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Sample records for active site mutants

  1. Role of active site rigidity in activity: MD simulation and fluorescence study on a lipase mutant.

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    Md Zahid Kamal

    Full Text Available Relationship between stability and activity of enzymes is maintained by underlying conformational flexibility. In thermophilic enzymes, a decrease in flexibility causes low enzyme activity while in less stable proteins such as mesophiles and psychrophiles, an increase in flexibility is associated with enhanced enzyme activity. Recently, we identified a mutant of a lipase whose stability and activity were enhanced simultaneously. In this work, we probed the conformational dynamics of the mutant and the wild type lipase, particularly flexibility of their active site using molecular dynamic simulations and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. In contrast to the earlier observations, our data show that active site of the mutant is more rigid than wild type enzyme. Further investigation suggests that this lipase needs minimal reorganization/flexibility of active site residues during its catalytic cycle. Molecular dynamic simulations suggest that catalytically competent active site geometry of the mutant is relatively more preserved than wild type lipase, which might have led to its higher enzyme activity. Our study implies that widely accepted positive correlation between conformation flexibility and enzyme activity need not be stringent and draws attention to the possibility that high enzyme activity can still be accomplished in a rigid active site and stable protein structures. This finding has a significant implication towards better understanding of involvement of dynamic motions in enzyme catalysis and enzyme engineering through mutations in active site.

  2. Stereospecific suppression of active site mutants by methylphosphonate substituted substrates reveals the stereochemical course of site-specific DNA recombination

    OpenAIRE

    Rowley, Paul A.; Kachroo, Aashiq H.; Ma, Chien-Hui; Maciaszek, Anna D.; Guga, Piotr; Jayaram, Makkuni

    2015-01-01

    Tyrosine site-specific recombinases, which promote one class of biologically important phosphoryl transfer reactions in DNA, exemplify active site mechanisms for stabilizing the phosphate transition state. A highly conserved arginine duo (Arg-I; Arg-II) of the recombinase active site plays a crucial role in this function. Cre and Flp recombinase mutants lacking either arginine can be rescued by compensatory charge neutralization of the scissile phosphate via methylphosphonate (MeP) modificati...

  3. Prediction of P53 mutants (multiple sites transcriptional activity based on structural (2D&3D properties.

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    R Geetha Ramani

    Full Text Available Prediction of secondary site mutations that reinstate mutated p53 to normalcy has been the focus of intense research in the recent past owing to the fact that p53 mutants have been implicated in more than half of all human cancers and restoration of p53 causes tumor regression. However laboratory investigations are more often laborious and resource intensive but computational techniques could well surmount these drawbacks. In view of this, we formulated a novel approach utilizing computational techniques to predict the transcriptional activity of multiple site (one-site to five-site p53 mutants. The optimal MCC obtained by the proposed approach on prediction of one-site, two-site, three-site, four-site and five-site mutants were 0.775,0.341,0.784,0.916 and 0.655 respectively, the highest reported thus far in literature. We have also demonstrated that 2D and 3D features generate higher prediction accuracy of p53 activity and our findings revealed the optimal results for prediction of p53 status, reported till date. We believe detection of the secondary site mutations that suppress tumor growth may facilitate better understanding of the relationship between p53 structure and function and further knowledge on the molecular mechanisms and biological activity of p53, a targeted source for cancer therapy. We expect that our prediction methods and reported results may provide useful insights on p53 functional mechanisms and generate more avenues for utilizing computational techniques in biological data analysis.

  4. Expression and characterization of active site mutants of hevamine, a chitinase from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bokma, Evert; Rozeboom, Henriëtte J.; Sibbald, Mark; Dijkstra, Bauke W.; Beintema, Jaap J.

    Hevamine is a chitinase from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis. Its active site contains Asp125, Glu127, and Tyr183, which interact with the -1 sugar residue of the substrate. To investigate their role in catalysis, we have successfully expressed wild-type enzyme and mutants of these residues as

  5. Crystallographic Analysis Reveals a Novel Second Binding Site for Trimethoprim in Active Site Double Mutants of Human Dihydrofolate Reductase†,‡

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    Cody, Vivian; Pace, Jim; Piraino, Jennifer; Queener, Sherry F.

    2011-01-01

    In order to produce a more potent replacement for trimethoprim (TMP) used as a therapy for Pneumocystis pneumonia and targets dihydrofolate reductase from Pneumocystis jirovecii (pjDHFR), it is necessary to understand the determinants of potency and selectivity against DHFR from the mammalian host and fungal pathogen cells. To this end, active site residues in human (h)DHFR were replaced with those from pjDHFR. Structural data are reported for two complexes of TMP with the double mutants Gln35Ser/Asn64Phe (Q35S/N64F) and Gln35Lys/Asn64Phe (Q35K/N64F) of hDHFR that unexpectedly show evidence for the binding of two molecules of TMP: one molecule that binds in the normal folate binding site and the second molecule that binds in a novel subpocket site such that the mutated residue Phe64 is involved in van der Waals contacts to the trimethoxyphenyl ring of the second TMP molecule. Kinetic data for the binding of TMP to hDHFR and pjDHFR reveal an 84-fold selectivity of TMP against pjDHFR (Ki 49 nM) compared to hDHFR (Ki 4093 nM). Two mutants that contain one substitution from pj- and one from the closely related Pneumocystis carinii DHFR (pcDHFR) (Q35K/N64F and Q35S/N64F) show Ki values of 593 and 617 nM, respectively; these Ki values are well above both the Ki for pjDHFR and are similar to pcDHFR (Q35K/N64F) and Q35S/N64F) (305 nM). These results suggest that active site residues 35 and 64 play key roles in determining selectivity for pneumocystis DHFR, but that other residues contribute to the unique binding of inhibitors to these enzymes. PMID:21684339

  6. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of an active-site mutant hydantoin racemase from Sinorhizobium meliloti CECT4114

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martínez-Rodríguez, Sergio; González-Ramírez, Luis Antonio; Clemente-Jiménez, Josefa María; Rodríguez-Vico, Felipe; Las Heras-Vázquez, Francisco Javier; Gavira, Jose Antonio; García-Ruiz, Juan Ma.

    2007-01-01

    Crystals of an active-site mutated hydantoin racemase from S. meliloti have been obtained in the presence and absence of d,l-5-isopropyl-hydantoin and characterized by X-ray diffraction. A recombinant active-site mutant of hydantoin racemase (C76A) from Sinorhizobium meliloti CECT 4114 (SmeHyuA) has been crystallized in the presence and absence of the substrate d,l-5-isopropyl hydantoin. Crystals of the SmeHyuA mutant suitable for data collection and structure determination were grown using the counter-diffusion method. X-ray data were collected to resolutions of 2.17 and 1.85 Å for the free and bound enzymes, respectively. Both crystals belong to space group R3 and contain two molecules of SmeHyuA per asymmetric unit. The crystals of the free and complexed SmeHyuA have unit-cell parameters a = b = 85.43, c = 152.37 Å and a = b = 85.69, c = 154.38 Å, crystal volumes per protein weight (V M ) of 1.94 and 1.98 Å 3 Da −1 and solvent contents of 36.7 and 37.9%, respectively

  7. Ensemble-based computational approach discriminates functional activity of p53 cancer and rescue mutants.

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    Özlem Demir

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The tumor suppressor protein p53 can lose its function upon single-point missense mutations in the core DNA-binding domain ("cancer mutants". Activity can be restored by second-site suppressor mutations ("rescue mutants". This paper relates the functional activity of p53 cancer and rescue mutants to their overall molecular dynamics (MD, without focusing on local structural details. A novel global measure of protein flexibility for the p53 core DNA-binding domain, the number of clusters at a certain RMSD cutoff, was computed by clustering over 0.7 µs of explicitly solvated all-atom MD simulations. For wild-type p53 and a sample of p53 cancer or rescue mutants, the number of clusters was a good predictor of in vivo p53 functional activity in cell-based assays. This number-of-clusters (NOC metric was strongly correlated (r(2 = 0.77 with reported values of experimentally measured ΔΔG protein thermodynamic stability. Interpreting the number of clusters as a measure of protein flexibility: (i p53 cancer mutants were more flexible than wild-type protein, (ii second-site rescue mutations decreased the flexibility of cancer mutants, and (iii negative controls of non-rescue second-site mutants did not. This new method reflects the overall stability of the p53 core domain and can discriminate which second-site mutations restore activity to p53 cancer mutants.

  8. Active Site Dynamics in Substrate Hydrolysis Catalyzed by DapE Enzyme and Its Mutants from Hybrid QM/MM-Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

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    Dutta, Debodyuti; Mishra, Sabyashachi

    2017-07-27

    The mechanism of the catalytic hydrolysis of N-succinyl diaminopimelic acid (SDAP) by the microbial enzyme DapE in its wild-type (wt) form as well as three of its mutants (E134D, H67A, and H349A) is investigated employing a hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) method coupled with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, wherein the time evolution of the atoms of the QM and MM regions are obtained from the forces acting on the individual atoms. The free-energy profiles along the reaction coordinates of this multistep hydrolysis reaction process are explored using a combination of equilibrium and nonequilibrium (umbrella sampling) QM/MM-MD simulation techniques. In the enzyme-substrate complexes of wt-DapE and the E134D mutant, nucleophilic attack is found to be the rate-determining step involving a barrier of 15.3 and 21.5 kcal/mol, respectively, which satisfactorily explains the free energy of activation obtained from kinetic experiments in wt-DapE-SDAP (15.2 kcal/mol) and the 3 orders of magnitude decrease in the catalytic activity due to E134D mutation. The catalysis is found to be quenched in the H67A and H349A mutants of DapE due to conformational rearrangement in the active site induced by the absence of the active site His residues that prohibits activation of the catalytic water molecule.

  9. Dynamics of translocation and substrate binding in individual complexes formed with active site mutants of {phi}29 DNA polymerase.

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    Dahl, Joseph M; Wang, Hongyun; Lázaro, José M; Salas, Margarita; Lieberman, Kate R

    2014-03-07

    The Φ29 DNA polymerase (DNAP) is a processive B-family replicative DNAP. Fluctuations between the pre-translocation and post-translocation states can be quantified from ionic current traces, when individual Φ29 DNAP-DNA complexes are held atop a nanopore in an electric field. Based upon crystal structures of the Φ29 DNAP-DNA binary complex and the Φ29 DNAP-DNA-dNTP ternary complex, residues Tyr-226 and Tyr-390 in the polymerase active site were implicated in the structural basis of translocation. Here, we have examined the dynamics of translocation and substrate binding in complexes formed with the Y226F and Y390F mutants. The Y226F mutation diminished the forward and reverse rates of translocation, increased the affinity for dNTP in the post-translocation state by decreasing the dNTP dissociation rate, and increased the affinity for pyrophosphate in the pre-translocation state. The Y390F mutation significantly decreased the affinity for dNTP in the post-translocation state by decreasing the association rate ∼2-fold and increasing the dissociation rate ∼10-fold, implicating this as a mechanism by which this mutation impedes DNA synthesis. The Y390F dissociation rate increase is suppressed when complexes are examined in the presence of Mn(2+) rather than Mg(2+). The same effects of the Y226F or Y390F mutations were observed in the background of the D12A/D66A mutations, located in the exonuclease active site, ∼30 Å from the polymerase active site. Although translocation rates were unaffected in the D12A/D66A mutant, these exonuclease site mutations caused a decrease in the dNTP dissociation rate, suggesting that they perturb Φ29 DNAP interdomain architecture.

  10. Construction of a catalytically inactive cholesterol oxidase mutant: investigation of the interplay between active site-residues glutamate 361 and histidine 447.

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    Yin, Ye; Liu, Pingsheng; Anderson, Richard G W; Sampson, Nicole S

    2002-06-15

    Cholesterol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of cholesterol to cholest-5-en-3-one and its subsequent isomerization into cholest-4-en-3-one. Two active-site residues, His447 and Glu361, are important for catalyzing the oxidation and isomerization reactions, respectively. Double-mutants were constructed to test the interplay between these residues in catalysis. We observed that the k(cat) of oxidation for the H447Q/E361Q mutant was 3-fold less than that for H447Q and that the k(cat) of oxidation for the H447E/E361Q mutant was 10-fold slower than that for H447E. Because both doubles-mutants do not have a carboxylate at position 361, they do not catalyze isomerization of the reaction intermediate cholest-5-en-3-one to cholest-4-en-3-one. These results suggest that Glu361 can compensate for the loss of histidine at position 447 by acting as a general base catalyst for oxidation of cholesterol. Importantly, the construction of the double-mutant H447E/E361Q yields an enzyme that is 31,000-fold slower than wild type in k(cat) for oxidation. The H447E/E361Q mutant is folded like native enzyme and still associates with model membranes. Thus, this mutant may be used to study the effects of membrane binding in the absence of catalytic activity. It is demonstrated that in assays with caveolae membrane fractions, the wild-type enzyme uncouples platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRbeta) autophosphorylation from tyrosine phosphorylation of neighboring proteins, and the H447E/E361Q mutant does not. Thus maintenance of membrane structure by cholesterol is important for PDGFRbeta-mediated signaling. The cholesterol oxidase mutant probe described will be generally useful for investigating the role of membrane structure in signal transduction pathways in addition to the PDGFRbeta-dependent pathway tested.

  11. Synthesis, purification, and characterization of an Arg152 → Glu site-directed mutant of recombinant human blood clotting factor VII

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wildgoose, P.; Kisiel, W.; Berkner, K.L.

    1990-01-01

    Coagulation factor VII circulates in blood as a single-chain zymogen of a serine protease and is converted to its activated two-chain form, factor VIIa, by cleavage of an internal peptide bond located at Arg 152 -Ile 153 . Previous studies using serine protease active-site inhibitors suggest that zymogen factor VII may possess sufficient proteolytic activity to initiate the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. In order to assess the putative intrinsic proteolytic activity of single-chain factor VII, the authors have constructed a site-specific mutant of recombinant human factor VII in which arginine-152 has been replaced with a glutamic acid residue. Mutant factor VII was purified in a single step from culture supernatants of baby hamster kidney cells transfected with a plasmid containing the sequence for Arg 152 → Glu factor VII using a calcium-dependent, murine anti-factor VII monoclonal antibody column. The clotting activity of mutant factor VII was completely inhibited following incubation with dansyl-Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone, suggesting that the apparent clotting activity of mutant factor VII was due to a contaminating serine protease. Immunoblots of mutant factor VII with human factor IXa revealed no cleavage, whereas incubation of mutant factor VII with human factor Xa resulted in cleavage of mutant factor VII and the formation of a lower molecular weight degradation product migrating at M r ∼40 000. The results are consistent with the proposal that zymogen factor VII possesses no intrinsic proteolytic activity toward factor X or factor IX

  12. Synthesis, purification, and characterization of an Arg sub 152 yields Glu site-directed mutant of recombinant human blood clotting factor VII

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wildgoose, P.; Kisiel, W. (Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque (USA)); Berkner, K.L. (ZymoGenetics, Inc., Seattle, WA (USA))

    1990-04-03

    Coagulation factor VII circulates in blood as a single-chain zymogen of a serine protease and is converted to its activated two-chain form, factor VIIa, by cleavage of an internal peptide bond located at Arg{sub 152}-Ile{sub 153}. Previous studies using serine protease active-site inhibitors suggest that zymogen factor VII may possess sufficient proteolytic activity to initiate the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. In order to assess the putative intrinsic proteolytic activity of single-chain factor VII, the authors have constructed a site-specific mutant of recombinant human factor VII in which arginine-152 has been replaced with a glutamic acid residue. Mutant factor VII was purified in a single step from culture supernatants of baby hamster kidney cells transfected with a plasmid containing the sequence for Arg{sub 152} {yields} Glu factor VII using a calcium-dependent, murine anti-factor VII monoclonal antibody column. The clotting activity of mutant factor VII was completely inhibited following incubation with dansyl-Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone, suggesting that the apparent clotting activity of mutant factor VII was due to a contaminating serine protease. Immunoblots of mutant factor VII with human factor IXa revealed no cleavage, whereas incubation of mutant factor VII with human factor Xa resulted in cleavage of mutant factor VII and the formation of a lower molecular weight degradation product migrating at M{sup r}{approx}40 000. The results are consistent with the proposal that zymogen factor VII possesses no intrinsic proteolytic activity toward factor X or factor IX.

  13. Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of wild-type and of an active-site mutant of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Campylobacter jejuni

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tourigny, David S.; Elliott, Paul R.; Edgell, Louise J.; Hudson, Gregg M.; Moody, Peter C. E.

    2010-01-01

    The cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of wild-type and of an active-site mutant of C. jejuni glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is reported. The genome of the enteric pathogen Campylobacter jejuni encodes a single glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase that can utilize either NADP + or NAD + as coenzymes for the oxidative phosphorylation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate to 1,3-diphosphoglycerate. Here, the cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of both the wild type and an active-site mutant of the enzyme are presented. Preliminary X-ray analysis revealed that in both cases the crystals diffracted to beyond 1.9 Å resolution. The space group is shown to be I4 1 22, with unit-cell parameters a = 90.75, b = 90.75, c = 225.48 Å, α = 90.46, β = 90.46, γ = 222.79°; each asymmetric unit contains only one subunit of the tetrameric enzyme

  14. Understanding Which Residues of the Active Site and Loop Structure of a Tyrosine Aminomutase Define Its Mutase and Lyase Activities.

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    Attanayake, Gayanthi; Walter, Tyler; Walker, Kevin D

    2018-05-30

    Site-directed mutations and substrate analogues were used to gain insights into the branch-point reaction of the 3,5-dihydro-5-methylidene-4 H-imidazol-4-one (MIO)-tyrosine aminomutase from Oryza sativa ( OsTAM). Exchanging the active residues of OsTAM (Y125C/N446K) for those in a phenylalanine aminomutase TcPAM altered its substrate specificity from tyrosine to phenylalanine. The aminomutase mechanism of OsTAM surprisingly changed almost exclusively to that of an ammonia lyase making cinnamic acid (>95%) over β-phenylalanine [Walter, T., et al. (2016) Biochemistry 55, 3497-3503]. We hypothesized that the missing electronics or sterics on the aryl ring of the phenylalanine substrate, compared with the sizable electron-donating hydroxyl of the natural tyrosine substrate, influenced the unexpected lyase reactivity of the OsTAM mutant. The double mutant was incubated with 16 α-phenylalanine substituent analogues of varying electronic strengths and sterics. The mutant converted each analogue principally to its acrylate with ∼50% conversion of the p-Br substrate, making only a small amount of the β-amino acid. The inner loop structure over the entrance to the active site was also mutated to assess how the lyase and mutase activities are affected. An OsTAM loop mutant, matching the loop residues of TcPAM, still chiefly made >95% of the acrylate from each substrate. A combined active site:loop mutant was most reactive but remained a lyase, making 10-fold more acrylates than other mutants did. While mutations within the active site changed the substrate specificity of OsTAM, continued exploration is needed to fully understand the interplay among the inner loop, the substrate, and the active site in defining the mutase and lyase activities.

  15. Improved thermostability and enzyme activity of a recombinant phyA mutant phytase from Aspergillus niger N25 by directed evolution and site-directed mutagenesis.

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    Tang, Zizhong; Jin, Weiqiong; Sun, Rong; Liao, Yan; Zhen, Tianrun; Chen, Hui; Wu, Qi; Gou, Lin; Li, Chenlei

    2018-01-01

    We previously constructed three recombinant phyA mutant strains (PP-NP m -8, PP-NP ep -6A and I44E/T252R-PhyA), showing improved catalytic efficiency or thermostability of Aspergillus niger N25 phytase, by error-prone PCR or site-directed mutagenesis. In this study, directed evolution and site-directed mutagenesis were further applied to improve the modified phytase properties. After one-round error-prone PCR for phytase gene of PP-NP ep -6A, a single transformant, T195L/Q368E/F376Y, was obtained with the significant improvements in catalytic efficiency and thermostability. The phytase gene of T195L/Q368E/F376Y, combined with the previous mutant phytase genes of PP-NP ep -6A, PP-NP m -8 and I44E/T252R-PhyA, was then sequentially modified by DNA shuffling. Three genetically engineered strains with desirable properties were then obtained, namedQ172R, Q172R/K432R andQ368E/K432R. Among them, Q172R/K432R showed the highest thermostability with the longest half-life and the greatest remaining phytase activity after heat treatment, while Q368E/K432R showed the highest catalytic activity. Five substitutions (Q172R, T195L, Q368E, F376Y, K432R) identified from random mutagenesis were added sequentially to the phytase gene of PP-NP ep -6A to investigate how the mutant sites influence the properties of phytase. Characterization and structural analysis demonstrated that these mutations could produce cumulative or synergistic improvements in thermostability or catalytic efficiency of phytase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Active site mutations change the cleavage specificity of neprilysin.

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    Travis Sexton

    Full Text Available Neprilysin (NEP, a member of the M13 subgroup of the zinc-dependent endopeptidase family is a membrane bound peptidase capable of cleaving a variety of physiological peptides. We have generated a series of neprilysin variants containing mutations at either one of two active site residues, Phe(563 and Ser(546. Among the mutants studied in detail we observed changes in their activity towards leucine(5-enkephalin, insulin B chain, and amyloid β(1-40. For example, NEP(F563I displayed an increase in preference towards cleaving leucine(5-enkephalin relative to insulin B chain, while mutant NEP(S546E was less discriminating than neprilysin. Mutants NEP(F563L and NEP(S546E exhibit different cleavage site preferences than neprilysin with insulin B chain and amyloid ß(1-40 as substrates. These data indicate that it is possible to alter the cleavage site specificity of neprilysin opening the way for the development of substrate specific or substrate exclusive forms of the enzyme with enhanced therapeutic potential.

  17. An active site mutant of Escherichia coli cyclopropane fatty acid synthase forms new non-natural fatty acids providing insights on the mechanism of the enzymatic reaction.

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    E, Guangqi; Drujon, Thierry; Correia, Isabelle; Ploux, Olivier; Guianvarc'h, Dominique

    2013-12-01

    We have produced and purified an active site mutant of the Escherichia coli cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (CFAS) by replacing the strictly conserved G236 within cyclopropane synthases, by a glutamate residue, which corresponds to E146 of the homologous mycolic acid methyltransferase, Hma, producing hydroxymethyl mycolic acids. The G236E CFAS mutant had less than 1% of the in vitro activity of the wild type enzyme. We expressed the G236E CFAS mutant in an E. coli (DE3) strain in which the chromosomal cfa gene had been deleted. After extraction of phospholipids and conversion into the corresponding fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), we observed the formation of cyclopropanated FAMEs suggesting that the mutant retained some of the normal activity in vivo. However, we also observed the formation of new C17 methyl-branched unsaturated FAMEs whose structures were determined using GC/MS and NMR analyses. The double bond was located at different positions 8, 9 or 10, and the methyl group at position 10 or 9. Thus, this new FAMEs are likely arising from a 16:1 acyl chain of a phospholipid that had been transformed by the G236E CFAS mutant in vivo. The reaction catalyzed by this G236E CFAS mutant thus starts by the methylation of the unsaturated acyl chain at position 10 or 9 yielding a carbocation at position 9 or 10 respectively. It follows then two competing steps, a normal cyclopropanation or hydride shift/elimination events giving different combinations of alkenes. This study not only provides further evidence that cyclopropane synthases (CSs) form a carbocationic intermediate but also opens the way to CSs engineering for the synthesis of non-natural fatty acids. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Tumor suppressor PTEN affects tau phosphorylation: deficiency in the phosphatase activity of PTEN increases aggregation of an FTDP-17 mutant Tau

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    Zhang Xue

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aberrant hyperphosphorylation of tau protein has been implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Although a number of protein kinases have been shown to phosphorylate tau in vitro and in vivo, the molecular mechanisms by which tau phosphorylation is regulated pathophysiologically are largely unknown. Recently, a growing body of evidence suggests a link between tau phosphorylation and PI3K signaling. In this study, phosphorylation, aggregation and binding to the microtubule of a mutant frontal temporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17 tau in the presence of tumor suppressor PTEN, a major regulatory component in PI3K signaling, were investigated. Results Phosphorylation of the human mutant FTDP-17 tau, T40RW, was evaluated using different phospho-tau specific antibodies in the presence of human wild-type or phosphatase activity null mutant PTEN. Among the evaluated phosphorylation sites, the levels of Ser214 and Thr212 phospho-tau proteins were significantly decreased in the presence of wild-type PTEN, and significantly increased when the phosphatase activity null mutant PTEN was ectopically expressed. Fractionation of the mutant tau transfected cells revealed a significantly increased level of soluble tau in cytosol when wild-type PTEN was expressed, and an elevated level of SDS-soluble tau aggregates in the presence of the mutant PTEN. In addition, the filter/trap assays detected more SDS-insoluble mutant tau aggregates in the cells overexpressing the mutant PTEN compared to those in the cells overexpressing wild-type PTEN and control DNA. This notion was confirmed by the immunocytochemical experiment which demonstrated that the overexpression of the phosphatase activity null mutant PTEN caused the mutant tau to form aggregates in the COS-7 cells. Conclusion Tumor suppressor PTEN can alleviate the phosporylation of the mutant FTDP-17 tau at specific sites, and the phosphatase activity

  19. Identification of diphtheria toxin R domain mutants with enhanced inhibitory activity against HB-EGF.

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    Suzuki, Keisuke; Mizushima, Hiroto; Abe, Hiroyuki; Iwamoto, Ryo; Nakamura, Haruki; Mekada, Eisuke

    2015-05-01

    Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), a ligand of EGF receptor, is involved in the growth and malignant progression of cancers. Cross-reacting material 197, CRM197, a non-toxic mutant of diphtheria toxin (DT), specifically binds to the EGF-like domain of HB-EGF and inhibits its mitogenic activity, thus CRM197 is currently under evaluation in clinical trials for cancer therapy. To develop more potent DT mutants than CRM197, we screened various mutant proteins of R domain of DT, the binding site for HB-EGF. A variety of R-domain mutant proteins fused with maltose-binding protein were produced and their inhibitory activity was evaluated in vitro. We found four R domain mutants that showed much higher inhibitory activity against HB-EGF than wild-type (WT) R domain. These R domain mutants suppressed HB-EGF-dependent cell proliferation more effectively than WT R domain. Surface plasmon resonance revealed their higher affinity to HB-EGF than WT R domain. CRM197(R460H) carrying the newly identified mutation showed increased cell proliferation inhibitory activity and affinity to HB-EGF. These results suggest that CRM197(R460H) or other recombinant proteins carrying newly identified mutation(s) in the R domain are potential therapeutics targeting HB-EGF. © The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.

  20. Improving the neutral phytase activity from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM 1061 by site-directed mutagenesis.

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    Xu, Wei; Shao, Rong; Wang, Zupeng; Yan, Xiuhua

    2015-03-01

    Neutral phytase is used as a feed additive for degradation of anti-nutritional phytate in aquatic feed industry. Site-directed mutagenesis of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM 1061 phytase was performed with an aim to increase its activity. Mutation residues were chosen based on multiple sequence alignments and structure analysis of neutral phytsaes from different microorganisms. The mutation sites on surface (D148E, S197E and N156E) and around the active site (D52E) of phytase were selected. Analysis of the phytase variants showed that the specific activities of mutants D148E and S197E remarkably increased by about 35 and 13% over a temperature range of 40-75 °C at pH 7.0, respectively. The k cat of mutants D148E and S197E were 1.50 and 1.25 times than that of the wild-type phytase, respectively. Both D148E and S197E showed much higher thermostability than that of the wild-type phytase. However, mutants N156E and D52E led to significant loss of specific activity of the enzyme. Structural analysis revealed that these mutations may affect conformation of the active site of phytase. The present mutant phytases D148E and S197E with increased activities and thermostabilities have application potential as additives in aquaculture feed.

  1. Structure prediction and activity analysis of human heme oxygenase-1 and its mutant.

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    Xia, Zhen-Wei; Zhou, Wen-Pu; Cui, Wen-Jun; Zhang, Xue-Hong; Shen, Qing-Xiang; Li, Yun-Zhu; Yu, Shan-Chang

    2004-08-15

    To predict wild human heme oxygenase-1 (whHO-1) and hHO-1 His25Ala mutant (delta hHO-1) structures, to clone and express them and analyze their activities. Swiss-PdbViewer and Antheprot 5.0 were used for the prediction of structure diversity and physical-chemical changes between wild and mutant hHO-1. hHO-1 His25Ala mutant cDNA was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis in two plasmids of E. coli DH5alpha. Expression products were purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column chromatography, and their activities were measured. rHO-1 had the structure of a helical fold with the heme sandwiched between heme-heme oxygenase-1 helices. Bond angle, dihedral angle and chemical bond in the active pocket changed after Ala25 was replaced by His25, but Ala25 was still contacting the surface and the electrostatic potential of the active pocket was negative. The mutated enzyme kept binding activity to heme. Two vectors pBHO-1 and pBHO-1(M) were constructed and expressed. Ammonium sulphate precipitation and column chromatography yielded 3.6-fold and 30-fold higher purities of whHO-1, respectively. The activity of delta hHO-1 was reduced 91.21% after mutation compared with whHO-1. Proximal His25 ligand is crucial for normal hHO-1 catalytic activity. delta hHO-1 is deactivated by mutation but keeps the same binding site as whHO-1. delta hHO-1 might be a potential inhibitor of whHO-1 for preventing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

  2. Phanerochaete mutants with enhanced ligninolytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakar, S.N.; Perez, A.; Gonzales, J.

    1994-01-01

    In addition to lignin, the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has the ability to degrade a wide spectrum of recalcitrant organo pollutants in soils and aqueous media. Most of the organic compounds are degraded under ligninolytic conditions with the involvement of the extracellular enzymes, lignin peroxidases, and manganese-dependent peroxidases, which are produced as secondary metabolites triggered by conditions of nutrient starvation (e.g., nitrogen limitation). The fungus and its enzymes can thus provide alternative technologies for bioremediation, bio pulping, bio bleaching, and other industrial applications. The efficiency and effectiveness of the fungus can be enhanced by increasing production and secretion of the important enzymes in large quantities and as primary metabolites under enriched conditions. One way this can be achieved is through isolation of mutants that are deregulated, or are hyper producers or super secretors of key enzymes under enriched conditions. Through UV-light and γ-ray mutagenesis, we have isolated a variety of mutants, some of which produce key enzymes of the ligninolytic system under high-nitrogen growth conditions. One of the mutants, 76UV, produced 272 U of lignin peroxidases enzyme activity/L after 9 d under high nitrogen (although the parent strain does not produce this enzyme under these conditions). The mutant and the parent strains produced up to 54 and 62 U/L, respectively, of the enzyme activity under low nitrogen growth conditions during this period. In some experiments, the mutant showed 281 U/L of enzyme activity under high nitrogen after 17 d

  3. Staphylococcus aureus β-Toxin Mutants Are Defective in Biofilm Ligase and Sphingomyelinase Activity, and Causation of Infective Endocarditis and Sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Alfa; Vu, Bao G; Stach, Christopher S; Merriman, Joseph A; Horswill, Alexander R; Salgado-Pabón, Wilmara; Schlievert, Patrick M

    2016-05-03

    β-Toxin is an important virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus, contributing to colonization and development of disease [Salgado-Pabon, W., et al. (2014) J. Infect. Dis. 210, 784-792; Huseby, M. J., et al. (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 14407-14412; Katayama, Y., et al. (2013) J. Bacteriol. 195, 1194-1203]. This cytotoxin has two distinct mechanisms of action: sphingomyelinase activity and DNA biofilm ligase activity. However, the distinct mechanism that is most important for its role in infective endocarditis is unknown. We characterized the active site of β-toxin DNA biofilm ligase activity by examining deficiencies in site-directed mutants through in vitro DNA precipitation and biofilm formation assays. Possible conformational changes in mutant structure compared to that of wild-type toxin were assessed preliminarily by trypsin digestion analysis, retention of sphingomyelinase activity, and predicted structures based on the native toxin structure. We addressed the contribution of each mechanism of action to producing infective endocarditis and sepsis in vivo in a rabbit model. The H289N β-toxin mutant, lacking sphingomyelinase activity, exhibited lower sepsis lethality and infective endocarditis vegetation formation compared to those of the wild-type toxin. β-Toxin mutants with disrupted biofilm ligase activity did not exhibit decreased sepsis lethality but were deficient in infective endocarditis vegetation formation compared to the wild-type protein. Our study begins to characterize the DNA biofilm ligase active site of β-toxin and suggests β-toxin functions importantly in infective endocarditis through both of its mechanisms of action.

  4. Improving the activity of the subtilisin nattokinase by site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Meizhi; Deng, Xiongwei; Bao, Wei; Zhu, Li; Wu, Jieyuan; Cai, Yongjun; Jia, Yan; Zheng, Zhongliang; Zou, Guolin

    2015-09-25

    Nattokinase (NK), a bacterial serine protease from Bacillus subtilis var. natto, is a potential cardiovascular drug exhibiting strong fibrinolytic activity. To broaden its commercial and medical applications, we constructed a single-mutant (I31L) and two double-mutants (M222A/I31L and T220S/I31L) by site-directed mutagenesis. Active enzymes were expressed in Escherichia coli with periplasmic secretion and were purified to homogeneity. The kinetic parameters of enzymes were examined by spectroscopy assay and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and their fibrinolytic activities were determined by fibrin plate method. The substitution of Leu(31) for Ile(31) resulted in about 2-fold enhancement of catalytic efficiency (Kcat/KM) compared with wild-type NK. The specific activities of both double-mutants (M222A/I31L and T220S/I31L) were significantly increased when compared with the single-mutants (M222A and T220S) and the oxidative stability of M222A/I31L mutant was enhanced with respect to wild-type NK. This study demonstrates the feasibility of improving activity of NK by site-directed mutagenesis and shows successful protein engineering cases to improve the activity of NK as a potent therapeutic agent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Enhancement in catalytic activity of Aspergillus niger XynB by selective site-directed mutagenesis of active site amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiuyun; Tian, Zhennan; Jiang, Xukai; Zhang, Qun; Wang, Lushan

    2018-01-01

    XynB from Aspergillus niger ATCC1015 (AnXynB) is a mesophilic glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 11 xylanase which holds great potentials in a wide variety of industrial applications. In the present study, the catalytic activity and stability of AnXynB were improved by a combination of computational and experimental approaches. Virtual mutation and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the introduction of Glu and Asn altered the interaction network at the - 3 subsite. Interestingly, the double mutant S41N/T43E displayed 72% increase in catalytic activity when compared to the wild type (WT). In addition, it also showed a better thermostability than the WT enzyme. Kinetic determination of the T43E and S41N/T43E mutants suggested that the higher xylanase activity is probably due to the increasing binding affinity of enzyme and substrate. Consequently, the enzyme activity and thermostability of AnXynB was both increased by selective site-directed mutagenesis at the - 3 subsite of its active site architecture which provides a good example for a successfully engineered enzyme for potential industrial application. Moreover, the molecular evolution approach adopted in this study led to the design of a library of sequences that captures a meaningful functional diversity in a limited number of protein variants.

  6. [Substrate specificities of bile salt hydrolase 1 and its mutants from Lactobacillus salivarius].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Jie; Fang, Fang; Qiu, Yuying; Yang, Qingli; Chen, Jian

    2014-03-01

    In order to analyze the correlation between critical residues in the catalytic centre of BSH and the enzyme substrate specificity, seven mutants of Lactobacillus salivarius bile salt hydrolase (BSH1) were constructed by using the Escherichia coli pET-20b(+) gene expression system, rational design and site-directed mutagenesis. These BSH1 mutants exhibited different hydrolytic activities against various conjugated bile salts through substrate specificities comparison. Among the residues being tested, Cys2 and Thr264 were deduced as key sites for BSH1 to catalyze taurocholic acid and glycocholic acid, respectively. Moreover, Cys2 and Thr264 were important for keeping the catalytic activity of BSH1. The high conservative Cys2 was not the only active site, other mutant amino acid sites were possibly involved in substrate binding. These mutant residues might influence the space and shape of the substrate-binding pockets or the channel size for substrate passing through and entering active site of BSH1, thus, the hydrolytic activity of BSH1 was changed to different conjugated bile salt.

  7. Activation of the Arabidopsis membrane-bound transcription factor bZIP28 is mediated by site-2 protease, but not site-1 protease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwata, Yuji; Ashida, Makoto; Hasegawa, Chisa; Tabara, Kazuki; Mishiba, Kei-Ichiro; Koizumi, Nozomu

    2017-08-01

    The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a homeostatic cellular response conserved in eukaryotic cells to alleviate the accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Arabidopsis bZIP28 is a membrane-bound transcription factor activated by proteolytic cleavage in response to ER stress, thereby releasing its cytosolic portion containing the bZIP domain from the membrane to translocate into the nucleus where it induces the transcription of genes encoding ER-resident molecular chaperones and folding enzymes. It has been widely recognized that the proteolytic activation of bZIP28 is mediated by the sequential cleavage of site-1 protease (S1P) and site-2 protease (S2P). In the present study we provide evidence that bZIP28 protein is cleaved by S2P, but not by S1P. We demonstrated that wild-type and s1p mutant plants produce the active, nuclear form of bZIP28 in response to the ER stress inducer tunicamycin. In contrast, tunicamycin-treated s2p mutants do not accumulate the active, nuclear form of bZIP28. Consistent with these observations, s2p mutants, but not s1p mutants, exhibited a defective transcriptional response of ER stress-responsive genes and significantly higher sensitivity to tunicamycin. Interestingly, s2p mutants accumulate two membrane-bound bZIP28 fragments with a shorter ER lumen-facing C-terminal domain. Importantly, the predicted cleavage sites are located far from the canonical S1P recognition motif previously described. We propose that ER stress-induced proteolytic activation of bZIP28 is mediated by the sequential actions of as-yet-unidentified protease(s) and S2P, and does not require S1P. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Biological role of site-specific O-glycosylation in cell adhesion activity and phosphorylation of osteopontin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyama, Midori; Kariya, Yoshinobu; Kariya, Yukiko; Matsumoto, Kana; Kanno, Mayumi; Yamaguchi, Yoshiki; Hashimoto, Yasuhiro

    2018-05-09

    Osteopontin (OPN) is an extracellular glycosylated phosphoprotein that promotes cell adhesion by interacting with several integrin receptors. We previously reported that an OPN mutant lacking five O-glycosylation sites (Thr 134 /Thr 138 /Thr 143 /Thr 147 /Thr 152 ) in the threonine/proline-rich region increased cell adhesion activity and phosphorylation compared with the wild type. However, the role of O-glycosylation in cell adhesion activity and phosphorylation of OPN remains to be clarified. Here, we show that site-specific O-glycosylation in the threonine/proline-rich region of OPN affects its cell adhesion activity and phosphorylation independently and/or synergistically. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we found that OPN mutants with substitution sets of Thr 134 /Thr 138 or Thr 143 /Thr 147 /Thr 152 had decreased and increased cell adhesion activity, respectively. In contrast, the introduction of a single mutation into the O-glycosylation sites had no effect on OPN cell adhesion activity. An adhesion assay using function-blocking antibodies against αvβ3 and β1 integrins, as well as αvβ3 integrin-overexpressing A549 cells, revealed that site-specific O-glycosylation affected the association of OPN with the two integrins. Phosphorylation analyses using phos-tag and LC-MS/MS indicated that phosphorylation levels and sites were influenced by the O-glycosylation status, although the number of O-glycosylation sites was not correlated with the phosphorylation level in OPN. Furthermore, a correlation analysis between phosphorylation level and cell adhesion activity in OPN mutants with the site-specific O-glycosylation showed that they were not always correlated. These results provide conclusive evidence of a novel regulatory mechanism of cell adhesion activity and phosphorylation of OPN by site-specific O-glycosylation. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  9. Design of Trypanosoma rangeli sialidase mutants with improved trans-sialidase activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Nyffenegger

    Full Text Available A sialidase (EC 3.2.1.18 from the non-pathogenic Trypanosoma rangeli, TrSA, has been shown to exert trans-sialidase activity after mutation of five specific amino acids in the active site (M96V, A98P, S120Y, G249Y, Q284P to form the so-called TrSA5mut enzyme. By computational and hypothesis driven approaches additional mutations enhancing the trans-sialidase activity have been suggested. In the present work, we made a systematic combination of these mutations leading to seven new variants of the T. rangeli sialidase, having 6-16 targeted amino acid mutations. The resulting enzyme variants were analyzed via kinetics for their ability to carry out trans-sialidase reaction using CGMP and D-lactose as substrates. The sialidase variants with 15 and 16 mutations, respectively, exhibited significantly improved trans-sialidase activity for D-lactose sialylation. Our results corroborate, that computational studies of trans-glycosylation can be a valuable input in the design of novel trans-glycosidases, but also highlight the importance of experimental validation in order to assess the performance. In conclusion, two of the seven mutants displayed a dramatic switch in specificity from hydrolysis towards trans-sialylation and constitute the most potent trans-sialidase mutants of TrSA described in literature to date.

  10. Active sites of the cytochrome p450cam (CYP101) F87W and F87A mutants. Evidence for significant structural reorganization without alteration of catalytic regiospecificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuck, S F; Graham-Lorence, S; Peterson, J A; Ortiz de Montellano, P R

    1993-01-05

    Ferricyanide oxidation of the aryl-iron complexes formed by the reaction of cytochrome P450 enzymes with arylhydrazines causes in situ migration of the aryl group from the iron to the porphyrin nitrogen atoms. The regiochemistry of this migration, defined by the ratio of the four possible N-arylprotoporphyrin IX isomers, provides a method for mapping the topologies of cytochrome P450 active sites. The method has been validated by using it to examine the active site of cytochrome P450cam (CYP101), for which a crystal structure is available. In agreement with the crystal structure, reaction with phenylhydrazine gives a 5:25:70 ratio of the NA:NC:ND (subscript indicates pyrrole ring) N-phenylprotoporphyrin IX isomers. Naphthylhydrazine, however, yields exclusively the NC regioisomer and 4-(phenyl)phenylhydrazine the NA:NC:ND isomers in a 14:40:46 ratio. These isomer ratio differences are readily explained by topological differences between the upper and lower reaches of the active site. Having validated the aryl-iron shift as a topological probe, we used it to investigate the structural changes caused by mutation of Phe-87, a residue that provides the ceiling over pyrrole ring D in the crystal structure of cytochrome P450cam. Mutation of Phe-87 to a tryptophan causes no detectable change in the regiochemistry of camphor hydroxylation and only minor changes in the N-aryl isomer ratios. However, mutation of Phe-87 to an alanine, which was expected to open up the region above pyrrole ring D, severely decreased the proportion of the ND in favor of the NA isomer. Less rather than more space is therefore available over pyrrole ring D in the F87A mutant despite the fact that the regiochemistry of camphor hydroxylation remains unchanged. These results provide evidence for significant structural reorganization in the upper regions of the substrate binding site without alteration of the camphor hydroxylation regiospecificity in the F87A mutant.

  11. DNA deformability changes of single base pair mutants within CDE binding sites in S. Cerevisiae centromere DNA correlate with measured chromosomal loss rates and CDE binding site symmetries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marx Kenneth A

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The centromeres in yeast (S. cerevisiae are organized by short DNA sequences (125 bp on each chromosome consisting of 2 conserved elements: CDEI and CDEIII spaced by a CDEII region. CDEI and CDEIII are critical sequence specific protein binding sites necessary for correct centromere formation and following assembly with proteins, are positioned near each other on a specialized nucleosome. Hegemann et al. BioEssays 1993, 15: 451–460 reported single base DNA mutants within the critical CDEI and CDEIII binding sites on the centromere of chromosome 6 and quantitated centromere loss of function, which they measured as loss rates for the different chromosome 6 mutants during cell division. Olson et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1998, 95: 11163–11168 reported the use of protein-DNA crystallography data to produce a DNA dinucleotide protein deformability energetic scale (PD-scale that describes local DNA deformability by sequence specific binding proteins. We have used the PD-scale to investigate the DNA sequence dependence of the yeast chromosome 6 mutants' loss rate data. Each single base mutant changes 2 PD-scale values at that changed base position relative to the wild type. In this study, we have utilized these mutants to demonstrate a correlation between the change in DNA deformability of the CDEI and CDEIII core sites and the overall experimentally measured chromosome loss rates of the chromosome 6 mutants. Results In the CDE I and CDEIII core binding regions an increase in the magnitude of change in deformability of chromosome 6 single base mutants with respect to the wild type correlates to an increase in the measured chromosome loss rate. These correlations were found to be significant relative to 105 Monte Carlo randomizations of the dinucleotide PD-scale applied to the same calculation. A net loss of deformability also tends to increase the loss rate. Binding site position specific, 4 data-point correlations were also

  12. Arginine kinase in Toxocara canis: Exon-intron organization, functional analysis of site-directed mutants and evaluation of putative enzyme inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wickramasinghe, Susiji; Yatawara, Lalani; Nagataki, Mitsuru; Agatsuma, Takeshi

    2016-10-01

    To determine exon/intron organization of the Toxocara canis (T. canis) AK (TCAK) and to test green and black tea and several other chemicals against the activity of recombinant TCAK in the guanidino-specific region by site-directed mutants. Amplification of genomic DNA fragments containing introns was carried out by PCRs. The open-reading frame (1200 bp) of TCAK (wild type) was cloned into the BamH1/SalI site of pMAL-c2X. The maltose-binding protein-TCAK fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli TB1 cells. The purity of the expressed enzyme was verified by SDS-PAGE. Mutations were introduced into the guanidino-specific region and other areas of pMAL/TCAK by PCR. Enzyme activity was measured with an NADH-linked assay at 25 °C for the forward reaction (phosphagen synthesis). Arginine kinase in T. canis has a seven-exon/six-intron gene structure. The lengths of the introns ranged from 542 bp to 2 500 bp. All introns begin with gt and end with ag. Furthermore, we measured the enzyme activity of site-directed mutants of the recombinant TCAK. The K m value of the mutant (Alanine to Serine) decreased indicating a higher affinity for substrate arginine than the wild-type. The K m value of the mutant (Serine to Glycine) increased to 0.19 mM. The K m value (0.19 mM) of the double mutant (Alanine-Serine to Serine-Glycine) was slightly greater than in the wild-type (0.12 mM). In addition, several other chemicals were tested; including plant extract Azadiracta indica (A. indica), an aminoglycoside antibiotic (aminosidine), a citrus flavonoid glycoside (rutin) and a commercially available catechin mixture against TCAK. Green and black tea (1:10 dilution) produced 15% and 25% inhibition of TCAK, respectively. The extract of A. indica produced 5% inhibition of TCAK. Moreover, green and black tea produced a non-competitive type of inhibition and A. indica produced a mixed-type of inhibition on TCAK. Arginine kinase in T. canis has a seven-exon/six-intron gene

  13. Energy transfer at the active sites of heme proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dlott, D.D.; Hill, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    Experiments using a picosecond pump-probe apparatus at the Picosecond Free-electron Laser Center at Stanford University, were performed to investigate the relaxation of carbon monoxide bound to the active sites of heme proteins. The significance of these experiments is two-fold: (1) they provide detailed information about molecular dynamics occurring at the active sites of proteins; and (2) they provide insight into the nature of vibrational relaxation processes in condensed matter. Molecular engineering is used to construct various molecular systems which are studied with the FEL. We have studied native proteins, mainly myoglobin obtained from different species, mutant proteins produced by genetic engineering using recombinant DNA techniques, and a variety of model systems which mimic the structures of the active sites of native proteins, which are produced using molecular synthesis. Use of these different systems permits us to investigate how specific molecular structural changes affect dynamical processes occurring at the active sites. This research provides insight into the problems of how different species needs are fulfilled by heme proteins which have greatly different functionality, which is induced by rather small structural changes

  14. Mutagenesis of the redox-active disulfide in mercuric ion reductase: Catalysis by mutant enzymes restricted to flavin redox chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Distefano, M.D.; Au, K.G.; Walsh, C.T.

    1989-01-01

    Mercuric reductase, a flavoenzyme that possesses a redox-active cystine, Cys 135 Cys 140 , catalyzes the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0) by NADPH. As a probe of mechanism, the authors have constructed mutants lacking a redox-active disulfide by eliminating Cys 135 (Ala 135 Cys 140 ), Cys 14 (Cys 135 Ala 140 ), or both (Ala 135 Ala 140 ). Additionally, they have made double mutants that lack Cys 135 (Ala 135 Cys 139 Cys 140 ) or Cys 140 (Cys 135 Cys 139 Ala 140 ) but introduce a new Cys in place of Gly 139 with the aim of constructing dithiol pairs in the active site that do not form a redox-active disulfide. The resulting mutant enzymes all lack redox-active disulfides and are hence restricted to FAD/FADH 2 redox chemistry. Each mutant enzyme possesses unique physical and spectroscopic properties that reflect subtle differences in the FAD microenvironment. Preliminary evidence for the Ala 135 Cys 139 Cys 14 mutant enzyme suggests that this protein forms a disulfide between the two adjacent Cys residues. Hg(II) titration experiments that correlate the extent of charge-transfer quenching with Hg(II) binding indicate that the Ala 135 Cys 140 protein binds Hg(II) with substantially less avidity than does the wild-type enzyme. All mutant mercuric reductases catalyze transhydrogenation and oxygen reduction reactions through obligatory reduced flavin intermediates at rates comparable to or greater than that of the wild-type enzyme. In multiple-turnover assays which monitored the production of Hg(0), two of the mutant enzymes were observed to proceed through at least 30 turnovers at rates ca. 1000-fold slower than that of wild-type mercuric reductase. They conclude that the Cys 135 and Cys 140 thiols serve as Hg(II) ligands that orient the Hg(II) for subsequent reduction by a reduced flavin intermediate

  15. The role of the lysyl binding site of tissue-type plasminogen activator in the interaction with a forming fibrin clot

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, A.H.F.; Weening-Verhoeff, E.J.D.; Verheijen, J.H.

    1995-01-01

    To describe the role of the lysyl binding site in the interaction of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA, FGK1K2P) with a forming fibrin clot, we performed binding experiments with domain deletion mutants GK1K2P, K2P, and the corresponding point mutants lacking the lysyl binding site in the

  16. Requirement of histidine 217 for ubiquinone reductase activity (Qi site) in the cytochrome bc1 complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, K A; Dutton, P L; Daldal, F

    1994-01-25

    Folding models suggest that the highly conserved histidine 217 of the cytochrome b subunit from the cytochrome bc1 complex is close to the quinone reductase (Qi) site. This histidine (bH217) in the cytochrome b polypeptide of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus has been replaced with three other residues, aspartate (D), arginine (R), and leucine (L). bH217D and bH217R are able to grow photoheterotrophically and contain active cytochrome bc1 complexes (60% of wild-type activity), whereas the bH217L mutant is photosynthetically incompetent and contains a cytochrome bc1 complex that has only 10% of the wild-type activity. Single-turnover flash-activated electron transfer experiments show that cytochrome bH is reduced via the Qo site with near native rates in the mutant strains but that electron transfer between cytochrome bH and quinone bound at the Qi site is greatly slowed. These results are consistent with redox midpoint potential (Em) measurements of the cytochrome b subunit hemes and the Qi site quinone. The Em values of cyt bL and bH are approximately the same in the mutants and wild type, although the mutant strains have a larger relative concentration of what may be the high-potential form of cytochrome bH, called cytochrome b150. However, the redox properties of the semiquinone at the Qi site are altered significantly. The Qi site semiquinone stability constant of bH217R is 10 times higher than in the wild type, while in the other two strains (bH217D and bH217L) the stability constant is much lower than in the wild type. Thus H217 appears to have major effects on the redox properties of the quinone bound at the Qi site. These data are incorporated into a suggestion that H217 forms part of the binding pocket of the Qi site in a manner reminiscent of the interaction between quinone bound at the Qb site and H190 of the L subunit of the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center.

  17. A remote palm domain residue of RB69 DNA polymerase is critical for enzyme activity and influences the conformation of the active site.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agata Jacewicz

    Full Text Available Non-conserved amino acids that are far removed from the active site can sometimes have an unexpected effect on enzyme catalysis. We have investigated the effects of alanine replacement of residues distant from the active site of the replicative RB69 DNA polymerase, and identified a substitution in a weakly conserved palm residue (D714A, that renders the enzyme incapable of sustaining phage replication in vivo. D714, located several angstroms away from the active site, does not contact the DNA or the incoming dNTP, and our apoenzyme and ternary crystal structures of the Pol(D714A mutant demonstrate that D714A does not affect the overall structure of the protein. The structures reveal a conformational change of several amino acid side chains, which cascade out from the site of the substitution towards the catalytic center, substantially perturbing the geometry of the active site. Consistent with these structural observations, the mutant has a significantly reduced k pol for correct incorporation. We propose that the observed structural changes underlie the severe polymerization defect and thus D714 is a remote, non-catalytic residue that is nevertheless critical for maintaining an optimal active site conformation. This represents a striking example of an action-at-a-distance interaction.

  18. Mutants with Enhanced Nitrogenase Activity in Hydroponic Azospirillum brasilense-Wheat Associations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereg Gerk, Lily; Gilchrist, Kate; Kennedy, Ivan R.

    2000-01-01

    The effect of a mutation affecting flocculation, differentiation into cyst-like forms, and root colonization on nitrogenase expression by Azospirillum brasilense is described. The gene flcA of strain Sp7 restored these phenotypes in spontaneous mutants of both strains Sp7 and Sp245. Employing both constitutive pLA-lacZ and nifH-lacZ reporter fusions expressed in situ, the colony morphology, colonization pattern, and potential for nitrogenase activity of spontaneous mutants and flcA Tn5-induced mutants were established. The results of this study show that the ability of Sp7 and Sp245 mutant strains to remain in a vegetative form improved their ability to express nitrogenase activity in association with wheat in a hydroponic system. Restoring the cyst formation and colonization pattern to the spontaneous mutant Sp7-S reduced nitrogenase activity rates in association with plants to that of the wild-type Sp7. Although Tn5-induced flcA mutants showed higher potentials for nitrogenase expression than Sp7, their potentials were lower than that of Sp7-S, indicating that other factors in this strain contribute to its exceptional nitrogenase activity rates on plants. The lack of lateral flagella is not one of these factors, as Sp7-PM23, a spontaneous mutant impaired in swarming and lateral-flagellum production but not in flocculation, showed wild-type nitrogenase activity and expression. The results also suggest factors of importance in evolving an effective symbiosis between Azospirillum and wheat, such as increasing the availability of microaerobic niches along the root, increased supply of carbon sources by the plant, and the retention of the bacterial cells in vegetative form for faster metabolism. PMID:10788397

  19. Transformation of apple (Malus × domestica) using mutants of apple acetolactate synthase as a selectable marker and analysis of the T-DNA integration sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Jia-Long; Tomes, Sumathi; Gleave, Andrew P

    2013-05-01

    Apple acetolactate synthase mutants were generated by site-specific mutagenesis and successfully used as selection marker in tobacco and apple transformation. T-DNA/Apple genome junctions were analysed using genome-walking PCR and sequencing. An Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system was developed for apple (Malus × domestica), using mutants of apple acetolactate synthase (ALS) as a selectable marker. Four apple ALS mutants were generated by site-specific mutagenesis and subsequently cloned under the transcriptional control of the CaMV 35S promoter and ocs 3' terminator, in a pART27-derived plant transformation vector. Three of the four mutations were found to confer resistance to the herbicide Glean(®), containing the active agent chlorsulfuron, in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) transformation. In apple transformation, leaf explants infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 containing one of the three ALS mutants resulted in the production of shoots on medium containing 2-8 μg L(-1) Glean(®), whilst uninfected wild-type explants failed to regenerate shoots or survive on medium containing 1 and 3 μg L(-1) Glean(®), respectively. Glean(®)-resistant, regenerated shoots were further multiplied and rooted on medium containing 10 μg L(-1) Glean(®). The T-DNA and apple genome-DNA junctions from eight rooted transgenic apple plants were analysed using genome-walking PCR amplification and sequencing. This analysis confirmed T-DNA integration into the apple genome, identified the genome integration sites and revealed the extent of any vector backbone integration, T-DNA rearrangements and deletions of apple genome DNA at the sites of integration.

  20. Recombinant deamidated mutants of Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase have similar or increased activity compared to wild-type enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gervais, David; Foote, Nicholas

    2014-10-01

    The enzyme Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase (ErA) is an important biopharmaceutical product used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Like all proteins, certain asparagine (Asn) residues of ErA are susceptible to deamidation to aspartic acid (Asp), which may be a concern with respect to enzyme activity and potentially to pharmaceutical efficacy. Recombinant ErA mutants containing Asn to Asp changes were expressed, purified and characterised. Two mutants with single deamidation sites (N41D and N281D) were found to have approximately the same specific activity (1,062 and 924 U/mg, respectively) as the wild-type (908 U/mg). However, a double mutant (N41D N281D) had an increased specific activity (1261 U/mg). The N41D mutation conferred a slight increase in the catalytic constant (k cat 657 s(-1)) when compared to the WT (k cat 565 s(-1)), which was further increased in the double mutant, with a k cat of 798 s(-1). Structural analyses showed that the slight changes caused by point mutation of Asn41 to Asp may have reduced the number of hydrogen bonds in this α-helical part of the protein structure, resulting in subtle changes in enzyme turnover, both structurally and catalytically. The increased α-helical content observed with the N41D mutation by circular dichroism spectroscopy correlates with the difference in k cat, but not K m. The N281D mutation resulted in a lower glutaminase activity compared with WT and the N41D mutant, however the N281D mutation also imparted less stability to the enzyme at elevated temperatures. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that ErA deamidation at the Asn41 and Asn281 sites does not affect enzyme activity and should not be a concern during processing, storage or clinical use. The production of recombinant deamidated variants has proven an effective and powerful means of studying the effect of these changes and may be a useful strategy for other biopharmaceutical products.

  1. In silico screening of 393 mutants facilitates enzyme engineering of amidase activity in CalB

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hediger, Martin Robert; De Vico, Luca; Rannes, Julie Bille

    2013-01-01

    Our previously presented method for high throughput computational screening of mutant activity (Hediger et al., 2012) is benchmarked against experimentally measured amidase activity for 22 mutants of Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB). Using an appropriate cutoff criterion for the computed barriers......, the qualitative activity of 15 out of 22 mutants is correctly predicted. The method identifies four of the six most active mutants with ≥3-fold wild type activity and seven out of the eight least active mutants with ≤0.5-fold wild type activity. The method is further used to screen all sterically possible (386......) double-, triple- and quadruple-mutants constructed from the most active single mutants. Based on the benchmark test at least 20 new promising mutants are identified....

  2. Molecular Determinants of Mutant Phenotypes, Inferred from Saturation Mutagenesis Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Arti; Gupta, Kritika; Khare, Shruti; Jain, Pankaj C; Patel, Siddharth; Kumar, Prasanth; Pulianmackal, Ajai J; Aghera, Nilesh; Varadarajan, Raghavan

    2016-11-01

    Understanding how mutations affect protein activity and organismal fitness is a major challenge. We used saturation mutagenesis combined with deep sequencing to determine mutational sensitivity scores for 1,664 single-site mutants of the 101 residue Escherichia coli cytotoxin, CcdB at seven different expression levels. Active-site residues could be distinguished from buried ones, based on their differential tolerance to aliphatic and charged amino acid substitutions. At nonactive-site positions, the average mutational tolerance correlated better with depth from the protein surface than with accessibility. Remarkably, similar results were observed for two other small proteins, PDZ domain (PSD95 pdz3 ) and IgG-binding domain of protein G (GB1). Mutational sensitivity data obtained with CcdB were used to derive a procedure for predicting functional effects of mutations. Results compared favorably with those of two widely used computational predictors. In vitro characterization of 80 single, nonactive-site mutants of CcdB showed that activity in vivo correlates moderately with thermal stability and solubility. The inability to refold reversibly, as well as a decreased folding rate in vitro, is associated with decreased activity in vivo. Upon probing the effect of modulating expression of various proteases and chaperones on mutant phenotypes, most deleterious mutants showed an increased in vivo activity and solubility only upon over-expression of either Trigger factor or SecB ATP-independent chaperones. Collectively, these data suggest that folding kinetics rather than protein stability is the primary determinant of activity in vivo This study enhances our understanding of how mutations affect phenotype, as well as the ability to predict fitness effects of point mutations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  3. Site directed mutagenesis of amino acid residues at the active site of mouse aldehyde oxidase AOX1.

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    Silvia Schumann

    Full Text Available Mouse aldehyde oxidase (mAOX1 forms a homodimer and belongs to the xanthine oxidase family of molybdoenzymes which are characterized by an essential equatorial sulfur ligand coordinated to the molybdenum atom. In general, mammalian AOs are characterized by broad substrate specificity and an yet obscure physiological function. To define the physiological substrates and the enzymatic characteristics of mAOX1, we established a system for the heterologous expression of the enzyme in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein showed spectral features and a range of substrate specificity similar to the native protein purified from mouse liver. The EPR data of recombinant mAOX1 were similar to those of AO from rabbit liver, but differed from the homologous xanthine oxidoreductase enzymes. Site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids Val806, Met884 and Glu1265 at the active site resulted in a drastic decrease in the oxidation of aldehydes with no increase in the oxidation of purine substrates. The double mutant V806E/M884R and the single mutant E1265Q were catalytically inactive enzymes regardless of the aldehyde or purine substrates tested. Our results show that only Glu1265 is essential for the catalytic activity by initiating the base-catalyzed mechanism of substrate oxidation. In addition, it is concluded that the substrate specificity of molybdo-flavoenzymes is more complex and not only defined by the three characterized amino acids in the active site.

  4. Active site diversification of P450cam with indole generates catalysts for benzylic oxidation reactions

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    Paul P. Kelly

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are useful biocatalysts for C–H activation, and there is a need to expand the range of these enzymes beyond what is naturally available. A panel of 93 variants of active self-sufficient P450cam[Tyr96Phe]-RhFRed fusion enzymes with a broad diversity in active site amino acids was developed by screening a large mutant library of 16,500 clones using a simple, highly sensitive colony-based colorimetric screen against indole. These mutants showed distinct fingerprints of activity not only when screened in oxidations of substituted indoles but also for unrelated oxidations such as benzylic hydroxylations.

  5. Site-directed mutation of a laccase from Thermus thermophilus: Effect on the activity profile

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    Liu Xin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A site-directed mutant R453T of a laccase from Thermus thermophilus HB27 (Tth-laccase was constructed in order to investigate the effect on laccase catalytic properties. The mutated gene was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Nickel-affinity purification was achieved and followed by copper ion incorporation. The mature mutated enzyme was quantitatively equal to the wild type. A photometric assay based on the oxidation of the substrate 2,2-azino-bis-(3- ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS was employed in comparison with the wild-type Tth-laccase on catalytic properties. The R453T mutant exhibited improvement in substrate affinity and specific activity at room temperature, whereas those parameters were not significantly influenced when the temperature increased up to 65°C or higher. The mutant had better catalytic activity than that of the wild type at acidic pH. Investigated by circular dichroism spectroscopy, the mutant Tth-laccase displayed similar profiles at low and high temperatures.

  6. Increased riboflavin production from activated bleaching earth by a mutant strain of Ashbya gossypii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tajima, Satoshi; Itoh, Yoko; Sugimoto, Takashi; Kato, Tatsuya; Park, Enoch Y

    2009-10-01

    The production of riboflavin from vegetable oil was increased using a mutant strain of Ashbya gossypii. This mutant was generated by treating the wild-type strain with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Riboflavin production was 10-fold higher in the mutant compared to the wild-type strain. The specific intracellular catalase activity after 3 d of culture was 6-fold higher in the mutant than in the wild-type strain. For the mutant, riboflavin production in the presence of 40 mM hydrogen peroxide was 16% less than that in the absence of hydrogen peroxide, whereas it was 56% less for the wild-type strain. The isocitrate lyase (ICL) activity of the mutant was 0.26 mU/mg of protein during the active riboflavin production phase, which was 2.6-fold higher than the wild-type strain. These data indicate that the mutant utilizes the carbon flux from the TCA cycle to the glyoxylate cycle more efficiently than the wild-type strain, resulting in enhanced riboflavin production. This novel mutant has the potential to be of use for industrial-scale riboflavin production from waste-activated bleaching earth (ABE), thereby transforming a useless material into a valuable bioproduct.

  7. Roles of s3 site residues of nattokinase on its activity and substrate specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shuming; Feng, Chi; Zhong, Jin; Huan, Liandong

    2007-09-01

    Nattokinase (Subtilisin NAT, NK) is a bacterial serine protease with high fibrinolytic activity. To probe their roles on protease activity and substrate specificity, three residues of S3 site (Gly(100), Ser(101) and Leu(126)) were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetics parameters of 20 mutants were measured using tetrapeptides as substrates, and their fibrinolytic activities were determined by fibrin plate method. Results of mutation analysis showed that Gly(100) and Ser(101) had reverse steric and electrostatic effects. Residues with bulky or positively charged side chains at position 100 decreased the substrate binding and catalytic activity drastically, while residues with the same characters at position 101 could obviously enhance protease and fibrinolytic activity of NK. Mutation of Leu(126) might impair the structure of the active cleft and drastically decreased the activity of NK. Kinetics studies of the mutants showed that S3 residues were crucial to keep protease activity while they moderately affected substrate specificity of NK. The present study provided some original insight into the P3-S3 interaction in NK and other subtilisins, as well as showed successful protein engineering cases to improve NK as a potential therapeutic agent.

  8. Benomyl-resistant mutant strain of Trichoderma sp. with increased mycoparasitic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olejníková, P; Ondrusová, Z; Krystofová, S; Hudecová, D

    2010-01-01

    Application of UV radiation to the strain Trichoderma sp. T-bt (isolated from lignite) resulted in the T-brm mutant which was resistant to the systemic fungicide benomyl. The tub2 gene sequence in the T-brm mutant differed from the parent as well as the collection strain (replacing tyrosine with histidine in the TUB2 protein). Under in vitro conditions this mutant exhibited a higher mycoparasitic activity toward phytopathogenic fungi.

  9. Base substitutions at scissile bond sites are sufficient to alter RNA-binding and cleavage activity of RNase III.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyungsub; Sim, Se-Hoon; Jeon, Che Ok; Lee, Younghoon; Lee, Kangseok

    2011-02-01

    RNase III, a double-stranded RNA-specific endoribonuclease, degrades bdm mRNA via cleavage at specific sites. To better understand the mechanism of cleavage site selection by RNase III, we performed a genetic screen for sequences containing mutations at the bdm RNA cleavage sites that resulted in altered mRNA stability using a transcriptional bdm'-'cat fusion construct. While most of the isolated mutants showed the increased bdm'-'cat mRNA stability that resulted from the inability of RNase III to cleave the mutated sequences, one mutant sequence (wt-L) displayed in vivo RNA stability similar to that of the wild-type sequence. In vivo and in vitro analyses of the wt-L RNA substrate showed that it was cut only once on the RNA strand to the 5'-terminus by RNase III, while the binding constant of RNase III to this mutant substrate was moderately increased. A base substitution at the uncleaved RNase III cleavage site in wt-L mutant RNA found in another mutant lowered the RNA-binding affinity by 11-fold and abolished the hydrolysis of scissile bonds by RNase III. Our results show that base substitutions at sites forming the scissile bonds are sufficient to alter RNA cleavage as well as the binding activity of RNase III. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Rac1 GTPase activates the WAVE regulatory complex through two distinct binding sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brautigam, Chad A; Xing, Wenmin; Yang, Sheng; Henry, Lisa; Doolittle, Lynda K; Walz, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    The Rho GTPase Rac1 activates the WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) to drive Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin polymerization, which underpins diverse cellular processes. Here we report the structure of a WRC-Rac1 complex determined by cryo-electron microscopy. Surprisingly, Rac1 is not located at the binding site on the Sra1 subunit of the WRC previously identified by mutagenesis and biochemical data. Rather, it binds to a distinct, conserved site on the opposite end of Sra1. Biophysical and biochemical data on WRC mutants confirm that Rac1 binds to both sites, with the newly identified site having higher affinity and both sites required for WRC activation. Our data reveal that the WRC is activated by simultaneous engagement of two Rac1 molecules, suggesting a mechanism by which cells may sense the density of active Rac1 at membranes to precisely control actin assembly. PMID:28949297

  11. RECEPTOR POTENTIAL AND LIGHT-INDUCED MITOCHONDRIAL ACTIVATION IN BLOWFLY PHOTORECEPTOR MUTANTS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    MOJET, MH; TINBERGEN, J; STAVENGA, DG

    1991-01-01

    1. Simultaneous measurements of the receptor potential and the light-induced mitochondrial activation were performed in white-eyed blowflies Calliphora vicina, mutant chalky, and Lucilia cuprina, mutants w(F) and w'nss. The intensity dependence and the temporal dynamics were investigated. 2. The

  12. Arg156 in the AP2-domain exhibits the highest binding activity among the 20 individuals to the GCC box in BnaERF-B3-hy15, a mutant ERF transcription factor from Brassica napus

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    Jing Zhuang

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available To develop mutants of the ERF factor with more binding activities to the GCC box, we performed in vitro directed evolution by using DNA shuffling and screened mutants through yeast one-hybrid assay. Here, a series of mutants were obtained and used to reveal key amino acids that induce changes in the DNA binding activity of the BnaERF-B3 protein. With the BnaERF-B3-hy15 as the template, we produced 12 mutants which host individual mutation of potential key residues. We found that amino acid 156 is the key site, and the other 18 mutants host the 18 corresponding individual amino acid residues at site 156. Among the 20 individuals comprising WT (Gly156, Mu3 (Arg156, and 18 mutants with other 18 amino acid residues, Arg156 in the AP2-domain is the amino acid residue with the highest binding activity to the GCC box. The structure of the α-helix in the AP2-domain affects the binding activity. Other residues within AP2-domain modulated binding activity of ERF protein, suggesting that these positions are important for binding activity. Comparison of the mutant and wild-type transcription factors revealed the relationship of protein function and sequence modification. Our result provides a potential useful resource for understanding the trans-activation of ERF proteins.

  13. Activities of native and tyrosine-69 mutant phospholipases A2 on phospholipid analogues. A reevaluation of the minimal substrate requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuipers, O P; Dekker, N; Verheij, H M; de Haas, G H

    1990-06-26

    The role of Tyr-69 of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 in substrate binding was studied with the help of proteins modified by site-directed mutagenesis and phospholipid analogues with a changed head-group geometry. Two mutants were used containing Phe and Lys, respectively, at position 69. Modifications in the phospholipids included introduction of a sulfur at the phosphorus (thionophospholipids), removal of the negative charge at phosphorus (phosphatidic acid dimethyl ester), and reduction (phosphonolipids) or extension (diacylbutanetriol choline phosphate) of the distance between the phosphorus and the acyl ester bond. Replacement of Tyr-69 by Lys reduces enzymatic activity, but the mutant enzyme retains both the stereospecificity and positional specificity of native phospholipase A2. The Phe-69 mutant not only hydrolyzes the Rp isomer of thionophospholipids more efficiently than the wild-type enzyme, but the Sp thiono isomer is hydrolyzed too, although at a low (approximately 4%) rate. Phosphonolipids are hydrolyzed by native phospholipase A2 about 7 times more slowly than natural phospholipids, with retention of positional specificity and a (partial) loss of stereospecificity. The dimethyl ester of phosphatidic acid is degraded efficiently in a calcium-dependent and positional-specific way by native phospholipase A2 and by the mutants, indicating that a negative charge at phosphorus is not an absolute substrate requirement. The activities on the phosphatidic acid dimethyl ester of native enzyme and the Lys-69 mutant are lower than those on the corresponding lecithin, in contrast to the Phe-69 mutant, which has equal activities on both substrates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  14. Biochemical Analysis of Two Single Mutants that Give Rise to a Polymorphic G6PD A-Double Mutant

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    Edson Jiovany Ramírez-Nava

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD is a key regulatory enzyme that plays a crucial role in the regulation of cellular energy and redox balance. Mutations in the gene encoding G6PD cause the most common enzymopathy that drives hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. To gain insights into the effects of mutations in G6PD enzyme efficiency, we have investigated the biochemical, kinetic, and structural changes of three clinical G6PD variants, the single mutations G6PD A+ (Asn126AspD and G6PD Nefza (Leu323Pro, and the double mutant G6PD A− (Asn126Asp + Leu323Pro. The mutants showed lower residual activity (≤50% of WT G6PD and displayed important kinetic changes. Although all Class III mutants were located in different regions of the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme and were not close to the active site, these mutants had a deleterious effect over catalytic activity and structural stability. The results indicated that the G6PD Nefza mutation was mainly responsible for the functional and structural alterations observed in the double mutant G6PD A−. Moreover, our study suggests that the G6PD Nefza and G6PD A− mutations affect enzyme functions in a similar fashion to those reported for Class I mutations.

  15. Peramivir analogues bearing hydrophilic side chains exhibit higher activities against H275Y mutant than wild-type influenza virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Din-Chi; Lin, Tzu-Chen; Huang, Wen-I; Cheng, Ting-Jen; Tsai, Keng-Chang; Fang, Jim-Min

    2017-11-29

    Peramivir is an effective anti-influenza drug in the clinical treatment of influenza, but its efficacy toward the H275Y mutant is reduced. The previously reported cocrystal structures of inhibitors in the mutant neuraminidase (NA) suggest that the hydrophobic side chain should be at the origin of reduced binding affinity. In contrast, zanamivir having a hydrophilic glycerol side chain still possesses high affinity toward the H275Y NA. We thus designed five peramivir analogues (5-9) carrying hydrophilic glycol or glycerol side chains, and evaluated their roles in anti-influenza activity, especially for the H275Y mutant. The synthetic sequence involves a key step of (3 + 2) cycloaddition reactions between alkenes and nitrile oxides to construct the scaffold of peramivir carrying the desired hydrophilic side chains and other appropriate functional groups. The molecular docking experiments reveal that the hydrophilic side chain can provide extra hydrogen bonding with the translocated Glu-276 residue in the H275Y NA active site. Thus, the H275Y mutant may be even more sensitive than wild-type virus toward the peramivir analogues bearing hydrophilic side chains. Notably, the peramivir analogue bearing a glycerol side chain inhibits the H275Y mutant with an IC 50 value of 35 nM, which is better than the WSN virus by 9 fold.

  16. Active site loop conformation regulates promiscuous activity in a lactonase from Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426.

