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Catalysis of the oligomerization of O-phospho-serine, aspartic acid, or glutamic acid by cationic micelles.

Treatment of relatively concentrated aqueous solutions of O-phospho-serine (50 mM), aspartic acid (100 mM) or glutamic acid (100 mM) with carbonyldiimidazole leads to the formation of an activated intermediate that oligomerizes efficiently. When the concentration of amino acid is reduced tenfold, few long oligomers can be detected. Positively-charged cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide micelles concentrate the negatively-charged activated intermediates of the amino acids at their surfaces and catalyze efficient oligomerization even from dilute solutions.

Amino Acids↗

Oligomerization of uridine phosphorimidazolides on montmorillonite: a model for the prebiotic synthesis of RNA on minerals.

The 5'-phosphorimidazolide of uridine reacts on Na(+)-montmorillonite 22A in aqueous solution to give oligomers as long as 7 mers. The maximum chain length increases to 9 mers and the overall oligomer yield increases when 9:1 ImpU, A5' ppA mixtures react under the same conditions. The oligomer yield and maximum chain length decreases with the structure of the added pyrophosphate in the order A5' ppA > A5' ppU > U5' ppU. Structure analysis of individual oligomer fractions was performed by selective enzymatic hydrolyses followed by HPLC analysis of the products. The regioselectivity for 3',5'-bond formation is 80-90% in the 9:1 ImpU, A5' ppA reaction, a percentage comparable to that observed in the 9:1 ImpA, A5' ppA reaction. Oligomerization of ImpU is inhibited by addition of dA5' ppdA, and MeppA. No oligomers containing A5' ppU were products of the 9:1 ImpU,A5' ppA reaction, a finding consistent with the simple addition of the ImpU to the A5' ppA and not the rearrangement of an ImpU-A5' ppA adduct. Concentrations of lysine or arginine which were close to that of the ImpU did not inhibit oligomer formation. Treatment of Na(+)-montmorillonite with 1 M arginine yielded arginine-montmorillonite, an amino acid-mineral adduct which did not catalyze ImpU oligomerization. Neither the 4-9 mers formed in the 9:1 ImpU, A5' ppA reaction nor the 4-9 mers formed by the base hydrolysis of poly(U) served as templates for the formation of oligo(A)s.

Amino Acids↗

Oligomerization of 3'-amino-3'deoxyguanosine-5'phosphorimidazolidate on a d(CpCpCpCpC) template.

3'-Amino-3'-deoxyguanosine-5'-phosphorimidazolidate (ImpGNH2) oligomerizes more rapidly and regiospecifically than related nucleotide derivatives on a d(CpCpCpCpC) template. The greater nucleophilicity of the amino group leads to efficient oligomerization even when the structure of the double-helical complex formed by the template and the substrate is not optimal for reaction. The use of amine-containing analogues should permit us to develop models of potentially prebiotic polymerization reactions that cannot be studied easily using natural nucleotides.

Amines↗

Oligomerization of cytosine-containing nucleotide analogs in aqueous solution.

Bisphosphoimidazolides of 2'-deoxycytidine and of its acyclic analog C can be oligomerized in aqueous solution in the presence of Mn(II). Under certain conditions, a range of products extending to at least the 20mer can be obtained. These products are of interest as possible templates for oligomerization of the complementary monomers.

Biological Evolution↗

Channel gating in the absence of agonist by a homo-oligomeric molluscan GABA receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes from a cloned cDNA.

We have previously described the isolation of a complementary DNA (cDNA) from the freshwater mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis encoding a polypeptide that exhibits approximately 50% identity to the beta-subunits of vertebrate gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A (GABAA) receptor. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes from in vitro-transcribed RNA, the snail subunit forms functional homo-oligomeric receptors possessing chloride-selective ion channels. In recordings from voltage-clamped oocytes held at -60 mV, GABA induced an inward current, whereas application of the chloride-channel blocker picrotoxin (in the absence of agonist) elicited an apparent outward current. Single channel recordings obtained from cell-attached patches have revealed a single population of approximately 20 pS channels, with an open probability greater than 90% (at a pipette potential of -100 mV) in the absence of GABA. The relationship between single channel current and pipette potential was linear over the studied range (-100 mV to +60 mV), but the open probability was less for hyperpolarizations than for depolarizations. The spontaneous channel openings were blocked by micromolar concentrations of picrotoxin. Functional hetero-oligomeric receptors were formed when the molluscan subunit was co-expressed in oocytes with the bovine GABAA receptor alpha 1-subunit, but the channels gated by these receptors did not open spontaneously.

