scholarly journals Stability of monomeric Cro variants: Isoenergetic transformation of a type I′ to a type II′ β-hairpin by single amino acid replacements

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1126-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.K.M.M. Mollah ◽  
Rhonda L. Stennis ◽  
Michael C. Mossing
Keyword(s):  
Type I ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 206 (12) ◽  
pp. 2747-2760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Yamamoto ◽  
Daron M. Standley ◽  
Seiji Takashima ◽  
Hiroyuki Saiga ◽  
Megumi Okuyama ◽  
...  

Infection by Toxoplasma gondii down-regulates the host innate immune responses, such as proinflammatory cytokine production, in a Stat3-dependent manner. A forward genetic approach recently demonstrated that the type II strain fails to suppress immune responses because of a potential defect in a highly polymorphic parasite-derived kinase, ROP16. We generated ROP16-deficient type I parasites by reverse genetics and found a severe defect in parasite-induced Stat3 activation, culminating in enhanced production of interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-12 p40 in the infected macrophages. Furthermore, overexpression of ROP16 but not ROP18 in mammalian cells resulted in Stat3 phosphorylation and strong activation of Stat3-dependent promoters. In addition, kinase-inactive ROP16 failed to activate Stat3. Comparison of type I and type II ROP16 revealed that a single amino acid substitution in the kinase domain determined the strain difference in terms of Stat3 activation. Moreover, ROP16 bound Stat3 and directly induced phosphorylation of this transcription factor. These results formally establish an essential and direct requirement of ROP16 in parasite-induced Stat3 activation and the significance of a single amino acid replacement in the function of type II ROP16.


Author(s):  
Xanya Sofra

We traced the coronavirus classification and evolution, analyzed the Covid-19 composition and its distinguishing characteristics when compared to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Despite their close kinship, SARS-CoV and Covid-19 display significant structural differences, including 380 amino acid substitutions, and variable homology between certain open reading frames that are bound to diversify the pathogenesis and virulence of the two viral compounds. A single amino acid substitution such as replacing Aspartate (D) with Glycine (G) composes the D614G mutation that is around 20% more infectious than its predecessor 614D. The B117 variant, that exhibits a 70% transmissibility rate, harbours 23 mutants, each reflecting one amino acid exchange. We examined several globally spreading mutations, 501.V2, B1351, P1, and others, with respect to the specific amino acid conversions involved. Unlike previous versions of coronavirus, where random mutations eventually precipitate extinction, the multiplicity of over 300,000 mutations appears to have rendered Covid-19 more contagious, facilitating its ability to evade detection, thus challenging the effectiveness of a large variety of emerging vaccines. Vaccination enhances immune memory and intelligence to combat or obstruct viral entry by generating antibodies that will prohibit the cellular binding and fusion with the Spike protein, ultimately debilitating the virus from releasing its contents into the cell. Developing antibodies during the innate response, appears to be the most compelling solution in light of the hypothesis that Covid-19 inhibits the production of Interferon type I, compromising adaptive efficiency to recognize the virus, possibly provoking a cytokine storm that injures vital organs. With respect to that perspective, the safety and effectiveness of different vaccines is evaluated and compared, including the Spike protein mRNA version, the Adenovirus DNA, Spike protein subunits, the deactivated virus genres, or, finally, the live attenuated coronavirus that appears to demonstrate the greatest effectiveness, yet, encompass a relatively higher risk.


Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 1106-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Dekker ◽  
Michel H. M. Eppink ◽  
Rob van Zwieten ◽  
Thea de Rijk ◽  
Angel F. Remacha ◽  
...  

Abstract Cytochrome b5 reductase (b5R) deficiency manifests itself in 2 distinct ways. In methemoglobinemia type I, the patients only suffer from cyanosis, whereas in type II, the patients suffer in addition from severe mental retardation and neurologic impairment. Biochemical data indicate that this may be due to a difference in mutations, causing enzyme instability in type I and complete enzyme deficiency or enzyme inactivation in type II. We have investigated 7 families with methemoglobulinemia type I and found 7 novel mutations in the b5R gene. Six of these mutations predicted amino acid substitutions at sites not involved in reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) binding, as deduced from a 3-dimensional model of human b5R. This model was constructed from comparison with the known 3-dimensional structure of pig b5R. The seventh mutation was a splice site mutation leading to skipping of exon 5 in messenger RNA, present in heterozygous form in a patient together with a missense mutation on the other allele. Eight other amino acid substitutions, previously described to cause methemoglobinemia type I, were also situated in nonessential regions of the enzyme. In contrast, 2 other substitutions, known to cause the type II form of the disease, were found to directly affect the consensus FAD-binding site or indirectly influence NADH binding. Thus, these data support the idea that enzyme inactivation is a cause of the type II disease, whereas enzyme instability may lead to the type I form.