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    Yu Zhang

    Full Text Available Enzyme promiscuity is a prerequisite for fast divergent evolution of biocatalysts. A phosphotriesterase-like lactonase (PLL from Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426 (GkaP exhibits main lactonase and promiscuous phosphotriesterase activities. To understand its catalytic and evolutionary mechanisms, we investigated a "hot spot" in the active site by saturation mutagenesis as well as X-ray crystallographic analyses. We found that position 99 in the active site was involved in substrate discrimination. One mutant, Y99L, exhibited 11-fold improvement over wild-type in reactivity (kcat/Km toward the phosphotriesterase substrate ethyl-paraoxon, but showed 15-fold decrease toward the lactonase substrate δ-decanolactone, resulting in a 157-fold inversion of the substrate specificity. Structural analysis of Y99L revealed that the mutation causes a ∼6.6 Å outward shift of adjacent loop 7, which may cause increased flexibility of the active site and facilitate accommodation and/or catalysis of organophosphate substrate. This study provides for the PLL family an example of how the evolutionary route from promiscuity to specificity can derive from very few mutations, which promotes alteration in the conformational adjustment of the active site loops, in turn draws the capacity of substrate binding and activity.

  17. Active site of Zn2+-dependent sn-glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase from Aeropyrum pernix K1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Suk Han

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The enzyme sn-glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gro1PDH, EC 1.1.1.261 is key to the formation of the enantiomeric configuration of the glycerophosphate backbone (sn-glycerol-1-phosphate of archaeal ether lipids. This enzyme catalyzes the reversible conversion between dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glycerol-1-phosphate. To date, no information about the active site and catalytic mechanism of this enzyme has been reported. Using the sequence and structural information for glycerol dehydrogenase, we constructed six mutants (D144N, D144A, D191N, H271A, H287A and D191N/H271A of Gro1PDH from Aeropyrum pernix K1 and examined their characteristics to clarify the active site of this enzyme. The enzyme was found to be a zinc-dependent metalloenzyme, containing one zinc ion for every monomer protein that was essential for activity. Site-directed mutagenesis of D144 increased the activity of the enzyme. Mutants D144N and D144A exhibited low affinity for the substrates and higher activity than the wild type, but their affinity for the zinc ion was the same as that of the wild type. Mutants D191N, H271A and H287A had a low affinity for the zinc ion and a low activity compared with the wild type. The double mutation, D191N/ H271A, had no enzyme activity and bound no zinc. From these results, it was clarified that residues D191, H271 and H287 participate in the catalytic activity of the enzyme by binding the zinc ion, and that D144 has an effect on substrate binding. The structure of the active site of Gro1PDH from A. pernix K1 seems to be similar to that of glycerol dehydrogenase, despite the differences in substrate specificity and biological role.

  18. Reduced anti-oxidative stress activities of DJ-1 mutants found in Parkinson's disease patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi-Niki, Kazuko; Niki, Takeshi; Taira, Takahiro; Iguchi-Ariga, Sanae M.M.; Ariga, Hiroyoshi

    2004-01-01

    DJ-1 is a multi-functional protein that plays roles in transcriptional regulation and anti-oxidative stress, and loss of its function is thought to result in onset of Parkinson's disease. We have previously reported that L166P, a mutant DJ-1 found in Parkinson's disease patients, had no activity to prevent hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-induced cell death. In this study, we analyzed other mutants of DJ-1 found in Parkinson's disease patients, including M26I, R98Q, and D149A, as well as L166P. We first found that all of the mutants made heterodimers with wild-type DJ-1, while all of the mutants except for L166P made homodimers. We then found that M26I and L166P, both of which are derived from homozygous mutations of the DJ-1 gene, were unstable and that their stabilities were recovered, in part, in the presence of proteasome inhibitor, MG132. NIH3T3 cell lines stably expressing these mutants of DJ-1 showed that cell lines of L166P and C106S, a mutant for protease activity (-) of DJ-1, had no activity to scavenge even endogenously producing reactive oxygen species. These cell lines also showed that all of the mutants had reduced activities to eliminate exogenously added H 2 O 2 and that these activities, except for that of D149A, were parallel to those preventing H 2 O 2 -induced cell death

  19. Transcriptional switching by the MerR protein: Activation and repression mutants implicate distinct DNA and mercury(II) binding domains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shewchuk, L.M.; Helmann, J.D.; Ross, W.; Park, S.J.; Summers, A.O.; Walsh, C.T.

    1989-01-01

    Bacterial resistance to mercuric compounds is controlled by the MerR metalloregulatory protein. The MerR protein functions as both a transcriptional repressor and a mercuric ion dependent transcriptional activator. Chemical mutagenesis of the cloned merR structural gene has led to the identification of mutant proteins that are specifically deficient in transcriptional repression, activation, or both. Five mutant proteins have been overproduced, purified to homogeneity, and assayed for ability to dimerize, bind mer operator DNA, and bind mercuric ion. A mutation in the recognition helix of a proposed helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif (E22K) yields protein deficient in both activation and repression in vivo (a - r - ) and deficient in operator binding in vitro. In contrast, mutations in three of the four MerR cysteine residues are repression competent but activation deficient (a - r + ) in vivo. In vitro, the purified cysteine mutant proteins bind to the mer operator site with near wild-type affinity but are variable deficient in binding the in vivo inducer mercury(II) ion. A subset of the isolated proteins also appears compromised in their ability to form dimers at low protein concentrations. These data support a model in which DNA-bound MerR dimer binds one mercuric ion and transmits this occupancy information to a protein region involved in transcriptional activation

  20. Structural features and activity of Brazzein and its mutants upon substitution of a surfaced exposed alanine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanavatian, Parisa; Khalifeh, Khosrow; Jafarian, Vahab

    2016-12-01

    Brazzein (Brz) is a member of sweet-tasting protein containing four disulfide bonds. It was reported as a compact and heat-resistant protein. Here, we have used site-directed mutagenesis and replaced a surface-exposed alanine with aspartic acid (A19D mutant), lysine (A19K mutant) and glycine (A19G mutant). Activity comparisons of wild-type (WT) and mutants using taste panel test procedure showed that A19G variant has the same activity as WT protein. However, introduction of a positive charge in A19K mutant led to significant increase in Brz's sweetness, while A19D has reduced sweetness compared to WT protein. Docking studies showed that mutation at position 19 results in slight chain mobility of protein at the binding surface and changing the patterns of interactions toward more effective binding of E9K variant in the concave surface of sweet taste receptor. Far-UV CD data spectra have a characteristic shape of beta structure for all variants, however different magnitudes of spectra suggest that beta-sheet structure in WT and A19G is more stable than that of A19D and A19K. Equilibrium unfolding studies with fluorescence spectroscopy and using urea and dithiothritol (DTT) as chemical denaturants indicates that A19G mutant gains more stability against urea denaturation; while conformational stability of A19D and A19K decreases when compared with WT and A19G variants. We concluded that the positive charge at the surface of protein is important factor responsible for the interaction of protein with the human sweet receptor and Ala 19 can be considered as a key region for investigating the mechanism of the interaction of Brz with corresponding receptor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  1. Data on quantification of signaling pathways activated by KIT and PDGFRA mutants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christelle Bahlawane

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The present data are related to the article entitled “Insights into ligand stimulation effects on gastro-intestinal stromal tumors signaling” (C. Bahlawane, M. Schmitz, E. Letellier, K. Arumugam, N. Nicot, P.V. Nazarov, S. Haan, 2016 [1]. Constitutive and ligand-derived signaling pathways mediated by KIT and PDGFRA mutated proteins found in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST were compared. Expression of mutant proteins was induced by doxycycline in an isogenic background (Hek293 cells. Kit was identified by FACS at the cell surface and found to be quickly degraded or internalized upon SCF stimulation for both Kit Wild type and Kit mutant counterparts. Investigation of the main activated pathways in GIST unraveled a new feature specific for oncogenic KIT mutants, namely their ability to be further activated by Kit ligand, the stem cell factor (scf. We were also able to identify the MAPK pathway as the most prominent target for a common inhibition of PDGFRA and KIT oncogenic signaling. Western blotting and micro-array analysis were applied to analyze the capacities of the mutant to induce an effective STATs response. Among all Kit mutants, only Kit Ex11 deletion mutant was able to elicit an effective STATs response whereas all PDGFRA were able to do so.

  2. Gain-of-function mutant p53 activates small GTPase Rac1 through SUMOylation to promote tumor progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Xuetian; Zhang, Cen; Zhao, Yuhan; Liu, Juan; Lin, Alan W; Tan, Victor M; Drake, Justin M; Liu, Lianxin; Boateng, Michael N; Li, Jun; Feng, Zhaohui; Hu, Wenwei

    2017-08-15

    Tumor suppressor p53 is frequently mutated in human cancer. Mutant p53 often promotes tumor progression through gain-of-function (GOF) mechanisms. However, the mechanisms underlying mutant p53 GOF are not well understood. In this study, we found that mutant p53 activates small GTPase Rac1 as a critical mechanism for mutant p53 GOF to promote tumor progression. Mechanistically, mutant p53 interacts with Rac1 and inhibits its interaction with SUMO-specific protease 1 (SENP1), which in turn inhibits SENP1-mediated de-SUMOylation of Rac1 to activate Rac1. Targeting Rac1 signaling by RNAi, expression of the dominant-negative Rac1 (Rac1 DN), or the specific Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 greatly inhibits mutant p53 GOF in promoting tumor growth and metastasis. Furthermore, mutant p53 expression is associated with enhanced Rac1 activity in clinical tumor samples. These results uncover a new mechanism for Rac1 activation in tumors and, most importantly, reveal that activation of Rac1 is an unidentified and critical mechanism for mutant p53 GOF in tumorigenesis, which could be targeted for therapy in tumors containing mutant p53. © 2017 Yue et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  3. The diageotropica mutant of tomato lacks high specific activity auxin sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, G.R.; Lomax, T.L.; Rayle, D.L.

    1989-01-01

    Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum, Mill) plants homozygous for the single gene diageotropica (dgt) mutation have reduced shoot growth, abnormal vascular tissue, altered leaf morphology, and lack of lateral root branching. These and other morphological and physiological abnormalities suggest that dgt plants are unable to respond to the plant growth hormone auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA). The photoaffinity auxin analogue 3 H-5N 3 -IAA specifically labels a polypeptide doublet of 40 ad 42 kD in membrane preparations from stems of the parental variety VFN8, but not from stems of dgt. In elongation tests, excised dgt roots respond in the same manner to IAA an VFN8 roots. These data suggest that the two polypeptides are part of a physiologically important auxin receptor system which is altered in a tissue-specific manner in the mutant

  4. In silico analysis of Pycnoporus cinnabarinus laccase active site with toxic industrial dyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Nirmal K; Vindal, Vaibhav; Narayana, Siva Lakshmi; Ramakrishna, V; Kunal, Swaraj Priyaranjan; Srinivas, M

    2012-05-01

    Laccases belong to multicopper oxidases, a widespread class of enzymes implicated in many oxidative functions in various industrial oxidative processes like production of fine chemicals to bioremediation of contaminated soil and water. In order to understand the mechanisms of substrate binding and interaction between substrates and Pycnoporus cinnabarinus laccase, a homology model was generated. The resulted model was further validated and used for docking studies with toxic industrial dyes- acid blue 74, reactive black 5 and reactive blue 19. Interactions of chemical mediators with the laccase was also examined. The docking analysis showed that the active site always cannot accommodate the dye molecules, due to constricted nature of the active site pocket and steric hindrance of the residues whereas mediators are relatively small and can easily be accommodated into the active site pocket, which, thereafter leads to the productive binding. The binding properties of these compounds along with identification of critical active site residues can be used for further site-directed mutagenesis experiments in order to identify their role in activity and substrate specificity, ultimately leading to improved mutants for degradation of these toxic compounds.

  5. Andrographolide induces degradation of mutant p53 via activation of Hsp70.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Hirofumi; Hiraki, Masatsugu; Namba, Takushi; Egawa, Noriyuki; Baba, Koichi; Tanaka, Tomokazu; Noshiro, Hirokazu

    2018-05-22

    The tumor suppressor gene p53 encodes a transcription factor that regulates various cellular functions, including DNA repair, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Approximately half of all human cancers carry mutations in p53 that lead to loss of tumor suppressor function or gain of functions that promote the cancer phenotype. Thus, targeting mutant p53 as an anticancer therapy has attracted considerable attention. In the current study, a small-molecule screen identified andrographlide (ANDRO) as a mutant p53 suppressor. The effects of ANDRO, a small molecule isolated from the Chinese herb Andrographis paniculata, on tumor cells carrying wild-type or mutant p53 were examined. ANDRO suppressed expression of mutant p53, induced expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and pro-apoptotic proteins genes, and inhibited the growth of cancer cells harboring mutant p53. ANDRO also induced expression of the heat-shock protein (Hsp70) and increased binding between Hsp70 and mutant p53 protein, thus promoting proteasomal degradation of p53. These results provide novel insights into the mechanisms regulating the function of mutant p53 and suggest that activation of Hsp70 may be a new strategy for the treatment of cancers harboring mutant p53.

  6. Site-directed mutagenesis of HIV-1 vpu gene demonstrates two clusters of replication-defective mutants with distinct ability to down-modulate cell surface CD4 and tetherin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masako Nomaguchi

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available HIV-1 Vpu acts positively on viral infectivity by mediating CD4 degradation in endoplasmic reticulum and enhances virion release by counteracting a virion release restriction factor, tetherin. In order to define the impact of Vpu activity on HIV-1 replication, we have generated a series of site-specific proviral vpu mutants. Of fifteen mutants examined, seven exhibited a replication-defect similar to that of a vpu-deletion mutant in a lymphocyte cell line H9. These mutations clustered in narrow regions within transmembrane domain (TMD and cytoplasmic domain (CTD. Replication-defective mutants displayed the reduced ability to enhance virion release from a monolayer cell line HEp2 without exception. Upon transfection with Vpu expression vectors, neither TMD mutants nor CTD mutants blocked CD4 expression at the cell surface in another monolayer cell line MAGI. While TMD mutants were unable to down-modulate cell surface tetherin in HEp2 cells, CTD mutants did quite efficiently. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed the difference of intracellular localization between TMD and CTD mutants. In total, replication capability of HIV-1 carrying vpu mutations correlates well with the ability of Vpu to enhance virion release and to impede the cell surface expression of CD4 but not with the ability to down-modulate cell surface tetherin. Our results here suggest that efficient viral replication requires not only down-regulation of cell surface tetherin but also its degradation.

  7. mPeriod2 Brdm1 and other single Period mutant mice have normal food anticipatory activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendergast, Julie S; Wendroth, Robert H; Stenner, Rio C; Keil, Charles D; Yamazaki, Shin

    2017-11-14

    Animals anticipate the timing of food availability via the food-entrainable oscillator (FEO). The anatomical location and timekeeping mechanism of the FEO are unknown. Several studies showed the circadian gene, Period 2, is critical for FEO timekeeping. However, other studies concluded that canonical circadian genes are not essential for FEO timekeeping. In this study, we re-examined the effects of the Per2 Brdm1 mutation on food entrainment using methods that have revealed robust food anticipatory activity in other mutant lines. We examined food anticipatory activity, which is the output of the FEO, in single Period mutant mice. Single Per1, Per2, and Per3 mutant mice had robust food anticipatory activity during restricted feeding. In addition, we found that two different lines of Per2 mutant mice (ldc and Brdm1) anticipated restricted food availability. To determine if FEO timekeeping persisted in the absence of the food cue, we assessed activity during fasting. Food anticipatory (wheel-running) activity in all Period mutant mice was also robust during food deprivation. Together, our studies demonstrate that the Period genes are not necessary for the expression of food anticipatory activity.

  8. Identification of Key Functional Residues in the Active Site of Human β1,4-Galactosyltransferase 7

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talhaoui, Ibtissam; Bui, Catherine; Oriol, Rafael; Mulliert, Guillermo; Gulberti, Sandrine; Netter, Patrick; Coughtrie, Michael W. H.; Ouzzine, Mohamed; Fournel-Gigleux, Sylvie

    2010-01-01

    Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) play a central role in many pathophysiological events, and exogenous xyloside substrates of β1,4-galactosyltransferase 7 (β4GalT7), a major enzyme of GAG biosynthesis, have interesting biomedical applications. To predict functional peptide regions important for substrate binding and activity of human β4GalT7, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the β1,4-galactosyltransferase family and generated a molecular model using the x-ray structure of Drosophila β4GalT7-UDP as template. Two evolutionary conserved motifs, 163DVD165 and 221FWGWGREDDE230, are central in the organization of the enzyme active site. This model was challenged by systematic engineering of point mutations, combined with in vitro and ex vivo functional assays. Investigation of the kinetic properties of purified recombinant wild-type β4GalT7 and selected mutants identified Trp224 as a key residue governing both donor and acceptor substrate binding. Our results also suggested the involvement of the canonical carboxylate residue Asp228 acting as general base in the reaction catalyzed by human β4GalT7. Importantly, ex vivo functional tests demonstrated that regulation of GAG synthesis is highly responsive to modification of these key active site amino acids. Interestingly, engineering mutants at position 224 allowed us to modify the affinity and to modulate the specificity of human β4GalT7 toward UDP-sugars and xyloside acceptors. Furthermore, the W224H mutant was able to sustain decorin GAG chain substitution but not GAG synthesis from exogenously added xyloside. Altogether, this study provides novel insight into human β4GalT7 active site functional domains, allowing manipulation of this enzyme critical for the regulation of GAG synthesis. A better understanding of the mechanism underlying GAG assembly paves the way toward GAG-based therapeutics. PMID:20843813

  9. ELANE mutant-specific activation of different UPR pathways in congenital neutropenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nustede, Rainer; Klimiankou, Maksim; Klimenkova, Olga; Kuznetsova, Inna; Zeidler, Cornelia; Welte, Karl; Skokowa, Julia

    2016-01-01

    A number of studies have demonstrated induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in patients with severe congenital neutropenia (CN) harbouring mutations of ELANE, encoding neutrophil elastase. Why UPR is not activated in patients with cyclic neutropenia (CyN) carrying the same ELANE mutations is unclear. We evaluated the effects of ELANE mutants on UPR induction in myeloid cells from CN and CyN patients, and analysed whether additional CN-specific defects contribute to the differences in UPR induction between CN and CyN patients harbouring identical ELANE mutations. We investigated CN-specific p.C71R and p.V174_C181del (NP_001963.1) and CN/CyN-shared p.S126L (NP_001963.1) ELANE mutants. We found that transduction of haematopoietic cells with p.C71R, but not with p.V174_C181del or p.S126L ELANE mutants induced expression of ATF6, and the ATF6 target genes PPP1R15A, DDIT3 and HSPA5. Recently, we found that levels of secretory leucocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), a natural ELANE inhibitor, are diminished in myeloid cells from CN patients, but not CyN patients. Combined knockdown of SLPI by shRNA and transduction of ELANE p.S126L in myeloid cells led to elevated levels of ATF6, PPP1R15A and HSPA5 RNA, suggesting that normal levels of SLPI in CyN patients might protect them from the UPR induced by mutant ELANE. In summary, different ELANE mutants have different effects on UPR activation, and SLPI regulates the extent of ELANE-triggered UPR. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Active serine involved in the stabilization of the active site loop in the Humicola lanuginosa lipase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peters, Günther H.j.; Svendsen, A.; Langberg, H.

    1998-01-01

    We have investigated the binding properties of and dynamics in Humicola lanuginosa lipase (HII) and the inactive mutant S146A (active Ser146 substituted with Ala) using fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, respectively. Hll and S146A show significantly different binding......, whereas only small changes are observed for I-Ill suggesting that the active site Lid in the latter opens more easily and hence more lipase molecules are bound to the liposomes. These observations are in agreement with molecular dynamics simulations and subsequent essential dynamics analyses. The results...... to substantial conformational alterations in the H. lanuginosa Lipase and different binding affinities....

  11. Direct Binding to Replication Protein A (RPA)-coated Single-stranded DNA Allows Recruitment of the ATR Activator TopBP1 to Sites of DNA Damage*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acevedo, Julyana; Yan, Shan; Michael, W. Matthew

    2016-01-01

    A critical event for the ability of cells to tolerate DNA damage and replication stress is activation of the ATR kinase. ATR activation is dependent on the BRCT (BRCA1 C terminus) repeat-containing protein TopBP1. Previous work has shown that recruitment of TopBP1 to sites of DNA damage and stalled replication forks is necessary for downstream events in ATR activation; however, the mechanism for this recruitment was not known. Here, we use protein binding assays and functional studies in Xenopus egg extracts to show that TopBP1 makes a direct interaction, via its BRCT2 domain, with RPA-coated single-stranded DNA. We identify a point mutant that abrogates this interaction and show that this mutant fails to accumulate at sites of DNA damage and that the mutant cannot activate ATR. These data thus supply a mechanism for how the critical ATR activator, TopBP1, senses DNA damage and stalled replication forks to initiate assembly of checkpoint signaling complexes. PMID:27129245

  12. Understanding the -C-X1-X2-C- motif in the active site of the thioredoxin superfamily: E. coli DsbA and its mutants as a model system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karshikoff, Andrey; Nilsson, Lennart; Foloppe, Nicolas

    2013-08-27

    E. coli DsbA is an intensively studied enzyme of the thioredoxin superfamily of thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases. DsbA catalyzes the disulfide bond formation and folding of proteins in the bacterial periplasm. DsbA and its mutants have highlighted the strong and puzzling influence of the -C-X1-X2-C- active site variants, found across the thioredoxin superfamily, on the ionization and redox properties of this site. However, the interpretation of these observations remains wanting, largely due to a dearth of structural information. Here, molecular dynamics simulations are used to provide extensive information on the structure and dynamics of reduced -C30-X31-X32-C33- motifs in wild type DsbA and 13 of its mutants. These simulations are combined with calculations of the pK of H32 and of the very low pK of the catalytic cysteine C30. In wild type DsbA, the titrations of C30 and H32 are shown to be coupled; the protonation states and dynamics of H32 are examined. The thiolate of C30 is stabilized by hydrogen bonds with the protein. Modulation of these hydrogen bonds by alteration of residue X32 has the greatest impact on the pK of C30, which rationalizes its higher pK in thioredoxin and tryparedoxin. Because of structural constrains, residue X31 has only an indirect and weak influence on the pK of C30. The dynamics of C30 is clearly related to its stabilizing interactions and pK value. Although relatively small differences between pKs were not reproduced in the calculations, the major trends are explained, adding new insights to our understanding of enzymes in this family.

  13. Structure of a PKA RIα Recurrent Acrodysostosis Mutant Explains Defective cAMP-Dependent Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruystens, Jessica Gh; Wu, Jian; Fortezzo, Audrey; Del Rio, Jason; Nielsen, Cole; Blumenthal, Donald K; Rock, Ruth; Stefan, Eduard; Taylor, Susan S

    2016-12-04

    Most disease-related mutations that impair cAMP protein kinase A (PKA) signaling are present within the regulatory (R) PKA RI alpha-subunit (RIα). Although mutations in the PRKAR1A gene are linked to Carney complex (CNC) disease and, more recently, to acrodysostosis-1 (ACRDYS1), the two diseases show contrasting phenotypes. While CNC mutations cause increased PKA activity, ACRDYS1 mutations result in decreased PKA activity and cAMP resistant holoenzymes. Mapping the ACRDYS1 disease mutations reveals their localization to the second of two tandem cAMP-binding (CNB) domains (CNB-B), and here, we characterize a recurrent deletion mutant where the last 14 residues are missing. The crystal structure of a monomeric form of this mutant (RIα92-365) bound to the catalytic (C)-subunit reveals the dysfunctional regions of the RIα subunit. Beyond the missing residues, the entire capping motif is disordered (residues 357-379) and explains the disrupted cAMP binding. Moreover, the effects of the mutation extend far beyond the CNB-B domain and include the active site and N-lobe of the C-subunit, which is in a partially open conformation with the C-tail disordered. A key residue that contributes to this crosstalk, D267, is altered in our structure, and we confirmed its functional importance by mutagenesis. In particular, the D267 interaction with Arg241, a residue shown earlier to be important for allosteric regulation, is disrupted, thereby strengthening the interaction of D267 with the C-subunit residue Arg194 at the R:C interface. We see here how the switch between active (cAMP-bound) and inactive (holoenzyme) conformations is perturbed and how the dynamically controlled crosstalk between the helical domains of the two CNB domains is necessary for the functional regulation of PKA activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Determination quercetin content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of genotype mutant Samosir shallots irradiated by gamma rays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinuraya, M.; Hanafiah, D. S.; Romulo, A.; Barus, A.

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the research was to study the variation in antioxidant and antimicrobial activity as well as the total quercetin content of the fifth generation genotypes mutant Samosir shallot irradiated by gamma rays. The studies conducted included the assessment of quercetin content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in shallot bulbs after long-term storage (6 months in the room temperature). Quercetin content of 20 selected genotype mutants of irradiated shallot bulbs along with untreated populations were calculated using quercetin (QU) as a standard. Antioxidant activities of 8 genotype mutant were determined using DPPH. Antimicrobial activity of bulb extracts were tested against six bacteria including Staphylococcus aurous, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and oneyeastCandida albicans. The results showed that population of genotype mutants irradiated with dosage 2Gy, 4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy have higher quercetin content than control samples. None of the genotype mutants exhibited antibacterial inhibitory against all microorganism tested except for the sample number 2 and 6 (bulbs generated from the plants irradiated by gamma rays with dosage at 2 Gy and 6 Gy). There was also none of the genotypes observed exhibited significant antioxidant efficacy.

  15. Loss of Hda activity stimulates replication initiation from I-box, but not R4 mutant origins in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riber, Leise; Fujimitsu, Kazuyuki; Katayama, Tsutomu; Løbner-Olesen, Anders

    2009-01-01

    Initiation of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli is limited by the initiator protein DnaA associated with ATP. Within the replication origin, binding sites for DnaA associated with ATP or ADP (R boxes) and the DnaA(ATP) specific sites (I-boxes, tau-boxes and 6-mer sites) are found. We analysed chromosome replication of cells carrying mutations in conserved regions of oriC. Cells carrying mutations in DnaA-boxes I2, I3, R2, R3 and R5 as well as FIS and IHF binding sites resembled wild-type cells with respect to origin concentration. Initiation of replication in these mutants occurred in synchrony or with slight asynchrony only. Furthermore, lack of Hda stimulated initiation in all these mutants. The DnaA(ATP) containing complex that leads to initiation can therefore be formed in the absence of several of the origin DnaA binding sites including both DnaA(ATP) specific I-boxes. However, competition between I-box mutant and wild-type origins, revealed a positive role of I-boxes on initiation. On the other hand, mutations affecting DnaA-box R4 were found to be compromised for initiation and could not be augmented by an increase in cellular DnaA(ATP)/DnaA(ADP) ratio. Compared with the sites tested here, R4 therefore seems to contribute to initiation most critically.

  16. Kinetics, improved activity and thermostability of endoglucanase and beta glucosidase from a mutant-derivative of aspergillus niger ms82

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sohail, M.; Ahmad, A.; Khan, S.A.; Uddin, F.

    2013-01-01

    A mutant MS301 of Aspergillus niger MS82 showed 1.5 to 2.5-fold improved endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase activity when grown on crude lignocellulosic substrates under solid-state and submerged conditions. Indicators of thermal stability of enzymes (Tm and T1/2) showed that the wild type and mutant endoglucanase was more heat-resistant compared to beta-glucosidase. However, mutant and parent enzymes shared almost the same values for melting temperatures and half-lives. Endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase from both the strains showed optimum activity under acidic pH. Energy of activation (Ea) of mutant beta-glucosidase was substantially lower than the parent enzyme while Ea of mutant endoglucanase was slightly less than the parent. The lowered Ea values can be attributed to the improved beta-glucosidase activity of the mutant strain. Moreover, the MS301 enzymes were better in hydrolyzing purified and crude cellulosic materials than the parent MS82. (author)

  17. Increasing the Thermostable Sugar-1-Phosphate Nucleotidylyltransferase Activities of the Archaeal ST0452 Protein through Site Saturation Mutagenesis of the 97th Amino Acid Position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Yuki; Zang, Qian; Shimizu, Yasuhiro; Dadashipour, Mohammad; Zhang, Zilian; Kawarabayasi, Yutaka

    2017-02-01

    The ST0452 protein is a bifunctional protein exhibiting sugar-1-phosphate nucleotidylyltransferase (sugar-1-P NTase) and amino-sugar-1-phosphate acetyltransferase activities and was isolated from the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii Based on the previous observation that five single mutations increased ST0452 sugar-1-P NTase activity, nine double-mutant ST0452 proteins were generated with the intent of obtaining enzymes exhibiting a further increase in catalysis, but all showed less than 15% of the wild-type N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GlcNAc-1-P UTase) activity. The Y97A mutant exhibited the highest activity of the single-mutant proteins, and thus site saturation mutagenesis of the 97th position (Tyr) was conducted. Six mutants showed both increased GlcNAc-1-P UTase and glucose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase activities, eight mutants showed only enhanced GlcNAc-1-P UTase activity, and six exhibited higher GlcNAc-1-P UTase activity than that of the Y97A mutant. Kinetic analyses of three typical mutants indicated that the increase in sugar-1-P NTase activity was mainly due to an increase in the apparent k cat value. We hypothesized that changing the 97th position (Tyr) to a smaller amino acid with similar electronic properties would increase activity, and thus the Tyr at the corresponding 103rd position of the Escherichia coli GlmU (EcGlmU) enzyme was replaced with the same residues. The Y103N mutant EcGlmU showed increased GlcNAc-1-P UTase activity, revealing that the Tyr at the 97th position of the ST0452 protein (103rd position in EcGlmU) plays an important role in catalysis. The present results provide useful information regarding how to improve the activity of natural enzymes and how to generate powerful enzymes for the industrial production of sugar nucleotides. It is typically difficult to increase enzymatic activity by introducing substitutions into a natural enzyme. However, it was previously found that the ST0452 protein

  18. Further studies on O2-resistant photosynthesis and photorespiration in a tobacco mutant with enhanced catalase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zelitch, I.

    1990-01-01

    The increase in net photosynthesis in M 4 progeny of an O 2 -resistant tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mutant relative to wild-type plants at 21 and 42% O 2 has been confirmed and further investigated. Self-pollination of an M 3 mutant produced M 4 progeny segregating high catalase phenotypes (average 40% greater than wild type) at a frequency of about 60%. The high catalase phenotype cosegregated precisely with O 2 -resistant photosynthesis. About 25% of the F 1 progeny of reciprocal crosses between the same M 3 mutant and wild type had high catalase activity, whether the mutant was used as the maternal or paternal parent, indicating nuclear inheritance. In high-catalase mutants the activity of NADH-hydroxypyruvate reductase, another peroxisomal enzyme, was the same as wild type. The mutants released 15% less photorespiratory CO 2 as a percent of net photosynthesis in CO 2 -free 21% O 2 and 36% less in CO 2 -free 42% O 2 compared with wild type. The mutant leaf tissue also released less 14 CO 2 per [1- 14 C]glycolate metabolized than wild type in normal air, consistent with less photorespiration in the mutant. The O 2 -resistant photosynthesis appears to be caused by a decrease in photorespiration especially under conditions of high O 2 where the stoichiometry of CO 2 release per glycolate metabolized is expected to be enhanced. The higher catalase activity in the mutant may decrease the nonenzymatic peroxidation of keto-acids such as hydroxypyruvate and glyoxylate by photorespiratory H 2 O 2

  19. Amphitrite ornata dehaloperoxidase (DHP): investigations of structural factors that influence the mechanism of halophenol dehalogenation using "peroxidase-like" myoglobin mutants and "myoglobin-like" DHP mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Jing; Huang, Xiao; Sun, Shengfang; Wang, Chunxue; Lebioda, Lukasz; Dawson, John H

    2011-09-27

    Dehaloperoxidase (DHP), discovered in the marine terebellid polychaete Amphitrite ornata, is the first heme-containing globin with a peroxidase activity. The sequence and crystal structure of DHP argue that it evolved from an ancient O(2) transport and storage globin. Thus, DHP retains an oxygen carrier function but also has the ability to degrade halophenol toxicants in its living environment. Sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) in the ferric state has a peroxidase activity ∼10 times lower than that of DHP. The catalytic activity enhancement observed in DHP appears to have been generated mainly by subtle changes in the positions of the proximal and distal histidine residues that appeared during DHP evolution. Herein, we report investigations into the mechanism of action of DHP derived from examination of "peroxidase-like" Mb mutants and "Mb-like" DHP mutants. The dehalogenation ability of wild-type Mb is augmented in the peroxidase-like Mb mutants (F43H/H64L, G65T, and G65I Mb) but attenuated in the Mb-like T56G DHP variant. X-ray crystallographic data show that the distal His residues in G65T Mb and G65I are positioned ∼0.3 and ∼0.8 Å, respectively, farther from the heme iron compared to that in the wild-type protein. The H93K/T95H double mutant Mb with the proximal His shifted to the "DHP-like" position has an increased peroxidase activity. In addition, a better dehaloperoxidase (M86E DHP) was generated by introducing a negative charge near His89 to enhance the imidazolate character of the proximal His. Finally, only minimal differences in dehalogenation activities are seen among the exogenous ligand-free DHP, the acetate-bound DHP, and the distal site blocker L100F DHP mutant. Thus, we conclude that binding of halophenols in the internal binding site (i.e., distal cavity) is not essential for catalysis. This work provides a foundation for a new structure-function paradigm for peroxidases and for the molecular evolution of the dual-function enzyme DHP.

  20. Amphitrite ornata Dehaloperoxidase (DHP): Investigations of Structural Factors That Influence the Mechanism of Halophenol Dehalogenation Using ;Peroxidase-like; Myoglobin Mutants and ;Myoglobin-like; DHP Mutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Jing; Huang, Xiao; Sun, Shengfang; Wang, Chunxue; Lebioda, Lukasz; Dawson, John H. (SC)

    2012-05-14

    Dehaloperoxidase (DHP), discovered in the marine terebellid polychaete Amphitrite ornata, is the first heme-containing globin with a peroxidase activity. The sequence and crystal structure of DHP argue that it evolved from an ancient O{sub 2} transport and storage globin. Thus, DHP retains an oxygen carrier function but also has the ability to degrade halophenol toxicants in its living environment. Sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) in the ferric state has a peroxidase activity {approx}10 times lower than that of DHP. The catalytic activity enhancement observed in DHP appears to have been generated mainly by subtle changes in the positions of the proximal and distal histidine residues that appeared during DHP evolution. Herein, we report investigations into the mechanism of action of DHP derived from examination of 'peroxidase-like' Mb mutants and 'Mb-like' DHP mutants. The dehalogenation ability of wild-type Mb is augmented in the peroxidase-like Mb mutants (F43H/H64L, G65T, and G65I Mb) but attenuated in the Mb-like T56G DHP variant. X-ray crystallographic data show that the distal His residues in G65T Mb and G65I are positioned {approx}0.3 and {approx}0.8 {angstrom}, respectively, farther from the heme iron compared to that in the wild-type protein. The H93K/T95H double mutant Mb with the proximal His shifted to the 'DHP-like' position has an increased peroxidase activity. In addition, a better dehaloperoxidase (M86E DHP) was generated by introducing a negative charge near His89 to enhance the imidazolate character of the proximal His. Finally, only minimal differences in dehalogenation activities are seen among the exogenous ligand-free DHP, the acetate-bound DHP, and the distal site blocker L100F DHP mutant. Thus, we conclude that binding of halophenols in the internal binding site (i.e., distal cavity) is not essential for catalysis. This work provides a foundation for a new structure-function paradigm for peroxidases and for the

  1. Influence of amino acid residues near the active site of cytochrome P450 from Bacillus megaterium on the selectivity of n-octane oxidation to octanol regioisomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyaji, Akimitsu; Baba, Toshihide

    2017-09-01

    A mutant of cytochrome P450 from Bacillus megaterium (CYP450BM-3) was prepared by replacing two alanine residues around active site of the enzyme, alanine 328 and alanine 82, with leucine and tryptophan, respectively. The CYP450BM-3 mutant produced 2-octanol selectively from n-octane under atmospheric temperature and pressure; its selectivity was 74%. Furthermore, the mutant produced 1-octanol, which is not produced by wild-type enzyme.

  2. Association of mutator activity with UV sensitivity in an aphidicolin-resistant mutant of Chinese hamster V79 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, P.K.; Chang, C.; Trosko, J.E.

    1982-01-01

    The spontaneous mutation rates of an ultraviolet light (UV)-sensitive aphidicolin-resistant mutant (aphsup(r)-4-2) and its revertants have been determined by 2 techniques. By using the fluctuation analysis, the mutant and its thymidine (TdR)-prototrophic 'revertant' were found to exhibit elevated spontaneous mutation rates at the 6-thioguanine- and diphtheria-toxin-resistant loci. In contrast, the TdR-auxotrophic 'revertant' did not show this property. Similar results were obtained by the multiple replating technique. From these comparative studies and other previous characterizations, it appears that a single gene mutation is responsible for the following pleiotropic phenotype: slow growth, UV sensitivity, high UV-induced mutability, high frequency of site-specific bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-dependent chromosome breaks and enhanced spontaneous mutation rate. Recent studies indicate that the mutation may be on the gene for DNA polymerase α. The results further indicate that thymidine auxotrophy or imbalance in nucleotide pools is not necessarily associated with the mutator activity in mammalian cells. (orig.)

  3. The C-terminal N-glycosylation sites of the human alpha1,3/4-fucosyltransferase III, -V, and -VI (hFucTIII, -V, adn -VI) are necessary for the expression of full enzyme activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, L L; Jensen, U B; Bross, P; Orntoft, T F

    2000-09-01

    The alpha1,3/4-fucosyltransferases are involved in the synthesis of fucosylated cell surface glycoconjugates. Human alpha1,3/4-fucosyltransferase III, -V, and -VI (hFucTIII, -V, and -VI) contain two conserved C-terminal N-glycosylation sites (hFucTIII: Asn154 and Asn185; hFucTV: Asn167 and Asn198; and hFucTVI: Asn153 and Asn184). In the present study, we have analyzed the functional role of these potential N-glycosylation sites, laying the main emphasis on the sites in hFucTIII. Tunicamycin treatment completely abolished hFucTIII enzyme activity while castanospermine treatment diminished hFucTIII enzyme activity to approximately 40% of the activity of the native enzyme. To further analyze the role of the conserved N-glycosylation sites in hFucTIII, -V, and -VI, we made a series of mutant genomic DNAs in which the asparagine residues in the potential C-terminal N-glycosylation sites were replaced by glutamine. Subsequently, the hFucTIII, -V, and -VI wild type and the mutants were expressed in COS-7 cells. All the mutants exhibited lower enzyme activity than the wild type and elimination of individual sites had different effects on the activity. The mutations did not affect the protein level of the mutants in the cells, but reduced the molecular mass as predicted. Kinetic analysis of hFucTIII revealed that lack of glycosylation at Asn185 did not change the Km values for the oligosaccharide acceptor and the nucleotide sugar donor. The present study demonstrates that hFucTIII, -V, and -VI require N-glycosylation at the two conserved C-terminal N-glycosylation sites for expression of full enzyme activity.

  4. Manipulation of EphB2 regulatory motifs and SH2 binding sites switches MAPK signaling and biological activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Jiefei; Elowe, Sabine; Nash, Piers; Pawson, Tony

    2003-02-21

    Signaling by the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) is complex, because they can interact with a variety of intracellular targets, and can potentially induce distinct responses in different cell types. In NG108 neuronal cells, activated EphB2 recruits p120RasGAP, in a fashion that is associated with down-regulation of the Ras-Erk mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathway and neurite retraction. To pursue the role of the Ras-MAPK pathway in EphB2-mediated growth cone collapse, and to explore the biochemical and biological functions of Eph receptors, we sought to re-engineer the signaling properties of EphB2 by manipulating its regulatory motifs and SH2 binding sites. An EphB2 mutant that retained juxtamembrane (JM) RasGAP binding sites but incorporated a Grb2 binding motif at an alternate RasGAP binding site within the kinase domain had little effect on basal Erk MAPK activation. In contrast, elimination of all RasGAP binding sites, accompanied by the addition of a Grb2 binding site within the kinase domain, led to an increase in phospho-Erk levels in NG108 cells following ephrin-B1 stimulation. Functional assays indicated a correlation between neurite retraction and the ability of the EphB2 mutants to down-regulate Ras-Erk MAPK signaling. These data suggest that EphB2 can be designed to repress, stabilize, or activate the Ras-Erk MAPK pathway by the manipulation of RasGAP and Grb2 SH2 domain binding sites and support the notion that Erk MAPK regulation plays a significant role in axon guidance. The behavior of EphB2 variants with mutations in the JM region and kinase domains suggests an intricate pattern of regulation and target recognition by Eph receptors.

  5. An allosteric binding site at the human serotonin transporter mediates the inhibition of escitalopram by R-citalopram: kinetic binding studies with the ALI/VFL-SI/TT mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Huailing; Hansen, Kasper B; Boyle, Noel J; Han, Kiho; Muske, Galina; Huang, Xinyan; Egebjerg, Jan; Sánchez, Connie

    2009-10-25

    The human serotonin transporter (hSERT) has primary and allosteric binding sites for escitalopram and R-citalopram. Previous studies have established that the interaction of these two compounds at a low affinity allosteric binding site of hSERT can affect the dissociation of [(3)H]escitalopram from hSERT. The allosteric binding site involves a series of residues in the 10th, 11th, and 12th trans-membrane domains of hSERT. The low affinity allosteric activities of escitalopram and R-citalopram are essentially eliminated in a mutant hSERT with changes in some of these residues, namely A505V, L506F, I507L, S574T, I575T, as measured in dissociation binding studies. We confirm that in association binding experiments, R-citalopram at clinically relevant concentrations reduces the association rate of [(3)H]escitalopram as a ligand to wild type hSERT. We demonstrate that the ability of R-citalopram to reduce the association rate of escitalopram is also abolished in the mutant hSERT (A505V, L506F, I507L, S574T, I575T), along with the expected disruption the low affinity allosteric function on dissociation binding. This suggests that the allosteric binding site mediates both the low affinity and higher affinity interactions between R-citalopram, escitalopram, and hSERT. Our data add an additional structural basis for the different efficacies of escitalopram compared to racemic citalopram reported in animal studies and clinical trials, and substantiate the hypothesis that hSERT has complex allosteric mechanisms underlying the unexplained in vivo activities of its inhibitors.

  6. Analysis of Escherichia coli nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase mutants in vivo and in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rydén-Aulin Monica

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Adenylation of nicotinate mononucleotide to nicotinate adenine dinucleotide is the penultimate step in NAD+ synthesis. In Escherichia coli, the enzyme nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase is encoded by the nadD gene. We have earlier made an initial characterization in vivo of two mutant enzymes, NadD72 and NadD74. Strains with either mutation have decreased intracellular levels of NAD+, especially for one of the alleles, nadD72. Results In this study these two mutant proteins have been further characterized together with ten new mutant variants. Of the, in total, twelve mutations four are in a conserved motif in the C-terminus and eight are in the active site. We have tested the activity of the enzymes in vitro and their effect on the growth phenotype in vivo. There is a very good correlation between the two data sets. Conclusion The mutations in the C-terminus did not reveal any function for the conserved motif. On the other hand, our data has lead us to assign amino acid residues His-19, Arg-46 and Asp-109 to the active site. We have also shown that the nadD gene is essential for growth in E. coli.

  7. Constraints imposed by transmembrane domains affect enzymatic activity of membrane-associated human CD39/NTPDase1 mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musi, Elgilda; Islam, Naziba; Drosopoulos, Joan H F

    2007-05-01

    Human CD39/NTPDase1 is an endothelial cell membrane-associated nucleotidase. Its large extracellular domain rapidly metabolizes nucleotides, especially ADP released from activated platelets, inhibiting further platelet activation/recruitment. Previous studies using our recombinant soluble CD39 demonstrated the importance of residues S57, D54, and D213 for enzymatic/biological activity. We now report effects of S57A, D54A, and D213A mutations on full-length (FL)CD39 function. Enzymatic activity of alanine modified FLCD39s was less than wild-type, contrasting the enhanced activity of their soluble counterparts. Furthermore, conservative substitutions D54E and D213E led to enzymes with activities greater than the alanine modified FLCD39s, but less than wild-type. Reductions in mutant activities were primarily associated with reduced catalytic rates. Differences in enzymatic activity were not attributable to gross changes in the nucleotide binding pocket or the enzyme's ability to multimerize. Thus, composition of the active site of wild-type CD39 appears optimized for ADPase function in the context of the transmembrane domains.

  8. Abnormal grooming activity in Dab1(scm) (scrambler) mutant mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strazielle, C; Lefevre, A; Jacquelin, C; Lalonde, R

    2012-07-15

    Dab1(scm) mutant mice, characterized by cell ectopias and degeneration in cerebellum, hippocampus, and neocortex, were compared to non-ataxic controls for different facets of grooming caused by brief water immersions, as well as some non-grooming behaviors. Dab1(scm) mutants were strongly affected in their quantitative functional parameters, exhibiting higher starting latencies before grooming relative to non-ataxic littermates of the A/A strain, fewer grooming bouts, and grooming components of shorter duration, with an unequal regional distribution targeting almost totally the rostral part (head washing and forelimb licking) of the animal. Only bouts of a single grooming element were preserved. The cephalocaudal order of grooming elements appeared less disorganized, mutant and control mice initiating the grooming with head washing and forelimb licking prior to licking posterior parts. However, mutants differed from controls in that all their bouts were incomplete but uninterrupted, although intergroup difference for percentage of the incorrect transitions was not significant. In contrast to grooming, Dab1(scm) mice ambulated for a longer time. During walking episodes, they exhibited more body scratching than controls, possibly to compensate for the lack of licking different body parts. In conjunction with studies with other ataxic mice, these results indicate that the cerebellar cortex affects grooming activity and is consequently involved in executing various components, but not in its sequential organization, which requires other brain regions such as cerebral cortices or basal ganglia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Mutations that silence constitutive signaling activity in the allosteric ligand-binding site of the thyrotropin receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haas, Ann-Karin; Kleinau, Gunnar; Hoyer, Inna; Neumann, Susanne; Furkert, Jens; Rutz, Claudia; Schülein, Ralf; Gershengorn, Marvin C; Krause, Gerd

    2011-01-01

    The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) exhibits elevated cAMP signaling in the basal state and becomes fully activated by thyrotropin. Previously we presented evidence that small-molecule ligands act allosterically within the transmembrane region in contrast to the orthosteric extracellular hormone-binding sites. Our goal in this study was to identify positions that surround the allosteric pocket and that are sensitive for inactivation of TSHR. Homology modeling combined with site-directed mutagenesis and functional characterization revealed seven mutants located in the allosteric binding site that led to a decrease of basal cAMP signaling activity. The majority of these silencing mutations, which constrain the TSHR in an inactive conformation, are found in two clusters when mapped onto the 3D structural model. We suggest that the amino acid positions identified herein are indicating locations where small-molecule antagonists, both neutral antagonists and inverse agonists, might interfere with active TSHR conformations.

  10. Roles of the active site residues and metal cofactors in noncanonical base-pairing during catalysis by human DNA polymerase iota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarova, Alena V; Ignatov, Artem; Miropolskaya, Nataliya; Kulbachinskiy, Andrey

    2014-10-01

    Human DNA polymerase iota (Pol ι) is a Y-family polymerase that can bypass various DNA lesions but possesses very low fidelity of DNA synthesis in vitro. Structural analysis of Pol ι revealed a narrow active site that promotes noncanonical base-pairing during catalysis. To better understand the structure-function relationships in the active site of Pol ι we investigated substitutions of individual amino acid residues in its fingers domain that contact either the templating or the incoming nucleotide. Two of the substitutions, Y39A and Q59A, significantly decreased the catalytic activity but improved the fidelity of Pol ι. Surprisingly, in the presence of Mn(2+) ions, the wild-type and mutant Pol ι variants efficiently incorporated nucleotides opposite template purines containing modifications that disrupted either Hoogsteen or Watson-Crick base-pairing, suggesting that Pol ι may use various types of interactions during nucleotide addition. In contrast, in Mg(2+) reactions, wild-type Pol ι was dependent on Hoogsteen base-pairing, the Y39A mutant was essentially inactive, and the Q59A mutant promoted Watson-Crick interactions with template purines. The results suggest that Pol ι utilizes distinct mechanisms of nucleotide incorporation depending on the metal cofactor and reveal important roles of specific residues from the fingers domain in base-pairing and catalysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Binding of 3,4,5,6-Tetrahydroxyazepanes to the Acid-[beta]-glucosidase Active Site: Implications for Pharmacological Chaperone Design for Gaucher Disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orwig, Susan D.; Tan, Yun Lei; Grimster, Neil P.; Yu, Zhanqian; Powers, Evan T.; Kelly, Jeffery W.; Lieberman, Raquel L. (Scripps); (GIT)

    2013-03-07

    Pharmacologic chaperoning is a therapeutic strategy being developed to improve the cellular folding and trafficking defects associated with Gaucher disease, a lysosomal storage disorder caused by point mutations in the gene encoding acid-{beta}-glucosidase (GCase). In this approach, small molecules bind to and stabilize mutant folded or nearly folded GCase in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), increasing the concentration of folded, functional GCase trafficked to the lysosome where the mutant enzyme can hydrolyze the accumulated substrate. To date, the pharmacologic chaperone (PC) candidates that have been investigated largely have been active site-directed inhibitors of GCase, usually containing five- or six-membered rings, such as modified azasugars. Here we show that a seven-membered, nitrogen-containing heterocycle (3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyazepane) scaffold is also promising for generating PCs for GCase. Crystal structures reveal that the core azepane stabilizes GCase in a variation of its proposed active conformation, whereas binding of an analogue with an N-linked hydroxyethyl tail stabilizes GCase in a conformation in which the active site is covered, also utilizing a loop conformation not seen previously. Although both compounds preferentially stabilize GCase to thermal denaturation at pH 7.4, reflective of the pH in the ER, only the core azepane, which is a mid-micromolar competitive inhibitor, elicits a modest increase in enzyme activity for the neuronopathic G202R and the non-neuronopathic N370S mutant GCase in an intact cell assay. Our results emphasize the importance of the conformational variability of the GCase active site in the design of competitive inhibitors as PCs for Gaucher disease.

  12. Chemical rescue of the post-translationally carboxylated lysine mutant of allantoinase and dihydroorotase by metal ions and short-chain carboxylic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Ya-Yeh; Huang, Yen-Hua; Huang, Cheng-Yang

    2013-04-01

    Bacterial allantoinase (ALLase) and dihydroorotase (DHOase) are members of the cyclic amidohydrolase family. ALLase and DHOase possess similar binuclear metal centers in the active site in which two metals are bridged by a post-translationally carboxylated lysine. In this study, we determined the effects of carboxylated lysine and metal binding on the activities of ALLase and DHOase. Although DHOase is a metalloenzyme, purified DHOase showed high activity without additional metal supplementation in a reaction mixture or bacterial culture. However, unlike DHOase, ALLase had no activity unless some specific metal ions were added to the reaction mixture or culture. Substituting the metal binding sites H59, H61, K146, H186, H242, or D315 with alanine completely abolished the activity of ALLase. However, the K146C, K146D and K146E mutants of ALLase were still active with about 1-6% activity of the wild-type enzyme. These ALLase K146 mutants were found to have 1.4-1.7 mol metal per mole enzyme subunit, which may indicate that they still contained the binuclear metal center in the active site. The activity of the K146A mutant of the ALLase and the K103A mutant of DHOase can be chemically rescued by short-chain carboxylic acids, such as acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, but not by ethanol, propan-1-ol, and imidazole, in the presence of Co2+ or Mn2+ ions. However, the activity was still ~10-fold less than that of wild-type ALLase. Overall, these results indicated that the 20 natural basic amino acid residues were not sufficiently able to play the role of lysine. Accordingly, we proposed that during evolution, the post-translational modification of carboxylated lysine in the cyclic amidohydrolase family was selected for promoting binuclear metal center self-assembly and increasing the nucleophilicity of the hydroxide at the active site for enzyme catalysis. This kind of chemical rescue combined with site-directed mutagenesis may also be used to identify a binuclear metal

  13. Molecular dynamics explorations of active site structure in designed and evolved enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osuna, Sílvia; Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Noey, Elizabeth L; Houk, K N

    2015-04-21

    This Account describes the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to reveal how mutations alter the structure and organization of enzyme active sites. As proposed by Pauling about 70 years ago and elaborated by many others since then, biocatalysis is efficient when functional groups in the active site of an enzyme are in optimal positions for transition state stabilization. Changes in mechanism and covalent interactions are often critical parts of enzyme catalysis. We describe our explorations of the dynamical preorganization of active sites using MD, studying the fluctuations between active and inactive conformations normally concealed to static crystallography. MD shows how the various arrangements of active site residues influence the free energy of the transition state and relates the populations of the catalytic conformational ensemble to the enzyme activity. This Account is organized around three case studies from our laboratory. We first describe the importance of dynamics in evaluating a series of computationally designed and experimentally evolved enzymes for the Kemp elimination, a popular subject in the enzyme design field. We find that the dynamics of the active site is influenced not only by the original sequence design and subsequent mutations but also by the nature of the ligand present in the active site. In the second example, we show how microsecond MD has been used to uncover the role of remote mutations in the active site dynamics and catalysis of a transesterase, LovD. This enzyme was evolved by Tang at UCLA and Codexis, Inc., and is a useful commercial catalyst for the production of the drug simvastatin. X-ray analysis of inactive and active mutants did not reveal differences in the active sites, but relatively long time scale MD in solution showed that the active site of the wild-type enzyme preorganizes only upon binding of the acyl carrier protein (ACP) that delivers the natural acyl group to the active site. In the absence of bound ACP

  14. Characterization of two second-site mutations preventing wild type protein aggregation caused by a dominant negative PMA1 mutant.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilar Eraso

    Full Text Available The correct biogenesis and localization of Pma1 at the plasma membrane is essential for yeast growth. A subset of PMA1 mutations behave as dominant negative because they produce aberrantly folded proteins that form protein aggregates, which in turn provoke the aggregation of the wild type protein. One approach to understand this dominant negative effect is to identify second-site mutations able to suppress the dominant lethal phenotype caused by those mutant alleles. We isolated and characterized two intragenic second-site suppressors of the PMA1-D378T dominant negative mutation. We present here the analysis of these new mutations that are located along the amino-terminal half of the protein and include a missense mutation, L151F, and an in-frame 12bp deletion that eliminates four residues from Cys409 to Ala412. The results show that the suppressor mutations disrupt the interaction between the mutant and wild type enzymes, and this enables the wild type Pma1 to reach the plasma membrane.

  15. Preparation by site-directed mutagenesis and characterization of the E211Q mutant of yeast enolase 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangadala, V S; Glover, C V; Robson, R L; Holland, M J; Lebioda, L; Brewer, J M

    1995-08-16

    The published 'charge shuttle' mechanism of enolase (Lebioda, L. and Stec, B. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 2817-2822) assigns Glu-211 the task of orienting a water molecule that serves as the catalytic base which removes the proton from carbon-2 of the substrate. We prepared the E211Q mutant of yeast enolase 1 by site-directed mutagenesis. It appears to be folded correctly and to respond similarly to many of the normal ligands of enolase: it is stabilized against thermal denaturation by conformational Mg2+ and by Mg2+ and substrate and binds the chromophoric substrate analogue D-tartronate semialdehyde-2-phosphate (TSP) with affinity comparable to that of the native enzyme. However, it has only 0.01% (10(-4)) of the activity of native enolase under standard assay conditions and does not exhibit significantly more activity at various pH values or higher concentrations of substrate and Mg2+. Its ability to produce the form of enzyme-bound and reacted TSP that absorbs at shorter wavelengths is greatly slowed, while the longer wavelength absorbing form is produced rapidly. Overall, these observations are consistent with the hypothetical mechanism.

  16. Structural and Biochemical Characterization of a Copper-Binding Mutant of the Organomercurial Lyase MerB: Insight into the Key Role of the Active Site Aspartic Acid in Hg-Carbon Bond Cleavage and Metal Binding Specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahba, Haytham M; Lecoq, Lauriane; Stevenson, Michael; Mansour, Ahmed; Cappadocia, Laurent; Lafrance-Vanasse, Julien; Wilkinson, Kevin J; Sygusch, Jurgen; Wilcox, Dean E; Omichinski, James G

    2016-02-23

    In bacterial resistance to mercury, the organomercurial lyase (MerB) plays a key role in the detoxification pathway through its ability to cleave Hg-carbon bonds. Two cysteines (C96 and C159; Escherichia coli MerB numbering) and an aspartic acid (D99) have been identified as the key catalytic residues, and these three residues are conserved in all but four known MerB variants, where the aspartic acid is replaced with a serine. To understand the role of the active site serine, we characterized the structure and metal binding properties of an E. coli MerB mutant with a serine substituted for D99 (MerB D99S) as well as one of the native MerB variants containing a serine residue in the active site (Bacillus megaterium MerB2). Surprisingly, the MerB D99S protein copurified with a bound metal that was determined to be Cu(II) from UV-vis absorption, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electron paramagnetic resonance studies. X-ray structural studies revealed that the Cu(II) is bound to the active site cysteine residues of MerB D99S, but that it is displaced following the addition of either an organomercurial substrate or an ionic mercury product. In contrast, the B. megaterium MerB2 protein does not copurify with copper, but the structure of the B. megaterium MerB2-Hg complex is highly similar to the structure of the MerB D99S-Hg complexes. These results demonstrate that the active site aspartic acid is crucial for both the enzymatic activity and metal binding specificity of MerB proteins and suggest a possible functional relationship between MerB and its only known structural homologue, the copper-binding protein NosL.

  17. Biofilm formation in Escherichia coli cra mutants is impaired due to down-regulation of curli biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reshamwala, Shamlan M S; Noronha, Santosh B

    2011-10-01

    Cra is a pleiotropic regulatory protein that controls carbon and energy flux in enteric bacteria. Recent studies have shown that Cra also regulates other cell processes and influences biofilm formation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of Cra in biofilm formation in Escherichia coli. Congo red-binding studies suggested that curli biosynthesis is impaired in cra mutants. Microarray analysis of wild-type and mutant E. coli cultivated in conditions promoting biofilm formation revealed that the curli biosynthesis genes, csgBAC and csgDEFG, are poorly expressed in the mutant, suggesting that transcription of genes required for curli production is regulated by Cra. Four putative Cra-binding sites were identified in the curli intergenic region, which were experimentally validated by performing electromobility shift assays. Site-directed mutagenesis of three Cra-binding sites in the promoter region of the csgDEFG operon suggests that Cra activates transcription of this operon upon binding to operator regions both downstream and upstream of the transcription start site. Based on the Cra-binding sites identified in this and other studies, the Cra consensus sequence is refined.

  18. Identification of the Allosteric Regulatory Site of Insulysin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noinaj, Nicholas; Bhasin, Sonia K.; Song, Eun Suk; Scoggin, Kirsten E.; Juliano, Maria A.; Juliano, Luiz; Hersh, Louis B.; Rodgers, David W. (U. Sao Paulo); (Kentucky)

    2012-05-25

    Insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) is responsible for the metabolism of insulin and plays a role in clearance of the A{beta} peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease. Unlike most proteolytic enzymes, IDE, which consists of four structurally related domains and exists primarily as a dimer, exhibits allosteric kinetics, being activated by both small substrate peptides and polyphosphates such as ATP. The crystal structure of a catalytically compromised mutant of IDE has electron density for peptide ligands bound at the active site in domain 1 and a distal site in domain 2. Mutating residues in the distal site eliminates allosteric kinetics and activation by a small peptide, as well as greatly reducing activation by ATP, demonstrating that this site plays a key role in allostery. Comparison of the peptide bound IDE structure (using a low activity E111F IDE mutant) with unliganded wild type IDE shows a change in the interface between two halves of the clamshell-like molecule, which may enhance enzyme activity by altering the equilibrium between closed and open conformations. In addition, changes in the dimer interface suggest a basis for communication between subunits. Our findings indicate that a region remote from the active site mediates allosteric activation of insulysin by peptides. Activation may involve a small conformational change that weakens the interface between two halves of the enzyme.

  19. Identification of the Allosteric Regulatory Site of Insulysin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noinaj, Nicholas; Bhasin, Sonia K.; Song, Eun Suk; Scoggin, Kirsten E.; Juliano, Maria A.; Juliano, Luiz; Hersh, Louis B.; Rodgers, David W.; Gerrard, Juliet Ann

    2011-06-24

    Background Insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) is responsible for the metabolism of insulin and plays a role in clearance of the Aβ peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease. Unlike most proteolytic enzymes, IDE, which consists of four structurally related domains and exists primarily as a dimer, exhibits allosteric kinetics, being activated by both small substrate peptides and polyphosphates such as ATP. Principal Findings The crystal structure of a catalytically compromised mutant of IDE has electron density for peptide ligands bound at the active site in domain 1 and a distal site in domain 2. Mutating residues in the distal site eliminates allosteric kinetics and activation by a small peptide, as well as greatly reducing activation by ATP, demonstrating that this site plays a key role in allostery. Comparison of the peptide bound IDE structure (using a low activity E111F IDE mutant) with unliganded wild type IDE shows a change in the interface between two halves of the clamshell-like molecule, which may enhance enzyme activity by altering the equilibrium between closed and open conformations. In addition, changes in the dimer interface suggest a basis for communication between subunits. Conclusions/Significance Our findings indicate that a region remote from the active site mediates allosteric activation of insulysin by peptides. Activation may involve a small conformational change that weakens the interface between two halves of the enzyme.

  20. Escherichia coli ArgR mutants defective in cer/Xer recombination, but not in DNA binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sénéchal, Hélène; Delesques, Jérémy; Szatmari, George

    2010-04-01

    The Escherichia coli arginine repressor (ArgR) is an L-arginine-dependent DNA-binding protein that controls the expression of the arginine biosynthetic genes and is required as an accessory factor for Xer site-specific recombination at cer and related recombination sites in plasmids. We used the technique of pentapeptide scanning mutagenesis to isolate a series of ArgR mutants that were considerably reduced in cer recombination, but were still able to repress an argA::lacZ fusion. DNA sequence analysis showed that all of the mutants mapped to the same nucleotide, resulting in a five amino acid insertion between residues 149 and 150 of ArgR, corresponding to the end of the alpha6 helix. A truncated ArgR containing a stop codon at residue 150 displayed the same phenotype as the protein with the five amino acid insertion, and both mutants displayed sequence-specific DNA-binding activity that was L-arginine dependent. These results show that the C-terminus of ArgR is more important in cer/Xer site-specific recombination than in DNA binding.

  1. Generation of a Mutant Mucor hiemalis Endoglycosidase That Acts on Core-fucosylated N-Glycans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katoh, Toshihiko; Katayama, Takane; Tomabechi, Yusuke; Nishikawa, Yoshihide; Kumada, Jyunichi; Matsuzaki, Yuji; Yamamoto, Kenji

    2016-10-28

    Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase M (Endo-M), an endoglycosidase from the fungus Mucor hiemalis, is a useful tool for chemoenzymatic synthesis of glycoconjugates, including glycoprotein-based therapeutics having a precisely defined glycoform, by virtue of its transglycosylation activity. Although Endo-M has been known to act on various N-glycans, it does not act on core-fucosylated N-glycans, which exist widely in mammalian glycoproteins, thus limiting its application. Therefore, we performed site-directed mutagenesis on Endo-M to isolate mutant enzymes that are able to act on mammalian-type core-α1,6-fucosylated glycans. Among the Endo-M mutant enzymes generated, those in which the tryptophan at position 251 was substituted with alanine or asparagine showed altered substrate specificities. Such mutant enzymes exhibited increased hydrolysis of a synthetic α1,6-fucosylated trimannosyl core structure, whereas their activity on the afucosylated form decreased. In addition, among the Trp-251 mutants, the W251N mutant was most efficient in hydrolyzing the core-fucosylated substrate. W251N mutants could act on the immunoglobulin G-derived core-fucosylated glycopeptides and human lactoferrin glycoproteins. This mutant was also capable of transferring the sialyl glycan from an activated substrate intermediate (sialyl glyco-oxazoline) onto an α1,6-fucosyl-N-acetylglucosaminyl biotin. Furthermore, the W251N mutant gained a glycosynthase-like activity when a N175Q substitution was introduced and it caused accumulation of the transglycosylation products. These findings not only give insights into the substrate recognition mechanism of glycoside hydrolase family 85 enzymes but also widen their scope of application in preparing homogeneous glycoforms of core-fucosylated glycoproteins for the production of potent glycoprotein-based therapeutics. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  2. Neutralization escape mutants define a dominant immunogenic neutralization site on hepatitis A virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stapleton, J.T.; Lemon, S.M.

    1987-01-01

    Hepatitis A virus is an hepatotrophic human picornavirus which demonstrates little antigenic variability. To topologically map immunogenic sites on hepatitis A virus which elicit neutralizing antibodies, eight neutralizing monoclonal antibodies were evaluated in competition immunoassays employing radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies and HM-175 virus. Whereas two antibodies (K3-4C8 and K3-2F2) bound to intimately overlapping epitopes, the epitope bound by a third antibody (B5-B3) was distinctly different as evidenced by a lack of competition between antibodies for binding to the virus. The other five antibodies variably blocked the binding of both K3-4C8-K3-2F2 and B5-B3, suggesting that these epitopes are closely spaced and perhaps part of a single neutralization immunogenic site. Several combinations of monoclonal antibodies blocked the binding of polyclonal human convalescent antibody by greater than 96%, indicating that the neutralization epitopes bound by these antibodies are immunodominant in humans. Spontaneously arising HM-175 mutants were selected for resistance to monoclonal antibody-mediated neutralization. Neutralization resistance was associated with reduced antibody binding. These results suggest that hepatitis A virus may differ from poliovirus in possessing a single, dominant neutralization immunogenic site and therefore may be a better candidate for synthetic peptide or antiidiotype vaccine development

  3. Structural and Functional Consequences of Chaperone Site Deletion in αA-Crystallin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santhoshkumar, Puttur; Karmakar, Srabani; Sharma, Krishna K.

    2016-01-01

    The chaperone-like activity of αA-crystallin has an important role in maintaining lens transparency. Previously we identified residues 70–88 as a chaperone site in αA-crystallin. In this study, we deleted the chaperone site residues to generate αAΔ70–76 and αAΔ70–88 mutants and investigated if there are additional substrate-binding sites in αA-crystallin. Both mutant proteins when expressed in E. coli formed inclusion bodies, and on solubilizing and refolding, they exhibited similar structural properties, with a 2- to 3-fold increase in molar mass compared to the molar mass of wild-type protein. The deletion mutants were less stable than the wild-type αA-crystallin. Functionally αAΔ70–88 was completely inactive as a chaperone, while αAΔ70–76 demonstrated a 40–50% reduction in anti-aggregation activity against alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Deletion of residues 70–88 abolished the ADH binding sites in αA-crystallin at physiological temperature. At 45 °C, cryptic ADH binding site(s) became exposed, which contributed subtly to the chaperone-like activity of αAΔ70–88. Both of the deletion mutants were completely inactive in suppressing aggregation of βL-crystallin at 53 °C. The mutants completely lost the anti-apoptotic property that αA-crystallin exhibits while they protected ARPE-19 (a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line) and primary human lens epithelial (HLE) cells from oxidative stress. Our studies demonstrate that residues 70–88 in αA-crystallin act as a primary substrate binding site and account for the bulk of the total chaperone activity. The β3 and β4 strands in αA-crystallin comprising 70–88 residues play an important role in maintenance of the structure and in preventing aggregation of denaturing proteins. PMID:27524665

  4. Truncating PREX2 mutations activate its GEF activity and alter gene expression regulation in NRAS-mutant melanoma

    KAUST Repository

    Lissanu Deribe, Yonathan

    2016-03-01

    PREX2 (phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate-dependent Rac-exchange factor 2) is a PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) binding protein that is significantly mutated in cutaneous melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Here, genetic and biochemical analyses were conducted to elucidate the nature and mechanistic basis of PREX2 mutation in melanoma development. By generating an inducible transgenic mouse model we showed an oncogenic role for a truncating PREX2 mutation (PREX2E824*) in vivo in the context of mutant NRAS. Using integrative cross-species gene expression analysis, we identified deregulated cell cycle and cytoskeleton organization as significantly perturbed biological pathways in PREX2 mutant tumors. Mechanistically, truncation of PREX2 activated its Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity, abolished binding to PTEN and activated the PI3K (phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase)/Akt signaling pathway. We further showed that PREX2 truncating mutations or PTEN deletion induces down-regulation of the tumor suppressor and cell cycle regulator CDKN1C (also known as p57KIP2). This down-regulation occurs, at least partially, through DNA hypomethylation of a differentially methylated region in chromosome 11 that is a known regulatory region for expression of the CDKN1C gene. Together, these findings identify PREX2 as a mediator of NRAS-mutant melanoma development that acts through the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway to regulate gene expression of a cell cycle regulator.

  5. Truncating PREX2 mutations activate its GEF activity and alter gene expression regulation in NRAS-mutant melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lissanu Deribe, Yonathan; Shi, Yanxia; Rai, Kunal; Nezi, Luigi; Amin, Samir B; Wu, Chia-Chin; Akdemir, Kadir C; Mahdavi, Mozhdeh; Peng, Qian; Chang, Qing Edward; Hornigold, Kirsti; Arold, Stefan T; Welch, Heidi C E; Garraway, Levi A; Chin, Lynda

    2016-03-01

    PREX2 (phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate-dependent Rac-exchange factor 2) is a PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) binding protein that is significantly mutated in cutaneous melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Here, genetic and biochemical analyses were conducted to elucidate the nature and mechanistic basis of PREX2 mutation in melanoma development. By generating an inducible transgenic mouse model we showed an oncogenic role for a truncating PREX2 mutation (PREX2(E824)*) in vivo in the context of mutant NRAS. Using integrative cross-species gene expression analysis, we identified deregulated cell cycle and cytoskeleton organization as significantly perturbed biological pathways in PREX2 mutant tumors. Mechanistically, truncation of PREX2 activated its Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity, abolished binding to PTEN and activated the PI3K (phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase)/Akt signaling pathway. We further showed that PREX2 truncating mutations or PTEN deletion induces down-regulation of the tumor suppressor and cell cycle regulator CDKN1C (also known as p57(KIP2)). This down-regulation occurs, at least partially, through DNA hypomethylation of a differentially methylated region in chromosome 11 that is a known regulatory region for expression of the CDKN1C gene. Together, these findings identify PREX2 as a mediator of NRAS-mutant melanoma development that acts through the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway to regulate gene expression of a cell cycle regulator.

  6. Truncating PREX2 mutations activate its GEF activity and alter gene expression regulation in NRAS-mutant melanoma

    KAUST Repository

    Lissanu Deribe, Yonathan; Shi, Yanxia; Rai, Kunal; Nezi, Luigi; Amin, Samir B.; Wu, Chia-Chin; Akdemir, Kadir C.; Mahdavi, Mozhdeh; Peng, Qian; Chang, Qing Edward; Hornigold, Kirsti; Arold, Stefan T.; Welch, Heidi C. E.; Garraway, Levi A.; Chin, Lynda

    2016-01-01

    PREX2 (phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate-dependent Rac-exchange factor 2) is a PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) binding protein that is significantly mutated in cutaneous melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Here, genetic and biochemical analyses were conducted to elucidate the nature and mechanistic basis of PREX2 mutation in melanoma development. By generating an inducible transgenic mouse model we showed an oncogenic role for a truncating PREX2 mutation (PREX2E824*) in vivo in the context of mutant NRAS. Using integrative cross-species gene expression analysis, we identified deregulated cell cycle and cytoskeleton organization as significantly perturbed biological pathways in PREX2 mutant tumors. Mechanistically, truncation of PREX2 activated its Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity, abolished binding to PTEN and activated the PI3K (phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase)/Akt signaling pathway. We further showed that PREX2 truncating mutations or PTEN deletion induces down-regulation of the tumor suppressor and cell cycle regulator CDKN1C (also known as p57KIP2). This down-regulation occurs, at least partially, through DNA hypomethylation of a differentially methylated region in chromosome 11 that is a known regulatory region for expression of the CDKN1C gene. Together, these findings identify PREX2 as a mediator of NRAS-mutant melanoma development that acts through the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway to regulate gene expression of a cell cycle regulator.

  7. Dynamics of an Active-Site Flap Contributes to Catalysis in a JAMM Family Metallo Deubiquitinase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bueno, Amy N; Shrestha, Rashmi K; Ronau, Judith A; Babar, Aditya; Sheedlo, Michael J; Fuchs, Julian E; Paul, Lake N; Das, Chittaranjan

    2015-10-06

    The endosome-associated deubiquitinase (DUB) AMSH is a member of the JAMM family of zinc-dependent metallo isopeptidases with high selectivity for Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains, which play a key role in endosomal-lysosomal sorting of activated cell surface receptors. The catalytic domain of the enzyme features a flexible flap near the active site that opens and closes during its catalytic cycle. Structural analysis of its homologues, AMSH-LP (AMSH-like protein) and the fission yeast counterpart, Sst2, suggests that a conserved Phe residue in the flap may be critical for substrate binding and/or catalysis. To gain insight into the contribution of this flap in substrate recognition and catalysis, we generated mutants of Sst2 and characterized them using a combination of enzyme kinetics, X-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics simulations, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Our analysis shows that the Phe residue in the flap contributes key interactions during the rate-limiting step but not to substrate binding, since mutants of Phe403 exhibit a defect only in kcat but not in KM. Moreover, ITC studies show Phe403 mutants have similar KD for ubiquitin compared to the wild-type enzyme. The X-ray structures of both Phe403Ala and the Phe403Trp, in both the free and ubiquitin bound form, reveal no appreciable structural change that might impair substrate or alter product binding. We observed that the side chain of the Trp residue is oriented identically with respect to the isopeptide moiety of the substrate as the Phe residue in the wild-type enzyme, so the loss of activity seen in this mutant cannot be explained by the absence of a group with the ability to provide van der Waals interactions that facilitate the hyrdolysis of the Lys63-linked diubiquitin. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the flap in the Trp mutant is quite flexible, allowing almost free rotation of the indole side chain. Therefore, it is possible that these different dynamic

  8. Antibodies with higher bactericidal activity induced by a Neisseria gonorrhoeae Rmp deletion mutant strain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guocai Li

    Full Text Available Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae outer membrane protein reduction modifiable protein (Rmp has strong immunogenicity. However, anti-Rmp antibodies block rather than preserve the antibacterial effects of protective antibodies, which hampers the development of vaccines for gonococcal infections. We herein constructed an Rmp deletion mutant strain of N. gonorrhoeae by gene homologous recombination. The 261-460 nucleotide residues of Rmp gene amplified from N. gonorrhoeae WHO-A strain were replaced with a kanamycin-resistant Kan gene amplified from pET-28a. The resultant hybridized DNA was transformed into N. gonorrhoeae WHO-A strain. PCR was used to screen the colonies in which wild-type Rmp gene was replaced with a mutant gene fragment. Western blotting revealed that the Rmp deletion mutant strain did not express Rmp protein. Rmp deletion did not alter the morphological and Gram staining properties of the mutant strain that grew slightly more slowly than the wild-type one. Rmp gene mutated stably throughout 25 generations of passage. Antibody-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay indicated that the antibodies induced by the mutant strain had evidently higher bactericidal activities than those induced by the wild-type strain. Further modification of the Rmp deletion mutant strain is still required in the development of novel live attenuated vaccines for gonorrhea by Opa genes deletion or screening of phenotypic variant strains that do not express Opa proteins.

