scholarly journals Biosynthesis of Galactofuranose in Kinetoplastids: Novel Therapeutic Targets for Treating Leishmaniasis and Chagas' Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Oppenheimer ◽  
Ana L. Valenciano ◽  
Pablo Sobrado
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Protozoan Parasites ◽  
Homologous Enzyme ◽  
Unique Chemical

Cell surface proteins of parasites play a role in pathogenesis by modulating mammalian cell recognition and cell adhesion during infection. β-Galactofuranose (Galf) is an important component of glycoproteins and glycolipids found on the cell surface of Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi. β-Galf-containing glycans have been shown to be important in parasite-cell interaction and protection against oxidative stress. Here, we discuss the role of β-Galf in pathogenesis and recent studies on the Galf-biosynthetic enzymes: UDP-galactose 4′ epimerase (GalE), UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM), and UDP-galactofuranosyl transferase (GalfT). The central role in Galf formation, its unique chemical mechanism, and the absence of a homologous enzyme in humans identify UGM as the most attractive drug target in the β-Galf-biosynthetic pathway in protozoan parasites.

Role of cations in the flocculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and discrimination of the corresponding proteins

1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 397-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Kuriyama ◽  
Itaru Umeda ◽  
Harumi Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Promoting Effect ◽  
Yeast Strains ◽  
Yeast Flocculation ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Anionic Groups

Asexual yeast flocculation was studied using strong flocculents of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The inhibitory effect of cations on flocculation is considered to be caused by competition between those cations and Ca2+ at the binding site of the Ca2+-requiring protein that is involved in flocculation. Inhibition of flocculation by various cations occurred in the following order: La3+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, Al3+, and Na+. Cations such as Mg2+, Co2+, and K+ promoted flocculation. This promoting effect may be based on the reduction of electrostatic repulsive force between cells caused by binding of these cations anionic groups present on the cell surface. In flocculation induced by these cations, trace amounts of Ca2+ excreted on the cell surface may activate the corresponding protein. The ratio of Sr2+/Ca2+ below which cells flocculated varied among strains: for strains having the FLO5 gene, it was 400 to 500; for strains having the FLO1 gene, about 150; and for two alcohol yeast strains, 40 to 50. This suggests that there are several different types of cell surface proteins involved in flocculation in different yeast strains. Key words: yeast, flocculation, protein, cation, calcium.

scholarly journals Hyaluronan as an Immune Regulator in Human Diseases

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianhua Jiang ◽  
Jiurong Liang ◽  
Paul W. Noble
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Tissue Injury ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Inflammatory Genes ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Components ◽  
Injury And Repair

Accumulation and turnover of extracellular matrix components are the hallmarks of tissue injury. Fragmented hyaluronan stimulates the expression of inflammatory genes by a variety of immune cells at the injury site. Hyaluronan binds to a number of cell surface proteins on various cell types. Hyaluronan fragments signal through both Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR2 as well as CD44 to stimulate inflammatory genes in inflammatory cells. Hyaluronan is also present on the cell surface of epithelial cells and provides protection against tissue damage from the environment by interacting with TLR2 and TLR4. Hyaluronan and hyaluronan-binding proteins regulate inflammation, tissue injury, and repair through regulating inflammatory cell recruitment, release of inflammatory cytokines, and cell migration. This review focuses on the role of hyaluronan as an immune regulator in human diseases.

scholarly journals FAK and PYK2 are specifically associated with the activated phagocytic receptor complexes from human U937 cells.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwan G. AbidAlthagafi
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Macrophage Cell ◽  
Protein Tyrosine ◽  
Surface Receptors ◽  
Receptor Complexes

The innate immune system is the first shield against foreign attack inside the human body, and it is usually carried out with phagocytosis. An essential macrophage cell surface protein is the Fc receptor which contributes to the engulfment of unknown antigens. One of the important members of Fc receptors is the gamma receptor that binds to the immunoglobulin G (IgG) ligand. Another key receptor in this study is the CD36 receptor, which plays a crucial role in the progression of atherosclerosis, the hardening of arteries, with its ligand oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL). In this report, protein tyrosine kinase enzymes have been detected in the involvement of receptor complexes with human U937 macrophages, specifically PTK2 and PTK2b genes. Protein tyrosine kinases were known to promote cell migration as a main player in intracellular signal transduction cascades in relation to extracellular stimuli. Cell surface proteins are essential for the immunization of various diseases; yet, the molecular machinery of surface receptors remains unclear. This research primarily examined the dynamic nature of protein tyrosine kinases in an ongoing investigation of macrophage cell surface receptors, particularly the role of Fc γ and CD36 receptors with their ligands IgG and oxLDL coated beads in phagocytosis. Our report demonstrates a novel role of PTK2 and PTK2b functions in relation to U937 CD36-mediated phagocytosis. The Phagocytic efficiency of U937 macrophages was analyzed using laser scanning confocal microscope after silencing the cells with siRNA followed by quantitative counting of phagocytosis. The PF drug FAK inhibitor was also introduced to compare the phagocytic efficiency of siRNA cells.

