scholarly journals Secondary Structure as a Conformational Determinant in Processing of Peptide Precursors at Dibasic Amino Acids

2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noureddine Lazar ◽  
Noureddine Brakch ◽  
Maï Panchal ◽  
Paul Cohen ◽  
Mohamed Rholam
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Peptide Hormone ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Peptide Cleavage ◽  
Kinetic And Thermodynamic Parameters ◽  
Peptide Precursors ◽  
Conformational Determinant

The aim of this work was to establish the functional role of selected secondary structure motifs of peptide hormone precursors in their selective recognition by the corresponding converting endoproteases. The strategy was based on the use of synthetic peptides either reproducing or mimicking the sequences of the cleavage regions of two distinct models; i.e. pro-ocytocin–neurophysin and prosomatostatin. Both prohormones were capable to release their biologically active sequences either by cleavage at a dibasic stretch or by proteolysis at a monobasic site.Both kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of peptide cleavage by various convertases were measured. They were examined in light of structural data on preferred conformations adopted by these substrates, which were obtained by a combination of spectroscopical techniques including CD, FT-IR and proton NMR. In the case of prosomatostatin, these approaches were in addition paralleled by site-directed mutagenesis experiments.The wealth of collected data point toward the conclusion thatβ-turns and/or loops, favored by sequences bearing basic residues, constitute a key feature in the specification of those peptide loci which are proteolytically processedin vivo. They will be discussed with respect of other processing mechanisms where these mechanisms were also shown.

scholarly journals Functional CBS modules make IMPDHs octameric

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C1283-C1283
Author(s):  
Gilles Labesse ◽  
Thomas Alexandre ◽  
Laurène Vaupré ◽  
Isabelle Salard-Arnaud ◽  
Joséphine Lai Kee Him ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Ultracentrifugation ◽  
Quaternary Structure ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Binding Pockets ◽  
Essential Enzyme ◽  
Cbs Domains

Inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (1, 2) (IMPDH) is a major target for antiviral, antiparasitic, antileukemic and immunosuppressive therapies. It is an ubiquitous and essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of guanosine nucleotides. Up to now, IMPDHs have been reported as tetrameric enzymes harbouring a catalytic domain and a tandem of cystathionine-ß-synthase (CBS) modules. The latter had no precise function assigned despite their nearly absolute conservation among IMPDHs and consistent indication of their importance in vivo. The aim of our study was to provide evidence for the role of the CBS modules on the quaternary structure and on the regulation of IMPDHs. A multidisciplinary approach involving enzymology, site-directed mutagenesis, analytical ultracentrifugation, X-ray crystallography, SAXS, cryo-electron microscopy and molecular modelling allowed us to demonstrate that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa IMPDH is functionally active as an octamer and allosterically regulated by MgATP via each CBS module. Revisiting deposited structural data, we found this newly discovered octameric organization conserved in other IMPDH structures. Meanwhile, we demonstrated that the human IMPDH1 formed two distinct octamers that can pile up into isolated fibres in the presence of MgATP while its pathogenic mutant D226N, localised into the CBS domains, appeared to form massively aggregating fibres. The dramatic impact of this mutation could explain the severe retinopathy adRP10. Our data (3) revealed for the first time that IMPDH has an octameric architecture modulated by MgATP binding to the CBS modules, inducing large structural rearrangements. Thus, the regulatory CBS modules in IMPDHs are functional and they can either modulate catalysis or/and macromolecular assembly. Targeting the conserved effector binding pockets identified within the CBS modules might be promising to develop antibacterial compounds or drugs to counter retinopathy onset.

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of the Nicotinate Mononucleotide:5,6-Dimethylbenzimidazole Phosphoribosyltransferase (CobT) Enzyme, Involved in the Late Steps of Coenzyme B12 Biosynthesis in Salmonella enterica

2009 ◽  
Vol 192 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy R. Claas ◽  
J. R. Parrish ◽  
L. A. Maggio-Hall ◽  
J. C. Escalante-Semerena
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Residual Activity ◽  
Catalytic Efficiency ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Intragenic Complementation