  9. Activity of Lactobacillus casei and its gamma-radiation induced mutant in different types of milk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, J.; Ranganathan, B.

    1979-01-01

    Lactobacillus casei (RTS) and one of its gamma-radiation induced mutants, selected on the basis of increased proteolytic activity were individually inoculated in skimmed milk samples of different species. After incubation at 37 0 C for 24 hours, both the cultures produced higher titratable and volatile acidities and liberated more tyrosine in buffalo's milk as compared to either cow's or goat's milk. These cultures did not produce diacetyl or acetoin in different types of milk. It was further observed that the mutant was biochemically more active as compared to the parent culture. L. casei (RTS), irrespective of milk of different species. (orig.) [de

  10. Magnesium-adenosine diphosphate binding sites in wild-type creatine kinase and in mutants: role of aromatic residues probed by Raman and infrared spectroscopies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagemann, H; Marcillat, O; Buchet, R; Vial, C

    2000-08-08

    Two distinct methods were used to investigate the role of Trp residues during Mg-ADP binding to cytosolic creatine kinase (CK) from rabbit muscle: (1) Raman spectroscopy, which is very sensitive to the environment of aromatic side-chain residues, and (2) reaction-induced infrared difference spectroscopy (RIDS) and photolabile substrate (ADP[Et(PhNO(2))]), combined with site-directed mutagenesis on the four Trp residues of CK. Our Raman results indicated that the environment of Trp and of Tyr were not affected during Mg-ADP binding to CK. Analysis of RIDS of wild-type CK, inactive W227Y, and active W210,217,272Y mutants suggested that Trp227 was not involved in the stacking interactions. Results are consistent with Trp227 being essential to prevent water molecules from entering in the active site [as suggested by Gross, M., Furter-Graves, E. M., Wallimann, T., Eppenberger, H. M., and Furter, R. (1994) Protein Sci. 3, 1058-1068] and that another Trp could in addition help to steer the nucleotide in the binding site, although it is not essential for the activity of CK. Raman and infrared spectra indicated that Mg-ADP binding does not involve large secondary structure changes. Only 3-4 residues absorbing in the amide I region are directly implicated in the Mg-ADP binding (corresponding to secondary structure changes less than 1%), suggesting that movement of protein domains due to Mg-nucleotide binding do not promote large secondary structure changes.

  11. Lactose metabolism in Streptococcus lactis: studies with a mutant lacking glucokinase and mannose-phosphotransferase activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, J.; Chassy, B.M.; Egan, W.

    1985-01-01

    A mutant of Streptococcus lactis 133 has been isolated that lacks both glucokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent mannose- phosphotransferase (mannose-PTS) activities. The double mutant S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- is unable to utilize either exogenously supplied or intracellularly generated glucose for growth. Fluorographic analyses of metabolites formed during the metabolism of [ 14 C]lactose labeled specifically in the glucose or galactosyl moiety established that the cells were unable to phosphorylate intracellular glucose. However, cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- readily metabolized intracellular glucose 6-phosphate, and the growth rates and cell yield of the mutant and parental strains on sucrose were the same. During growth on lactose, S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- fermented only the galactose moiety of the disaccharide, and 1 mol of glucose was generated per mol of lactose consumed. For an equivalent concentration of lactose, the cell yield of the mutant was 50% that of the wild type. The specific rate of lactose utilization by growing cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- was ca. 50% greater than that of the wild type, but the cell doubling times were 70 and 47 min, respectively. High-resolution 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of lactose transport by starved cells of S. lactis 133 and S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- showed that the latter cells contained elevated lactose-PTS activity. Throughout exponential growth on lactose, the mutant maintained an intracellular steady-state glucose concentration of 100 mM

  12. Lactose metabolism in Streptococcus lactis: studies with a mutant lacking glucokinase and mannose-phosphotransferase activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thompson, J.; Chassy, B.M.; Egan, W.

    1985-04-01

    A mutant of Streptococcus lactis 133 has been isolated that lacks both glucokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent mannose- phosphotransferase (mannose-PTS) activities. The double mutant S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- is unable to utilize either exogenously supplied or intracellularly generated glucose for growth. Fluorographic analyses of metabolites formed during the metabolism of (/sup 14/C)lactose labeled specifically in the glucose or galactosyl moiety established that the cells were unable to phosphorylate intracellular glucose. However, cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- readily metabolized intracellular glucose 6-phosphate, and the growth rates and cell yield of the mutant and parental strains on sucrose were the same. During growth on lactose, S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- fermented only the galactose moiety of the disaccharide, and 1 mol of glucose was generated per mol of lactose consumed. For an equivalent concentration of lactose, the cell yield of the mutant was 50% that of the wild type. The specific rate of lactose utilization by growing cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- was ca. 50% greater than that of the wild type, but the cell doubling times were 70 and 47 min, respectively. High-resolution /sup 31/P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of lactose transport by starved cells of S. lactis 133 and S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- showed that the latter cells contained elevated lactose-PTS activity. Throughout exponential growth on lactose, the mutant maintained an intracellular steady-state glucose concentration of 100 mM.

  13. A transcriptionally active estrogen receptor mutant is a novel type of dominant negative inhibitor of estrogen action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McInerney, E M; Ince, B A; Shapiro, D J; Katzenellenbogen, B S

    1996-12-01

    We have characterized a human estrogen receptor (ER) mutant, V364E, which has a single amino acid substitution in its hormone-binding domain. This ER mutant is fully active or even superactive at saturating levels of estradiol (10(-8) M E2) yet has the capacity to act as a strong dominant negative inhibitor of the wild type ER. In transient transfection assays using ER-negative Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and two different estrogen response element (ERE)-containing promoter reporter genes, V364E treated with 10(-8) M E2 exhibited approximately 250% and 100% of the activity of the wild type ER with these two promoter contexts, respectively. Despite the high activity of V364E when present alone in cells, coexpression of both V364E and wild type ER causes a significant decrease in overall ER-mediated transcriptional activity. On the TATA promoter, where V364E was more inhibitory, estrogen-stimulated activity was reduced by approximately 50% at a 1:1 ratio of mutant to wild type ER expression vector, and at a 10:1 ratio, 75% of ER activity was inhibited. V364E was expressed at lower levels than wild type ER and has a approximately 40-fold lower affinity for E2 compared with wild type ER. In promoter interference assays, V364E exhibited a strict dependence upon E2 for binding to an ERE. Surprisingly, even when V364E was unable to bind to ERE DNA (i.e. either at low E2 concentration or by mutation of its DNA-binding domain), this mutant retained full dominant negative activity. This highly active ER mutant is, thus, able to repress ER-mediated transcription when the mutant and wild type ER are present together in cells, even without DNA binding. Since competition for ERE binding and the formation of inactive heterodimers cannot fully account for the dominant negative activity of V364E, it is probable that altered interactions with proteins important in ER-mediated transcription play a key role in the repression of transcription by V364E. The properties and probable

  14. Targeted Disruption of V600E-Mutant BRAF Gene by CRISPR-Cpf1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meijia Yang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available BRAF-V600E (1799T > A is one of the most frequently reported driver mutations in multiple types of cancers, and patients with such mutations could benefit from selectively inactivating the mutant allele. Near this mutation site, there are two TTTN and one NGG protospacer-adjacent motifs (PAMs for Cpf1 and Cas9 CRISPR nucleases, respectively. The 1799T > A substitution also leads to the occurrence of a novel NGNG PAM for the EQR variant of Cas9. We examined the editing efficacy and selectivity of Cpf1, Cas9, and EQR variant to this mutation site. Only Cpf1 demonstrated robust activity to induce specific disruption of only mutant BRAF, not wild-type sequence. Cas9 recognized and cut both normal and mutant alleles, and no obvious gene editing events were observed using EQR variant. Our results support the potential applicability of Cpf1 in precision medicine through highly specific inactivation of many other gain-of-function mutations. Keywords: Cpf1, targeted therapy, BRAF V600E

  15. Equilibrium isotope exchange kinetics of native and site-specific mutant forms of E. coli aspartate transcarbamoylase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wedler, F.C.; Hsuanyu, Y.; Kantrowitz, E.R.

    1987-01-01

    Isotope exchange kinetics at equilibrium (EIEK) have been used to probe the kinetic and regulatory mechanisms of native aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) from E. coli at pH 7.0, 30 0 . Substrate saturation patterns were most consistent with a preferred order random kinetic mechanism: C-P prior to L-Asp, C-Asp released before Pi, with the Asp ↔ C-Asp exchange rate 5X faster than C-P ↔ Pi. Computer simulations allow one to fit the EIEK experimental data and to arrive at the best set of kinetic constants for a given enzyme state. These approaches have been applied to modified ATCase. Bound CTP and ATP were observed, respectively, to inhibit and activate differentially Asp ↔ C-Asp, but not C-P ↔ Pi, indicating that these modifiers alter the association-dissociation rates of L-Asp and C-Asp but not of C-P or Pi. Low levels of PALA activated both exchange rates (due to shifting the T-R equilibrium), but higher [PALA] completely blocked both exchanges. The effects of a site-specific mutation of Tyr240 Phe have been similarly probed by EIEK methods. The Phe240 mutant enzyme exhibited kinetic properties markedly different from native ATCase: the data indicate that Phe240 ATCase is much closer to an R-state enzyme than is native enzyme

  16. Mutation of yeast Eug1p CXXS active sites to CXXC results in a dramatic increase in protein disulphide isomerase activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard, P; Winther, Jakob R.

    2001-01-01

    to thioredoxin and with CXXC catalytic motifs. EUG1 encodes a yeast protein, Eug1p, that is highly homologous to PDI. However, Eug1p contains CXXS motifs instead of CXXC. In the current model for PDI function both cysteines in this motif are required for PDI-catalysed oxidase activity. To gain more insight...... into the biochemical properties of this unusual variant of PDI we have purified and characterized the protein. We have furthermore generated a number of mutant forms of Eug1p in which either or both of the active sites have been mutated to a CXXC sequence. To determine the catalytic capacity of the wild...

  17. Functional verification of a porcine myostatin propeptide mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Dezun; Jiang, Shengwang; Gao, Pengfei; Qian, Lili; Wang, Qingqing; Cai, Chunbo; Xiao, Gaojun; Yang, Jinzeng; Cui, Wentao

    2015-10-01

    Myostatin is a member of TGF-β superfamily that acts as a key negative regulator in development and growth of embryonic and postnatal muscles. In this study, the inhibitory activities of recombinant porcine myostatin propeptide and its mutated form (at the cleavage site of metalloproteinases of BMP-1/TLD family) against murine myostatin was evaluated in vivo by intraperitoneal injection into mice. Results showed that both wild type and mutated form of porcine propeptide significantly inhibited myostatin activity in vivo. The average body weight of mice receiving wild type propeptide or its mutated form increased by 12.5 % and 24.14%, respectively, compared to mice injected with PBS, implying that the in vivo efficacy of porcine propeptide mutant is greater than its wild type propeptide. Transgenic mice expressing porcine myostatin propeptide mutant were generated to further verify the results obtained from mice injected with recombinant porcine propeptide mutant. Compared with wild type (non-transgenic) mice, relative weight of gastrocnemius, rectusfemoris, and tibialis anterior increased by 22.14 %, 34.13 %, 25.37%, respectively, in transgenic male mice, and by 19.90 %, 42.47 %, 45.61%, respectively, in transgenic female mice. Our data also demonstrated that the mechanism by which muscle growth enhancement is achieved by these propeptides is due to an increase in fiber sizes, not by an increase in number of fiber cells.

  18. Characterization of the Escherichia coli prsA1-encoded mutant phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase identifies a divalent cation-nucleotide binding site

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bower, Stanley G.; Harlow, Kenneth W.; Switzer, Robert L.

    1989-01-01

    : DLHAXQIQGFFDI/VPI/VD. There was little alteration in the Km for ribose 5-phosphate. The Km for ATP of the mutant enzyme was increased 27-fold when Mg2+ was the activating cation but only 5-fold when Mn2+ was used. Maximal velocities of the wild type and mutant enzymes were the same. The mutant enzyme has a 6......-fold lower affinity for Ca2+, as judged by the ability of Ca2+ to inhibit the reaction in the presence of 10 mM Mg2+. Wild type PRPP synthetase is subject to product inhibition by AMP, but AMP inhibition of the prsA1 mutant enzyme could not be detected. It has been previously proposed that a divalent...

  19. A mutant screening method by critical annealing temperature-PCR for site-directed mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ying; Wu, Ting; Song, Jian; Chen, Xuelian; Zhang, Yu; Wan, Yu

    2013-03-11

    Distinguishing desired mutants from parental templates and undesired mutants is a problem not well solved in Quikchange™ mutagenesis. Although Dpn I digestion can eliminate methylated parental (WT) DNA, the efficiency is not satisfying due to the existence of hemi-methylated DNA in the PCR products, which is resistant to Dpn I. The present study designed a novel critical annealing temperature (T(c))-PCR to replace Dpn I digestion for more perfect mutant distinguishing, in which part-overlapping primers containing mutation(s) were used to reduce initial concentration of template DNA in mutagenic PCR. A T(c)-PCR with the same mutagenic primers was performed without Dpn I digestion. The T(c) for each pair of the primers was identified by gradient PCR. The relationship between PCR-identified T(c) and T(m) of the primers was analyzed and modeled with correlation and regression. Gradient PCR identified a T(c) for each of 14 tested mutagenic primers, which could discriminate mismatched parental molecules and undesired mutants from desired mutants. The PCR-identified T(c) was correlated to the primer's T(m) (r = 0.804, P<0.0001). Thus, in practical applications, the T(c) can be easily calculated with a regression equation, T(c)= 48.81 + 0.253*T(m). The new protocol introduced a novel T(c)-PCR method for mutant screening which can more efficiently and accurately select against parental molecules and undesired mutations in mutagenic sequence segments.

  20. A new method for the construction of a mutant library with a predictable occurrence rate using Poisson distribution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seong, Ki Moon; Park, Hweon; Kim, Seong Jung; Ha, Hyo Nam; Lee, Jae Yung; Kim, Joon

    2007-06-01

    A yeast transcriptional activator, Gcn4p, induces the expression of genes that are involved in amino acid and purine biosynthetic pathways under amino acid starvation. Gcn4p has an acidic activation domain in the central region and a bZIP domain in the C-terminus that is divided into the DNA-binding motif and dimerization leucine zipper motif. In order to identify amino acids in the DNA-binding motif of Gcn4p which are involved in transcriptional activation, we constructed mutant libraries in the DNA-binding motif through an innovative application of random mutagenesis. Mutant library made by oligonucleotides which were mutated randomly using the Poisson distribution showed that the actual mutation frequency was in good agreement with expected values. This method could save the time and effort to create a mutant library with a predictable mutation frequency. Based on the studies using the mutant libraries constructed by the new method, the specific residues of the DNA-binding domain in Gcn4p appear to be involved in the transcriptional activities on a conserved binding site.

  1. On-site and off-site activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, H.D.

    1986-01-01

    Design principles for NPP training programs. Effects of NPP contracts. Effects of domestic industrial activities. The role of international bodies. Requirements for on-site training. Training abroad, technical, financial and social aspects. Training center on-site, an evaluation. (orig.)

  2. Indolyl aryl sulfones (IASs): development of highly potent NNRTIs active against wt-HIV-1 and clinically relevant drug resistant mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestri, Romano; Artico, Marino

    2005-01-01

    Indolyl aryl sulfones (IASs) are a potent class of NNRTIs developed from L-737,126, a lead agent discovered by Merck AG. IAS derivatives are endowed with inhibitory activities against wt HIV-1 in the low nanomolar concentration range. Introduction of two methyl groups at positions 3 and 5 of the phenyl ring of the aryl sulfonyl moiety furnished IAS derivatives such as 5-chloro- or 5-bromo-3-[(3,5-dimethylphenyl)sulfonyl]indole-2-carboxyamide, which showed very potent and selective anti-HIV-1 activity against some mutants carrying NNRTI resistant mutations at positions 103 and 181 of the reverse transcriptase. IAS derivatives bearing 2-hydroxyethylcarboxyamide or 2-hydroxyethylcarboxyhydrazide groups at position 2 of the indole nucleus were more active than L-737,126 against the K103N-Y181C double mutant. A great improvement of antiviral activity against wt HIV-1 and resistant mutants was obtained by coupling 1-3 simple amino acids, such as glycine and alanine, in sequence, with the 3-[(3,5-dimethylphenyl)sulfonyl]-1H-indole-2-carbonyl moiety. The transformation of the chain terminus into amide or hydrazide, produced short peptides with high selectivity and potent activity against wt HIV-1, and the viral mutants Y181C, K103N-Y181C and EFV(R). IAS having two halogen atoms at the indole showed potent inhibitory activity against the Y181C and the EFV(R) resistant mutant strains. In particular, the introduction of a fluorine atom at position 4 of the indole ring notably contributed to improve the antiviral activities against both wt and the related resistant mutants. 5-Nitro-IASs were highly active against wt HIV-1 and exhibited low cytotoxicity. Experimental data highlighted the class IAS derivatives as promising candidates for clinical trials.

  3. Allosteric Mutant IDH1 Inhibitors Reveal Mechanisms for IDH1 Mutant and Isoform Selectivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Xiaoling; Baird, Daniel; Bowen, Kimberly; Capka, Vladimir; Chen, Jinyun; Chenail, Gregg; Cho, YoungShin; Dooley, Julia; Farsidjani, Ali; Fortin, Pascal; Kohls, Darcy; Kulathila, Raviraj; Lin, Fallon; McKay, Daniel; Rodrigues, Lindsey; Sage, David; Touré, B. Barry; van der Plas, Simon; Wright, Kirk; Xu, Ming; Yin, Hong; Levell, Julian; Pagliarini, Raymond A. (Novartis)

    2017-03-01

    Oncogenic IDH1 and IDH2 mutations contribute to cancer via production of R-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Here, we characterize two structurally distinct mutant- and isoform-selective IDH1 inhibitors that inhibit 2-HG production. Both bind to an allosteric pocket on IDH1, yet shape it differently, highlighting the plasticity of this site. Oncogenic IDH1R132H mutation destabilizes an IDH1 “regulatory segment,” which otherwise restricts compound access to the allosteric pocket. Regulatory segment destabilization in wild-type IDH1 promotes inhibitor binding, suggesting that destabilization is critical for mutant selectivity. We also report crystal structures of oncogenic IDH2 mutant isoforms, highlighting the fact that the analogous segment of IDH2 is not similarly destabilized. This intrinsic stability of IDH2 may contribute to observed inhibitor IDH1 isoform selectivity. Moreover, discrete residues in the IDH1 allosteric pocket that differ from IDH2 may also guide IDH1 isoform selectivity. These data provide a deeper understanding of how IDH1 inhibitors achieve mutant and isoform selectivity.

  4. Role of allosteric switch residue histidine 195 in maintaining active-site asymmetry in presynaptic filaments of bacteriophage T4 UvsX recombinase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farb, Joshua N; Morrical, Scott W

    2009-01-16

    Recombinases of the highly conserved RecA/Rad51 family play central roles in homologous recombination and DNA double-stranded break repair. RecA/Rad51 enzymes form presynaptic filaments on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that are allosterically activated to catalyze ATPase and DNA strand-exchange reactions. Information is conveyed between DNA- and ATP-binding sites, in part, by a highly conserved glutamine residue (Gln194 in Escherichia coli RecA) that acts as an allosteric switch. The T4 UvsX protein is a divergent RecA ortholog and contains histidine (His195) in place of glutamine at the allosteric switch position. UvsX and RecA catalyze similar strand-exchange reactions, but differ in other properties. UvsX produces both ADP and AMP as products of its ssDNA-dependent ATPase activity--a property that is unique among characterized recombinases. Details of the kinetics of ssDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis reactions indicate that UvsX-ssDNA presynaptic filaments are asymmetric and contain two classes of ATPase active sites: one that generates ADP, and another that generates AMP. Active-site asymmetry is reduced by mutations at the His195 position, since UvsX-H195Q and UvsX-H195A mutants both exhibit stronger ssDNA-dependent ATPase activity, with lower cooperativity and markedly higher ADP/AMP product ratios, than wild-type UvsX. Reduced active-site asymmetry correlates strongly with reduced ssDNA-binding affinity and DNA strand-exchange activity in both H195Q and H195A mutants. These and other results support a model in which allosteric switch residue His195 controls the formation of an asymmetric conformation of UvsX-ssDNA filaments that is active in DNA strand exchange. The implications of our findings for UvsX recombination functions, and for RecA functions in general, are discussed.

  5. Calcium-Induced Activation of a Mutant G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Causes In Vitro Transformation of NIH/3T3 Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana O. Hoff

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR is a G-proteincoupled receptor that is widely expressed, has tissuespecific functions, regulates cell growth. Activating mutations of this receptor cause autosomal dominant hypocalcemia, a syndrome characterized by hypocalcemia and hypercalciuria. The identification of a family with an activating mutation of the CaR (Thr151 Met in which hypocalcemia cosegregates with several unusual neoplasms led us to examine the transforming effects of this mutant receptor. Transfection of NIH/3T3 cells with the mutant but not the normal receptor supported colony formation in soft agar at subphysiologic calcium concentrations. The mutant CaR causes a calcium-dependent activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK 1/2 and Jun-N-terminal kinase/stress-activated (JNK/ SAPK pathways, but not P38 MAP kinase. These findings contribute to a growing body of information suggesting that this receptor plays a role in the regulation of cellular proliferation, that aberrant activation of the mutant receptor in this family may play a role in the unusual neoplastic manifestations.

  6. Detailed conformation dynamics and activation process of wild type c-Abl and T315I mutant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Li-Jun; Zhao, Wen-Hua; Liu, Qian

    2014-10-01

    Bcr-Abl is an important target for therapy against chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). The synergistic effect between myristyl pocket and the ATP pocket has been found. But its detailed information based on molecular level still has not been achieved. In this study, conventional molecular dynamics (CMD) and target molecular dynamics (TMD) simulations were performed to explore the effect of T315I mutation on dynamics and activation process of Abl containing the N-terminal cap (Ncap). The CMD simulation results reveal the increasing flexibility of ATP pocket in kinase domain (KD) after T315I mutation which confirms the disability of ATP-pocket inhibitors to the Abl-T315I mutant. On the contrary, the T315I mutation decreased the flexibility of remote helix αI which suggests the synergistic effect between them. The mobility of farther regions containing Ncap, SH3, SH2 and SH2-KD linker were not affected by T315I mutation. The TMD simulation results show that the activation process of wild type Abl and Abl-T315I mutant experienced global conformation change. Their differences were elucidated by the activation motion of subsegments including A-loop, P-loop and Ncap. Besides, the T315I mutation caused decreasing energy barrier and increasing intermediate number in activation process, which results easier activation process. The TMD and CMD results indicate that a drug targeting only the ATP pocket is not enough to inhibit the Abl-T315I mutant. An effective way to inhibit the abnormal activity of Abl-T315I mutant is to combine the ATP-pocket inhibitors with inhibitors binding at non-ATP pockets mainly related to Ncap, SH2-KD linker and myristyl pocket.

  7. Molybdenum x-ray absorption studies of the mutant Kp nifV of nitrogenase MO-FE protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eidsness, M.K.; Smith, B.E.; Flood, A.C.; Garner, C.D.; Cramer, S.P.

    1985-01-01

    The nifV mutant nitrogenase enzyme of Klebsiella pheumoniae exhibits altered substrate reducing activity. This nitrogenase mutant cannot fix N 2 in vivo but can reduce C 2 H 2 to C 2 H 4 . The nifV mutant enzyme differs further from the wild-type enzyme by CO inhibition of its H 2 evolution activity, up to 80%. The NifV - phenotype (NifV - Kp1) has been shown to be associated with the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMoco) in the Mo Fe protein which is generally accepted as the site for substrate reduction. An X-Ray absorption study of the Mo site in this mutant may reveal a difference in its FeMoco structure. The authors report here a comparison of Mo X-Ray absorption data from the nitrogenase enzymes of the wild-type and NifV - strains in three different forms: (1) as isolated, (2) dye-oxidized, and (3) fixing enzyme systems. Mo edge structure of NifV - Kp1 and wild-type enzymes are nearly identical. Small shifts to higher energies are observed in the oxidized and fixing states. Mo EXAFS of NifV - Kp1 and wild-type in the ''as isolated'' state appear indistinguishable. Curve fitting results best describe the molybdenum in FeMoco as bound by 4-5 S atoms at 2.36 A ,3 Fe atoms at 2.69 A, and 0-2 O(N) atoms at 2.19 A. The spectral similarity of these results concerning the nifV mutant FeMoco structure is discussed

  8. A cGMP kinase mutant with increased sensitivity to the protein kinase inhibitor peptide PKI(5-24).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruth, P; Kamm, S; Nau, U; Pfeifer, A; Hofmann, F

    1996-01-01

    Synthetic peptides corresponding to the active domain of the heat-stable inhibitor protein PKI are very potent inhibitors of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but are extremely weak inhibitors of cGMP-dependent protein kinase. In this study, we tried to confer PKI sensitivity to cGMP kinase by site-directed mutagenesis. The molecular requirements for high affinity inhibition by PKI were deduced from the crystal structure of the cAMP kinase/PKI complex. A prominent site of interaction are residues Tyr235 and Phe239 in the catalytic subunit, which from a sandwich-like structure with Phe10 of the PKI(5-24) peptide. To increase the sensitivity for PKI, the cGMP kinase codons at the corresponding sites, Ser555 and Ser559, were changed to Tyr and Phe. The mutant cGMP kinase was stimulated half maximally by cGMP at 3-fold higher concentrations (240 nM) than the wild type (77 nM). Wild type and mutant cGMP kinase did not differ significantly in their Km and Vmax for three different substrate peptides. The PKI(5-24) peptide inhibited phosphotransferase activity of the mutant cGMP kinase with higher potency than that of wild type, with Ki values of 42 +/- .3 microM and 160 +/- .7 microM, respectively. The increased affinity of the mutant cGMP kinase was specific for the PKI(5-24) peptide. Mutation of the essential Phe10 in the PKI(5-24) sequence to an Ala yielded a peptide that inhibited mutant and wild type cGMP kinase with similar potency, with Ki values of 160 +/- 11 and 169 +/- 27 microM, respectively. These results suggest that the mutations Ser555Tyr and Ser559Phe are required, but not sufficient, for high affinity inhibition of cGMP kinase by PKI.

  9. Biochemical and structural analysis of a site directed mutant of manganese dependent aminopeptidase P from Streptomyces lavendulae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ARYA NANDAN

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Aminopeptidase P (APP removes N-terminal amino acids from peptides and proteins when the penultimate residue is proline. To understand the structure-function relationships of aminopeptidase P of Streptomyces lavendulae, a conserved arginine residue was replaced with lysine (R453K by site-directed mutagenesis. The overexpressed wild and mutant enzymes were of nearly 60 kDa and purified by nickel affinity chromatography. Kinetic analysis of R453K variant using Gly-Pro-pNA as the substrate revealed an increase in Km with a decrease in Vmax, leading to overall decrease in the catalytic efficiency, indicating that the guanidinium group of arginine plays an important role in substrate binding in APP. We constructed three dimensional models for the catalytic domains of wild and mutant enzyme and it revealed an interaction in R453 of native enzyme through hydrogen bonding with the adjacent residues making a substrate binding cavity whereas K453 did not participate in any hydrogen bonding. Hence, R453 in APP of S. lavenduale must be playing a critical role in the hydrolysis of the substrate.

  10. Insights into regioselective metabolism of mefenamic acid by cytochrome P450 BM3 mutants through crystallography, docking, molecular dynamics, and free energy calculations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Capoferri, Luigi; Leth, Rasmus; Ter Haar, Ernst

    2016-01-01

    of the protein mutant M11 was expressed, purified, and crystallized, and its X-ray structure was used as template for modeling. A multistep approach was used that combines molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and binding free-energy calculations to address protein flexibility. In this way...... active-site mutations such as V87I were reported to invert regioselectivity in NSAID hydroxylation. In this work, we combine crystallography and molecular simulation to study the effect of single mutations on binding and regioselective metabolism of mefenamic acid by M11 mutants. The heme domain...... of mefenamic acid by M11 and its mutants by including protein flexibility and dynamics in free-energy computation. In addition, we could obtain structural insights into the change in regioselectivity of mefenamic acid hydroxylation due to single active-site mutations. Our findings confirm that use of MD...

  11. Improvement of erythrose reductase activity, deletion of by-products and statistical media optimization for enhanced erythritol production from Yarrowia lipolytica mutant 49.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghezelbash, Gholam Reza; Nahvi, Iraj; Emamzadeh, Rahman

    2014-08-01

    The purpose of the present investigation was to produce erythritol by Yarrowia lipolytica mutant without any by-products. Mutants of Y. lipolytica were generated by ultra-violet for enhancing erythrose reductase (ER) activity and erythritol production. The mutants showing the highest ER activity were screened by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride agar plate assay. Productivity of samples was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with the refractive index detector. One of the mutants named as mutant 49 gave maximum erythritol production without any other by-products (particularly glycerol). Erythritol production and specific ER activity in mutant 49 increased to 1.65 and 1.47 times, respectively, in comparison with wild-type strain. The ER gene of wild and mutant strains was sequenced and analyzed. A general comparison of wild and mutant gene sequences showed the replacement of Asp(270) with Glu(270) in ER protein. In order to enhance erythritol production, we used a three component-three level-one response Box-Behnken of response surface methodology model. The optimum medium composition for erythritol production was found to be (g/l) glucose 279.49, ammonium sulfate 9.28, and pH 5.41 with 39.76 erythritol production.

  12. Unmasking tandem site interaction in human acetylcholinesterase. Substrate activation with a cationic acetanilide substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Joseph L; Cusack, Bernadette; Davies, Matthew P; Fauq, Abdul; Rosenberry, Terrone L

    2003-05-13

    Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) contains a narrow and deep active site gorge with two sites of ligand binding, an acylation site (or A-site) at the base of the gorge, and a peripheral site (or P-site) near the gorge entrance. The P-site contributes to catalytic efficiency by transiently binding substrates on their way to the acylation site, where a short-lived acyl enzyme intermediate is produced. A conformational interaction between the A- and P-sites has recently been found to modulate ligand affinities. We now demonstrate that this interaction is of functional importance by showing that the acetylation rate constant of a substrate bound to the A-site is increased by a factor a when a second molecule of substrate binds to the P-site. This demonstration became feasible through the introduction of a new acetanilide substrate analogue of acetylcholine, 3-(acetamido)-N,N,N-trimethylanilinium (ATMA), for which a = 4. This substrate has a low acetylation rate constant and equilibrates with the catalytic site, allowing a tractable algebraic solution to the rate equation for substrate hydrolysis. ATMA affinities for the A- and P-sites deduced from the kinetic analysis were confirmed by fluorescence titration with thioflavin T as a reporter ligand. Values of a >1 give rise to a hydrolysis profile called substrate activation, and the AChE site-specific mutant W86F, and to a lesser extent wild-type human AChE itself, showed substrate activation with acetylthiocholine as the substrate. Substrate activation was incorporated into a previous catalytic scheme for AChE in which a bound P-site ligand can also block product dissociation from the A-site, and two additional features of the AChE catalytic pathway were revealed. First, the ability of a bound P-site ligand to increase the substrate acetylation rate constant varied with the structure of the ligand: thioflavin T accelerated ATMA acetylation by a factor a(2) of 1.3, while propidium failed to accelerate. Second, catalytic rate

  13. Secretion and activation of the Serratia marcescens hemolysin by structurally defined ShlB mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pramanik, Avijit; Könninger, Ulrich; Selvam, Arun; Braun, Volkmar

    2014-05-01

    The ShlA hemolysin of Serratia marcescens is secreted across the outer membrane by the ShlB protein; ShlB belongs to the two-partner secretion system (type Vb), a subfamily of the Omp85 outer membrane protein assembly and secretion superfamily. During secretion, ShlA is converted from an inactive non-hemolytic form into an active hemolytic form. The structure of ShlB is predicted to consist of the N-terminal α-helix H1, followed by the two polypeptide-transport-associated domains POTRA P1 and P2, and the β-barrel of 16 β-strands. H1 is inserted into the pore of the β-barrel in the outer membrane; P1 and P2 are located in the periplasm. To obtain insights into the secretion and activation of ShlA by ShlB, we isolated ShlB mutants impaired in secretion and/or activation. The triple H1 P1 P2 mutant did not secrete ShlA. The P1 and P2 deletion derivatives secreted reduced amounts of ShlA, of which P1 showed some hemolysis, whereas P2 was inactive. Deletion of loop 6 (L6), which is conserved among exporters of the Omp85 family, compromised activation but retained low secretion. Secretion-negative mutants generated by random mutagenesis were located in loop 6. The inactive secreted ShlA derivatives were complemented in vitro to active ShlA by an N-terminal ShlA fragment (ShlA242) secreted by ShlB. Deletion of H1 did not impair secretion of hemolytic ShlA. The study defines domains of ShlB which are important for ShlA secretion and activation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  14. Unveiling the water-associated conformational mobility in the active site of ascorbate peroxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Wei-Chih; Lin, Li-Ju; Lu, Jyh-Feng; Wang, Jinn-Shyan; Lin, Tzu-Chieh; Chen, Yi-Han; Chen, Yi-Ting; Yang, Hsiao-Ching; Chou, Pi-Tai

    2018-03-01

    We carried out comprehensive spectroscopic studies of wild type and mutants of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) to gain understanding of the conformational mobility of the active site. In this approach, three unnatural tryptophans were applied to replace the distal tryptophan (W41) in an aim to probe polarity/water environment near the edge of the heme-containing active site. 7-azatryptophan ((7-aza)Trp) is sensitive to environment polarity, while 2,7-azatryptophan ((2,7-aza)Trp) and 2,6-diazatryptophan ((2,6-aza)Trp) undergo excited-state water-catalyzed double and triple proton transfer, respectively, and are sensitive to the water network. The combination of their absorption, emission bands and the associated relaxation dynamics of these fluorescence probes, together with the Soret-band difference absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy, lead us to unveil the water associated conformational mobility in the active site of APX. The results are suggestive of the existence of equilibrium between two different environments surrounding W41 in APX, i.e., the water-rich and water-scant forms with distinct fluorescence relaxation. Our results thus demonstrate for the first time the power of integrating multiple sensors (7-aza)Trp, (2,7-aza)Trp and (2,6-aza)Trp in probing the water environment of a specifically targeted Trp in proteins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Enterocin A mutants identified by saturation mutagenesis enhance potency towards vancomycin-resistant Enterococci.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClintock, Maria K; Kaznessis, Yiannis N; Hackel, Benjamin J

    2016-02-01

    Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci infections are a significant clinical problem. One proposed solution is to use probiotics, such as lactic acid bacteria, to produce antimicrobial peptides at the site of infection. Enterocin A, a class 2a bacteriocin, exhibits inhibitory activity against E. faecium and E. faecalis, which account for 86% of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci infections. In this study, we aimed to engineer enterocin A mutants with enhanced potency within a lactic acid bacterial production system. Peptide mutants resulting from saturation mutagenesis at sites A24 and T27 were efficiently screened in a 96-well plate assay for inhibition of pathogen growth. Several mutants exhibit increased potency relative to wild-type enterocin A in both liquid- and solid-medium growth assays. In particular, A24P and T27G exhibit enhanced inhibition of multiple strains of E. faecium and E. faecalis, including clinically isolated vancomycin-resistant strains. A24P and T27G enhance killing of E. faecium 8 by 13 ± 3- and 18 ± 4-fold, respectively. The engineered enterocin A/lactic acid bacteria systems offer significant potential to combat antibiotic-resistant infections. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. The C-terminal N-glycosylation sites of the human α1,3/4-fucosyltransferase III, -V and -VI (hFucTIII, -V and -VI) are necessary for the expression of full enzyme activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Lise Lotte; Jensen, Uffe Birk; Bross, Peter Gerd

    2000-01-01

    FucTIII enzyme activity to approximately 40% of the activity of the native enzyme. To further analyze the role of the conserved N-glycosylation sites in hFucTIII, -V, and -VI, we made a series of mutant genomic DNAs in which the asparagine residues in the potential C-terminal N-glycosylation sites were replaced...

  17. Kinetic characterization of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and t-PA deletion mutants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, C. [=Carlie J. M.; Veerman, H.; Nesheim, M. E.; Pannekoek, H.

    1991-01-01

    The binding of t-PA to fibrin is mediated both by its "finger" (F) and its "kringle 2" (K2) domain. In addition, these domains are involved in the stimulation of t-PA activity by fibrin. We analyzed the kinetic characteristics of Glu-plasminogen activation by t-PA and a set of t-PA deletion mutants

  18. Expanding the Substrate Specificity of Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus Secondary Alcohol Dehydrogenase by a Dual Site Mutation

    KAUST Repository

    Musa, Musa M.; Bsharat, Odey; Karume, Ibrahim; Vieille, Claire; Takahashi, Masateru; Hamdan, Samir

    2017-01-01

    Here, we report the asymmetric reduction of selected phenyl-ring-containing ketones by various single and dual site mutants of Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus secondary alcohol dehydrogenase (TeSADH). Further expanding the size of the substrate binding pocket in the mutant W110A/I86A not only allowed substrates of the single mutants W110A and I86A to be accommodated within the expanded active site, but also expanded the enzyme's substrate range to ketones bearing two sterically demanding groups (bulky-bulky ketones), which are not substrates for TeSADH single mutants. We also report the regio- and enantioselective reduction of diketones using W110A/I86A TeSADH and single TeSADH mutants. The double mutant exhibited dual stereopreference generating the Prelog products most of the time and the anti-Prelog products in a few cases.

  19. Expanding the Substrate Specificity of Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus Secondary Alcohol Dehydrogenase by a Dual Site Mutation

    KAUST Repository

    Musa, Musa M.

    2017-12-14

    Here, we report the asymmetric reduction of selected phenyl-ring-containing ketones by various single and dual site mutants of Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus secondary alcohol dehydrogenase (TeSADH). Further expanding the size of the substrate binding pocket in the mutant W110A/I86A not only allowed substrates of the single mutants W110A and I86A to be accommodated within the expanded active site, but also expanded the enzyme\\'s substrate range to ketones bearing two sterically demanding groups (bulky-bulky ketones), which are not substrates for TeSADH single mutants. We also report the regio- and enantioselective reduction of diketones using W110A/I86A TeSADH and single TeSADH mutants. The double mutant exhibited dual stereopreference generating the Prelog products most of the time and the anti-Prelog products in a few cases.

  20. Conversion of agonist site to metal-ion chelator site in the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elling, C E; Thirstrup, K; Holst, Birgitte

    1999-01-01

    Previously metal-ion sites have been used as structural and functional probes in seven transmembrane receptors (7TM), but as yet all the engineered sites have been inactivating. Based on presumed agonist interaction points in transmembrane III (TM-III) and -VII of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor,...... as generic, pharmacologic tools to switch 7TM receptors with engineered metal-ion sites on or off at will.......Previously metal-ion sites have been used as structural and functional probes in seven transmembrane receptors (7TM), but as yet all the engineered sites have been inactivating. Based on presumed agonist interaction points in transmembrane III (TM-III) and -VII of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor......, in this paper we construct an activating metal-ion site between the amine-binding Asp-113 in TM-III-or a His residue introduced at this position-and a Cys residue substituted for Asn-312 in TM-VII. No increase in constitutive activity was observed in the mutant receptors. Signal transduction was activated...

  1. Prion propagation in cells expressing PrP glycosylation mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamat, Muhammad K; Dron, Michel; Chapuis, Jérôme; Langevin, Christelle; Laude, Hubert

    2011-04-01

    Infection by prions involves conversion of a host-encoded cell surface protein (PrP(C)) to a disease-related isoform (PrP(Sc)). PrP(C) carries two glycosylation sites variably occupied by complex N-glycans, which have been suggested by previous studies to influence the susceptibility to these diseases and to determine characteristics of prion strains. We used the Rov cell system, which is susceptible to sheep prions, to generate a series of PrP(C) glycosylation mutants with mutations at one or both attachment sites. We examined their subcellular trafficking and ability to convert into PrP(Sc) and to sustain stable prion propagation in the absence of wild-type PrP. The susceptibility to infection of mutants monoglycosylated at either site differed dramatically depending on the amino acid substitution. Aglycosylated double mutants showed overaccumulation in the Golgi compartment and failed to be infected. Introduction of an ectopic glycosylation site near the N terminus fully restored cell surface expression of PrP but not convertibility into PrP(Sc), while PrP(C) with three glycosylation sites conferred cell permissiveness to infection similarly to the wild type. In contrast, predominantly aglycosylated molecules with nonmutated N-glycosylation sequons, produced in cells expressing glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchorless PrP(C), were able to form infectious PrP(Sc). Together our findings suggest that glycosylation is important for efficient trafficking of anchored PrP to the cell surface and sustained prion propagation. However, properly trafficked glycosylation mutants were not necessarily prone to conversion, thus making it difficult in such studies to discern whether the amino acid changes or glycan chain removal most influences the permissiveness to prion infection.

  2. Membrane composition and physiological activity of plastids from an oenothera plastome mutator-induced chloroplast mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, E M; Sears, B B

    1990-01-01

    Plastids were isolated from a plastome mutator-induced mutant (pm7) of Oenothera hookeri and were analyzed for various physiological and biochemical attributes. No photosynthetic electron transport activity was detected in the mutant plastids. This is consistent with previous ultrastructural analysis showing the absence of thylakoid membranes in the pm7 plastids and with the observation of aberrant processing and accumulation of chloroplast proteins in the mutant. In comparison to wild type, the mutant tissue lacks chlorophyll, and has significant differences in levels of four fatty acids. The analyses did not reveal any differences in carotenoid levels nor in the synthesis of several chloroplast lipids. The consequences of the altered composition of the chloroplast membrane are discussed in terms of their relation to the aberrant protein processing of the pm7 plastids. The pigment, fatty acid, and lipid measurements were also performed on two distinct nuclear genotypes (A/A and A/C) which differ in their compatibility with the plastid genome (type I) contained in these lines. In these cases, only chlorophyll concentrations differed significantly.

  3. Cloning, Site-Directed Mutagenesis, and Functional Analysis of Active Residues in Lymantria dispar Chitinase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Xiao-Jun; Yang, Chun; Zhang, Chang; Ren, Hui; Zhang, Jian-Dong

    2018-01-01

    Chitinases are glycosyl hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds in chitin, the major structural polysaccharide presented in the cuticle and gut peritrophic matrix of insects. Two aspartate residues (D143, D145) and one tryptophan (W146) in the Lymantria dispar chitinase are highly conserved residues observed within the second conserved motif of the family 18 chitinase catalytic region. In this study, a chitinase cDNA, LdCht5, was cloned from L. dispar, and the roles of the three residues were investigated using site-directed mutagenesis and substituting them with three other amino acids. Seven mutant proteins, D143E, D145E, W146G, D143E/D145E, D143E/W146G, D145E/W146G, and D143E/D145E/W146G, as well as the wild-type enzyme, were produced using the baculovirus-insect cell line expression system. The enzymatic and kinetic properties of these mutant enzymes were measured using the oligosaccharide substrate MU-(GlcNAc) 3 . Among the seven mutants, the D145E, D143E/D145E, and D145E/W146G mutations kept some extant catalytic activity toward MU-(GlcNAc) 3 , while the D143E, W146G, D143E/W146G, and D143E/D145E/W146G mutant enzymes were inactivated. Compared with the mutant enzymes, the wild-type enzyme had higher values of k cat and k cat / K m . A study of the multiple point mutations in the second conserved catalytic region would help to elucidate the role of the critical residues and their relationships.

  4. Limits of transforming competence of SV40 nuclear and cytoplasmic large T mutants with altered Rb binding sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tedesco, D; Fischer-Fantuzzi, L; Vesco, C

    1993-03-01

    Multiple amino acid substitutions were introduced into the SV40 large T region that harbors the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) binding site and the nuclear transport signal, changing either one or both of these determinants. Mutant activities were examined in a set of assays allowing different levels of transforming potential to be distinguished; phenotypic changes in established and pre-crisis rat embryo fibroblasts (REFs) were detected under isogenic cell conditions, and comparisons made with other established rodent cells. The limit of the transforming ability of mutants with important substitutions in the Rb binding site fell between two transformation levels of the same established rat cells. Such cells could be induced to form dense foci but not agar colonies (their parental pre-crises REFs, as expected, were untransformed either way). Nonetheless, agar colony induction was possible in other cell lines, such as mouse NIH3T3 and (for one of the mutants) rat F2408. All these mutants efficiently immortalized pre-crisis REFs. The transforming ability of cytoplasmic mutants appeared to depend on the integrity of the Rb-binding sequence to approximately the same extent as that of the wild-type large T, although evidence of in vivo Rb-cytoplasmic large T complexes was not found. The presence or absence of small t was critical when the transforming task of mutants was near the limit of their abilities.

  5. DOE site performance assessment activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-07-01

    Information on performance assessment capabilities and activities was collected from eight DOE sites. All eight sites either currently dispose of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) or plan to dispose of LLW in the near future. A survey questionnaire was developed and sent to key individuals involved in DOE Order 5820.2A performance assessment activities at each site. The sites surveyed included: Hanford Site (Hanford), Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Nevada Test Site (NTS), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (Paducah), Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (Portsmouth), and Savannah River Site (SRS). The questionnaire addressed all aspects of the performance assessment process; from waste source term to dose conversion factors. This report presents the information developed from the site questionnaire and provides a comparison of site-specific performance assessment approaches, data needs, and ongoing and planned activities. All sites are engaged in completing the radioactive waste disposal facility performance assessment required by DOE Order 5820.2A. Each site has achieved various degrees of progress and have identified a set of critical needs. Within several areas, however, the sites identified common needs and questions

  6. Structures of the G81A mutant form of the active chimera of (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase and its complex with two of its substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sukumar, Narayanasami [NE-CAT and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Building 436E, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Dewanti, Asteriani [Department of Chemistry and Physics, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (United States); Merli, Angelo; Rossi, Gian Luigi [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Parma, Parma (Italy); Mitra, Bharati [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 (United States); Mathews, F. Scott, E-mail: mathews@biochem.wustl.edu [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110 (United States); NE-CAT and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Building 436E, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

    2009-06-01

    The crystal structure of the G81A mutant form of the chimera of (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase and of its complexes with two of its substrates reveal productive and non-productive modes of binding for the catalytic reaction. The structure also indicates the role of G81A in lowering the redox potential of the flavin co-factor leading to an ∼200-fold slower catalytic rate of substrate oxidation. (S)-Mandelate dehydrogenase (MDH) from Pseudomonas putida, a membrane-associated flavoenzyme, catalyzes the oxidation of (S)-mandelate to benzoylformate. Previously, the structure of a catalytically similar chimera, MDH-GOX2, rendered soluble by the replacement of its membrane-binding segment with the corresponding segment of glycolate oxidase (GOX), was determined and found to be highly similar to that of GOX except within the substituted segments. Subsequent attempts to cocrystallize MDH-GOX2 with substrate proved unsuccessful. However, the G81A mutants of MDH and of MDH-GOX2 displayed ∼100-fold lower reactivity with substrate and a modestly higher reactivity towards molecular oxygen. In order to understand the effect of the mutation and to identify the mode of substrate binding in MDH-GOX2, a crystallographic investigation of the G81A mutant of the MDH-GOX2 enzyme was initiated. The structures of ligand-free G81A mutant MDH-GOX2 and of its complexes with the substrates 2-hydroxyoctanoate and 2-hydroxy-3-indolelactate were determined at 1.6, 2.5 and 2.2 Å resolution, respectively. In the ligand-free G81A mutant protein, a sulfate anion previously found at the active site is displaced by the alanine side chain introduced by the mutation. 2-Hydroxyoctanoate binds in an apparently productive mode for subsequent reaction, while 2-hydroxy-3-indolelactate is bound to the enzyme in an apparently unproductive mode. The results of this investigation suggest that a lowering of the polarity of the flavin environment resulting from the displacement of nearby water molecules caused by

  7. The Activity of Nodules of the Supernodulating Mutant Mtsunn Is not Limited by Photosynthesis under Optimal Growth Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabeza, Ricardo A.; Lingner, Annika; Liese, Rebecca; Sulieman, Saad; Senbayram, Mehmet; Tränkner, Merle; Dittert, Klaus; Schulze, Joachim

    2014-01-01

    Legumes match the nodule number to the N demand of the plant. When a mutation in the regulatory mechanism deprives the plant of that ability, an excessive number of nodules are formed. These mutants show low productivity in the fields, mainly due to the high carbon burden caused through the necessity to supply numerous nodules. The objective of this study was to clarify whether through optimal conditions for growth and CO2 assimilation a higher nodule activity of a supernodulating mutant of Medicago truncatula (M. truncatula) can be induced. Several experimental approaches reveal that under the conditions of our experiments, the nitrogen fixation of the supernodulating mutant, designated as sunn (super numeric nodules), was not limited by photosynthesis. Higher specific nitrogen fixation activity could not be induced through short- or long-term increases in CO2 assimilation around shoots. Furthermore, a whole plant P depletion induced a decline in nitrogen fixation, however this decline did not occur significantly earlier in sunn plants, nor was it more intense compared to the wild-type. However, a distinctly different pattern of nitrogen fixation during the day/night cycles of the experiment indicates that the control of N2 fixing activity of the large number of nodules is an additional problem for the productivity of supernodulating mutants. PMID:24727372

  8. Mutational analysis of divalent metal ion binding in the active site of class II α-mannosidase from sulfolobus solfataricus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Dennis K.; Webb, Helen; Nielsen, Jonas Willum

    2015-01-01

    Mutational analysis of Sulfolobus solfataricus class II α-mannosidase was focused on side chains that interact with the hydroxyls of the-1 mannosyl of the substrate (Asp-534) or form ligands to the active site divalent metal ion (His-228 and His-533) judged from crystal structures of homologous e......, although less dramatically with some activating metal ions. No major differences in the pH dependence between wild-type and mutant enzymes were found in the presence of different metal ions. The pH optimum was 5, but enzyme instability was observed at pH...

  9. Recombination Phenotypes of Escherichia coli greA Mutants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poteete Anthony R

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The elongation factor GreA binds to RNA polymerase and modulates transcriptional pausing. Some recent research suggests that the primary role of GreA may not be to regulate gene expression, but rather, to promote the progression of replication forks which collide with RNA polymerase, and which might otherwise collapse. Replication fork collapse is known to generate dsDNA breaks, which can be recombinogenic. It follows that GreA malfunction could have consequences affecting homologous recombination. Results Escherichia coli mutants bearing substitutions of the active site acidic residues of the transcription elongation factor GreA, D41N and E44K, were isolated as suppressors of growth inhibition by a toxic variant of the bacteriophage lambda Red-beta recombination protein. These mutants, as well as a D41A greA mutant and a greA deletion, were tested for proficiency in recombination events. The mutations were found to increase the efficiency of RecA-RecBCD-mediated and RecA-Red-mediated recombination, which are replication-independent, and to decrease the efficiency of replication-dependent Red-mediated recombination. Conclusion These observations provide new evidence for a role of GreA in resolving conflicts between replication and transcription.

  10. Structure of TSA2 reveals novel features of the active-site loop of peroxiredoxins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Maja Holch; Kidmose, Rune Thomas; Jenner, Lasse Bohl

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae TSA2 belongs to the family of typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxins, a ubiquitously expressed family of redox-active enzymes that utilize a conserved peroxidatic cysteine to reduce peroxides. Typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxins have been shown to be involved in protection against oxidative...... stress and in hydrogen peroxide signalling. Furthermore, several 2-Cys peroxiredoxins, including S. cerevisiae TSA1 and TSA2, are able to switch to chaperone activity upon hyperoxidation of their peroxidatic cysteine. This makes the sensitivity to hyperoxidation of the peroxidatic cysteine a very....... This requires a local unfolding of the active site and the C-terminus. The balance between the fully folded and locally unfolded conformations is of key importance for the reactivity and sensitivity to hyperoxidation of the different peroxiredoxins. Here, the structure of a C48S mutant of TSA2 from S...

  11. Aspirin exerts high anti-cancer activity in PIK3CA-mutant colon cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Mancang; Nishihara, Reiko; Chen, Yang; Li, Wanwan; Shi, Yan; Masugi, Yohei; Hamada, Tsuyoshi; Kosumi, Keisuke; Liu, Li; da Silva, Annacarolina; Nowak, Jonathan A; Twombly, Tyler; Du, Chunxia; Koh, Hideo; Li, Wenbin; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Wolpin, Brian M; Giannakis, Marios; Aguirre, Andrew J; Bass, Adam J; Drew, David A; Chan, Andrew T; Fuchs, Charles S; Qian, Zhi Rong; Ogino, Shuji

    2017-10-20

    Evidence suggests that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) may improve patient survival in PIK3CA -mutant colorectal carcinoma, but not in PIK3CA -wild-type carcinoma. However, whether aspirin directly influences the viability of PIK3CA -mutant colon cancer cells is poorly understood. We conducted in vitro experiments to test our hypothesis that the anti-proliferative activity of aspirin might be stronger for PIK3CA -mutant colon cancer cells than for PIK3CA -wild-type colon cancer cells. We measured the anti-proliferative effect of aspirin at physiologic concentrations in seven PIK3CA -mutant and six PIK3CA -wild-type human colon cancer cell lines. After exposure to aspirin, the apoptotic index and cell cycle phase of colon cancer cells were assessed. In addition, the effect of aspirin was examined in parental SW48 cells and SW48 cell clones with individual knock-in PIK3CA mutations of either c.3140A>G (p.H1047R) or c.1633G>A (p.E545K). Aspirin induced greater dose-dependent loss of cell viability in PIK3CA -mutant cells than in PIK3CA -wild-type cells after treatment for 48 and 72 hours. Aspirin treatment also led to higher proportions of apoptotic cells and G0/G1 phase arrest in PIK3CA -mutant cells than in PIK3CA -wild-type cells. Aspirin treatment of isogenic SW48 cells carrying a PIK3CA mutation, either c.3140A>G (p.H1047R) or c.1633G>A (p. E545K), resulted in a more significant loss of cell viability compared to wild-type controls. Our findings indicate that aspirin causes cell cycle arrest, induces apoptosis, and leads to loss of cell viability more profoundly in PIK3CA -mutated colon cancer cells than in PIK3CA -wild-type colon cancer cells. These findings support the use of aspirin to treat patients with PIK3CA -mutant colon cancer.

  12. The cellular Mre11 protein interferes with adenovirus E4 mutant DNA replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathew, Shomita S.; Bridge, Eileen

    2007-01-01

    Adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) relocalizes and degrades the host DNA repair protein Mre11, and efficiently initiates viral DNA replication. Mre11 associates with Ad E4 mutant DNA replication centers and is important for concatenating viral genomes. We have investigated the role of Mre11 in the E4 mutant DNA replication defect. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Mre11 dramatically rescues E4 mutant DNA replication in cells that do or do not concatenate viral genomes, suggesting that Mre11 inhibits DNA replication independent of genome concatenation. The mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 (Mdc1) protein is involved in recruiting and sustaining Mre11 at sites of DNA damage following ionizing radiation. We observe foci formation by Mdc1 in response to viral infection, indicating that this damage response protein is activated. However, knockdown of Mdc1 does not prevent Mre11 from localizing at viral DNA replication foci or rescue E4 mutant DNA replication. Our results are consistent with a model in which Mre11 interferes with DNA replication when it is localized at viral DNA replication foci

  13. Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase I Catalytic Mutants Reveal an Alternative Nucleophile That Can Catalyze Substrate Cleavage*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comeaux, Evan Q.; Cuya, Selma M.; Kojima, Kyoko; Jafari, Nauzanene; Wanzeck, Keith C.; Mobley, James A.; Bjornsti, Mary-Ann; van Waardenburg, Robert C. A. M.

    2015-01-01

    Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I (Tdp1) catalyzes the repair of 3′-DNA adducts, such as the 3′-phosphotyrosyl linkage of DNA topoisomerase I to DNA. Tdp1 contains two conserved catalytic histidines: a nucleophilic His (Hisnuc) that attacks DNA adducts to form a covalent 3′-phosphohistidyl intermediate and a general acid/base His (Hisgab), which resolves the Tdp1-DNA linkage. A Hisnuc to Ala mutant protein is reportedly inactive, whereas the autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease SCAN1 has been attributed to the enhanced stability of the Tdp1-DNA intermediate induced by mutation of Hisgab to Arg. However, here we report that expression of the yeast HisnucAla (H182A) mutant actually induced topoisomerase I-dependent cytotoxicity and further enhanced the cytotoxicity of Tdp1 Hisgab mutants, including H432N and the SCAN1-related H432R. Moreover, the HisnucAla mutant was catalytically active in vitro, albeit at levels 85-fold less than that observed with wild type Tdp1. In contrast, the HisnucPhe mutant was catalytically inactive and suppressed Hisgab mutant-induced toxicity. These data suggest that the activity of another nucleophile when Hisnuc is replaced with residues containing a small side chain (Ala, Asn, and Gln), but not with a bulky side chain. Indeed, genetic, biochemical, and mass spectrometry analyses show that a highly conserved His, immediately N-terminal to Hisnuc, can act as a nucleophile to catalyze the formation of a covalent Tdp1-DNA intermediate. These findings suggest that the flexibility of Tdp1 active site residues may impair the resolution of mutant Tdp1 covalent phosphohistidyl intermediates and provide the rationale for developing chemotherapeutics that stabilize the covalent Tdp1-DNA intermediate. PMID:25609251

  14. Trace elements monitored with neutron activation analysis durig neurodegeneration in brains of mutant mice

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kranda, Karel; Kučera, Jan; Bäurle, J.

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 269, č. 3 (2006), s. 555-559 ISSN 0236-5731 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10480505 Keywords : trace elements * neutron activation analysis * brain neurodegeneration * mutant mice Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 0.509, year: 2006

  15. Increase in D-tagatose production rate by site-directed mutagenesis of L-arabinose isomerase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Hyo-Jung; Kim, Hye-Jung; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2006-02-01

    Among single-site mutations of L-arabinose isomerase derived from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans, two mutants were produced having the lowest and highest activities of D-tagatose production. Site-directed mutagenesis at these sites showed that the aromatic ring at amino acid 164 and the size of amino acid 475 were important for D-tagatose production. Among double-site mutations, one mutant converted D-galactose into D-tagatose with a yield of 58% whereas the wild type gave 46% D-tagatose conversion after 300 min at 65 degrees C.

  16. Crystallization of mutants of Turnip yellow mosaic virus protease/ubiquitin hydrolase designed to prevent protease self-recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayach, Maya; Bressanelli, Stéphane

    2015-04-01

    Processing of the polyprotein of Turnip yellow mosaic virus is mediated by the protease PRO. PRO cleaves at two places, one of which is at the C-terminus of the PRO domain of another polyprotein molecule. In addition to this processing activity, PRO possesses an ubiquitin hydrolase (DUB) activity. The crystal structure of PRO has previously been reported in its polyprotein-processing mode with the C-terminus of one PRO inserted into the catalytic site of the next PRO, generating PRO polymers in the crystal packing of the trigonal space group. Here, two mutants designed to disrupt specific PRO-PRO interactions were generated, produced and purified. Crystalline plates were obtained by seeding and cross-seeding from initial `sea urchin'-like microcrystals of one mutant. The plates diffracted to beyond 2 Å resolution at a synchrotron source and complete data sets were collected for the two mutants. Data processing and analysis indicated that both mutant crystals belonged to the same monoclinic space group, with two molecules of PRO in the asymmetric unit.

  17. Molecular analysis of waxy mutants in rice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yatou, O.; Amano, E.

    1990-01-01

    Full text: The 'waxy' gene is a structural gene coding a glycosyl transferase which synthesises amylose in the endosperm tissue. 'Non-waxy' rice cultivars have an active gene and their amylose content is 18-25% depending upon gene performance and modifier genes. In 'waxy' rice, no amylose is found because the enzyme is absent. In mutants induced by gamma rays, neutrons, EI or EMS, amylose content ranged from 0 to 20%, i.e. there are intermediate phenotypes as well. Some of them had the same amount of the enzyme as a 'non-waxy' cultivar, even fully 'waxy' mutants showed a certain amount of the enzyme. This suggests that in mutants there may be no structural change in the enzyme gene but the enzyme produced might be less active. By molecular analysis of the mutants' genes it was found that only two mutants induced by thermal neutrons show structural alterations, the changes in other mutants are either too small to be detected by Southern analysis or are outside the structural gene in question. (author)

  18. Diminished self-chaperoning activity of the DeltaF508 mutant of CFTR results in protein misfolding.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrian W R Serohijos

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available The absence of a functional ATP Binding Cassette (ABC protein called the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR from apical membranes of epithelial cells is responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF. Over 90% of CF patients carry at least one mutant allele with deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 located in the N-terminal nucleotide binding domain (NBD1. Biochemical and cell biological studies show that the DeltaF508 mutant exhibits inefficient biosynthetic maturation and susceptibility to degradation probably due to misfolding of NBD1 and the resultant misassembly of other domains. However, little is known about the direct effect of the Phe508 deletion on the NBD1 folding, which is essential for rational design strategies of cystic fibrosis treatment. Here we show that the deletion of Phe508 alters the folding dynamics and kinetics of NBD1, thus possibly affecting the assembly of the complete CFTR. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we find that meta-stable intermediate states appearing on wild type and mutant folding pathways are populated differently and that their kinetic accessibilities are distinct. The structural basis of the increased misfolding propensity of the DeltaF508 NBD1 mutant is the perturbation of interactions in residue pairs Q493/P574 and F575/F578 found in loop S7-H6. As a proof-of-principle that the S7-H6 loop conformation can modulate the folding kinetics of NBD1, we virtually design rescue mutations in the identified critical interactions to force the S7-H6 loop into the wild type conformation. Two redesigned NBD1-DeltaF508 variants exhibited significantly higher folding probabilities than the original NBD1-DeltaF508, thereby partially rescuing folding ability of the NBD1-DeltaF508 mutant. We propose that these observed defects in folding kinetics of mutant NBD1 may also be modulated by structures separate from the 508 site. The identified structural determinants of increased misfolding propensity of

  19. A comprehensive search for calcium binding sites critical for TMEM16A calcium-activated chloride channel activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tien, Jason; Peters, Christian J; Wong, Xiu Ming; Cheng, Tong; Jan, Yuh Nung; Jan, Lily Yeh; Yang, Huanghe

    2014-01-01

    TMEM16A forms calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) that regulate physiological processes such as the secretions of airway epithelia and exocrine glands, the contraction of smooth muscles, and the excitability of neurons. Notwithstanding intense interest in the mechanism behind TMEM16A-CaCC calcium-dependent gating, comprehensive surveys to identify and characterize potential calcium sensors of this channel are still lacking. By aligning distantly related calcium-activated ion channels in the TMEM16 family and conducting systematic mutagenesis of all conserved acidic residues thought to be exposed to the cytoplasm, we identify four acidic amino acids as putative calcium-binding residues. Alterations of the charge, polarity, and size of amino acid side chains at these sites alter the ability of different divalent cations to activate the channel. Furthermore, TMEM16A mutant channels containing double cysteine substitutions at these residues are sensitive to the redox potential of the internal solution, providing evidence for their physical proximity and solvent accessibility. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02772.001 PMID:24980701

  20. A high constitutive catalase activity confers resistance to methyl viologen-promoted oxidative stress in a mutant of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moirangthem, Lakshmipyari Devi; Bhattacharya, Sudeshna; Stensjö, Karin; Lindblad, Peter; Bhattacharya, Jyotirmoy

    2014-04-01

    A spontaneous methyl viologen (MV)-resistant mutant of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 was isolated and the major enzymatic antioxidants involved in combating MV-induced oxidative stress were evaluated. The mutant displayed a high constitutive catalase activity as a consequence of which, the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species in the mutant was lower than the wild type (N. punctiforme) in the presence of MV. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity that consisted of a SodA (manganese-SOD) and a SodB (iron-SOD) was not suppressed in the mutant following MV treatment. The mutant was, however, characterised by a lower peroxidase activity compared with its wild type, and its improved tolerance to externally added H₂O₂ could only be attributed to enhanced catalase activity. Furthermore, MV-induced toxic effects on the wild type such as (1) loss of photosynthetic performance assessed as maximal quantum yield of photosystem II, (2) nitrogenase inactivation, and (3) filament fragmentation and cell lysis were not observed in the mutant. These findings highlight the importance of catalase in preventing MV-promoted oxidative damage and cell death in the cyanobacterium N. punctiforme. Such oxidative stress resistant mutants of cyanobacteria are likely to be a better source of biofertilisers, as they can grow and fix nitrogen in an unhindered manner in agricultural fields that are often contaminated with the herbicide MV, also commonly known as paraquat.

  1. Early nodule senescence is activated in symbiotic mutants of pea (Pisum sativum L.) forming ineffective nodules blocked at different nodule developmental stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serova, Tatiana A; Tsyganova, Anna V; Tsyganov, Viktor E

    2018-04-03

    Plant symbiotic mutants are useful tool to uncover the molecular-genetic mechanisms of nodule senescence. The pea (Pisum sativum L.) mutants SGEFix - -1 (sym40), SGEFix - -3 (sym26), and SGEFix - -7 (sym27) display an early nodule senescence phenotype, whereas the mutant SGEFix - -2 (sym33) does not show premature degradation of symbiotic structures, but its nodules show an enhanced immune response. The nodules of these mutants were compared with each other and with those of the wild-type SGE line using seven marker genes that are known to be activated during nodule senescence. In wild-type SGE nodules, transcript levels of all of the senescence-associated genes were highest at 6 weeks after inoculation (WAI). The senescence-associated genes showed higher transcript abundance in mutant nodules than in wild-type nodules at 2 WAI and attained maximum levels in the mutant nodules at 4 WAI. Immunolocalization analyses showed that the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate accumulated earlier in the mutant nodules than in wild-type nodules. Together, these results showed that nodule senescence was activated in ineffective nodules blocked at different developmental stages in pea lines that harbor mutations in four symbiotic genes.

  2. Deficiency of toxin-binding protein activity in mutants of sugarcane clone H54-775 as it relates to disease resistance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strobel, G.A.; Steiner, G.W.; Byther, R.

    1975-01-01

    Three mutants selected from a population of sugarcane clone H54-775 that had been irradiated with 3 kR γ-radiation all lacked toxin-binding protein activity. This activity previously had been shown to be essential for eye spot disease susceptibility and was demonstrated in the susceptible parent clone H54-775. In one mutant, the biochemical, immunochemical, and electrophoretic mobilities of the toxin-binding protein were all modified

  3. Structural changes in human cytomegalovirus cytoplasmic assembly sites in the absence of UL97 kinase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azzeh, Maysa; Honigman, Alik; Taraboulos, Albert; Rouvinski, Alexander; Wolf, Dana G.

    2006-01-01

    Studies of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL97 kinase deletion mutant (ΔUL97) indicated a multi-step role for this kinase in early and late phases of the viral life cycle, namely, in DNA replication, capsid maturation and nuclear egress. Here, we addressed its possible involvement in cytoplasmic steps of HCMV assembly. Using the ΔUL97 and the UL97 kinase inhibitor NGIC-I, we demonstrate that the absence of UL97 kinase activity results in a modified subcellular distribution of the viral structural protein assembly sites, from compact structures impacting upon the nucleus to diffuse perinuclear structures punctuated by large vacuoles. Infection by either wild type or ΔUL97 viruses induced a profound reorganization of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-positive Golgi-related structures. Importantly, the viral-induced Golgi remodeling along with the reorganization of the nuclear architecture was substantially altered in the absence of UL97 kinase activity. These findings suggest that UL97 kinase activity might contribute to organization of the viral cytoplasmic assembly sites

  4. Determination of the catalytic activity of LEOPARD syndrome-associated SHP2 mutants toward parafibromin, a bona fide SHP2 substrate involved in Wnt signaling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noda, Saori; Takahashi, Atsushi; Hayashi, Takeru; Tanuma, Sei-ichi; Hatakeyama, Masanori

    2016-01-01

    SHP2, encoded by the PTPN11 gene, is a protein tyrosine phosphatase that plays a key role in the proliferation of cells via RAS-ERK activation. SHP2 also promotes Wnt signaling by dephosphorylating parafibromin. Germline missense mutations of PTPN11 are found in more than half of patients with Noonan syndrome (NS) and LEOPARD syndrome (LS), both of which are congenital developmental disorders with multiple common symptoms. However, whereas NS-associated PTPN11 mutations give rise to gain-of-function SHP2 mutants, LS-associated SHP2 mutants are reportedly loss-of-function mutants. To determine the phosphatase activity of LS-associated SHP2 more appropriately, we performed an in vitro phosphatase assay using tyrosine-phosphorylated parafibromin, a biologically relevant substrate of SHP2 and the positive regulator of Wnt signaling that is activated through SHP2-mediated dephosphorylation. We found that LS-associated SHP2 mutants (Y279C, T468M, Q506P, and Q510E) exhibited a substantially reduced phosphatase activity toward parafibromin when compared with wild-type SHP2. Furthermore, each of the LS-associated mutants displayed a differential degree of decrease in phosphatase activity. Deviation of the SHP2 catalytic activity from a certain range, either too strong or too weak, may therefore lead to similar clinical outcomes in NS and LS, possibly through an imbalanced Wnt signal caused by inadequate dephosphorylation of parafibromin. - Highlights: • LS-associated SHP2 mutants dephosphorylate parafibromin on Y290, Y293, and Y315. • LS-associated SHP2 mutants display a reduced tyrosine phosphatase activity. • LS-specific SHP2-Y279C is catalytically less active than LS-specific SHP2-T468M. • NS/LS-associated SHP2-Q506P has both hyper- and hypomorphic enzymatic properties.

  5. Determination of the catalytic activity of LEOPARD syndrome-associated SHP2 mutants toward parafibromin, a bona fide SHP2 substrate involved in Wnt signaling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noda, Saori [Division of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba (Japan); Takahashi, Atsushi; Hayashi, Takeru [Division of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Tanuma, Sei-ichi [Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba (Japan); Hatakeyama, Masanori, E-mail: mhata@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Division of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan)

    2016-01-22

    SHP2, encoded by the PTPN11 gene, is a protein tyrosine phosphatase that plays a key role in the proliferation of cells via RAS-ERK activation. SHP2 also promotes Wnt signaling by dephosphorylating parafibromin. Germline missense mutations of PTPN11 are found in more than half of patients with Noonan syndrome (NS) and LEOPARD syndrome (LS), both of which are congenital developmental disorders with multiple common symptoms. However, whereas NS-associated PTPN11 mutations give rise to gain-of-function SHP2 mutants, LS-associated SHP2 mutants are reportedly loss-of-function mutants. To determine the phosphatase activity of LS-associated SHP2 more appropriately, we performed an in vitro phosphatase assay using tyrosine-phosphorylated parafibromin, a biologically relevant substrate of SHP2 and the positive regulator of Wnt signaling that is activated through SHP2-mediated dephosphorylation. We found that LS-associated SHP2 mutants (Y279C, T468M, Q506P, and Q510E) exhibited a substantially reduced phosphatase activity toward parafibromin when compared with wild-type SHP2. Furthermore, each of the LS-associated mutants displayed a differential degree of decrease in phosphatase activity. Deviation of the SHP2 catalytic activity from a certain range, either too strong or too weak, may therefore lead to similar clinical outcomes in NS and LS, possibly through an imbalanced Wnt signal caused by inadequate dephosphorylation of parafibromin. - Highlights: • LS-associated SHP2 mutants dephosphorylate parafibromin on Y290, Y293, and Y315. • LS-associated SHP2 mutants display a reduced tyrosine phosphatase activity. • LS-specific SHP2-Y279C is catalytically less active than LS-specific SHP2-T468M. • NS/LS-associated SHP2-Q506P has both hyper- and hypomorphic enzymatic properties.

  6. The Activity of Nodules of the Supernodulating Mutant Mtsunn Is not Limited by Photosynthesis under Optimal Growth Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo A. Cabeza

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Legumes match the nodule number to the N demand of the plant. When a mutation in the regulatory mechanism deprives the plant of that ability, an excessive number of nodules are formed. These mutants show low productivity in the fields, mainly due to the high carbon burden caused through the necessity to supply numerous nodules. The objective of this study was to clarify whether through optimal conditions for growth and CO2 assimilation a higher nodule activity of a supernodulating mutant of Medicago truncatula (M. truncatula can be induced. Several experimental approaches reveal that under the conditions of our experiments, the nitrogen fixation of the supernodulating mutant, designated as sunn (super numeric nodules, was not limited by photosynthesis. Higher specific nitrogen fixation activity could not be induced through short- or long-term increases in CO2 assimilation around shoots. Furthermore, a whole plant P depletion induced a decline in nitrogen fixation, however this decline did not occur significantly earlier in sunn plants, nor was it more intense compared to the wild-type. However, a distinctly different pattern of nitrogen fixation during the day/night cycles of the experiment indicates that the control of N2 fixing activity of the large number of nodules is an additional problem for the productivity of supernodulating mutants.

  7. Identification of a negative regulatory region for the exchange activity and characterization of T332I mutant of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 10 (ARHGEF10).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaya, Taro; Shibata, Satoshi; Tokuhara, Yasunori; Yamaguchi, Wataru; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Kawahara, Ichiro; Kogo, Mikihiko; Ohoka, Yoshiharu; Inagaki, Shinobu

    2011-08-26

    The T332I mutation in Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 10 (ARHGEF10) was previously found in persons with slowed nerve conduction velocities and thin myelination of peripheral nerves. However, the molecular and cellular basis of the T332I mutant is not understood. Here, we show that ARHGEF10 has a negative regulatory region in the N terminus, in which residue 332 is located, and the T332I mutant is constitutively active. An N-terminal truncated ARHGEF10 mutant, ARHGEF10 ΔN (lacking amino acids 1-332), induced cell contraction that was inhibited by a Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632 and had higher GEF activity for RhoA than the wild type. The T332I mutant also showed the phenotype similar to the N-terminal truncated mutant. These data suggest that the ARHGEF10 T332I mutation-associated phenotype observed in the peripheral nerves is due to activated GEF activity of the ARHGEF10 T332I mutant.

