scholarly journals Signal peptides and signal peptidase in Drosophila melanogaster.

1980 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 516-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Brennan ◽  
T G Warren ◽  
A P Mahowald

Translation of poly(A)-containing RNA from the female fat body of Drosophila melanogaster in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system results in the synthesis of previtellogenin polypeptides (PVs) having higher apparent molecular weights (46,000 and 45,000) than the forms seen after an in vivo pulse labeling. However, when this RNA is translated in the presence of EDTA-stripped microsomal membranes from the dog pancreas, vitellogenin precursors are produced that, upon SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, comigrate with the in vivo forms (apparent molecular weights, 45,000 and 44,000). These processed forms are sequestered within the microsomal lumen, as evidenced by their insensitivity to trypsin digestion. Neither processing nor sequestration occur posttranslationally. In addition, a microsomal membrane fraction derived from Drosophila embryos is able to cotranslationally process the PVs as well as a murine pre-light chain IgG. These observations support a signal-mediated mode of secretion in Drosophila, and suggest that signal sequence recognition and signal peptidase activities are conserved even between mammalian and insect systems.

1983 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Crossley ◽  
D.V. Holberton

Proteins from the axonemes and disc cytoskeleton of Giardia lamblia have been examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition to tubulin and the 30 X 10(3) molecular weight disc protein, at least 18 minor components copurify with the two major proteins in Triton-insoluble structures. The most prominent minor bands have the apparent molecular weights of 110 X 10(3), 95 X 10(3) and 81 X 10(3). Protein of 30 X 10(3) molecular weight accounts for about 20% of organelle protein on gels. In continuous 25 mM-Tris-glycine buffer it migrates mostly as a close-spaced doublet of polypeptides, which are here given the name giardins. Giardia tubulin and giardin have been purified by gel filtration chromatography in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Well-separated fractions were obtained that could be further characterized. Both proteins are heterogeneous when examined by isoelectric focusing. Five tubulin chains were detected by PAGE Blue 83 dye-binding after focusing in a broad-range ampholyte gel. Giardin is slightly less acidic than tubulin. On gels it splits into four major and four minor chains with isoelectric points in the pI range from 5.8 to 6.2. The amino acid composition of the giardin fraction has been determined, and compared to Giardia tubulin and a rat brain tubulin standard. Giardins are rich in helix-forming residues, particularly leucine. They have a low content of proline and glycine; therefore they may have extensive alpha-helical regions and be rod-shaped. As integral proteins of disc microribbons, giardins in vivo associate closely with tubulin. The properties of giardins indicate that in a number of respects - molecular size, charge, stoichiometry - their structural interaction with tubulin assemblies will be different from other tubulin-accessory protein copolymers studied in vitro.


Development ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
F. Giorgi ◽  
J. Jacob

Vitellogenic ovaries from Drosophila melanogaster flies have been exposed, either in in vivo or in vitro conditions, to various extracellular tracers in an attempt to determine the possible route of entry of the yolk precursors. Ruthenium red and lanthanum nitrate have been shown to gain access to the oocyte surface by initially passing through the intercellular spaces of the follicle layer. Both these tracers, however, never attain an intracellular location within any of the cells forming the ovarian chamber. Colloidal Thorotrast when injected into adult females has never been detected within any of the ovarian chambers examined, irrespective of their stage. Vitellogenic oocytes exposed to peroxidase in in vivo conditions exhibit the oolemma and all the structural elements present in the cortical ooplasm well labelled within a very short time after the injection. Moreover, with gradually increasing exposure times to peroxidase, the labelled yolk platelets increase progressively in number. At each time interval after the injection, the label over the yolk platelets remains restricted to the superficial layer and never gets into the associated body. The pattern of tritiated lysine incorporation into vitellogenic oocytes has been studied over a period of 20 h. A few hours after injection of the radioactive tracer, the silver grains located over the ooplasm appear distributed at random. A predominant labelling of the yolk platelets as compared to the rest of the ooplasm, becomes evident only with a 6 h delay since the time of injection. When analysed by electrophoresis and isolectrofocusing, the vitellogenic ovary is seen to exhibit a number of protein bands which are common to those of other tissues as, for instance, haemolymph and fat body. The evidence obtained in the present study is discussed in relation to the hypothesis of an extraovarian origin of the yolk precursors and their sequestration into forming yolk platelets.


