scholarly journals Ribosomal RNA Modulates Aggregation of the Podospora Prion Protein HET-s

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6340
Author(s):  
Yanhong Pang ◽  
Petar Kovachev ◽  
Suparna Sanyal

The role of the nucleic acids in prion aggregation/disaggregation is becoming more and more evident. Here, using HET-s prion from fungi Podospora anserina (P. anserina) as a model system, we studied the role of RNA, particularly of different domains of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA), in its aggregation process. Our results using Rayleigh light scattering, Thioflavin T (ThT) binding, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cross-seeding assay show that rRNA, in particular the domain V of the major rRNA from the large subunit of the ribosome, substantially prevents insoluble amyloid and amorphous aggregation of the HET-s prion in a concentration-dependent manner. Instead, it facilitates the formation of the soluble oligomeric “seeds”, which are capable of promoting de novo HET-s aggregation. The sites of interactions of the HET-s prion protein on domain V rRNA were identified by primer extension analysis followed by UV-crosslinking, which overlap with the sites previously identified for the protein-folding activity of the ribosome (PFAR). This study clarifies a missing link between the rRNA-based PFAR and the mode of propagation of the fungal prions.

1988 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 1289-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Featherstone ◽  
M K Darby ◽  
L Gerace

A monoclonal antibody that reacts with proteins in the nuclear pore complex of rat liver (Snow, C. M., A. Senior, and L. Gerace. 1987. J. Cell Biol. 104:1143-1156) has been shown to cross react with similar components in Xenopus oocytes, as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting. We have microinjected the antibody into oocytes to study the possible role of these polypeptides in nucleocytoplasmic transport. The antibody inhibits import of a large nuclear protein, nucleoplasmin, in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. It also inhibits export of 5S ribosomal RNA and mature tRNA, but has no effect on transcription or intranuclear tRNA processing. The antibody does not affect the rate of diffusion into the nucleus of two small proteins, myoglobin and ovalbumin, indicating that antibody binding does not result in occlusion of the channel for diffusion. This suggests that inhibition of protein and RNA transport occurs by binding of the antibody at or near components of the pore that participate in mediated transport.


Genome ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 752-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Sameny ◽  
John Locke

Transposable elements are found in the genomes of all eukaryotes and play a critical role in altering gene expression and genome organization. In Drosophila melanogaster, transposable P elements are responsible for the phenomenon of hybrid dysgenesis. KP elements, a deletion-derivative of the complete P element, can suppress this mutagenic effect. KP elements can also silence the expression of certain other P-element-mediated transgenes in a process called P-element-dependent silencing (PDS), which is thought to involve the recruitment of heterochromatin proteins. To explore the mechanism of this silencing, we have mobilized KP elements to create a series of strains that contain single, well-defined KP insertions that show PDS. To understand the quantitative role of KP elements in PDS, these single inserts were combined in a series of crosses to obtain genotypes with zero, one, or two KP elements, from which we could examine the effect of KP gene dose. The extent of PDS in these genotypes was shown to be dose dependent in a logarithmic rather than linear fashion. A logarithmic dose dependency is consistent with the KP products interacting with heterochromatic proteins in a concentration-dependent manner such that two molecules are needed to induce gene silencing.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (5) ◽  
pp. G814-G821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bi-Guang Tuo ◽  
Jimmy Y. C. Chow ◽  
Kim E. Barrett ◽  
Jon I. Isenberg

PKC has been shown to regulate epithelial Cl- secretion in a variety of models. However, the role of PKC in duodenal mucosal bicarbonate secretion is less clear. We aimed to investigate the role of PKC in regulation of duodenal mucosal bicarbonate secretion. Bicarbonate secretion by murine duodenal mucosa was examined in vitro in Ussing chambers using a pH-stat technique. PKC isoform expression and activity were assessed by Western blotting and in vitro kinase assays, respectively. PMA (an activator of PKC) alone had no effect on duodenal bicarbonate secretion or short-circuit current ( Isc). When PMA and dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP) were added simultaneously, PMA failed to alter db-cAMP-stimulated duodenal bicarbonate secretion or Isc ( P > 0.05). However, a 1-h preincubation with PMA potentiated db-cAMP-stimulated duodenal bicarbonate secretion and Isc in a concentration-dependent manner (from 10-8 to 10-5M) ( P < 0.05). PMA preincubation had no effects on carbachol- or heat-stable toxin-stimulated bicarbonate secretion. Western blot analysis revealed that PKCα, -γ, -ϵ, -θ, -μ, and -ι/λ were expressed in murine duodenal mucosa. Ro 31–8220 (an inhibitor active against PKCϵ, -α, -β, and -γ), but not Gö 6983 (an inhibitor active against PKCα, -γ, -β, and -δ), reversed the potentiating effect of PMA on db-cAMP-stimulated bicarbonate secretion. PMA also time- and concentration-dependently increased the activity of PKCϵ, an effect that was prevented by Ro 31–8220 but not Gö 6983. These results demonstrate that activation of PKC potentiates cAMP-stimulated duodenal bicarbonate secretion, whereas it does not modify basal secretion. The effect of PKC on cAMP-stimulated bicarbonate secretion is mediated by the PKCϵ isoform.