  8. Identification of a Negative Regulatory Region for the Exchange Activity and Characterization of T332I Mutant of Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 10 (ARHGEF10)*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaya, Taro; Shibata, Satoshi; Tokuhara, Yasunori; Yamaguchi, Wataru; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Kawahara, Ichiro; Kogo, Mikihiko; Ohoka, Yoshiharu; Inagaki, Shinobu

    2011-01-01

    The T332I mutation in Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 10 (ARHGEF10) was previously found in persons with slowed nerve conduction velocities and thin myelination of peripheral nerves. However, the molecular and cellular basis of the T332I mutant is not understood. Here, we show that ARHGEF10 has a negative regulatory region in the N terminus, in which residue 332 is located, and the T332I mutant is constitutively active. An N-terminal truncated ARHGEF10 mutant, ARHGEF10 ΔN (lacking amino acids 1–332), induced cell contraction that was inhibited by a Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632 and had higher GEF activity for RhoA than the wild type. The T332I mutant also showed the phenotype similar to the N-terminal truncated mutant. These data suggest that the ARHGEF10 T332I mutation-associated phenotype observed in the peripheral nerves is due to activated GEF activity of the ARHGEF10 T332I mutant. PMID:21719701

  9. Prion Propagation in Cells Expressing PrP Glycosylation Mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamat, Muhammad K.; Dron, Michel; Chapuis, Jérôme; Langevin, Christelle; Laude, Hubert

    2011-01-01

    Infection by prions involves conversion of a host-encoded cell surface protein (PrPC) to a disease-related isoform (PrPSc). PrPC carries two glycosylation sites variably occupied by complex N-glycans, which have been suggested by previous studies to influence the susceptibility to these diseases and to determine characteristics of prion strains. We used the Rov cell system, which is susceptible to sheep prions, to generate a series of PrPC glycosylation mutants with mutations at one or both attachment sites. We examined their subcellular trafficking and ability to convert into PrPSc and to sustain stable prion propagation in the absence of wild-type PrP. The susceptibility to infection of mutants monoglycosylated at either site differed dramatically depending on the amino acid substitution. Aglycosylated double mutants showed overaccumulation in the Golgi compartment and failed to be infected. Introduction of an ectopic glycosylation site near the N terminus fully restored cell surface expression of PrP but not convertibility into PrPSc, while PrPC with three glycosylation sites conferred cell permissiveness to infection similarly to the wild type. In contrast, predominantly aglycosylated molecules with nonmutated N-glycosylation sequons, produced in cells expressing glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchorless PrPC, were able to form infectious PrPSc. Together our findings suggest that glycosylation is important for efficient trafficking of anchored PrP to the cell surface and sustained prion propagation. However, properly trafficked glycosylation mutants were not necessarily prone to conversion, thus making it difficult in such studies to discern whether the amino acid changes or glycan chain removal most influences the permissiveness to prion infection. PMID:21248032

  10. Single Site Mutations in the Hetero-oligomeric Mrp Antiporter from Alkaliphilic Bacillus pseudofirmus OF4 That Affect Na+/H+ Antiport Activity, Sodium Exclusion, Individual Mrp Protein Levels, or Mrp Complex Formation*

    OpenAIRE

    Morino, Masato; Natsui, Shinsuke; Ono, Tomohiro; Swartz, Talia H.; Krulwich, Terry A.; Ito, Masahiro

    2010-01-01

    Mrp systems are widely distributed and structurally complex cation/proton antiporters. Antiport activity requires hetero-oligomeric complexes of all six or seven hydrophobic Mrp proteins (MrpA–MrpG). Here, a panel of site-directed mutants in conserved or proposed motif residues was made in the Mrp Na+(Li+)/H+ antiporter from an alkaliphilic Bacillus. The mutant operons were expressed in antiporter-deficient Escherichia coli KNabc and assessed for antiport properties, support of sodium resista...

  11. Membrane Composition and Physiological Activity of Plastids from an Oenothera Plastome Mutator-Induced Chloroplast Mutant 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Ellen M.; Sears, Barbara B.

    1990-01-01

    Plastids were isolated from a plastome mutator-induced mutant (pm7) of Oenothera hookeri and were analyzed for various physiological and biochemical attributes. No photosynthetic electron transport activity was detected in the mutant plastids. This is consistent with previous ultrastructural analysis showing the absence of thylakoid membranes in the pm7 plastids and with the observation of aberrant processing and accumulation of chloroplast proteins in the mutant. In comparison to wild type, the mutant tissue lacks chlorophyll, and has significant differences in levels of four fatty acids. The analyses did not reveal any differences in carotenoid levels nor in the synthesis of several chloroplast lipids. The consequences of the altered composition of the chloroplast membrane are discussed in terms of their relation to the aberrant protein processing of the pm7 plastids. The pigment, fatty acid, and lipid measurements were also performed on two distinct nuclear genotypes (A/A and A/C) which differ in their compatibility with the plastid genome (type I) contained in these lines. In these cases, only chlorophyll concentrations differed significantly. PMID:16667256

  12. mei-9/sup a/ mutant of Drosophila melanogaster increases mutagen sensitivity and decreases excision repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyd, J.B.; Golino, M.D.; Setlow, R.B.

    1976-01-01

    The mei-9/sup a/ mutant of Drosophila melanogaster, which reduces meiotic recombination in females, is deficient in the excision of uv-induced pyrimidine dimers in both sexes. Assays were performed in primary cultures and established cell lines derived from embryos. An endonuclease preparation from M. luteus, which is specific for pyrimidine dimers, was employed to monitor uv-induced dimers in cellular DNA. The rate of disappearance of endonuclease-sensitive sites from DNA of control cells is 10-20 times faster than that from mei-9/sup a/ cells. The mutant mei-218, which is also deficient in meiotic recombination, removes nuclease-sensitive sites at control rates. The mei-9/sup a/ cells exhibit control levels of photorepair, postreplication repair and repair of single strand breaks. In mei-9 cells DNA synthesis and possibly postreplication repair are weakly sensitive to caffeine. Larvae which are hemizygous for either of the two mutants that define the mei-9 locus are hypersensitive to killing by the mutagens methyl methanesulfonate, nitrogen mustard and 2-acetylaminofluorene. Larvae hemizygous for the mei-218 mutant are insensitive to each of these reagents. These data demonstrate that the mei-9 locus is active in DNA repair of somatic cells. Thus functions involved in meiotic recombination are also active in DNA repair in this higher eukaryote. The results are consistent with the earlier suggestions that the mei-9 locus functions in the exchange events of meiosis. The mei-218 mutation behaves differently in genetic tests and our data suggest its function may be restricted to meiosis. These studies demonstrate that currently recognized modes of DNA repair can be efficiently detected in primary cell cultures derived from Drosophila embryos

  13. Physiological and fermentation properties of Bacillus coagulans and a mutant lacking fermentative lactate dehydrogenase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yue; Rhee, Mun Su; Ingram, Lonnie O; Shanmugam, K T

    2011-03-01

    Bacillus coagulans, a sporogenic lactic acid bacterium, grows optimally at 50-55 °C and produces lactic acid as the primary fermentation product from both hexoses and pentoses. The amount of fungal cellulases required for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) at 55 °C was previously reported to be three to four times lower than for SSF at the optimum growth temperature for Saccharomyces cerevisiae of 35 °C. An ethanologenic B. coagulans is expected to lower the cellulase loading and production cost of cellulosic ethanol due to SSF at 55 °C. As a first step towards developing B. coagulans as an ethanologenic microbial biocatalyst, activity of the primary fermentation enzyme L-lactate dehydrogenase was removed by mutation (strain Suy27). Strain Suy27 produced ethanol as the main fermentation product from glucose during growth at pH 7.0 (0.33 g ethanol per g glucose fermented). Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) acting in series contributed to about 55% of the ethanol produced by this mutant while pyruvate formate lyase and ADH were responsible for the remainder. Due to the absence of PDH activity in B. coagulans during fermentative growth at pH 5.0, the l-ldh mutant failed to grow anaerobically at pH 5.0. Strain Suy27-13, a derivative of the l-ldh mutant strain Suy27, that produced PDH activity during anaerobic growth at pH 5.0 grew at this pH and also produced ethanol as the fermentation product (0.39 g per g glucose). These results show that construction of an ethanologenic B. coagulans requires optimal expression of PDH activity in addition to the removal of the LDH activity to support growth and ethanol production.

  14. Isolation of αL I domain mutants mediating firm cell adhesion using a novel flow-based sorting method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pepper, Lauren R; Parthasarathy, Ranganath; Robbins, Gregory P; Dang, Nicholas N; Hammer, Daniel A; Boder, Eric T

    2013-08-01

    The inserted (I) domain of αLβ2 integrin (LFA-1) contains the entire binding site of the molecule. It mediates both rolling and firm adhesion of leukocytes at sites of inflammation depending on the activation state of the integrin. The affinity change of the entire integrin can be mimicked by the I domain alone through mutations that affect the conformation of the molecule. High-affinity mutants of the I domain have been discovered previously using both rational design and directed evolution. We have found that binding affinity fails to dictate the behavior of I domain adhesion under shear flow. In order to better understand I domain adhesion, we have developed a novel panning method to separate yeast expressing a library of I domain variants on the surface by adhesion under flow. Using conditions analogous to those experienced by cells interacting with the post-capillary vascular endothelium, we have identified mutations supporting firm adhesion that are not found using typical directed evolution techniques that select for tight binding to soluble ligands. Mutants isolated using this method do not cluster with those found by sorting with soluble ligand. Furthermore, these mutants mediate shear-driven cell rolling dynamics decorrelated from binding affinity, as previously observed for I domains bearing engineered disulfide bridges to stabilize activated conformational states. Characterization of these mutants supports a greater understanding of the structure-function relationship of the αL I domain, and of the relationship between applied force and bioadhesion in a broader context.

  15. Structure of a Highly Active Cephalopod S-crystallin Mutant: New Molecular Evidence for Evolution from an Active Enzyme into Lens-Refractive Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Wei-Hung; Cheng, Shu-Chun; Liu, Yu-Tung; Wu, Cheng-Guo; Lin, Min-Han; Chen, Chiao-Che; Lin, Chao-Hsiung; Chou, Chi-Yuan

    2016-08-08

    Crystallins are found widely in animal lenses and have important functions due to their refractive properties. In the coleoid cephalopods, a lens with a graded refractive index provides good vision and is required for survival. Cephalopod S-crystallin is thought to have evolved from glutathione S-transferase (GST) with various homologs differentially expressed in the lens. However, there is no direct structural information that helps to delineate the mechanisms by which S-crystallin could have evolved. Here we report the structural and biochemical characterization of novel S-crystallin-glutathione complex. The 2.35-Å crystal structure of a S-crystallin mutant from Octopus vulgaris reveals an active-site architecture that is different from that of GST. S-crystallin has a preference for glutathione binding, although almost lost its GST enzymatic activity. We've also identified four historical mutations that are able to produce a "GST-like" S-crystallin that has regained activity. This protein recapitulates the evolution of S-crystallin from GST. Protein stability studies suggest that S-crystallin is stabilized by glutathione binding to prevent its aggregation; this contrasts with GST-σ, which do not possess this protection. We suggest that a tradeoff between enzyme activity and the stability of the lens protein might have been one of the major driving force behind lens evolution.

  16. Properties of the simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigens encoded by SV40 mutants with deletions in gene A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, C N; Tornow, J; Clark, R; Tjian, R

    1986-01-01

    The biochemical properties of the large T antigens encoded by simian virus 40 (SV40) mutants with deletions at DdeI sites in the SV40 A gene were determined. Mutant large T antigens containing only the first 138 to 140 amino acids were unable to bind to the SV40 origin of DNA replication as were large T antigens containing at their COOH termini 96 or 97 amino acids encoded by the long open reading frame located between 0.22 and 0.165 map units (m.u.). All other mutant large T antigens were able to bind to the SV40 origin of replication. Mutants with in-phase deletions at 0.288 and 0.243 m.u. lacked ATPase activity, but ATPase activity was normal in mutants lacking origin-binding activity. The 627-amino acid large T antigen encoded by dlA2465, with a deletion at 0.219 m.u., was the smallest large T antigen displaying ATPase activity. Mutant large T antigens with the alternate 96- or 97-amino acid COOH terminus also lacked ATPase activity. All mutant large T antigens were found in the nuclei of infected cells; a small amount of large T with the alternate COOH terminus was also located in the cytoplasm. Mutant dlA2465 belonged to the same class of mutants as dlA2459. It was unable to form plaques on CV-1p cells at 37 or 32 degrees C but could form plaques on BSC-1 monolayers at 37 degrees C but not at 32 degrees C. It was positive for viral DNA replication and showed intracistronic complementation with any group A mutant whose large T antigen contained a normal carboxyl terminus. These findings and those of others suggest that both DNA binding and ATPase activity are required for the viral DNA replication function of large T antigen, that these two activities must be located on the same T antigen monomer, and that these two activities are performed by distinct domains of the polypeptide. These domains are distinct and separable from the domain affected by the mutation of dlA2465 and indicate that SV40 large T antigen is made up of at least three separate functional

  17. Crystals of DhaA mutants from Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 diffracted to ultrahigh resolution: crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stsiapanava, Alena; Koudelakova, Tana; Lapkouski, Mikalai; Pavlova, Martina; Damborsky, Jiri; Kuta Smatanova, Ivana

    2008-01-01

    Three mutants of the haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA derived from R. rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 were crystallized and diffracted to ultrahigh resolution. The enzyme DhaA from Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 belongs to the haloalkane dehalogenases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of haloalkanes to the corresponding alcohols. The haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA and its variants can be used to detoxify the industrial pollutant 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). Three mutants named DhaA04, DhaA14 and DhaA15 were constructed in order to study the importance of tunnels connecting the buried active site with the surrounding solvent to the enzymatic activity. All protein mutants were crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals of DhaA04 belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , while the crystals of the other two mutants DhaA14 and DhaA15 belonged to the triclinic space group P1. Native data sets were collected for the DhaA04, DhaA14 and DhaA15 mutants at beamline X11 of EMBL, DESY, Hamburg to the high resolutions of 1.30, 0.95 and 1.15 Å, respectively

  18. Exploring the mechanism of zanamivir resistance in a neuraminidase mutant: a molecular dynamics study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nanyu Han

    Full Text Available It is critical to understand the molecular basis of the drug resistance of influenza viruses to efficiently treat this infectious disease. Recently, H1N1 strains of influenza A carrying a mutation of Q136K in neuraminidase were found. The new strain showed a strong Zanamivir neutralization effect. In this study, normal molecular dynamics simulations and metadynamics simulations were employed to explore the mechanism of Zanamivir resistance. The wild-type neuraminidase contained a 3(10 helix before the 150 loop, and there was interaction between the 150 and 430 loops. However, the helix and the interaction between the two loops were disturbed in the mutant protein due to interaction between K136 and nearby residues. Hydrogen-bond network analysis showed weakened interaction between the Zanamivir drug and E276/D151 on account of the electrostatic interaction between K136 and D151. Metadynamics simulations showed that the free energy landscape was different in the mutant than in the wild-type neuraminidase. Conformation with the global minimum of free energy for the mutant protein was different from the wild-type conformation. While the drug fit completely into the active site of the wild-type neuraminidase, it did not match the active site of the mutant variant. This study indicates that the altered hydrogen-bond network and the deformation of the 150 loop are the key factors in development of Zanamivir resistance. Furthermore, the Q136K mutation has a variable effect on conformation of different N1 variants, with conformation of the 1918 N1 variant being more profoundly affected than that of the other N1 variants studied in this paper. This observation warrants further experimental investigation.

  19. [hHO-1 structure prediction and its mutant construct, expression, purification and activity analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Zhen Wei; Cui, Wen Jun; Zhou, Wen Pu; Zhang, Xue Hong; Shen, Qing Xiang; Li, Yun Zhu; Yu, Shan Chang

    2004-10-01

    Human Heme Oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism reaction of heme, which directly regulates the concentration of bilirubin in human body. The mutant structure was simulated by Swiss-pdbviewer procedure, which showed that the structure of active pocket was changed distinctly after Ala25 substituted for His25 in active domain, but the mutated enzyme still binded with heme. On the basis of the results, the expression vectors, pBHO-1 and pBHO-1(M), were constructed, induced by IPTG and expressed in E. coli DH5alpha strain. The expression products were purified with 30%-60% saturation (NH4)2SO4 and Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column chromatography. The concentration of hHO-1 in 30%-60% saturation (NH4)2SO4 components and in fractions through twice column chromatography was 3.6-fold and 30-fold higher than that in initial product, respectively. The activity of wild hHO-1 (whHO-1) and mutant hHO-1 (deltahHO-1) showed that the activity of deltahHO-1 was reduced 91.21% compared with that of whHO-1. The study shows that His25 is of importance for the mechanism of hHO-1, and provides the possibility for effectively regulating the activity to exert biological function.

  20. Ligand-independent Thrombopoietin Mutant Receptor Requires Cell Surface Localization for Endogenous Activity*

    OpenAIRE

    Marty, Caroline; Chaligné, Ronan; Lacout, Catherine; Constantinescu, Stefan N.; Vainchenker, William; Villeval, Jean-Luc

    2009-01-01

    The activating W515L mutation in the thrombopoietin receptor (MPL) has been identified in primary myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia. MPL belongs to a subset of the cytokine receptor superfamily that requires the JAK2 kinase for signaling. We examined whether the ligand-independent MPLW515L mutant could signal intracellularly. Addition of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention KDEL sequence to the receptor C terminus efficiently locked MPLW515L within its na...

  1. Loss of Hda activity stimulates replication initiation from I-box, but not R4 mutant origins in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riber, Leise; Fujimitsu, K.; Katayama, T.

    2009-01-01

    in synchrony or with slight asynchrony only. Furthermore, lack of Hda stimulated initiation in all these mutants. The DnaA(ATP) containing complex that leads to initiation can therefore be formed in the absence of several of the origin DnaA binding sites including both DnaA(ATP) specific I-boxes. However...

  2. Activities of Native and Tyrosine-69 Mutant Phospholipases A2 on Phospholipid Analogues. A Reevaluation of the Minimal Substrate Requirements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuipers, Oscar P.; Dekker, Nicolaas; Verheij, Hubertus M.; Haas, Gerard H. de

    1990-01-01

    The role of Tyr-69 of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 in substrate binding was studied with the help of proteins modified by site-directed mutagenesis and phospholipid analogues with a changed head-group geometry. Two mutants were used containing Phe and Lys, respectively, at position 69.

  3. A recombinant hypoallergenic parvalbumin mutant for immunotherapy of IgE-mediated fish allergy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swoboda, Ines; Bugajska-Schretter, Agnes; Linhart, Birgit; Verdino, Petra; Keller, Walter; Schulmeister, Ulrike; Sperr, Wolfgang R; Valent, Peter; Peltre, Gabriel; Quirce, Santiago; Douladiris, Nikolaos; Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G; Valenta, Rudolf; Spitzauer, Susanne

    2007-05-15

    IgE-mediated allergy to fish is a frequent cause of severe anaphylactic reactions. Parvalbumin, a small calcium-binding protein, is the major fish allergen. We have recently isolated a cDNA coding for carp parvalbumin, Cyp c 1, and expressed in Escherichia coli a recombinant Cyp c 1 molecule, which contained most IgE epitopes of saltwater and freshwater fish. In this study, we introduced mutations into the calcium-binding domains of carp parvalbumin by site-directed mutagenesis and produced in E. coli three parvalbumin mutants containing amino acid exchanges either in one (single mutants; Mut-CD and Mut-EF) or in both of the calcium-binding sites (double mutant; Mut-CD/EF). Circular dichroism analyses of the purified derivatives and the wild-type allergen showed that Mut-CD/EF exhibited the greatest reduction of overall protein fold. Dot blot assays and immunoblot inhibition experiments performed with sera from 21 fish-allergic patients showed that Mut-CD/EF had a 95% reduced IgE reactivity and represented the derivative with the least allergenic activity. The latter was confirmed by in vitro basophil histamine release assays and in vivo skin prick testing. The potential applicability for immunotherapy of Mut-CD/EF was demonstrated by the fact that mouse IgG Abs could be raised by immunization with the mutated molecule, which cross-reacted with parvalbumins from various fish species and inhibited the binding of fish-allergic patients' IgE to the wild-type allergen. Using the hypoallergenic carp parvalbumin mutant Mut-CD/EF, it may be possible to treat fish allergy by immunotherapy.

  4. Functional and Biochemical Characterization of Three Recombinant Human Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Mutants: Zacatecas, Vanua-Lava and Viangchan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Manzo, Saúl; Marcial-Quino, Jaime; Vanoye-Carlo, America; Serrano-Posada, Hugo; González-Valdez, Abigail; Martínez-Rosas, Víctor; Hernández-Ochoa, Beatriz; Sierra-Palacios, Edgar; Castillo-Rodríguez, Rosa Angélica; Cuevas-Cruz, Miguel; Rodríguez-Bustamante, Eduardo; Arreguin-Espinosa, Roberto

    2016-01-01

    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in humans causes severe disease, varying from mostly asymptomatic individuals to patients showing neonatal jaundice, acute hemolysis episodes or chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. In order to understand the effect of the mutations in G6PD gene function and its relation with G6PD deficiency severity, we report the construction, cloning and expression as well as the detailed kinetic and stability characterization of three purified clinical variants of G6PD that present in the Mexican population: G6PD Zacatecas (Class I), Vanua-Lava (Class II) and Viangchan (Class II). For all the G6PD mutants, we obtained low purification yield and altered kinetic parameters compared with Wild Type (WT). Our results show that the mutations, regardless of the distance from the active site where they are located, affect the catalytic properties and structural parameters and that these changes could be associated with the clinical presentation of the deficiency. Specifically, the structural characterization of the G6PD Zacatecas mutant suggests that the R257L mutation have a strong effect on the global stability of G6PD favoring an unstable active site. Using computational analysis, we offer a molecular explanation of the effects of these mutations on the active site. PMID:27213370

  5. Site-directed Mutagenesis of Cysteine Residues in Phi-class Glutathione S-transferase F3 from Oryza sativa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jo, Hyunjoo; Lee, Juwon; Noh, Jinseok; Kong, Kwanghoon [Chung-Ang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-12-15

    To elucidate the roles of cysteine residues in rice Phi-class GST F3, in this study, all three cysteine residues were replaced with alanine by site-directed mutagenesis in order to obtain mutants C22A, C73A and C77A. Three mutant enzymes were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by affinity chromatography on immobilized GSH. The substitutions of Cys73 and Cys77 residues in OsGSTF3 with alanine did not affect the glutathione conjugation activities, showing non-essentiality of these residues. On the other hand, the substitution of Cys22 residue with alanine resulted in approximately a 60% loss of specific activity toward ethacrynic acid. Moreover, the K{sub m}{sup CDNB} value of the mutant C22A was approximately 2.2 fold larger than that of the wild type. From these results, the evolutionally conserved cysteine 22 residue seems to participate rather in the structural stability of the active site in OsGSTF3 by stabilizing the electrophilic substrates-binding site's conformation than in the substrate binding directly.

  6. Co-activation of STAT3 and YES-Associated Protein 1 (YAP1) Pathway in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chaib, Imane; Karachaliou, Niki; Pilotto, Sara

    2017-01-01

    Background: The efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited by adaptive activation of cell survival signals. We hypothesized that both signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) ...

  7. Design of Trypanosoma rangeli sialidase mutants with improved trans-sialidase activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nyffenegger, Christian; Nordvang, Rune Thorbjørn; Jers, Carsten

    2017-01-01

    were analyzed via kinetics for their ability to carry out trans-sialidase reaction using CGMP and D-lactose as substrates. The sialidase variants with 15 and 16 mutations, respectively, exhibited significantly improved trans-sialidase activity for D-lactose sialylation. Our results corroborate......, that computational studies of trans-glycosylation can be a valuable input in the design of novel trans-glycosidases, but also highlight the importance of experimental validation in order to assess the performance. In conclusion, two of the seven mutants displayed a dramatic switch in specificity from hydrolysis...

  8. Crystals of DhaA mutants from Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 diffracted to ultrahigh resolution: crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stsiapanava, Alena; Koudelakova, Tana; Lapkouski, Mikalai; Pavlova, Martina; Damborsky, Jiri; Smatanova, Ivana Kuta

    2008-02-01

    The enzyme DhaA from Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 belongs to the haloalkane dehalogenases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of haloalkanes to the corresponding alcohols. The haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA and its variants can be used to detoxify the industrial pollutant 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). Three mutants named DhaA04, DhaA14 and DhaA15 were constructed in order to study the importance of tunnels connecting the buried active site with the surrounding solvent to the enzymatic activity. All protein mutants were crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals of DhaA04 belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), while the crystals of the other two mutants DhaA14 and DhaA15 belonged to the triclinic space group P1. Native data sets were collected for the DhaA04, DhaA14 and DhaA15 mutants at beamline X11 of EMBL, DESY, Hamburg to the high resolutions of 1.30, 0.95 and 1.15 A, respectively.

  9. Sharing mutants and experimental information prepublication using FgMutantDb (https://scabusa.org/FgMutantDb).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Thomas T; Basenko, Evelina; Harb, Omar; Brown, Neil A; Urban, Martin; Hammond-Kosack, Kim E; Bregitzer, Phil P

    2018-06-01

    There is no comprehensive storage for generated mutants of Fusarium graminearum or data associated with these mutants. Instead, researchers relied on several independent and non-integrated databases. FgMutantDb was designed as a simple spreadsheet that is accessible globally on the web that will function as a centralized source of information on F. graminearum mutants. FgMutantDb aids in the maintenance and sharing of mutants within a research community. It will serve also as a platform for disseminating prepublication results as well as negative results that often go unreported. Additionally, the highly curated information on mutants in FgMutantDb will be shared with other databases (FungiDB, Ensembl, PhytoPath, and PHI-base) through updating reports. Here we describe the creation and potential usefulness of FgMutantDb to the F. graminearum research community, and provide a tutorial on its use. This type of database could be easily emulated for other fungal species. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Pacemaker activity and inhibitory neurotransmission in the colon of Ws/Ws mutant rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albertí, Elena; Mikkelsen, Hanne Birte; Wang, Xuanyu

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this study was to characterize the pacemaker activity and inhibitory neurotransmission in the colon of Ws/Ws mutant rats, which harbor a mutation in the c-kit gene that affects development of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). In Ws/Ws rats, the density of KIT-positive cells was markedly...... as indirect innervation via ICC. In summary, loss of ICC markedly affects pacemaker and motor activities of the rat colon. Inhibitory innervation is largely maintained but nitrergic innervation is reduced possibly related to the loss of ICC-mediated relaxation....

  11. Automated N-glycan profiling of a mutant Trypanosoma rangeli sialidase expressed in Pichia pastoris, using tandem mass spectrometry and bioinformatics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Haiying; Rasmussen, Morten I; Larsen, Martin R

    2015-01-01

    A mutant Trypanosoma rangeli sialidase, Tr7, expressed in Pichia pastoris, exhibits significant trans-sialidase activity, and has been used for analytical-scale production of sialylated human milk oligosaccharides. Mass spectrometry-based site-specific N-glycoprofiling of Tr7 showed that heteroge...

  12. On the structural affinity of macromolecules with different biological properties: Molecular dynamics simulations of a series of TEM-1 mutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giampaolo, Alessia Di [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Universita’ degli Studi di l’Aquila, Via Vetoio snc, 67100 Coppito (AQ) (Italy); Mazza, Fernando [Department of Health Sciences, Univ. of L’Aquila, 67010 L’Aquila (Italy); Daidone, Isabella [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Universita’ degli Studi di l’Aquila, Via Vetoio snc, 67100 Coppito (AQ) (Italy); Amicosante, Gianfranco; Perilli, Mariagrazia [Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Applicate e Biotecnologiche, Università degli Studi di l’Aquila, Via Vetoio snc, 67100 Coppito (AQ) (Italy); Aschi, Massimiliano, E-mail: massimiliano.aschi@univaq.it [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Universita’ degli Studi di l’Aquila, Via Vetoio snc, 67100 Coppito (AQ) (Italy)

    2013-07-12

    Highlights: •We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of TEM-1 mutants. •Mutations effects on the mechanical properties are considered. •Mutants do not significantly alter the average enzymes structure. •Mutants produce sharp alterations in enzyme conformational repertoire. •Mutants also produce changes in the active site volume. -- Abstract: Molecular Dynamics simulations have been carried out in order to provide a molecular rationalization of the biological and thermodynamic differences observed for a class of TEM β-lactamases. In particular we have considered the TEM-1(wt), the single point mutants TEM-40 and TEM-19 representative of IRT and ESBL classes respectively, and TEM-1 mutant M182T, TEM-32 and TEM-20 which differ from the first three for the additional of M182T mutation. Results indicate that most of the thermodynamic, and probably biological behaviour of these systems arise from subtle effects which, starting from the alterations of the local interactions, produce drastic modifications of the conformational space spanned by the enzymes. The present study suggests that systems showing essentially the same secondary and tertiary structure may differentiate their chemical–biological activity essentially (and probably exclusively) on the basis of the thermal fluctuations occurring in their physiological environment.

  13. On the structural affinity of macromolecules with different biological properties: Molecular dynamics simulations of a series of TEM-1 mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giampaolo, Alessia Di; Mazza, Fernando; Daidone, Isabella; Amicosante, Gianfranco; Perilli, Mariagrazia; Aschi, Massimiliano

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of TEM-1 mutants. •Mutations effects on the mechanical properties are considered. •Mutants do not significantly alter the average enzymes structure. •Mutants produce sharp alterations in enzyme conformational repertoire. •Mutants also produce changes in the active site volume. -- Abstract: Molecular Dynamics simulations have been carried out in order to provide a molecular rationalization of the biological and thermodynamic differences observed for a class of TEM β-lactamases. In particular we have considered the TEM-1(wt), the single point mutants TEM-40 and TEM-19 representative of IRT and ESBL classes respectively, and TEM-1 mutant M182T, TEM-32 and TEM-20 which differ from the first three for the additional of M182T mutation. Results indicate that most of the thermodynamic, and probably biological behaviour of these systems arise from subtle effects which, starting from the alterations of the local interactions, produce drastic modifications of the conformational space spanned by the enzymes. The present study suggests that systems showing essentially the same secondary and tertiary structure may differentiate their chemical–biological activity essentially (and probably exclusively) on the basis of the thermal fluctuations occurring in their physiological environment

  14. Commercialization Of Orchid Mutants For Floriculture Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakinah Ariffin; Zaiton Ahmad

    2014-01-01

    Orchids are the main contributors to cut flower industry in Malaysia with an existing good market and a huge business potential. Orchid industry has been established in Malaysia since 1960s but only started to develop and expand since 1980s. Continuous development of new orchid varieties is essential to meet customers' demands. Orchid mutagenesis research using gamma irradiation at Malaysian Nuclear Agency has successfully generated a number of new orchid varieties with commercial potentials. Therefore, Nuclear Malaysia has collaborated with an industrial partner, Hexagon Green Sdn Bhd (HGSB), to carry out commercialization research on these mutants under a Technofund project entitled 'Pre-Commercialization of Mutant Orchids for Cut Flowers Industry' from July 2011 to July 2014. Through this collaboration, Dendrobium orchid mutant plants developed by Nuclear Malaysia were transferred to HGSB's commercial orchid nursery at Bukit Changgang Agrotechnology Park, Banting, Selangor, for mass-propagation. The activities include evaluations on plant growth performance, flower quality, post harvest and market potential of these mutants. Mutants with good field performance have been identified and filed for Plant Variety Protection (PVP) with Department of Agriculture Malaysia. This paper describes outputs from this collaboration and activities undertaken in commercializing these mutants. (author)

  15. Specific TP53 Mutants Overrepresented in Ovarian Cancer Impact CNV, TP53 Activity, Responses to Nutlin-3a, and Cell Survival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa K. Mullany

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Evolutionary Action analyses of The Cancer Gene Atlas data sets show that many specific p53 missense and gain-of-function mutations are selectively overrepresented and functional in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC. As homozygous alleles, p53 mutants are differentially associated with specific loss of heterozygosity (R273; chromosome 17; copy number variation (R175H; chromosome 9; and up-stream, cancer-related regulatory pathways. The expression of immune-related cytokines was selectively related to p53 status, showing for the first time that specific p53 mutants impact, and are related to, the immune subtype of ovarian cancer. Although the majority (31% of HGSCs exhibit loss of heterozygosity, a significant number (24% maintain a wild-type (WT allele and represent another HGSC subtype that is not well defined. Using human and mouse cell lines, we show that specific p53 mutants differentially alter endogenous WT p53 activity; target gene expression; and responses to nutlin-3a, a small molecular that activates WT p53 leading to apoptosis, providing “proof of principle” that ovarian cancer cells expressing WT and mutant alleles represent a distinct ovarian cancer subtype. We also show that siRNA knock down of endogenous p53 in cells expressing homozygous mutant alleles causes apoptosis, whereas cells expressing WT p53 (or are heterozygous for WT and mutant p53 alleles are highly resistant. Therefore, despite different gene regulatory pathways associated with specific p53 mutants, silencing mutant p53 might be a suitable, powerful, global strategy for blocking ovarian cancer growth in those tumors that rely on mutant p53 functions for survival. Knowing p53 mutational status in HGSC should permit new strategies tailored to control this disease.

  16. Brucella Rough Mutant Induce Macrophage Death via Activating IRE1α Pathway of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Enhanced T4SS Secretion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Peng; Tian, Mingxing; Bao, Yanqing; Hu, Hai; Liu, Jiameng; Yin, Yi; Ding, Chan; Wang, Shaohui; Yu, Shengqing

    2017-01-01

    Brucella is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the worldwide zoonosis, known as brucellosis. Brucella virulence relies mostly on its ability to invade and replicate within phagocytic cells. The type IV secretion system (T4SS) and lipopolysaccharide are two major Brucella virulence factors. Brucella rough mutants reportedly induce the death of infected macrophages, which is T4SS dependent. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the T4SS secretion capacities of Brucella rough mutant and its smooth wild-type strain were comparatively investigated, by constructing the firefly luciferase fused T4SS effector, BPE123 and VceC. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the T4SS expression. The results showed that T4SS expression and secretion were enhanced significantly in the Brucella rough mutant. We also found that the activity of the T4SS virB operon promoter was notably increased in the Brucella rough mutant, which depends on quorum sensing-related regulators of VjbR upregulation. Cell infection and cell death assays revealed that deletion of vjbR in the Brucella rough mutant absolutely abolished cytotoxicity within macrophages by downregulating T4SS expression. This suggests that up-regulation of T4SS promoted by VjbR in rough mutant Δ rfbE contribute to macrophage death. In addition, we found that the Brucella rough mutant induce macrophage death via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Taken together, our study provide evidence that in comparison to the Brucella smooth wild-type strain, VjbR upregulation in the Brucella rough mutant increases transcription of the virB operon, resulting in overexpression of the T4SS gene, accompanied by the over-secretion of effecter proteins, thereby causing the death of infected macrophages via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting novel insights into the molecular

  17. Brucella Rough Mutant Induce Macrophage Death via Activating IRE1α Pathway of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Enhanced T4SS Secretion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Li

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Brucella is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the worldwide zoonosis, known as brucellosis. Brucella virulence relies mostly on its ability to invade and replicate within phagocytic cells. The type IV secretion system (T4SS and lipopolysaccharide are two major Brucella virulence factors. Brucella rough mutants reportedly induce the death of infected macrophages, which is T4SS dependent. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the T4SS secretion capacities of Brucella rough mutant and its smooth wild-type strain were comparatively investigated, by constructing the firefly luciferase fused T4SS effector, BPE123 and VceC. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the T4SS expression. The results showed that T4SS expression and secretion were enhanced significantly in the Brucella rough mutant. We also found that the activity of the T4SS virB operon promoter was notably increased in the Brucella rough mutant, which depends on quorum sensing-related regulators of VjbR upregulation. Cell infection and cell death assays revealed that deletion of vjbR in the Brucella rough mutant absolutely abolished cytotoxicity within macrophages by downregulating T4SS expression. This suggests that up-regulation of T4SS promoted by VjbR in rough mutant ΔrfbE contribute to macrophage death. In addition, we found that the Brucella rough mutant induce macrophage death via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Taken together, our study provide evidence that in comparison to the Brucella smooth wild-type strain, VjbR upregulation in the Brucella rough mutant increases transcription of the virB operon, resulting in overexpression of the T4SS gene, accompanied by the over-secretion of effecter proteins, thereby causing the death of infected macrophages via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting novel insights into the

  18. Molecular dynamics characterization of five pathogenic factor X mutants associated with decreased catalytic activity

    KAUST Repository

    Abdel-Azeim, Safwat; Oliva, Romina M.; Chermak, Edrisse; De Cristofaro, Raimondo; Cavallo, Luigi

    2014-01-01

    Factor X (FX) is one of the major players in the blood coagulation cascade. Upon activation to FXa, it converts prothrombin to thrombin, which in turn converts fibrinogen into fibrin (blood clots). FXa deficiency causes hemostasis defects, such as intracranial bleeding, hemathrosis, and gastrointestinal blood loss. Herein, we have analyzed a pool of pathogenic mutations, located in the FXa catalytic domain and directly associated with defects in enzyme catalytic activity. Using chymotrypsinogen numbering, they correspond to D102N, T135M, V160A, G184S, and G197D. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for 1.68 μs on the wild-type and mutated forms of FXa. Overall, our analysis shows that four of the five mutants considered, D102N, T135M, V160A, and G184S, have rigidities higher than those of the wild type, in terms of both overall protein motion and, specifically, subpocket S4 flexibility, while S1 is rather insensitive to the mutation. This acquired rigidity can clearly impact the substrate recognition of the mutants.

  19. Molecular dynamics characterization of five pathogenic factor X mutants associated with decreased catalytic activity

    KAUST Repository

    Abdel-Azeim, Safwat

    2014-11-11

    Factor X (FX) is one of the major players in the blood coagulation cascade. Upon activation to FXa, it converts prothrombin to thrombin, which in turn converts fibrinogen into fibrin (blood clots). FXa deficiency causes hemostasis defects, such as intracranial bleeding, hemathrosis, and gastrointestinal blood loss. Herein, we have analyzed a pool of pathogenic mutations, located in the FXa catalytic domain and directly associated with defects in enzyme catalytic activity. Using chymotrypsinogen numbering, they correspond to D102N, T135M, V160A, G184S, and G197D. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for 1.68 μs on the wild-type and mutated forms of FXa. Overall, our analysis shows that four of the five mutants considered, D102N, T135M, V160A, and G184S, have rigidities higher than those of the wild type, in terms of both overall protein motion and, specifically, subpocket S4 flexibility, while S1 is rather insensitive to the mutation. This acquired rigidity can clearly impact the substrate recognition of the mutants.

  20. NF-κB signaling is activated and confers resistance to apoptosis in three-dimensionally cultured EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakuma, Yuji; Yamazaki, Yukiko; Nakamura, Yoshiyasu; Yoshihara, Mitsuyo; Matsukuma, Shoichi; Koizume, Shiro; Miyagi, Yohei

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► EGFR-mutant cells in 3D culture resist EGFR inhibition compared with suspended cells. ► Degradation of IκB and activation of NF-κB are observed in 3D-cultured cells. ► Inhibiting NF-κB enhances the efficacy of the EGFR inhibitor in 3D-cultured cells. -- Abstract: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung adenocarcinoma cells in suspension undergo apoptosis to a greater extent than adherent cells in a monolayer when EGFR autophosphorylation is inhibited by EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This suggests that cell adhesion to a culture dish may activate an anti-apoptotic signaling pathway other than the EGFR pathway. Since the microenvironment of cells cultured in a monolayer are substantially different to that of cells existing in three-dimension (3D) in vivo, we assessed whether two EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, HCC827 and H1975, were more resistant to EGFR TKI-induced apoptosis when cultured in a 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) as compared with in suspension. The ECM-adherent EGFR-mutant cells in 3D were significantly less sensitive to treatment with WZ4002, an EGFR TKI, than the suspended cells. Further, a marked degradation of IκBα, the inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, was observed only in the 3D-cultured cells, leading to an increase in the activation of NF-κB. Moreover, the inhibition of NF-κB with pharmacological inhibitors enhanced EGFR TKI-induced apoptosis in 3D-cultured EGFR-mutant cells. These results suggest that inhibition of NF-κB signaling would render ECM-adherent EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma cells in vivo more susceptible to EGFR TKI-induced cell death.

  1. Enhancing activity and thermostability of lipase A from Serratia marcescens by site-directed mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Mohsen; Sepehrizadeh, Zargham; Ebrahim-Habibi, Azadeh; Shahverdi, Ahmad Reza; Faramarzi, Mohammad Ali; Setayesh, Neda

    2016-11-01

    Lipases as significant biocatalysts had been widely employed to catalyze various chemical reactions such as ester hydrolysis, ester synthesis, and transesterification. Improving the activity and thermostability of enzymes is desirable for industrial applications. The lipase of Serratia marcescens belonging to family I.3 lipase has a very important pharmaceutical application in production of chiral precursors. In the present study, to achieve improved lipase activity and thermostability, using computational predictions of protein, four mutant lipases of SML (MutG2P, MutG59P, Mut H279K and MutL613WA614P) were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. The recombinant mutant proteins were over-expressed in E. coli and purified by affinity chromatography on the Ni-NTA system. Circular dichroism spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and kinetic parameters (Km and kcat) were determined. Our results have shown that the secondary structure of all lipases was approximately similar to one another. The MutG2P and MutG59P were more stable than wild type by approximately 2.3 and 2.9 in T 1/2 , respectively. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of MutH279K was enhanced by 2-fold as compared with the wild type (p<0.05). These results indicate that using protein modeling program and creating mutation, can enhance lipase activity and/or thermostability of SML and it also could be used for improving other properties of enzyme to the desired requirements as well as further mutations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Substitution of Tyr254 with Phe at the active site of flavocytochrome b2: consequences on catalysis of lactate dehydrogenation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dubois, J.; Chapman, S.K.; Mathews, F.S.; Reid, G.A.; Lederer, F.

    1990-01-01

    A role for Tyr254 in L-lactate dehydrogenation catalyzed by flavocytochrome b2 has recently been proposed on the basis of the known active-site structure and of studies that had suggested a mechanism involving the initial formation of a lactate carbanion. This role is now examined after replacement of Tyr254 with phenylalanine. The kcat is decreased about 40-fold, Km for lactate appears unchanged, and the mainly rate-limiting step is still alpha-hydrogen abstraction, as judged from the steady-state deuterium isotope effect. Modeling studies with lactate introduced into the active site indicate two possible substrate conformations with different hydrogen-bonding partners for the substrate hydroxyl. If the hydrogen bond is formed with Tyr254, as was initially postulated, the mechanism must involve removal by His373 of the C2 hydrogen, with carbanion formation. If, in the absence of the Tyr254 phenol group, the hydrogen bond is formed with His373 N3, the substrate is positioned in such a way that the reaction must proceed by hydride transfer. Therefore the mechanism of the Y254F enzyme was investigated so as to distinguish between the two mechanistic possibilities. 2-Hydroxy-3-butynoate behaves with the mutant as a suicide reagent, as with the wild-type enzyme. Similarly, the mutant protein also catalyzes the reduction and the dehydrohalogenation of bromopyruvate under transhydrogenation conditions

  3. Distinct roles of beta1 metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS), adjacent to MIDAS (ADMIDAS), and ligand-associated metal-binding site (LIMBS) cation-binding sites in ligand recognition by integrin alpha2beta1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdramidou, Dimitra; Humphries, Martin J; Mould, A Paul

    2008-11-21

    Integrin-ligand interactions are regulated in a complex manner by divalent cations, and previous studies have identified ligand-competent, stimulatory, and inhibitory cation-binding sites. In collagen-binding integrins, such as alpha2beta1, ligand recognition takes place exclusively at the alpha subunit I domain. However, activation of the alphaI domain depends on its interaction with a structurally similar domain in the beta subunit known as the I-like or betaI domain. The top face of the betaI domain contains three cation-binding sites: the metal-ion dependent adhesion site (MIDAS), the ADMIDAS (adjacent to MIDAS), and LIMBS (ligand-associated metal-binding site). The role of these sites in controlling ligand binding to the alphaI domain has yet to be elucidated. Mutation of the MIDAS or LIMBS completely blocked collagen binding to alpha2beta1; in contrast mutation of the ADMIDAS reduced ligand recognition but this effect could be overcome by the activating monoclonal antibody TS2/16. Hence, the MIDAS and LIMBS appear to be essential for the interaction between alphaI and betaI, whereas occupancy of the ADMIDAS has an allosteric effect on the conformation of betaI. An activating mutation in the alpha2 I domain partially restored ligand binding to the MIDAS and LIMBS mutants. Analysis of the effects of Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Mn(2+) on ligand binding to these mutants showed that the MIDAS is a ligand-competent site through which Mn(2+) stimulates ligand binding, whereas the LIMBS is a stimulatory Ca(2+)-binding site, occupancy of which increases the affinity of Mg(2+) for the MIDAS.

  4. Investigating the structure and dynamics of the PIK3CA wild-type and H1047R oncogenic mutant.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paraskevi Gkeka

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The PIK3CA gene is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancers. It encodes p110α, the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase alpha (PI3Kα, which activates signaling cascades leading to cell proliferation, survival, and cell growth. The most frequent mutation in PIK3CA is H1047R, which results in enzymatic overactivation. Understanding how the H1047R mutation causes the enhanced activity of the protein in atomic detail is central to developing mutant-specific therapeutics for cancer. To this end, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR experiments and Molecular Dynamics (MD simulations were carried out for both wild-type (WT and H1047R mutant proteins. An expanded positive charge distribution on the membrane binding regions of the mutant with respect to the WT protein is observed through MD simulations, which justifies the increased ability of the mutated protein variant to bind to membranes rich in anionic lipids in our SPR experiments. Our results further support an auto-inhibitory role of the C-terminal tail in the WT protein, which is abolished in the mutant protein due to loss of crucial intermolecular interactions. Moreover, Functional Mode Analysis reveals that the H1047R mutation alters the twisting motion of the N-lobe of the kinase domain with respect to the C-lobe and shifts the position of the conserved P-loop residues in the vicinity of the active site. These findings demonstrate the dynamical and structural differences of the two proteins in atomic detail and propose a mechanism of overactivation for the mutant protein. The results may be further utilized for the design of mutant-specific PI3Kα inhibitors that exploit the altered mutant conformation.

  5. Deletion map of CYC1 mutants and its correspondence to mutationally altered iso-1-cytochromes c of yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sherman, F.; Jackson, M.; Liebman, S.W.; Schweingruber, A.M.; Stewart, J.W.

    1975-01-01

    Mutants arising spontaneously from sporulated cultures of certain strains of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, contained deletions of the CYC1 gene which controls the primary structure of iso-1-cytochrome c. At least 60 different kinds of deletions were uncovered among the 104 deletions examined and these ranged in length from those encompassing only two adjacent point mutants to those encompassing at least the entire CYC1 gene. X-ray-induced recombination rates of crosses involving these deletions and cyc1 point mutants resulted in the assignment of 211 point mutants to 47 mutational sites and made it possible to unambiguously order 40 of these 47 sites. Except for one mutant, cyc1-15, there was a strict colinear relationship between the deletion map and the positions of 13 sites that were previously determined by amino acid alterations in iso-1-cytochromes c from intragenic revertants

  6. LRRK2 Kinase Activity and Biology are Not Uniformly Predicted by its Autophosphorylation and Cellular Phosphorylation Site Status

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    April eReynolds

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Missense mutations in the Leucine Rich Repeat protein Kinase 2 (LRRK2 gene are the most common genetic predisposition to develop Parkinson’s disease (PD LRRK2 is a large multi-domain phosphoprotein with a GTPase domain and a serine/threonine protein kinase domain whose activity is implicated in neuronal toxicity; however the precise mechanism is unknown. LRRK2 autophosphorylates on several serine/threonine residues across the enzyme and is found constitutively phosphorylated on Ser910, Ser935, Ser955 and Ser973, which are proposed to be regulated by upstream kinases. Here we investigate the phosphoregulation at these sites by analyzing the effects of disease-associated mutations Arg1441Cys, Arg1441Gly, Ala1442Pro, Tyr1699Cys, Ile2012Thr, Gly2019Ser, and Ile2020Thr. We also studied alanine substitutions of phosphosite serines 910, 935, 955 and 973 and specific LRRK2 inhibition on autophosphorylation of LRRK2 Ser1292, Thr1491, Thr2483 and phosphorylation at the cellular sites. We found that mutants in the Roc-COR domains, including Arg1441Cys, Arg1441His, Ala1442Pro and Tyr1699Cys, can positively enhance LRRK2 kinase activity while concomitantly inducing the dephosphorylation of the cellular sites. Mutation of the cellular sites individually did not affect LRRK2 intrinsic kinase activity; however, Ser910/935/955/973Ala mutations trended toward increased kinase activity of LRRK2. Increased cAMP levels did not lead to increased LRRK2 cellular site phosphorylation, 14-3-3 binding or kinase activity. In cells, inhibition of LRRK2 kinase activity leads to dephosphorylation of Ser1292 by Calyculin A and okadaic acid sensitive phosphatases, while the cellular sites are dephosphorylated by Calyculin A sensitive phosphatases. These findings indicate that comparative analysis of both Ser1292 and Ser910/935/955/973 phosphorylation sites will provide important and distinct measures of LRRK2 kinase and biological activity in vitro and in vivo.

  7. Loss of activating EGFR mutant gene contributes to acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in lung cancer cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keisuke Tabara

    Full Text Available Non-small-cell lung cancer harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR mutations attains a meaningful response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs. However, acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs could affect long-term outcome in almost all patients. To identify the potential mechanisms of resistance, we established cell lines resistant to EGFR-TKIs from the human lung cancer cell lines PC9 and11-18, which harbored activating EGFR mutations. One erlotinib-resistant cell line from PC9 and two erlotinib-resistant cell lines and two gefitinib-resistant cell lines from 11-18 were independently established. Almost complete loss of mutant delE746-A750 EGFR gene was observed in the erlotinib-resistant cells isolated from PC9, and partial loss of the mutant L858R EGFR gene copy was specifically observed in the erlotinib- and gefitinib-resistant cells from 11-18. However, constitutive activation of EGFR downstream signaling, PI3K/Akt, was observed even after loss of the mutated EGFR gene in all resistant cell lines even in the presence of the drug. In the erlotinib-resistant cells from PC9, constitutive PI3K/Akt activation was effectively inhibited by lapatinib (a dual TKI of EGFR and HER2 or BIBW2992 (pan-TKI of EGFR family proteins. Furthermore, erlotinib with either HER2 or HER3 knockdown by their cognate siRNAs also inhibited PI3K/Akt activation. Transfection of activating mutant EGFR complementary DNA restored drug sensitivity in the erlotinib-resistant cell line. Our study indicates that loss of addiction to mutant EGFR resulted in gain of addiction to both HER2/HER3 and PI3K/Akt signaling to acquire EGFR-TKI resistance.

  8. An active site aromatic triad in Escherichia coli DNA Pol IV coordinates cell survival and mutagenesis in different DNA damaging agents.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan W Benson

    Full Text Available DinB (DNA Pol IV is a translesion (TLS DNA polymerase, which inserts a nucleotide opposite an otherwise replication-stalling N(2-dG lesion in vitro, and confers resistance to nitrofurazone (NFZ, a compound that forms these lesions in vivo. DinB is also known to be part of the cellular response to alkylation DNA damage. Yet it is not known if DinB active site residues, in addition to aminoacids involved in DNA synthesis, are critical in alkylation lesion bypass. It is also unclear which active site aminoacids, if any, might modulate DinB's bypass fidelity of distinct lesions. Here we report that along with the classical catalytic residues, an active site "aromatic triad", namely residues F12, F13, and Y79, is critical for cell survival in the presence of the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS. Strains expressing dinB alleles with single point mutations in the aromatic triad survive poorly in MMS. Remarkably, these strains show fewer MMS- than NFZ-induced mutants, suggesting that the aromatic triad, in addition to its role in TLS, modulates DinB's accuracy in bypassing distinct lesions. The high bypass fidelity of prevalent alkylation lesions is evident even when the DinB active site performs error-prone NFZ-induced lesion bypass. The analyses carried out with the active site aromatic triad suggest that the DinB active site residues are poised to proficiently bypass distinctive DNA lesions, yet they are also malleable so that the accuracy of the bypass is lesion-dependent.

  9. NMR studies of differences in the conformations and dynamics of ligand complexes formed with mutant dihydrofolate reductases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birdsall, B.; Andrews, J.; Ostler, G.; Tendler, S.J.B.; Feeney, J.; Roberts, G.C.K.; Davies, R.W.; Cheung, H.T.A.

    1989-01-01

    Two mutants of Lactobacillus casei dihydrofolate reductase, Trp 21 → Leu and Asp 26 → Glu, have been prepared by using site-directed mutagenesis methods, and their ligand binding and structural properties have been compared with those of the wild-type enzyme. 1 H, 13 C, and 31 P NMR studies have been carried out to characterize the structural changes in the complexes of the mutant and wild-type enzymes. Replacement of the conserved Trp 21 by a Leu residue causes a decrease in activity of the enzyme and reduces the NADPH binding constant by a factor of 400. The binding of substrates and substrate analogues is only slightly affected. 1 H NMR studies of the Trp 21 → Leu enzyme complexes have confirmed the original resonance assignments for Trp 21. In complexes formed with methotrexate and the mutant enzyme, the results indicate some small changes in conformation occurring as much as 14 angstrom away from the site of substitution. For the enzyme-NADPH complexes, the chemical shifts of nuclei in the bound coenzyme indicate that the nicotinamide ring binds differently in complexes with the mutant and the wild-type enzyme. There are complexes where the wild-type enzyme has been shown to exist in solution as a mixture of conformations, and studies on the corresponding complexes with the Trp 21 → Leu mutant indicate that the delicately poised equilibria can be perturbed. Some conformational adjustments are required to allow the carboxylate of Glu 26 to bind effectively to the N1 proton of inhibitors such as methotrexate and trimethoprim

  10. Nonbehavioral Selection for Pawns, Mutants of PARAMECIUM AURELIA with Decreased Excitability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schein, Stanley J.

    1976-01-01

    The reversal response in Paramecium aurelia is mediated by calcium which carries the inward current during excitation. Electrophysiological studies indicate that strontium and barium can also carry the inward current. Exposure to high concentrations of barium rapidly paralyzes and later kills wild-type paramecia. Following mutagenesis with nitrosoguanidine, seven mutants which continued to swim in the `high-barium' solution were selected. All of the mutants show decreased reversal behavior, with phenotypes ranging from extremely non-reversing (`extreme' pawns) to nearly wild-type reversal behavior (`partial' pawns). The mutations fall into three complementation groups, identical to the pwA, pwB, and pwC genes of Kung et al. (1975). All of the pwA and pwB mutants withstand longer exposure to barium, the pwB mutants surviving longer than the pwA mutants. Among mutants of each gene, survival is correlated with loss of reversal behavior. Double mutants (A–B, A–C, B–C), identified in the exautogamous progeny of crosses between `partial' mutants, exhibited a more extreme non-reversing phenotype than either of their single-mutant (`partial' pawn) parents.———Inability to reverse could be expected from an alteration in the calcium-activated reversal mechanism or in excitation. A normal calcium-activated structure was demonstrated in all pawns by chlorpromazine treatment. In a separate report (Schein, Bennett and Katz 1976) the results of electrophysiological investigations directly demonstrate decreased excitability in all of the mutants, a decrease due to an altered calcium activation. The studies of the genetics, the survival in barium and the electro-physiology of the pawns demonstrate that the pwA and pwB genes have different effects on calcium activation. PMID:1001878

  11. Mutants induced in winter rye (Secale cereale L.): Short straw-mutant No. 2714 and late-senescence mutant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muszynski, S; Darlewska, M [Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Warsaw Agricultural University, Warsaw (Poland)

    1990-01-01

    Full text: Mutants were induced by treating dormant seeds with ionizing radiation (fast neutrons) or chemicals (N-nitroso-N-ethyl urea or sodium azide). Among several mutants obtained, of special value is the short-straw mutant No. 2714 and a late senescent mutant. (author)

  12. TNF Lectin-Like Domain Restores Epithelial Sodium Channel Function in Frameshift Mutants Associated with Pseudohypoaldosteronism Type 1B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita Willam

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Previous in vitro studies have indicated that tumor necrosis factor (TNF activates amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channel (ENaC current through its lectin-like (TIP domain, since cyclic peptides mimicking the TIP domain (e.g., solnatide, showed ENaC-activating properties. In the current study, the effects of TNF and solnatide on individual ENaC subunits or ENaC carrying mutated glycosylation sites in the α-ENaC subunit were compared, revealing a similar mode of action for TNF and solnatide and corroborating the previous assumption that the lectin-like domain of TNF is the relevant molecular structure for ENaC activation. Accordingly, TNF enhanced ENaC current by increasing open probability of the glycosylated channel, position N511 in the α-ENaC subunit being identified as the most important glycosylation site. TNF significantly increased Na+ current through ENaC comprising only the pore forming subunits α or δ, was less active in ENaC comprising only β-subunits, and showed no effect on ENaC comprising γ-subunits. TNF did not increase the membrane abundance of ENaC subunits to the extent observed with solnatide. Since the α-subunit is believed to play a prominent role in the ENaC current activating effect of TNF and TIP, we investigated whether TNF and solnatide can enhance αβγ-ENaC current in α-ENaC loss-of-function frameshift mutants. The efficacy of solnatide has been already proven in pathological conditions involving ENaC in phase II clinical trials. The frameshift mutations αI68fs, αT169fs, αP197fs, αE272fs, αF435fs, αR438fs, αY447fs, αR448fs, αS452fs, and αT482fs have been reported to cause pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1B (PHA1B, a rare, life-threatening, salt-wasting disease, which hitherto has been treated only symptomatically. In a heterologous expression system, all frameshift mutants showed significantly reduced amiloride-sensitive whole-cell current compared to wild type αβγ-ENaC, whereas membrane

  13. Altered expression of the caffeine synthase gene in a naturally caffeine-free mutant of Coffea arabica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirian Perez Maluf

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we studied the biosynthesis of caffeine by examining the expression of genes involved in this biosynthetic pathway in coffee fruits containing normal or low levels of this substance. The amplification of gene-specific transcripts during fruit development revealed that low-caffeine fruits had a lower expression of the theobromine synthase and caffeine synthase genes and also contained an extra transcript of the caffeine synthase gene. This extra transcript contained only part of exon 1 and all of exon 3. The sequence of the mutant caffeine synthase gene revealed the substitution of isoleucine for valine in the enzyme active site that probably interfered with enzymatic activity. These findings indicate that the absence of caffeine in these mutants probably resulted from a combination of transcriptional regulation and the presence of mutations in the caffeine synthase amino acid sequence.

  14. Discovery of AG-120 (Ivosidenib): A First-in-Class Mutant IDH1 Inhibitor for the Treatment of IDH1 Mutant Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popovici-Muller, Janeta; Lemieux, René M; Artin, Erin; Saunders, Jeffrey O; Salituro, Francesco G; Travins, Jeremy; Cianchetta, Giovanni; Cai, Zhenwei; Zhou, Ding; Cui, Dawei; Chen, Ping; Straley, Kimberly; Tobin, Erica; Wang, Fang; David, Muriel D; Penard-Lacronique, Virginie; Quivoron, Cyril; Saada, Véronique; de Botton, Stéphane; Gross, Stefan; Dang, Lenny; Yang, Hua; Utley, Luke; Chen, Yue; Kim, Hyeryun; Jin, Shengfang; Gu, Zhiwei; Yao, Gui; Luo, Zhiyong; Lv, Xiaobing; Fang, Cheng; Yan, Liping; Olaharski, Andrew; Silverman, Lee; Biller, Scott; Su, Shin-San M; Yen, Katharine

    2018-04-12

    Somatic point mutations at a key arginine residue (R132) within the active site of the metabolic enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) confer a novel gain of function in cancer cells, resulting in the production of d-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), an oncometabolite. Elevated 2-HG levels are implicated in epigenetic alterations and impaired cellular differentiation. IDH1 mutations have been described in an array of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Here, we report the discovery of AG-120 (ivosidenib), an inhibitor of the IDH1 mutant enzyme that exhibits profound 2-HG lowering in tumor models and the ability to effect differentiation of primary patient AML samples ex vivo. Preliminary data from phase 1 clinical trials enrolling patients with cancers harboring an IDH1 mutation indicate that AG-120 has an acceptable safety profile and clinical activity.

  15. Ultraviolet-endonuclease activity in cell extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants defective in excision of pyrimidine dimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bekker, M.L.; Kaboev, O.K.; Akhmedov, A.T.; Luchkina, L.A.

    1980-01-01

    Cell-free extracts of ultraviolet-sensitive mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae defective in excision of pyrimidine dimers, rad1, rad2, rad3, rad4, rad10, and rad16, as well as the extracts of the wild-type strain RAD+, display ultraviolet-endonuclease activity

  16. Theoretical Analysis of Allosteric and Operator Binding for Cyclic-AMP Receptor Protein Mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einav, Tal; Duque, Julia; Phillips, Rob

    2018-02-01

    Allosteric transcription factors undergo binding events both at their inducer binding sites as well as at distinct DNA binding domains, and it is often difficult to disentangle the structural and functional consequences of these two classes of interactions. In this work, we compare the ability of two statistical mechanical models - the Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) and the Koshland-N\\'emethy-Filmer (KNF) models of protein conformational change - to characterize the multi-step activation mechanism of the broadly acting cyclic-AMP receptor protein (CRP). We first consider the allosteric transition resulting from cyclic-AMP binding to CRP, then analyze how CRP binds to its operator, and finally investigate the ability of CRP to activate gene expression. In light of these models, we examine data from a beautiful recent experiment that created a single-chain version of the CRP homodimer, thereby enabling each subunit to be mutated separately. Using this construct, six mutants were created using all possible combinations of the wild type subunit, a D53H mutant subunit, and an S62F mutant subunit. We demonstrate that both the MWC and KNF models can explain the behavior of all six mutants using a small, self-consistent set of parameters. In comparing the results, we find that the MWC model slightly outperforms the KNF model in the quality of its fits, but more importantly the parameters inferred by the MWC model are more in line with structural knowledge of CRP. In addition, we discuss how the conceptual framework developed here for CRP enables us to not merely analyze data retrospectively, but has the predictive power to determine how combinations of mutations will interact, how double mutants will behave, and how each construct would regulate gene expression.

  17. Characterization of a crp* mutant of the E. coli cAMP receptor protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren, Y.L.; Garges, S.; Adhya, S.; Krakow, J.S.

    1987-01-01

    One of the crp* mutants previously isolated to activate lac promoter in vivo has been characterized with regard to its biochemical properties. CRP*592 shows a more open conformation than CRP as indicated by its sensitivity to proteolytic attack. Dithionitrobenzoic acid mediated intersubunit crosslinking of CRP requires cAMP; this reaction occurs with unliganded CRP*592. Binding of CRP to its site on the lac promoter and activation of abortive initiation is effected by cAMP but not by cGMP. CRP*592 can activate abortive initiation in the presence of cAMP or cGMP and also at a high CRP*592 concentration in the absence of cyclic nucleotide. DNase I footprinting shows that cAMP-CRP* binds to its site on lac P + while unliganded CRP* and cGMP-CRP* form a stable complex with the [ 32 P]lac P + only in the presence of RNA polymerase. While cGMP binds to CRP it cannot replace cAMP in effecting the conformation necessary for site specific promoter binding; the weakly active unliganded CRP*592 can be shifted to a functional conformation by cAMP, cGMP and RNA polymerase

  18. Inactivation of carbenicillin by some radioresistant mutant strains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahiera, T.S.; Mahmoud, M.I.; Bashandy, A.A.

    1990-01-01

    Sensitivity test of five bacterial species to carbenicillin was performed microbiologically. The bacterial species were previously isolated from high level radiation environment. All the studied species could either highly decrease the antibiotic activity or even inactivate it completely. Detailed study of the inactivation of carbenicillin by the radioresistant mutant strains B. Laterosporus, B. firmus and M. roseus was performed, in the present study. Using high performace liquid chromatography technique. The gram-positive m. roseus mutant strain seemed to be the most active mutant in degrading the antibiotic. The left over of the antibiotic attained a value of 9% of the original amount after 14 day incubation of the antibiotic with this mutant strain, while the value of the left over reached 36% and 32% after the same period of incubation with the mutants B. laterosporus and B. firmus respectively. In the case of bacillus species, the degradation of the antibiotic started at the same moment when it was added to the bacterial cultures. This fact may indicate that the inactivation of the studied antibiotic by these bacillus species was due to extracellular enzymes extracted rapidly in the surrounding medium. In the case of M. roseus the inactivation process started later. after the addition of the antibiotic to the mutant culture

  19. Purification and characterization of mutant miniPlasmin for thrombolytic therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Xiaotao

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous animal studies by us and others have indicated that catheter-administered plasmin or its des-kringle derivatives may be more appropriate alternatives to plasminogen activators for treating thrombolytic diseases, since it has a very short serum half-life and therefore does not result in hemorrhaging. We have previously produced recombinant miniPlasmin (mPlasmin that was proven suitable for treating peripheral arterial occlusion in animal models. However, our previous results showed that non-specific cleavage at position K698 of mPlasmin during activation hindered the further development of this promising therapeutic candidate. In order to minimize or eliminate the non-specific cleavage problem, we performed saturation mutagenesis at the K698 position to develop a mutant form of mPlasmin for thrombolytic therapy. Methods We changed K698 to 16 other amino acids, with preferred E. coli codons. Each of these mutants were expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies and then refolded, purified, and subsequently characterized by detailed kinetic assays/experiments/studies which identified highly active mutants devoid of non-specific cleavage. Results Activation studies indicated that at those conditions in which the wild type enzyme is cut at the non-specific position K698, the active mutants can be activated without being cleaved at this position. Conclusions From the above results, we selected two mutants, K698Q and K698N, as our lead candidates for further thrombolytic drug developments. The selected mutants are potentially better therapeutic candidates for thrombolytic therapy.

  20. Molecular mechanism of action of pharmacoperone rescue of misrouted GPCR mutants: the GnRH receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janovick, Jo Ann; Patny, Akshay; Mosley, Ralph; Goulet, Mark T; Altman, Michael D; Rush, Thomas S; Cornea, Anda; Conn, P Michael

    2009-02-01

    The human GnRH receptor (hGnRHR), a G protein-coupled receptor, is a useful model for studying pharmacological chaperones (pharmacoperones), drugs that rescue misfolded and misrouted protein mutants and restore them to function. This technique forms the basis of a therapeutic approach of rescuing mutants associated with human disease and restoring them to function. The present study relies on computational modeling, followed by site-directed mutagenesis, assessment of ligand binding, effector activation, and confocal microscopy. Our results show that two different chemical classes of pharmacoperones act to stabilize hGnRHR mutants by bridging residues D(98) and K(121). This ligand-mediated bridge serves as a surrogate for a naturally occurring and highly conserved salt bridge (E(90)-K(121)) that stabilizes the relation between transmembranes 2 and 3, which is required for passage of the receptor through the cellular quality control system and to the plasma membrane. Our model was used to reveal important pharmacophoric features, and then identify a novel chemical ligand, which was able to rescue a D(98) mutant of the hGnRHR that could not be rescued as effectively by previously known pharmacoperones.

  1. The H159A mutant of yeast enolase 1 has significant activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, J M; Holland, M J; Lebioda, L

    2000-10-05

    The function of His159 in the enolase mechanism is disputed. Recently, Vinarov and Nowak (Biochemistry (1999) 38, 12138-12149) prepared the H159A mutant of yeast enolase 1 and expressed this in Escherichia coli. They reported minimal (ca. 0.01% of the native value) activity, though the protein appeared to be correctly folded, according to its CD spectrum, tryptophan fluorescence, and binding of metal ion and substrate. We prepared H159A enolase using a multicopy plasmid and expressed the enzyme in yeast. Our preparations of H159A enolase have 0.2-0.4% of the native activity under standard assay conditions and are further activated by Mg(2+) concentrations above 1 mM to 1-1.5% of the native activity. Native enolase 1 (and enolase 2) are inhibited by such Mg(2+) concentrations. It is possible that His159 is necessary for correct folding of the enzyme and that expression in E. coli leads to largely misfolded protein. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  2. Mutant form C115H of Clostridium sporogenes methionine γ-lyase efficiently cleaves S-Alk(en)yl-l-cysteine sulfoxides to antibacterial thiosulfinates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulikova, Vitalia V; Anufrieva, Natalya V; Revtovich, Svetlana V; Chernov, Alexander S; Telegin, Georgii B; Morozova, Elena A; Demidkina, Tatyana V

    2016-10-01

    Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent methionine γ-lyase (MGL) catalyzes the β-elimination reaction of S-alk(en)yl-l-cysteine sulfoxides to thiosulfinates, which possess antimicrobial activity. Partial inactivation of the enzyme in the course of the reaction occurs due to oxidation of active site cysteine 115 conserved in bacterial MGLs. In this work, the C115H mutant form of Clostridium sporogenes MGL was prepared and the steady-state kinetic parameters of the enzyme were determined. The substitution results in an increase in the catalytic efficiency of the mutant form towards S-substituted l-cysteine sulfoxides compared to the wild type enzyme. We used a sulfoxide/enzyme system to generate antibacterial activity in situ. Two-component systems composed of the mutant enzyme and three S-substituted l-cysteine sulfoxides were demonstrated to be effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and three clinical isolates from mice. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(10):830-835, 2016. © 2016 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  3. Characterization of Active Site Residues of Nitroalkane Oxidase†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valley, Michael P.; Fenny, Nana S.; Ali, Shah R.; Fitzpatrick, Paul F.

    2010-01-01

    The flavoenzyme nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of primary and secondary nitrolkanes to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones plus nitrite. The structure of the enzyme shows that Serl71 forms a hydrogen bond to the flavin N5, suggesting that it plays a role in catalysis. Cys397 and Tyr398 were previously identified by chemical modification as potential active site residues. To more directly probe the roles of these residues, the S171A, S171V, S171T, C397S, and Y398F enzymes have been characterized with nitroethane as substrate. The C397S and Y398 enzymes were less stable than the wild-type enzyme, and the C397S enzyme routinely contained a substoichiometric amount of FAD. Analysis of the steady-state kinetic parameters for the mutant enzymes, including deuterium isotope effects, establishes that all of the mutations result in decreases in the rate constants for removal of the substrate proton by ~5-fold and decreases in the rate constant for product release of ~2-fold. Only the S171V and S171T mutations alter the rate constant for flavin oxidation. These results establish that these residues are not involved in catalysis, but rather are required for maintaining the protein structure. PMID:20056514

  4. Activation of DAF-16/FOXO by reactive oxygen species contributes to longevity in long-lived mitochondrial mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senchuk, Megan M; Dues, Dylan J; Schaar, Claire E; Johnson, Benjamin K; Madaj, Zachary B; Bowman, Megan J; Winn, Mary E; Van Raamsdonk, Jeremy M

    2018-03-01

    Mild deficits in mitochondrial function have been shown to increase lifespan in multiple species including worms, flies and mice. Here, we study three C. elegans mitochondrial mutants (clk-1, isp-1 and nuo-6) to identify overlapping genetic pathways that contribute to their longevity. We find that genes regulated by the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 are upregulated in all three strains, and that the transcriptional changes present in these worms overlap significantly with the long-lived insulin-IGF1 signaling pathway mutant daf-2. We show that DAF-16 and multiple DAF-16 interacting proteins (MATH-33, IMB-2, CST-1/2, BAR-1) are required for the full longevity of all three mitochondrial mutants. Our results suggest that the activation of DAF-16 in these mutants results from elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. Overall, this work reveals an overlapping genetic pathway required for longevity in three mitochondrial mutants, and, combined with previous work, demonstrates that DAF-16 is a downstream mediator of lifespan extension in multiple pathways of longevity.

  5. Isolation and characterization of mutant strains of Escherichia coli altered in H2 metabolism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J.H.; Patel, P.; Sankar, P.; Shanmugam, K.T.

    1985-01-01

    A positive selection procedure is described for the isolation of hydrogenase-defective mutant strains of Escherichia coli. Mutant strains isolated by this procedure can be divided into two major classes. Class II mutants produced hydrogenase activity (determined by using a tritium-exchange assay) and formate hydrogenlyase activity but lacked the ability to reduce benzyl viologen or fumarate with H 2 as the electron donor. Class I mutants failed to produce active hydrogenase and hydrogenase-dependent activities. All the mutant strains produced detectable levels of formate dehydrogenase-1 and -2 and fumarate reductase. The mutation in class I mutants mapped near 65 min of the E. coli chromosome, whereas the mutation in class II mutants mapped between srl and cys operons (58 and 59 min, respectively) in the genome. The class II Hyd mutants can be further subdivided into two groups (hydA and hydB) based on the cotransduction characteristics with cys and srl. These results indicate that there are two hyd operons and one hup operon in the E. coli chromosome. The two hyd operons are needed for the production of active hydrogenase, and all three are essential for hydrogen-dependent growth of the cell

  6. Expression of CALR mutants causes mpl-dependent thrombocytosis in zebrafish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, K-H; Chang, Y-C; Chiang, Y-H; Lin, H-C; Chang, C-Y; Lin, C-S; Huang, L; Wang, W-T; Gon-Shen Chen, C; Chou, W-C; Kuo, Y-Y

    2016-10-07

    CALR mutations are identified in about 30% of JAK2/MPL-unmutated myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) including essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis. Although the molecular pathogenesis of CALR mutations leading to MPNs has been studied using in vitro cell lines models, how mutant CALR may affect developmental hematopoiesis remains unknown. Here we took advantage of the zebrafish model to examine the effects of mutant CALR on early hematopoiesis and model human CALR-mutated MPNs. We identified three zebrafish genes orthologous to human CALR, referred to as calr, calr3a and calr3b. The expression of CALR-del52 and CALR-ins5 mutants caused an increase in the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells followed by thrombocytosis without affecting normal angiogenesis. The expression of CALR mutants also perturbed early developmental hematopoiesis in zebrafish. Importantly, morpholino knockdown of mpl but not epor or csf3r could significantly attenuate the effects of mutant CALR. Furthermore, the expression of mutant CALR caused jak-stat signaling activation in zebrafish that could be blocked by JAK inhibitors (ruxolitinib and fedratinib). These findings showed that mutant CALR activates jak-stat signaling through an mpl-dependent mechanism to mediate pathogenic thrombopoiesis in zebrafish, and illustrated that the signaling machinery related to mutant CALR tumorigenesis are conserved between human and zebrafish.