ABSTRACT In Salmonella enterica, the CobT enzyme activates the lower ligand base during the assembly of the nucleotide loop of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) and other cobamides. Previously, mutational analysis identified a class of alleles (class M) that failed to restore AdoCbl biosynthesis during intragenic complementation studies. To learn why class M cobT mutations were deleterious, we determined the nature of three class M cobT alleles and performed in vivo and in vitro functional analyses guided by available structural data on the wild-type CobT (CobTWT) enzyme. We analyzed the effects of the variants CobT(G257D), CobT(G171D), CobT(G320D), and CobT(C160A). The latter was not a class M variant but was of interest because of the potential role of a disulfide bond between residues C160 and C256 in CobT activity. Substitutions G171D, G257D, and G320D had profound negative effects on the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. The C160A substitution rendered the enzyme fivefold less efficient than CobTWT. The CobT(G320D) protein was unstable, and results of structure-guided site-directed mutagenesis suggest that either variants CobT(G257D) and CobT(G171D) have less affinity for 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB) or access of DMB to the active site is restricted in these variant proteins. The reported lack of intragenic complementation among class M cobT alleles is caused in some cases by unstable proteins, and in others it may be caused by the formation of dimers between two mutant CobT proteins with residual activity that is so low that the resulting CobT dimer cannot synthesize sufficient product to keep up with even the lowest demand for AdoCbl.

scholarly journals Human Thyrotropin (TSH) Variants Designed by Site-Directed Mutagenesis Block TSH Activity in Vitro and in Vivo

Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 2845-2850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naiel Azzam ◽  
Rinat Bar-Shalom ◽  
Zaki Kraiem ◽  
Fuad Fares
Keyword(s):  
Chorionic Gonadotropin ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Human Thyroid ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Β Subunit ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Glycoprotein Hormone ◽  
Α Subunit

Abstract TSH is a heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone synthesized in the pituitary and composed of a specific β-subunit and a common α-subunit shared with FSH, LH, and human chorionic gonadotropin. The heterodimer was previously converted into a biologically active single chain protein by genetic fusion of the genes coding to both subunits in the presence of the carboxy-terminal sequence of human (h) chorionic gonadotropin-β subunit as a linker [hTSHβ-carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP)-α]. N-linked carbohydrate-free single-chain TSH variants were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and overlapping PCR: one devoid of both N-linked oligosaccharide chains on the α-subunit (hTSHβ-CTP-αdeg) and the other lacking also the oligosaccharides on the β-subunit (hTSHβdeg-CTP-αdeg). These variants were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and secreted into the culture media. We have previously reported that the variants block the activities of hTSH and thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins in cultured human thyroid follicles. In the present study, binding affinity of hTSH variants to hTSH receptor and the localization of the antagonistic effect were examined. Moreover, the effect of these variants on TSH activity was tested in vivo. The results of the present study indicate that the hTSH variants bind to the hTSH receptor with high affinity. Experiments using forskolin also indicated that the N-linked carbohydrate-free TSH single-chain variants inhibit TSH activity at the receptor-binding site and not at a postreceptor level. Moreover, the variants significantly inhibited (about 50%) TSH activity with respect to thyroid hormone secretion in vivo in mice. These variants may offer a novel therapeutic strategy in treating hyperthyroidism.

Expression and processing of human preprogastrin in murine medullary thyroid carcinoma cells

1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (5) ◽  
pp. G783-G788 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Daugherty ◽  
C. J. Dickinson ◽  
T. Takeuchi ◽  
D. Bachwich ◽  
T. Yamada
Keyword(s):  
Cell Line ◽  
Peptide Hormone ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Molecular Forms ◽  
Posttranslational Processing ◽  
Packaging Cell Line ◽  
Viral Stock ◽  
Peptide Precursors ◽  
Cdna Construct ◽  
Human Gastrin