Animals↗

Membrane translocation and oligomerization of hBok are triggered in response to apoptotic stimuli and Bnip3.

hBok is a human pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family. By fluorescence in situ hybridization and in silico analysis, hBok was found to be located on chromosome 2q37.3. Its expression was detected in various organs and several hormonally regulated cancer cells. Expression of hBok was shown to be upregulated in estrogen-dependent breast cancer by estrogen deprivation and in myocardial cells during hypoxia. Confocal laser scanning microscopy examinations and subcellular fractionation studies showed that hBok was distributed in both the cytosol and intracellular membranes of healthy cells. Upon overexpression of hBok or stimulation of apoptosis, hBok became integrated into the membrane. Furthermore, apoptosis and oligomerization were promoted by BH3-only proteins, such as Bid, Bnip3 and p53, but prevented by BFL-1. hBok was found to interact with Bnip3. Our findings suggest that functional BH3-only proteins facilite the oligomerization and insertion of hBok into the membrane to activate it.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Inhibitors of alpha-synuclein oligomerization and toxicity: a future therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease and related disorders.

An abundance of genetic, histopathological, and biochemical evidence has implicated the neuronal protein, alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) as a key player in the development of several neurodegenerative diseases, the so-called synucleinopathies, of which Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most prevalent. Development of disease appears to be linked to events that increase the intracellular concentration of alpha-syn or cause its chemical modification, either of which can accelerate the rate at which it forms aggregates. Examples of such events include increased copy number of genes, decreased rate of degradation via the proteasome or other proteases, or altered forms of alpha-syn, such as truncations, missense mutations, or chemical modifications by oxidative reactions. Aggregated forms of the protein, especially newly formed soluble aggregates, are toxic to cells, so that one therapeutic strategy would be to reduce the rate at which such oligomerization occurs. We have therefore designed several peptides and also identified small molecules that can inhibit alpha-syn oligomerization and toxicity in vitro. These compounds could serve as lead compounds for the design of new drugs for the treatment of PD and related disorders in the future.

Animals↗

Nonenzymatic oligomerization on templates containing phosphodiester-linked acyclic glycerol nucleic acid analogues.

Nonenzymatic oligomerization reactions represent a model for studying the prebiotic replication of informational macromolecules. To explore the fitness of acyclic oligonucleotides in these reactions, we have synthesized a series of DNA hairpins appended with templates incorporating atactic glyceryl cytosine residues. Atactic glyceryl cytosine units are found to impede, but not to block, template-directed oligomerization of guanosine 5'-phosphoro-2-methylimidazole (2-MeImpG). Evidence suggests that both D and L glyceryl nucleoside configurations at a given template position contribute to product formation. The stability of DNA duplexes bearing isolated glyceryl cytosine residues has also been investigated. Duplex thermal denaturation experiments indicate that an atactic glyC. dG base-pair is intermediate in stability between a dC. dG pair and a dT. dG mismatch.

Base Sequence↗

Alzheimer's disease: halothane induces Abeta peptide to oligomeric form--solution NMR studies.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a significant contributor to cognitive decline and is responsible for about half of the cases of dementia in later life. Although exact etiology of AD is not known, however, many risk factors for AD are identified. Anesthesia for elderly patients is considered as a risk factor in AD as they frequently experience deterioration in cognitive function with long exposure to anesthetics during surgery. Inhaled anesthetic agents remain the mainstay for patients undergoing major surgical operations. This study using multidimensional NMR spectroscopy provides the first direct evidence in vitro that inhaled anesthetic, halothane specifically interacts with Abeta40 and Abeta42 peptide. Halothane induces structural alternation of Abeta peptide from soluble monomeric alpha-helical form to oligomeric beta-sheet conformation, which may hasten the onset of AD. Abeta42 is more prone to oligomerization compared to Abeta40 in the presence of halothane. The molecular mechanism of halothane induced structural alternation of Abeta peptide is discussed.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Slab gel electrophoresis of oligomeric proteins under high hydrostatic pressure. I. Description of the system and demonstration of the pressure dissociation of a dimer.

A high-pressure bomb was constructed to study the gel electrophoretic behavior of oligomeric proteins under pressure. The apparatus designed by us allows the use of a polyacrylamide slab gel with a capacity of up to 12 wells, therefore permitting the study of several samples in one experiment. The electrophoresis mobility of different single-chain proteins under pressure decreased in the same proportion and the elution pattern was similar to that of the control run at atmospheric pressure. Densitometric analysis of the gel did not show peak spread or asymmetric boundaries, indicating that their conformations were not drastically affected. On the other hand, high-pressure electrophoresis of a dimer, the tryptophan synthase beta 2 subunit, revealed the appearance of a second peak not present at atmospheric pressure. The mobility of the second peak was higher and its fraction increased by decreasing the protein concentration, indicating that the extra peak was the dissociated monomer. The separation under pressure occurs without drastic effects on the tertiary structure of the protein, which seems to furnish a method to study dissociation processes and to separate the constituent polypeptides of oligomeric complexes.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗

Preparation of cellodextrins and isolation of oligomeric side components and their characterization.