  7. Comparison of anti-inflammatory activity of extracts with supercritical carbon dioxide from radiation mutant perilla frutescens(L.) Britton and wild-type

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Han Chul; So, Yang Kang; Kim, Jin Baek; Jin, Chang Hyun [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup (Korea, Republic of); Yuk, Hong Sun [Dept. of Food and Nutrition, Chungnam National University Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-11-15

    In previous study, the radiation mutant Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton with a higher anti-inflammatory activity was selected. The extracts were obtained from the mutant and wildtype using a supercritical carbon dioxide technique. This study aimed to compare the antiinflammatory activities between the mutant supercritical extract (MSE) and wild-type supercritical extract (WSE). The contents of isoegomaketone (IK) of MSE and WSE were measured through an HPLC analysis. MSE contained IK contents approximately 7-fold higher than those of WSE. To compare the anti-inflammatory activities of MSE and WSE, the expression levels of the mRNA and protein of pro-inflammatory mediators were measured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. As a result, MSE inhibited the expression levels of the mRNA and protein of pro-inflammatory mediators, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) to a much greater extent than did WSE. Taken together, MSE had more IK contents and higher antiinflammatory activities than WSE. Therefore, MSE is proposed based on its therapeutic potential in the prevention of inflammatory disease.

  8. Biological changes in Barley mutants resistant to powdery mildew disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amer, I. M.; Fahim, M. M.; Moustafa, N. A.

    2012-12-01

    physiological studies showed that all kinds of chlorophyll (a), (b) and (a + b) content in infected plant were decreased while, the carotenes pigment were increased. Infection generally reduced total sugars content of all resistant mutants. Infected resistant mutant showed more phenols content and peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase activities than healthy ones of the mutants. (Author)

  9. Respiratory-deficient mutants of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salinas, Thalia; Larosa, Véronique; Cardol, Pierre; Maréchal-Drouard, Laurence; Remacle, Claire

    2014-05-01

    Genetic manipulation of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is straightforward. Nuclear genes can be interrupted by insertional mutagenesis or targeted by RNA interference whereas random or site-directed mutagenesis allows the introduction of mutations in the mitochondrial genome. This, combined with a screen that easily allows discriminating respiratory-deficient mutants, makes Chlamydomonas a model system of choice to study mitochondria biology in photosynthetic organisms. Since the first description of Chlamydomonas respiratory-deficient mutants in 1977 by random mutagenesis, many other mutants affected in mitochondrial components have been characterized. These respiratory-deficient mutants increased our knowledge on function and assembly of the respiratory enzyme complexes. More recently some of these mutants allowed the study of mitochondrial gene expression processes poorly understood in Chlamydomonas. In this review, we update the data concerning the respiratory components with a special focus on the assembly factors identified on other organisms. In addition, we make an inventory of different mitochondrial respiratory mutants that are inactivated either on mitochondrial or nuclear genes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. An ALS-Associated Mutant SOD1 Rapidly Suppresses KCNT1 (Slack) Na+-Activated K+ Channels in Aplysia Neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yalan; Ni, Weiming; Horwich, Arthur L; Kaczmarek, Leonard K

    2017-02-22

    Mutations that alter levels of Slack (KCNT1) Na + -activated K + current produce devastating effects on neuronal development and neuronal function. We now find that Slack currents are rapidly suppressed by oligomers of mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which are associated with motor neuron toxicity in an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We recorded from bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica , a model system to study neuronal excitability. We found that injection of fluorescent wild-type SOD1 (wt SOD1YFP) or monomeric mutant G85R SOD1YFP had no effect on net ionic currents measured under voltage clamp. In contrast, outward potassium currents were significantly reduced by microinjection of mutant G85R SOD1YFP that had been preincubated at 37°C or of cross-linked dimers of G85R SOD1YFP. Reduction of potassium current was also seen with multimeric G85R SOD1YFP of ∼300 kDa or >300 kDa that had been cross-linked. In current clamp recordings, microinjection of cross-linked 300 kDa increased excitability by depolarizing the resting membrane potential, and decreasing the latency of action potentials triggered by depolarization. The effect of cross-linked 300 kDa on potassium current was reduced by removing Na + from the bath solution, or by knocking down levels of Slack using siRNA. It was also prevented by pharmacological inhibition of ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1) or of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, but not by an inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. These results suggest that soluble mutant SOD1 oligomers rapidly trigger a kinase pathway that regulates the activity of Na + -activated K + channels in neurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Slack Na + -activated K + channels (KCNT1, K Na 1.1) regulate neuronal excitability but are also linked to cytoplasmic signaling pathways that control neuronal protein translation. Mutations that alter the amplitude of these currents have devastating effects on neuronal

  11. Regiospecificity determinants of human heme oxygenase: differential NADPH- and ascorbate-dependent heme cleavage by the R183E mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinling; Lad, Latesh; Poulos, Thomas L; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R

    2005-01-28

    The ability of the human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) R183E mutant to oxidize heme in reactions supported by either NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase or ascorbic acid has been compared. The NADPH-dependent reaction, like that of wild-type hHO-1, yields exclusively biliverdin IXalpha. In contrast, the R183E mutant with ascorbic acid as the reductant produces biliverdin IXalpha (79 +/- 4%), IXdelta (19 +/- 3%), and a trace of IXbeta. In the presence of superoxide dismutase and catalase, the yield of biliverdin IXdelta is decreased to 8 +/- 1% with a corresponding increase in biliverdin IXalpha. Spectroscopic analysis of the NADPH-dependent reaction shows that the R183E ferric biliverdin complex accumulates, because reduction of the iron, which is required for sequential iron and biliverdin release, is impaired. Reversal of the charge at position 183 makes reduction of the iron more difficult. The crystal structure of the R183E mutant, determined in the ferric and ferrous-NO bound forms, shows that the heme primarily adopts the same orientation as in wild-type hHO-1. The structure of the Fe(II).NO complex suggests that an altered active site hydrogen bonding network supports catalysis in the R183E mutant. Furthermore, Arg-183 contributes to the regiospecificity of the wild-type enzyme, but its contribution is not critical. The results indicate that the ascorbate-dependent reaction is subject to a lower degree of regiochemical control than the NADPH-dependent reaction. Ascorbate may be able to reduce the R183E ferric and ferrous dioxygen complexes in active site conformations that cannot be reduced by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase.

  12. Functional assessment of sodium chloride cotransporter NCC mutants in polarized mammalian epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaek, Lena L; Rizzo, Federica; MacAulay, Nanna; Staub, Olivier; Fenton, Robert A

    2017-08-01

    The thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter NCC is important for maintaining serum sodium (Na + ) and, indirectly, serum potassium (K + ) levels. Functional studies on NCC have used cell lines with native NCC expression, transiently transfected nonpolarized cell lines, or Xenopus laevis oocytes. Here, we developed the use of polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney type I (MDCKI) mammalian epithelial cell lines with tetracycline-inducible human NCC expression to study NCC activity and membrane abundance in the same system. In radiotracer assays, induced cells grown on filters had robust thiazide-sensitive and chloride dependent sodium-22 ( 22 Na) uptake from the apical side. To minimize cost and maximize throughput, assays were modified to use cells grown on plastic. On plastic, cells had similar thiazide-sensitive 22 Na uptakes that increased following preincubation of cells in chloride-free solutions. NCC was detected in the plasma membrane, and both membrane abundance and phosphorylation of NCC were increased by incubation in chloride-free solutions. Furthermore, in cells exposed for 15 min to low or high extracellular K + , the levels of phosphorylated NCC increased and decreased, respectively. To demonstrate that the system allows rapid and systematic assessment of mutated NCC, three phosphorylation sites in NCC were mutated, and NCC activity was examined. 22 Na fluxes in phosphorylation-deficient mutants were reduced to baseline levels, whereas phosphorylation-mimicking mutants were constitutively active, even without chloride-free stimulation. In conclusion, this system allows the activity, cellular localization, and abundance of wild-type or mutant NCC to be examined in the same polarized mammalian expression system in a rapid, easy, and low-cost fashion. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  13. Active Site Loop Dynamics of a Class IIa Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphate Aldolase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pegan, Scott D. [Univ. of Denver, CO (United States); Rukseree, Kamolchanok [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Tha Khlong (Thailand); Capodagli, Glenn C. [Univ. of Denver, CO (United States); Baker, Erica A. [Univ. of Denver, CO (United States); Krasnykh, Olga [Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States); Franzblau, Scott G. [Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States); Mesecar, Andrew D. [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

    2013-01-08

    The class II fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolases (FBAs, EC 4.1.2.13) comprises one of two families of aldolases. Instead of forming a Schiff base intermediate using an ε-amino group of a lysine side chain, class II FBAs utilize Zn(II) to stabilize a proposed hydroxyenolate intermediate (HEI) in the reversible cleavage of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, forming glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP). As class II FBAs have been shown to be essential in pathogenic bacteria, focus has been placed on these enzymes as potential antibacterial targets. Although structural studies of class II FBAs from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtFBA), other bacteria, and protozoa have been reported, the structure of the active site loop responsible for catalyzing the protonation–deprotonation steps of the reaction for class II FBAs has not yet been observed. We therefore utilized the potent class II FBA inhibitor phosphoglycolohydroxamate (PGH) as a mimic of the HEI- and DHAP-bound form of the enzyme and determined the X-ray structure of the MtFBA–PGH complex to 1.58 Å. Remarkably, we are able to observe well-defined electron density for the previously elusive active site loop of MtFBA trapped in a catalytically competent orientation. Utilization of this structural information and site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic studies conducted on a series of residues within the active site loop revealed that E169 facilitates a water-mediated deprotonation–protonation step of the MtFBA reaction mechanism. Furthermore, solvent isotope effects on MtFBA and catalytically relevant mutants were used to probe the effect of loop flexibility on catalytic efficiency. Additionally, we also reveal the structure of MtFBA in its holoenzyme form.

  14. The pathogenicity of thymidine kinase-deficient mutants of herpes simplex virus in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field, H J; Wildy, P

    1978-10-01

    The pathogenicity for mice of two mutants of herpes simplex virus (type 1 and type 2), which fail to induce thymidine kinase, were compared with their respective parent strains. The mutants were much less virulent than the parents following either intracerebral or peripheral inoculation. The replication of the virus at the site of inoculation and its progression into the nervous system were studied. Following a very large inoculum in the ear, the type 1 mutant was found to establish a latent infection in the cervical dorsal root ganglia. Mice inoculated intracerebrally with small doses of the mutant viruses were solidly immune to challenge with lethal doses of the parent strain.

  15. Single site mutations in the hetero-oligomeric Mrp antiporter from alkaliphilic Bacillus pseudofirmus OF4 that affect Na+/H+ antiport activity, sodium exclusion, individual Mrp protein levels, or Mrp complex formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morino, Masato; Natsui, Shinsuke; Ono, Tomohiro; Swartz, Talia H; Krulwich, Terry A; Ito, Masahiro

    2010-10-01

    Mrp systems are widely distributed and structurally complex cation/proton antiporters. Antiport activity requires hetero-oligomeric complexes of all six or seven hydrophobic Mrp proteins (MrpA-MrpG). Here, a panel of site-directed mutants in conserved or proposed motif residues was made in the Mrp Na(+)(Li(+))/H(+) antiporter from an alkaliphilic Bacillus. The mutant operons were expressed in antiporter-deficient Escherichia coli KNabc and assessed for antiport properties, support of sodium resistance, membrane levels of each Mrp protein, and presence of monomeric and dimeric Mrp complexes. Antiport did not depend on a VFF motif or a conserved tyrosine pair, but a role for a conserved histidine in a potential quinone binding site of MrpA was supported. The importance of several acidic residues for antiport was confirmed, and the importance of additional residues was demonstrated (e.g. three lysine residues conserved across MrpA, MrpD, and membrane-bound respiratory Complex I subunits (NuoL/M/N)). The results extended indications that MrpE is required for normal membrane levels of other Mrp proteins and for complex formation. Moreover, mutations in several other Mrp proteins lead to greatly reduced membrane levels of MrpE. Thus, changes in either of the two Mrp modules, MrpA-MrpD and MrpE-MrpG, influence the other. Two mutants, MrpB-P37G and MrpC-Q70A, showed a normal phenotype but lacked the MrpA-MrpG monomeric complex while retaining the dimeric hetero-oligomeric complex. Finally, MrpG-P81A and MrpG-P81G mutants exhibited no antiport activity but supported sodium resistance and a low [Na(+)](in). Such mutants could be used to screen hypothesized but uncharacterized sodium efflux functions of Mrp apart from Na(+) (Li(+))/H(+) antiport.

  16. Mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens with elevated vir gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pazour, G.J.; Ta, C.N.; Das, A.

    1991-01-01

    Expression of Agrobacterium tumefaciens virulence (vir) genes requires virA, virG, and a plant-derived inducing compound such as acetosyringone. To identify the critical functional domains of virA and virG, a mutational approach was used. Agrobacterium A136 harboring plasmid pGP159, which contains virA, virG, and a reporter virB:lacZ gene fusion, was mutagenized with UV light or nitrosoguanidine. Survivors that formed blue colonies on a plate containing 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-galactoside were isolated and analyzed. Quantification of beta-galactosidase activity in liquid assays identified nine mutant strains. By plasmid reconstruction and other procedures, all mutations mapped to the virA locus. These mutations caused an 11- to 560-fold increase in the vegetative level of virB:lacZ reporter gene expression. DNA sequence analysis showed that the mutations are located in four regions of VirA: transmembrane domain one, the active site, a glycine-rich region with homology to ATP-binding sites, and a region at the C terminus that has homology to the N terminus of VirG

  17. Activation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae filamentation/invasion pathway by osmotic stress in high-osmolarity glycogen pathway mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davenport, K. D.; Williams, K. E.; Ullmann, B. D.; Gustin, M. C.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

    1999-01-01

    Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are frequently used signal transduction mechanisms in eukaryotes. Of the five MAPK cascades in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the high-osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) pathway functions to sense and respond to hypertonic stress. We utilized a partial loss-of-function mutant in the HOG pathway, pbs2-3, in a high-copy suppressor screen to identify proteins that modulate growth on high-osmolarity media. Three high-copy suppressors of pbs2-3 osmosensitivity were identified: MSG5, CAK1, and TRX1. Msg5p is a dual-specificity phosphatase that was previously demonstrated to dephosphorylate MAPKs in yeast. Deletions of the putative MAPK targets of Msg5p revealed that kss1delta could suppress the osmosensitivity of pbs2-3. Kss1p is phosphorylated in response to hyperosmotic shock in a pbs2-3 strain, but not in a wild-type strain nor in a pbs2-3 strain overexpressing MSG5. Both TEC1 and FRE::lacZ expressions are activated in strains lacking a functional HOG pathway during osmotic stress in a filamentation/invasion-pathway-dependent manner. Additionally, the cellular projections formed by a pbs2-3 mutant on high osmolarity are absent in strains lacking KSS1 or STE7. These data suggest that the loss of filamentation/invasion pathway repression contributes to the HOG mutant phenotype.

  18. Defining the requirements for the pathogenic interaction between mutant calreticulin and MPL in MPN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elf, Shannon; Abdelfattah, Nouran S; Baral, April J; Beeson, Danielle; Rivera, Jeanne F; Ko, Amy; Florescu, Natalie; Birrane, Gabriel; Chen, Edwin; Mullally, Ann

    2018-02-15

    Mutations in calreticulin ( CALR ) are phenotypic drivers in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms. Mechanistic studies have demonstrated that mutant CALR binds to the thrombopoietin receptor MPL, and that the positive electrostatic charge of the mutant CALR C terminus is required for mutant CALR-mediated activation of JAK-STAT signaling. Here we demonstrate that although binding between mutant CALR and MPL is required for mutant CALR to transform hematopoietic cells; binding alone is insufficient for cytokine independent growth. We further show that the threshold of positive charge in the mutant CALR C terminus influences both binding of mutant CALR to MPL and activation of MPL signaling. We find that mutant CALR binds to the extracellular domain of MPL and that 3 tyrosine residues within the intracellular domain of MPL are required to activate signaling. With respect to mutant CALR function, we show that its lectin-dependent function is required for binding to MPL and for cytokine independent growth, whereas its chaperone and polypeptide-binding functionalities are dispensable. Together, our findings provide additional insights into the mechanism of the pathogenic mutant CALR-MPL interaction in myeloproliferative neoplasms. © 2018 by The American Society of Hematology.

  19. Enhanced oxygen consumption in Herbaspirillum seropedicae fnr mutants leads to increased NifA mediated transcriptional activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batista, Marcelo Bueno; Wassem, Roseli; Pedrosa, Fábio de Oliveira; de Souza, Emanuel Maltempi; Dixon, Ray; Monteiro, Rose Adele

    2015-05-07

    Orthologous proteins of the Crp/Fnr family have been previously implicated in controlling expression and/or activity of the NifA transcriptional activator in some diazotrophs. This study aimed to address the role of three Fnr-like proteins from H. seropedicae SmR1 in controlling NifA activity and consequent NifA-mediated transcription activation. The activity of NifA-dependent transcriptional fusions (nifA::lacZ and nifB::lacZ) was analysed in a series of H. seropedicae fnr deletion mutant backgrounds. We found that combined deletions in both the fnr1 and fnr3 genes lead to higher expression of both the nifA and nifB genes and also an increased level of nifH transcripts. Expression profiles of nifB under different oxygen concentrations, together with oxygen consumption measurements suggest that the triple fnr mutant has higher respiratory activity when compared to the wild type, which we believe to be responsible for greater stability of the oxygen sensitive NifA protein. This conclusion was further substantiated by measuring the levels of NifA protein and its activity in fnr deletion strains in comparison with the wild-type. Fnr proteins are indirectly involved in controlling the activity of NifA in H. seropedicae, probably as a consequence of their influence on respiratory activity in relation to oxygen availability. Additionally we can suggest that there is some redundancy in the physiological function of the three Fnr paralogs in this organism, since altered respiration and effects on NifA activity are only observed in deletion strains lacking both fnr1 and fnr3.

  20. Primisulfuron herbicide-resistant tobacco plants: mutant selection in vitro by adventitious shoot formation from cultured leaf discs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harms, C.T.; DiMaio, J.J.; Jayne, S.M.; Middlesteadt, L.A.; Negrotto, D.V.; Thompson-Taylor, H.; Montoya, A.L.

    1991-01-01

    A simple procedure has been developed for the rapid and direct selection of herbicide-resistant mutant plants. The procedure uses adventitious shoot formation from suitable explants, such as leaf discs, on a shoot-inducing culture medium containing a toxic herbicide concentration. Resistant green shoots were thus isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaf explants cultured on medium containing 100 μg 1−1 primisulfuron, a new sulfonylurea herbicide. Resistant shoots were recovered from both haploid and diploid explants after UV mutagenesis, as well as without mutagenic treatment. Three mutant plants of separate origin were further analyzed biochemically and genetically. Their acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) enzyme activity was less inhibited by sulfonylurea herbicides than that of unselected, sensitive wild type plants. The extent of inhibition of the AHAS enzyme among the three mutants was different for different sulfonylurea and imidazolinone herbicides suggesting different sites were affected by each mutation. Herbicide tolerance was scored for germinating seedling populations and was found to be inherited as a single dominant nuclear gene. Adventitious shoot formation from cultured leaf discs was used to determine the cross tolerance of mutant plants to various herbicidal AHAS inhibitors. The usefulness of this rapid and direct scheme for mutant selection based on adventitious shoot formation or embryogenesis is discussed. (author)

  1. Role of ELA region in auto-activation of mutant KIT receptor: a molecular dynamics simulation insight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purohit, Rituraj

    2014-01-01

    KIT receptor is the prime target in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GISTs) therapy. Second generation inhibitor, Sunitinib, binds to an inactivated conformation of KIT receptor and stabilizes it in order to prevent tumor formation. Here, we investigated the dynamic behavior of wild type and mutant D816H KIT receptor, and emphasized the extended A-loop (EAL) region (805-850) by conducting molecular dynamics simulation (∼100 ns). We analyzed different properties such as root mean square cutoff or deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius of gyration, solvent-accessible surface area, hydrogen bonding network analysis, and essential dynamics. Apart from this, clustering and cross-correlation matrix approach was used to explore the conformational space of the wild type and mutant EAL region of KIT receptor. Molecular dynamics analysis indicated that mutation (D816H) was able to alter intramolecular hydrogen bonding pattern and affected the structural flexibility of EAL region. Moreover, flexible secondary elements, specially, coil and turns were dominated in EAL region of mutant KIT receptor during simulation. This phenomenon increased the movement of EAL region which in turn helped in shifting the equilibrium towards the active kinase conformation. Our atomic investigation of mutant KIT receptor which emphasized on EAL region provided a better insight into the understanding of Sunitinib resistance mechanism of KIT receptor and would help to discover new therapeutics for KIT-based resistant tumor cells in GIST therapy.

  2. CREB, NF-Y and MEIS1 conserved binding sites are essential to balance Myostatin promoter/enhancer activity during early myogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grade, Carla Vermeulen Carvalho; Mantovani, Carolina Stefano; Fontoura, Marina Alves; Yusuf, Faisal; Brand-Saberi, Beate; Alvares, Lúcia Elvira

    2017-10-01

    Myostatin (MSTN) is a strong inhibitor of skeletal muscle growth in human and other vertebrates. Its transcription is controlled by a proximal promoter/enhancer (Mstn P/E) containing a TATA box besides CREB, NF-Y, MEIS1 and FXR transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs), which are conserved throughout evolution. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of these TFBSs on Mstn P/E activity and evaluate the potential of their putative ligands as Mstn trans regulators. Mstn P/E mutant constructs were used to establish the role of conserved TFBSs using dual-luciferase assays. Expression analyses were performed by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization in C2C12 myoblasts and E10.5 mouse embryos, respectively. Our results revealed that CREB, NF-Y and MEIS1 sites are required to balance Mstn P/E activity, keeping Mstn transcription within basal levels during myoblast proliferation. Furthermore, our data showed that NF-Y site is essential, although not sufficient, to mediate Mstn P/E transcriptional activity. In turn, CREB and MEIS1 binding sites seem to depend on the presence of NF-Y site to induce Mstn P/E. FXR appears not to confer any effect on Mstn P/E activity, except in the absence of all other conserved TFBS. Accordingly, expression studies pointed to CREB, NF-Y and MEIS1 but not to FXR factors as possible regulators of Mstn transcription in the myogenic context. Altogether, our findings indicated that CREB, NF-Y and MEIS1 conserved sites are essential to control basal Mstn transcription during early myogenesis, possibly by interacting with these or other related factors.

  3. Conversion of MyoD to a Neurogenic Factor: Binding Site Specificity Determines Lineage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abraham P. Fong

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available MyoD and NeuroD2, master regulators of myogenesis and neurogenesis, bind to a “shared” E-box sequence (CAGCTG and a “private” sequence (CAGGTG or CAGATG, respectively. To determine whether private-site recognition is sufficient to confer lineage specification, we generated a MyoD mutant with the DNA-binding specificity of NeuroD2. This chimeric mutant gained binding to NeuroD2 private sites but maintained binding to a subset of MyoD-specific sites, activating part of both the muscle and neuronal programs. Sequence analysis revealed an enrichment for PBX/MEIS motifs at the subset of MyoD-specific sites bound by the chimera, and point mutations that prevent MyoD interaction with PBX/MEIS converted the chimera to a pure neurogenic factor. Therefore, redirecting MyoD binding from MyoD private sites to NeuroD2 private sites, despite preserved binding to the MyoD/NeuroD2 shared sites, is sufficient to change MyoD from a master regulator of myogenesis to a master regulator of neurogenesis.

  4. Transglycosidase-like activity of Mucor hiemalis endoglycosidase mutants enabling the synthesis of glycoconjugates using a natural glycan donor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaguchi, Kouta; Katoh, Toshihiko; Yamamoto, Kenji

    2016-11-01

    Glycan conversion of glycoprotein via the transglycosylation activity of endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase is a promising chemoenzymatic technology for the production of glycoproteins including bio-medicines with a homogeneous glycoform. Although Endo-M is a key enzyme in this process, its product undergoes rehydrolysis, which leads to a lower yield, and limits the practical application of this enzyme. We developed several Endo-M mutant enzymes including N175Q with glycosynthase-like activity and/or transglycosidase-like activity. We found that the Endo-M N175H mutant showed glycosynthase-like activity comparable to N175Q as well as transglycosidase-like activity superior to N175Q. Using a natural sialylglycopeptide as a donor substrate, N175H readily transferred the sialo-glycan onto an N-acetylglucosamine residue attached to bovine ribonuclease B (RNase B), yielding a nonnative sialoglycosylated RNase B. These results demonstrate that use of Endo-M N175H is an alternative glycoengineering technique, which provides a relatively high yield of transglycosylation product and avoids the laborious synthesis of a sugar oxazoline as a donor substrate. © 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  5. UV-induced lethal sectoring and pure mutant clones in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannan, M A; Duck, P; Nasim, A

    1976-08-01

    The induction of lethal sectoring and pure mutant clones by ultraviolet light has been studied in a homogeneous G1 population of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in a normal growth medium. At the lowest UV dose of 250 ergs, which corresponds to a shoulder in the survival curve, all mutants appeared as pure clones. At higher doses the frequency of mosaic mutants progressively increased. These results indicate a relationship between the highest frequency of complete mutants and the maximum repair activity. In addition, the frequency of lethal sectoring at all doses tested was too low to account for the origin of pure mutant clones.

  6. Changes in γ-secretase activity and specificity caused by the introduction of consensus aspartyl protease active motif in Presenilin 1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Xiangdong

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Presenilin (PS1 or PS2 is an essential component of the active γ-secretase complex that liberates the Aβ peptides from amyloid precursor protein (APP. PS1 is regarded as an atypical aspartyl protease harboring two essential aspartic acids in the context of the sequence D257LV and D385FI, respectively, rather than the typical DTG...DTG catalytic motif of classical aspartyl proteases. In the present studies, we introduced the sequence DTG in PS1 at and around the catalytic D257 and D385 residues to generate three PS1 mutants: D257TG, D385TG, and the double-mutant D257TG/D385TG. The effects of these changes on the γ-secretase activity in the presence or absence of γ-secretase inhibitors and modulators were investigated. The results showed that PS1 mutants having D385TG robustly enhanced Aβ42 production compared to the wild type (wt, and were more sensitive than wt to inhibition by a classical aspartyl protease transition state mimic, and fenchylamine, a sulfonamide derivative. Unlike wt PS1 and some of its clinical mutants, all three PS1 artificial mutants decreased cleavage of Notch S3-site, suggesting that these artificial mutations may trigger conformational changes at the substrate docking and catalytic site that cause alteration of substrate specificity and inhibition pattern. Consistent with this notion, we have found that NSAID enzymatic inhibitors of COX, known modulators of the γ-secretase activity, cause PS1 mutants containing D385TG to produce higher levels of both Aβ38 and Aβ42, but to reduce levels of Aβ39, showing a pattern of Aβ formation different from that observed with wild type PS1 and its clinical mutants. This study provides an important structural clue for the rational design of drugs to inhibit processing of APP at the γ-site without interfering with Notch processing.

  7. Isozyme patterns of powdery mildew resistant wheat mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xia Wengau; Li Zhengkui; Wang Kefeng

    1989-01-01

    Full Text: Wheat mutants induced by gamma irradiation and showing improved resistance to powdery mildew were analysed for isozymes. The peroxidase band 3A could be related to the disease reaction. The band 3A is absent in resistant mutants, the higher the activity of band 3A the greater the susceptibility. (author)

  8. Evolution of inhibitor-resistant natural mutant forms of HIV-1 protease probed by pre-steady state kinetic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakharova, Maria Yu; Kuznetsova, Alexandra A; Kaliberda, Elena N; Dronina, Maria A; Kolesnikov, Alexander V; Kozyr, Arina V; Smirnov, Ivan V; Rumsh, Lev D; Fedorova, Olga S; Knorre, Dmitry G; Gabibov, Alexander G; Kuznetsov, Nikita A

    2017-11-01

    Pre-steady state kinetic analysis of mechanistic features of substrate binding and processing is crucial for insight into the evolution of inhibitor-resistant forms of HIV-1 protease. These data may provide a correct vector for rational drug design assuming possible intrinsic dynamic effects. These data should also give some clues to the molecular mechanism of protease action and resistance to inhibitors. Here we report pre-steady state kinetics of the interaction of wild type or mutant forms of HIV-1 protease with a FRET-labeled peptide. The three-stage "minimal" kinetic scheme with first and second reversible steps of substrate binding and with following irreversible peptide cleavage step adequately described experimental data. For the first time, a set of "elementary" kinetic parameters of wild type HIV-1 protease and its natural mutant inhibitor-resistant forms MDR-HM, ANAM-11 and prDRV4 were compared. Inhibitors of the first and second generation were used to estimate the inhibitory effects on HIV-1 protease activity. The resulting set of kinetic data supported that the mutant forms are kinetically unaffected by inhibitors of the first generation, proving their functional resistance to these compounds. The second generation inhibitor darunavir inhibited mutant forms MDR-HM and ANAM-11, but was ineffective against prDRV4. Our kinetic data revealed that these inhibitors induced different conformational changes in the enzyme and, thereby they have different mode of binding in the enzyme active site. These data confirmed hypothesis that the driving force of the inhibitor-resistance evolution is disruption of enzyme-inhibitor complex by changing of the contact network in the inhibitor binding site. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  9. Analysis of non-typeable Haemophilous influenzae VapC1 mutations reveals structural features required for toxicity and flexibility in the active site.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brooke Hamilton

    Full Text Available Bacteria have evolved mechanisms that allow them to survive in the face of a variety of stresses including nutrient deprivation, antibiotic challenge and engulfment by predator cells. A switch to dormancy represents one strategy that reduces energy utilization and can render cells resistant to compounds that kill growing bacteria. These persister cells pose a problem during treatment of infections with antibiotics, and dormancy mechanisms may contribute to latent infections. Many bacteria encode toxin-antitoxin (TA gene pairs that play an important role in dormancy and the formation of persisters. VapBC gene pairs comprise the largest of the Type II TA systems in bacteria and they produce a VapC ribonuclease toxin whose activity is inhibited by the VapB antitoxin. Despite the importance of VapBC TA pairs in dormancy and persister formation, little information exists on the structural features of VapC proteins required for their toxic function in vivo. Studies reported here identified 17 single mutations that disrupt the function of VapC1 from non-typeable H. influenzae in vivo. 3-D modeling suggests that side chains affected by many of these mutations sit near the active site of the toxin protein. Phylogenetic comparisons and secondary mutagenesis indicate that VapC1 toxicity requires an alternative active site motif found in many proteobacteria. Expression of the antitoxin VapB1 counteracts the activity of VapC1 mutants partially defective for toxicity, indicating that the antitoxin binds these mutant proteins in vivo. These findings identify critical chemical features required for the biological function of VapC toxins and PIN-domain proteins.

  10. Mutants of the major ryegrass pollen allergen, Lol p 5, with reduced IgE-binding capacity: candidates for grass pollen-specific immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swoboda, Ines; De Weerd, Nicole; Bhalla, Prem L; Niederberger, Verena; Sperr, W R; Valent, Peter; Kahlert, Helga; Fiebig, Helmut; Verdino, Petra; Keller, Walter; Ebner, Christof; Spitzauer, Susanne; Valenta, Rudolf; Singh, Mohan B

    2002-01-01

    More than 400 million individuals are sensitized to grass pollen allergens. Group 5 allergens represent the most potent grass pollen allergens recognized by more than 80 % of grass pollen allergic patients. The aim of our study was to reduce the allergenic activity of group 5 allergens for specific immunotherapy of grass pollen allergy. Based on B- and T-cell epitope mapping studies and on sequence comparison of group 5 allergens from different grasses, point mutations were introduced by site-directed mutagenesis in highly conserved sequence domains of Lol p 5, the group 5 allergen from ryegrass. We obtained Lol p 5 mutants with low IgE-binding capacity and reduced allergenic activity as determined by basophil histamine release and by skin prick testing in allergic patients. Circular dichroism analysis showed that these mutants exhibited an overall structural fold similar to the recombinant Lol p 5 wild-type allergen. In addition, Lol p 5 mutants retained the ability to induce proliferation of group 5 allergen-specific T cell lines and clones. Our results demonstrate that a few point mutations in the Lol p 5 sequence yield mutants with reduced allergenic activity that represent potential vaccine candidates for immunotherapy of grass pollen allergy.

  11. Catalytic properties of ADAM12 and its domain deletion mutants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Jonas; Visse, Robert; Sørensen, Hans Peter

    2008-01-01

    of pro, catalytic, disintegrin, cysteine-rich, and EGF domains. Here we present a novel activity of recombinant ADAM12-S and its domain deletion mutants on S-carboxymethylated transferrin (Cm-Tf). Cleavage of Cm-Tf occurred at multiple sites, and N-terminal sequencing showed that the enzyme exhibits...... restricted specificity but a consensus sequence could not be defined as its subsite requirements are promiscuous. Kinetic analysis revealed that the noncatalytic C-terminal domains are important regulators of Cm-Tf activity and that ADAM12-PC consisting of the pro domain and catalytic domain is the most...... active on this substrate. It was also observed that NaCl inhibits ADAM12. Among the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) examined, the N-terminal domain of TIMP-3 (N-TIMP-3) inhibits ADAM12-S and ADAM12-PC with low nanomolar Ki(app) values while TIMP-2 inhibits them with a slightly lower...

  12. Effects of decreased muscle activity on developing axial musculature in nic b107 mutant zebrafish (Danio rerio)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meulen, van der T.; Schipper, H.; Leeuwen, van J.L.; Kranenbarg, S.

    2005-01-01

    The present paper discusses the effects of decreased muscle activity (DMA) on embryonic development in the zebrafish. Wild-type zebrafish embryos become mobile around 18 h post-fertilisation, long before the axial musculature is fully differentiated. As a model for DMA, the nicb107 mutant was used.

  13. Functional role of proteolytic cleavage at arginine-275 of human tissue plasminogen activator as assessed by site-directed mutagenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tate, K.M.; Higgins, D.L.; Holmes, W.E.; Winkler, M.E.; Heyneker, H.L.; Vehar, G.A.

    1987-01-01

    Activation of the zymogen form of a serine protease is associated with a conformational change that follows proteolysis at a specific site. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is homologous to mammalian serine proteases and contains an apparent activation cleavage site at arginine-275. To clarify the functional consequences of cleavage at arginine-275 of t-PA, site-specific mutagenesis was performed to convert arginine-275 to a glutamic acid. The mutant enzyme (designated Arg-275 → Glu t-PA) could be converted to the two-chain form by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease but not by plasmin. The one-chain form was 8 times less active against the tripeptide substrate H-D-isoleucyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine-rho-nitroanilide (S-2288), and the ability of the enzyme to activate plasminogen in the absence of fibrinogen was reduced 20-50 times compared to the two-chain form. In contrast, one-chain Arg-275 → Glu t-PA has equal activity to the two-chain form when assayed in the presence of physiological levels of fibrinogen and plasminogen. Fibrin bound significantly more of the one-chain form of t-PA than the two-chain form for both the wild-type and mutated enzymes. One- and two-chain forms of the wild-type and mutated plasminogen activators slowly formed complexes with plasma protease inhibitors, although the one-chain forms showed decreased complex formation with → 2 -macroglobulin. The one-chain form of t-PA therefore is fully functional under physiologic conditions and has a increased fibrin binding compared to the two-chain form

  14. Officially released mutant varieties - the FAO/IAEA Database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maluszynski, M.; Nichterlein, K.; Zanten, L. van; Ahloowalia, B.S.

    2000-01-01

    In the approximately 70 year-old history of induced mutations, there are many examples on the development of new and valuable alteration in plant characters significantly contributing to increased yield potential of specific crops. However, knowledge on the success of induced mutations in crop improvement among geneticists and breeders is usually limited to species of their interest. The present paper contains a comprehensive list of officially released mutant varieties, based on information from plant breeders. The number of mutant varieties officially released and recorded in the FAO/IAEA Mutant Varieties Database before the end of 2000 is 2,252. Almost half of these varieties have been released during the last 15 years. Considering a significant delay in the dissemination of information on newly released varieties and difficulties in the collection of such data, there has been a renaissance in the use of mutation techniques in crop improvement. At the demand of geneticists, plant breeders, and more recently molecular geneticists, for information on released mutant varieties of specific crops, the MVD was transferred to the web site of the FAO/IAEA Joint Division. The MVD will be available on our web pages early in 2001. (author)

  15. Bacillus subtilis mutants deficient in the adaptive response to simple alkylating agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morohoshi, F.; Munakata, N.

    1985-03-01

    Three mutant strains exhibiting hyper-sensitivity to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, but not to methyl methanesulfonate, were selected by a replica method from mutagenized spores of Bacillus subtilis. All three were totally deficient in the adaptive response to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine with regard to both lethality and mutagenesis. The activity to destroy O/sup 6/-methylguanine residues in the methylated DNA was not elevated in the mutant cells by the pretreatment with sublethal concentrations of N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. This deficiency corresponded to the persistance of O/sup 6/-methylguanine residues in the DNA of both control and pretreated mutant cells challenged with the drug. The lethal and mutagenic sensitivity of the mutant strains were observed only for methyl- or ethyl-nitroso compounds that are thought to be active as inducers and are also active in O-alkylation. Except for the insensitivity to methyl methanesulfonate, the phenotypes of these mutants look very similar to those of ada mutants isolated previously in Escherichia coli.

  16. Site-Directed Mutagenesis Study Revealed Three Important Residues in Hc-DAF-22, a Key Enzyme Regulating Diapause of Haemonchus contortus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Huang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus is one of the most important parasites of small ruminants, especially goats and sheep. The complex life cycle of this nematode is a main obstacle for the control and prevention of haemonchosis. So far, a special form of arrested development called diapause different from the dauer stage in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans has been found in many parasitic nematodes. In our previous study, we have characterized a novel gene Hc-daf-22 from H. contortus sharing high homology with Ce-daf-22 and functional analysis showed this gene has similar biological function with Ce-daf-22. In this study, Hc-daf-22 mutants were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis, and carried out rescue experiments, RNA interference (RNAi experiments and in vitro enzyme activity analysis with the mutants to further explore the precise function site of Hc-DAF-22. The results showed that Hc-daf-22 mutants could be expressed in the rescued ok693 worms and the expression positions were mainly in the intestine which was identical with that of Hc-daf-22 rescued worms. Through lipid staining we found that Hc-daf-22 could rescue daf-22 mutant (ok693 from the fatty acid metabolism deficiency while Hc-daf-22 mutants failed. Brood size and body length analyses in rescue experiment along with body length and life span analyses in RNAi experiment elucidated that Hc-daf-22 resembled Ce-daf-22 in effecting the development and capacity of C. elegans and mutants impaired the function of Hc-daf-22. Together with the protease activity assay, this research revealed three important active resides 84C/299H/349H in Hc-DAF-22 by site-directed mutagenesis.

  17. Site-Directed Mutagenesis Study Revealed Three Important Residues in Hc-DAF-22, a Key Enzyme Regulating Diapause of Haemonchus contortus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yan; Zheng, Xiuping; Zhang, Hongli; Ding, Haojie; Guo, Xiaolu; Yang, Yi; Chen, Xueqiu; Zhou, Qianjin; Du, Aifang

    2017-01-01

    Haemonchus contortus ( H. contortus ) is one of the most important parasites of small ruminants, especially goats and sheep. The complex life cycle of this nematode is a main obstacle for the control and prevention of haemonchosis. So far, a special form of arrested development called diapause different from the dauer stage in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) has been found in many parasitic nematodes. In our previous study, we have characterized a novel gene Hc-daf-22 from H. contortus sharing high homology with Ce-daf-22 and functional analysis showed this gene has similar biological function with Ce-daf-22 . In this study, Hc-daf-22 mutants were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis, and carried out rescue experiments, RNA interference (RNAi) experiments and in vitro enzyme activity analysis with the mutants to further explore the precise function site of Hc-DAF-22. The results showed that Hc-daf-22 mutants could be expressed in the rescued ok693 worms and the expression positions were mainly in the intestine which was identical with that of Hc-daf-22 rescued worms. Through lipid staining we found that Hc-daf-22 could rescue daf-22 mutant ( ok693 ) from the fatty acid metabolism deficiency while Hc-daf-22 mutants failed. Brood size and body length analyses in rescue experiment along with body length and life span analyses in RNAi experiment elucidated that Hc-daf-22 resembled Ce-daf-22 in effecting the development and capacity of C. elegans and mutants impaired the function of Hc-daf-22 . Together with the protease activity assay, this research revealed three important active resides 84C/299H/349H in Hc-DAF-22 by site-directed mutagenesis.

  18. Construction of an Unmarked Zymomonas mobilis Mutant Using a Site-Specific FLP Recombinase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shao-Lan Zou

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Flippase expression was carried out in Zymomonas mobilis strain ZM4. The FRT-flanked selection marker gene was first integrated into the ZM4 chromosome by homologous recombination. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae flp gene was then introduced under the control of the ZM4 gap gene promoter (Pgap, encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase or the λ bacteriophage cI857-pR contained in the broad-host-range cloning vector pBBR1-MCS-2. This study demonstrated that flp was expressed and that the deletion frequency of the FRT-flanked marker gene was very high (approx. 100 %. In addition, the flp gene expression vector could be conveniently removed from the resulting unmarked Z. mobilis mutants by serially transferring the cells three times into antibiotic-free medium, thereby establishing an efficient method for constructing unmarked Z. mobilis mutants.

  19. Search for methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphisms in mutant figs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, M G F; Martins, A B G; Bertoni, B W; Figueira, A; Giuliatti, S

    2013-07-08

    Fig (Ficus carica) breeding programs that use conventional approaches to develop new cultivars are rare, owing to limited genetic variability and the difficulty in obtaining plants via gamete fusion. Cytosine methylation in plants leads to gene repression, thereby affecting transcription without changing the DNA sequence. Previous studies using random amplification of polymorphic DNA and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers revealed no polymorphisms among select fig mutants that originated from gamma-irradiated buds. Therefore, we conducted methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism analysis to verify the existence of variability due to epigenetic DNA methylation among these mutant selections compared to the main cultivar 'Roxo-de-Valinhos'. Samples of genomic DNA were double-digested with either HpaII (methylation sensitive) or MspI (methylation insensitive) and with EcoRI. Fourteen primer combinations were tested, and on an average, non-methylated CCGG, symmetrically methylated CmCGG, and hemimethylated hmCCGG sites accounted for 87.9, 10.1, and 2.0%, respectively. MSAP analysis was effective in detecting differentially methylated sites in the genomic DNA of fig mutants, and methylation may be responsible for the phenotypic variation between treatments. Further analyses such as polymorphic DNA sequencing are necessary to validate these differences, standardize the regions of methylation, and analyze reads using bioinformatic tools.

  20. The Wnt receptor Ryk reduces neuronal and cell survival capacity by repressing FOXO activity during the early phases of mutant huntingtin pathogenicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cendrine Tourette

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The Wnt receptor Ryk is an evolutionary-conserved protein important during neuronal differentiation through several mechanisms, including γ-secretase cleavage and nuclear translocation of its intracellular domain (Ryk-ICD. Although the Wnt pathway may be neuroprotective, the role of Ryk in neurodegenerative disease remains unknown. We found that Ryk is up-regulated in neurons expressing mutant huntingtin (HTT in several models of Huntington's disease (HD. Further investigation in Caenorhabditis elegans and mouse striatal cell models of HD provided a model in which the early-stage increase of Ryk promotes neuronal dysfunction by repressing the neuroprotective activity of the longevity-promoting factor FOXO through a noncanonical mechanism that implicates the Ryk-ICD fragment and its binding to the FOXO co-factor β-catenin. The Ryk-ICD fragment suppressed neuroprotection by lin-18/Ryk loss-of-function in expanded-polyQ nematodes, repressed FOXO transcriptional activity, and abolished β-catenin protection of mutant htt striatal cells against cell death vulnerability. Additionally, Ryk-ICD was increased in the nucleus of mutant htt cells, and reducing γ-secretase PS1 levels compensated for the cytotoxicity of full-length Ryk in these cells. These findings reveal that the Ryk-ICD pathway may impair FOXO protective activity in mutant polyglutamine neurons, suggesting that neurons are unable to efficiently maintain function and resist disease from the earliest phases of the pathogenic process in HD.

  1. Organizational requirements of the SaeR binding sites for a functional P1 promoter of the sae operon in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Hoonsik; Jeong, Do-Won; Li, Chunling; Bae, Taeok

    2012-06-01

    In Staphylococcus aureus, the SaeRS two-component system controls the expression of multiple virulence factors. Of the two promoters in the sae operon, P1 is autoinduced and has two binding sites for the response regulator SaeR. In this study, we examined the organizational requirements of the SaeR binding sites in P1 for transcription activation. Mutational studies showed that both binding sites are essential for binding to phosphorylated SaeR (P-SaeR) and transcription activation. When the 21-bp distance between the centers of the two SaeR binding sites was altered to 26 bp, 31 bp, 36 bp, or 41 bp, only the 31-bp mutant retained approximately 40% of the original promoter activity. When the -1-bp spacing (i.e.,1-bp overlap) between the primary SaeR binding site and the -35 promoter region was altered, all mutant P1 promoters failed to initiate transcription; however, when the first nucleotide of the -35 region was changed from A to T, the mutants with 0-bp or 22-bp spacing showed detectable promoter activity. Although P-SaeR was essential for the binding of RNA polymerase to P1, it was not essential for the binding of the enzyme to the alpha-hemolysin promoter. When the nonoptimal spacing between promoter elements in P1 or the coagulase promoter was altered to the optimal spacing of 17 bp, both promoters failed to initiate transcription. These results suggest that SaeR binding sites are under rather strict organizational restrictions and provide clues for understanding the molecular mechanism of sae-mediated transcription activation.

  2. Altered Regulation of Escherichia coli Biotin Biosynthesis in BirA Superrepressor Mutant Strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakravartty, Vandana

    2012-01-01

    located close to the dimerization interface of BirA. However, two mutations were located at sites well removed from the interface. The properties of the superrepressor mutants strengthen and extend other data indicating that BirA function entails extensive interactions among the three domains of the protein and show that normal ligase activity does not ensure normal DNA binding. PMID:22210766

  3. Serine:glyoxylate aminotransferase mutant of barley

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blackwell, R.; Murray, A.; Joy, K.; Lea, P.

    1987-01-01

    A photorespiratory mutant of barley (LaPr 85/84), deficient in both of the major peaks of serine:glyoxylate aminotransferase activity detected in the wild type, also lacks serine:pyruvate and asparagine:glyoxylate aminotransferase activities. Genetic analysis of the mutation demonstrated that these three activities are all carried on the same enzyme. The mutant, when placed in air, accumulated a large pool of serine, showed the expected rate (50%) of ammonia release during photorespiration but produced CO 2 at twice the wild type rate when it was fed [ 14 C] glyoxylate. Compared with the wild type, LaPr 85/84 exhibited abnormal transient changes in chlorophyll a fluorescence when the CO 2 concentration of the air was altered, indicating that the rates of the fluorescence quenching mechanisms were affected in vivo by the lack of this enzyme

  4. Site-directed mutagenesis of serine 158 demonstrates its role in spinach leaf sucrose-phosphate synthase modulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toroser, D.; McMichael, R. Jr; Krause, K. P.; Kurreck, J.; Sonnewald, U.; Stitt, M.; Huber, S. C.; Davies, E. (Principal Investigator)

    1999-01-01

    Site-directed mutagenesis of spinach sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) was performed to investigate the role of Ser158 in the modulation of spinach leaf SPS. Tobacco plants expressing the spinach wild-type (WT), S158A, S158T and S157F/S158E SPS transgenes were produced. Expression of transgenes appeared not to reduce expression of the tobacco host SPS. SPS activity in the WT and the S158T SPS transgenics showed light/dark modulation, whereas the S158A and S157F/S158E mutants were not similarly light/dark modulated: the S158A mutant enzyme was not inactivated in the dark, and the S157F/S158E was not activated in the light. The inability to modulate the activity of the S158A mutant enzyme by protein phosphorylation was demonstrated in vitro. The WT spinach enzyme immunopurified from dark transgenic tobacco leaves had a low initial activation state, and could be activated by PP2A and subsequently inactivated by SPS-kinase plus ATP. Rapid purification of the S158A mutant enzyme from dark leaves of transgenic plants using spinach-specific monoclonal antibodies yielded enzyme that had a high initial activation state, and pre-incubation with leaf PP2A or ATP plus SPS-kinase (the PKIII enzyme) caused little modulation of activity. The results demonstrate the regulatory significance of Ser158 as the major site responsible for dark inactivation of spinach SPS in vivo, and indicate that the significance of phosphorylation is the introduction of a negative charge at the Ser158 position.

  5. Effect of NaN3 on oxygen-dependent lethality of UV-A in Escherichia coli mutants lacking active oxygen-defence and DNA-repair systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, Kazumasa; Ono, Tetsuyoshi; Nishioka, Hajime

    1996-01-01

    Escherichia coli mutants which lack defence systems against such active oxygen forms as OxyR (ΔoxyR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (sodA and sodB) and catalase (katE and katG) are sensitive to UV-A lethality under aerobic conditions, whereas OxyR- and SOD-mutants have resistance under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of sodium azide (NaN 3 ) during irradiation. UV-A induces lipid peroxidation in the ΔoxyR mutant, which is suppressed by NaN 3 . These results suggest that UV-A generates 1 O 2 or the hydroxyl radical to produce lipid peroxides intracellularly in the ΔoxyR mutant and that O 2 - stress may be generated in the sodAB mutant after 8 hr of exposure to UV-A. The sensitivities of such DNA repair-deficient mutants as recA ind- and uvrA to UV-A also were examined and compared. These mutants are sensitive to UV-A lethality under aerobic conditions but show only slight resistance under anaerobic conditions or in the presence of NaN 3 during irradiation. We conclude that NaN 3 protects these mutant cells from oxygen-dependent UV-A lethality. (author)

  6. Selecting of a cytochrome P450cam SeSaM library with 3-chloroindole and endosulfan – Identification of mutants that dehalogenate 3-chloroindole

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kammoonah, Shaima; Prasad, Brinda; Balaraman, Priyadarshini

    2018-01-01

    ; the wild-type did not accommodate 3-chloroindole in the active site, whereas all the mutants did. We propose two potential reaction pathways for dechlorination of 3-chloroindole. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner...

  7. Efficient oxygen electrocatalysis on special active sites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halck, Niels Bendtsen

    throughout this thesis to understand these local structure effects and their influence on surface reactions. The concept of these special active sites is used to explain how oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts can have activities beyond the limits of what was previously thought possible. The concept...... stored in these bonds in an eco-friendly fashion in fuel cells. This thesis explores catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis and how carefully designed local structures on catalysts surfaces termed special active sites can influence the activity. Density functional theory has been used as a method...... is used to explain the increase in activity observed for the OER catalyst ruthenium dioxide when it is mixed with nickel or cobalt. Manganese and cobalt oxides when in the vicinity of gold also display an increase in OER activity which can be explained by locally created special active sites. Density...

  8. Comparison of the crystal structure and function to wild-type and His25Ala mutant human heme oxygenase-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Wen-Pu; Zhong, Wen-Wei; Zhang, Xue-Hong; Ding, Jian-Ping; Zhang, Zi-Li; Xia, Zhen-Wei

    2009-03-01

    Human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) is a rate-limiting enzyme in heme metabolism. It regulates serum bilirubin level. Site-directed mutagenesis studies indicate that the proximal residue histidine 25 (His25) plays a key role in hHO-1 activity. A highly purified hHO-1 His25Ala mutant was generated and crystallized with a new expression system. The crystal structure of the mutant was determined by X-ray diffraction technology and molecular replacement at the resolution of 2.8 A, and the model of hHO-1 His25Ala mutant was refined. The final crystallographic and free R factors were 0.245 and 0.283, respectively. The standard bond length deviation was 0.007 A, and the standard bond angle deviation was 1.3 degrees . The mutation of His25 to Ala led to an empty pocket underneath the ferric ion in the heme, leading to loss of binding iron ligand. Although this did not cause an overall structural change, the enzymatic activity of the mutant hHO-1 was reduced by 90%. By supplementing imidazole, the HO-1 activity was restored approximately 90% to its normal level. These data suggest that Ala25 remains unchanged in the structure compared to His25, but the important catalytic function of hHO-1 is lost. Thus, it appears that His25 is a crucial residue for proper hHO-1 catalysis.

  9. Characterization of active site residues of nitroalkane oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valley, Michael P; Fenny, Nana S; Ali, Shah R; Fitzpatrick, Paul F

    2010-06-01

    The flavoenzyme nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of primary and secondary nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones plus nitrite. The structure of the enzyme shows that Ser171 forms a hydrogen bond to the flavin N5, suggesting that it plays a role in catalysis. Cys397 and Tyr398 were previously identified by chemical modification as potential active site residues. To more directly probe the roles of these residues, the S171A, S171V, S171T, C397S, and Y398F enzymes have been characterized with nitroethane as substrate. The C397S and Y398 enzymes were less stable than the wild-type enzyme, and the C397S enzyme routinely contained a substoichiometric amount of FAD. Analysis of the steady-state kinetic parameters for the mutant enzymes, including deuterium isotope effects, establishes that all of the mutations result in decreases in the rate constants for removal of the substrate proton by approximately 5-fold and decreases in the rate constant for product release of approximately 2-fold. Only the S171V and S171T mutations alter the rate constant for flavin oxidation. These results establish that these residues are not involved in catalysis, but rather are required for maintaining the protein structure. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Specific Silencing of L392V PSEN1 Mutant Allele by RNA Interference

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malgorzata Sierant

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available RNA interference (RNAi technology provides a powerful molecular tool to reduce an expression of selected genes in eukaryotic cells. Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs are the effector molecules that trigger RNAi. Here, we describe siRNAs that discriminate between the wild type and mutant (1174 C→G alleles of human Presenilin1 gene (PSEN1. This mutation, resulting in L392V PSEN1 variant, contributes to early onset familial Alzheimer's disease. Using the dual fluorescence assay, flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy we identified positions 8th–11th, within the central part of the antisense strand, as the most sensitive to mismatches. 2-Thiouridine chemical modification introduced at the 3′-end of the antisense strand improved the allele discrimination, but wobble base pairing adjacent to the mutation site abolished the siRNA activity. Our data indicate that siRNAs can be designed to discriminate between the wild type and mutant alleles of genes that differ by just a single nucleotide.

  11. Hypermutability of a UV-sensitive aphidicolin-resistant mutant of Chinese hamster fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, P.K.; Chang, C.; Trosko, J.E.

    1982-01-01

    An ultraviolet light (UV)-sensitive thymidine auxotroph of Chinese hamster V79 cells that exhibits pleiotropic effects such as a high level of deoxycytidine triphosphate, slow growth, sensitivity to cytidine, and high frequencies of site-specific bromodeoxyuridine-dependent chromosomal aberrations was selected by its resistance to aphidicolin. The UV-induced mutability of this mutant and one of its revertants, which retains some of the phenotypes listed above, was studied in 3 mutation assay systems. The results showed that the mutant was hypermutable for ouabain and diphtheria-toxin-resistant mutations compared to wild-type V79 cells at the same UV dose or the same survival level. The mutant exhibits a delayed expression of maximal frequency of induced 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants. When maximal frequencies are compared at the same UV dose, the mutant also has higher mutation frequencies at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus. The revertant was similar to the wild-type in UV sensitivity and mutability. (orig./AJ)

  12. Defective thymine dimer excision in radiation-sensitive mutants rad10 and rad16 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prakash, L [Rochester Univ., N.Y. (USA). School of Medicine and Dentistry

    1977-04-01

    Two rad mutants of yeast, rad10 and rad16, are shown to be defective in the removal of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers since DNAs obtained from irradiated cells following a post-irradiation incubation in the dark still retain UV-endonuclease-sensitive sites. Both rad10 and rad16 mutants are in the same pathway of excision-repair as the rad1, rad2, rad3, and rad4 mutants.

  13. Chemical Rescue of Enzymes: Proton Transfer in Mutants of Human Carbonic Anhydrase II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maupin, C. Mark; Castillo, Norberto; Taraphder, Srabani; Tu, Chingkuang; McKenna, Robert; Silverman, David N.; Voth, Gregory A.

    2011-01-01

    In human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II) the mutation of position 64 from histidine to alanine (H64A) disrupts the rate limiting proton transfer (PT) event, resulting in a reduction of the catalytic activity of the enzyme as compared to the wild-type. Potential of mean force (PMF) calculations utilizing the multistate empirical valence bond (MS-EVB) methodology for H64A HCA II give a PT free energy barrier significantly higher than that found in the wild-type enzyme. This high barrier, determined in the absence of exogenous buffer and assuming no additional ionizable residues in the PT pathway, indicates the likelihood of alternate enzyme pathways that utilize either ionizable enzyme residues (self-rescue) and/or exogenous buffers (chemical rescue). It has been shown experimentally that the catalytic activity of H64A HCA II can be chemically rescued to near wild type levels by the addition of the exogenous buffer 4-methylimidazole (4MI). Crystallographic studies have identified two 4MI binding sites, yet site specific mutations intended to disrupt 4MI binding have demonstrated these sites to be non-productive. In the present work MS-EVB simulations show that binding of 4MI near Thr199 in the H64A HCA II mutant, a binding site determined by NMR spectroscopy, results in a viable chemical rescue pathway. Additional viable rescue pathways are also identified where 4MI acts as a proton transport intermediary from the active site to ionizable residues on the rim of the active site, revealing a probable mode of action for the chemical rescue pathway PMID:21452838

  14. Substitution of Active Site Tyrosines with Tryptophan Alters the Free Energy for Nucleotide Flipping by Human Alkyladenine DNA Glycosylase†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendershot, Jenna M.; Wolfe, Abigail E.; O'Brien, Patrick J.

    2011-01-01

    Human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) locates and excises a wide variety of structurally diverse alkylated and oxidized purine lesions from DNA to initiate the base excision repair pathway. Recognition of a base lesion requires flipping of the damaged nucleotide into a relatively open active site pocket between two conserved tyrosine residues, Y127 and Y159. We have mutated each of these amino acids to tryptophan and measured the kinetic effects on the nucleotide flipping and base excision steps. The Y127W and Y159W mutant proteins have robust glycosylase activity toward DNA containing 1,N6-ethenoadenine (εA), within 4-fold of that of the wildtype enzyme, raising the possibility that tryptophan fluorescence could be used to probe the DNA binding and nucleotide flipping steps. Stopped-flow fluorescence was used to compare the time-dependent changes in tryptophan fluorescence and εA fluorescence. For both mutants, the tryptophan fluorescence exhibited two-step binding with essentially identical rate constants as were observed for the εA fluorescence changes. These results provide evidence that AAG forms an initial recognition complex in which the active site pocket is perturbed and the stacking of the damaged base is disrupted. Upon complete nucleotide flipping, there is further quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence with coincident quenching of the εA fluorescence. Although these mutations do not have large effects on the rate constant for excision of εA, there are dramatic effects on the rate constants for nucleotide flipping that result in 40 to 100-fold decreases in the flipping equilibrium relative to wildtype. Most of this effect is due to an increased rate of unflipping, but surprisingly the Y159W mutation causes a 5-fold increase in the rate constant for flipping. The large effect on the equilibrium for nucleotide flipping explains the greater deleterious effects that these mutations have on the glycosylase activity toward base lesions that are in

  15. Activities of Native and Tyrosine-69 Mutant Phospholipases A2 on Phospholipid Analogues. A Reevaluation of the Minimal Substrate Requirements

    OpenAIRE

    Kuipers, Oscar P.; Dekker, Nicolaas; Verheij, Hubertus M.; Haas, Gerard H. de

    1990-01-01

    The role of Tyr-69 of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 in substrate binding was studied with the help of proteins modified by site-directed mutagenesis and phospholipid analogues with a changed head-group geometry. Two mutants were used containing Phe and Lys, respectively, at position 69. Modifications in the phospholipids included introduction of a sulfur at the phosphorus (thionophospholipids), removal of the negative charge at phosphorus (phosphatidic acid dimethyl ester), and reductio...

  16. Poliovirus RNA polymerase: in vitro enzymatic activities, fidelity of replication, and characterization of a temperature-sensitive RNA-negative mutant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stokes, M.A.M.

    1985-01-01

    The in vitro activities of the purified poliovirus RNA polymerase were investigated in this study. The polymerase was shown to be a strict RNA dependent RNA polymerase. It only copied RNA templates but used either a DNA or RNA primer to initiate RNA synthesis. Partially purified polymerase has some DNA polymerase activities. Additional purification of the enzyme and studies with a mutant poliovirus RNA polymerase indicated that the DNA polymerase activities were due to a cellular polymerase. The fidelity of RNA replication in vitro by the purified poliovirus RNA polymerase was studied by measuring the rate of misincorporation of noncomplementary ribonucleotide monophosphates on synthetic homopolymeric RNA templates. The results showed that the ratio of noncomplementary to complementary ribonucleotides incorporated was 1-5 x 10 -3 . The viral polymerase of a poliovirus temperature sensitive RNA-negative mutant, Ts 10, was isolated. This study confirmed that the mutant was viable 33 0 , but was RNA negative at 39 0 . Characterization of the Ts 10 polymerase showed it was significantly more sensitive to heat inactivation than was the old-type polymerase. Highly purified poliovirions were found to contain several noncapsid proteins. At least two of these proteins were labeled by [ 35 S]methionine infected cells and appeared to be virally encoded proteins. One of these proteins was immunoprecipitated by anti-3B/sup vpg/ antiserum. This protein had the approximate Mr = 50,000 and appeared to be one of the previously identified 3B/sup vpg/ precursor proteins

  17. Analysis of STAT1 activation by six FGFR3 mutants associated with skeletal dysplasia undermines dominant role of STAT1 in FGFR3 signaling in cartilage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pavel Krejci

    Full Text Available Activating mutations in FGFR3 tyrosine kinase cause several forms of human skeletal dysplasia. Although the mechanisms of FGFR3 action in cartilage are not completely understood, it is believed that the STAT1 transcription factor plays a central role in pathogenic FGFR3 signaling. Here, we analyzed STAT1 activation by the N540K, G380R, R248C, Y373C, K650M and K650E-FGFR3 mutants associated with skeletal dysplasias. In a cell-free kinase assay, only K650M and K650E-FGFR3 caused activatory STAT1(Y701 phosphorylation. Similarly, in RCS chondrocytes, HeLa, and 293T cellular environments, only K650M and K650E-FGFR3 caused strong STAT1 activation. Other FGFR3 mutants caused weak (HeLa or no activation (293T and RCS. This contrasted with ERK MAP kinase activation, which was strongly induced by all six mutants and correlated with the inhibition of proliferation in RCS chondrocytes. Thus the ability to activate STAT1 appears restricted to the K650M and K650E-FGFR3 mutants, which however account for only a small minority of the FGFR3-related skeletal dysplasia cases. Other pathways such as ERK should therefore be considered as central to pathological FGFR3 signaling in cartilage.

  18. PTP-PEST targets a novel tyrosine site in p120 catenin to control epithelial cell motility and Rho GTPase activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espejo, Rosario; Jeng, Yowjiun; Paulucci-Holthauzen, Adriana; Rengifo-Cam, William; Honkus, Krysta; Anastasiadis, Panos Z.; Sastry, Sarita K.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Tyrosine phosphorylation is implicated in regulating the adherens junction protein, p120 catenin (p120), however, the mechanisms are not well defined. Here, we show, using substrate trapping, that p120 is a direct target of the protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-PEST, in epithelial cells. Stable shRNA knockdown of PTP-PEST in colon carcinoma cells results in an increased cytosolic pool of p120 concomitant with its enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation and decreased association with E-cadherin. Consistent with this, PTP-PEST knockdown cells exhibit increased motility, enhanced Rac1 and decreased RhoA activity on a collagen substrate. Furthermore, p120 localization is enhanced at actin-rich protrusions and lamellipodia and has an increased association with the guanine nucleotide exchange factor, VAV2, and cortactin. Exchange factor activity of VAV2 is enhanced by PTP-PEST knockdown whereas overexpression of a VAV2 C-terminal domain or DH domain mutant blocks cell motility. Analysis of point mutations identified tyrosine 335 in the N-terminal domain of p120 as the site of PTP-PEST dephosphorylation. A Y335F mutant of p120 failed to induce the ‘p120 phenotype’, interact with VAV2, stimulate cell motility or activate Rac1. Together, these data suggest that PTP-PEST affects epithelial cell motility by controlling the distribution and phosphorylation of p120 and its availability to control Rho GTPase activity. PMID:24284071

  19. Enhancement of the catalytic activity of ferulic acid decarboxylase from Enterobacter sp. Px6-4 through random and site-directed mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyunji; Park, Jiyoung; Jung, Chaewon; Han, Dongfei; Seo, Jiyoung; Ahn, Joong-Hoon; Chong, Youhoon; Hur, Hor-Gil

    2015-11-01

    The enzyme ferulic acid decarboxylase (FADase) from Enterobacter sp. Px6-4 catalyzes the decarboxylation reaction of lignin monomers and phenolic compounds such as p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid into their corresponding 4-vinyl derivatives, that is, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylcatechol, and 4-vinylguaiacol, respectively. Among various ferulic acid decarboxylase enzymes, we chose the FADase from Enterobacter sp. Px6-4, whose crystal structure is known, and produced mutants to enhance its catalytic activity by random and site-directed mutagenesis. After three rounds of sequential mutations, FADase(F95L/D112N/V151I) showed approximately 34-fold higher catalytic activity than wild-type for the production of 4-vinylguaiacol from ferulic acid. Docking analyses suggested that the increased activity of FADase(F95L/D112N/V151I) could be due to formation of compact active site compared with that of the wild-type FADase. Considering the amount of phenolic compounds such as lignin monomers in the biomass components, successfully bioengineered FADase(F95L/D112N/V151I) from Enterobacter sp. Px6-4 could provide an ecofriendly biocatalytic tool for producing diverse styrene derivatives from biomass.

  20. Tauopathic changes in the striatum of A53T α-synuclein mutant mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Wills

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Tauopathic pathways lead to degenerative changes in Alzheimer's disease and there is evidence that they are also involved in the neurodegenerative pathology of Parkinson's disease [PD]. We have examined tauopathic changes in striatum of the α-synuclein (α-Syn A53T mutant mouse. Elevated levels of α-Syn were observed in striatum of the adult A53T α-Syn mice. This was accompanied by increases in hyperphosphorylated Tau [p-Tau], phosphorylated at Ser202, Ser262 and Ser396/404, which are the same toxic sites also seen in Alzheimer's disease. There was an increase in active p-GSK-3β, hyperphosphorylated at Tyr216, a major and primary kinase known to phosphorylate Tau at multiple sites. The sites of hyperphosphorylation of Tau in the A53T mutant mice were similar to those seen in post-mortem striata from PD patients, attesting to their pathophysiological relevance. Increases in p-Tau were not due to alterations on protein phosphatases in either A53T mice or in human PD, suggesting lack of involvement of these proteins in tauopathy. Extraction of striata with Triton X-100 showed large increases in oligomeric forms of α-Syn suggesting that α-Syn had formed aggregates the mutant mice. In addition, increased levels of p-GSK-3β and pSer396/404 were also found associated with aggregated α-Syn. Differential solubilization to measure protein binding to cytoskeletal proteins demonstrated that p-Tau in the A53T mutant mouse were unbound to cytoskeletal proteins, consistent with dissociation of p-Tau from the microtubules upon hyperphosphorylation. Interestingly, α-Syn remained tightly bound to the cytoskeleton, while p-GSK-3β was seen in the cytoskeleton-free fractions. Immunohistochemical studies showed that α-Syn, pSer396/404 Tau and p-GSK-3β co-localized with one another and was aggregated and accumulated into large inclusion bodies, leading to cell death of Substantia nigral neurons. Together, these data demonstrate an elevated state of

  1. Susceptibility of glucokinase-MODY mutants to inactivation by oxidative stress in pancreatic β-cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, Kirsty S; Matschinsky, Franz M; Agius, Loranne; Arden, Catherine

    2011-12-01

    The posttranslational regulation of glucokinase (GK) differs in hepatocytes and pancreatic β-cells. We tested the hypothesis that GK mutants that cause maturity-onset diabetes of the young (GK-MODY) show compromised activity and posttranslational regulation in β-cells. Activity and protein expression of GK-MODY and persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy (PHHI) mutants were studied in β-cell (MIN6) and non-β-cell (H4IIE) models. Binding of GK to phosphofructo-2-kinase, fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFK2/FBPase2) was studied by bimolecular fluorescence complementation in cell-based models. Nine of 11 GK-MODY mutants that have minimal effect on enzyme kinetics in vitro showed decreased specific activity relative to wild type when expressed in β-cells. A subset of these were stable in non-β-cells but showed increased inactivation in conditions of oxidative stress and partial reversal of inactivation by dithiothreitol. Unlike the GK-MODY mutants, four of five GK-PHHI mutants had similar specific activity to wild type and Y214C had higher activity than wild type. The GK-binding protein PFK2/FBPase2 protected wild-type GK from oxidative inactivation and the decreased stability of GK-MODY mutants correlated with decreased interaction with PFK2/FBPase2. Several GK-MODY mutants show posttranslational defects in β-cells characterized by increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and/or protein instability. Regulation of GK activity through modulation of thiol status may be a physiological regulatory mechanism for the control of GK activity in β-cells.

  2. Structures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa β-ketoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) synthase II (FabF) and a C164Q mutant provide templates for antibacterial drug discovery and identify a buried potassium ion and a ligand-binding site that is an artefact of the crystal form

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baum, Bernhard; Lecker, Laura S. M.; Zoltner, Martin; Jaenicke, Elmar; Schnell, Robert; Hunter, William N.; Brenk, Ruth

    2015-01-01

    Three crystal structures of recombinant P. aeruginosa FabF are reported: the apoenzyme, an active-site mutant and a complex with a fragment of a natural product inhibitor. The characterization provides reagents and new information to support antibacterial drug discovery. Bacterial infections remain a serious health concern, in particular causing life-threatening infections of hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. The situation is exacerbated by the rise in antibacterial drug resistance, and new treatments are urgently sought. In this endeavour, accurate structures of molecular targets can support early-stage drug discovery. Here, crystal structures, in three distinct forms, of recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa β-ketoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) synthase II (FabF) are presented. This enzyme, which is involved in fatty-acid biosynthesis, has been validated by genetic and chemical means as an antibiotic target in Gram-positive bacteria and represents a potential target in Gram-negative bacteria. The structures of apo FabF, of a C164Q mutant in which the binding site is altered to resemble the substrate-bound state and of a complex with 3-(benzoylamino)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid are reported. This compound mimics aspects of a known natural product inhibitor, platensimycin, and surprisingly was observed binding outside the active site, interacting with a symmetry-related molecule. An unusual feature is a completely buried potassium-binding site that was identified in all three structures. Comparisons suggest that this may represent a conserved structural feature of FabF relevant to fold stability. The new structures provide templates for structure-based ligand design and, together with the protocols and reagents, may underpin a target-based drug-discovery project for urgently needed antibacterials

  3. Structures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa β-ketoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) synthase II (FabF) and a C164Q mutant provide templates for antibacterial drug discovery and identify a buried potassium ion and a ligand-binding site that is an artefact of the crystal form

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baum, Bernhard [Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Lecker, Laura S. M.; Zoltner, Martin [University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4EH, Scotland (United Kingdom); Jaenicke, Elmar [Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Jakob Welder Weg 26, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Schnell, Robert [Karolinska Institutet, 17 177 Stockholm (Sweden); Hunter, William N., E-mail: w.n.hunter@dundee.ac.uk [University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4EH, Scotland (United Kingdom); Brenk, Ruth, E-mail: w.n.hunter@dundee.ac.uk [Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz (Germany)

    2015-07-28

    Three crystal structures of recombinant P. aeruginosa FabF are reported: the apoenzyme, an active-site mutant and a complex with a fragment of a natural product inhibitor. The characterization provides reagents and new information to support antibacterial drug discovery. Bacterial infections remain a serious health concern, in particular causing life-threatening infections of hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. The situation is exacerbated by the rise in antibacterial drug resistance, and new treatments are urgently sought. In this endeavour, accurate structures of molecular targets can support early-stage drug discovery. Here, crystal structures, in three distinct forms, of recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa β-ketoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) synthase II (FabF) are presented. This enzyme, which is involved in fatty-acid biosynthesis, has been validated by genetic and chemical means as an antibiotic target in Gram-positive bacteria and represents a potential target in Gram-negative bacteria. The structures of apo FabF, of a C164Q mutant in which the binding site is altered to resemble the substrate-bound state and of a complex with 3-(benzoylamino)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid are reported. This compound mimics aspects of a known natural product inhibitor, platensimycin, and surprisingly was observed binding outside the active site, interacting with a symmetry-related molecule. An unusual feature is a completely buried potassium-binding site that was identified in all three structures. Comparisons suggest that this may represent a conserved structural feature of FabF relevant to fold stability. The new structures provide templates for structure-based ligand design and, together with the protocols and reagents, may underpin a target-based drug-discovery project for urgently needed antibacterials.

  4. Multiplex Sequence Analysis Demonstrates the Competitive Growth Advantage of the A-to-G Mutants of Clarithromycin-Resistant Helicobacter pylori

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Ge; Rahman, M. Sayeedur; Humayun, M. Zafri; Taylor, Diane E.

    1999-01-01

    Clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori is due to point mutation within the 23S rRNA. We examined the growth rates of different types of site-directed mutants and demonstrated quantitatively the competitive growth advantage of A-to-G mutants over other types of mutants by a multiplex sequencing assay. The results provide a rational explanation of why A-to-G mutants are predominantly observed among clarithromycin-resistant clinical isolates.

  5. Multiplex sequence analysis demonstrates the competitive growth advantage of the A-to-G mutants of clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, G; Rahman, M S; Humayun, M Z; Taylor, D E

    1999-03-01

    Clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori is due to point mutation within the 23S rRNA. We examined the growth rates of different types of site-directed mutants and demonstrated quantitatively the competitive growth advantage of A-to-G mutants over other types of mutants by a multiplex sequencing assay. The results provide a rational explanation of why A-to-G mutants are predominantly observed among clarithromycin-resistant clinical isolates.