2004 ◽  
Vol 167 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenton L. Scott ◽  
Jeffrey S. Van Komen ◽  
Hassan Irshad ◽  
Song Liu ◽  
Kirilee A. Wilson ◽  
...  

Sec1 proteins are critical players in membrane trafficking, yet their precise role remains unknown. We have examined the role of Sec1p in the regulation of post-Golgi secretion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Indirect immunofluorescence shows that endogenous Sec1p is found primarily at the bud neck in newly budded cells and in patches broadly distributed within the plasma membrane in unbudded cells. Recombinant Sec1p binds strongly to the t-SNARE complex (Sso1p/Sec9c) as well as to the fully assembled ternary SNARE complex (Sso1p/Sec9c;Snc2p), but also binds weakly to free Sso1p. We used recombinant Sec1p to test Sec1p function using a well-characterized SNARE-mediated membrane fusion assay. The addition of Sec1p to a traditional in vitro fusion assay moderately stimulates fusion; however, when Sec1p is allowed to bind to SNAREs before reconstitution, significantly more Sec1p binding is detected and fusion is stimulated in a concentration-dependent manner. These data strongly argue that Sec1p directly stimulates SNARE-mediated membrane fusion.


2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 2521-2532 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lange ◽  
D. Rittmann ◽  
V. F. Wendisch ◽  
M. Bott ◽  
H. Sahm

ABSTRACT Addition of l-valine (50 to 200 mM) to glucose minimal medium had no effect on the growth of wild-type Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 but inhibited the growth of the derived valine production strain VAL1 [13032 ΔilvA ΔpanBC(pJC1ilvBNCD)] in a concentration-dependent manner. In order to explore this strain-specific valine effect, genomewide expression profiling was performed using DNA microarrays, which showed that valine caused an increased ilvBN mRNA level in VAL1 but not in the wild type. This unexpected result was confirmed by an increased cellular level of the ilvB protein product, i.e., the large subunit of acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), and by an increased AHAS activity of valine-treated VAL1 cells. The conclusion that valine caused the limitation of another branched-chain amino acid was confirmed by showing that high concentrations of l-isoleucine could relieve the valine effect on VAL1 whereas l-leucine had the same effect as valine. The valine-caused isoleucine limitation was supported by the finding that the inhibitory valine effect was linked to the ilvA deletion that results in isoleucine auxotrophy. Taken together, these results implied that the valine effect is caused by competition for uptake of isoleucine by the carrier BrnQ, which transports all branched-chained amino acids. Indeed, valine inhibition could also be relieved by supplementing VAL1 with the dipeptide isoleucyl-isoleucine, which is taken up by a dipeptide transport system rather than by BrnQ. Interestingly, addition of external valine stimulated valine production by VAL1. This effect is most probably due to a reduced carbon usage for biomass production and to the increased expression of ilvBN, indicating that AHAS activity may still be a limiting factor for valine production in the VAL1 strain.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 2722
Author(s):  
Ivan V. Maly ◽  
Wilma A. Hofmann

High fat consumption can enhance metastasis and decrease survival in prostate cancer, but the picture remains incomplete on the epidemiological and cell-biological level, impeding progress toward individualized recommendations in the clinic. Recent work has highlighted the role of exosomes secreted by prostate cancer cells in the progression of the disease, particularly in metastatic invasion, and also the utility of targeting these extracellular vesicles for diagnostics, as carriers of disease progression markers. Here, we investigated the question of a potential impact of the chief nutritional saturated fatty acid on the exosome secretion. Palmitic acid decreased the secretion of exosomes in human prostate cancer cells in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. At the same time, the content of some prospective metastatic markers in the secreted exosomal fraction was also reduced, as was the ability of the cells to invade across extracellular matrix barriers. While by themselves our in vitro results imply that on the cell level, palmitic acid may be beneficial vis-à-vis the course of the disease, they also suggest that, by virtue of the decreased biomarker secretion, palmitic acid has the potential to cause unjustified deprioritization of treatment in obese and lipidemic men.