Gastrin, the primary hormonal mediator of postprandial gastric acid secretion, is produced from its precursor progastrin by a series of posttranslational processing reactions including dibasic residue cleavage and carboxyl-terminal alpha-amidation. Progastrin contains three dibasic cleavage signals, Arg57Arg58, Lys74Lys75, and Arg94Arg95, that appear to be cleaved differently in different tissues. Differential processing is a potential means by which the production of biologically active peptides may be regulated in a tissue-specific manner. To study these reactions further, we used the pZipNeo SV(X) retroviral vector to express human gastrin cDNA in a heterologous cell line (MTC 6-23) known to be capable of processing other peptide precursors. The psi 2 packaging cell line transfected with the gastrin cDNA-retroviral construct (pSVXgas) produced progastrin, but no substantial amounts of processed amidated gastrin were detected. amounts of processed amidated gastrin were detected. In contrast, MTC 6-23 cells infected with the viral stock obtained from the supernatant of pSVXgas-transfected psi 2 cells produced carboxyl-terminally amidated gastrin in all of its standard molecular forms, including sulfated and nonsulfated forms of tetratriacontagastrin (G-34), heptadecagastrin (G-17), and tetradecagastrin (G-14). These studies indicate that heterologous endocrine cell lines infected with a retroviral-peptide cDNA construct can serve as useful models for peptide hormone posttranslational processing.

scholarly journals Site-Specific Introduction of Negative Charges on the Protein Surface for Improving Global Functions of Recombinant Fetal Hemoglobin

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Kettisen ◽  
Cedric Dicko ◽  
Emanuel Smeds ◽  
Leif Bülow
Keyword(s):  
Dna Cleavage ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Fetal Hemoglobin ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Protein Surface ◽  
Cleavage Rate ◽  
Α Subunit

Due to its compatible oxygen-transporting abilities, hemoglobin (Hb) is a protein of interest in the development of artificial oxygen therapeutics. Despite continuous formulation attempts, extracellular Hb solution often exhibits undesirable reactions when applied in vivo. Therefore, protein engineering is frequently used to examine alternative ways of controlling the unwanted reactions linked to cell-free Hb solutions. In this study, three mutants of human fetal hemoglobin (HbF) are evaluated; single mutants αA12D and αA19D, and a double mutant αA12D/A19D. These variants were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis and recombinant production in E. coli, and carry negative charges on the surface of the α-subunit at the designated mutation sites. Through characterization of the mutant proteins, we found that the substitutions affected the protein in several ways. As expected, the isoelectric points (pIs) were lowered, from 7.1 (wild-type) down to 6.6 (double mutant), which influenced the anion exchange chromatographic procedures by shifting conditions toward higher conductivity for protein elution. The biological and physiological properties of HbF could be improved by these small modifications on the protein surface. The DNA cleavage rate associated with native HbF could be reduced by 55%. In addition, the negatively charged HbF mutant had an extended circulation time when examined in a mouse model using top load Hb additions. At the same time, the mutations did not affect the overall structural integrity of the HbF molecule, as determined by small-angle X-ray scattering. In combination with circular dichroism and thermal stability, modest structural shifts imposed by the mutations could possibly be related to changes in secondary structure or reorganization. Such local deformations were too minor to be determined within the resolution of the structural data; and overall, unchanged oxidation and heme loss kinetics support the conclusion that the mutations did not adversely affect the basic structural properties of Hb. We confirm the value of adding negatively charged residues onto the surface of the protein to improve the global functions of recombinant Hb.

scholarly journals Mutations in the anticodon stem affect removal of introns from pre-tRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 4220-4228 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Mathison ◽  
M Winey ◽  
C Soref ◽  
M R Culbertson ◽  
G Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Base Pair ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Trna Splicing ◽  
Functional Product ◽  
Standard Base ◽  
Low Efficiency

To evaluate the role of exon domains in tRNA splicing, the anti-codon stem of proline pre-tRNAUGG from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was altered by site-directed mutagenesis of the suf8 gene. Sixteen alleles were constructed that encode mutant pre-tRNAs containing all possible base combinations in the last base pair of the anticodon stem adjacent to the anticodon loop (positions 31 and 39). The altered pre-tRNAs were screened by using an in vitro endonucleolytic cleavage assay to determine whether perturbations in secondary structure affect the intron excision reaction. The pre-tRNAs were cleaved efficiently whenever secondary structure in the anticodon stem was maintained through standard base pairing or G.U interactions. However, most of the pre-tRNAs with disrupted secondary structure were poor substrates for intron excision. We also determined the extent to which the suf8 alleles produce functional products in vivo. Each allele was integrated in one to three copies into a yeast chromosome or introduced on a high-copy-number plasmid by transformation. The formation of a functional product was assayed by the ability of each allele to suppress the +1 frameshift mutation his4-713 through four-base codon reading, as shown previously for the SUF8-1 suppressor allele. We found that alleles containing any standard base pair or G.U pair at position 31/39 in the anticodon stem failed to suppress his4-713. We could not assess in vivo splicing with these alleles because the tRNA products, even if they are made, would be expected to read a normal triplet rather than a quadruplet codon. However, all of the alleles that contained a disrupted base pair at position 31/ 39 in the anticodon stem altered the structure of the tRNA in a manner that caused frameshift suppression. Suppression indicated that splicing must have occurred to some extent in vivo even though most of the suppression alleles produced pre-tRNAs that were cleaved with low efficiency or not at all in vitro. These results have important implications for the interpretation of in vitro cleavage assays in general and for the potential use of suppressors to select mutations that affects tRNA splicing.