  6. Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henry, Rowan M; Caplan, David; Pomes, Regis [Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8 (Canada); Fadda, Elisa, E-mail: pomes@sickkids.ca [Department of Chemistry, University of Galway (Ireland)

    2011-06-15

    Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, utilizes the reduction of dioxygen into water to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The principal pathway of proton uptake into the enzyme, the D channel, is a 2.5 nm long channel-like cavity named after a conserved, negatively charged aspartic acid (D) residue thought to help recruiting protons to its entrance (D132 in the first subunit of the S. sphaeroides enzyme). The single-point mutation of D132 to asparagine (N), a neutral residue, abolishes enzyme activity. Conversely, replacing conserved N139, one-third into the D channel, by D, induces a decoupled phenotype, whereby oxygen reduction proceeds but not proton pumping. Intriguingly, the double mutant D132N/N139D, which conserves the charge of the D channel, restores the wild-type phenotype. We use molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatic calculations to examine the structural and physical basis for the coupling of proton pumping and oxygen chemistry in single and double N139D mutants. The potential of mean force for the conformational isomerization of N139 and N139D side chains reveals the presence of three rotamers, one of which faces the channel entrance. This out-facing conformer is metastable in the wild-type and in the N139D single mutant, but predominant in the double mutant thanks to the loss of electrostatic repulsion with the carboxylate group of D132. The effects of mutations and conformational isomerization on the pKa of E286, an essential proton-shuttling residue located at the top of the D channel, are shown to be consistent with the electrostatic control of proton pumping proposed recently (Fadda et al 2008 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1777 277-84). Taken together, these results suggest that preserving the spatial distribution of charges at the entrance of the D channel is necessary to guarantee both the uptake and the relay of protons to the active site of the enzyme. These findings highlight the interplay

  7. Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henry, Rowan M; Caplan, David; Pomes, Regis; Fadda, Elisa

    2011-01-01

    Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, utilizes the reduction of dioxygen into water to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The principal pathway of proton uptake into the enzyme, the D channel, is a 2.5 nm long channel-like cavity named after a conserved, negatively charged aspartic acid (D) residue thought to help recruiting protons to its entrance (D132 in the first subunit of the S. sphaeroides enzyme). The single-point mutation of D132 to asparagine (N), a neutral residue, abolishes enzyme activity. Conversely, replacing conserved N139, one-third into the D channel, by D, induces a decoupled phenotype, whereby oxygen reduction proceeds but not proton pumping. Intriguingly, the double mutant D132N/N139D, which conserves the charge of the D channel, restores the wild-type phenotype. We use molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatic calculations to examine the structural and physical basis for the coupling of proton pumping and oxygen chemistry in single and double N139D mutants. The potential of mean force for the conformational isomerization of N139 and N139D side chains reveals the presence of three rotamers, one of which faces the channel entrance. This out-facing conformer is metastable in the wild-type and in the N139D single mutant, but predominant in the double mutant thanks to the loss of electrostatic repulsion with the carboxylate group of D132. The effects of mutations and conformational isomerization on the pKa of E286, an essential proton-shuttling residue located at the top of the D channel, are shown to be consistent with the electrostatic control of proton pumping proposed recently (Fadda et al 2008 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1777 277-84). Taken together, these results suggest that preserving the spatial distribution of charges at the entrance of the D channel is necessary to guarantee both the uptake and the relay of protons to the active site of the enzyme. These findings highlight the interplay

  8. Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Rowan M.; Caplan, David; Fadda, Elisa; Pomès, Régis

    2011-06-01

    Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, utilizes the reduction of dioxygen into water to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The principal pathway of proton uptake into the enzyme, the D channel, is a 2.5 nm long channel-like cavity named after a conserved, negatively charged aspartic acid (D) residue thought to help recruiting protons to its entrance (D132 in the first subunit of the S. sphaeroides enzyme). The single-point mutation of D132 to asparagine (N), a neutral residue, abolishes enzyme activity. Conversely, replacing conserved N139, one-third into the D channel, by D, induces a decoupled phenotype, whereby oxygen reduction proceeds but not proton pumping. Intriguingly, the double mutant D132N/N139D, which conserves the charge of the D channel, restores the wild-type phenotype. We use molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatic calculations to examine the structural and physical basis for the coupling of proton pumping and oxygen chemistry in single and double N139D mutants. The potential of mean force for the conformational isomerization of N139 and N139D side chains reveals the presence of three rotamers, one of which faces the channel entrance. This out-facing conformer is metastable in the wild-type and in the N139D single mutant, but predominant in the double mutant thanks to the loss of electrostatic repulsion with the carboxylate group of D132. The effects of mutations and conformational isomerization on the pKa of E286, an essential proton-shuttling residue located at the top of the D channel, are shown to be consistent with the electrostatic control of proton pumping proposed recently (Fadda et al 2008 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1777 277-84). Taken together, these results suggest that preserving the spatial distribution of charges at the entrance of the D channel is necessary to guarantee both the uptake and the relay of protons to the active site of the enzyme. These findings highlight the interplay

  9. Safety Oversight of Decommissioning Activities at DOE Nuclear Sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zull, Lawrence M.; Yeniscavich, William

    2008-01-01

    The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1988 to provide nuclear safety oversight of activities at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defense nuclear facilities. The activities under the Board's jurisdiction include the design, construction, startup, operation, and decommissioning of defense nuclear facilities at DOE sites. This paper reviews the Board's safety oversight of decommissioning activities at DOE sites, identifies the safety problems observed, and discusses Board initiatives to improve the safety of decommissioning activities at DOE sites. The decommissioning of former defense nuclear facilities has reduced the risk of radioactive material contamination and exposure to the public and site workers. In general, efforts to perform decommissioning work at DOE defense nuclear sites have been successful, and contractors performing decommissioning work have a good safety record. Decommissioning activities have recently been completed at sites identified for closure, including the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, the Fernald Closure Project, and the Miamisburg Closure Project (the Mound site). The Rocky Flats and Fernald sites, which produced plutonium parts and uranium materials for defense needs (respectively), have been turned into wildlife refuges. The Mound site, which performed R and D activities on nuclear materials, has been converted into an industrial and technology park called the Mound Advanced Technology Center. The DOE Office of Legacy Management is responsible for the long term stewardship of these former EM sites. The Board has reviewed many decommissioning activities, and noted that there are valuable lessons learned that can benefit both DOE and the contractor. As part of its ongoing safety oversight responsibilities, the Board and its staff will continue to review the safety of DOE and contractor decommissioning activities at DOE defense nuclear sites

  10. Genome-Wide Analysis of a TaLEA-Introduced Transgenic Populus simonii × Populus nigra Dwarf Mutant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Jiang

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available A dwarf mutant (dwf1 was obtained among 15 transgenic lines, when TaLEA (Tamarix androssowii late embryogenesis abundant gene was introduced into Populus simonii × Populus nigra by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Under the same growth conditions, dwf1 height was significantly reduced compared with the wild type and the other transgenic lines. Because only one transgenic line (dwf1 displayed the dwarf phenotype, we considered that T-DNA insertion sites may play a role in the mutant formation. The mechanisms underlying this effect were investigated using TAIL-PCR (thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR and microarrays methods. According to the TAIL-PCR results, two flanking sequences located on chromosome IV and VIII respectively, were cloned. The results indicated the integration of two independent T-DNA copies. We searched for the potential genes near to the T-DNA insertions. The nearest gene was a putative poplar AP2 transcription factor (GI: 224073210. Expression analysis showed that AP2 was up-regulated in dwf1 compared with the wild type and the other transgenic lines. According to the microarrays results, a total of 537 genes involved in hydrolase, kinase and transcription factor activities, as well as protein and nucleotide binding, showed significant alterations in gene expression. These genes were expressed in more than 60 metabolic pathways, including starch, sucrose, galactose and glycerolipid metabolism and phenylpropanoids and flavonoid biosyntheses. Our transcriptome and T-DNA insertion sites analyses might provide some useful insights into the dwarf mutant formation.

  11. Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase of Escherichia coli, Identification of a mutant enzyme

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hove-Jensen, Bjarne; Nygaard, Per

    1982-01-01

    , stimulated the mutant enzyme. The activity of PRib-PP synthetase in crude extract was higher in the mutant than in the parent. When starved for purines an accumulation of PRib-PP was observed in the parent strain, while the pool decreased in the mutant. During pyrimidine starvation derepression of PRib...

  12. A mutant of a mutant of a mutant of a ...: Irradiation of progressive radiation-induced mutants in a mutation-breeding programme with Chrysanthenum morifolium RAM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broertjes, C.; Koene, P.; Veen, J.W.H. van.

    1980-01-01

    Radiation-induced sports in Chrysanthemum morifolium RAM. have been reported for several years. It has become an everyday practice to produce flower-colour mutants from outstanding cross-breeding products, even before they are distributed for the commercial production of cut flowers. One of the most successful and recent examples is that of cv. Horim, of which hundreds of mutants were produced by successive use of radiation-induced mutants in the mutation-breeding programme. Over about 4 years a variety of flower-colour mutants was obtained, not only largely including the outstanding characteristics of the original cultivar but sometimes even with an appreciable improvement in quality and yield. It is expected that the latter types, the Miros group, will soon completely supersede the spontaneous or raditation-induced Horim sports and mutants and take over the leading position of the Horim group in the production of all-year-round (AYR) cut-flowers. (orig.)

  13. Generation and analysis of a barcode-tagged insertion mutant library in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Barcodes are unique DNA sequence tags that can be used to specifically label individual mutants. The barcode-tagged open reading frame (ORF) haploid deletion mutant collections in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe allow for high-throughput mutant phenotyping because the relative growth of mutants in a population can be determined by monitoring the proportions of their associated barcodes. While these mutant collections have greatly facilitated genome-wide studies, mutations in essential genes are not present, and the roles of these genes are not as easily studied. To further support genome-scale research in S. pombe, we generated a barcode-tagged fission yeast insertion mutant library that has the potential of generating viable mutations in both essential and non-essential genes and can be easily analyzed using standard molecular biological techniques. Results An insertion vector containing a selectable ura4+ marker and a random barcode was used to generate a collection of 10,000 fission yeast insertion mutants stored individually in 384-well plates and as six pools of mixed mutants. Individual barcodes are flanked by Sfi I recognition sites and can be oligomerized in a unique orientation to facilitate barcode sequencing. Independent genetic screens on a subset of mutants suggest that this library contains a diverse collection of single insertion mutations. We present several approaches to determine insertion sites. Conclusions This collection of S. pombe barcode-tagged insertion mutants is well-suited for genome-wide studies. Because insertion mutations may eliminate, reduce or alter the function of essential and non-essential genes, this library will contain strains with a wide range of phenotypes that can be assayed by their associated barcodes. The design of the barcodes in this library allows for barcode sequencing using next generation or standard benchtop cloning approaches. PMID:22554201

  14. Generation and analysis of a barcode-tagged insertion mutant library in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Bo-Ruei

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Barcodes are unique DNA sequence tags that can be used to specifically label individual mutants. The barcode-tagged open reading frame (ORF haploid deletion mutant collections in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe allow for high-throughput mutant phenotyping because the relative growth of mutants in a population can be determined by monitoring the proportions of their associated barcodes. While these mutant collections have greatly facilitated genome-wide studies, mutations in essential genes are not present, and the roles of these genes are not as easily studied. To further support genome-scale research in S. pombe, we generated a barcode-tagged fission yeast insertion mutant library that has the potential of generating viable mutations in both essential and non-essential genes and can be easily analyzed using standard molecular biological techniques. Results An insertion vector containing a selectable ura4+ marker and a random barcode was used to generate a collection of 10,000 fission yeast insertion mutants stored individually in 384-well plates and as six pools of mixed mutants. Individual barcodes are flanked by Sfi I recognition sites and can be oligomerized in a unique orientation to facilitate barcode sequencing. Independent genetic screens on a subset of mutants suggest that this library contains a diverse collection of single insertion mutations. We present several approaches to determine insertion sites. Conclusions This collection of S. pombe barcode-tagged insertion mutants is well-suited for genome-wide studies. Because insertion mutations may eliminate, reduce or alter the function of essential and non-essential genes, this library will contain strains with a wide range of phenotypes that can be assayed by their associated barcodes. The design of the barcodes in this library allows for barcode sequencing using next generation or standard benchtop cloning

  15. Evaluation of Some Chemical Characteristics of barley Mutants induced by Gamma Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdeldaiem, M.H.; Ali, H.G.M.

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant activity of acetonic extract from some barley mutations (P1, P2 and P3 varieties) induced by gamma irradiation as compared with local barley variety (Hordeum vulgare L.) as control. Barley samples were obtained from Plant Breeding Unit, Plant Research Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt. The measurements of the antioxidant activity using a radical scavenging capacity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ?-carotene bleaching assay were assessed in the barley acetonic extract. Furthermore, amino acids composition of barley mutant samples was determined. The results indicated that the acetonic extract of barley varieties under investigation possess marked antioxidant and anti radical capacities. The data showed that the acetonic extract of barley mutant P1 possessed the higher antioxidant activity as compared with the antioxidant activities of acetonic extract from control and other barley mutant samples. Meanwhile, the flour of barley mutations under investigation contained trace elements of iron, copper and manganese. GC and mass analyses were used to identify the active compound of extract of control and mutant barley samples. The results illustrated that the main components of the control sample of barely extract was pentane, 3 methyl (47.73%) while gamma irradiation caused noticeable change in the relative percentage of some components of acetonic extract from barley mutant samples. Moreover, the results presented that changes were disappeared, and some compounds of the acetonic extract from mutant barley samples were appeared. Furthermore, the results exhibited that barley flour supplemented with wheat flour at 30% level produced acceptable cookies. Accordingly, the phenolic constituents of barley acetonic extract induced by gamma irradiation, especially samples of P1 mutant, may have a future role as ingredients in the development of functional foods.

  16. Loss of Catalytic Activity in the E134D, H67A, and H349A Mutants of DapE: Mechanistic Analysis with QM/MM Investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Debodyuti; Mishra, Sabyashachi

    2016-11-17

    In the fight against bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance, the dapE-encoded N-succinyl-l,l-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) is a potentially safe target enzyme. The role of the Glu134, His67, and His349 residues in the binding and hydrolysis of N-succinyl-l,l-diaminopimelic acid (SDAP) is investigated by employing molecular dynamics simulation and hybrid quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical (MM) calculations of the E134D, H67A, and H349A mutants of DapE. The free energy of substrate binding obtained from the MM-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area approach correctly reproduced the experimentally observed ordering of substrate affinity, that is, E134D > wt > H67A > H349A. The mechanism of catalytic action by the E134D mutant is elucidated by structurally and energetically characterizing the intermediates and the transition states along the reaction pathway. The rate-determining step in the general acid-base hydrolysis reaction by the E134D mutant is found to be the nucleophilic attack step, which involves an activation energy barrier 10 kcal/mol greater than that in the wild-type (wt)-DapE. This explains the 3 orders of magnitude decrease in the experimentally determined k cat value for the E134D mutant compared to that of wt-DapE. In the H67A and H349A mutants, the Glu134 residue undergoes a conformational change and exhibits a strong coordination with the metal centers. This not only results in a weaker substrate binding in the two histidine mutants but also hinders the activation of the catalytic water molecule, which constitutes the first step of the substrate hydrolysis by DapE. This leads to an effective quenching of the catalytic activity in the H67A and H349A mutants.

  17. The yeast complex I equivalent NADH dehydrogenase rescues pink1 mutants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Vilain

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Pink1 is a mitochondrial kinase involved in Parkinson's disease, and loss of Pink1 function affects mitochondrial morphology via a pathway involving Parkin and components of the mitochondrial remodeling machinery. Pink1 loss also affects the enzymatic activity of isolated Complex I of the electron transport chain (ETC; however, the primary defect in pink1 mutants is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that ETC deficiency is upstream of other pink1-associated phenotypes. We expressed Saccaromyces cerevisiae Ndi1p, an enzyme that bypasses ETC Complex I, or sea squirt Ciona intestinalis AOX, an enzyme that bypasses ETC Complex III and IV, in pink1 mutant Drosophila and find that expression of Ndi1p, but not of AOX, rescues pink1-associated defects. Likewise, loss of function of subunits that encode for Complex I-associated proteins displays many of the pink1-associated phenotypes, and these defects are rescued by Ndi1p expression. Conversely, expression of Ndi1p fails to rescue any of the parkin mutant phenotypes. Additionally, unlike pink1 mutants, fly parkin mutants do not show reduced enzymatic activity of Complex I, indicating that Ndi1p acts downstream or parallel to Pink1, but upstream or independent of Parkin. Furthermore, while increasing mitochondrial fission or decreasing mitochondrial fusion rescues mitochondrial morphological defects in pink1 mutants, these manipulations fail to significantly rescue the reduced enzymatic activity of Complex I, indicating that functional defects observed at the level of Complex I enzymatic activity in pink1 mutant mitochondria do not arise from morphological defects. Our data indicate a central role for Complex I dysfunction in pink1-associated defects, and our genetic analyses with heterologous ETC enzymes suggest that Ndi1p-dependent NADH dehydrogenase activity largely acts downstream of, or in parallel to, Pink1 but upstream of Parkin and mitochondrial remodeling.

  18. A midgut lysate of the Riptortus pedestris has antibacterial activity against LPS O-antigen-deficient Burkholderia mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Ho Am; Seo, Eun Sil; Seong, Min Young; Lee, Bok Luel

    2017-02-01

    Riptortus pedestris, a common pest in soybean fields, harbors a symbiont Burkholderia in a specialized posterior midgut region of insects. Every generation of second nymphs acquires new Burkholderia cells from the environment. We compared in vitro cultured Burkholderia with newly in vivo colonized Burkholderia in the host midgut using biochemical approaches. The bacterial cell envelope of in vitro cultured and in vivo Burkholderia differed in structure, as in vivo bacteria lacked lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen. The LPS O-antigen deficient bacteria had a reduced colonization rate in the host midgut compared with that of the wild-type Burkholderia. To determine why LPS O-antigen-deficient bacteria are less able to colonize the host midgut, we examined in vitro survival rates of three LPS O-antigen-deficient Burkholderia mutants and lysates of five different midgut regions. The LPS O-antigen-deficient mutants were highly susceptible when cultured with the lysate of a specific first midgut region (M1), indicating that the M1 lysate contains unidentified substance(s) capable of killing LPS O-antigen-deficient mutants. We identified a 17 kDa protein from the M1 lysate, which was enriched in the active fractions. The N-terminal sequence of the protein was determined to be a soybean Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor. These data suggest that the 17 kDa protein, which was originated from a main soybean source of the R. pedestris host, has antibacterial activity against the LPS O-antigen deficient (rough-type) Burkholderia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Dashboard applications to monitor experiment activities at sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andreeva, Julia; Gaidioz, Benjamin; Grigoras, Costin; Kokoszkiewicz, Lukasz; Lanciotti, Elisa; Rocha, Ricardo; Saiz, Pablo; Santinelli, Roberto; Sidorova, Irina; Sciaba, Andrea [CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research (Switzerland); Belforte, Stefano [INFN Trieste (Italy); Boehm, Max [EDS, an HP Company, Plano, TX (United States); Casajus, Adrian [Universitat de Barcelona (Spain); Flix, Josep [PIC, Port d' Informacio CientIfica, Bellaterra (Spain); Tsaregorodtsev, Andrei, E-mail: Elisa.Lanciotti@cern.c, E-mail: Pablo.Saiz@cern.c [CPPM Marseille (France)

    2010-04-01

    In the framework of a distributed computing environment, such as WLCG, monitoring has a key role in order to keep under control activities going on in sites located in different countries and involving people based in many different sites. To be able to cope with such a large scale heterogeneous infrastructure, it is necessary to have monitoring tools providing a complete and reliable view of the overall performance of the sites. Moreover, the structure of a monitoring system critically depends on the object to monitor and on the users it is addressed to. In this article we will describe two different monitoring systems both aimed to monitor activities and services provided in the WLCG framework, but designed in order to meet the requirements of different users: Site Status Board has an overall view of the services available in all the sites supporting an experiment, whereas Siteview provides a complete view of all the activities going on at a site, for all the experiments supported by the site.

  20. Dashboard applications to monitor experiment activities at sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andreeva, Julia; Gaidioz, Benjamin; Grigoras, Costin; Kokoszkiewicz, Lukasz; Lanciotti, Elisa; Rocha, Ricardo; Saiz, Pablo; Santinelli, Roberto; Sidorova, Irina; Sciaba, Andrea; Belforte, Stefano; Boehm, Max; Casajus, Adrian; Flix, Josep; Tsaregorodtsev, Andrei

    2010-01-01

    In the framework of a distributed computing environment, such as WLCG, monitoring has a key role in order to keep under control activities going on in sites located in different countries and involving people based in many different sites. To be able to cope with such a large scale heterogeneous infrastructure, it is necessary to have monitoring tools providing a complete and reliable view of the overall performance of the sites. Moreover, the structure of a monitoring system critically depends on the object to monitor and on the users it is addressed to. In this article we will describe two different monitoring systems both aimed to monitor activities and services provided in the WLCG framework, but designed in order to meet the requirements of different users: Site Status Board has an overall view of the services available in all the sites supporting an experiment, whereas Siteview provides a complete view of all the activities going on at a site, for all the experiments supported by the site.

  1. Structure of product-bound SMG1 lipase: active site gating implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Shaohua; Xu, Jinxin; Pavlidis, Ioannis V; Lan, Dongming; Bornscheuer, Uwe T; Liu, Jinsong; Wang, Yonghua

    2015-12-01

    Monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases are industrially interesting enzymes, due to the health benefits that arise from the consumption of diglycerides compared to the traditional triglyceride oils. Most lipases possess an α-helix (lid) directly over the catalytic pocket which regulates the activity of the enzyme. Generally, lipases exist in active and inactive conformations, depending on the positioning of this lid subdomain. However, lipase SMG1, a monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol specific lipase, has an atypical activation mechanism. In the present study we were able to prove by crystallography, in silico analysis and activity tests that only two positions, residues 102 and 278, are responsible for a gating mechanism that regulates the active and inactive states of the lipase, and that no significant structural changes take place during activation except for oxyanion hole formation. The elucidation of the gating effect provided data enabling the rational design of improved lipases with 6-fold increase in the hydrolytic activity toward diacylglycerols, just by providing additional substrate stabilization with a single mutation (F278N or F278T). Due to the conservation of F278 among the monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases in the Rhizomucor miehei lipase-like family, the gating mechanism described herein might represent a general mechanism applicable to other monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases as well. Database: Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank under the accession numbers 4ZRE (F278D mutant) and 4ZRD (F278N mutant). © 2015 FEBS.

  2. Fusion genetic analysis of jasmonate-signalling mutants in Arabidopsis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Anders Bøgh; Raventos, D.; Mundy, John Williams

    2002-01-01

    as two recessive mutants, designated joe1 and 2, that overexpress the reporter. Genetic analysis indicated that reporter overexpression in the joe mutants requires COI. joe1 responded to MeJA with increased anthocyanin accumulation, while joe2 responded with decreased root growth inhibition. In addition...... activity was also induced by the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine and antagonized by the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid. FLUC bio-imaging, RNA gel-blot analysis and progeny analyses identified three recessive mutants that underexpress the FLUC reporter, designated jue1, 2 and 3, as well...

  3. Differential expression of SOS genes in an E. coli mutant producing unstable lexA protein enhances excision repair but inhibits mutagenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, K.R.; Ganesan, A.K.; Mount, D.W.; Stanford Univ., CA)

    1986-01-01

    The SOS response is displayed following treatments which damage DNA or inhibit DNA replication. Two associated activities include enhanced capacity for DNA repair resulting from derepression of the recA, uvrA, uvrB and uvrD genes and increased mutagenesis due to derepression of recA, umuC and umuD. These changes are the consequence of the derepression of at least seventeen unlinked operons negatively regulated by LexA repressor. Following treatments that induce the SOS response, a signal molecule interacts with RecA protein, converting it to an activated form. Activated RecA protein facilitates the proteolytic cleavage of LexA repressor, which results in derepression of the regulon. The cell then enters a new physiological state during which time DNA repair processes are augmented. The lexA41 mutant of E. coli is a uv-resistant derivative of another mutant, lexA3, which produces a repressor that is not cleaved following inducing treatments. The resultant protein is unstable. Lac operon fusions to most of the genes in the SOS regulon were used to show that the various damage-inducible genes were derepressed to different extents. uvrA, B, and D were almost fully derepressed. Consistent with this finding, the rate of removal of T4 endonuclease V-sensitive sites was more rapid in the uv-irradiated lexA41 mutant than in normal cells, suggesting a more active excision repair system. We propose that the instability of the LexA41 protein reduces the intracellular concentration of repressor to a level that allows a high level of excision repair. The additional observation that SOS mutagenesis was only weakly induced in a lexA41 uvrA - mutant implies that the mutant protein partially represses one or more genes whose products promote SOS mutagenesis. 17 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

  4. Comparative production of cellulases by mutants of Trichoderma parceramosume PTCC5140

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoda Nouri

    2017-06-01

    Discussion and conclusion: Evaluation of cellulase production in mutant strains of Trichoderma parceramosume PTCC 5140 showed that use of chemical mutagenesis with 2 to 11 fold increasing in enzyme activity is a potent method to improve cellulase complex activity. In the current study, obtained mutant strains could be introduced as a potent cellulase producer for further studies in bioconversion processes.

  5. Isolation and characterization of xylitol-assimilating mutants of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tani, Tatsunori; Taguchi, Hisataka; Fujimori, Kazuhiro E; Sahara, Takehiko; Ohgiya, Satoru; Kamagata, Yoichi; Akamatsu, Takashi

    2016-10-01

    To clarify the mechanisms of xylitol utilization, three xylitol-assimilating mutants were isolated from recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains showing highly efficient xylose-utilization. The nucleotide sequences of the mutant genomes were analyzed and compared with those of the wild-type strains and the mutation sites were identified. gal80 mutations were common to all the mutants, and recessive to the wild-type allele. Hence we constructed a gal80Δ mutant and confirmed that the gal80Δ mutant showed a xylitol-assimilation phenotype. When the constructed gal80Δ mutant was crossed with the three isolated mutants, all diploid hybrids showed xylitol assimilation, indicating that the mutations were all located in the GAL80. We analyzed the role of the galactose permease Gal2, controlled by the regulatory protein Gal80, in assimilating xylitol. A gal2Δ gal80Δ double mutant did not show xylitol assimilation, whereas expression of GAL2 under the control of the TDH3 promoter in the GAL80 strain did result in assimilation. These data indicate that Gal2 was needed for xylitol assimilation in the wild-type strain. When the gal80 mutant with an initial cell concentration of A660 = 20 was used for batch fermentation in a complex medium containing 20 g/L xylose or 20 g/L xylitol at pH 5.0 and 30°C under oxygen limitation, the gal80 mutant consumed 100% of the xylose within 12 h, but xylitol within 100 h, indicating that xylose reductase is required for xylitol consumption in oxygen-limited conditions. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Proteomic analysis of the flooding tolerance mechanism in mutant soybean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komatsu, Setsuko; Nanjo, Yohei; Nishimura, Minoru

    2013-02-21

    Flooding stress of soybean is a serious problem because it reduces growth; however, flooding-tolerant cultivars have not been identified. To analyze the flooding tolerance mechanism of soybean, the flooding-tolerant mutant was isolated and analyzed using a proteomic technique. Flooding-tolerance tests were repeated five times using gamma-ray irradiated soybeans, whose root growth (M6 stage) was not suppressed even under flooding stress. Two-day-old wild-type and mutant plants were subjected to flooding stress for 2days, and proteins were identified using a gel-based proteomic technique. In wild-type under flooding stress, levels of proteins related to development, protein synthesis/degradation, secondary metabolism, and the cell wall changed; however, these proteins did not markedly differ in the mutant. In contrast, an increased number of fermentation-related proteins were identified in the mutant under flooding stress. The root tips of mutant plants were not affected by flooding stress, even though the wild-type plants had damaged root. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in the mutant increased at an early stage of flooding stress compared with that of the wild-type. Taken together, these results suggest that activation of the fermentation system in the early stages of flooding may be an important factor for the acquisition of flooding tolerance in soybean. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Calreticulin mutants in mice induce an MPL-dependent thrombocytosis with frequent progression to myelofibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marty, Caroline; Pecquet, Christian; Nivarthi, Harini; El-Khoury, Mira; Chachoua, Ilyas; Tulliez, Micheline; Villeval, Jean-Luc; Raslova, Hana; Kralovics, Robert; Constantinescu, Stefan N; Plo, Isabelle; Vainchenker, William

    2016-03-10

    Frameshift mutations in the calreticulin (CALR) gene are seen in about 30% of essential thrombocythemia and myelofibrosis patients. To address the contribution of the CALR mutants to the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms, we engrafted lethally irradiated recipient mice with bone marrow cells transduced with retroviruses expressing these mutants. In contrast to wild-type CALR, CALRdel52 (type I) and, to a lesser extent, CALRins5 (type II) induced thrombocytosis due to a megakaryocyte (MK) hyperplasia. Disease was transplantable into secondary recipients. After 6 months, CALRdel52-, in contrast to rare CALRins5-, transduced mice developed a myelofibrosis associated with a splenomegaly and a marked osteosclerosis. Monitoring of virus-transduced populations indicated that CALRdel52 leads to expansion at earlier stages of hematopoiesis than CALRins5. However, both mutants still specifically amplified the MK lineage and platelet production. Moreover, a mutant deleted of the entire exon 9 (CALRdelex9) did not induce a disease, suggesting that the oncogenic property of CALR mutants was related to the new C-terminus peptide. To understand how the CALR mutants target the MK lineage, we used a cell-line model and demonstrated that the CALR mutants, but not CALRdelex9, specifically activate the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor (MPL) to induce constitutive activation of Janus kinase 2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5/3/1. We confirmed in c-mpl- and tpo-deficient mice that expression of Mpl, but not of Tpo, was essential for the CALR mutants to induce thrombocytosis in vivo, although Tpo contributes to disease penetrance. Thus, CALR mutants are sufficient to induce thrombocytosis through MPL activation. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

  8. Cys-X scanning for expansion of active-site residues and modulation of catalytic functions in a glutathione transferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norrgård, Malena A; Hellman, Ulf; Mannervik, Bengt

    2011-05-13

    We propose Cys-X scanning as a semisynthetic approach to engineer the functional properties of recombinant proteins. As in the case of Ala scanning, key residues in the primary structure are identified, and one of them is replaced by Cys via site-directed mutagenesis. The thiol of the residue introduced is subsequently modified by alternative chemical reagents to yield diverse Cys-X mutants of the protein. This chemical approach is orthogonal to Ala or Cys scanning and allows the expansion of the repertoire of amino acid side chains far beyond those present in natural proteins. In its present application, we have introduced Cys-X residues in human glutathione transferase (GST) M2-2, replacing Met-212 in the substrate-binding site. To achieve selectivity of the modifications, the Cys residues in the wild-type enzyme were replaced by Ala. A suite of simple substitutions resulted in a set of homologous Met derivatives ranging from normethionine to S-heptyl-cysteine. The chemical modifications were validated by HPLC and mass spectrometry. The derivatized mutant enzymes were assayed with alternative GST substrates representing diverse chemical reactions: aromatic substitution, epoxide opening, transnitrosylation, and addition to an ortho-quinone. The Cys substitutions had different effects on the alternative substrates and differentially enhanced or suppressed catalytic activities depending on both the Cys-X substitution and the substrate assayed. As a consequence, the enzyme specificity profile could be changed among the alternative substrates. The procedure lends itself to large-scale production of Cys-X modified protein variants.

  9. A highly prevalent equine glycogen storage disease is explained by constitutive activation of a mutant glycogen synthase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maile, C A; Hingst, Janne Rasmuss; Mahalingan, K K

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Equine type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1) is associated with a missense mutation (R309H) in the glycogen synthase (GYS1) gene, enhanced glycogen synthase (GS) activity and excessive glycogen and amylopectate inclusions in muscle. METHODS: Equine muscle biochemical...... had significantly higher glycogen content than control horse muscle despite no difference in GS expression. GS activity was significantly higher in muscle from homozygous mutants than from heterozygote and control horses, in the absence and presence of the allosteric regulator, glucose 6 phosphate (G6...

  10. Analysis of AtCry1 and Mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burdick, Derek; Purvis, Adam; Ahmad, Margaret; Link, Justin J.; Engle, Dorothy

    Cryptochrome is an incredibly versatile protein that influences numerous biological processes such as plant growth, bird migration, and sleep cycles. Due to the versatility of this protein, understanding the mechanism would allow for advances in numerous fields such as crop growth, animal behavior, and sleep disorders. It is known that cryptochrome requires blue light to function, but the exact processes in the regulation of biological activity are still not fully understood. It is believed that the c-terminal domain of the protein undergoes a conformational change when exposed to blue light which allows for biological function. Three different non-functioning mutants were tested during this study to gain insight on the mechanism of cryptochrome. Absorbance spectra showed a difference between two of the mutants and the wild type with one mutant showing little difference. Immunoprecipitation experiments were also conducted to identify the different c-terminal responses of the mutants. By studying non functioning mutants of this protein, the mechanism of the protein can be further characterized. This two-month research experience in Paris allowed us to experience international and interdisciplinary collaborations in science and immerse in a different culture. The Borcer Fund for Student Research, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, and John Hauck Foundation.

  11. Probing the effect of the non-active-site mutation Y229W in New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 by site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic studies, and molecular dynamics simulations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiao Chen

    Full Text Available New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1 has attracted extensive attention for its high catalytic activities of hydrolyzing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. NDM-1 shows relatively higher similarity to subclass B1 metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs, but its residue at position 229 is identical to that of B2/B3 MβLs, which is a Tyr instead of a B1-MβL-conserved Trp. To elucidate the possible role of Y229 in the bioactivity of NDM-1, we performed mutagenesis study and molecular dynamics (MD simulations. Although residue Y229 is spatially distant from the active site and not contacting directly with the substrate or zinc ions, the Y229W mutant was found to have higher kcat and Km values than those of wild-type NDM-1, resulting in 1 ∼ 7 fold increases in k(cat /K(m values against tested antibiotics. In addition, our MD simulations illustrated the enhanced flexibility of Loop 2 upon Y229W mutation, which could increase the kinetics of both substrate entrance (kon and product egress (koff. The enhanced flexibility of Loop 2 might allow the enzyme to adjust the geometry of its active site to accommodate substrates with different structures, broadening its substrate spectrum. This study indicated the possible role of the residue at position 229 in the evolution of NDM-1.

  12. Mutation of androgen receptor N-terminal phosphorylation site Tyr-267 leads to inhibition of nuclear translocation and DNA binding.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Karaca

    Full Text Available Reactivation of androgen receptor (AR may drive recurrent prostate cancer in castrate patients. Ack1 tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in prostate cancer and promotes castrate resistant xenograft tumor growth and enhances androgen target gene expression and AR recruitment to enhancers. Ack1 phosphorylates AR at Tyr-267 and possibly Tyr-363, both in the N-terminal transactivation domain. In this study, the role of these phosphorylation sites was investigated by characterizing the phosphorylation site mutants in the context of full length and truncated AR lacking the ligand-binding domain. Y267F and Y363F mutants showed decreased transactivation of reporters. Expression of wild type full length and truncated AR in LNCaP cells increased cell proliferation in androgen-depleted conditions and increased colony formation. However, the Y267F mutant of full length and truncated AR was defective in stimulating cell proliferation. The Y363F mutant was less severely affected than the Y267F mutant. The full length AR Y267F mutant was defective in nuclear translocation induced by androgen or Ack1 kinase. The truncated AR was constitutively localized to the nucleus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that it was recruited to the target enhancers without androgen. The truncated Y267F AR mutant did not exhibit constitutive nuclear localization and androgen enhancer binding activity. These results support the concept that phosphorylation of Tyr-267, and to a lesser extent Tyr-363, is required for AR nuclear translocation and recruitment and DNA binding and provide a rationale for development of novel approaches to inhibit AR activity.

  13. Methylammonium-resistant mutants of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia are affected in nitrate transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godon, C; Krapp, A; Leydecker, M T; Daniel-Vedele, F; Caboche, M

    1996-02-25

    This work reports the isolation and preliminary characterization of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia mutants resistant to methylammonium. Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants cannot grow on low levels of nitrate in the presence of methylammonium. Methylammonium is not used as a nitrogen source, although it can be efficiently taken up by Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cells and converted into methylglutamine, an analog of glutamine. Glutamine is known to repress the expression of the enzymes that mediate the first two steps in the nitrate assimilatory pathway, nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR). Methylammonium has therefore been used, in combination with low concentrations of nitrate, as a selective agent in order to screen for mutants in which the nitrate pathway is de-repressed. Eleven semi-dominant mutants, all belonging to the same complementation group, were identified. The mutant showing the highest resistance to methylammonium was not affected either in the utilization of ammonium, accumulation of methylammonium or in glutamine synthase activity. A series of experiments showed that utilization of nitrite by the wild-type and the mutant was comparable, in the presence or the absence of methylammonium, thus suggesting that the mutation specifically affected nitrate transport or reduction. Although NR mRNA levels were less repressed by methylammonium treatment of the wild-type than the mutant, NR activities of the mutant remained comparable with or without methylammonium, leading to the hypothesis that modified expression of NR is probably not responsible for resistance to methylammonium. Methylammonium inhibited nitrate uptake in the wild-type but had only a limited effect in the mutant. The implications of these results are discussed.

  14. Spirogyra varians mutant generated by high dose gamma-irradiation shows increased antioxidant properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hak-Jyung; Yoon, Minchul; Sung, Nak-Yun; Choi, Jong-il

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of a Spirogyra varians mutant (Mut) produced by gamma irradiation. Methanol extracts were prepared from Spirogyra varians wild-type and Mut plants, and their antioxidant activities and total phenolic content (TPC) were determined. Antioxidant parameters, including the 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity and ferric-reducing/antioxidant power, were higher in the Mut extract. Moreover, the TPC level was higher (P<0.05) in the Mut methanol extract. Therefore, these results suggest that gamma irradiation-induced S. varians Mut has superior antioxidant properties. - Highlights: ► The antioxidative properties of a Spirogyra varians mutant produced by gamma-irradiation was investiated. ► The antioxidant activities and total phenolic content levels were higher in mutant strain. ► These results suggest that gamma-irradiation induced algae mutant with superior antioxidant properties.

  15. Treatment with a Small Molecule Mutant IDH1 Inhibitor Suppresses Tumorigenic Activity and Decreases Production of the Oncometabolite 2-Hydroxyglutarate in Human Chondrosarcoma Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Luyuan; Paz, Ana C.; Wilky, Breelyn A.; Johnson, Britt; Galoian, Karina; Rosenberg, Andrew; Hu, Guozhi; Tinoco, Gabriel; Bodamer, Olaf; Trent, Jonathan C.

    2015-01-01

    Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone tumors that produce cartilaginous matrix. Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase enzymes (IDH1/2) were recently described in several cancers including chondrosarcomas. The IDH1 inhibitor AGI-5198 abrogates the ability of mutant IDH1 to produce the oncometabolite D-2 hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG) in gliomas. We sought to determine if treatment with AGI-5198 would similarly inhibit tumorigenic activity and D-2HG production in IDH1-mutant human chondrosarcoma cells. Two human chondrosarcoma cell lines, JJ012 and HT1080 with endogenous IDH1 mutations and a human chondrocyte cell line C28 with wild type IDH1 were employed in our study. Mutation analysis of IDH was performed by PCR-based DNA sequencing, and D-2HG was detected using tandem mass spectrometry. We confirmed that JJ012 and HT1080 harbor IDH1 R132G and R132C mutation, respectively, while C28 has no mutation. D-2HG was detectable in cell pellets and media of JJ012 and HT1080 cells, as well as plasma and urine from an IDH-mutant chondrosarcoma patient, which decreased after tumor resection. AGI-5198 treatment decreased D-2HG levels in JJ012 and HT1080 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and dramatically inhibited colony formation and migration, interrupted cell cycling, and induced apoptosis. In conclusion, our study demonstrates anti-tumor activity of a mutant IDH1 inhibitor in human chondrosarcoma cell lines, and suggests that D-2HG is a potential biomarker for IDH mutations in chondrosarcoma cells. Thus, clinical trials of mutant IDH inhibitors are warranted for patients with IDH-mutant chondrosarcomas. PMID:26368816

  16. Treatment with a Small Molecule Mutant IDH1 Inhibitor Suppresses Tumorigenic Activity and Decreases Production of the Oncometabolite 2-Hydroxyglutarate in Human Chondrosarcoma Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luyuan Li

    Full Text Available Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone tumors that produce cartilaginous matrix. Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase enzymes (IDH1/2 were recently described in several cancers including chondrosarcomas. The IDH1 inhibitor AGI-5198 abrogates the ability of mutant IDH1 to produce the oncometabolite D-2 hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG in gliomas. We sought to determine if treatment with AGI-5198 would similarly inhibit tumorigenic activity and D-2HG production in IDH1-mutant human chondrosarcoma cells. Two human chondrosarcoma cell lines, JJ012 and HT1080 with endogenous IDH1 mutations and a human chondrocyte cell line C28 with wild type IDH1 were employed in our study. Mutation analysis of IDH was performed by PCR-based DNA sequencing, and D-2HG was detected using tandem mass spectrometry. We confirmed that JJ012 and HT1080 harbor IDH1 R132G and R132C mutation, respectively, while C28 has no mutation. D-2HG was detectable in cell pellets and media of JJ012 and HT1080 cells, as well as plasma and urine from an IDH-mutant chondrosarcoma patient, which decreased after tumor resection. AGI-5198 treatment decreased D-2HG levels in JJ012 and HT1080 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and dramatically inhibited colony formation and migration, interrupted cell cycling, and induced apoptosis. In conclusion, our study demonstrates anti-tumor activity of a mutant IDH1 inhibitor in human chondrosarcoma cell lines, and suggests that D-2HG is a potential biomarker for IDH mutations in chondrosarcoma cells. Thus, clinical trials of mutant IDH inhibitors are warranted for patients with IDH-mutant chondrosarcomas.

  17. Acyl-CoA synthetase activity links wild-type but not mutant a-Synuclein to brain arachidonate metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Golovko, Mikhail; Rosenberger, Thad; Færgeman, Nils J.

    2006-01-01

    Because alpha-synuclein (Snca) has a role in brain lipid metabolism, we determined the impact that the loss of alpha-synuclein had on brain arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) metabolism in vivo using Snca-/- mice. We measured [1-(14)C]20:4n-6 incorporation and turnover kinetics in brain phospholipids using......, our data demonstrate that alpha-synuclein has a major role in brain 20:4n-6 metabolism through its modulation of endoplasmic reticulum-localized acyl-CoA synthetase activity, although mutant forms of alpha-synuclein fail to restore this activity....

  18. Metal active site elasticity linked to activation of homocysteine in methionine synthases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koutmos, Markos; Pejchal, Robert; Bomer, Theresa M.; Matthews, Rowena G.; Smith, Janet L.; Ludwig, Martha L. (Michigan)

    2008-04-02

    Enzymes possessing catalytic zinc centers perform a variety of fundamental processes in nature, including methyl transfer to thiols. Cobalamin-independent (MetE) and cobalamin-dependent (MetH) methionine synthases are two such enzyme families. Although they perform the same net reaction, transfer of a methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine (Hcy) to form methionine, they display markedly different catalytic strategies, modular organization, and active site zinc centers. Here we report crystal structures of zinc-replete MetE and MetH, both in the presence and absence of Hcy. Structural investigation of the catalytic zinc sites of these two methyltransferases reveals an unexpected inversion of zinc geometry upon binding of Hcy and displacement of an endogenous ligand in both enzymes. In both cases a significant movement of the zinc relative to the protein scaffold accompanies inversion. These structures provide new information on the activation of thiols by zinc-containing enzymes and have led us to propose a paradigm for the mechanism of action of the catalytic zinc sites in these and related methyltransferases. Specifically, zinc is mobile in the active sites of MetE and MetH, and its dynamic nature helps facilitate the active site conformational changes necessary for thiol activation and methyl transfer.

  19. Elimination of a ligand gating site generates a supersensitive olfactory receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Kanika; Ahuja, Gaurav; Hussain, Ashiq; Balfanz, Sabine; Baumann, Arnd; Korsching, Sigrun I

    2016-06-21

    Olfaction poses one of the most complex ligand-receptor matching problems in biology due to the unparalleled multitude of odor molecules facing a large number of cognate olfactory receptors. We have recently deorphanized an olfactory receptor, TAAR13c, as a specific receptor for the death-associated odor cadaverine. Here we have modeled the cadaverine/TAAR13c interaction, exchanged predicted binding residues by site-directed mutagenesis, and measured the activity of the mutant receptors. Unexpectedly we observed a binding site for cadaverine at the external surface of the receptor, in addition to an internal binding site, whose mutation resulted in complete loss of activity. In stark contrast, elimination of the external binding site generated supersensitive receptors. Modeling suggests this site to act as a gate, limiting access of the ligand to the internal binding site and thereby downregulating the affinity of the native receptor. This constitutes a novel mechanism to fine-tune physiological sensitivity to socially relevant odors.

  20. Identification of nucleic acid binding sites on translin-associated factor X (TRAX protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gagan Deep Gupta

    Full Text Available Translin and TRAX proteins play roles in very important cellular processes such as DNA recombination, spatial and temporal expression of mRNA, and in siRNA processing. Translin forms a homomeric nucleic acid binding complex and binds to ssDNA and RNA. However, a mutant translin construct that forms homomeric complex lacking nucleic acid binding activity is able to form fully active heteromeric translin-TRAX complex when co-expressed with TRAX. A substantial progress has been made in identifying translin sites that mediate its binding activity, while TRAX was thought not to bind DNA or RNA on its own. We here for the first time demonstrate nucleic acid binding to TRAX by crosslinking radiolabeled ssDNA to heteromeric translin-TRAX complex using UV-laser. The TRAX and translin, photochemically crosslinked with ssDNA, were individually detected on SDS-PAGE. We mutated two motifs in TRAX and translin, designated B2 and B3, to help define the nucleic acid binding sites in the TRAX sequence. The most pronounced effect was observed in the mutants of B3 motif that impaired nucleic acid binding activity of the heteromeric complexes. We suggest that both translin and TRAX are binding competent and contribute to the nucleic acid binding activity.

  1. Identification of Nucleic Acid Binding Sites on Translin-Associated Factor X (TRAX) Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Gagan Deep; Kumar, Vinay

    2012-01-01

    Translin and TRAX proteins play roles in very important cellular processes such as DNA recombination, spatial and temporal expression of mRNA, and in siRNA processing. Translin forms a homomeric nucleic acid binding complex and binds to ssDNA and RNA. However, a mutant translin construct that forms homomeric complex lacking nucleic acid binding activity is able to form fully active heteromeric translin-TRAX complex when co-expressed with TRAX. A substantial progress has been made in identifying translin sites that mediate its binding activity, while TRAX was thought not to bind DNA or RNA on its own. We here for the first time demonstrate nucleic acid binding to TRAX by crosslinking radiolabeled ssDNA to heteromeric translin-TRAX complex using UV-laser. The TRAX and translin, photochemically crosslinked with ssDNA, were individually detected on SDS-PAGE. We mutated two motifs in TRAX and translin, designated B2 and B3, to help define the nucleic acid binding sites in the TRAX sequence. The most pronounced effect was observed in the mutants of B3 motif that impaired nucleic acid binding activity of the heteromeric complexes. We suggest that both translin and TRAX are binding competent and contribute to the nucleic acid binding activity. PMID:22427937

  2. Repair of oxidative DNA base damage in the host genome influences the HIV integration site sequence preference.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geoffrey R Bennett

    Full Text Available Host base excision repair (BER proteins that repair oxidative damage enhance HIV infection. These proteins include the oxidative DNA damage glycosylases 8-oxo-guanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1 and mutY homolog (MYH as well as DNA polymerase beta (Polβ. While deletion of oxidative BER genes leads to decreased HIV infection and integration efficiency, the mechanism remains unknown. One hypothesis is that BER proteins repair the DNA gapped integration intermediate. An alternative hypothesis considers that the most common oxidative DNA base damages occur on guanines. The subtle consensus sequence preference at HIV integration sites includes multiple G:C base pairs surrounding the points of joining. These observations suggest a role for oxidative BER during integration targeting at the nucleotide level. We examined the hypothesis that BER repairs a gapped integration intermediate by measuring HIV infection efficiency in Polβ null cell lines complemented with active site point mutants of Polβ. A DNA synthesis defective mutant, but not a 5'dRP lyase mutant, rescued HIV infection efficiency to wild type levels; this suggested Polβ DNA synthesis activity is not necessary while 5'dRP lyase activity is required for efficient HIV infection. An alternate hypothesis that BER events in the host genome influence HIV integration site selection was examined by sequencing integration sites in OGG1 and MYH null cells. In the absence of these 8-oxo-guanine specific glycosylases the chromatin elements of HIV integration site selection remain the same as in wild type cells. However, the HIV integration site sequence preference at G:C base pairs is altered at several positions in OGG1 and MYH null cells. Inefficient HIV infection in the absence of oxidative BER proteins does not appear related to repair of the gapped integration intermediate; instead oxidative damage repair may participate in HIV integration site preference at the sequence level.

  3. Site-directed mutagenesis under the direction of in silico protein docking modeling reveals the active site residues of 3-ketosteroid-Δ1-dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium neoaurum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Ning; Shen, Yanbing; Yang, Xu; Su, Liqiu; Tang, Rui; Li, Wei; Wang, Min

    2017-07-01

    3-Ketosteroid-Δ 1 -dehydrogenases (KsdD) from Mycobacterium neoaurum could transform androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) to androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione. This reaction has a significant effect on the product of pharmaceutical steroid. The crystal structure and active site residues information of KsdD from Mycobacterium is not yet available, which result in the engineering of KsdD is tedious. In this study, by the way of protein modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, we find that, Y122, Y125, S138, E140 and Y541 from the FAD-binding domain and Y365 from the catalytic domain play a key role in this transformation. Compared with the wild type, the decline in AD conversion for mutants illustrated that Y125, Y365, and Y541 were essential to the function of KsdD. Y122, S138 and E140 contributed to the catalysis of KsdD. The following analysis revealed the catalysis mechanism of these mutations in KsdD of Mycobacterium. These information presented here facilitate the manipulation of the catalytic properties of the enzyme to improve its application in the pharmaceutical steroid industry.

  4. Zebrafish bandoneon mutants display behavioral defects due to a mutation in the glycine receptor β-subunit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirata, Hiromi; Saint-Amant, Louis; Downes, Gerald B.; Cui, Wilson W.; Zhou, Weibin; Granato, Michael; Kuwada, John Y.

    2005-01-01

    Bilateral alternation of muscle contractions requires reciprocal inhibition between the two sides of the hindbrain and spinal cord, and disruption of this inhibition should lead to simultaneous activation of bilateral muscles. At 1 day after fertilization, wild-type zebrafish respond to mechanosensory stimulation with multiple fast alternating trunk contractions, whereas bandoneon (beo) mutants contract trunk muscles on both sides simultaneously. Similar simultaneous contractions are observed in wild-type embryos treated with strychnine, a blocker of the inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR). This result suggests that glycinergic synaptic transmission is defective in beo mutants. Muscle voltage recordings confirmed that muscles on both sides of the trunk in beo are likely to receive simultaneous synaptic input from the CNS. Recordings from motor neurons revealed that glycinergic synaptic transmission was missing in beo mutants. Furthermore, immunostaining with an antibody against GlyR showed clusters in wild-type neurons but not in beo neurons. These data suggest that the failure of GlyRs to aggregate at synaptic sites causes impairment of glycinergic transmission and abnormal behavior in beo mutants. Indeed, mutations in the GlyR β-subunit, which are thought to be required for proper localization of GlyRs, were identified as the basis for the beo mutation. These data demonstrate that GlyRβ is essential for physiologically relevant clustering of GlyRs in vivo. Because GlyR mutations in humans lead to hyperekplexia, a motor disorder characterized by startle responses, the zebrafish beo mutant should be a useful animal model for this condition. PMID:15928085

  5. Crystallization and crystallographic analysis of the Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 DhaA mutant DhaA31 and its complex with 1,2,3-trichloropropane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lahoda, Maryna; Chaloupkova, Radka; Stsiapanava, Alena; Damborsky, Jiri; Kuta Smatanova, Ivana

    2011-01-01

    A mutant of the haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA (DhaA31) from R. rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 and its complex with 1,2,3-trichloropropane were crystallized and the crystals diffracted to high resolution. Haloalkane dehalogenases hydrolyze carbon–halogen bonds in a wide range of halogenated aliphatic compounds. The potential use of haloalkane dehalogenases in bioremediation applications has stimulated intensive investigation of these enzymes and their engineering. The mutant DhaA31 was constructed to degrade the anthropogenic compound 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) using a new strategy. This strategy enhances activity towards TCP by decreasing the accessibility of the active site to water molecules, thereby promoting formation of the activated complex. The structure of DhaA31 will help in understanding the structure–function relationships involved in the improved dehalogenation of TCP. The mutant protein DhaA31 was crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion technique and crystals of DhaA31 in complex with TCP were obtained using soaking experiments. Both crystals belonged to the triclinic space group P1. Diffraction data were collected to high resolution: to 1.31 Å for DhaA31 and to 1.26 Å for DhaA31 complexed with TCP

  6. A temperature-sensitive winter wheat chlorophyll mutant derived from space mutagenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Hongbin; Guo Huijun; Zhao Linshu; Gu Jiayu; Zhao Shirong; Li Junhui; Liu Luxiang

    2010-01-01

    A temperature-sensitive winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) chlorophyll mutant Mt18, induced by spaceflight mutagenesis, was studied on agronomic traits, ultrastructure of chloroplast and photosynthesis characteristics. The leaf color of the mutant Mt18 showed changes from green to albino and back to green during the whole growth period. Plant height, productive tillers, spike length, grains and grain weight per plant, and 1000-grain weight of the mutant were lower than those of the wild type. The ultrastructural observation showed that no significant difference was found between the mutant and the wild type during prior albino stage, however, at the albino stage the number of granum-thylakoids and grana lamellae became fewer or completely disappeared, but the strom-thylakoid was obviously visible. After turning green,the structure of most chloroplasts recovered to normal, but number of chloroplast was still lower than that of the wild type. When exposed to photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) of 110 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 , the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of mutant was significantly lower than that of the wild type, and the non-regulated energy dissipation (Y NO ) was significantly higher than that of the wild type, while the change of the maximum photosystem II quantum yield (F v /F m ), potential activity of photosystem II (F v /F o ), photochemical quenching (q P ), effective quantum yield (Y PSI I) and regulated non-photochemical energy dissipation (Y NPQ ) were different at various stages. In addition, the differences of the electron transport rate (ETR), photochemical quenching (q P ), and effective quantum yield (Y PSI I) between mutant and wild type varied under different PAR conditions. It was concluded that with the change of chloroplast ultrastructure, the leaf color and photosynthesis of the wheat mutant Mt18 change correspondingly. The chloroplast ultrastructure was obviously different from that of wild type, and the photosynthetic efficiency

  7. Improved hydrogen production by uptake hydrogenase deficient mutant strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kars, Goekhan; Guenduez, Ufuk; Yuecel, Meral [Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara (Turkey); Rakhely, Gabor; Kovacs, Kornel L. [Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged (Hungary); Eroglu, Inci [Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara (Turkey)

    2008-06-15

    Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 is a purple non-sulfur bacterium producing hydrogen under photoheterotrophic conditions. Hydrogen is produced by Mo-nitrogenase enzyme and substantial amount of H{sub 2} is reoxidized by a membrane-bound uptake hydrogenase in the wild type strain. To improve the hydrogen producing capacity of the cells, a suicide vector containing a gentamicin cassette in the hupSL genes was introduced into R. sphaeroiodes O.U.001 and the uptake hydrogenase genes were destroyed by site directed mutagenesis. The correct integration of the construct was confirmed by uptake hydrogenase activity measurement, PCR and subsequent sequence analysis. The wild type and the mutant cells showed similar growth patterns but the total volume of hydrogen gas evolved by the mutant was 20% higher than that of the wild type strain. This result demonstrated that the hydrogen produced by the nitrogenase was not consumed by uptake hydrogenase leading to higher hydrogen production. (author)

  8. Kinetic analysis of site-directed mutants of methionine synthase from Candida albicans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prasannan, Priya; Suliman, Huda S. [Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 1 University Station A5300, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Robertus, Jon D., E-mail: jrobertus@mail.utexas.edu [Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 1 University Station A5300, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

    2009-05-15

    Fungal methionine synthase catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to create methionine. The enzyme, called Met6p in fungi, is required for the growth of the pathogen Candida albicans, and is consequently a reasonable target for antifungal drug design. In order to understand the mechanism of this class of enzyme, we created a three-dimensional model of the C. albicans enzyme based on the known structure of the homologous enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana. A fusion protein was created and shown to have enzyme activity similar to the wild-type Met6p. Fusion proteins containing mutations at eight key sites were expressed and assayed in this background. The D614 carboxylate appears to ion pair with the amino group of homocysteine and is essential for activity. Similarly, D504 appears to bind to the polar edge of the folate and is also required for activity. Other groups tested have lesser roles in substrate binding and catalysis.

  9. Kinetic analysis of site-directed mutants of methionine synthase from Candida albicans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasannan, Priya; Suliman, Huda S.; Robertus, Jon D.

    2009-01-01

    Fungal methionine synthase catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to create methionine. The enzyme, called Met6p in fungi, is required for the growth of the pathogen Candida albicans, and is consequently a reasonable target for antifungal drug design. In order to understand the mechanism of this class of enzyme, we created a three-dimensional model of the C. albicans enzyme based on the known structure of the homologous enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana. A fusion protein was created and shown to have enzyme activity similar to the wild-type Met6p. Fusion proteins containing mutations at eight key sites were expressed and assayed in this background. The D614 carboxylate appears to ion pair with the amino group of homocysteine and is essential for activity. Similarly, D504 appears to bind to the polar edge of the folate and is also required for activity. Other groups tested have lesser roles in substrate binding and catalysis.

  10. Quantum mechanical design of enzyme active sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiyun; DeChancie, Jason; Gunaydin, Hakan; Chowdry, Arnab B; Clemente, Fernando R; Smith, Adam J T; Handel, T M; Houk, K N

    2008-02-01

    The design of active sites has been carried out using quantum mechanical calculations to predict the rate-determining transition state of a desired reaction in presence of the optimal arrangement of catalytic functional groups (theozyme). Eleven versatile reaction targets were chosen, including hydrolysis, dehydration, isomerization, aldol, and Diels-Alder reactions. For each of the targets, the predicted mechanism and the rate-determining transition state (TS) of the uncatalyzed reaction in water is presented. For the rate-determining TS, a catalytic site was designed using naturalistic catalytic units followed by an estimation of the rate acceleration provided by a reoptimization of the catalytic site. Finally, the geometries of the sites were compared to the X-ray structures of related natural enzymes. Recent advances in computational algorithms and power, coupled with successes in computational protein design, have provided a powerful context for undertaking such an endeavor. We propose that theozymes are excellent candidates to serve as the active site models for design processes.

  11. Differential active site loop conformations mediate promiscuous activities in the lactonase SsoPox.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Hiblot

    Full Text Available Enzymes are proficient catalysts that enable fast rates of Michaelis-complex formation, the chemical step and products release. These different steps may require different conformational states of the active site that have distinct binding properties. Moreover, the conformational flexibility of the active site mediates alternative, promiscuous functions. Here we focused on the lactonase SsoPox from Sulfolobus solfataricus. SsoPox is a native lactonase endowed with promiscuous phosphotriesterase activity. We identified a position in the active site loop (W263 that governs its flexibility, and thereby affects the substrate specificity of the enzyme. We isolated two different sets of substitutions at position 263 that induce two distinct conformational sampling of the active loop and characterized the structural and kinetic effects of these substitutions. These sets of mutations selectively and distinctly mediate the improvement of the promiscuous phosphotriesterase and oxo-lactonase activities of SsoPox by increasing active-site loop flexibility. These observations corroborate the idea that conformational diversity governs enzymatic promiscuity and is a key feature of protein evolvability.

  12. Interaction of a non-peptide agonist with angiotensin II AT1 receptor mutants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Costa-Neto, Claudio M; Miyakawa, Ayumi A; Pesquero, João B

    2002-01-01

    and inositol phosphate turnover assays in COS-7 cells transiently transfected with the wild-type and mutant forms of the receptor. Mutant receptors bore modifications in the extracellular region: T88H, Y92H, G1961, G196W, and D278E. Compound L-162,313 displaced [125I]-Sar1,Leu8-AngII from the mutants G196I...... and G196W with IC50 values similar to that of the wild-type. The affinity was, however, slightly affected by the D278E mutation and more significantly by the T88H and Y92H mutations. In inositol phosphate turnover assays, the ability of L-162,313 to trigger the activation cascade was compared...... with that of angiotensin II. These assays showed that the G196W mutant reached a relative maximum activation exceeding that of the wild-type receptor; the efficacy was slightly reduced in the G1961 mutant and further reduced in the T88H, Y92H, and D278E mutants. Our data suggest that residues of the extracellular domain...

  13. Mutants of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus impaired in the biosynthesis of daunomycinone glycosides and related metabolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumauerova, M.; Stajner, K.; Pokorny, V.; Hostalek, Z.; Vanek, Z.

    1978-01-01

    Mutants of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus, blocked in the biosynthesis of anthracycline antibiotics of the daunomycine complex, were isolated from the production strains after treatment with UV light, γ-radiation, nitrous acid, and after natural selection; according to their different biosynthetic activity the mutants were divided into five phenotypic groups. Mutants of two of these groups produced compounds that had not yet been described in Streptomyces coeruleorubidus (aklavinone, 7-deoxyaklavinone, zeta-rhodomycinone and glycosides of epsilon-rhodomycinone). The mutants differed from the parent strains and also mutually in morphological characteristics but no direct correlation between these changes and the biosynthetic activity could be observed in most cases. (author)

  14. Oncogenic Signaling by Leukemia-Associated Mutant Cbl Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadeau, Scott; An, Wei; Palermo, Nick; Feng, Dan; Ahmad, Gulzar; Dong, Lin; Borgstahl, Gloria E. O.; Natarajan, Amarnath; Naramura, Mayumi; Band, Vimla; Band, Hamid

    2013-01-01

    Members of the Cbl protein family (Cbl, Cbl-b, and Cbl-c) are E3 ubiquitin ligases that have emerged as critical negative regulators of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) signaling. This function reflects their ability to directly interact with activated PTKs and to target them as well as their associated signaling components for ubiquitination. Given the critical roles of PTK signaling in driving oncogenesis, recent studies in animal models and genetic analyses in human cancer have firmly established that Cbl proteins function as tumor suppressors. Missense mutations or small in-frame deletions within the regions of Cbl protein that are essential for its E3 activity have been identified in nearly 5% of leukemia patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disorders. Based on evidence from cell culture studies, in vivo models and clinical data, we discuss the potential signaling mechanisms of mutant Cbl-driven oncogenesis. Mechanistic insights into oncogenic Cbl mutants and associated animal models are likely to enhance our understanding of normal hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis and provide avenues for targeted therapy of mutant Cbl-driven cancers. PMID:23997989

  15. Half-of-the-Sites Reactivity of the Castor Δ9-18:0-Acyl Carrier Protein Desaturase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qin; Chai, Jin; Moche, Martin; Guy, Jodie; Lindqvist, Ylva; Shanklin, John

    2015-09-01

    Fatty acid desaturases regulate the unsaturation status of cellular lipids. They comprise two distinct evolutionary lineages, a soluble class found in the plastids of higher plants and an integral membrane class found in plants, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), animals, and bacteria. Both classes exhibit a dimeric quaternary structure. Here, we test the functional significance of dimeric organization of the soluble castor Δ9-18:0-acyl carrier protein desaturase, specifically, the hypothesis that the enzyme uses an alternating subunit half-of-the-sites reactivity mechanism whereby substrate binding to one subunit is coordinated with product release from the other subunit. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay, we demonstrated that dimers stably associate at concentrations typical of desaturase assays. An active site mutant T104K/S202E, designed to occlude the substrate binding cavity, was expressed, purified, and its properties validated by x-ray crystallography, size exclusion chromatography, and activity assay. Heterodimers comprising distinctly tagged wild-type and inactive mutant subunits were purified at 1:1 stoichiometry. Despite having only one-half the number of active sites, purified heterodimers exhibit equivalent activity to wild-type homodimers, consistent with half-of-the-sites reactivity. However, because multiple rounds of turnover were observed, we conclude that substrate binding to one subunit is not required to facilitate product release from the second subunit. The observed half-of-the-sites reactivity could potentially buffer desaturase activity from oxidative inactivation. That soluble desaturases require only one active subunit per dimer for full activity represents a mechanistic difference from the membrane class of desaturases such as the Δ9-acyl-CoA, Ole1p, from yeast, which requires two catalytically competent subunits for activity. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  16. Construction of Escherichia coli Mutant with Decreased Endotoxic Activity by Modifying Lipid A Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiong Liu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 and its derivatives are widely used for the production of recombinant proteins, but these purified proteins are always contaminated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS. LPS is recognized by the toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 2 complex of mammalian immune cells and leads to release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is a vital step to remove LPS from the proteins before use for therapeutic purpose. In this study, we constructed BL21 (DE3 ∆msbB28 ∆pagP38 mutant, which produces a penta-acylated LPS with reduced endotoxicity. The plasmids harboring pagL and/or lpxE were then introduced into this mutant to further modify the LPS. The new strain (S004 carrying plasmid pQK004 (pagL and lpxE produced mono-phosphoryated tetra-acylated lipid A, which induces markedly less production of tumor necrosis factor-α in the RAW264.7 and IL-12 in the THP1, but still retains ability to produce recombinant proteins. This study provides a strategy to decrease endotoxic activity of recombinant proteins purified from E. coli BL21 backgrounds and a feasible approach to modify lipid A structure for alternative purposes such as mono-phosphoryl lipid A (MPL as vaccine adjuvants.

  17. Molecular and biochemical analyses of spontaneous and X-ray-induced mutants in human lymphoblastoid cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liber, H L; Call, K M; Little, J B

    1987-05-01

    The authors have isolated a series of 14 spontaneously arising and 28 X-ray-induced mutants at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hgprt) locus in human lymphoblastoid cells. Among the spontaneous mutants, 5/14 (36%) had detectable alterations in their restriction fragment pattern after hybridization with a human cDNA probe for hgprt. Of the 10 remaining mutants, 4 had partial HGPRT enzyme activity, which suggested that they contained point mutations. Among the 28 mutants induced by 150 rad of X-rays, 15 (54%) had deletions of part or all of the hgprt gene. Of the remaining 13 (18% overall) 5 had partial HGPRT enzyme activity, which suggested that they contained point mutations. These data imply that in this human cell system, X-rays induce both point mutants which have residual enzyme activity as well as mutations involving relatively large deletions of DNA. 48 reference, 1 figure, 4 tables.

  18. Nature of mutants induced by ionizing radiation in cultured hamster cells. II. Antigenic response and reverse mutation of HPRT-deficient mutants induced by. gamma. -rays or ethyl methanesulphonate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, R; Stretch, A; Thacker, J

    1986-04-01

    A large series of independent mutants deficient in HPRT enzyme activity, isolated from V79-4 hamster cells, were assessed for properties which reflect the nature of the genetic changes induced. A total of 88 mutants were screened, 43 isolated from ..gamma..-ray-treated cultures and 45 induced by ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). Firstly, each mutant was assayed for the presence of protein with the antigenic response of HPRT. In a competitive inhibition assay, 31% of EMS-induced mutants were CRM-positive compared to 7% of the ..gamma..-ray series. Secondly, each mutant was tested for ability to revert to HPRT proficiency. All except 2 of the EMS-induced mutants reverted with ethyl nitrosourea ENU, and many reverted spontaneously, under the given conditions. However reversion was not detected in about 80% of ..gamma..-ray-induced mutants, suggesting that the types of forward mutation caused by ionizing radiation differ qualitatively from those caused by EMS. (Auth.). 30 refs.; 6 figs.; 2 tabs.

  19. Growth Hormone-Releaser Diet Attenuates Cognitive Dysfunction in Klotho Mutant Mice via Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Receptor Activation in a Genetic Aging Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seok Joo Park

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundIt has been recognized that a defect in klotho gene expression accelerates the degeneration of multiple age-sensitive traits. Accumulating evidence indicates that aging is associated with declines in cognitive function and the activity of growth hormone (GH/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1.MethodsIn this study, we examined whether a GH-releaser diet could be effective in protecting against cognitive impairment in klotho mutant mice.ResultsThe GH-releaser diet significantly induced the expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1 receptors in the hippocampus of klotho mutant mice. Klotho mutant mice showed significant memory impairments as compared with wild-type mice. In addition, the klotho mutation significantly decreased the expression of cell survival/antiapoptotic factors, including phospho-Akt (p-Akt/phospho-glycogen synthase kinase3β (p-GSK3β, phospho-extracellular signal-related kinase (p-ERK, and Bcl-2, but significantly increased those of cell death/proapoptotic factors, such as phospho-c-jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 in the hippocampus. Treatment with GH-releaser diet significantly attenuated both decreases in the expression of cell survival/antiapoptotic factors and increases in the expression of cell death/proapoptotic factors in the hippocampus of klotho mutant mice. In addition, klotho mutation-induced oxidative stress was significantly attenuated by the GH-releaser diet. Consequently, a GH-releaser diet significantly improved memory function in the klotho mutant mice. GH-releaser diet-mediated actions were significantly reversed by JB-1, an IGF-1 receptor antagonist.ConclusionThe results suggest that a GH-releaser diet attenuates oxidative stress, proapoptotic changes and consequent dysfunction in klotho mutant mice by promoting IGF-1 expression and IGF-1 receptor activation.

  20. Engineering of specific uranyl-coordination sites in the calcium-binding motif of Calmodulin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beccia, M.; Pardoux, R.; Sauge-Merle, S.; Bremond, N.; Lemaire, D.; Berthomieu, C.; Delangle, P.; Guilbaud, P.

    2014-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows: Characterization of heavy metals interactions with proteins is fundamental for understanding the molecular factors and mechanisms governing ions toxicity and speciation in cells. This line of research will also help in developing new molecules able to selectively and efficiently bind toxic metal ions, which could find application for bio-detection or bioremediation purposes. We have used the regulatory calcium-binding protein Calmodulin (CaM) from A. thaliana as a structural model and, starting from it, we have designed various mutants by site-directed mutagenesis. We have analysed thermodynamics of uranyl ion binding to both sites I and II of CaM N-terminal domain and we have identified structural factors governing this interaction. Selectivity for uranyl ion has been tested by studying reactions of the investigated peptides with Ca 2+ , in the same conditions used for UO 2 2+ . Spectro-fluorimetric titrations and FTIR analysis have shown that the affinity for uranyl increases by phosphorylation of a threonine in site I, especially approaching the physiological pH, where the phospho-threonine side chain is deprotonated. Based on structural models obtained by Molecular Dynamics, we tested the effect of a two residues deletion on site I properties. We obtained an almost two orders of magnitude increase in affinity for uranyl, with a sub-nanomolar dissociation constant for the uranyl complex with the non phosphorylated peptide, and an improved uranyl/calcium selectivity. Allosteric effects depending on Ca 2+ and UO 2 2+ binding have been investigated by comparing thermodynamic parameters obtained for mutants having both sites I and II able to chelate metal ions with those of mutants consisting of just one active site

  1. An ion-current mutant of Paramecium tetraurelia with defects in the primary structure and post-translational N-methylation of calmodulin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallen-Friedman, M.A.

    1988-01-01

    My work on pantophobiac A 2 (pntA 2 ), a behavioral mutant of Paramecium tetraurelia, suggest that the Ca ++ -binding protein calmodulin (CaM), and post-translation N-methylation of CaM, are important for Ca ++ -related ion-current function. Calmodulin from wild-type Paramecium has two sites of lysine-N-methylation. Both of these sites are almost fully methylated in vivo; thus wild-type calmodulin is a poor substrate for N-methylation in vitro. In contrast, pntA/ 2 CaM can be heavily N-methylated in vitro, suggesting that the mutant calmodulin is under-methylated in vivo. Amino-acid composition analysis showed that CaM lysine 115 is undermethylated in pntA 2 . Once pntA 2 CaM is N-methylated, the [methyl- 3 H] group does not turn over in either wild-type or pntA 2 cytoplasmic fractions. The methylating enzymes in pntA 2 high-speed supernatant fractions are active, but may be less robust than those of the wild type, suggesting a possible control of these enzymes by CaM

  2. An extra early mutant of pigeonpea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ravikesavan, R.; Kalaimagal, T.; Rathnaswamy, R.

    2001-01-01

    The redgram (Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth) variety 'Prabhat DT' was gamma irradiated with 100, 200, 300 and 400 Gy doses. Several mutants have been identified viz., extra early mutants, monostem mutants, obcordifoliate mutants and bi-stigmatic mutants. The extra early mutant was obtained when treated with 100 Gy dose. The mutant was selfed and forwarded from M 2 to M 4 generation. In the M 4 generation the mutant line was raised along with the parental variety. Normal cultural practices were followed and the biometrical observations were recorded. It was observed that for the characters viz., total number of branches per plant, number of pods per plants, seeds per pod, 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant there was no difference between the mutant and parent variety. Whereas, regarding the days to flowering and maturity the mutants were earlier than the parents. The observation was recorded from two hundred plants each. The mutant gives the same yield in 90 days as that of the parent variety in 107 days, which make it an economic mutant

  3. Analysis of a Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) Mutant ofDesulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bender, Kelly S.; Yen, Huei-Che Bill; Hemme, Christopher L.; Yang, Zamin K.; He, Zhili; He, Qiang; Zhou, Jizhong; Huang, Katherine H.; Alm, Eric J.; Hazen, Terry C.; Arkin, Adam P.; Wall, Judy D.

    2007-09-21

    Previous experiments examining the transcriptional profileof the anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris demonstrated up-regulation of theFur regulon in response to various environmental stressors. To test theinvolvement of Fur in the growth response and transcriptional regulationof D. vulgaris, a targeted mutagenesis procedure was used for deletingthe fur gene. Growth of the resulting ?fur mutant (JW707) was notaffected by iron availability, but the mutant did exhibit increasedsensitivity to nitrite and osmotic stresses compared to the wild type.Transcriptional profiling of JW707 indicated that iron-bound Fur acts asa traditional repressor for ferrous iron uptake genes (feoAB) and othergenes containing a predicted Fur binding site within their promoter.Despite the apparent lack of siderophore biosynthesis genes within the D.vulgaris genome, a large 12-gene operon encoding orthologs to TonB andTolQR also appeared to be repressed by iron-bound Fur. While other genespredicted to be involved in iron homeostasis were unaffected by thepresence or absence of Fur, alternative expression patterns that could beinterpreted as repression or activation by iron-free Fur were observed.Both the physiological and transcriptional data implicate a globalregulatory role for Fur in the sulfate-reducing bacterium D.vulgaris.

