggest the phosphorylated tyrosine residue 127 of Tip (pY127) as a potential third Lck interaction site. Here, we addressed the relevance of the individual binding motifs, SH3B, CSKH, and pY127, for Tip-Lck interaction and for human T-cell transformation. Both motifs within the LBD displayed Lck binding activities and cooperated to achieve a highly efficient interaction, while pY127, the major tyrosine phosphorylation site of Tip, did not enhance Lck binding in T cells. Herpesvirus saimiri strain C488 recombinants lacking one or both LBD motifs of Tip lost their transforming potential on human cord blood lymphocytes. Recombinant virus expressing Tip with a mutation at position Y127 was still able to transform human T lymphocytes but, in contrast to wild-type virus, was strictly dependent on exogenous interleukin-2. Thus, the strong Lck binding mediated by cooperation of both LBD motifs was essential for the transformation of human T cells by herpesvirus saimiri C488. The major tyrosine phosphorylation site Y127 of Tip was particularly required for transformation in the absence of exogenous interleukin-2, suggesting its involvement in cytokine signaling pathways.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1, a candidate gene for schizophrenia, participates in neurite outgrowth.

Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) was identified as a novel gene disrupted by a (1;11)(q42.1;q14.3) translocation that segregated with schizophrenia in a Scottish family. Predicted DISC1 product has no significant homology to other known proteins. Here, we demonstrated the existence of DISC1 protein and identified fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1 (FEZ1) as an interacting partner of DISC1 by a yeast two-hybrid study. FEZ1 and its nematode homolog are reported to represent a new protein family involved in axonal outgrowth and fasciculation. In cultured hippocampal neurons, DISC1 and FEZ1 colocalized in growth cones. Interactions of these proteins were associated with F-actin. In the course of neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells, upregulation of DISC1/FEZ1 interaction was observed as along with enhanced extension of neurites by overexpression of DISC1. The present study shows that DISC1 participates in neurite outgrowth through its interaction with FEZ1. Recent studies have provided reliable evidence that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder. As there is a high level of DISC1 expression in developing rat brain, dysfunction of DISC1 may confer susceptibility to psychiatric illnesses through abnormal development of the nervous system.

Actins↗

Mitochondria, glutamate neurotoxicity and the death cascade.

This review focuses on two questions: the role of mitochondria in excitotoxic neuronal death and the connection of mitochondria with the apoptotic death cascade. The goal is to highlight the regulatory role of mitochondrial channels on the mitochondrial membrane potential, Deltapsi, and their involvement in determining neuronal survival or death. A hypothesis is developed centered on the notion that protein-protein interactions between members of the Bcl-2 family of death suppressor and promoter proteins lead to the selective elimination of depolarizing currents that, in turn, collapse Deltapsi and set in motion the irreversible pathway of cell death. The model considers the remarkable propensity of Bcl-2 family proteins to dimerize or oligomerize and thereby restrict the localization of partner molecules to mitochondrial membrane contact sites. The fundamental principle invoked here is that through a concerted set of protein-protein interactions, information is exchanged by specific heterodimers, one of the partners acting as a toxic protein and the second as its antidote. The review concludes with the elaboration of a speculative model about cellular mechanisms for the prevention of cell destruction as triggered by extracellular signals which may be conserved in its molecular design from bacteria to eukaryotes.

Animals↗

Analysis of molecular recognition features (MoRFs).

Several proteomic studies in the last decade revealed that many proteins are either completely disordered or possess long structurally flexible regions. Many such regions were shown to be of functional importance, often allowing a protein to interact with a large number of diverse partners. Parallel to these findings, during the last five years structural bioinformatics has produced an explosion of results regarding protein-protein interactions and their importance for cell signaling. We studied the occurrence of relatively short (10-70 residues), loosely structured protein regions within longer, largely disordered sequences that were characterized as bound to larger proteins. We call these regions molecular recognition features (MoRFs, also known as molecular recognition elements, MoREs). Interestingly, upon binding to their partner(s), MoRFs undergo disorder-to-order transitions. Thus, in our interpretation, MoRFs represent a class of disordered region that exhibits molecular recognition and binding functions. This work extends previous research showing the importance of flexibility and disorder for molecular recognition. We describe the development of a database of MoRFs derived from the RCSB Protein Data Bank and present preliminary results of bioinformatics analyses of these sequences. Based on the structure adopted upon binding, at least three basic types of MoRFs are found: alpha-MoRFs, beta-MoRFs, and iota-MoRFs, which form alpha-helices, beta-strands, and irregular secondary structure when bound, respectively. Our data suggest that functionally significant residual structure can exist in MoRF regions prior to the actual binding event. The contribution of intrinsic protein disorder to the nature and function of MoRFs has also been addressed. The results of this study will advance the understanding of protein-protein interactions and help towards the future development of useful protein-protein binding site predictors.

Algorithms↗

Solution structure and backbone dynamics of the human DNA ligase IIIalpha BRCT domain.

