Heterologous expression, functional characterization and localization of two isoforms of the monkey iron transporter Nramp2

2000 ◽  
Vol 349 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li ZHANG ◽  
Timothy LEE ◽  
Yue WANG ◽  
Tuck W. SOONG

Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 2 (Nramp2) has been suggested to be involved in transferrin-independent iron uptake. Two isoforms of the Nramp2 gene generated by alternative splicing of the 3ʹ exons were identified in mouse, rat and human, but it is unclear if they perform distinct functions. To rationalize our previous work, which indicated an increase in iron deposition in a Parkinsonian monkey brain, two monkey Nramp2 isoforms were isolated for a comparative study to assess their relative iron-uptake abilities, tissue distribution and subcellular localization. The monkey Nramp2 isoforms, 2a and 2b, exhibit approx. 98% identity at the amino acid level when compared with the human homologues. The Nramp2a transcript contains a canonical iron-responsive element (IRE), whereas that of Nramp2b lacks the IRE motif in the 3ʹ untranslated region. By reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, the mRNAs of both isoforms were detected in all tissues examined. The amino acid differences at the C-terminus neither affected the protein expression levels in HEK-293T and COS-7 cells nor altered the subcellular localization and tissue distribution of the isoforms. Similar levels of iron uptake were detected in the HEK-293T cells transfected with either the Nramp2a or 2b gene, and a reduction of iron from the ferric (Fe3+) to the ferrous (Fe2+) state is necessary before transport can take place. However, this transferrin-independent uptake of iron into the cells is not a Ca2+-dependent process.

2002 ◽  
Vol 363 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoriano MULERO ◽  
Susan SEARLE ◽  
Jenefer M. BLACKWELL ◽  
Jeremy H. BROCK

Solute carrier 11a1 (Slc11a1; formerly Nramp1; where Nramp stands for natural-resistance-associated macrophage protein) is a proton/bivalent cation antiporter that localizes to late endosomes/lysosomes and controls resistance to pathogens. In the present study the role of Slc11a1 in iron turnover is examined in macrophages transfected with Slc11a1Gly169 (wild-type) or Slc11a1Asp169 (mutant = functional null) alleles. Following direct acquisition of transferrin (Tf)-bound iron via the Tf receptor, iron uptake and release was equivalent in wild-type and mutant macrophages and was not influenced by interferon-γ/lipopolysaccharide activation. Following phagocytosis of [59Fe]Tf—anti-Tf immune complexes, iron uptake was equivalent and up-regulated similarly with activation, but intracellular distribution was markedly different. In wild-type macrophages most iron was in the soluble (60%) rather than insoluble (12%) fraction, with 28% ferritin (Ft)-bound. With activation, the soluble component increased to 82% at the expense of Ft-bound iron (< 5%). In mutant macrophages, 40–50% of iron was in insoluble form, 50–60% was soluble and < 5% was Ft-bound. Western-blot analysis confirmed failure of mutant macrophages to degrade complexes 24h after phagocytic uptake. Confocal microscopy showed that complexes were within lysosome-associated membrane protein 1-positive vesicles in wild-type and mutant macrophages at 30min and 24h, implying failure in the degradative process in mature phagosomes in mutant macrophages. NO-mediated iron release was 2.4-fold higher in activated wild-type macrophages compared with mutant macrophages. Overall, our data suggest that iron acquired by phagocytosis and degradation is retained within the phagosomal compartment in wild-type macrophages, and that NO triggers iron release by direct secretion of phagosomal contents rather than via the cytoplasm.