  4. Thioredoxin-1 Negatively Modulates ADAM17 Activity Through Direct Binding and Indirect Reductive Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granato, Daniela C; E Costa, Rute A P; Kawahara, Rebeca; Yokoo, Sami; Aragão, Annelize Z; Domingues, Romênia R; Pauletti, Bianca A; Honorato, Rodrigo V; Fattori, Juliana; Figueira, Ana Carolina M; Oliveira, Paulo S L; Consonni, Silvio R; Fernandes, Denise; Laurindo, Francisco; Hansen, Hinrich P; Paes Leme, Adriana F

    2018-02-27

    A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) modulates signaling events by releasing surface protein ectodomains such as TNFa and the EGFR-ligands. We have previously characterized cytoplasmic thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) as a partner of ADAM17 cytoplasmic domain. Still, the mechanism of ADAM17 regulation by Trx-1 is unknown, and it has become of paramount importance to assess the degree of influence that Trx-1 has on metalloproteinase ADAM17. Combining discovery and targeted proteomic approaches, we uncovered that Trx-1 negatively regulates ADAM17 by direct and indirect effect. We performed cell-based assays with synthetic peptides and site-directed mutagenesis, and we demonstrated that the interaction interface of Trx-1 and ADAM17 is important for the negative regulation of ADAM17 activity. However, both Trx-1 K72A and catalytic site mutant Trx-1 C32/35S rescued ADAM17 activity, although the interaction with Trx-1 C32/35S was unaffected, suggesting an indirect effect of Trx-1. We confirmed that the Trx-1 C32/35S mutant showed diminished reductive capacity, explaining this indirect effect on increasing ADAM17 activity through oxidant levels. Interestingly, Trx-1 K72A mutant showed similar oxidant levels to Trx-1 C32/35S , even though its catalytic site was preserved. We further demonstrated that the general reactive oxygen species inhibitor, Nacetylcysteine (NAC), maintained the regulation of ADAM17 dependent of Trx-1 reductase activity levels; whereas the electron transport chain modulator, rotenone, abolished Trx-1 effect on ADAM17 activity. We show for the first time that the mechanism of ADAM17 regulation, Trx-1 dependent, can be by direct interaction and indirect effect, bringing new insights into the cross-talk between isomerases and mammalian metalloproteinases. This unexpected Trx-1 K72A behavior was due to more dimer formation and, consequently, the reduction of its Trx-1 reductase activity, evaluated through dimer verification, by gel filtration and mass

  5. Single residue mutation in active site of serine acetyltransferase isoform 3 from Entamoeba histolytica assists in partial regaining of feedback inhibition by cysteine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudhir Kumar

    Full Text Available The cysteine biosynthetic pathway is essential for survival of the protist pathogen Entamoeba histolytica, and functions by producing cysteine for countering oxidative attack during infection in human hosts. Serine acetyltransferase (SAT and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS are involved in cysteine biosynthesis and are present in three isoforms each. While EhSAT1 and EhSAT2 are feedback inhibited by end product cysteine, EhSAT3 is nearly insensitive to such inhibition. The active site residues of EhSAT1 and of EhSAT3 are identical except for position 208, which is a histidine residue in EhSAT1 and a serine residue in EhSAT3. A combination of comparative modeling, multiple molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculation studies showed a difference in binding energies of native EhSAT3 and of a S208H-EhSAT3 mutant for cysteine. Mutants have also been generated in vitro, replacing serine with histidine at position 208 in EhSAT3 and replacing histidine 208 with serine in EhSAT1. These mutants showed decreased affinity for substrate serine, as indicated by K(m, compared to the native enzymes. Inhibition kinetics in the presence of physiological concentrations of serine show that IC50 of EhSAT1 increases by about 18 folds from 9.59 µM for native to 169.88 µM for H208S-EhSAT1 mutant. Similar measurements with EhSAT3 confirm it to be insensitive to cysteine inhibition while its mutant (S208H-EhSAT3 shows a gain of cysteine inhibition by 36% and the IC50 of 3.5 mM. Histidine 208 appears to be one of the important residues that distinguish the serine substrate from the cysteine inhibitor.

  6. Genetical, cytological and physiological studies on the induced mutants with special regard to effective methods for obtaining useful mutants in perennial woody plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kukimura, H.; Ikeda, F.; Fujita, H.; Maeta, T.; Nakajima, K.; Katagiri, K.; Nakahira, K.; Somegou, M.

    1976-01-01

    The plants studied included apple trees, cryptomeria (japanese cedar) and mulberry. In apple, dwarf and compact types of mutants from cv. Fuji were found to be graft incompatible on Maruba-kaido(Malus prunifolia) rootstock. In Sunki mandarin(Citrus sunki), the number of nucellar embryo per seed was affected by gamma-irradiation, and morphological mutants from nucellar seedlings were obtained at high rate by irradiation at floral bud stage with 2kR exposure. In Cryptomeria, re-irradiated waxless mutants by gamma-rays showed very high rate of somatic mutation when compared to other morphological mutants. Pollen sterility and pollen shaped PMC were found in the most of gamma-induced-mutants. Mutants forming pollen shaped PMC had a genetical tendency of continuous male flower bud formation for a longer term. With mulberry, time of sprouting of induced mutants differed from the originals. Ability of root initiation of semi-softwood cuttings in morphological mutants were tested. Cytochimera induction were found at considerably high rate when actively growing diploid plants were irradiated by gamma-rays. Eight kinds of cytochimeras were induced. Frequency of 2-4-4 was extremely high(approx. 50%), then 4-2-2 and 2-4-2 chimeras followed. Seven kinds were induced by semi-acute irradiation(200R/h), while 4 kinds by acute irradiation(5kR/h). By breeding test it was cleared that the elongate and entire leaf was sexually transmissible, whereas the 'dwarf' was not obvious and the 'marginally curledleaf' was not transmissible. Pyronin-methylgreen staining method proved to be useful in some morphological mutants to distinguish the histo-genetical differences which exist in the shoot apex.

  7. Mutant heterosis in rice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    In the variety TKM6 a high yielding semidwarf mutant has been induced. This TKM6 mutant was used in test crosses with a number of other varieties and mutants to examine the extent of heterosis of dwarfs in rice and to select superior crosses. An excerpt of the published data is given. It appears from the backcross of the mutant with its original variety, that an increase in number of productive tillers occurs in the hybrid, leading to a striking grain yield increase, while the semi-dwarf culm length (the main mutant character) reverts to the normal phenotype. In the cross with IR8 on the other hand, there is only a minimal increase in tiller number but a substantial increase in TGW leading to more than 30% yield increase over the better parent

  8. Further characterization of a highly attenuated Yersinia pestis CO92 mutant deleted for the genes encoding Braun lipoprotein and plasminogen activator protease in murine alveolar and primary human macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Lier, Christina J; Tiner, Bethany L; Chauhan, Sadhana; Motin, Vladimir L; Fitts, Eric C; Huante, Matthew B; Endsley, Janice J; Ponnusamy, Duraisamy; Sha, Jian; Chopra, Ashok K

    2015-03-01

    We recently characterized the Δlpp Δpla double in-frame deletion mutant of Yersinia pestis CO92 molecularly, biologically, and immunologically. While Braun lipoprotein (Lpp) activates toll-like receptor-2 to initiate an inflammatory cascade, plasminogen activator (Pla) protease facilitates bacterial dissemination in the host. The Δlpp Δpla double mutant was highly attenuated in evoking bubonic and pneumonic plague, was rapidly cleared from mouse organs, and generated humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to provide subsequent protection to mice against a lethal challenge dose of wild-type (WT) CO92. Here, we further characterized the Δlpp Δpla double mutant in two murine macrophage cell lines as well as in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages to gauge its potential as a live-attenuated vaccine candidate. We first demonstrated that the Δpla single and the Δlpp Δpla double mutant were unable to survive efficiently in murine and human macrophages, unlike WT CO92. We observed that the levels of Pla and its associated protease activity were not affected in the Δlpp single mutant, and, likewise, deletion of the pla gene from WT CO92 did not alter Lpp levels. Further, our study revealed that both Lpp and Pla contributed to the intracellular survival of WT CO92 via different mechanisms. Importantly, the ability of the Δlpp Δpla double mutant to be phagocytized by macrophages, to stimulate production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, and to activate the nitric oxide killing pathways of the host cells remained unaltered when compared to the WT CO92-infected macrophages. Finally, macrophages infected with either the WT CO92 or the Δlpp Δpla double mutant were equally efficient in their uptake of zymosan particles as determined by flow cytometric analysis. Overall, our data indicated that although the Δlpp Δpla double mutant of Y. pestis CO92 was highly attenuated, it retained the ability to elicit innate and subsequent acquired immune

  9. [Engineering of a System for the Production of Mutant Human Alpha-Fetoprotein in the Methylotrophic Yeast Pichia pastoris].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morozkina, E V; Vavilova, E A; Zatsepin, S S; Klyachko, E V; Yagudin, T A; Chulkin, A M; Dudich, I V; Semenkova, L N; Churilova, I V; Benevolenskii, S V

    2016-01-01

    A system for the production of mutant recombinant human alpha-fetoprotein (rhAFPO) lacking the glycosylation site has been engineered in the yeast Pichia pastoris. A strain of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris GS 115/pPICZ?A/rhAFP0, which produces unglycosylated rhAFPO and secretes it to the culture medium, has been constructed. Optimization and scale-up of the fermentation technology have resulted in an increase in the rhAFP0 yield to 20 mg/L. A scheme of isolation and purification of biologically active rhAFP0 has been developed. The synthesized protein has the antitumor activity, which is analogous to the activity of natural human embryonic alpha-fetoprotein.

  10. Structural Diversity Within the Mononuclear and Binuclear Active Sites of N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine-6-Phosphate Deacetylase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hall,R.; Brown, S.; Fedorov, A.; Fedorov, E.; Xu, C.; Babbitt, P.; Almo, S.; Raushel, F.

    2007-01-01

    NagA catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-6-phosphate to D-glucosamine-6-phosphate and acetate. X-ray crystal structures of NagA from Escherichia coli were determined to establish the number and ligation scheme for the binding of zinc to the active site and to elucidate the molecular interactions between the protein and substrate. The three-dimensional structures of the apo-NagA, Zn-NagA, and the D273N mutant enzyme in the presence of a tight-binding N-methylhydroxyphosphinyl-D-glucosamine-6-phosphate inhibitor were determined. The structure of the Zn-NagA confirms that this enzyme binds a single divalent cation at the beta-position in the active site via ligation to Glu-131, His-195, and His-216. A water molecule completes the ligation shell, which is also in position to be hydrogen bonded to Asp-273. In the structure of NagA bound to the tight binding inhibitor that mimics the tetrahedral intermediate, the methyl phosphonate moiety has displaced the hydrolytic water molecule and is directly coordinated to the zinc within the active site. The side chain of Asp-273 is positioned to activate the hydrolytic water molecule via general base catalysis and to deliver this proton to the amino group upon cleavage of the amide bond of the substrate. His-143 is positioned to help polarize the carbonyl group of the substrate in conjunction with Lewis acid catalysis by the bound zinc. The inhibitor is bound in the {alpha}-configuration at the anomeric carbon through a hydrogen bonding interaction of the hydroxyl group at C-1 with the side chain of His-251. The phosphate group of the inhibitor attached to the hydroxyl at C-6 is ion paired with Arg-227 from the adjacent subunit. NagA from Thermotoga maritima was shown to require a single divalent cation for full catalytic activity.

  11. Construction of a mutant of Actinoplanes sp. N902-109 that produces a new rapamycin analog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, He; Gao, Ping; Zhao, Qi; Hu, Hai-Feng

    2018-03-01

    In the present study, we introduced point mutations into Ac_rapA which encodes a polyketide synthase responsible for rapamycin biosynthesis in Actinoplanes sp. N902-109, in order to construct a mutant with an inactivated enoylreductase (ER) domain, which was able to synthesize a new rapamycin analog. Based on the homologous recombination induced by double-strand breaks in chromosome mediated by endonuclease I-SceI, the site-directed mutation in the first ER domain of Ac_rapA was introduced using non-replicating plasmid pLYERIA combined with an I-SceI expression plasmid. Three amino acid residues of the active center, Ala-Gly-Gly, were converted to Ala-Ser-Pro. The broth of the mutant strain SIPI-027 was analyzed by HPLC and a new peak with the similar UV spectrum to that of rapamycin was found. The sample of the new peak was prepared by solvent extraction, column chromatography, and crystallization methods. The structure of new compound, named as SIPI-rapxin, was elucidated by determining and analyzing its MS and NMR spectra and its biological activity was assessed using mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). An ER domain-deficient mutant of Actinoplanes sp. N902-109, named as SIPI-027, was constructed, which produced a novel rapamycin analog SIPI-rapxin and its structure was elucidated to be 35, 36-didehydro-27-O-demethylrapamycin. The biological activity of SIPI-rapxin was better than that of rapamycin. In conclusion, inactivation of the first ER domain of rapA, one of the modular polyketide synthase responsible for macro-lactone synthesis of rapamycin, gave rise to a mutant capable of producing a novel rapamycin analog, 35, 36-didehydro-27-O-demethylrapamycin, demonstrating that the enoylreductase domain was responsible for the reduction of the double bond between C-35 and C-36 during rapamycin synthesis. Copyright © 2018 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Half-of-the-sites reactivity of outer-membrane phospholipase A against an active-site-directed inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ubarretxena-Belandia, I; Cox, R C; Dijkman, R; Egmond, M R; Verheij, H M; Dekker, N

    1999-03-01

    The reaction of a novel active-site-directed phospholipase A1 inhibitor with the outer-membrane phospholipase A (OMPLA) was investigated. The inhibitor 1-p-nitrophenyl-octylphosphonate-2-tridecylcarbamoyl-3-et hanesulfonyl -amino-3-deoxy-sn-glycerol irreversibly inactivated OMPLA. The inhibition reaction did not require the cofactor calcium or an unprotonated active-site His142. The inhibition of the enzyme solubilized in hexadecylphosphocholine micelles was characterized by a rapid (t1/2 = 20 min) and complete loss of enzymatic activity, concurrent with the covalent modification of 50% of the active-site serines, as judged from the amount of p-nitrophenolate (PNP) released. Modification of the remaining 50% occurred at a much lower rate, indicative of half-of-the-sites reactivity against the inhibitor of this dimeric enzyme. Inhibition of monomeric OMPLA solubilized in hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-1-ammonio-3-propanesulfonate resulted in an equimolar monophasic release of PNP, concurrent with the loss of enzymatic activity (t1/2 = 14 min). The half-of-the-sites reactivity is discussed in view of the dimeric nature of this enzyme.

  13. Fisetin Exerts Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects in Multiple Mutant hSOD1 Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by Activating ERK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, T H; Wang, S Y; Wang, X D; Jiang, H Q; Yang, Y Q; Wang, Y; Cheng, J L; Zhang, C T; Liang, W W; Feng, H L

    2018-05-21

    Oxidative stress exhibits a central role in the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease commonly found to include a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene mutation. Fisetin, a natural antioxidant, has shown benefits in varied neurodegenerative diseases. The possible effect of fisetin in ALS has not been clarified as of yet. We investigated whether fisetin affected mutant hSOD1 ALS models. Three different hSOD1-related mutant models were used: Drosophila expressing mutant hSOD1 G85R , hSOD1 G93A NSC34 cells, and transgenic mice. Fisetin treatment provided neuroprotection as demonstrated by an improved survival rate, attenuated motor impairment, reduced ROS damage and regulated redox homeostasis compared with those in controls. Furthermore, fisetin increased the expression of phosphorylated ERK and upregulated antioxidant factors, which were reversed by MEK/ERK inhibition. Finally, fisetin reduced the levels of both mutant and wild-type hSOD1 in vivo and in vitro, as well as the levels of detergent-insoluble hSOD1 proteins. The results indicate that fisetin protects cells from ROS damage and improves the pathological behaviors caused by oxidative stress in disease models related to SOD1 gene mutations probably by activating ERK, thereby providing a potential treatment for ALS. Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Salt site performance assessment activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kircher, J.F.; Gupta, S.K.

    1983-01-01

    During this year the first selection of the tools (codes) for performance assessments of potential salt sites have been tentatively selected and documented; the emphasis has shifted from code development to applications. During this period prior to detailed characterization of a salt site, the focus is on bounding calculations, sensitivity and with the data available. The development and application of improved methods for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis is a focus for the coming years activities and the subject of a following paper in these proceedings. Although the assessments to date are preliminary and based on admittedly scant data, the results indicate that suitable salt sites can be identified and repository subsystems designed which will meet the established criteria for protecting the health and safety of the public. 36 references, 5 figures, 2 tables

  15. Expression and site-directed mutagenesis of human dihydrofolate reductase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prendergast, N.J.; Delcamp, T.J.; Smith, P.L.; Freisheim, J.H.

    1988-05-17

    A procaryotic high-level expression vector for human dihydrofolate reductase has been constructed and the protein characterized as a first step toward structure-function studies of this enzyme. A vector bearing the tac promoter, four synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, and a restriction fragment from the dihydrofolate reductase cDNA were ligated in a manner which optimized the transcriptional and translational frequency of the enzyme mRNA. The reductase, comprising ca. 17% of the total soluble protein in the host bacteria, was purified to apparent homogeneity as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and characterized by amino acid composition, partial amino acid sequence, and steady-sate kinetic analysis. This expression vector has been used as a template for double-stranded plasmid DNA site-specific mutagenesis. Functional studies on a Cys-6 ..-->.. Ser-6 mutant enzyme support the contention that Cys-6 is obligatory for organomercurial activation of human dihydrofolate reductase. The Ser-6 mutant enzyme was not activated to any extent following a 24-h incubation with p-(hydroxymercuri)benzoate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced) (NADPH), whereas the k/sub cat/ for Cys-6 reductase increased 2-fold under identical conditions. The specific activities of the Cys-6 and Ser-6 enzymes were virtually identical as determined by methotrexate titration as were the K/sub m/ values for both dihydrofolate and NADPH. The Ser-6 mutant showed a decreased temperature stability and was more sensitive to inactivation by ..cap alpha..-chymotrypsin when compared to the wild-type enzyme. These results suggest that the Ser-6 mutant reductase is conformationally altered relative to the Cys-6 native enzyme.

  16. Expression and site-directed mutagenesis of human dihydrofolate reductase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prendergast, N.J.; Delcamp, T.J.; Smith, P.L.; Freisheim, J.H.

    1988-01-01

    A procaryotic high-level expression vector for human dihydrofolate reductase has been constructed and the protein characterized as a first step toward structure-function studies of this enzyme. A vector bearing the tac promoter, four synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, and a restriction fragment from the dihydrofolate reductase cDNA were ligated in a manner which optimized the transcriptional and translational frequency of the enzyme mRNA. The reductase, comprising ca. 17% of the total soluble protein in the host bacteria, was purified to apparent homogeneity as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and characterized by amino acid composition, partial amino acid sequence, and steady-sate kinetic analysis. This expression vector has been used as a template for double-stranded plasmid DNA site-specific mutagenesis. Functional studies on a Cys-6 → Ser-6 mutant enzyme support the contention that Cys-6 is obligatory for organomercurial activation of human dihydrofolate reductase. The Ser-6 mutant enzyme was not activated to any extent following a 24-h incubation with p-(hydroxymercuri)benzoate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced) (NADPH), whereas the k/sub cat/ for Cys-6 reductase increased 2-fold under identical conditions. The specific activities of the Cys-6 and Ser-6 enzymes were virtually identical as determined by methotrexate titration as were the K/sub m/ values for both dihydrofolate and NADPH. The Ser-6 mutant showed a decreased temperature stability and was more sensitive to inactivation by α-chymotrypsin when compared to the wild-type enzyme. These results suggest that the Ser-6 mutant reductase is conformationally altered relative to the Cys-6 native enzyme

  17. Defective glycinergic synaptic transmission in zebrafish motility mutants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiromi Hirata

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. Recently, in vivo analysis of glycinergic synaptic transmission has been pursued in zebrafish using molecular genetics. An ENU mutagenesis screen identified two behavioral mutants that are defective in glycinergic synaptic transmission. Zebrafish bandoneon (beo mutants have a defect in glrbb, one of the duplicated glycine receptor (GlyR β subunit genes. These mutants exhibit a loss of glycinergic synaptic transmission due to a lack of synaptic aggregation of GlyRs. Due to the consequent loss of reciprocal inhibition of motor circuits between the two sides of the spinal cord, motor neurons activate simultaneously on both sides resulting in bilateral contraction of axial muscles of beo mutants, eliciting the so-called ‘accordion’ phenotype. Similar defects in GlyR subunit genes have been observed in several mammals and are the basis for human hyperekplexia/startle disease. By contrast, zebrafish shocked (sho mutants have a defect in slc6a9, encoding GlyT1, a glycine transporter that is expressed by astroglial cells surrounding the glycinergic synapse in the hindbrain and spinal cord. GlyT1 mediates rapid uptake of glycine from the synaptic cleft, terminating synaptic transmission. In zebrafish sho mutants, there appears to be elevated extracellular glycine resulting in persistent inhibition of postsynaptic neurons and subsequent reduced motility, causing the ‘twitch once’ phenotype. We review current knowledge regarding zebrafish ‘accordion’ and ‘twitch once’ mutants, including beo and sho, and report the identification of a new α2 subunit that revises the phylogeny of zebrafish GlyRs.

  18. Defective Glycinergic Synaptic Transmission in Zebrafish Motility Mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirata, Hiromi; Carta, Eloisa; Yamanaka, Iori; Harvey, Robert J.; Kuwada, John Y.

    2009-01-01

    Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. Recently, in vivo analysis of glycinergic synaptic transmission has been pursued in zebrafish using molecular genetics. An ENU mutagenesis screen identified two behavioral mutants that are defective in glycinergic synaptic transmission. Zebrafish bandoneon (beo) mutants have a defect in glrbb, one of the duplicated glycine receptor (GlyR) β subunit genes. These mutants exhibit a loss of glycinergic synaptic transmission due to a lack of synaptic aggregation of GlyRs. Due to the consequent loss of reciprocal inhibition of motor circuits between the two sides of the spinal cord, motor neurons activate simultaneously on both sides resulting in bilateral contraction of axial muscles of beo mutants, eliciting the so-called ‘accordion’ phenotype. Similar defects in GlyR subunit genes have been observed in several mammals and are the basis for human hyperekplexia/startle disease. By contrast, zebrafish shocked (sho) mutants have a defect in slc6a9, encoding GlyT1, a glycine transporter that is expressed by astroglial cells surrounding the glycinergic synapse in the hindbrain and spinal cord. GlyT1 mediates rapid uptake of glycine from the synaptic cleft, terminating synaptic transmission. In zebrafish sho mutants, there appears to be elevated extracellular glycine resulting in persistent inhibition of postsynaptic neurons and subsequent reduced motility, causing the ‘twitch-once’ phenotype. We review current knowledge regarding zebrafish ‘accordion’ and ‘twitch-once’ mutants, including beo and sho, and report the identification of a new α2 subunit that revises the phylogeny of zebrafish GlyRs. PMID:20161699

  19. Selecting of a cytochrome P450cam SeSaM library with 3-chloroindole and endosulfan - Identification of mutants that dehalogenate 3-chloroindole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kammoonah, Shaima; Prasad, Brinda; Balaraman, Priyadarshini; Mundhada, Hemanshu; Schwaneberg, Ulrich; Plettner, Erika

    2018-01-01

    Cytochrome P450 cam (a camphor hydroxylase) from the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida shows potential importance in environmental applications such as the degradation of chlorinated organic pollutants. Seven P450 cam mutants generated from Sequence Saturation Mutagenesis (SeSaM) and isolated by selection on minimal media with either 3-chloroindole or the insecticide endosulfan were studied for their ability to oxidize of 3-chloroindole to isatin. The wild-type enzyme did not accept 3-chloroindole as a substrate. Mutant (E156G/V247F/V253G/F256S) had the highest maximal velocity in the conversion of 3-chloroindole to isatin, whereas mutants (T56A/N116H/D297N) and (G60S/Y75H) had highest k cat /K M values. Six of the mutants had more than one mutation, and within this set, mutation of residues 297 and 179 was observed twice. Docking simulations were performed on models of the mutant enzymes; the wild-type did not accommodate 3-chloroindole in the active site, whereas all the mutants did. We propose two potential reaction pathways for dechlorination of 3-chloroindole. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Elevated expression of ribosomal protein genes L37, RPP-1, and S2 in the presence of mutant p53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loging, W T; Reisman, D

    1999-11-01

    The wild-type p53 protein is a DNA-binding transcription factor that activates genes such as p21, MDM2, GADD45, and Bax that are required for the regulation of cell cycle progression or apoptosis in response to DNA damage. Mutant forms of p53, which are transforming oncogenes and are expressed at high levels in tumor cells, generally have a reduced binding affinity for the consensus DNA sequence. Interestingly, some p53 mutants that are no longer effective at binding to the consensus DNA sequence and transactivating promoters containing this target site have acquired the ability to transform cells in culture, in part through their ability to transactivate promoters of a number of genes that are not targets of the wild-type protein. Certain p53 mutants are therefore considered to be gain-of-function mutants and appear to be promoting proliferation or transforming cells through their ability to alter the expression of novel sets of genes. Our goal is to identify genes that have altered expression in the presence of a specific mutant p53 (Arg to Trp mutation at codon 248) protein. Through examining differential gene expression in cells devoid of p53 expression and in cells that express high levels of mutant p53 protein, we have identified three ribosomal protein genes that have elevated expression in response to mutant p53. Consistent with these findings, the overexpression of a number of ribosomal protein genes in human tumors and evidence for their contribution to oncogenic transformation have been reported previously, although the mechanism leading to this overexpression has remained elusive. We show results that indicate that expression of these specific ribosomal protein genes is increased in the presence of the R248W p53 mutant, which provides a mechanism for their overexpression in human tumors.

  1. Discovery of candidate disease genes in ENU-induced mouse mutants by large-scale sequencing, including a splice-site mutation in nucleoredoxin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa K Boles

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available An accurate and precisely annotated genome assembly is a fundamental requirement for functional genomic analysis. Here, the complete DNA sequence and gene annotation of mouse Chromosome 11 was used to test the efficacy of large-scale sequencing for mutation identification. We re-sequenced the 14,000 annotated exons and boundaries from over 900 genes in 41 recessive mutant mouse lines that were isolated in an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU mutation screen targeted to mouse Chromosome 11. Fifty-nine sequence variants were identified in 55 genes from 31 mutant lines. 39% of the lesions lie in coding sequences and create primarily missense mutations. The other 61% lie in noncoding regions, many of them in highly conserved sequences. A lesion in the perinatal lethal line l11Jus13 alters a consensus splice site of nucleoredoxin (Nxn, inserting 10 amino acids into the resulting protein. We conclude that point mutations can be accurately and sensitively recovered by large-scale sequencing, and that conserved noncoding regions should be included for disease mutation identification. Only seven of the candidate genes we report have been previously targeted by mutation in mice or rats, showing that despite ongoing efforts to functionally annotate genes in the mammalian genome, an enormous gap remains between phenotype and function. Our data show that the classical positional mapping approach of disease mutation identification can be extended to large target regions using high-throughput sequencing.

  2. Characterization of a JAZ7 activation-tagged Arabidopsis mutant with increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thatcher, Louise F.; Cevik, Volkan; Grant, Murray; Zhai, Bing; Jones, Jonathan D.G.; Manners, John M.; Kazan, Kemal

    2016-01-01

    In Arabidopsis, jasmonate (JA)-signaling plays a key role in mediating Fusarium oxysporum disease outcome. However, the roles of JASMONATE ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins that repress JA-signaling have not been characterized in host resistance or susceptibility to this pathogen. Here, we found most JAZ genes are induced following F. oxysporum challenge, and screening T-DNA insertion lines in Arabidopsis JAZ family members identified a highly disease-susceptible JAZ7 mutant (jaz7-1D). This mutant exhibited constitutive JAZ7 expression and conferred increased JA-sensitivity, suggesting activation of JA-signaling. Unlike jaz7 loss-of-function alleles, jaz7-1D also had enhanced JA-responsive gene expression, altered development and increased susceptibility to the bacterial pathogen Pst DC3000 that also disrupts host JA-responses. We also demonstrate that JAZ7 interacts with transcription factors functioning as activators (MYC3, MYC4) or repressors (JAM1) of JA-signaling and contains a functional EAR repressor motif mediating transcriptional repression via the co-repressor TOPLESS (TPL). We propose through direct TPL recruitment, in wild-type plants JAZ7 functions as a repressor within the JA-response network and that in jaz7-1D plants, misregulated ectopic JAZ7 expression hyper-activates JA-signaling in part by disturbing finely-tuned COI1-JAZ-TPL-TF complexes. PMID:26896849

  3. Improved catalytic properties of halohydrin dehalogenase by modification of the halide-binding site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Lixia; Torres Pazmiño, Daniel E; Fraaije, Marco W; de Jong, René M; Dijkstra, Bauke W; Janssen, Dick B

    2005-05-03

    Halohydrin dehalogenase (HheC) from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1 catalyzes the dehalogenation of vicinal haloalcohols by an intramolecular substitution reaction, resulting in the formation of the corresponding epoxide, a halide ion, and a proton. Halide release is rate-limiting during the catalytic cycle of the conversion of (R)-p-nitro-2-bromo-1-phenylethanol by the enzyme. The recent elucidation of the X-ray structure of HheC showed that hydrogen bonds between the OH group of Tyr187 and between the Odelta1 atom of Asn176 and Nepsilon1 atom of Trp249 could play a role in stabilizing the conformation of the halide-binding site. The possibility that these hydrogen bonds are important for halide binding and release was studied using site-directed mutagenesis. Steady-state kinetic studies revealed that mutant Y187F, which has lost both hydrogen bonds, has a higher catalytic activity (k(cat)) with two of the three tested substrates compared to the wild-type enzyme. Mutant W249F also shows an enhanced k(cat) value with these two substrates, as well as a remarkable increase in enantiopreference for (R)-p-nitro-2-bromo-1-phenylethanol. In case of a mutation at position 176 (N176A and N176D), a 1000-fold lower catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) was obtained, which is mainly due to an increase of the K(m) value of the enzyme. Pre-steady-state kinetic studies showed that a burst of product formation precedes the steady state, indicating that halide release is still rate-limiting for mutants Y187F and W249F. Stopped-flow fluorescence experiments revealed that the rate of halide release is 5.6-fold higher for the Y187F mutant than for the wild-type enzyme and even higher for the W249F enzyme. Taken together, these results show that the disruption of two hydrogen bonds around the halide-binding site increases the rate of halide release and can enhance the overall catalytic activity of HheC.

  4. Tyrosine 842 in the activation loop is required for full transformation by the oncogenic mutant FLT3-ITD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazi, Julhash U; Chougule, Rohit A; Li, Tianfeng; Su, Xianwei; Moharram, Sausan A; Rupar, Kaja; Marhäll, Alissa; Gazi, Mohiuddin; Sun, Jianmin; Zhao, Hui; Rönnstrand, Lars

    2017-07-01

    The type III receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 is frequently mutated in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncogenic FLT3 mutants display constitutive activity leading to aberrant cell proliferation and survival. Phosphorylation on several critical tyrosine residues is known to be essential for FLT3 signaling. Among these tyrosine residues, Y842 is located in the so-called activation loop. The position of this tyrosine residue is well conserved in all receptor tyrosine kinases. It has been reported that phosphorylation of the activation loop tyrosine is critical for catalytic activity for some but not all receptor tyrosine kinases. The role of Y842 residue in FLT3 signaling has not yet been studied. In this report, we show that Y842 is not important for FLT3 activation or ubiquitination but plays a critical role in regulating signaling downstream of the receptor as well as controlling receptor stability. We found that mutation of Y842 in the FLT3-ITD oncogenic mutant background reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, the introduction of the Y842 mutation in the FLT3-ITD background led to a dramatic reduction in in vitro colony forming capacity. Additionally, mice injected with cells expressing FLT3-ITD/Y842F displayed a significant delay in tumor formation, compared to FLT3-ITD expressing cells. Microarray analysis comparing gene expression regulated by FLT3-ITD versus FLT3-ITD/Y842F demonstrated that mutation of Y842 causes suppression of anti-apoptotic genes. Furthermore, we showed that cells expressing FLT3-ITD/Y842F display impaired activity of the RAS/ERK pathway due to reduced interaction between FLT3 and SHP2 leading to reduced SHP2 activation. Thus, we suggest that Y842 is critical for FLT3-mediated RAS/ERK signaling and cellular transformation.

  5. Expression pattern of two paralogs encoding cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenases in Arabidopsis. Isolation and characterization of the corresponding mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibout, Richard; Eudes, Aymerick; Pollet, Brigitte; Goujon, Thomas; Mila, Isabelle; Granier, Fabienne; Séguin, Armand; Lapierre, Catherine; Jouanin, Lise

    2003-06-01

    Studying Arabidopsis mutants of the phenylpropanoid pathway has unraveled several biosynthetic steps of monolignol synthesis. Most of the genes leading to monolignol synthesis have been characterized recently in this herbaceous plant, except those encoding cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD). We have used the complete sequencing of the Arabidopsis genome to highlight a new view of the complete CAD gene family. Among nine AtCAD genes, we have identified the two distinct paralogs AtCAD-C and AtCAD-D, which share 75% identity and are likely to be involved in lignin biosynthesis in other plants. Northern, semiquantitative restriction fragment-length polymorphism-reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and western analysis revealed that AtCAD-C and AtCAD-D mRNA and protein ratios were organ dependent. Promoter activities of both genes are high in fibers and in xylem bundles. However, AtCAD-C displayed a larger range of sites of expression than AtCAD-D. Arabidopsis null mutants (Atcad-D and Atcad-C) corresponding to both genes were isolated. CAD activities were drastically reduced in both mutants, with a higher impact on sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity (6% and 38% of residual sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase activities for Atcad-D and Atcad-C, respectively). Only Atcad-D showed a slight reduction in Klason lignin content and displayed modifications of lignin structure with a significant reduced proportion of conventional S lignin units in both stems and roots, together with the incorporation of sinapaldehyde structures ether linked at Cbeta. These results argue for a substantial role of AtCAD-D in lignification, and more specifically in the biosynthesis of sinapyl alcohol, the precursor of S lignin units.

  6. Enhancement of oxidative stability of the subtilisin nattokinase by site-directed mutagenesis expressed in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, MeiZhi; Zheng, ZhongLiang; Bao, Wei; Cai, YongJun; Yin, Yan; Zou, GuoLin; Zou, GouLin

    2009-11-01

    Nattokinase (subtilisin NAT, NK) is a bacterial serine protease with strong fibrinolytic activity and it is a potent cardiovascular drug. In medical and commercial applications, however, it is susceptible to chemical oxidation, and subsequent inactivation or denaturation. Here we show that the oxidative stability of NK was substantially increased by optimizing the amino acid residues Thr(220) and Met(222), which were in the vicinity of the catalytic residue Ser(221) of the enzyme. Two nonoxidative amino acids (Ser and Ala) were introduced at these sites using site-directed mutagenesis. Active enzymes were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli with periplasmic secretion and enzymes were purified to homogeneity. The purified enzymes were analyzed with respect to oxidative stability, kinetic parameters, fibrinolytic activity and thermal stability. M222A mutant was found to have a greatly increased oxidative stability compared with wild-type enzyme and it was resistant to inactivation by more than 1 M H(2)O(2), whereas the wild-type enzyme was inactivated by 0.1 M H(2)O(2) (t(1/2) approximately 11.6 min). The other mutant (T220S) also showed an obvious increase in antioxidative ability. Molecular dynamic simulations on wild-type and T220S mutant proteins suggested that a hydrogen bond was formed between Ser(220) and Asn(155), and the spatial structure of Met(222) was changed compared with the wild-type. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of improving oxidative stability of NK by site-directed mutagenesis and shows successful protein engineering cases to improve stability of NK as a potent therapeutic agent.

  7. Active site - a site of binding of affinity inhibitors in baker's yeast inorganic pyrophosphatase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svyato, I.E.; Sklyankina, V.A.; Avaeva, S.M.

    1986-01-01

    The interaction of the enzyme-substrate complex with methyl phosphate, O-phosphoethanolamine, O-phosphopropanolamine, N-acetylphosphoserine, and phosphoglyolic acid, as well as pyrophosphatase, modified by monoesters of phosphoric acid, with pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate, was investigated. It was shown that the enzyme containing the substrate in the active site does not react with monophosphates, but modified pyrophosphatase entirely retains the ability to bind polyanions to the regulatory site. It is concluded that the inactivation of baker's yeast inorganic pyrophosphatase by monoesters of phosphoric acid, which are affinity inhibitors of it, is the result of modification of the active site of the enzyme

  8. Application Of Database Program in selecting Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L) Mutant Lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    H, Soeranto

    2000-01-01

    Computer database software namely MSTAT and paradox have been exercised in the field of mutation breeding especially in the process of selecting plant mutant lines of sorghum. In MSTAT, selecting mutant lines can be done by activating the SELECTION function and then followed by entering mathematical formulas for the selection criterion. Another alternative is by defining the desired selection intensity to the analysis results of subprogram SORT. Including the selected plant mutant lines in BRSERIES program, it will make their progenies be easier to be traced in subsequent generations. In paradox, an application program for selecting mutant lines can be made by combining facilities of Table, form and report. Selecting mutant lines with defined selection criterion can easily be done through filtering data. As a relation database, paradox ensures that the application program for selecting mutant lines and progeny trachings, can be made easier, efficient and interactive

  9. Managing Siting Activities for Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    One of the IAEA's statutory objectives is to ''seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world''. One way this objective is achieved is through the publication of a range of technical series. Two of these are the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series and the IAEA Safety Standards Series. According to Article III.A.6 of the IAEA Statute, the safety standards establish 'standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property.' The safety standards include the Safety Fundamentals, Safety Requirements and Safety Guides. These standards are written primarily in a regulatory style, and are binding on the IAEA for its own programmes. The principal users are the regulatory bodies in Member States and other national authorities. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series comprises reports designed to encourage and assist R and D on, and application of, nuclear energy for peaceful uses. This includes practical examples to be used by owners and operators of utilities in Member States, implementing organizations, academia, and government officials, among others. This information is presented in guides, reports on technology status and advances, and best practices for peaceful uses of nuclear energy based on inputs from international experts. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series complements the IAEA Safety Standards Series. The introduction of nuclear power brings new challenges to States - one of them being the selection of appropriates sites. It is a project that needs to begin early, be well managed, and deploy good communications with all stakeholders; including regulators. This is important, not just for those States introducing nuclear power for the first time, but for any State looking to build a new nuclear power plant. The purpose of the siting activities goes beyond choosing a suitable site and acquiring a licence. A large part of the project is about producing and maintaining a validated

  10. Managing Siting Activities for Nuclear Power Plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-06-15

    One of the IAEA's statutory objectives is to ''seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world''. One way this objective is achieved is through the publication of a range of technical series. Two of these are the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series and the IAEA Safety Standards Series. According to Article III.A.6 of the IAEA Statute, the safety standards establish 'standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property.' The safety standards include the Safety Fundamentals, Safety Requirements and Safety Guides. These standards are written primarily in a regulatory style, and are binding on the IAEA for its own programmes. The principal users are the regulatory bodies in Member States and other national authorities. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series comprises reports designed to encourage and assist R and D on, and application of, nuclear energy for peaceful uses. This includes practical examples to be used by owners and operators of utilities in Member States, implementing organizations, academia, and government officials, among others. This information is presented in guides, reports on technology status and advances, and best practices for peaceful uses of nuclear energy based on inputs from international experts. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series complements the IAEA Safety Standards Series. The introduction of nuclear power brings new challenges to States - one of them being the selection of appropriates sites. It is a project that needs to begin early, be well managed, and deploy good communications with all stakeholders; including regulators. This is important, not just for those States introducing nuclear power for the first time, but for any State looking to build a new nuclear power plant. The purpose of the siting activities goes beyond choosing a suitable site and acquiring a licence. A large part of the project is about producing and maintaining a validated

  11. Purification of Escherichia coli L-asparaginase mutants by a native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Yujun; Chen, Jianhua; Jia, Ruibo; Wang, Min; Wu, Wutong

    2008-07-01

    The antigenicity of L-asaparaginase (L-ASP) has been problematic for the treatment of leukemia for many years. In order to establish a relationship between the antigenic epitope of L-asparaginase and its antigenicity, several L-asparaginase mutants (mL-ASPs) are constructed and expressed. To effectively purify these enzyme mutants for further investigation, a native preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is developed. The simplicity and reproducibility of this approach permits the purification of different mutants from the crude enzyme extracts, with a sufficient activity to perform immunological and biological studies. Furthermore, the newly developed method is efficient and cost-effective compared with other methods, such as column chromatography and affinity chromatography. As a result, the enzyme mutants with specific activity of 300 approximately 400 U/mg are obtained by the single-step purification with a high degree of purity.

  12. Half-of-the-Sites Reactivity of the Castor Δ9-18:0-Acyl Carrier Protein Desaturase1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qin; Chai, Jin; Moche, Martin; Guy, Jodie; Lindqvist, Ylva; Shanklin, John

    2015-01-01

    Fatty acid desaturases regulate the unsaturation status of cellular lipids. They comprise two distinct evolutionary lineages, a soluble class found in the plastids of higher plants and an integral membrane class found in plants, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), animals, and bacteria. Both classes exhibit a dimeric quaternary structure. Here, we test the functional significance of dimeric organization of the soluble castor Δ9-18:0-acyl carrier protein desaturase, specifically, the hypothesis that the enzyme uses an alternating subunit half-of-the-sites reactivity mechanism whereby substrate binding to one subunit is coordinated with product release from the other subunit. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay, we demonstrated that dimers stably associate at concentrations typical of desaturase assays. An active site mutant T104K/S202E, designed to occlude the substrate binding cavity, was expressed, purified, and its properties validated by x-ray crystallography, size exclusion chromatography, and activity assay. Heterodimers comprising distinctly tagged wild-type and inactive mutant subunits were purified at 1:1 stoichiometry. Despite having only one-half the number of active sites, purified heterodimers exhibit equivalent activity to wild-type homodimers, consistent with half-of-the-sites reactivity. However, because multiple rounds of turnover were observed, we conclude that substrate binding to one subunit is not required to facilitate product release from the second subunit. The observed half-of-the-sites reactivity could potentially buffer desaturase activity from oxidative inactivation. That soluble desaturases require only one active subunit per dimer for full activity represents a mechanistic difference from the membrane class of desaturases such as the Δ9-acyl-CoA, Ole1p, from yeast, which requires two catalytically competent subunits for activity. PMID:26224800

  13. 2'-Fluoro-6'-methylene carbocyclic adenosine and its phosphoramidate prodrug: A novel anti-HBV agent, active against drug-resistant HBV mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Uma S; Mulamoottil, Varughese A; Chu, Chung K

    2018-05-01

    Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, clinically approved nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) are very efficient in reducing the load of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with minimum side effects. However, the long-term administration of antiviral drugs promotes HBV for potential drug resistance. To overcome this problem, combination therapies are administered, but HBV progressively altered mutations remain a threat. Therefore, optimally designed NAs are urgently needed to treat drug-resistant HBV. Herein, 2'-fluoro-6'-methylene carbocyclic adenosine (FMCA) and its phosphoramidate (FMCAP) have been discovered, which may be utilized in combination therapies for curing drug-resistant chronic hepatitis B. In preclinical studies, these carbocyclic NAs demonstrated potential anti-HBV activity against adefovir, as well as lamivudine (LMV/LAM) drug-resistant mutants. In vitro, these molecules have demonstrated significant activity against LMV/entecavir (ETV) triple mutants (L180M + S202G + M204V). Also, preliminary studies of FMCA/FMCAP in chimeric mice and female Non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mouse models having the LMV/ETV triple mutant have shown a high rate of reduction of HBV DNA levels compared to ETV. In this review, we have summarized preclinical studies of FMCA and its phosphoramidate prodrug (FMCAP). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Autoactivation of proteinase A initiates activation of yeast vacuolar zymogens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van den Hazel, H B; Kielland-Brandt, Morten; Winther, Jakob R.

    1992-01-01

    The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PEP4 gene encodes proteinase A, an aspartyl protease. pep4 mutants are defective in the activation of many vacuolar hydrolases, including proteinase B. We have expressed a pep4 mutation which directs the accumulation of pro-proteinase A with a defective active site. Co...

  15. Site-directed mutagenesis of α-L-rhamnosidase from Alternaria sp. L1 to enhance synthesis yield of reverse hydrolysis based on rational design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Li; Liu, Xiaohong; Yin, Zhenhao; Liu, Qian; Lu, Lili; Xiao, Min

    2016-12-01

    The α-L-rhamnosidase catalyzes the hydrolytic release of rhamnose from polysaccharides and glycosides and is widely used due to its applications in a variety of industrial processes. Our previous work reported that a wild-type α-L-rhamnosidase (RhaL1) from Alternaria sp. L1 could synthesize rhamnose-containing chemicals (RCCs) though reverse hydrolysis reaction with inexpensive rhamnose as glycosyl donor. To enhance the yield of reverse hydrolysis reaction and to determine the amino acid residues essential for the catalytic activity of RhaL1, site-directed mutagenesis of 11 residues was performed in this study. Through rationally designed mutations, the critical amino acid residues which may form direct or solvent-mediated hydrogen bonds with donor rhamnose (Asp 252 , Asp 257 , Asp 264 , Glu 530 , Arg 548 , His 553 , and Trp 555 ) and may form the hydrophobic pocket in stabilizing donor (Trp 261 , Tyr 302 , Tyr 316 , and Trp 369 ) in active-site of RhaL1 were analyzed, and three positive mutants (W261Y, Y302F, and Y316F) with improved product yield stood out. From the three positive variants, mutant W261Y accelerated the reverse hydrolysis with a prominent increase (43.7 %) in relative yield compared to the wild-type enzyme. Based on the 3D structural modeling, we supposed that the improved yield of mutant W261Y is due to the adjustment of the spatial position of the putative catalytic acid residue Asp 257 . Mutant W261Y also exhibited a shift in the pH-activity profile in hydrolysis reaction, indicating that introducing of a polar residue in the active site cavity may affect the catalysis behavior of the enzyme.

  16. Comparison of the activities of wild type and mutant enhancing fac ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Cancer Research Institute, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, ... neth cells of the small intestine as well as to the hair fol- ... The active site of the enzyme shows the .... stand overnight at – 20ºC.

  17. Direct instrumental identification of catalytically active surface sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfisterer, Jonas H. K.; Liang, Yunchang; Schneider, Oliver; Bandarenka, Aliaksandr S.

    2017-09-01

    The activity of heterogeneous catalysts—which are involved in some 80 per cent of processes in the chemical and energy industries—is determined by the electronic structure of specific surface sites that offer optimal binding of reaction intermediates. Directly identifying and monitoring these sites during a reaction should therefore provide insight that might aid the targeted development of heterogeneous catalysts and electrocatalysts (those that participate in electrochemical reactions) for practical applications. The invention of the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) and the electrochemical STM promised to deliver such imaging capabilities, and both have indeed contributed greatly to our atomistic understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. But although the STM has been used to probe and initiate surface reactions, and has even enabled local measurements of reactivity in some systems, it is not generally thought to be suited to the direct identification of catalytically active surface sites under reaction conditions. Here we demonstrate, however, that common STMs can readily map the catalytic activity of surfaces with high spatial resolution: we show that by monitoring relative changes in the tunnelling current noise, active sites can be distinguished in an almost quantitative fashion according to their ability to catalyse the hydrogen-evolution reaction or the oxygen-reduction reaction. These data allow us to evaluate directly the importance and relative contribution to overall catalyst activity of different defects and sites at the boundaries between two materials. With its ability to deliver such information and its ready applicability to different systems, we anticipate that our method will aid the rational design of heterogeneous catalysts.

  18. Analysis of Distinct Roles of CaMKK Isoforms Using STO-609-Resistant Mutants in Living Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiwara, Yuya; Hiraoka, Yuri; Fujimoto, Tomohito; Kanayama, Naoki; Magari, Masaki; Tokumitsu, Hiroshi

    2015-06-30

    To assess the isoform specificity of the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (CaMKK)-mediated signaling pathway using a CaMKK inhibitor (STO-609) in living cells, we have established A549 cell lines expressing STO-609-resistant mutants of CaMKK isoforms. Following serial mutagenesis studies, we have succeeded in obtaining an STO-609-resistant CaMKKα mutant (Ala292Thr/Leu233Phe) and a CaMKKβ mutant (Ala328Thr/Val269Phe), which showed sensitivity to STO-609 that was 2-3 orders of magnitude lower without an appreciable effect on kinase activity or CaM requirement. These results are consistent with the results obtained for CaMKK activities in the extracts of A549 cells stably expressing the mutants of CaMKK isoforms. Ionomycin-induced 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation at Thr172 in A549 cells expressing either the wild-type or the STO-609-resistant mutant of CaMKKα was completely suppressed by STO-609 treatment but resistant to the inhibitor in the presence of the CaMKKβ mutant (Ala328Thr/Val269Phe). This result strongly suggested that CaMKKβ is responsible for ionomycin-induced AMPK activation, which supported previous reports. In contrast, ionomycin-induced CaMKIV phosphorylation at Thr196 was resistant to STO-609 treatment in A549 cells expressing STO-609-resistant mutants of both CaMKK isoforms, indicating that both CaMKK isoforms are capable of phosphorylating and activating CaMKIV in living cells. Considering these results together, STO-609-resistant CaMKK mutants developed in this study may be useful for distinguishing CaMKK isoform-mediated signaling pathways in combination with the use of an inhibitor compound.

  19. Repair-defective mutants of Alteromonas espejiana, the host for bacteriophage PM2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zerler, B.R.; Wallace, S.S.

    1984-01-01

    The in vivo repair processes of Alteromonas espejiana, the host for bacteriophage PM2, were characterized, and UV- and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-sensitive mutants were isolated. Wild-type A. espejiana cells were capable of photoreactivation, excision, recombination, and inducible repair. There was no detecttable pyrimidine dimer-DNA N-glycosylase activity, and pyrimidine dimer removal appeared to occur by a pathway analogous to the Escherichia coli Uvr pathway. The UV- and MMS-sensitive mutants of A. espejiana included three groups, each containing at least one mutation involved with excision, recombination, or inducible repair. One group that was UV sensitive but not sensitive to MMS or X rays showed a decreased ability to excise pyrimidine dimers. Mutants in this group were also sensitive to psoralen plus near-UV light and were phenotypically analogous to the E. coli uvr mutants. A second group was UV and MMS sensitive but not sensitive to X rays and appeared to contain mutations in a gene(s) involved in recombination repair. These recombination-deficient mutants differed from the E. coli rec mutants, which are MMS and X-ray sensitive. The third group of A. espejiana mutants was sensitive to UV, MMS, and X rays. These mutants were recombination deficient, lacked inducible repair, and were phenotypically similar to E. coli recA mutants

  20. Human liver cell trafficking mutants: characterization and whole exome sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Yuan

    Full Text Available The HuH7 liver cell mutant Trf1 is defective in membrane trafficking and is complemented by the casein kinase 2α subunit CK2α''. Here we identify characteristic morphologies, trafficking and mutational changes in six additional HuH7 mutants Trf2-Trf7. Trf1 cells were previously shown to be severely defective in gap junction functions. Using a Lucifer yellow transfer assay, remarkable attenuation of gap junction communication was revealed in each of the mutants Trf2-Trf7. Electron microscopy and light microscopy of thiamine pyrophosphatase showed that several mutants exhibited fragmented Golgi apparatus cisternae compared to parental HuH7 cells. Intracellular trafficking was investigated using assays of transferrin endocytosis and recycling and VSV G secretion. Surface binding of transferrin was reduced in all six Trf2-Trf7 mutants, which generally correlated with the degree of reduced expression of the transferrin receptor at the cell surface. The mutants displayed the same transferrin influx rates as HuH7, and for efflux rate, only Trf6 differed, having a slower transferrin efflux rate than HuH7. The kinetics of VSV G transport along the exocytic pathway were altered in Trf2 and Trf5 mutants. Genetic changes unique to particular Trf mutants were identified by exome sequencing, and one was investigated in depth. The novel mutation Ile34Phe in the GTPase RAB22A was identified in Trf4. RNA interference knockdown of RAB22A or overexpression of RAB22AI34F in HuH7 cells caused phenotypic changes characteristic of the Trf4 mutant. In addition, the Ile34Phe mutation reduced both guanine nucleotide binding and hydrolysis activities of RAB22A. Thus, the RAB22A Ile34Phe mutation appears to contribute to the Trf4 mutant phenotype.

  1. Novel mutations in β-tubulin gene in Trichoderma harzianum mutants resistant to methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, M; Zhang, H Y; Liang, B

    2013-01-01

    Twelve-low resistant (LR) mutants of Trichoderma harzianum with the capability of grow fast at 0.8 μg/mL methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate (MBC) were obtained using UV mutagenesis. MR and HR mutants which could grow fast at 10 and 100 μg/mL MBC, respectively, were isolated by step-up selection protocols in which UV-treated mutants were induced and mycelial sector screening was made in plates with growth medium. Subsequently, β-tubulin genes of 14 mutants were cloned to describe-the molecular lesion likely to be responsible-for MBC resistance. Comparison of the β-tubulin sequences of the mutant and sensitive strains of T. harzianum revealed 2 new MBC-binding sites differed from those in other plant pathogens. A single mutation at-amino acid 168, having Phe (TTC) instead of Ser (TCC)', was demonstrated for the HR mutant; a double mutation in amino acid 13 resulting in the substitution of Gly (GGC) by Val (GTG) was observed in β-tubulin gene of MR mutant. On the other hand, no substitutions were identified in the β-tubulin gene and its 5'-flanking regions in 12 LR mutants of T. harzianum.

  2. Site-directed mutagenesis of the foot-and-mouth disease virus RNA-polymerase gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brindeiro, R.M.; Soares, M.A.; Vianna, A.L.M.; Pontes, O.H.A. de; Pacheco, A.B.F.; Almeida, D.F. de; Tanuri, A.

    1991-01-01

    The foot-and-mouth disease virus RNA-polymerase gene was mutagenised in its active site. Pst I digestion of the polymerase gene (cDNA) generated a 790 bp fragment containing the critical sequence. This fragment was subcloned in M13mp8 for mutagenesis method. The polymerase gene was then reconstructed and subcloned in pUC19. These mutants will be used to study the enzyme structure and activity and to develop intracellular immunization assays in eukaryotic cells. (author)

  3. Molecular characterization of thymidine kinase mutants of human cells induced by densely ionizing radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kronenberg, A; Little, J B

    1989-04-01

    In order to characterize the nature of mutants induced by densely ionizing radiations at an autosomal locus, the authors have isolated a series of 99 thymidine kinase (tk) mutants of human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells iraadiated with either fast neutrons or accelerated argon ions. Individual muant clones were examined for alterations in their restriction fragment pattern after hybridization with a human cDNA probe for tk. A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) allowed identification of the active tk allele. Among the neutron-induced mutants, 34/52 exhibited loss of the previously active allele while 6/52 exhibited intragenic rearrangements. Among the argon-induced mutants 27/46 exhibited allele loses and 10/46 showed rearrangements within the tk locus. The remaining mutants had restriction patterns indistinguishable from the TK6 parent. Each of the mutant clones was further examined for structural alterations within the c-erbAl locus which has been localized to chromosome 17q11-q22, at some unknown distance from the human tk locus at chromosome 17q21-q22. A substantial proportion (54%) of tk mutants induced by densely ionizing radiation showed loss of the c-erb locus on the homologous chromosome, suggesting that the mutations involve large-scale genetic changes. (author). 51 refs.; 2 figs.; 6 tabs.

  4. Neurobehavioral performances and brain regional metabolism in Dab1(scm) (scrambler) mutant mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacquelin, C; Lalonde, R; Jantzen-Ossola, C; Strazielle, C

    2013-09-01

    As disabled-1 (DAB1) protein acts downstream in the reelin signaling pathway modulating neuronal migration, glutamate neurotransmission, and cytoskeletal function, the disabled-1 gene mutation (scrambler or Dab1(scm) mutation) results in ataxic mice displaying dramatic neuroanatomical defects similar to those observed in the reeler gene (Reln) mutation. By comparison to non-ataxic controls, Dab1(scm) mutants showed severe motor coordination impairments on stationary beam, coat-hanger, and rotorod tests but were more active in the open-field. Dab1(scm) mutants were also less anxious in the elevated plus-maze but with higher latencies in the emergence test. In mutants versus controls, changes in regional brain metabolism as measured by cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity occurred mainly in structures intimately connected with the cerebellum, in basal ganglia, in limbic regions, particularly hippocampus, as well as in visual and parietal sensory cortices. Although behavioral results characterized a major cerebellar disorder in the Dab1(scm) mutants, motor activity impairments in the open-field were associated with COX activity changes in efferent basal ganglia structures such as the substantia nigra, pars reticulata. Metabolic changes in this structure were also associated with the anxiety changes observed in the elevated plus-maze and emergence test. These results indicate a crucial participation of the basal ganglia in the functional phenotype of ataxic Dab1(scm) mutants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Active sites environmental monitoring Program - Program Plan: Revision 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrissey, C.M.; Hicks, D.S.; Ashwood, T.L.; Cunningham, G.R.

    1994-05-01

    The Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program (ASEMP), initiated in 1989, provides early detection and performance monitoring of active low-level-waste (LLW) and transuranic (TRU) waste facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Several changes have recently occurred in regard to the sites that are currently used for waste storage and disposal. These changes require a second set of revisions to the ASEMP program plan. This document incorporates those revisions. This program plan presents the organization and procedures for monitoring the active sites. The program plan also provides internal reporting levels to guide the evaluation of monitoring results

  6. Gamma-radiation Mutagenesis in Genetically Unstable Barley Mutants. Pt. 2. Comparison of Various Mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balchiuniene, L.

    1995-01-01

    Spontaneous and gamma-induced mutability was compared in two groups of genetically unstable barley ear structure mutants - tweaky spike (tw) and branched ear (be). Instability in different loci causes different levels of spontaneous and gamma-induced mutability. A high spontaneous level of chlorophyll mutations is peculiar to be-ust mutants. It is suggested that the high level of induced chlorophyll mutations in allelic tw mutants is a result of better surviving of chlorophyll mutation carriers in the genotypical-physiological environment created by mutant tw alleles. (author). 6 refs., 2 tabs

  7. Pleiotropic effects of hemagglutinin amino acid substitutions of H5 influenza escape mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudneva, Irina A.; Timofeeva, Tatiana A.; Ignatieva, Anna V.; Shilov, Aleksandr A.; Krylov, Petr S.; Ilyushina, Natalia A.; Kaverin, Nikolai V.

    2013-01-01

    In the present study we assessed pleiotropic characteristics of the antibody-selected mutations. We examined pH optimum of fusion, temperatures of HA heat inactivation, and in vitro and in vivo replication kinetics of the previously obtained influenza H5 escape mutants. Our results showed that HA1 N142K mutation significantly lowered the pH of fusion optimum. Mutations of the escape mutants located in the HA lateral loop significantly affected H5 HA thermostability (P<0.05). HA changes at positions 131, 144, 145, and 156 and substitutions at positions 131, 142, 145, and 156 affected the replicative ability of H5 escape mutants in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Overall, a co-variation between antigenic specificity and different HA phenotypic properties has been demonstrated. We believe that the monitoring of pleiotropic effects of the HA mutations found in H5 escape mutants is essential for accurate prediction of mutants with pandemic potential. - Highlights: • HA1 N142K mutation significantly lowered the pH of fusion optimum. • Mutations located in the HA lateral loop significantly affected H5 HA thermostability. • HA changes at positions 131, 142, 144, 145, and 156 affected the replicative ability of H5 mutants. • Acquisition of glycosylation site could lead to the emergence of multiple pleiotropic effects

  8. Pleiotropic effects of hemagglutinin amino acid substitutions of H5 influenza escape mutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rudneva, Irina A.; Timofeeva, Tatiana A.; Ignatieva, Anna V.; Shilov, Aleksandr A.; Krylov, Petr S. [D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, 123098 Moscow (Russian Federation); Ilyushina, Natalia A., E-mail: Natalia.Ilyushina@fda.hhs.gov [FDA CDER, 29 Lincoln Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States); Kaverin, Nikolai V., E-mail: nik.kaverin@gmail.com [D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, 123098 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2013-12-15

    In the present study we assessed pleiotropic characteristics of the antibody-selected mutations. We examined pH optimum of fusion, temperatures of HA heat inactivation, and in vitro and in vivo replication kinetics of the previously obtained influenza H5 escape mutants. Our results showed that HA1 N142K mutation significantly lowered the pH of fusion optimum. Mutations of the escape mutants located in the HA lateral loop significantly affected H5 HA thermostability (P<0.05). HA changes at positions 131, 144, 145, and 156 and substitutions at positions 131, 142, 145, and 156 affected the replicative ability of H5 escape mutants in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Overall, a co-variation between antigenic specificity and different HA phenotypic properties has been demonstrated. We believe that the monitoring of pleiotropic effects of the HA mutations found in H5 escape mutants is essential for accurate prediction of mutants with pandemic potential. - Highlights: • HA1 N142K mutation significantly lowered the pH of fusion optimum. • Mutations located in the HA lateral loop significantly affected H5 HA thermostability. • HA changes at positions 131, 142, 144, 145, and 156 affected the replicative ability of H5 mutants. • Acquisition of glycosylation site could lead to the emergence of multiple pleiotropic effects.

  9. Factor VIII S373L: mutation at P1' site confers thrombin cleavage resistance, causing mild haemophilia A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, D J; Pemberton, S; Acquila, M; Mori, P G; Tuddenham, E G; O'Brien, D P

    1994-04-01

    A novel CRM+ mutation, factor VIII position 373 serine to leucine substitution (FVIII 373-Leu) was identified during a survey of Factor VIII (FVIII) mutations. We have purified the variant protein from the patient's plasma in order to allow further characterisation of the molecule. The CRM+ plasma contained 120% Factor VIII antigen (FVIII:Ag) and 6% Factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C). After purification the mutant FVIII was subjected to thrombin proteolysis, and was thereby activated 5.6-fold compared with 7-fold for wild type molecule. Subsequently, spontaneous inactivation of the mutant was much slower than noted for wild type FVIII. Western blot analysis using monoclonal antibodies demonstrated that thrombin cleavage of FVIII 373-Leu at positions 740 and 1689 were normal but that cleavage at position 372 was completely absent. Crystallographic coordinates of the active site of thrombin complexed to fibrinopeptide A were used to explore possible mechanistic reasons for the failure of thrombin to cleave the mutant FVIII at position 372. Steric hindrance between the mutant side chain and the side chain of the P1 residue was apparent. We conclude that the functional defect of FVIII 373-Leu results from the inability of thrombin to cleave the mutant at position 372-373, and propose that this is due to steric hindrance by the side chain of leucine 373, preventing correct formation of the enzyme substrate complex.

  10. Improving specific activity and thermostability of Escherichia coli phytase by structure-based rational design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Tzu-Hui; Chen, Chun-Chi; Cheng, Ya-Shan; Ko, Tzu-Ping; Lin, Cheng-Yen; Lai, Hui-Lin; Huang, Ting-Yung; Liu, Je-Ruei; Guo, Rey-Ting

    2014-04-10

    Escherichia coli phytase (EcAppA) which hydrolyzes phytate has been widely applied in the feed industry, but the need to improve the enzyme activity and thermostability remains. Here, we conduct rational design with two strategies to enhance the EcAppA performance. First, residues near the substrate binding pocket of EcAppA were modified according to the consensus sequence of two highly active Citrobacter phytases. One out of the eleven mutants, V89T, exhibited 17.5% increase in catalytic activity, which might be a result of stabilized protein folding. Second, the EcAppA glycosylation pattern was modified in accordance with the Citrobacter phytases. An N-glycosylation motif near the substrate binding site was disrupted to remove spatial hindrance for phytate entry and product departure. The de-glycosylated mutants showed 9.6% increase in specific activity. On the other hand, the EcAppA mutants that adopt N-glycosylation motifs from CbAppA showed improved thermostability that three mutants carrying single N-glycosylation motif exhibited 5.6-9.5% residual activity after treatment at 80°C (1.8% for wild type). Furthermore, the mutant carrying all three glycosylation motifs exhibited 27% residual activity. In conclusion, a successful rational design was performed to obtain several useful EcAppA mutants with better properties for further applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Promising rice mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakim, L.; Azam, M.A.; Miah, A.J.; Mansur, M.A.; Akanda, H.R.

    1988-01-01

    Two induced mutants namely, Mut NS 1 (tall) and Mut NS 5 (semi-dwarf) derived from rice variety Nizersail were evaluated for various agronomic characters at four locations in Bangladesh. Both the mutants matured about three weeks earlier and yielded significantly higher than the parent variety Nizersail. (author). 3 tabs., 9 refs

  12. Structural analysis of bioengineered alpha-D-glucan produced by a triple mutant of the glucansucrase GTF180 enzyme from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 180 : Generation of (alpha 1 -> 4) linkages in a native (1 -> 3)(1 -> 6)-alpha-D-glucan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Leeuwen, Sander S.; Kralj, Slavko; Gerwig, Gerrit J.; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert; Kamerling, Johannis P.

    Site-directed mutagenesis of the glucansucrase gtf180 gene from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 180 was used to transform the active site region. The alpha-D-glucan (mEPS-PNNS) produced by the triple mutant V1027P:S1137N: A1139S differed in structure from that of the wild-type alpha-D-glucan (EPS180).

  13. Isolation and molecular characterization of a urease-negative Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Hiroya; Takahashi, Sayaka; Asai, Tetsuo; Tamura, Yutaka; Yamamoto, Koshi

    2018-01-01

    An atypical urease-negative mutant of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 2 was isolated in Japan. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the urease gene cluster revealed that the insertion of a short DNA sequence into the cbiM gene was responsible for the urease-negative activity of the mutant. Veterinary diagnostic laboratories should be watchful for the presence of aberrant urease-negative A. pleuropneumoniae isolates.

  14. Disturbed secretion of mutant adiponectin associated with the metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishida, Ken; Nagaretani, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Hidehiko; Kobayashi, Hideki; Tanaka, Sachiyo; Maeda, Norikazu; Nagasawa, Azumi; Hibuse, Toshiyuki; Ohashi, Koji; Kumada, Masahiro; Nishizawa, Hitoshi; Okamoto, Yoshihisa; Ouchi, Noriyuki; Maeda, Kazuhisa; Kihara, Shinji; Funahashi, Tohru; Matsuzawa, Yuji

    2003-06-20

    Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived protein, consists of collagen-like fibrous and complement C1q-like globular domains, and circulates in human plasma in a multimeric form. The protein exhibits anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic activities. However, adiponectin plasma concentrations are low in obese subjects, and hypoadiponectinemia is associated with the metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. We have recently reported a missense mutation in the adiponectin gene, in which isoleucine at position 164 in the globular domain is substituted with threonine (I164T). Subjects with this mutation showed markedly low level of plasma adiponectin and clinical features of the metabolic syndrome. Here, we examined the molecular characteristics of the mutant protein associated with a genetic cause of hypoadiponectinemia. The current study revealed (1) the mutant protein showed an oligomerization state similar to the wild-type as determined by gel filtration chromatography and, (2) the mutant protein exhibited normal insulin-sensitizing activity, but (3) pulse-chase study showed abnormal secretion of the mutant protein from adipose tissues. Our results suggest that I164T mutation is associated with hypoadiponectinemia through disturbed secretion into plasma, which may contribute to the development of the metabolic syndrome.

  15. Mutant LRRK2 Toxicity in Neurons Depends on LRRK2 Levels and Synuclein But Not Kinase Activity or Inclusion Bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skibinski, Gaia; Nakamura, Ken; Cookson, Mark R.

    2014-01-01

    By combining experimental neuron models and mathematical tools, we developed a “systems” approach to deconvolve cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration underlying the most common known cause of Parkinson's disease (PD), mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). Neurons ectopically expressing mutant LRRK2 formed inclusion bodies (IBs), retracted neurites, accumulated synuclein, and died prematurely, recapitulating key features of PD. Degeneration was predicted from the levels of diffuse mutant LRRK2 that each neuron contained, but IB formation was neither necessary nor sufficient for death. Genetic or pharmacological blockade of its kinase activity destabilized LRRK2 and lowered its levels enough to account for the moderate reduction in LRRK2 toxicity that ensued. By contrast, targeting synuclein, including neurons made from PD patient-derived induced pluripotent cells, dramatically reduced LRRK2-dependent neurodegeneration and LRRK2 levels. These findings suggest that LRRK2 levels are more important than kinase activity per se in predicting toxicity and implicate synuclein as a major mediator of LRRK2-induced neurodegeneration. PMID:24403142

  16. Genetic Correction of SOD1 Mutant iPSCs Reveals ERK and JNK Activated AP1 as a Driver of Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akshay Bhinge

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Although mutations in several genes with diverse functions have been known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, it is unknown to what extent causal mutations impinge on common pathways that drive motor neuron (MN-specific neurodegeneration. In this study, we combined induced pluripotent stem cells-based disease modeling with genome engineering and deep RNA sequencing to identify pathways dysregulated by mutant SOD1 in human MNs. Gene expression profiling and pathway analysis followed by pharmacological screening identified activated ERK and JNK signaling as key drivers of neurodegeneration in mutant SOD1 MNs. The AP1 complex member JUN, an ERK/JNK downstream target, was observed to be highly expressed in MNs compared with non-MNs, providing a mechanistic insight into the specific degeneration of MNs. Importantly, investigations of mutant FUS MNs identified activated p38 and ERK, indicating that network perturbations induced by ALS-causing mutations converge partly on a few specific pathways that are drug responsive and provide immense therapeutic potential. : In this article, Bhinge, Stanton, and colleagues use genome editing of patient-derived iPSCs to model ALS phenotypic defects in vitro. Transcriptomic analysis of disease MNs reveals activation of MAPK, AP1, WNT, cell-cycle, and p53 signaling in ALS MNs. Pharmacological screening uncovers activated ERK and JNK signaling as therapeutic targets in ALS. Keywords: ALS, SOD1, FUS, CRISPR-Cas9, p38, ERK, JNK, WNT, TP53, JUN

  17. Altered regulation of lipid biosynthesis in a mutant of Arabidopsis deficient in chloroplast glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kunst, L.; Browse, J.; Somerville, C.

    1988-01-01

    The leaf membrane lipids of many plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., are synthesized by two complementary pathways that are associated with the chloroplast and the endoplasmic reticulum. By screening directly for alterations in lipid acyl-group composition, the authors have identified several mutants of Arabidopsis that lack the plastid pathway because of a deficiency in activity of the first enzyme in the plastid pathway of glycerolipid synthesis, acyl-ACP:sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase. The lesion results in an increased synthesis of lipids by the cytoplasmic pathway that largely compensates for the loss of the plastid pathway and provides nearly normal amounts of all the lipids required for chloroplast biogenesis. However, the fatty acid composition of the leaf membrane lipids of the mutants is altered because the acyltransferases associated with the two pathways normally exhibit different substrate specificities. The remarkable flexibility of the system provides an insight into the nature of the regulatory mechanisms that allocate lipids for membrane biogenesis

  18. Expression Pattern of Two Paralogs Encoding Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenases in Arabidopsis. Isolation and Characterization of the Corresponding Mutants1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibout, Richard; Eudes, Aymerick; Pollet, Brigitte; Goujon, Thomas; Mila, Isabelle; Granier, Fabienne; Séguin, Armand; Lapierre, Catherine; Jouanin, Lise

    2003-01-01

    Studying Arabidopsis mutants of the phenylpropanoid pathway has unraveled several biosynthetic steps of monolignol synthesis. Most of the genes leading to monolignol synthesis have been characterized recently in this herbaceous plant, except those encoding cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD). We have used the complete sequencing of the Arabidopsis genome to highlight a new view of the complete CAD gene family. Among nine AtCAD genes, we have identified the two distinct paralogs AtCAD-C and AtCAD-D, which share 75% identity and are likely to be involved in lignin biosynthesis in other plants. Northern, semiquantitative restriction fragment-length polymorphism-reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and western analysis revealed that AtCAD-C and AtCAD-D mRNA and protein ratios were organ dependent. Promoter activities of both genes are high in fibers and in xylem bundles. However, AtCAD-C displayed a larger range of sites of expression than AtCAD-D. Arabidopsis null mutants (Atcad-D and Atcad-C) corresponding to both genes were isolated. CAD activities were drastically reduced in both mutants, with a higher impact on sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity (6% and 38% of residual sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase activities for Atcad-D and Atcad-C, respectively). Only Atcad-D showed a slight reduction in Klason lignin content and displayed modifications of lignin structure with a significant reduced proportion of conventional S lignin units in both stems and roots, together with the incorporation of sinapaldehyde structures ether linked at Cβ. These results argue for a substantial role of AtCAD-D in lignification, and more specifically in the biosynthesis of sinapyl alcohol, the precursor of S lignin units. PMID:12805615

  19. Characterization of a New Pink-Fruited Tomato Mutant Results in the Identification of a Null Allele of the SlMYB12 Transcription Factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez-Moreno, Josefina-Patricia; Tzfadia, Oren; Forment, Javier; Presa, Silvia; Rogachev, Ilana; Meir, Sagit; Orzaez, Diego; Aharoni, Aspah; Granell, Antonio

    2016-07-01

    The identification and characterization of new tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) mutants affected in fruit pigmentation and nutritional content can provide valuable insights into the underlying biology, as well as a source of new alleles for breeding programs. To date, all characterized pink-pigmented tomato fruit mutants appear to result from low SlMYB12 transcript levels in the fruit skin. Two new mutant lines displaying a pink fruit phenotype (pf1 and pf2) were characterized in this study. In the pf mutants, SlMYB12 transcripts accumulated to wild-type levels but exhibited the same truncation, which resulted in the absence of the essential MYB activation domain coding region. Allelism and complementation tests revealed that both pf mutants were allelic to the y locus and showed the same recessive null allele in homozygosis: Δy A set of molecular and metabolic effects, reminiscent of those observed in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) myb11 myb12 myb111 triple mutant, were found in the tomato Δy mutants. To our knowledge, these have not been described previously, and our data support the idea of their being null mutants, in contrast to previously described transcriptional hypomorphic pink fruit lines. We detected a reduction in the expression of several flavonol glycosides and some associated glycosyl transferases. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that the effects of the pf mutations extended beyond the flavonoid pathway into the interface between primary and secondary metabolism. Finally, screening for Myb-binding sites in the candidate gene promoter sequences revealed that 141 of the 152 co-down-regulated genes may be direct targets of SlMYB12 regulation. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  20. Ethanol production using engineered mutant E. coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingram, Lonnie O.; Clark, David P.

