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Secretory proteins move through the endoplasmic reticulum membrane via an aqueous, gated pore.

The environment of secretory proteins undergoing translocation across the ER membrane was determined by incorporating fluorescent probes into nascent chains during translation. Dyes were positioned at various locations across the entire bilayer and inside the ribosome, and in each case the probes were in an aqueous milieu, as shown both by their fluorescence lifetimes and by collisional quenching of their fluorescence by iodide ions introduced into the ER lumen. The nascent chain therefore occupies an aqueous pore that spans the entire membrane. Since the pore is sealed off from the cytoplasm, cotranslational translocation is effected topographically. This pore is not open to the lumen after targeting is completed; it opens only after the nascent chain length reaches about 70 residues.

Animals↗

The protein-conducting channel in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum is open laterally toward the lipid bilayer.

Lipids and proteins were found to contact a nascent type II membrane protein, as well as a nascent secretory protein, during their insertion into the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. This suggests that the protein-conducting channel is open laterally toward the lipid bilayer during an early stage of protein insertion. Contact to lipids was confined to the hydrophobic core region of the respective signal or signal anchor sequence. Thus, the nascent polypeptide is positioned in the translocation complex such that the signal or signal anchor sequence faces the lipid bilayer, whereas the hydrophilic, translocating portion is in proteinaceous environment.

Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte↗

Protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum.

In the past year, dramatic progress has been made in our understanding of protein biogenesis at the initial steps of the eukaryotic secretory pathway. New insights have refined our view of protein targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and provided the best glimpse so far of the subsequent translocation step. The interactions of three GTP-binding proteins have been found to result in a novel cycle of GTP binding and hydrolysis to regulate protein targeting. Experiments with fluorescent probes have revealed that the nascent chain enters an aqueous environment within the membrane sealed off from the cytosol. In vitro reconstitution experiments have shown surprising simplicity in the number of polypeptides required to facilitate translocation across a synthetic membrane and to promote the integration of membrane proteins. Furthermore, new genetic and functional similarities between divergent organisms have been discovered, providing convincing evidence of the evolutionary conservation of strategies used in the targeting and translocation of polypeptides.

Animals↗

Novel upstream and intragenic control elements for the RNA polymerase III-dependent transcription of human 7SL RNA genes.

In the human nuclear genome only a few copies coding for full-length 7SL RNA genes exist. The Hs7SL-1 gene has recently been classified as type 4 of RNA polymerase III (pol III)-transcribed genes as it was demonstrated that mutations in an external transcriptional activator (ATF) binding site and in an internal CG dinucleotide at positions +15/+16 reduced 7SL RNA expression in vivo and in vitro. We have extended the elucidation of external and internal promoter elements and have discovered two novel regulatory sequences: a TATA-like element in the upstream region and internal A and B box-like motifs. This study was greatly facilitated by the identification of a second, new functional human 7SL RNA gene which we called Hs7SL-3. Remarkably, Hs7SL-3 RNA is synthesized twice as efficiently as Hs7SL-1 in HeLa nuclear extract. Comparison of the upstream regions revealed the presence of two conserved elements in the two human 7SL RNA genes, an ATF/CRE binding site at -43 to -50 and a TATA-like box centered around position -25. Mutational analyses indicated that both external promoter elements are important for efficient transcription. In addition, two sequence motifs can be identified in Hs7SL-1 and Hs7SL-3 at positions 10-19 and 50-60, respectively, downstream of the transcription start site that resemble putative A and B boxes. Single and multiple nucleotide substitutions in these regions also influenced transcription activity to a great extent. The requirement of intragenic functional A and B boxes in combination with the external ATF/CRE and TATA-like promoter elements for the efficient transcription of human 7SL RNA genes is reminiscent of at least two other classes of pol III-transcribed genes in human cells, such as Epstein-Barr virus-encoded EBER and vault RNA genes.

5' Flanking Region↗

Protein secretion pathways in Bacillus subtilis: implication for optimization of heterologous protein secretion.

The absence of an outer membrane in Bacillus subtilis can simplify the protein secretion pathways and allow the organism to secrete high levels of extracellular proteins. Of the three known secretory routes, Sec-SRP pathway can direct the majority of secretory proteins into the growth medium. Alternatively, a small number of exoproteins with specific functions are secreted via Tat pathway or ABC transporters in B. subtilis. The discriminating function of precursor proteins among these pathways is largely attributed to the distinct structure of their cleavable signal peptides. Individual secretion machinery components with their special functions are involved in the total flow of proteins from the cytoplasm to the medium. Notably, multiple regulators with signal transduction functions can affect expression of secretion machinery as well as their post-transcriptional actions for protein secretion, resulting in the complicated networks in B. subtilis. Ultimately, according to the available knowledge of secretion machinery, several approaches aimed at optimizing protein secretion are discussed.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Cofolga: a genetic algorithm for finding the common folding of two RNAs.