Decreased insulin-stimulated GLUT-4 translocation in glycogen-supercompensated muscles of exercised rats

1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (5) ◽  
pp. E907-E912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kentaro Kawanaka ◽  
Dong-Ho Han ◽  
Lorraine A. Nolte ◽  
Polly A. Hansen ◽  
Akira Nakatani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Glucose Transport ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Glycogen Content ◽  
Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Glut 4 ◽  
Glut 4 Translocation ◽  
Insulin Responsiveness ◽  
Exercise Induced

It was recently found that the effect of an exercise-induced increase in muscle GLUT-4 on insulin-stimulated glucose transport is masked by a decreased responsiveness to insulin in glycogen-supercompensated muscle. We evaluated the role of hexosamines in this decrease in insulin responsiveness and found that UDP- N-acetyl hexosamine concentrations were not higher in glycogen-supercompensated muscles than in control muscles with a low glycogen content. We determined whether the smaller increase in glucose transport is due to translocation of fewer GLUT-4 to the cell surface with the 2- N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluroethyl)-benzoyl-1,3-bis(d-mannose-4-yloxy)-2-propylamine (ATB-[2-3H]BMPA) photolabeling technique. The insulin-induced increase in GLUT-4 at the cell surface was no greater in glycogen-supercompensated exercised muscle than in muscles of sedentary controls and only 50% as great as in exercised muscles with a low glycogen content. We conclude that the decreased insulin responsiveness of glucose transport in glycogen-supercompensated muscle is not due to increased accumulation of hexosamine biosynthetic pathway end products and that the smaller increase in glucose transport is mediated by translocation of fewer GLUT-4 to the cell surface.

Neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitor scyphostatin prevents and ceramide mimics mechanotransduction in vascular endothelium

2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (3) ◽  
pp. H1344-H1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Czarny ◽  
Jan E. Schnitzer
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Fluid Shear Stress ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Neutral Sphingomyelinase

Recently, we showed that neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) is concentrated at the endothelial cell surface in caveolae and is activated to produce ceramide in an acute and transient manner by increase in flow rate and pressure in rat lung vasculature (Czarny M, Liu J, Oh P, and Schnitzer JE, J Biol Chem 278: 4424–4430, 2003). Here, we report further on our investigations of this new acute mechanotransduction pathway. We employed three experimental models to explore the role of N-SMase and ceramides in mechanosignaling: 1) a cell-free, in vitro model using isolated luminal plasma membranes of rat lung endothelium; 2) a fluid shear stress model using monolayers of intact bovine aorta endothelial cell in culture; and 3) an in situ model using controlled perfusion of the rat lung vasculature. Scyphostatin, which specifically inhibited N-SMase but not acid SMase activity, prevented mechanoactivation of N-SMase as well as downstream tyrosine and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Cell-permeable ceramide analogs ( N-acetylsphingosine, C2-ceramide, and N-hexanoylsphingosine, C6-ceramide) but not the inactive dihydroderivatives D2-ceramide and D6-ceramide ( N-acetylsphinganine and N-hexanoylsphinganine, respectively) mimic rapid mechano-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of cell surface proteins as well as mechanoactivation of Src-like kinases and the extracellular regulated kinase pathway. The responses common to ceramide and mechanical stress were inhibited by genistein, herbamycin A, and PP2, but not PP3, which suggests an obligate role of Src-like kinases in ceramide-mediated mechanotransduction. Ceramides also induced serine/threonine phosphorylation to activate the Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway. Thus N-SMase at the plasma membrane in caveolae may be an upstream initiating mechanosensor, which acutely triggers mechanotransduction by generation of the lipid second messenger ceramide.

scholarly journals Role of vimA in cell surface biogenesis in Porphyromonas gingivalis

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (7) ◽  
pp. 2180-2193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devon O. Osbourne ◽  
Wilson Aruni ◽  
Francis Roy ◽  
Christopher Perry ◽  
Lawrence Sandberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Porphyromonas Gingivalis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
In The Wild

The Porphyromonas gingivalis vimA gene has been previously shown to play a significant role in the biogenesis of gingipains. Further, in P. gingivalis FLL92, a vimA-defective mutant, there was increased auto-aggregation, suggesting alteration in membrane surface proteins. In order to determine the role of the VimA protein in cell surface biogenesis, the surface morphology of P. gingivalis FLL92 was further characterized. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated abundant fimbrial appendages and a less well defined and irregular capsule in FLL92 compared with the wild-type. In addition, atomic force microscopy showed that the wild-type had a smoother surface compared with FLL92. Western blot analysis using anti-FimA antibodies showed a 41 kDa immunoreactive protein band in P. gingivalis FLL92 which was missing in the wild-type P. gingivalis W83 strain. There was increased sensitivity to globomycin and vancomycin in FLL92 compared with the wild-type. Outer membrane fractions from FLL92 had a modified lectin-binding profile. Furthermore, in contrast with the wild-type strain, nine proteins were missing from the outer membrane fraction of FLL92, while 20 proteins present in that fraction from FLL92 were missing in the wild-type strain. Taken together, these results suggest that the VimA protein affects capsular synthesis and fimbrial phenotypic expression, and plays a role in the glycosylation and anchorage of several surface proteins.