scholarly journals In Vitro and In Ovo Expression of Chicken Gamma Interferon by a Defective RNA of Avian Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 5694-5702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Hackney ◽  
Dave Cavanagh ◽  
Pete Kaiser ◽  
Paul Britton
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Bronchitis Virus ◽  
Allantoic Fluid ◽  
Helper Virus ◽  
Gamma Interferon ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
In Ovo ◽  
Infectious Bronchitis

ABSTRACT Coronavirus defective RNAs (D-RNAs) have been used for site-directed mutagenesis of coronavirus genomes and for expression of heterologous genes. D-RNA CD-61 derived from the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was used as an RNA vector for the expression of chicken gamma interferon (chIFN-γ). D-RNAs expressing chIFN-γ were shown to be capable of rescue, replication, and packaging into virions in a helper virus-dependent system following electroporation of in vitro-derived T7 RNA transcripts into IBV-infected cells. Secreted chIFN-γ, under the control of an IBV transcription-associated sequence derived from gene 5 of the Beaudette strain, was expressed from two different positions within CD-61 and shown to be biologically active. In addition, following infection of 10-day-old chicken embryos with IBV containing D-RNAs expressing chIFN-γ, the allantoic fluid was shown to contain biologically active chIFN-γ, demonstrating that IBV D-RNAs can express heterologous genes in vivo.

Mutations in the anticodon stem affect removal of introns from pre-tRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 4220-4228
Author(s):  
L Mathison ◽  
M Winey ◽  
C Soref ◽  
M R Culbertson ◽  
G Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Base Pair ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Trna Splicing ◽  
Functional Product ◽  
Standard Base ◽  
Low Efficiency

To evaluate the role of exon domains in tRNA splicing, the anti-codon stem of proline pre-tRNAUGG from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was altered by site-directed mutagenesis of the suf8 gene. Sixteen alleles were constructed that encode mutant pre-tRNAs containing all possible base combinations in the last base pair of the anticodon stem adjacent to the anticodon loop (positions 31 and 39). The altered pre-tRNAs were screened by using an in vitro endonucleolytic cleavage assay to determine whether perturbations in secondary structure affect the intron excision reaction. The pre-tRNAs were cleaved efficiently whenever secondary structure in the anticodon stem was maintained through standard base pairing or G.U interactions. However, most of the pre-tRNAs with disrupted secondary structure were poor substrates for intron excision. We also determined the extent to which the suf8 alleles produce functional products in vivo. Each allele was integrated in one to three copies into a yeast chromosome or introduced on a high-copy-number plasmid by transformation. The formation of a functional product was assayed by the ability of each allele to suppress the +1 frameshift mutation his4-713 through four-base codon reading, as shown previously for the SUF8-1 suppressor allele. We found that alleles containing any standard base pair or G.U pair at position 31/39 in the anticodon stem failed to suppress his4-713. We could not assess in vivo splicing with these alleles because the tRNA products, even if they are made, would be expected to read a normal triplet rather than a quadruplet codon. However, all of the alleles that contained a disrupted base pair at position 31/ 39 in the anticodon stem altered the structure of the tRNA in a manner that caused frameshift suppression. Suppression indicated that splicing must have occurred to some extent in vivo even though most of the suppression alleles produced pre-tRNAs that were cleaved with low efficiency or not at all in vitro. These results have important implications for the interpretation of in vitro cleavage assays in general and for the potential use of suppressors to select mutations that affects tRNA splicing.