1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Kikuchi ◽  
Y Ikeda ◽  
M Handa ◽  
S Matsuda ◽  
H Muraki ◽  
...  

Microtubules exist in a dynamic equilibrium between polymerized and depolymerized forms in human platelets, playing a major role to maintain the discoid shape of platelets. It has been previously shown that the interaction of aggregating agents with platelets leads to a rapid but transient disassembly of microtubules. ( Steiner and Ikeda, J.Clin. Invest. 63:443,1979 ) In this paper, the role of calcium in the equilibrium between assembled and disassembled microtubules was investigated. The respective pools of soluble and polymerized tubulin were “frozen” by addition of a glycerol-dimethyl sulfoxide-containing medium to platelet rich plasma, preincubated with 2 µM A23187 for various time intervals. The two pools of tubulin were estimated by measuring the colchicine binding activities of total and polymerized tubulin according to the method of Wilson.Resting platelets were found to contain 56.2 ± 2.7 µg tubulin per 109 platelets, of which 56.7 % was in polymerized form. Addition of A23187 to platelet rich plasma produced a transient decrease in the pool of polymerized tubulin within 30 sec., followed by a return to base-line values within 2 min.. TMB-8, a known intracellular calcium antagonist, abolished this transient decrease in polymerized tubulin induced by A23187 in a concentration dependent manner, while indomethacin or acetylsalycylic acid did not.These findings may indicate the important role of intracellular calcium in microtubule assembly-disassembly.


1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 212-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Atasoglu ◽  
C.J. Newbold ◽  
R.J. Wallace

Ammonia is thought to be the main source of nitrogen for protein synthesis by the rumen microorganisms, but peptides and amino acids derived from protein degradation are also incorporated into microbial protein. Recent experiments carried out by Atasogluet al.(1998) demonstrated that preformed amino acids decrease the uptake of ammonia into microbial protein and microbial amino acids in a concentration-dependent manner. However, little is known about how rumen ammonia concentrations affect ammonia uptake into microbial protein. The present study was undertaken to determine the influence of rumen ammonia concentrations on ammonia incorporation andde novosynthesis of individual amino acids by the mixed rumen microorganismsin vitro.


2000 ◽  
Vol 349 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco SCHÖPFER ◽  
Natalia RIOBÓ ◽  
María Cecilia CARRERAS ◽  
Beatriz ALVAREZ ◽  
Rafael RADI ◽  
...  

A major pathway of nitric oxide utilization in mitochondria is its conversion to peroxynitrite, a species involved in biomolecule damage via oxidation, hydroxylation and nitration reactions. In the present study the potential role of mitochondrial ubiquinol in protecting against peroxynitrite-mediated damage is examined and the requirements of the mitochondrial redox status that support this function of ubiquinol are established. (1) Absorption and EPR spectroscopy studies revealed that the reactions involved in the ubiquinol/peroxynitrite interaction were first-order in peroxynitrite and zero-order in ubiquinol, in agreement with the rate-limiting formation of a reactive intermediate formed during the isomerization of peroxynitrite to nitrate. Ubiquinol oxidation occurred in one-electron transfer steps as indicated by the formation of ubisemiquinone. (2) Peroxynitrite promoted, in a concentration-dependent manner, the formation of superoxide anion by mitochondrial membranes. (3) Ubiquinol protected against peroxynitrite-mediated nitration of tyrosine residues in albumin and mitochondrial membranes, as suggested by experimental models, entailing either addition of ubiquinol or expansion of the mitochondrial ubiquinol pool caused by selective inhibitors of complexes III and IV. (4) Increase in membrane-bound ubiquinol partially prevented the loss of mitochondrial respiratory function induced by peroxynitrite. These findings are analysed in terms of the redox transitions of ubiquinone linked to both nitrogen-centred radical scavenging and oxygen-centred radical production. It may be concluded that the reaction of mitochondrial ubiquinol with peroxynitrite is part of a complex regulatory mechanism with implications for mitochondrial function and integrity.


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