2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (10) ◽  
pp. 3016-3024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank S. Kaczmarek ◽  
Richard P. Zaniewski ◽  
Thomas D. Gootz ◽  
Dennis E. Danley ◽  
Mahmoud N. Mansour ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A Staphylococcus aureus mutant conditionally defective in DNA ligase was identified by isolation of complementing plasmid clones that encode the S. aureus ligA gene. Orthologues of the putative S. aureus NAD+-dependent DNA ligase could be identified in the genomes of Bacillus stearothermophilus and other gram-positive bacteria and confirmed the presence of four conserved amino acid motifs, including motif I, KXDG with lysine 112, which is believed to be the proposed site of adenylation. DNA sequence comparison of the ligA genes from wild type and temperature-sensitive S. aureus strain NT64 identified a single base alteration that is predicted to result in the amino acid substitution E46G. The S. aureus ligA gene was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the enzyme was purified to near homogeneity. NAD+-dependent DNA ligase activity was demonstrated with the purified enzyme by measuring ligation of 32P-labeled 30-mer and 29-mer oligonucleotides annealed to a complementary strand of DNA. Limited proteolysis of purified S. aureus DNA ligase by thermolysin produced products with apparent molecular masses of 40, 22, and 21 kDa. The fragments were purified and characterized by N-terminal sequencing and mass analysis. The N-terminal fragment (40 kDa) was found to be fully adenylated. A fragment from residues 1 to 315 was expressed as a His-tagged fusion in E. coli and purified for functional analysis. Following deadenylation with nicotinamide mononucleotide, the purified fragment could self-adenylate but lacked detectable DNA binding activity. The 21- and 22-kDa C-terminal fragments, which lacked the last 76 amino acids of the DNA ligase, had no adenylation activity or DNA binding activity. The intact 30-kDa C terminus of the S. aureus LigA protein expressed in E. coli did demonstrate DNA binding activity. These observations suggest that, as in the case with the NAD+-dependent DNA ligase fromB. stearothermophilus, two independent functional domains exist in S. aureus DNA ligase, consisting of separate adenylation and DNA binding activities. They also demonstrate a role for the extreme C terminus of the ligase in DNA binding. As there is much evidence to suggest that DNA ligase is essential for bacterial survival, its discovery in the important human pathogen S. aureus indicates its potential as a broad-spectrum antibacterial target for the identification of novel antibiotics.


Biochemistry ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (29) ◽  
pp. 6340-6355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuoer Lin ◽  
José-Antonio Fernández-Robledo ◽  
Mathieu F. M. Cellier ◽  
Gerardo R. Vasta

2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (11) ◽  
pp. 2839-2851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunji Takahashi ◽  
Hiroshi Takagi ◽  
Atsushi Toyoda ◽  
Masakazu Uramoto ◽  
Toshihiko Nogawa ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Genome sequencing of Streptomyces species has highlighted numerous potential genes of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The mining of cryptic genes is important for exploring chemical diversity. Here we report the metabolite-guided genome mining and functional characterization of a cryptic gene by biochemical studies. Based on systematic purification of metabolites from Streptomyces sp. SN-593, we isolated a novel compound, 6-dimethylallylindole (DMAI)-3-carbaldehyde. Although many 6-DMAI compounds have been isolated from a variety of organisms, an enzyme catalyzing the transfer of a dimethylallyl group to the C-6 indole ring has not been reported so far. A homology search using known prenyltransferase sequences against the draft sequence of the Streptomyces sp. SN-593 genome revealed the iptA gene. The IptA protein showed 27% amino acid identity to cyanobacterial LtxC, which catalyzes the transfer of a geranyl group to (−)-indolactam V. A BLAST search against IptA revealed much-more-similar homologs at the amino acid level than LtxC, namely, SAML0654 (60%) from Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC 23877 and SCO7467 (58%) from S. coelicolor A3(2). Phylogenetic analysis showed that IptA was distinct from bacterial aromatic prenyltransferases and fungal indole prenyltransferases. Detailed kinetic analyses of IptA showed the highest catalytic efficiency (6.13 min−1 μM−1) for l-Trp in the presence of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP), suggesting that the enzyme is a 6-dimethylallyl-l-Trp synthase (6-DMATS). Substrate specificity analyses of IptA revealed promiscuity for indole derivatives, and its reaction products were identified as novel 6-DMAI compounds. Moreover, ΔiptA mutants abolished the production of 6-DMAI-3-carbaldehyde as well as 6-dimethylallyl-l-Trp, suggesting that the iptA gene is involved in the production of 6-DMAI-3-carbaldehyde.


1994 ◽  
Vol 180 (5) ◽  
pp. 1741-1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Cellier ◽  
G Govoni ◽  
S Vidal ◽  
T Kwan ◽  
N Groulx ◽  
...  