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide sulfhydrates IKKβ at cysteine 179 to control pulmonary artery endothelial cell inflammation

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (20) ◽  
pp. 2045-2059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da Zhang ◽  
Xiuli Wang ◽  
Siyao Chen ◽  
Selena Chen ◽  
Wen Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Sulfide ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Pulmonary Artery ◽  
Cell Model ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Critical Event ◽  
Hypertensive Rats ◽  
Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cell

Abstract Background: Pulmonary artery endothelial cell (PAEC) inflammation is a critical event in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the pathogenesis of PAEC inflammation remains unclear. Methods: Purified recombinant human inhibitor of κB kinase subunit β (IKKβ) protein, human PAECs and monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats were employed in the study. Site-directed mutagenesis, gene knockdown or overexpression were conducted to manipulate the expression or activity of a target protein. Results: We showed that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) inhibited IKKβ activation in the cell model of human PAEC inflammation induced by monocrotaline pyrrole-stimulation or knockdown of cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), an H2S generating enzyme. Mechanistically, H2S was proved to inhibit IKKβ activity directly via sulfhydrating IKKβ at cysteinyl residue 179 (C179) in purified recombinant IKKβ protein in vitro, whereas thiol reductant dithiothreitol (DTT) reversed H2S-induced IKKβ inactivation. Furthermore, to demonstrate the significance of IKKβ sulfhydration by H2S in the development of PAEC inflammation, we mutated C179 to serine (C179S) in IKKβ. In purified IKKβ protein, C179S mutation of IKKβ abolished H2S-induced IKKβ sulfhydration and the subsequent IKKβ inactivation. In human PAECs, C179S mutation of IKKβ blocked H2S-inhibited IKKβ activation and PAEC inflammatory response. In pulmonary hypertensive rats, C179S mutation of IKKβ abolished the inhibitory effect of H2S on IKKβ activation and pulmonary vascular inflammation and remodeling. Conclusion: Collectively, our in vivo and in vitro findings demonstrated, for the first time, that endogenous H2S directly inactivated IKKβ via sulfhydrating IKKβ at Cys179 to inhibit nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway activation and thereby control PAEC inflammation in PAH.

Experimental Study of the Impact of Alisma plantago-aquatica Secretions on Pathogenic Bacteria

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-7
Author(s):  
O. Zhukorskyy ◽  
O. Hulay
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Initial Density ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Erysipelothrix Rhusiopathiae ◽  
Natural Focus ◽  
Test Species ◽  
Popula Tions ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Aim. To estimate the impact of in vivo secretions of water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) on the popula- tions of pathogenic bacteria Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Methods. The plants were isolated from their natural conditions, the roots were washed from the substrate residues and cultivated in laboratory conditions for 10 days to heal the damage. Then the water was changed; seven days later the selected samples were sterilized using fi lters with 0.2 μm pore diameter. The dilution of water plantain root diffusates in the experimental samples was 1:10–1:10,000. The initial density of E. rhusiopathiae bacteria populations was the same for both experimental and control samples. The estimation of the results was conducted 48 hours later. Results. When the dilution of root diffusates was 1:10, the density of erysipelothrixes in the experimental samples was 11.26 times higher than that of the control, on average, the dilution of 1:100 − 6.16 times higher, 1:1000 – 3.22 times higher, 1:10,000 – 1.81 times higher, respectively. Conclusions. The plants of A. plantago-aquatica species are capable of affecting the populations of E. rhusiopathiae pathogenic bacteria via the secretion of biologically active substances into the environment. The consequences of this interaction are positive for the abovementioned bacteria, which is demon- strated by the increase in the density of their populations in the experiment compared to the control. The intensity of the stimulating effect on the populations of E. rhusiopathiae in the root diffusates of A. plantago-aquatica is re- ciprocally dependent on the degree of their dilution. The investigated impact of water plantain on erysipelothrixes should be related to the topical type of biocenotic connections, the formation of which between the test species in the ecosystems might promote maintaining the potential of natural focus of rabies. Keywords: Alisma plantago-aquatica, in vivo secretions, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, population density, topical type of connections.

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