Cellodextrin (beta-1,4-glucose oligomer) mixtures are prepared by precipitation of oligomers with 1-propanol and ethanol after partial hydrolysis of cellulose with hydrochloric acid or by acetolysis of cellulose. Cellooligomers (DP3-DP8) can be isolated by high-resolution size-exclusion chromatography on Bio-Gel P 4 using water as eluent. Recycle operation of the columns allows the separation of oligomers up to a degree of polymerization of 12. However, ion-exchange chromatography of their borate complexes demonstrates the heterogeneity of cellodextrins, homogeneous according to size-exclusion chromatography. At least four secondary oligomeric components are observed in the different samples. By preparative affinity chromatography on phenyl-boronate-agarose two of these components could be purified and subsequently characterized. In one series of oligosaccharides the glucose unit at the reducing end of the beta-1,4-glucose oligomers is derivatized to fructose. This enolization reaction occurs during size-exclusion chromatography. The precipitation step with alkanols during preparation of oligomer mixtures generates oligomeric glycosides. Additionally, the formation of amines from respective beta-1,4-glucose oligomers is observed with the ammonium carbonate eluent used in affinity chromatography. Analysis methods combined to assess for the homogeneity of cellodextrins include enzyme- and acid-catalyzed (partial) hydrolysis of the different oligomers and subsequent analysis of degradation products by sugar borate chromatography; 13C and 1H NMR spectroscopy; and fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy.

Cellulose↗

Spin-label studies of the oligomeric structure of band 3 protein in erythrocyte membranes and in reconstituted systems.

A spin-labeled fatty acid (16-doxylstearic acid), linked by an ester bond to a maleimide or a nitrene residue, was covalently attached to band 3 of erythrocyte membranes. The electron spin resonance spectrum of the spin-labeled protein was examined at different temperatures in: (a) whole erythrocyte ghosts; (b) ghosts depleted of spectrin and actin; (c) alkaline-treated ghosts; (d) vesicles made with purified band 3 reassociated with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Most spectra are composite with a major component corresponding to a large overall splitting. The determination of the percentage of the immobilized component was carried out by pairwise subtraction. At low temperatures (1-7 degrees C), the highest fraction of immobilized component was found in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles (approx. 100%); alkaline-treated membranes had approx. 75% of the immobilized component at the same temperature; whole erythrocyte, spectrin/actin-depleted and spectrin/actin/ankyrin-depleted ghosts gave identical results (approx. 60% of immobilized component). The immobilized fraction decreased in all samples with increasing temperature or addition of a nonsolubilizing concentration of dodecyl octaethylene glycol monoether. In dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles, however, the modification in the ration of the two components was obtained only above the lipid transition temperature (23 degrees C). The strong immobilization of the spin-labeled lipid chain at all temperatures suggested trapping of the lipid chain between proteins. At low temperature, in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles or in alkaline-treated ghosts, lipid-protein segregation is likely to take place. In whole erythrocyte ghosts, on the other hand, the large contribution of the motionally restricted component at physiological temperature indicates the oligomeric nature of band 3. Partial dissociation of the oligomers occurs as the temperature is increased, but the presence or absence of cytoskeletal proteins has no influence on the state of oligomerization of band 3.

Actins↗

A NMR investigation on the interactions of the alpha-oligomeric form of the M13 coat protein with lipids, which mimic the Escherichia coli inner membrane.

The interaction of the M13 bacteriophage major coat protein in the alpha-oligomeric form with specifically deuterated phospholipid headgroups which mimic the Escherichia coli inner membrane, has been studied using NMR methods. As can be seen from the deuterium NMR spectra obtained with headgroup trimethyl deuterated DOPC, the coat protein in the alpha-oligomeric form does not give rise to trapped lipids as observed with M13 coat protein in the beta-polymeric form (Van Gorkom et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 3828-3834). The quadrupolar splittings of the alpha headgroup methylene deuterons of deuterated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine decrease, whereas the quadrupolar splittings of the beta headgroup methylene deuterons of the two lipids increase with increasing protein content. All deuterated segments in the phosphatidylglycerol headgroup show the same relative decrease of the NMR quadrupolar splittings. These results are interpreted in terms of a change in torsion angles of the methylene groups, induced by positive charges, probably lysine residues of the protein at the membrane surface. For all lipid bilayer compositions studied the head-group perturbations are similar. It is concluded that there is no strong specific interaction between one of the lipid types examined and the M13 coat protein. From the spin-spin (T2e) relaxation time and spin-lattice (T1z) relaxation time of all deuterated lipids it is concluded that at the bilayer surface only slow motions are affected by the M13 coat protein.