In order to predict non-coding RNA genes and functions on the basis of genome sequences, accurate secondary structure prediction is useful. Although single-sequence folding programs such as mfold have been successful, it is of great importance to develop a novel approach for further improvement of the prediction performance. In the present paper, a secondary structure prediction method based on genetic algorithm, Cofolga, is proposed. The program developed performs folding and alignment of two homologous RNAs simultaneously. Cofolga was tested with a dataset composed of 13 tRNAs, seven 5S rRNAs, five RNase P RNAs, and five SRP RNAs; as a result, it turned out that the average prediction accuracies for the tRNAs, 5S rRNAs, RNase P RNAs, and SRP RNAs obtained by Cofolga with an optimal weight factor and default parameters were 83.6, 81.8, 73.5, and 67.7%, respectively. These results were superior to those obtained by a single-sequence folding based on free-energy minimization in which corresponding average prediction accuracies were 52.4, 47.4, 57.7, and 52.3%, respectively. Cofolga has a post-processing in which a single-sequence folding is performed after fixation of a predicted common structure; this post-processing enables Cofolga to predict a structure that is present in one of two RNAs alone. The executable files of Cofolga (for Windows/Unix/Mac) can be obtained by an e-mail request.

Algorithms↗

Preparative expression of secreted proteins in bacteria: status report and future prospects.

The expression of heterologous secreted proteins in Escherichia coli is widely employed for laboratory and preparative purposes. Thanks to advances in expression technologies over the past 25 years, many mammalian proteins can now be produced routinely in secreted form with yields in the gram/litre scale. Nonetheless, ensuring efficient secretion across the inner membrane, and preventing proteolytic degradation, incorrect disulfide-bond formation and aggregation into periplasmic inclusion bodies, frequently presents significant challenges. Recent advances in the understanding of the periplasmic folding quality control system are leading to new strategies to facilitate the expression of heterologous secreted proteins. In parallel, protein design and directed evolution approaches are beginning to be exploited for engineering of the cellular protein folding machinery to achieve further improvements in protein expression.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

F(1)F(0) ATP synthase subunit c is targeted by the SRP to YidC in the E. coli inner membrane.

Escherichia coli inner membrane proteins (IMPs) use different pathways for targeting and membrane integration. We have examined the biogenesis of the F1F0 ATP synthase subunit c, a small double spanning IMP, using complementary in vivo and in vitro approaches. The data suggest that F0c is targeted by the SRP to the membrane, where it inserts at YidC in a Sec-independent mechanism. F0c appears to be the first natural substrate of this novel pathway.

Escherichia coli↗

Serum acute phase response (APR)-related proteome of loach to trauma.

Proteome analysis by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE PAGE) together with mass spectrometry was applied to screen acute phase response (APR)-related proteins in serum from loach following injury. Six APR-related proteins were identified, in which apolipoprotein, cathepsin, C-reactive protein (CRP) were known APP, while signal recognition protein (SRP), gastrin 71 and parvalbumin were new APR-related proteins.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗

A fast and efficient procedure to produce scFvs specific for large macromolecular complexes.

We have expanded the application of antibody phage display to a new type of antigen: ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. We describe a simple and efficient method for screening antibodies specific for large intact RNPs and individual components. We also describe a fast and easy method to overcome the abundance of amber stop codons in the positive phage clones. The resulting antibodies have been used in ELISA and Western blot analysis.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

L1-mediated retrotransposition of murine B1 and B2 SINEs recapitulated in cultured cells.

SINEs are short interspersed nucleotide elements with transpositional activity, present at a high copy number (up to a million) in mammalian genomes. They are 80-400 bp long, non-coding sequences which derive either from the 7SL RNA (e.g. human Alus, murine B1s) or tRNA (e.g. murine B2s) polymerase III-driven genes. We have previously demonstrated that Alus very efficiently divert the enzymatic machinery of the autonomous L1 LINE (long interspersed nucleotide element) retrotransposons to transpose at a high rate. Here we show, using an ex vivo assay for transposition, that both B1 and B2 SINEs can be mobilized by murine LINEs, with the hallmarks of a bona fide retrotransposition process, including target site duplications of varying lengths and integrations into A-rich sequences. Despite different phylogenetic origins, transposition of the tRNA-derived B2 sequences is as efficient as that of the human Alus, whereas that of B1s is 20-100-fold lower despite a similar high copy number of these elements in the mouse genome. We provide evidence, via an appropriate nucleotide substitution within the B1 sequence in a domain essential for its intracellular targeting, that the current B1 SINEs are not optimal for transposition, a feature most probably selected for the host sake in the course of evolution.

Animals↗

Subnuclear organelles: new insights into form and function.

The cell nucleus is a complex and highly dynamic environment with many functionally specialized regions of substructure that form and maintain themselves in the absence of membranes. Relatively little is known about the basic physical properties of the nuclear interior or how domains within the nucleus are structurally and functionally organized and interrelated. Here, we summarize recent data that shed light on the structural and functional properties of three prominent subnuclear organelles--nucleoli, Cajal bodies (CBs) and speckles. We discuss how these findings impact our understanding of the guiding principles of nuclear organization and various types of human disease.

Animals↗