scholarly journals Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm–egg recognition

PLoS Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. e3000953
Author(s):  
Enrica Bianchi ◽  
Gavin J. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Sperm Cell ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Secreted Proteins ◽  
Egg Recognition ◽  
Cell Surface Proteins ◽  
Molecular Events ◽  
Eukaryotic Species ◽  
Fundamental Process

Sexual reproduction is such a successful way of creating progeny with subtle genetic variations that the vast majority of eukaryotic species use it. In mammals, it involves the formation of highly specialised cells: the sperm in males and the egg in females, each carrying the genetic inheritance of an individual. The interaction of sperm and egg culminates with the fusion of their cell membranes, triggering the molecular events that result in the formation of a new genetically distinct organism. Although we have a good cellular description of fertilisation in mammals, many of the molecules involved remain unknown, and especially the identity and role of cell surface proteins that are responsible for sperm–egg recognition, binding, and fusion. Here, we will highlight and discuss these gaps in our knowledge and how the role of some recently discovered sperm cell surface and secreted proteins contribute to our understanding of this fundamental process.

scholarly journals What’s a Biofilm?—How the Choice of the Biofilm Model Impacts the Protein Inventory of Clostridioides difficile

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madita Brauer ◽  
Christian Lassek ◽  
Christian Hinze ◽  
Juliane Hoyer ◽  
Dörte Becher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Biofilm Model ◽  
Proteomics Approach ◽  
Surface Polysaccharides ◽  
Mammalian Intestine

The anaerobic pathogen Clostridioides difficile is perfectly equipped to survive and persist inside the mammalian intestine. When facing unfavorable conditions C. difficile is able to form highly resistant endospores. Likewise, biofilms are currently discussed as form of persistence. Here a comprehensive proteomics approach was applied to investigate the molecular processes of C. difficile strain 630Δerm underlying biofilm formation. The comparison of the proteome from two different forms of biofilm-like growth, namely aggregate biofilms and colonies on agar plates, revealed major differences in the formation of cell surface proteins, as well as enzymes of its energy and stress metabolism. For instance, while the obtained data suggest that aggregate biofilm cells express both flagella, type IV pili and enzymes required for biosynthesis of cell-surface polysaccharides, the S-layer protein SlpA and most cell wall proteins (CWPs) encoded adjacent to SlpA were detected in significantly lower amounts in aggregate biofilm cells than in colony biofilms. Moreover, the obtained data suggested that aggregate biofilm cells are rather actively growing cells while colony biofilm cells most likely severely suffer from a lack of reductive equivalents what requires induction of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and C. difficile’s V-type ATPase to maintain cell homeostasis. In agreement with this, aggregate biofilm cells, in contrast to colony biofilm cells, neither induced toxin nor spore production. Finally, the data revealed that the sigma factor SigL/RpoN and its dependent regulators are noticeably induced in aggregate biofilms suggesting an important role of SigL/RpoN in aggregate biofilm formation.

scholarly journals The dual role of amyloid-β-sheet sequences in the cell surface properties of FLO11-encoded flocculins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Bouyx ◽  
Marion Schiavone ◽  
Marie-Ange Teste ◽  
Etienne Dague ◽  
Nathalie Sieczkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Physical Force ◽  
Abiotic Surfaces ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Functional Amyloids

Fungal adhesins (Als) or flocculins are family of cell surface proteins that mediate adhesion to diverse biotic and abiotic surfaces. A striking characteristic of Als proteins originally identified in the pathogenic Candida albicans is to form functional amyloids that mediate cis-interaction leading to the formation of adhesin nanodomains and trans-interaction between amyloid sequences of opposing cells. In this report, we show that flocculins encoded by FLO11 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae behave like adhesins in C. albicans. To do so, we show that the formation of nanodomains under an external physical force requires a threshold number of amyloid-forming sequences in the Flo11 protein. Then, using a genome editing approach, we constructed strains expressing variants of the Flo11 protein under the endogenous FLO11 promoter, leading to the demonstration that the loss of amyloid-forming sequences strongly reduces cell-cell interaction but has no effect on either plastic adherence or invasive growth in agar, both phenotypes being dependent on the N- and C-terminal ends of Flo11p. Finally, we show that the location of Flo11 is not altered either by the absence of amyloid-forming sequences or by the removal of the N- or C-terminus of the protein.

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