Capsid↗

The phosphorylation at Thr 124 of simian virus 40 large T antigen is crucial for its oligomerization.

SV40 large T antigen is phosphorylated at up to ten different amino acids clustered in an N-terminal and a C-terminal part of the polypeptide chain. The N-terminal phosphorylated residues include Ser 123 and Thr 124. We have analyzed the oligomerization, the complex formation with the cellular oncoprotein p53 and the DNA-binding properties of T antigen from two different SV40 transformed cell lines which have either an amino acid exchange at Ser 123 to Phe (W7) or Thr 124 to Ile (D29). In comparison to wild-type T antigen both mutant T antigens have a slightly reduced binding affinity for both binding sites, I and II, of SV40 DNA. Phosphorylation at both residues of T antigen is not essential for formation of the complex with p53. Only the phosphorylation at Thr 124 seems to be critical for the formation of high molecular mass oligomers. Our data support the hypothesis that the oligomerization of T antigen seems to be implicated in viral DNA replication.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

Trivaline 'catalyzes' 5'-pdGTT oligomerization in solution.

We have found that the 5'-pdGTT molecules at a concentration of 10(-4) M are oligomerized in solution in the presence of 10(-4) M tripeptide-(L-Val)3-NH-NH-DNS.CF3COOH and the condensation reagents (carbodiimide and imidazole). Oligonucleotides not less than 12 bases long were formed in the yield which was over 15%. It is known that in the absence of peptide 10(-2) M mono- or dinucleotides are required. Thus trivaline can be considered as one of the simplest enzymes. This oligomerization seems to be an essential way for the synthesis of long enough oligonucleotides of the random GC-sequence, which could be used at the earliest steps of evolution.

Catalysis↗

Oligomerization state in solution of the cell cycle regulators p13suc1 from the fission yeast and p9cksphy from the myxomycete Physarum, two members of the cks family.

The cks proteins (for cdc2 kinase subunit) are essential cell cycle regulators. They interact strongly with the mitotic cdc2 kinase, but the mechanism and the biological function of this association still await understanding. The oligomerization state in solution of two members of this ubiquitous protein family, the suc1 gene product from the fission yeast and the newly cloned cksphy gene product from the myxomycete Physarum, was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and biochemical methods. We found that the major molecular species are monodispersed monomeric proteins. Minor amounts of dimeric suc1 proteins were also found, but no equilibrium between the two forms was observed and surprisingly, the hexameric assemblies observed in the crystal structure of the human ckshs2 homolog were not detected. These apparent discrepancies between proteins that display cross-complementation address the question of the control of the cks oligomerization process and its link to the biological function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Oligomerization of VIP21-caveolin in vitro is stabilized by long chain fatty acylation or cholesterol.

VIP21-caveolin is one of the components which form the cytoplasmic surface of caveolae. In vivo, this integral membrane protein is found in homo-oligomers with molecular masses of approximately 200, 400 and 600 kDa. These oligomers are also formed by the addition of cytosol to the in vitro synthesized and membrane inserted VIP21-caveolin. Here we show that long chain fatty acyl coenzyme A esters can completely substitute for cytosol in inducing 200 kDa and 400 kDa complexes, whereas 25-hydroxy-cholesterol can produce the 200 kDa oligomer. In order to understand whether acylation of VIP21-caveolin itself is a prerequisite for oligomerization, we studied a mutant protein lacking all three cysteines. When analyzed by velocity sucrose gradient centrifugation in the presence of the non-ionic detergent octylglucoside, both palmitoylated and non-palmitoylated VIP21-caveolin formed oligomers that were indistinguishable. However, only the oligomers of the non-palmitoylated protein are disrupted when analyzed by SDS-PAGE without boiling. These data suggest that the protein domains of VIP21-caveolin are the primary determinants of oligomerization, but that palmitoylation of cysteine residues can increase the stability of the oligomers.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

Oligomerization of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from rabbit skeletal muscle.

Although the primary structure and catalytic cycle of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase has been revealed, it is not well understood whether functional Ca2+ pump proteins exist in a monomeric or an oligomeric state in native skeletal muscle membranes. Here, we show that the Ca2+-ATPase tends to form high molecular weight complexes, estimated to be dimers and tetramers using immunoblotting of two-dimensionally separated microsomal membranes following crosslinking. This agrees with both electron microscopical and biochemical findings which demonstrate that Ca2+-ATPase clusters are the predominant molecular species in native membranes and that oligomerization may play a role in cooperative kinetics and enzyme stabilization.

Animals↗