1989 ◽  
Vol 261 (3) ◽  
pp. 1015-1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
L G Sparrow ◽  
C P Robinson ◽  
D T W McMahon ◽  
M R Rubira

Component 7c is one of the four homologous type II intermediate-filament proteins that, by association with the complementary type I proteins, form the microfibrils or intermediate filaments in wool. Component 7c was isolated as the S-carboxymethyl derivative from Merino wool and its amino acid sequence was determined by manual and automatic sequencing of peptides produced by chemical and enzymic cleavage reactions. It is an N-terminally blocked molecule of 491 residues and Mr (not including the blocking group) of 55,600; the nature of the blocking group has not been determined. The predicted secondary structure shows that component 7c conforms to the now accepted pattern for intermediate-filament proteins in having a central rod-like region of approximately 310 residues of coiled-coil alpha-helix flanked by non-helical N-and C-terminal regions. The central region is divided by three non-coiled-coil linking segments into four helical segments 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B. The N-and C-terminal non-helical segments are 109 and 71 residues respectively and are rich in cysteine. Details of procedures use in determining the sequence of component 7c have been deposited as a Supplementary Publication SUP 50152 (65 pages) at the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1989) 257,5. The information comprises: (1) details of chemical and enzymic methods used for cleavage of component 7c, peptides CN1, CN2 and CN3, and various other peptides, (2) details of the procedures used for the fractionation and purification of peptides from (1), including Figures showing the elution profiles from the chromatographic steps used, (3) details of methods used to determine the C-terminal sequence of peptide CN3, and (4) detailed evidence to justify a number of corrections to the previously published sequence.


1978 ◽  
Vol 173 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
W G Crewther ◽  
A S Inglis ◽  
N M McKern

1. The helical fragments obtained by partial chymotryptic digestion of S-carboxymethylkeratine-A, the low-sulphur fraction from wool, were fractionated into type-I and type-II helical segments in aqueous urea under conditions limiting carbamoylation. 2. The amino acid sequence of a 109-residue type-II segment was completed by using the sequenator. 3. When the data were incorporated into a helical model of 3.6 residues per turn the hydrophobic residues generated a band aligned at a slight angle to the helical axis. This result is in accord with the postulated coiled-coil structure of the crystalline regions of alpha-keratin.


Author(s):  
Belén Borrego ◽  
Sandra Moreno ◽  
Nuria de la Losa ◽  
Friedemann Weber ◽  
Alejandro Brun

Rift valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne bunyavirus that causes an important disease in ruminants, with great economic losses. The infection can be also transmitted to humans; therefore it is considered a major threat to both human and animal health. In a previous work, we described a novel RVFV variant selected in cell culture in the presence of the antiviral agent favipiravir that was highly attenuated in vivo. This variant displayed 24 amino acid substitutions in different viral proteins when compared to its parental viral strain, two of them located in the NSs protein that is known to be the major virulence factor of RVFV. By means of a reverse genetics system, in this work we have analyzed the effect that one of these substitutions, P82L, has in viral attenuation in vivo. Rescued viruses carrying this single amino acid change were clearly attenuated in BALB/c mice while their growth in an IFN-competent cell line as well as the production of IFN-β did not seem to be affected. However, the pattern of nuclear NSs accumulation was modified in cells infected with the mutant viruses. These results unveil a new RVFV virulence marker highlighting the multiple ways of NSs protein to modulate viral infectivity.


1984 ◽  
Vol 81 (18) ◽  
pp. 5709-5713 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Steinert ◽  
D. A. Parry ◽  
E. L. Racoosin ◽  
W. W. Idler ◽  
A. C. Steven ◽  
...  

1978 ◽  
Vol 173 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
K H Gough ◽  
A S Inglis ◽  
W G Crewther

The amino acid sequence of a type-I helical segment from the low-sulphur protein (S-carboxymethylkerateine-A) of wool was determined by combining automatic and manual-sequencing data. Whereas in the type-II helical segment most of the cationic groups occur in pairs, 11 of the 22 anionic residues in the sequence of the type-I segment were situated next to a second anionic residue. This suggests possible interactions between type-I and type-II helical segments in alpha-keratin. As observed with the sequence of a type-II helical segment a model constructed on 3.6 residues per turn of helix shows a line of hydrophobic residues along the helix, thereby supporting the physicochemical evidence that the molecule is predominantly helical and forms part of a coiled-coil structure. Examination of the sequence data by predictive methods indicates the possibilty of extensive sections of alpha-helix interspersed with discontinuities. The molecule contains a number of regions with peptide sequences identical with those found by other workers after enzymic digestion of fractions from oxidized wool.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 867
Author(s):  
Ming Te Yeh ◽  
Sara Capponi ◽  
Adam Catching ◽  
Simone Bianco ◽  
Raul Andino

Enterovirus (EV)-D68 has been associated with epidemics in the United Sates in 2014, 2016 and 2018. This study aims to identify potential viral virulence determinants. We found that neonatal type I interferon receptor knockout mice are susceptible to EV-D68 infection via intraperitoneal inoculation and were able to recapitulate the paralysis process observed in human disease. Among the EV-D68 strains tested, strain US/MO-14-18949 caused no observable disease in this mouse model, whereas the other strains caused paralysis and death. Sequence analysis revealed several conserved genetic changes among these virus strains: nucleotide positions 107 and 648 in the 5′-untranslated region (UTR); amino acid position 88 in VP3; 1, 148, 282 and 283 in VP1; 22 in 2A; 47 in 3A. A series of chimeric and point-mutated infectious clones were constructed to identify viral elements responsible for the distinct virulence. A single amino acid change from isoleucine to valine at position 88 in VP3 attenuated neurovirulence by reducing virus replication in the brain and spinal cord of infected mice.


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