BRCT (BRCA1 carboxyl terminus) domains are found in a number of DNA repair enzymes and cell cycle regulators and are believed to mediate important protein-protein interactions. The DNA ligase IIIalpha BRCT domain partners with the distal BRCT domain of the DNA repair protein XRCC1 (X1BRCTb) in the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway. To elucidate the mechanisms by which these two domains can interact, we have determined the solution structure of human ligase IIIalpha BRCT (L3[86], residues 837-922). The structure of L3[86] consists of a beta2beta1beta3beta4 parallel sheet with a two-alpha-helix bundle packed against one face of the sheet. This fold is conserved in several proteins having a wide range of activities, including X1BRCTb [Zhang, X. D., et al. (1998) EMBO J. 17, 6404-6411]. L3[86] exists as a dimer in solution, but an insufficient number of NOE restraints precluded the determination of the homodimer structure. However, 13C isotope-filtered and hydrogen-deuterium exchange experiments indicate that the N-terminus, alpha1, the alpha1-beta2 loop, and the three residues following alpha2 are involved in forming the dimer interface, as similarly observed in the structure of X1BRCTb. NOE and dynamic data indicate that several residues (837-844) in the N-terminal region appear to interconvert between helix and random coil conformations. Further studies of other BRCT domains and of their complexes are needed to address how these proteins interact with one another, and to shed light on how mutations can lead to disruption of function and ultimately disease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Protein kinase A-anchoring protein AKAP95 interacts with MCM2, a regulator of DNA replication.

Protein kinase A (PKA)-anchoring protein AKAP95 is localized to the nucleus in interphase, where it primarily associates with the nuclear matrix. A yeast two-hybrid screen for AKAP95 interaction partners identified the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) 2 protein, a component of the pre-replication complex. AKAP95-MCM2 interaction was mapped to residues 1-195 of AKAP95 and corroborated by glutathione S-transferase precipitation and immunoprecipitation from chromatin. Disruption of AKAP95-MCM2 interaction with an AKAP95-(1-195) peptide within HeLa cell nuclei abolishes initiation of DNA replication in G1 phase and the elongation phase of replication in vitro without affecting global nuclear organization or import. Disruption of the C-terminal zinc finger of AKAP95 reduces efficiency of replication initiation. Disruption of the PKA-binding domain does not impair replication in G1- or S-phase nuclei, whereas a PKA inhibitor affects the initiation but not the elongation phase of replication. Depleting AKAP95 from nuclei partially depletes MCM2 and abolishes replication. Recombinant AKAP95 restores intranuclear MCM2 and replication in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest a role of AKAP95 in DNA replication by providing a scaffold for MCM2.

Binding Sites↗

Stathmin interaction with HSC70 family proteins.

Stathmin is a ubiquitous cytosolic phosphoprotein participating in the relay and integration of diverse intracellular signaling pathways involved in the control of cell proliferation, differentiation, and activities. It is phosphorylated in response to diverse extracellular signals including hormones and growth factors, and it is highly expressed during development and in diverse tumoral cells and tissues. Stathmin interacts with tubulin and other potential protein partners such as BiP, KIS, CC1 and CC2/tsg101. In our present search for further functional partners of stathmin, we identified proteins in the Hsp70 family, and in particular Hsc70, as interacting with stathmin in vitro. Hsc70 is among the proteins coimmunoprecipitated with stathmin, and it is the main protein retained specifically on stathmin-Sepharose beads identified by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblots. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-Sepharose did not bind Hsc70, and anti-stathmin antisera specifically inhibited the interaction of Hsc70 with stathmin-Sepharose. The binding of Hsc70 to stathmin is dependent on the phosphorylation status of stathmin, as it did not occur with a "pseudophosphorylated" mutant form of stathmin. This interaction is further dependent on the ATP status of Hsc70. It was inhibited in the presence of ATP-Mg++ but not in the presence of ATP-Mg++ and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or of ADP. Our results suggest that the interaction of stathmin with Hsc70 is specific in both proteins and most likely biologically relevant in the context of their functional implication in the control of numerous intracellular signaling and regulatory pathways, and hence of normal cell growth and differentiation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Analysis of mammalian peroxin interactions using a non-transcription-based bacterial two-hybrid assay.

In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the identification of proteins involved in peroxisome biogenesis. However, with the exception of the peroxisome-targeting signal receptors and the receptor docking proteins, the function of most of these proteins, called peroxins, remains largely unknown. One step toward elucidating the function of a protein is to identify its interacting partners. We have used a non-transcription-based bacterial two-hybrid system to analyze the interactions among a set of 12 mammalian peroxins and a yeast protein three-hybrid system to investigate whether proteins that interact with the same peroxin and have overlapping binding sites cooperate or compete for this site. Here we report a detailed interaction map of these peroxins and demonstrate that (i) farnesylation, and not the CAAX motif, of Pex19p strongly enhances its affinity for Pex13p; (ii) the CAAXmotif, and not farnesylation, of Pex19p strongly enhances its affinity for Pex11pbeta; and (iii) the C(3)HC(4) RING (really interesting new gene) finger domain of Pex12p does not alter the binding properties of Pex5p for the C-terminal peroxisome-targeting signal PTS1. Finally, we show that the Pex5p-Pex13p interaction is bridged by Pex14p and that the latter molecule exists predominantly as a dimer in vivo. Collectively, as demonstrated in this work with peroxins, these results indicate that the bacterial two-hybrid system is an attractive complementary approach to the conventional transcription-based yeast two-hybrid system for studying protein-protein interactions.

Animals↗