Blood ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
DM Rider ◽  
RP McDonagh ◽  
J McDonagh

Abstract A method for radiolabeling platelets in vivo was developed in which 3H- arginine was injected into the bone marrow of normal dogs. On the third day after injection, a maximum of 6%--7% of the radioactivity had been incorporated into the total platelet mass. This method of isotope administration resulted in a 50--60-fold increase in maximum uptake of radiolabel by platelets, as compared to values obtained by others using intravenous injections of various radioactive compounds. Tritium- labeled platelets were harvested from the animals and then were washed to remove unbound 3H-arginine. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis 7 labeled protein bands, with molecular weights ranging from 29,000to 132,000, were obtained from the platelet-soluble fraction. One 3H- containing protein with a molecular weight of 81,000 was identified immunologically and enzymatically as platelet factor XIII.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4465-4474 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Antoniewski ◽  
M Laval ◽  
A Dahan ◽  
J A Lepesant

The transcription of the Drosophila melanogaster Fbp1 gene is induced by the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone and restricted to the late-third-instar fat body tissue. In a previous study we showed that the -68 to -138 region relative to the transcription start site acts as an ecdysone-dependent third-instar fat body-specific enhancer in a transgenic assay. Here we report that seven nucleoprotein complexes are formed in vitro on this enhancer when a nuclear extract from late-third-instar fat body is used in a gel shift assay. Accurate mapping of the binding sites of the complexes revealed a remarkably symmetrical organization. Using specific antibodies, one of the complexes was identified as a heterodimer consisting of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Ultraspiracle (USP) proteins. The binding site of the heterodimer as defined by mutagenesis and methylation interference experiments bears strong sequence similarity to the canonical hsp27 ecdysone response element, including an imperfect palindromic structure. The two elements diverge at three positions in both half-sites, indicating that the structure of an active EcR/USP binding site allows considerable sequence variations. In vivo footprinting experiments using ligation-mediated PCR and wild-type or ecdysteroid-deficient larvae show that occupancy of the Fbp1 EcR/USP binding site and adjacent region is dependent on a high concentration of ecdysteroids. These results provide strong evidence for a direct role of the EcR/USP heterodimer in driving gene expression in response to changes of the ecdysteroid titer during Drosophila larval development.


Blood ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
BP Schick

The relationship of protein synthesis to megakaryocyte maturation has been studied in guinea pigs in vivo. Guinea pigs were injected with a single dose of [35S]methionine. Megakaryocytes and platelets were isolated daily for 4 days, and proteins from both cells were isolated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and fluorography. All proteins in megakaryocytes corresponding to stained bands on the SDS- PAGE gels were radiolabeled at 3 hours after injection. The greatest loss of radioactivity from the megakaryocytes occurred between 1 and 3 days after injection. Only trace labeling of platelet proteins was seen at 3 hours, representing almost entirely three bands at molecular weights 47,000, 52,000, and 66,000. At 24 hours only about 13% of the maximal labeling was present, but not all proteins were labeled. The maximal labeling was at 3 days. The pattern of labeling of platelets at 3 days was identical to that of megakaryocytes at 3 hours. The protein pattern of nonmegakaryocytic marrow cells was different from that of the platelets and megakaryocytes. Data presented here suggest that most protein synthesis in megakaryocytes is completed at least 24 hours before release of the platelets to the circulation, and suggest some specificity in the proteins that are synthesized at the terminal stages of maturation.


PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. e1009916
Author(s):  
Catarina Nunes ◽  
Takashi Koyama ◽  
Élio Sucena

Insect metamorphosis is triggered by the production, secretion and degradation of 20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysone). In addition to its role in developmental regulation, increasing evidence suggests that ecdysone is involved in innate immunity processes, such as phagocytosis and the induction of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) production. AMP regulation includes systemic responses as well as local responses at surface epithelia that contact with the external environment. At pupariation, Drosophila melanogaster increases dramatically the expression of three AMP genes, drosomycin (drs), drosomycin-like 2 (drsl2) and drosomycin-like 5 (drsl5). We show that the systemic action of drs at pupariation is dependent on ecdysone signalling in the fat body and operates via the ecdysone downstream target, Broad. In parallel, ecdysone also regulates local responses, specifically through the activation of drsl2 expression in the gut. Finally, we confirm the relevance of this ecdysone dependent AMP expression for the control of bacterial load by showing that flies lacking drs expression in the fat body have higher bacterial persistence over metamorphosis. In contrast, local responses may be redundant with the systemic effect of drs since reduction of ecdysone signalling or of drsl2 expression has no measurable negative effect on bacterial load control in the pupa. Together, our data emphasize the importance of the association between ecdysone signalling and immunity using in vivo studies and establish a new role for ecdysone at pupariation, which impacts developmental success by regulating the immune system in a stage-dependent manner. We speculate that this co-option of immune effectors by the hormonal system may constitute an anticipatory mechanism to control bacterial numbers in the pupa, at the core of metamorphosis evolution.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 4977-4985
Author(s):  
D S Allison ◽  
E T Young