Natural resistance to infection with unrelated intracellular parasites such as Mycobacteria, Salmonella, and Leishmania is controlled in the mouse by a single gene on chromosome 1, designated Bcg, Ity, or Lsh. A candidate gene for Bcg, designated natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (Nramp), has been isolated and shown to encode a novel macrophage-specific membrane protein, which is altered in susceptible animals. We have cloned and characterized cDNA clones corresponding to the human NRAMP gene. Nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence analyses indicate that the human NRAMP polypeptide encodes a 550-amino acid residue membrane protein with 10-12 putative transmembrane domains, two N-linked glycosylation sites, and an evolutionary conserved consensus transport motif. Identification of genomic clones corresponding to human NRAMP indicates that the gene maps to chromosome 2q35 within a group of syntenic loci conserved with proximal mouse 1. The gene is composed of at least 15 exons, with several exons encoding discrete predicted structural domains of the protein. These studies have also identified an alternatively spliced exon encoded by an Alu element present within intron 4. Although this novel exon was found expressed in vivo, it would introduce a termination codon in the downstream exon V, resulting in a severely truncated protein. Northern blot analyses indicate that NRAMP mRNA expression is tightly controlled in a tissue-specific fashion, with the highest sites of expression being peripheral blood leukocytes, lungs, and spleen. Additional RNA expression studies in cultured cells identified the macrophage as a site of expression of human NRAMP and indicated that increased expression was correlated with an advanced state of differentiation of this lineage.


1988 ◽  
Vol 251 (3) ◽  
pp. 691-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
R W Olafson ◽  
W D McCubbin ◽  
C M Kay

Biochemical and physiological studies of Synechococcus cyanobacteria have indicated the presence of a low-Mr heavy-metal-binding protein with marked similarity to eukaryotic metallothioneins (MTs). We report here the characterization of a Synechococcus prokaryotic MT isolated by gel-permeation and reverse-phase chromatography. The large number of variants of this molecule found during chromatographic separation could not be attributed to the presence of major isoproteins as assessed by amino acid analysis and amino acid sequencing of isoforms. Two of the latter were shown to have identical primary structures that differed substantially from the well-described eukaryotic MTs. In addition to six long-chain aliphatic residues, two aromatic residues were found adjacent to one another near the centre of the molecule, making this the most hydrophobic MT to be described. Other unusual features included a pair of histidine residues located in repeating Gly-His-Thr-Gly sequences near the C-terminus and a complete lack of association of hydroxylated residues with cysteine residues, as is commonly found in eukaryotes. Similarly, aside from a single lysine residue, no basic amino acid residues were found adjacent to cysteine residues in the sequence. Most importantly, sequence alignment analyses with mammalian, invertebrate and fungal MT sequences showed no statistically significant homology aside from the presence of Cys-Xaa-Cys structures common to all MTs. On the other hand, like other MTs, the prokaryotic molecule appears to be free of alpha-helical structure but has a considerable amount of beta-structure, as predicted by both c.d. measurements and the Chou & Fasman empirical relations. Considered together, these data suggested that some similarity between the metal-thiolate clusters of the prokaryote and eukaryote MTs may exist.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3690
Author(s):  
Veronique Jonckheere ◽  
Petra Van Damme

The evolutionary conserved N-alpha acetyltransferase Naa40p is among the most selective N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs) identified to date. Here we identified a conserved N-terminally truncated Naa40p proteoform named Naa40p25 or short Naa40p (Naa40S). Intriguingly, although upon ectopic expression in yeast, both Naa40p proteoforms were capable of restoring N-terminal acetylation of the characterized yeast histone H2A Naa40p substrate, the Naa40p histone H4 substrate remained N-terminally free in human haploid cells specifically deleted for canonical Naa40p27 or 237 amino acid long Naa40p (Naa40L), but expressing Naa40S. Interestingly, human Naa40L and Naa40S displayed differential expression and subcellular localization patterns by exhibiting a principal nuclear and cytoplasmic localization, respectively. Furthermore, Naa40L was shown to be N-terminally myristoylated and to interact with N-myristoyltransferase 1 (NMT1), implicating NMT1 in steering Naa40L nuclear import. Differential interactomics data obtained by biotin-dependent proximity labeling (BioID) further hints to context-dependent roles of Naa40p proteoforms. More specifically, with Naa40S representing the main co-translationally acting actor, the interactome of Naa40L was enriched for nucleolar proteins implicated in ribosome biogenesis and the assembly of ribonucleoprotein particles, overall indicating a proteoform-specific segregation of previously reported Naa40p activities. Finally, the yeast histone variant H2A.Z and the transcriptionally regulatory protein Lge1 were identified as novel Naa40p substrates, expanding the restricted substrate repertoire of Naa40p with two additional members and further confirming Lge1 as being the first redundant yNatA and yNatD substrate identified to date.


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