The effects of five single-amino-acid substitution mutations within the signal sequence of yeast prepro-alpha-factor were tested in yeast cells. After short pulse-labelings, virtually all of the alpha-factor precursor proteins from a wild-type gene were glycosylated and processed by signal peptidase. In contrast, the signal sequence mutations resulted in the accumulation of mostly unglycosylated prepro-alpha-factor after a short labeling interval, indicating a defect in translocation of the protein into the endoplasmic reticulum. Confirming this interpretation, unglycosylated mutant prepro-alpha-factor in cell extracts was sensitive to proteinase K and therefore in a cytosolic location. The signal sequence mutations reduced the rate of translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum by as much as 25-fold or more. In at least one case, mutant prepro-alpha-factor molecules were translocated almost entirely posttranslationally. Four of the five mutations also reduced the rate of proteolytic processing by signal peptidase in vivo, even though the signal peptide alterations are not located near the cleavage site. This study demonstrates that a single-amino-acid substitution mutation within a eucaryotic signal peptide can affect both translocation and proteolytic processing in vivo and may indicate that the recognition sequences for translocation and processing overlap within the signal peptide.


1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 887-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
P J Rapiejko ◽  
R Gilmore

The identification of GTP-binding sites in the 54-kDa subunit of the signal recognition particle (SRP) and in both the alpha and beta subunits of the SRP receptor has complicated the task of defining the step in the protein translocation reaction that is controlled by the GTP-binding site in the SRP. Ribonucleotide binding assays show that the purified SRP can bind GDP or GTP. However, crosslinking experiments show that SRP54 can recognize the signal sequence of a nascent polypeptide in the absence of GTP. Targeting of SRP-ribosome-nascent polypeptide complexes, formed in the absence of GTP, to microsomal membranes likewise proceeds normally. To separate the GTPase cycles of SRP54 and the alpha subunit of the SRP receptor (SR alpha), we employed an SR alpha mutant that displays a markedly reduced affinity for GTP. We observed that the dissociation of SRP54 from the signal sequence and the insertion of the nascent polypeptide into the translocation site could only occur when GTP binding to SR alpha was permitted. These data suggest that the GTP binding and hydrolysis cycles of both SRP54 and SR alpha are initiated upon formation of the SRP-SRP receptor complex.


Blood ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
BP Schick

Abstract The relationship of protein synthesis to megakaryocyte maturation has been studied in guinea pigs in vivo. Guinea pigs were injected with a single dose of [35S]methionine. Megakaryocytes and platelets were isolated daily for 4 days, and proteins from both cells were isolated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and fluorography. All proteins in megakaryocytes corresponding to stained bands on the SDS- PAGE gels were radiolabeled at 3 hours after injection. The greatest loss of radioactivity from the megakaryocytes occurred between 1 and 3 days after injection. Only trace labeling of platelet proteins was seen at 3 hours, representing almost entirely three bands at molecular weights 47,000, 52,000, and 66,000. At 24 hours only about 13% of the maximal labeling was present, but not all proteins were labeled. The maximal labeling was at 3 days. The pattern of labeling of platelets at 3 days was identical to that of megakaryocytes at 3 hours. The protein pattern of nonmegakaryocytic marrow cells was different from that of the platelets and megakaryocytes. Data presented here suggest that most protein synthesis in megakaryocytes is completed at least 24 hours before release of the platelets to the circulation, and suggest some specificity in the proteins that are synthesized at the terminal stages of maturation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3859-3871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Wittke ◽  
Martin Dünnwald ◽  
Nils Johnsson

SEC62 encodes an essential component of the Sec-complex that is responsible for posttranslational protein translocation across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The specific role of Sec62p in translocation was not known and difficult to identify because it is part of an oligomeric protein complex in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. An in vivo competition assay allowed us to characterize and dissect physical and functional interactions between Sec62p and components of the Sec-complex. We could show that Sec62p binds via its cytosolic N- and C-terminal domains to the Sec-complex. The N-terminal domain, which harbors the major interaction site, binds directly to the last 14 residues of Sec63p. The C-terminal binding site of Sec62p is less important for complex stability, but adjoins the region in Sec62p that might be involved in signal sequence recognition.


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