    1991-01-01

    The subject invention concerns novel means and materials for producing ethanol as a fermentation product. Mutant E. coli are transformed with a gene coding for pyruvate decarboxylase activity. The resulting system is capable of producing relatively large amounts of ethanol from a variety of biomass sources.

  1. Apoc2 loss-of-function zebrafish mutant as a genetic model of hyperlipidemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao Liu

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Apolipoprotein C-II (APOC2 is an obligatory activator of lipoprotein lipase. Human patients with APOC2 deficiency display severe hypertriglyceridemia while consuming a normal diet, often manifesting xanthomas, lipemia retinalis and pancreatitis. Hypertriglyceridemia is also an important risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease. Animal models to study hypertriglyceridemia are limited, with no Apoc2-knockout mouse reported. To develop a genetic model of hypertriglyceridemia, we generated an apoc2 mutant zebrafish characterized by the loss of Apoc2 function. apoc2 mutants show decreased plasma lipase activity and display chylomicronemia and severe hypertriglyceridemia, which closely resemble the phenotype observed in human patients with APOC2 deficiency. The hypertriglyceridemia in apoc2 mutants is rescued by injection of plasma from wild-type zebrafish or by injection of a human APOC2 mimetic peptide. Consistent with a previous report of a transient apoc2 knockdown, apoc2 mutant larvae have a minor delay in yolk consumption and angiogenesis. Furthermore, apoc2 mutants fed a normal diet accumulate lipid and lipid-laden macrophages in the vasculature, which resemble early events in the development of human atherosclerotic lesions. In addition, apoc2 mutant embryos show ectopic overgrowth of pancreas. Taken together, our data suggest that the apoc2 mutant zebrafish is a robust and versatile animal model to study hypertriglyceridemia and the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of associated human diseases.

  2. Intact interval timing in circadian CLOCK mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordes, Sara; Gallistel, C R

    2008-08-28

    While progress has been made in determining the molecular basis for the circadian clock, the mechanism by which mammalian brains time intervals measured in seconds to minutes remains a mystery. An obvious question is whether the interval-timing mechanism shares molecular machinery with the circadian timing mechanism. In the current study, we trained circadian CLOCK +/- and -/- mutant male mice in a peak-interval procedure with 10 and 20-s criteria. The mutant mice were more active than their wild-type littermates, but there were no reliable deficits in the accuracy or precision of their timing as compared with wild-type littermates. This suggests that expression of the CLOCK protein is not necessary for normal interval timing.

  3. Study on the mechanism of wheat mutants resistance to bi-polaris sorokiniana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Guangzu; Wang Guangjin; Tang Fenglan; Liu Lijun; Li Zhongjie

    1992-01-01

    The activities and band number of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phenylalanine aminolyase (PAL) in plant tissue have been studied after treatment with phytotoxin produced from Bi polaris sorokiniana. The results showed that the activity and band number of these enzymes have been changed markedly. The change in degree of activity for mutants was more than that of the parent, and coincident with the ability of resistance to disease. The authors considered that the toxin tolerance ability and inducibility of SOD and POD by toxin might be one of resistance mechanism of wheat mutant against Bipolaris sorokiniana

  4. Mutant fatty acid desaturase and methods for directed mutagenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanklin, John [Shoreham, NY; Whittle, Edward J [Greenport, NY

    2008-01-29

    The present invention relates to methods for producing fatty acid desaturase mutants having a substantially increased activity towards substrates with fewer than 18 carbon atom chains relative to an unmutagenized precursor desaturase having an 18 carbon chain length specificity, the sequences encoding the desaturases and to the desaturases that are produced by the methods. The present invention further relates to a method for altering a function of a protein, including a fatty acid desaturase, through directed mutagenesis involving identifying candidate amino acid residues, producing a library of mutants of the protein by simultaneously randomizing all amino acid candidates, and selecting for mutants which exhibit the desired alteration of function. Candidate amino acids are identified by a combination of methods. Enzymatic, binding, structural and other functions of proteins can be altered by the method.

  5. Separation of foot-and-mouth disease virus leader protein activities; identification of mutants that retain efficient self-processing activity but poorly induce eIF4G cleavage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Su Hua; Belsham, Graham J

    2017-04-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease virus is a picornavirus and its RNA genome encodes a large polyprotein. The N-terminal part of this polyprotein is the leader protein, a cysteine protease, termed Lpro. The virus causes the rapid inhibition of host cell cap-dependent protein synthesis within infected cells. This results from the Lpro-dependent cleavage of the cellular translation initiation factor eIF4G. Lpro also releases itself from the virus capsid precursor by cleaving the L/P1 junction. Using site-directed mutagenesis of the Lpro coding sequence, we have investigated the role of 51 separate amino acid residues in the functions of this protein. These selected residues either are highly conserved or are charged and exposed on the protein surface. Using transient expression assays, within BHK-21 cells, it was found that residues around the active site (W52, L53 and A149) of Lpro and others located elsewhere (K38, K39, R44, H138 and W159) are involved in the induction of eIF4G cleavage but not in the processing of the L/P1 junction. Modified viruses, encoding such amino acid substitutions within Lpro, can replicate in BHK-21 cells but did not grow well in primary bovine thyroid cells. This study characterizes mutant viruses that are deficient in blocking host cell responses to infection (e.g. interferon induction) and can assist in the rational design of antiviral agents targeting this process and in the production of attenuated viruses.

  6. Designing a highly active soluble PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase for efficient glucose biosensors and biofuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durand, Fabien [Universite de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UPR 8641, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France); Stines-Chaumeil, Claire [Universite de Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut de Biochimie et de Genetique Cellulaires, 1 rue Camille Saint Saens, 33077 Bordeaux Cedex (France); Flexer, Victoria [Universite de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UPR 8641, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France); Andre, Isabelle [Universite de Toulouse, INSA, UPS, INP, LISBP, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31077 Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR5504, F-31400 Toulouse (France); INRA, UMR 792 Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, F-31400 Toulouse (France); Mano, Nicolas, E-mail: mano@crpp-bordeaux.cnrs.fr [Universite de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UPR 8641, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France)

    2010-11-26

    Research highlights: {yields} A new mutant of PQQ-GDH designed for glucose biosensors application. {yields} First mutant of PQQ-GDH with higher activity for D-glucose than the Wild type. {yields} Position N428 is a key point to increase the enzyme activity. {yields} Molecular modeling shows that the N428 C mutant displays a better interaction for PQQ than the WT. -- Abstract: We report for the first time a soluble PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase that is twice more active than the wild type for glucose oxidation and was obtained by combining site directed mutagenesis, modelling and steady-state kinetics. The observed enhancement is attributed to a better interaction between the cofactor and the enzyme leading to a better electron transfer. Electrochemical experiments also demonstrate the superiority of the new mutant for glucose oxidation and make it a promising enzyme for the development of high-performance glucose biosensors and biofuel cells.

  7. Gamma ray induced mutants in Coleus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vasudevan, K; Jos, J S [Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Trivandrum, Kerala (India)

    1988-07-01

    The germplasm collection of Chinese potato (Coleus parviflorus Benth) contains almost no variation for yield contributing traits. The crop does not produce seeds. Treatment of underground tubers with 1 kR, 2 kR, 3 kR and 4 kR gamma rays resulted in 50 morphologically different mutants which are maintained as mutant clones. In the M{sub 1}V{sub 1} generation, suspected mutant sprouts, were carefully removed and grown separately. The most interesting mutant types are the following: (i) erect mutant with spoon shaped light green leaves, 30 cm long inflorescences against 20 cm in the control, cylindrical tubers measuring ca. 7.0 cm long and 3 cm girth against 4 cm and 2.5 cm in the control (ii) early mutants 1 and 2, one having less leaf serration, the other having light green small leaves and dwarf type (iii) fleshy leaf mutant, dark green, thick and smooth leaves. Control plants spread almost in 1 m{sup 2} area and bear tubers from the nodes of branches. In the early mutants tuber formation is mainly restricted to the base of the plant, which makes harvest easier. The crop usually matures within 150 - 160 days, the early mutants are ready for harvest 100 days after planting. As the mutants are less spreading, the yield could be increased by closer spacing.

  8. Gamma ray induced mutants in Coleus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasudevan, K.; Jos, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    The germplasm collection of Chinese potato (Coleus parviflorus Benth) contains almost no variation for yield contributing traits. The crop does not produce seeds. Treatment of underground tubers with 1 kR, 2 kR, 3 kR and 4 kR gamma rays resulted in 50 morphologically different mutants which are maintained as mutant clones. In the M 1 V 1 generation, suspected mutant sprouts, were carefully removed and grown separately. The most interesting mutant types are the following: (i) erect mutant with spoon shaped light green leaves, 30 cm long inflorescences against 20 cm in the control, cylindrical tubers measuring ca. 7.0 cm long and 3 cm girth against 4 cm and 2.5 cm in the control (ii) early mutants 1 and 2, one having less leaf serration, the other having light green small leaves and dwarf type (iii) fleshy leaf mutant, dark green, thick and smooth leaves. Control plants spread almost in 1 m 2 area and bear tubers from the nodes of branches. In the early mutants tuber formation is mainly restricted to the base of the plant, which makes harvest easier. The crop usually matures within 150 - 160 days, the early mutants are ready for harvest 100 days after planting. As the mutants are less spreading, the yield could be increased by closer spacing

  9. Possible cleavage sites of glutelin partial degradation confirmed by immunological analysis in globulin-less mutants of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Nadar; Yamaguchi, Satoru; Katsube-Tanaka, Tomoyuki

    2017-10-01

    Proteolytic cleavage or partial degradation of proteins is one of the important post-translational modifications for various biological processes, but it is difficult to analyze. Previously, we demonstrated that some subunits of the major rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed storage protein glutelin are partially degraded to produce newly identified polypeptides X1-X5 in mutants in which another major seed storage protein globulin is absent. In this study, the new polypeptides X3 and X4/X5 were immunologically confirmed to be derived from GluA3 and GluA1/GluA2 subunits, respectively. Additionally, the new polypeptides X1 and X2 were at least in part the α polypeptides of the GluB4 subunit partially degraded at the C-terminus. Simulated 2D-PAGE migration patterns of intact and partially degraded α polypeptides based on the calculation of their MWs and pIs enabled us to narrow or predict the possible locations of cleavage sites. The predicted cleavage sites were also verified by the comparison of 2D-PAGE patterns between seed-extracted and E. coli-expressed proteins of the intact and truncated α polypeptides. The results and methodologies demonstrated here would be useful for analyses of partial degradation of proteins and the structure-function relationships of rice seed protein bodies. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Structural basis for the changed substrate specificity of Drosophila melanogaster deoxyribonucleoside kinase mutant N64D

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Welin, M.; Skovgaard, T.; Knecht, Wolfgang

    2005-01-01

    The Drosophila melanogaster deoxyribonucleoside kinase (Dm-dNK) double mutant N45D/N64D was identified during a previous directed evolution study. This mutant enzyme had a decreased activity towards the natural substrates and decreased feedback inhibition with dTTP, whereas the activity with 3...

  11. Generation of a glucose de-repressed mutant of Trichoderma reesei using disparity mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwakuma, Hidekazu; Koyama, Yoshiyuki; Miyachi, Ayako; Nasukawa, Masashi; Matsumoto, Hitoshi; Yano, Shuntaro; Ogihara, Jun; Kasumi, Takafumi

    2016-01-01

    We obtained a novel glucose de-repressed mutant of Trichoderma reesei using disparity mutagenesis. A plasmid containing DNA polymerase δ lacking proofreading activity, and AMAI, an autonomously replicating sequence was introduced into T. reesei ATCC66589. The rate of mutation evaluated with 5-fluoroorotic acid resistance was approximately 30-fold higher than that obtained by UV irradiation. The transformants harboring incompetent DNA polymerase δ were then selected on 2-deoxyglucose agar plates with hygromycin B. The pNP-lactoside hydrolyzing activities of mutants were 2 to 5-fold higher than the parent in liquid medium containing glucose. Notably, the amino acid sequence of cre1, a key gene involved in glucose repression, was identical in the mutant and parent strains, and further, the cre1 expression levels was not abolished in the mutant. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the strains of T. reesei generated by disparity mutagenesis are glucose de-repressed variants that contain mutations in yet-unidentified factors other than cre1.

  12. Promoter proximal polyadenylation sites reduce transcription activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Pia Kjølhede; Lykke-Andersen, Søren; Jensen, Torben Heick

    2012-01-01

    Gene expression relies on the functional communication between mRNA processing and transcription. We previously described the negative impact of a point-mutated splice donor (SD) site on transcription. Here we demonstrate that this mutation activates an upstream cryptic polyadenylation (CpA) site......, which in turn causes reduced transcription. Functional depletion of U1 snRNP in the context of the wild-type SD triggers the same CpA event accompanied by decreased RNA levels. Thus, in accordance with recent findings, U1 snRNP can shield premature pA sites. The negative impact of unshielded pA sites...... on transcription requires promoter proximity, as demonstrated using artificial constructs and supported by a genome-wide data set. Importantly, transcription down-regulation can be recapitulated in a gene context devoid of splice sites by placing a functional bona fide pA site/transcription terminator within ∼500...

  13. Homologous Recombination Defective Arabidopsis Mutants Exhibit Enhanced Sensitivity to Abscisic Acid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujit Roy

    Full Text Available Abscisic acid (ABA acts as an important plant hormone in regulating various aspects of plant growth and developmental processes particularly under abiotic stress conditions. An increased ABA level in plant cells inhibits DNA replication and cell division, causing plant growth retardation. In this study, we have investigated the effects of ABA on the growth responses of some major loss-of-function mutants of DNA double-stand break (DSB repair genes in Arabidopsis during seed germination and early stages of seedling growth for understanding the role of ABA in the induction of genome instability in plants. A comparative analysis of ABA sensitivity of wild-type Arabidopsis and the knockout mutant lines related to DSB sensors, including atatm, atatr, the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ pathway genes, and mutants related to homologous recombination (HR pathway genes showed relatively enhanced sensitivity of atatr and HR-related mutants to ABA treatment. The expression levels of HR-related genes were increased in wild-type Arabidopsis (Col-0 during seed germination and early stages of seedling growth. Immunoblotting experiments detected phosphorylation of histone H2AX in wild-type (Col-0 and DSB repair gene mutants after ABA treatment, indicating the activation of DNA damage response due to ABA treatment. Analyses of DSB repair kinetics using comet assay under neutral condition have revealed comparatively slower DSB repair activity in HR mutants. Overall, our results have provided comprehensive information on the possible effect of ABA on DNA repair machinery in plants and also indicated potential functional involvement of HR pathway in repairing ABA induced DNA damage in Arabidopsis.

  14. Steady-state fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopic studies of bacterial luciferase tryptophan mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Z; Meighen, E A

    1994-09-01

    Bacterial luciferase, which catalyzes the bioluminescence reaction in luminous bacteria, consists of two nonidentical polypeptides, α and β. Eight mutants of luciferase with each of the tryptophans replaced by tyrosine were generated by site-directed mutagenesis and purified to homogeneity. The steady-state tryptophan fluorescence and low-temperature phosphorescence spectroscopic properties of these mutants were characterized. In some instances, mutation of only a single tryptophan residue resulted in large spectral changes. The tryptophan residues conserved in both the α and the β subunits exhibited distinct fluorescence emission properties, suggesting that these tryptophans have different local enviroments. The low-temperature phosphorescence data suggest that the tryptophans conserved in bot the α and the β subunits are not located at the subunit interface and/or involved in subunit interactions. The differences in the spectral properties of the mutants have provided useful information on the local environment of the individual tryptophan residues as well as on the quaternary structure of the protein.

  15. Comparison between medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase mutant proteins overexpressed in bacterial and mammalian cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, T G; Bross, P; Andresen, B S

    1995-01-01

    ." Upon expression in E. coli, these mutant proteins produce activity levels in the range of the wild-type enzyme only if the chaperonins GroESL are co-overproduced. When overexpressed in COS cells, the pure folding mutants display enzyme activities comparable to the wild-type enzyme. The results suggest...

  16. Regioselective alkane hydroxylation with a mutant AlkB enzyme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Daniel J.; Arnold, Frances H.

    2012-11-13

    AlkB from Pseudomonas putida was engineered using in-vivo directed evolution to hydroxylate small chain alkanes. Mutant AlkB-BMO1 hydroxylates propane and butane at the terminal carbon at a rate greater than the wild-type to form 1-propanol and 1-butanol, respectively. Mutant AlkB-BMO2 similarly hydroxylates propane and butane at the terminal carbon at a rate greater than the wild-type to form 1-propanol and 1-butanol, respectively. These biocatalysts are highly active for small chain alkane substrates and their regioselectivity is retained in whole-cell biotransformations.

  17. Effect of CCS on the accumulation of FALS SOD1 mutant-containing aggregates and on mitochondrial translocation of SOD1 mutants: implication of a free radical hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ha Kun; Chung, Youn Wook; Chock, P Boon; Yim, Moon B

    2011-05-15

    Missense mutations of SOD1 are linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) through a yet-to-be identified toxic-gain-of-function. One of the proposed mechanisms involves enhanced aggregate formation. However, a recent study showed that dual transgenic mice overexpressing both G93A and CCS copper chaperone (G93A/CCS) exhibit no SOD1-positive aggregates yet show accelerated FALS symptoms with enhanced mitochondrial pathology compared to G93A mice. Using a dicistronic mRNA to simultaneously generate hSOD1 mutants, G93A, A4V and G85R, and hCCS in AAV293 cells, we revealed: (i) CCS is degraded primarily via a macroautophagy pathway. It forms a stable heterodimer with inactive G85R, and via its novel copper chaperone-independent molecular chaperone activity facilitates G85R degradation via a macroautophagy-mediated pathway. For active G93A and A4V, CCS catalyzes their maturation to form active and soluble homodimers. (ii) CCS reduces, under non-oxidative conditions, yet facilitates in the presence of H(2)O(2), mitochondrial translocation of inactive SOD1 mutants. These results, together with previous reports showing FALS SOD1 mutants enhanced free radical-generating activity, provide a mechanistic explanation for the observations with G93A/CCS dual transgenic mice and suggest that free radical generation by FALS SOD1, enhanced by CCS, may, in part, be responsible for the FALS SOD1 mutant-linked aggregation, mitochondrial translocation, and degradation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Identification and quantification of flavonoids in yellow grain mutant of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Backki; Woo, Sunmin; Kim, Mi-Jung; Kwon, Soon-Wook; Lee, Joohyun; Sung, Sang Hyun; Koh, Hee-Jong

    2018-02-15

    Flavonoids are naturally occurring phenolic compounds with potential health-promoting activities. Although anthocyanins and phenolic acids in coloured rice have been investigated, few studies have focused on flavonoids. Herein, we analysed flavonoids in a yellow grain rice mutant using UHPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-TOF-MS, and identified 19 flavonoids by comparing retention times and accurate mass measurements. Among them, six flavonoids, isoorientin, isoorientin 2″-O-glucoside, vitexin 2″-O-glucoside, isovitexin, isoscoparin 2″-O-glucoside and isoscoparin, were isolated and fully identified from the yellow grain rice mutant, and the levels were significantly higher than wild-type, with isoorientin particularly abundant in mutant embryo. Significant differences in total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were observed in mutant rice by DPPH, FRAP and TEAC assays. The results suggest that the representative six flavonoids may play an important role in colouration and antioxidant activity of embryo and endosperm tissue. The findings provide insight into flavonoid biosynthesis and the possibility of improving functionality in rice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The Swedish mutant barley collection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1989-07-01

    Full text: The Swedish mutation research programme in barley began about 50 years ago and has mainly been carried out at Svaloev in co-operation with the institute of Genetics at the University of Lund. The collection has been produced from different Swedish high-yielding spring barley varieties, using the following mutagens: X-rays, neutrons, several organic chemical compounds such as ethyleneimine, several sulfonate derivatives and the inorganic chemical mutagen sodium azide. Nearly 10,000 barley mutants are stored in the Nordic Gene Bank and documented in databases developed by Udda Lundquist, Svaloev AB. The collection consists of the following nine categories with 94 different types of mutants: 1. Mutants with changes in the spike and spikelets; 2. Changes in culm length and culm composition; 3. Changes in growth types; 4. Physiological mutants; 5. Changes in awns; 6. Changes in seed size and shape; 7. Changes in leaf blades; 8. Changes in anthocyanin and colour; 9. Resistance to barley powdery mildew. Barley is one of the most thoroughly investigated crops in terms of induction of mutations and mutation genetics. So far, about half of the mutants stored at the Nordic Gene Bank, have been analysed genetically; They constitute, however, only a minority of the 94 different mutant types. The genetic analyses have given valuable insights into the mutation process but also into the genetic architecture of various characters. A number of mutants of two-row barley have been registered and commercially released. One of the earliest released, Mari, an early maturing, daylength neutral, straw stiff mutant, is still grown in Iceland. The Swedish mutation material has been used in Sweden, but also in other countries, such as Denmark, Germany, and USA, for various studies providing a better understanding of the barley genome. The collection will be immensely valuable for future molecular genetical analyses of clone mutant genes. (author)

  20. The Swedish mutant barley collection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    Full text: The Swedish mutation research programme in barley began about 50 years ago and has mainly been carried out at Svaloev in co-operation with the institute of Genetics at the University of Lund. The collection has been produced from different Swedish high-yielding spring barley varieties, using the following mutagens: X-rays, neutrons, several organic chemical compounds such as ethyleneimine, several sulfonate derivatives and the inorganic chemical mutagen sodium azide. Nearly 10,000 barley mutants are stored in the Nordic Gene Bank and documented in databases developed by Udda Lundquist, Svaloev AB. The collection consists of the following nine categories with 94 different types of mutants: 1. Mutants with changes in the spike and spikelets; 2. Changes in culm length and culm composition; 3. Changes in growth types; 4. Physiological mutants; 5. Changes in awns; 6. Changes in seed size and shape; 7. Changes in leaf blades; 8. Changes in anthocyanin and colour; 9. Resistance to barley powdery mildew. Barley is one of the most thoroughly investigated crops in terms of induction of mutations and mutation genetics. So far, about half of the mutants stored at the Nordic Gene Bank, have been analysed genetically; They constitute, however, only a minority of the 94 different mutant types. The genetic analyses have given valuable insights into the mutation process but also into the genetic architecture of various characters. A number of mutants of two-row barley have been registered and commercially released. One of the earliest released, Mari, an early maturing, daylength neutral, straw stiff mutant, is still grown in Iceland. The Swedish mutation material has been used in Sweden, but also in other countries, such as Denmark, Germany, and USA, for various studies providing a better understanding of the barley genome. The collection will be immensely valuable for future molecular genetical analyses of clone mutant genes. (author)

  1. Mutants of alfalfa mosaic virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roosien, J.

    1983-01-01

    In this thesis the isolation and characterization of a number of mutants of alfalfa mosaic virus, a plant virus with a coat protein dependent genome, is described. Thermo-sensitive (ts) mutants were selected since, at least theoretically, ts mutations can be present in all virus coded functions. It was found that a high percentage of spontaneous mutants, isolated because of their aberrant symptoms, were ts. The majority of these isolates could grow at the non-permissive temperature in the presence of a single wild type (wt) component. To increase the mutation rate virus preparations were treated with several mutagens. After nitrous acid treatment or irradiation with ultraviolet light, an increase in the level of mutations was observed. UV irradiation was preferred since it did not require large amounts of purified viral components. During the preliminary characterization of potential ts mutants the author also obtained one structural and several symptom mutants which were analysed further (chapter 7, 8 and 9). The properties of the ts mutants are described in chapter 3-7. (Auth.)

  2. Engineering a horseradish peroxidase C stable to radical attacks by mutating multiple radical coupling sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Su Jin; Joo, Jeong Chan; Song, Bong Keun; Yoo, Young Je; Kim, Yong Hwan

    2015-04-01

    Peroxidases have great potential as industrial biocatalysts. In particular, the oxidative polymerization of phenolic compounds catalyzed by peroxidases has been extensively examined because of the advantage of this method over other conventional chemical methods. However, the industrial application of peroxidases is often limited because of their rapid inactivation by phenoxyl radicals during oxidative polymerization. In this work, we report a novel protein engineering approach to improve the radical stability of horseradish peroxidase isozyme C (HRPC). Phenylalanine residues that are vulnerable to modification by the phenoxyl radicals were identified using mass spectrometry analysis. UV-Vis and CD spectra showed that radical coupling did not change the secondary structure or the active site of HRPC. Four phenylalanine (Phe) residues (F68, F142, F143, and F179) were each mutated to alanine residues to generate single mutants to examine the role of these sites in radical coupling. Despite marginal improvement of radical stability, each single mutant still exhibited rapid radical inactivation. To further reduce inactivation by radical coupling, the four substitution mutations were combined in F68A/F142A/F143A/F179A. This mutant demonstrated dramatic enhancement of radical stability by retaining 41% of its initial activity compared to the wild-type, which was completely inactivated. Structure and sequence alignment revealed that radical-vulnerable Phe residues of HPRC are conserved in homologous peroxidases, which showed the same rapid inactivation tendency as HRPC. Based on our site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical characterization, we have shown that engineering radical-vulnerable residues to eliminate multiple radical coupling can be a good strategy to improve the stability of peroxidases against radical attack. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Enhancement of yellow pigment production by intraspecific protoplast fusion of Monascus spp. yellow mutant (ade(-)) and white mutant (prototroph).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klinsupa, Worawan; Phansiri, Salak; Thongpradis, Panida; Yongsmith, Busaba; Pothiratana, Chetsada

    2016-01-10

    To breed industrially useful strains of a slow-growing, yellow pigment producing strain of Monascus sp., protoplasts of Monascus purpureus yellow mutant (ade(-)) and rapid-growing M. purpureus white mutant (prototroph) were fused and fusants were selected on minimal medium (MM). Preliminary conventional protoplast fusion of the two strains was performed and the result showed that only white colonies were detected on MM. It was not able to differentiate the fusants from the white parental prototroph. To solve this problem, the white parental prototroph was thus pretreated with 20mM iodoacetamide (IOA) for cytoplasm inactivation and subsequently taken into protoplast fusion with slow-growing Monascus yellow mutant. Under this development technique, only the fusants, with viable cytoplasm from Monascus yellow mutant (ade(-)), could thus grow on MM, whereas neither IOA pretreated white parental prototroph nor yellow auxotroph (ade(-)) could survive. Fifty-three fusants isolated from yellow colonies obtained through this developed technique were subsequently inoculated on complete medium (MY agar). Fifteen distinguished yellow colonies from their parental yellow mutant were then selected for biochemical, morphological and fermentative properties in cassava starch and soybean flour (SS) broth. Finally, three most stable fusants (F7, F10 and F43) were then selected and compared in rice solid culture. Enhancement of yellow pigment production over the parental yellow auxotroph was found in F7 and F10, while enhanced glucoamylase activity was found in F43. The formation of fusants was further confirmed by monacolin K content, which was intermediate between the two parents (monacolin K-producing yellow auxotroph and non-monacolin K producing white prototroph). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Modeling the dual pacemaker system of the tau mutant hamster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oda, G A; Menaker, M; Friesen, W O

    2000-06-01

    Circadian pacemakers in many animals are compound. In rodents, a two-oscillator model of the pacemaker composed of an evening (E) and a morning (M) oscillator has been proposed based on the phenomenon of "splitting" and bimodal activity peaks. The authors describe computer simulations of the pacemaker in tau mutant hamsters viewed as a system of mutually coupled E and M oscillators. These mutant animals exhibit normal type 1 PRCs when released into DD but make a transition to a type 0 PRC when held for many weeks in DD. The two-oscillator model describes particularly well some recent behavioral experiments on these hamsters. The authors sought to determine the relationships between oscillator amplitude, period, PRC, and activity duration through computer simulations. Two complementary approaches proved useful for analyzing weakly coupled oscillator systems. The authors adopted a "distinct oscillators" view when considering the component E and M oscillators and a "system" view when considering the system as a whole. For strongly coupled systems, only the system view is appropriate. The simulations lead the authors to two primary conjectures: (1) the total amplitude of the pacemaker system in tau mutant hamsters is less than in the wild-type animals, and (2) the coupling between the unit E and M oscillators is weakened during continuous exposure of hamsters to DD. As coupling strength decreases, activity duration (alpha) increases due to a greater phase difference between E and M. At the same time, the total amplitude of the system decreases, causing an increase in observable PRC amplitudes. Reduced coupling also increases the relative autonomy of the unit oscillators. The relatively autonomous phase shifts of E and M oscillators can account for both immediate compression and expansion of activity bands in tau mutant and wild-type hamsters subjected to light pulses.

  5. Double-strand break repair and genetic recombination in topoisomerase and primase mutants of bacteriophage T4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shcherbakov, Victor P; Kudryashova, Elena

    2014-09-01

    The effects of primase and topoisomerase II deficiency on the double-strand break (DSB) repair and genetic recombination in bacteriophage T4 were studied in vivo using focused recombination. Site-specific DSBs were induced by SegC endonuclease in the rIIB gene of one of the parents. The frequency/distance relationship was determined in crosses of the wild-type phage, topoisomerase II mutant amN116 (gene 39), and primase mutant E219 (gene 61). Ordinary two-factor (i×j) and three-factor (i k×j) crosses between point rII mutations were also performed. These data provide information about the frequency and distance distribution of the single-exchange (splice) and double-exchange (patch) events. In two-factor crosses ets1×i, the topoisomerase and primase mutants had similar recombinant frequencies in crosses at ets1-i distances longer than 1000 bp, comprising about 80% of the corresponding wild-type values. They, however, differ remarkably in crosses at shorter distances. In the primase mutant, the recombinant frequencies are similar to those in the wild-type crosses at distances less than 100 bp, being a bit diminished at longer distances. In two-factor crosses ets1×i of the topoisomerase mutant, the recombinant frequencies were reduced ten-fold at the shortest distances. In three-factor crosses a6 ets1×i, where we measure patch-related recombination, the primase mutant was quite proficient across the entire range of distances. The topoisomerase mutant crosses demonstrated virtually complete absence of rII(+) recombinants at distances up to 33 bp, with the frequencies increasing steadily at longer distances. The data were interpreted as follows. The primase mutant is fully recombination-proficient. An obvious difference from the wild-type state is some shortage of EndoVII function leading to prolonged existence of HJs and thus stretched out ds-branch migration. This is also true for the topoisomerase mutant. However, the latter is deficient in the ss

  6. Reduction of postreplication DNA repair in two Escherichia coli mutants with temperature-sensitive polymerase III activity: implications for the postreplication repair pathway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, R.C.

    1978-01-01

    Daughter strand gaps are secondary lesions caused by interrupted DNA synthesis in the proximity of uv-induced pyrimidine dimers. The relative roles of DNA recombination and de novo DNA synthesis in filling such gaps have not been clarified, although both are required for complete closure. In this study, the Escherichia coli E486 and E511 dnaE(Ts) mutants, in which DNA polymerase I but not DNA polymerase III is active at 43 0 C, were examined. Both mutants demonstrated reduced gap closure in comparison with the progenitor strain at the nonpermissive temperature. These results and those of previous studies support the hypothesis that both DNA polymerase I and DNA polymerase III contribute to gap closure, suggesting a cooperative effort in the repair of each gap. Benzoylated, naphthoylated diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography analysis for persistence of single-strand DNA in the absence of DNA polymerase III activity suggested that de novo DNA synthesis initiates the filling of daughter strand gaps

  7. Mapping the heparin-binding site of the BMP antagonist gremlin by site-directed mutagenesis based on predictive modelling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatsinkam, Arnold Junior; Mulloy, Barbara; Rider, Christopher C

    2015-08-15

    Gremlin is a member of the CAN (cerberus and DAN) family of secreted BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) antagonists and also an agonist of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) receptor-2. It is critical in limb skeleton and kidney development and is re-expressed during tissue fibrosis. Gremlin binds strongly to heparin and heparan sulfate and, in the present study, we sought to investigate its heparin-binding site. In order to explore a putative non-contiguous binding site predicted by computational molecular modelling, we substituted a total of 11 key arginines and lysines located in three basic residue sequence clusters with homologous sequences from cerberus and DAN (differential screening selected gene abberative in neuroblastoma), CAN proteins which lack basic residues in these positions. A panel of six Myc-tagged gremlin mutants, MGR-1-MGR-6 (MGR, mutant gremlin), each containing different combinations of targeted substitutions, all showed markedly reduced affinity for heparin as demonstrated by their NaCl elution on heparin affinity chromatography, thus verifying our predictions. Both MGR-5 and MGR-6 retained BMP-4-binding activity comparable to that of wild-type gremlin. Low-molecular-mass heparin neither promoted nor inhibited BMP-4 binding. Finally, glutaraldehyde cross-linking demonstrated that gremlin forms non-covalent dimers, similar behaviour to that of DAN and also PRDC (protein related to cerberus and DAN), another CAN protein. The resulting dimer would possess two heparin-binding sites, each running along an exposed surface on the second β-strand finger loop of one of the monomers. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

  8. SUMO-2 and PIAS1 Modulate Insoluble Mutant Huntingtin Protein Accumulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Gire O’Rourke

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available A key feature in Huntington disease (HD is the accumulation of mutant Huntingtin (HTT protein, which may be regulated by posttranslational modifications. Here, we define the primary sites of SUMO modification in the amino-terminal domain of HTT, show modification downstream of this domain, and demonstrate that HTT is modified by the stress-inducible SUMO-2. A systematic study of E3 SUMO ligases demonstrates that PIAS1 is an E3 SUMO ligase for both HTT SUMO-1 and SUMO-2 modification and that reduction of dPIAS in a mutant HTT Drosophila model is protective. SUMO-2 modification regulates accumulation of insoluble HTT in HeLa cells in a manner that mimics proteasome inhibition and can be modulated by overexpression and acute knockdown of PIAS1. Finally, the accumulation of SUMO-2-modified proteins in the insoluble fraction of HD postmortem striata implicates SUMO-2 modification in the age-related pathogenic accumulation of mutant HTT and other cellular proteins that occurs during HD progression.

  9. A Phenotypic Screen for Functional Mutants of Human Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuru; Havel, Jocelyn; Beal, Peter A

    2015-11-20

    Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are RNA-editing enzymes responsible for the conversion of adenosine to inosine at specific locations in cellular RNAs. ADAR1 and ADAR2 are two members of the family that have been shown to be catalytically active. Earlier, we reported a phenotypic screen for the study of human ADAR2 using budding yeast S. cerevisiae as the host system. While this screen has been successfully applied to the study of ADAR2, it failed with ADAR1. Here, we report a new reporter that uses a novel editing substrate and is suitable for the study of ADAR1. We screened plasmid libraries with randomized codons for two important residues in human ADAR1 (G1007 and E1008). The screening results combined with in vitro deamination assays led to the identification of mutants that are more active than the wild type protein. Furthermore, a screen of the ADAR1 E1008X library with a reporter construct bearing an A•G mismatch at the editing site suggests one role for the residue at position 1008 is to sense the identity of the base pairing partner for the editing site adenosine. This work has provided a starting point for future in vitro evolution studies of ADAR1 and led to new insight into ADAR's editing site selectivity.

  10. Meta-diamide insecticides acting on distinct sites of RDL GABA receptor from those for conventional noncompetitive antagonists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakao, Toshifumi; Banba, Shinich; Nomura, Michikazu; Hirase, Kangetsu

    2013-04-01

    The RDL GABA receptor is an attractive target of insecticides. Here we demonstrate that meta-diamides [3-benzamido-N-(4-(perfluoropropan-2-yl)phenyl)benzamides] are a distinct class of RDL GABA receptor antagonists showing high insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura. We also suggest that the mode of action of the meta-diamides is distinct from that of conventional noncompetitive antagonists (NCAs), such as fipronil, picrotoxin, lindane, dieldrin, and α-endosulfan. Using a membrane potential assay, we examined the effects of the meta-diamide 3-benzamido-N-(2-bromo-4-(perfluoropropan-2-yl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-2-fluorobenzamide (meta-diamide 7) and NCAs on mutant Drosophila RDL GABA receptors expressed in Drosophila Mel-2 cells. NCAs had little or no inhibitory activity against at least one of the three mutant receptors (A2'S, A2'G, and A2'N), which were reported to confer resistance to NCAs. In contrast, meta-diamide 7 inhibited all three A2' mutant receptors, at levels comparable to its activity with the wild-type receptor. Furthermore, the A2'S·T6'V mutation almost abolished the inhibitory effects of all NCAs. However, meta-diamide 7 inhibited the A2'S・T6'S mutant receptor at the same level as its activity with the wild-type receptor. In contrast, a G336M mutation in the third transmembrane domain of the RDL GABA receptor abolished the inhibitory activities of meta-diamide 7, although the G336M mutation had little effect on the inhibitory activities of conventional NCAs. Molecular modeling studies also suggested that the binding site of meta-diamides was different from those of NCAs. Meta-diamide insecticides are expected to be prominent insecticides effective against A2' mutant RDL GABA receptors with a different mode of action. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Symbiotic N fixation of several soybean varieties and mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soertini, G.; Hendratno

    1988-01-01

    Symbiotic N fixation of several soybean varieties and mutants. Research activities comprising of three experiments were carried out to screen several soybean varieties and mutants for symbiotic N fixation potential. The first two experiments involved screening of seven rhizobium strains/isolate for effective N fixation. Depending on the medium used, plant response to strains was different. In sterile medium, rhizobium strain USDA 136, 142 and TAL 102 showed a high nitrogen fixation potential. In soil only rhizobium strain USDA 110 had better performance and proved to be competitive to the native strains. Nitrogen-15 dilution method was used to screen nitrogen fixing ability of several soybean varieties and mutants. Guntur variety showed a better response to high dose of N fertilizer without disturbance in its fixing ability. This variety then was considered good to be introduced in the cropping system. (author). 8 refs

  12. Genetic and Biochemical Analysis of Intragenic Complementation Events among Nitrate Reductase Apoenzyme-Deficient Mutants of Nicotiana Plumbaginifolia

    OpenAIRE

    Pelsy, F.; Gonneau, M.

    1991-01-01

    Intragenic complementation has been observed between apoenzyme nitrate reductase-deficient mutants (nia) of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. In vivo as in vitro, the NADH-nitrate reductase (NR) activity in plants heterozygous for two different nia alleles was lower than in the wild type plant, but the plants were able to grow on nitrate as a sole nitrogen source. NR activity, absent in extracts of homozygous nia mutants was restored by mixing extracts from two complementing nia mutants. These obser...

  13. Potent inhibition of HIV-1 replication by a Tat mutant.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luke W Meredith

    Full Text Available Herein we describe a mutant of the two-exon HIV-1 Tat protein, termed Nullbasic, that potently inhibits multiple steps of the HIV-1 replication cycle. Nullbasic was created by replacing the entire arginine-rich basic domain of wild type Tat with glycine/alanine residues. Like similarly mutated one-exon Tat mutants, Nullbasic exhibited transdominant negative effects on Tat-dependent transactivation. However, unlike previously reported mutants, we discovered that Nullbasic also strongly suppressed the expression of unspliced and singly-spliced viral mRNA, an activity likely caused by redistribution and thus functional inhibition of HIV-1 Rev. Furthermore, HIV-1 virion particles produced by cells expressing Nullbasic had severely reduced infectivity, a defect attributable to a reduced ability of the virions to undergo reverse transcription. Combination of these inhibitory effects on transactivation, Rev-dependent mRNA transport and reverse transcription meant that permissive cells constitutively expressing Nullbasic were highly resistant to a spreading infection by HIV-1. Nullbasic and its activities thus provide potential insights into the development of potent antiviral therapeutics that target multiple stages of HIV-1 infection.

  14. Activation of the JNK pathway is essential for transformation by the Met oncogene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, G A; Park, M; Schlessinger, J

    1997-05-15

    The Met/Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) receptor tyrosine kinase is oncogenically activated through a rearrangement that creates a hybrid gene Tpr-Met. The resultant chimeric p65(Tpr-Met) protein is constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in vivo and associates with a number of SH2-containing signaling molecules including the p85 subunit of PI-3 kinase and the Grb2 adaptor protein, which couples receptor tyrosine kinases to the Ras signaling pathway. Mutation of the binding site for Grb2 impairs the ability of Tpr-Met oncoprotein to transform fibroblasts, suggesting that the activation of the Ras/MAP kinase signaling pathway through Grb2 may be essential for cellular transformation. To test this hypothesis dominant-negative mutants of Grb2 with deletions of the SH3 domains were introduced into Tpr-Met transformed fibroblasts. Cells overexpressing the mutants were found to be morphologically reverted and exhibited reduced growth in soft agar. Surprisingly, the Grb2 mutants blocked activation of the JNK/SAPK but not MAP kinase activity induced by the Tpr-Met oncoprotein. Additionally, cells expressing dominant-negative Grb2 mutants had reduced PI-3-kinase activity and dominant-negative mutants of Rac1 blocked both Tpr-Met-induced transformation and activation of JNK. These experiments reveal a novel link between Met and the JNK pathway, which is essential for transformation by this oncogene.

  15. Identification of a divalent metal cation binding site in herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP8 required for HSV replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, Kevin F; Yan, Zhipeng; Dreyfus, David H; Knipe, David M

    2012-06-01

    Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP8 is a single-stranded DNA-binding protein that is necessary for viral DNA replication and exhibits recombinase activity in vitro. Alignment of the HSV-1 ICP8 amino acid sequence with ICP8 homologs from other herpesviruses revealed conserved aspartic acid (D) and glutamic acid (E) residues. Amino acid residue D1087 was conserved in every ICP8 homolog analyzed, indicating that it is likely critical for ICP8 function. We took a genetic approach to investigate the functions of the conserved ICP8 D and E residues in HSV-1 replication. The E1086A D1087A mutant form of ICP8 failed to support the replication of an ICP8 mutant virus in a complementation assay. E1086A D1087A mutant ICP8 bound DNA, albeit with reduced affinity, demonstrating that the protein is not globally misfolded. This mutant form of ICP8 was also recognized by a conformation-specific antibody, further indicating that its overall structure was intact. A recombinant virus expressing E1086A D1087A mutant ICP8 was defective in viral replication, viral DNA synthesis, and late gene expression in Vero cells. A class of enzymes called DDE recombinases utilize conserved D and E residues to coordinate divalent metal cations in their active sites. We investigated whether the conserved D and E residues in ICP8 were also required for binding metal cations and found that the E1086A D1087A mutant form of ICP8 exhibited altered divalent metal binding in an in vitro iron-induced cleavage assay. These results identify a novel divalent metal cation-binding site in ICP8 that is required for ICP8 functions during viral replication.

  16. Deoxyribonucleic acid repair in Escherichia coli mutants deficient in the 5'----3' exonuclease activity of deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase I and exonuclease VII

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chase, J.W.; Masker, W.E.

    1977-01-01

    A series of Escherichia coli strains deficient in the 5'----3' exonuclease activity associated with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase I (exonuclease VI) and exonuclease VII has been constructed. Both of these enzymes are capable of pyrimidine dimer excision in vitro. These strains were examined for conditional lethality, sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) and X-irradiation, postirradiation DNA degradation, and ability to excise pyrimidine dimers. It was found that strains deficient in both exonuclease VI (polAex-) and exonuclease VII (xseA-) are significantly reduced in their ability to survive incubation at elevated temperature (43 degrees C) beyond the reduction previously observed for the polAex single mutants. The UV and X-ray sensitivity of the exonuclease VI-deficient strains was not increased by the addition of the xseA7 mutation. Mutants deficient in both enzymes are about as efficient as wild-type strains at excising dimers produced by up to 40 J/m2 UV. At higher doses strains containing only polAex- mutations show reduced ability to excise dimers; however, the interpretation of dimer excision data at these doses is complicated by extreme postirradiation DNA degradation in these strains. The additional deficiency in the polAex xseA7 double-mutant strains has no significant effect on either postirradiation DNA degradation or the apparent deficiency in dimer excision at high UV doses observed in polAex single mutants

  17. Mutant uromodulin expression leads to altered homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum and activates the unfolded protein response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Céline Schaeffer

    Full Text Available Uromodulin is the most abundant urinary protein in physiological conditions. It is exclusively produced by renal epithelial cells lining the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (TAL and it plays key roles in kidney function and disease. Mutations in UMOD, the gene encoding uromodulin, cause autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease uromodulin-related (ADTKD-UMOD, characterised by hyperuricemia, gout and progressive loss of renal function. While the primary effect of UMOD mutations, retention in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, is well established, its downstream effects are still largely unknown. To gain insight into ADTKD-UMOD pathogenesis, we performed transcriptional profiling and biochemical characterisation of cellular models (immortalised mouse TAL cells of robust expression of wild type or mutant GFP-tagged uromodulin. In this model mutant uromodulin accumulation in the ER does not impact on cell viability and proliferation. Transcriptional profiling identified 109 genes that are differentially expressed in mutant cells relative to wild type ones. Up-regulated genes include several ER resident chaperones and protein disulphide isomerases. Consistently, pathway enrichment analysis indicates that mutant uromodulin expression affects ER function and protein homeostasis. Interestingly, mutant uromodulin expression induces the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR, and specifically the IRE1 branch, as shown by an increased splicing of XBP1. Consistent with UPR induction, we show increased interaction of mutant uromodulin with ER chaperones Bip, calnexin and PDI. Using metabolic labelling, we also demonstrate that while autophagy plays no role, mutant protein is partially degraded by the proteasome through ER-associated degradation. Our work demonstrates that ER stress could play a central role in ADTKD-UMOD pathogenesis. This sets the bases for future work to develop novel therapeutic strategies through modulation of ER homeostasis and

  18. Mutant alcohol dehydrogenase leads to improved ethanol tolerance in Clostridium thermocellum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, Steven D [ORNL; Guss, Adam M [ORNL; Karpinets, Tatiana V [ORNL; Parks, Jerry M [ORNL; Smolin, Nikolai [ORNL; Yang, Shihui [ORNL; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Klingeman, Dawn Marie [ORNL; Bhandiwad, Ashwini [Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth; Rodriguez, Jr., Miguel [ORNL; Raman, Babu [Dow Chemical Company, The; Shao, Xiongjun [Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth; Mielenz, Jonathan R [ORNL; Smith, Jeremy C [ORNL; Keller, Martin [ORNL; Lynd, Lee R [Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth

    2011-01-01

    Clostridium thermocellum is a thermophilic, obligately anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium that is a candidate microorganism for converting cellulosic biomass into ethanol through consolidated bioprocessing. Ethanol intolerance is an important metric in terms of process economics, and tolerance has often been described as a complex and likely multigenic trait for which complex gene interactions come into play. Here, we resequence the genome of an ethanol-tolerant mutant, show that the tolerant phenotype is primarily due to a mutated bifunctional acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adhE), hypothesize based on structural analysis that cofactor specificity may be affected, and confirm this hypothesis using enzyme assays. Biochemical assays confirm a complete loss of NADH-dependent activity with concomitant acquisition of NADPH-dependent activity, which likely affects electron flow in the mutant. The simplicity of the genetic basis for the ethanol-tolerant phenotype observed here informs rational engineering of mutant microbial strains for cellulosic ethanol production.

  19. Crystallization and crystallographic analysis of the Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064 DhaA mutant DhaA31 and its complex with 1,2,3-trichloropropane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahoda, Maryna; Chaloupkova, Radka; Stsiapanava, Alena; Damborsky, Jiri; Kuta Smatanova, Ivana

    2011-03-01

    Haloalkane dehalogenases hydrolyze carbon-halogen bonds in a wide range of halogenated aliphatic compounds. The potential use of haloalkane dehalogenases in bioremediation applications has stimulated intensive investigation of these enzymes and their engineering. The mutant DhaA31 was constructed to degrade the anthropogenic compound 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) using a new strategy. This strategy enhances activity towards TCP by decreasing the accessibility of the active site to water molecules, thereby promoting formation of the activated complex. The structure of DhaA31 will help in understanding the structure-function relationships involved in the improved dehalogenation of TCP. The mutant protein DhaA31 was crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion technique and crystals of DhaA31 in complex with TCP were obtained using soaking experiments. Both crystals belonged to the triclinic space group P1. Diffraction data were collected to high resolution: to 1.31 Å for DhaA31 and to 1.26 Å for DhaA31 complexed with TCP.

  20. Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program: Mid-FY 1991 report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ashwood, T.L.; Wickliff, D.S.; Morrissey, C.M.

    1991-10-01

    This report summarizes the activities of the Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program (ASEMP) from October 1990 through March 1991. The ASEMP was established in 1989 by Solid Waste Operations and the Environmental Sciences Division to provide early detection and performance monitoring at active low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal sites in Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 6 and transuranic (TRU) waste storage sites in SWSA 5 as required by chapters II and III of US Department of Energy Order 5820.2A. Monitoring results continue to demonstrate the no LLW is being leached from the storage vaults on the tumulus pads. Loading of vaults on Tumulus II began during this reporting period and 115 vaults had been loaded by the end of March 1991.

  1. Genetic fingerprinting of mutant rose cultivars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, S; Prasad, K V; Singh, K P; Singh, A.P. [Division of Floriculture and Landscaping, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi (India)], E-mail: kvprasad66@gmail.com

    2008-07-01

    Six rose mutants evolved at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi from four parent cultivars were characterized based on RAPD markers. Contrary to the earlier findings our effort has conclusively proven that the RAPD markers are indeed robust tools to discern the mutants from their parents. Among 40 primers screened, 7 primers produced inconsistent banding pattern. The number of polymorphic bands varied between 4 (OPA 14) and 10 (OPA1) with an average of 6.5 bands per primer. The percentage polymorphism ranged from 62.5 (OPM 9) to 100 percent (OPA 1). Most of the primers produced monomorphic bands between parent and mutant rose cultivars. When primer OPA 2 was used a specific band of 2.5 kb was noticed in mutant cv. Pusa Urmil and cv. Pusa Abhishek but was absent in parent cv. Jantar Mantar. A polymorphic band of 750 bp was noticed in the parent Kiss of Fire and helped in differentiating the parent from its mutant when amplified with OPK 3. Primer OPS 16 produced discriminatory band of 800 bp in mutant cv. Pink Sport of Montezuma while it was absent in its parent cv. Montezuma. Another specific band of 650 bp was present in parent cv. Montezuma and absent in its mutant cv. Pink Sport of Montezuma signifying the uniqueness of the mutant. Primer OPM 5 brought out distinct polymorphism among the parent Jantar Mantar and its three mutants with absence of a specific band of 1.5 kb in the parent. The four parents and 6 mutants were divided into four distinct groups in the Dendogram constructed by UPGMA method. The most genetically similar cultivar among the 10 cultivars analyzed are Montezuma and its pink sport of Montezuma whereas Abhisarika a mutant of cv. Kiss of Fire was distinctly different and formed a separate cluster. (author)

  2. From one body mutant to one cell mutant. A progress of radiation breeding in crops

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagatomi, Shigeki

    1996-01-01

    An effective method was established to obtain non-chimeral mutants with wide spectrum of flower colors, regenerated from floral organs on which mutated sectors were come out on chronic irradiated plants. By this way, six mutant varieties of flower colors have been selected from one pink flower of chrysanthemum, and cultivated for cut-flower production. By the same method, 3 mutant varieties with small and spray type flowers were selected in Eustoma. Mutant varieties such as a rust disease resistant in sugarcane, 6 dwarfs in Cytisus and pure-white mushroom in velvet shank have been selected successively for short period. (J.P.N.)

  3. Structure-Activity Relationship and Molecular Mechanics Reveal the Importance of Ring Entropy in the Biosynthesis and Activity of a Natural Product.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Hai L; Lexa, Katrina W; Julien, Olivier; Young, Travis S; Walsh, Christopher T; Jacobson, Matthew P; Wells, James A

    2017-02-22

    Macrocycles are appealing drug candidates due to their high affinity, specificity, and favorable pharmacological properties. In this study, we explored the effects of chemical modifications to a natural product macrocycle upon its activity, 3D geometry, and conformational entropy. We chose thiocillin as a model system, a thiopeptide in the ribosomally encoded family of natural products that exhibits potent antimicrobial effects against Gram-positive bacteria. Since thiocillin is derived from a genetically encoded peptide scaffold, site-directed mutagenesis allows for rapid generation of analogues. To understand thiocillin's structure-activity relationship, we generated a site-saturation mutagenesis library covering each position along thiocillin's macrocyclic ring. We report the identification of eight unique compounds more potent than wild-type thiocillin, the best having an 8-fold improvement in potency. Computational modeling of thiocillin's macrocyclic structure revealed a striking requirement for a low-entropy macrocycle for activity. The populated ensembles of the active mutants showed a rigid structure with few adoptable conformations while inactive mutants showed a more flexible macrocycle which is unfavorable for binding. This finding highlights the importance of macrocyclization in combination with rigidifying post-translational modifications to achieve high-potency binding.

  4. [Mutant prevention concentrations of antibacterial agents to ocular pathogenic bacteria].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Qing-Feng; Wang, Zhi-Qun; Li, Ran; Luo, Shi-Yun; Deng, Shi-Jing; Sun, Xu-Guang

    2009-01-01

    To establish a method to measure mutant prevention concentration (MPC) in vitro, and to measure MPC of antibacterial agents for ocular bacteria caused keratitis. It was an experimental study. Forty strains of ocular bacteria were separated from cornea in Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, which included 8 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the levofloxacin (LVF), ofloxacin (OFL), ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NFL), tobramycin (TOB) and chloromycetin (CHL) were determined by agar dilution method from National Committee of Clinical Laboratory Standard (NCCLS). The MPC were measured by accumulate-bacterial methods with bacterial population inoculated more than 1.2 x 10(10) colony forming units per milliliter with Mueller-Hinton broth and tryptic soy agar plate. With the software of SPSS 11.0, the datum such as the range of MIC, MPC, MIC90 and MPC90 were calculated, and the selection index (MPC90/ MI90) and mutant selection window (MSW) were obtained. The MI90 of LVF and TOB (4 mg/L) to Staphylococcus aureus strains were the lowest. CIP showed the lowest MIC90 (0.25 mg/L) to Pseudomonas aeruginosa among six kinds of antibacterial agents. The MIC90 of LVF to Staphylococcus epidermidis (256 mg/L), Streptococcus pneumoniae (1 mg/L) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (0.25 mg/L) were lower than other antibacterial agents. The MPC90, MSW and the MPC90/MIC90 of levofloxacin showed lower values compared with other antibacterial medicines. From all the datum, the MIC90 of CHL was the highest and the activity was the weakest. Although the activity of LVF was higher to every kind of bacteria, CIP had the highest activity antibacterial to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The capacity of CHL and TOB was weaker than Quinolones for restricting resistant mutants on ocular bacteria. LVF had the strongest capacity for restricting resistant

  5. Klipperaas study site. Scope of activities and main results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahlbom, K.; Andersson, J.E.; Andersson, Peter; Ittner, T.; Tiren, S.; Ljunggren, C.

    1992-09-01

    During the period from 1977 - 1986 SKB (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co.) performed surface and borehole investigations of 14 study sites for the purpose of assessing their suitability for a repository of spent nuclear fuel. The next phase in the SKB site selection rpogramme will be to perform detailed characterisation, including characterization from shafts and/or tunnels, of two or three sites. The detailed investigations will continue over several years to provide all the data needed for a licensing application to build a repository. Such an application is foreseen to be given to the authorities around the year 2003. It is presently not clear if any of the study sites will be selected as a site for detailed characterization. Other sites with geological and/or socio-economical characteristics judged more favorable may very well be the ones selected. However, as a part of the background documentation needed for the site selection studies to come, summary reports will be prepared for most study sites. These reports will include scope of activities, main results, uncertainties and need of complementary investigations. This report concern the Klipperaas study site. The main topics are the scope of activities, geologic model, geohydrological model, groundwater chemistry, assessment of solute transport, and rock mechanics

  6. Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program: FY 1990 annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wickliff, D.S.; Morrissey, C.M.; Ashwood, T.L.

    1991-10-01

    Chapter 3 of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A (DOE 1988) sets forth requirements for environmental monitoring of active low-level waste (LLW) disposal sites. Active sites are defined as those LLW facilities that were in use on or after the date of the order (September 1988). The transuranic (TRU) waste storage areas in Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 5 North are covered by Chap. 2 of the order. In both chapters, monitoring is required to provide for early warning of leaks before those leaks pose a threat to human health or the environment. Chapter 3 also requires that monitoring be conducted to evaluate the short- and long-term performance of LLW disposal facilities. In accordance with this order, the Solid Waste Operations Department at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has established an Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program (ASEMP) that is implemented by staff of the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at ORNL. This report summarizes data from ASEMP monitoring activities for the final 6 months of FY 1990. A brief summary of the monitoring methodology for each site is presented also

  7. Ligand uptake in Mycobacterium tuberculosis truncated hemoglobins is controlled by both internal tunnels and active site water molecules [version 2; referees: 2 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignacio Boron

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of human tuberculosis, has two proteins belonging to the truncated hemoglobin (trHb family. Mt-trHbN presents well-defined internal hydrophobic tunnels that allow O2 and •ŸNO to migrate easily from the solvent to the active site, whereas Mt-trHbO possesses tunnels interrupted by a few bulky residues, particularly a tryptophan at position G8. Differential ligand migration rates allow Mt-trHbN to detoxify Ÿ•NO, a crucial step for pathogen survival once under attack by the immune system, much more efficiently than Mt-trHbO. In order to investigate the differences between these proteins, we performed experimental kinetic measurements, Ÿ•NO decomposition, as well as molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type Mt-trHbN and two mutants, VG8F and VG8W. These mutations affect both the tunnels accessibility as well as the affinity of distal site water molecules, thus modifying the ligand access to the iron. We found that a single mutation allows Mt-trHbN to acquire ligand migration rates comparable to those observed for Mt-trHbO, confirming that ligand migration is regulated by the internal tunnel architecture as well as by water molecules stabilized in the active site.

  8. A C-terminal, cysteine-rich site in poliovirus 2C(ATPase) is required for morphogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chunling; Ma, Hsin-Chieh; Wimmer, Eckard; Jiang, Ping; Paul, Aniko V

    2014-06-01

    The morphogenesis of viruses belonging to the genus Enterovirus in the family Picornaviridae is still poorly understood despite decades-long investigations. However, we recently provided evidence that 2C(ATPase) gives specificity to poliovirus encapsidation through an interaction with capsid protein VP3. The polypeptide 2C(ATPase) is a highly conserved non-structural protein of enteroviruses with important roles in RNA replication, encapsidation and uncoating. We have identified a site (K279/R280) near the C terminus of the polypeptide that is required for morphogenesis. The aim of the current project was to search for additional functional sites near the C terminus of the 2C(ATPase) polypeptide, with particular interest in those that are required for encapsidation. We selected for analysis a cysteine-rich site of the polypeptide and constructed four mutants in which cysteines or a histidine was changed to an alanine. The RNA transcripts were transfected into HeLa cells yielding two lethal, one temperature-sensitive and one quasi-infectious mutants. All four mutants exhibited normal protein translation in vitro and three of them possessed severe RNA replication defects. The quasi-infectious mutant (C286A) yielded variants with a pseudo-reversion at the original site (A286D), but some also contained one additional mutation: A138V or M293V. The temperature-sensitive mutant (C272A/H273A) exhibited an encapsidation and possibly also an uncoating defect at 37 °C. Variants of this mutant revealed suppressor mutations at three different sites in the 2C(ATPase) polypeptide: A138V, M293V and K295R. We concluded that the cysteine-rich site near the C terminus of 2C(ATPase) is involved in encapsidation, possibly through an interaction with an upstream segment located between boxes A and B of the nucleotide-binding domain. © 2014 The Authors.

  9. Tritium activities in selected wells on the Nevada Test Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyles, B.F.

    1993-05-01

    Literature and data were reviewed related to radionuclides in groundwater on and near the Nevada Test Site. No elevated tritium activities have been reported outside of the major testing regions of the Nevada Test Site. Three wells were identified as having water with above-background (>50 pCi/l) tritium activities: UE-15d Water Well; USGS Water Well A; and USGS Test Well B Ex. Although none of these wells have tritium activities greater than the Nevada State Drinking Water standard (20,000 pCi/l), their time-series tritium trends may be indicative to potential on-site radionuclide migration

  10. Induction of Mutants in Durum Wheat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AL-Ubaidi, M.; Ibrahim, I.; AL-Hadithi, A.

    2002-01-01

    This investigation presents a breeding program for induction and development of a new genotype of durum wheat, resistant to lodging with high yield, by irradiation durum wheat hybrids (F2) with gamma rays 100 Gy, during 1990-1997 cultivation seasons. This program involves: induction of variability, selection evaluation of the mutants at three locations: Twaitha (Baghdad) Latifya ( Babylon) and Swari (Kutt). All mutants showed resistance to lodging and there was a significant reduction in plant height. Mutant SIXIZ-22 surpassed other mutants and its origin in lodging resistance and plant height (83.5,82.8 and 89.4 cm) in the three locations at generation M5 and M6, respectively. Also, there were significant differences between mutant and their origin in the number of spikes/M 2 and grain yild during the two successive generation. On the other hand, mutant IZxCO-105 surpassed other mutants in the number of spikes/M 2 (231.8,242.3 and 292) and grain yield (4336,3376 and 5232 kg/ha) in all testing location, respectively . (authors) 14 refs., 4 tabs

  11. Cotton leaf curl Burewala virus with intact or mutant transcriptional activator proteins: complexity of cotton leaf curl disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Jitendra; Gunapati, Samatha; Alok, Anshu; Lalit, Adarsh; Gadre, Rekha; Sharma, Naresh C; Roy, Joy K; Singh, Sudhir P

    2015-05-01

    Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is a serious disease of cotton on the Indian subcontinent. In the present study, three cotton leaf curl viruses, cotton leaf curl Burewala virus (CLCuBuV), cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus (CLCuKoV) and cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMV), and their associated satellites, cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB) and cotton leaf curl Multan alphasatellite (CLCuMA), were detected. CLCuBuV with either intact (CLCuBuV-1) or mutant (CLCuBuV-2) transcriptional activator protein (TrAP) were detected in different plants. Agroinoculation with CLCuBuV-1 or CLCuBuV-2 together with CLCuMB and CLCuMA, resulted in typical leaf curling and stunting of tobacco plants. Inoculation with CLCuKoV or an isolate of CLCuMV (CLCuMV-2), together with CLCuMB and CLCuMA, induced severe leaf curling, while the other isolate of CLCuMV (CLCuMV-1), which was recombinant in origin, showed mild leaf curling in tobacco. To investigate the effect of intact or mutant TrAP and also the recombination events, CLCuBuV-1, CLCuBuV-2, CLCuMV-1 or CLCuMV-2 together with the satellites (CLCuMA and CLCuMB) were transferred to cotton via whitefly-mediated transmission. Cotton plants containing CLCuBuV-1, CLCuBuV-2 or CLCuMV-2 together with satellites showed curling and stunting, whereas the plants having CLCuMV-1 and the satellites showed only mild and indistinguishable symptoms. CLCuBuV-1 (intact TrAP) showed severe symptoms in comparison to CLCuBuV-2 (mutant TrAP). The present study reveals that two types of CLCuBuV, one with an intact TrAP and the other with a mutant TrAP, exist in natural infection of cotton in India. Additionally, CLCuMuV-1, which has a recombinant origin, induces mild symptoms in comparison to the other CLCuMV isolates.

  12. Development of METAL-ACTIVE SITE and ZINCCLUSTER tool to predict active site pockets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajitha, M; Sundar, K; Arul Mugilan, S; Arumugam, S

    2018-03-01

    The advent of whole genome sequencing leads to increasing number of proteins with known amino acid sequences. Despite many efforts, the number of proteins with resolved three dimensional structures is still low. One of the challenging tasks the structural biologists face is the prediction of the interaction of metal ion with any protein for which the structure is unknown. Based on the information available in Protein Data Bank, a site (METALACTIVE INTERACTION) has been generated which displays information for significant high preferential and low-preferential combination of endogenous ligands for 49 metal ions. User can also gain information about the residues present in the first and second coordination sphere as it plays a major role in maintaining the structure and function of metalloproteins in biological system. In this paper, a novel computational tool (ZINCCLUSTER) is developed, which can predict the zinc metal binding sites of proteins even if only the primary sequence is known. The purpose of this tool is to predict the active site cluster of an uncharacterized protein based on its primary sequence or a 3D structure. The tool can predict amino acids interacting with a metal or vice versa. This tool is based on the occurrence of significant triplets and it is tested to have higher prediction accuracy when compared to that of other available techniques. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. High-throughput screening of cellulase F mutants from multiplexed plasmid sets using an automated plate assay on a functional proteomic robotic workcell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qureshi Nasib

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The field of plasmid-based functional proteomics requires the rapid assay of proteins expressed from plasmid libraries. Automation is essential since large sets of mutant open reading frames are being cloned for evaluation. To date no integrated automated platform is available to carry out the entire process including production of plasmid libraries, expression of cloned genes, and functional testing of expressed proteins. Results We used a functional proteomic assay in a multiplexed setting on an integrated plasmid-based robotic workcell for high-throughput screening of mutants of cellulase F, an endoglucanase from the anaerobic fungus Orpinomyces PC-2. This allowed us to identify plasmids containing optimized clones expressing mutants with improved activity at lower pH. A plasmid library of mutagenized clones of the celF gene with targeted variations in the last four codons was constructed by site-directed PCR mutagenesis and transformed into Escherichia coli. A robotic picker integrated into the workcell was used to inoculate medium in a 96-well deep well plate, combining the transformants into a multiplexed set in each well, and the plate was incubated on the workcell. Plasmids were prepared from the multiplexed culture on the liquid handler component of the workcell and used for in vitro transcription/translation. The multiplexed expressed recombinant proteins were screened for improved activity and stability in an azo-carboxymethylcellulose plate assay. The multiplexed wells containing mutants with improved activity were identified and linked back to the corresponding multiplexed cultures stored in glycerol. Spread plates were prepared from the glycerol stocks and the workcell was used to pick single colonies from the spread plates, prepare plasmid, produce recombinant protein, and assay for activity. The screening assay and subsequent deconvolution of the multiplexed wells resulted in identification of improved Cel

  14. Genetic Recombination at the Buff Spore Color Locus in SORDARIA BREVICOLLIS. II. Analysis of Flanking Marker Behavior in Crosses between Buff Mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, H; Whitehouse, H L

    1983-02-01

    Aberrant asci containing one or more wild-type spores were selected from crosses between pairs of alleles of the buff locus in the presence of closely linked flanking markers. Data were obtained relating to the site of aberrant segregation and the position of any associated crossover giving recombination of flanking markers. Aberrant segregation at a proximal site within the buff gene may be associated with a crossover proximal to the site of aberrant segregation or, with equal frequency, with a crossover distal to the site of the second mutant present in the cross. Similarly, segregation at a distal site may be associated with a crossover distal to the site or, with lower frequency, with a crossover proximal to the site of the proximal mutant present in the cross. Crossovers between the alleles were rare. This evidence for the relationship between hybrid DNA and crossing over is discussed in terms of current models for the mechanism of recombination.

  15. Transient elevation of element contents as a result of neuronal death in mutant-mice cerebellum studied by neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kranda, K.; Kucera, J.; Baeurle, J.

    2006-01-01

    Accumulation of some metals, in particular iron or manganese, has long been considered to trigger or accentuate neurodegenerative processes in humans. The two most frequently cited examples are Parkinson's and Alzheimer diseases, where excitotoxic processes lead to neuronal death. However, these neuropathies are somewhat unsuitable for investigating the time course of the metal accumulation because the applied analytical methods such as neutron activation analysis (NAA) are invasive. Hence, only one measurement can be made after the patient's death. Animal models of Parkinson's type neurodegeneration, such as mice mutants, are more suitable as a larger number of animals can be investigated at various postnatal ages. In this study we used one type of mice mutants weaver, where primary neurodegeneration is principally confined to the cerebellum and centred in time around the postnatal age of six days. Elemental composition of brain segments with dry mass as low as 0.5 mg, which were isolated from weaver and wild type (normal) mice were investigated using a combination of INAA and RNAA. Elevated concentration of the following elements Fe, Zn, Cu, K, Na, Rb, and Br that were observed in the weaver's cerebella closely followed the time course of neurodegeneration documented for this type of mutant. The transient elevation of these elements never preceded the onset of neurodegeneration but closely mirrored its time course reaching its peak on the sixth day. The concentration of these elements in the weaver's cerebella declined afterwards to converge on the elemental time course observed in the wild type mice. In conclusion, metal and other elemental elevation observed in the cerebella of these mutants are an expression of neurodegenerative processes rather than its precondition. (author)

  16. Zymogen Activation and Subcellular Activity of Subtilisin Kexin Isozyme 1/Site 1 Protease*

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Palma, Joel Ramos; Burri, Dominique Julien; Oppliger, Joël; Salamina, Marco; Cendron, Laura; de Laureto, Patrizia Polverino; Seidah, Nabil Georges; Kunz, Stefan; Pasquato, Antonella

    2014-01-01

    The proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin isozyme 1 (SKI-1)/site 1 protease (S1P) plays crucial roles in cellular homeostatic functions and is hijacked by pathogenic viruses for the processing of their envelope glycoproteins. Zymogen activation of SKI-1/S1P involves sequential autocatalytic processing of its N-terminal prodomain at sites B′/B followed by the herein newly identified C′/C sites. We found that SKI-1/S1P autoprocessing results in intermediates whose catalytic domain remains associated with prodomain fragments of different lengths. In contrast to other zymogen proprotein convertases, all incompletely matured intermediates of SKI-1/S1P showed full catalytic activity toward cellular substrates, whereas optimal cleavage of viral glycoproteins depended on B′/B processing. Incompletely matured forms of SKI-1/S1P further process cellular and viral substrates in distinct subcellular compartments. Using a cell-based sensor for SKI-1/S1P activity, we found that 9 amino acid residues at the cleavage site (P1–P8) and P1′ are necessary and sufficient to define the subcellular location of processing and to determine to what extent processing of a substrate depends on SKI-1/S1P maturation. In sum, our study reveals novel and unexpected features of SKI-1/S1P zymogen activation and subcellular specificity of activity toward cellular and pathogen-derived substrates. PMID:25378398

  17. Masking responses to light in period mutant mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendergast, Julie S; Yamazaki, Shin

    2011-10-01

    Masking is an acute effect of an external signal on an overt rhythm and is distinct from the process of entrainment. In the current study, we investigated the phase dependence and molecular mechanisms regulating masking effects of light pulses on spontaneous locomotor activity in mice. The circadian genes, Period1 (Per1) and Per2, are necessary components of the timekeeping machinery and entrainment by light appears to involve the induction of the expression of Per1 and Per2 mRNAs in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). We assessed the roles of the Per genes in regulating masking by assessing the effects of light pulses on nocturnal locomotor activity in C57BL/6J Per mutant mice. We found that Per1(-/-) and Per2(-/-) mice had robust negative masking responses to light. In addition, the locomotor activity of Per1(-/-)/Per2(-/-) mice appeared to be rhythmic in the light-dark (LD) cycle, and the phase of activity onset was advanced (but varied among individual mice) relative to lights off. This rhythm persisted for 1 to 2 days in constant darkness in some Per1(-/-)/Per2(-/-) mice. Furthermore, Per1(-/-)/Per2(-/-) mice exhibited robust negative masking responses to light. Negative masking was phase dependent in wild-type mice such that maximal suppression was induced by light pulses at zeitgeber time 14 (ZT14) and gradually weaker suppression occurred during light pulses at ZT16 and ZT18. By measuring the phase shifts induced by the masking protocol (light pulses were administered to mice maintained in the LD cycle), we found that the phase responsiveness of Per mutant mice was altered compared to wild-types. Together, our data suggest that negative masking responses to light are robust in Per mutant mice and that the Per1(-/-)/Per2(-/-) SCN may be a light-driven, weak/damping oscillator.

  18. Modulation of endotoxicity of Shigella generalized modules for membrane antigens (GMMA) by genetic lipid A modifications: relative activation of TLR4 and TLR2 pathways in different mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Omar; Pesce, Isabella; Giannelli, Carlo; Aprea, Susanna; Caboni, Mariaelena; Citiulo, Francesco; Valentini, Sara; Ferlenghi, Ilaria; MacLennan, Calman Alexander; D'Oro, Ugo; Saul, Allan; Gerke, Christiane

    2014-09-05

    Outer membrane particles from Gram-negative bacteria are attractive vaccine candidates as they present surface antigens in their natural context. We previously developed a high yield production process for genetically derived particles, called generalized modules for membrane antigens (GMMA), from Shigella. As GMMA are derived from the outer membrane, they contain immunostimulatory components, especially lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We examined ways of reducing their reactogenicity by modifying lipid A, the endotoxic part of LPS, through deletion of late acyltransferase genes, msbB or htrB, in GMMA-producing Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri strains. GMMA with resulting penta-acylated lipid A from the msbB mutants showed a 600-fold reduced ability, and GMMA from the S. sonnei ΔhtrB mutant showed a 60,000-fold reduced ability compared with GMMA with wild-type lipid A to stimulate human Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in a reporter cell line. In human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, GMMA with penta-acylated lipid A showed a marked reduction in induction of inflammatory cytokines (S. sonnei ΔhtrB, 800-fold; ΔmsbB mutants, 300-fold). We found that the residual activity of these GMMA is largely due to non-lipid A-related TLR2 activation. In contrast, in the S. flexneri ΔhtrB mutant, a compensatory lipid A palmitoleoylation resulted in GMMA with hexa-acylated lipid A with ∼10-fold higher activity to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells than GMMA with penta-acylated lipid A, mostly due to retained TLR4 activity. Thus, for use as vaccines, GMMA will likely require lipid A penta-acylation. The results identify the relative contributions of TLR4 and TLR2 activation by GMMA, which need to be taken into consideration for GMMA vaccine development. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Shp2 knockdown and Noonan/LEOPARD mutant Shp2-induced gastrulation defects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Jopling

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Shp2 is a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine phosphatase that is essential for normal development. Activating and inactivating mutations have been identified in humans to cause the related Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes, respectively. The cell biological cause of these syndromes remains to be determined. We have used the zebrafish to assess the role of Shp2 in early development. Here, we report that morpholino-mediated knockdown of Shp2 in zebrafish resulted in defects during gastrulation. Cell tracing experiments demonstrated that Shp2 knockdown induced defects in convergence and extension cell movements. In situ hybridization using a panel of markers indicated that cell fate was not affected by Shp2 knock down. The Shp2 knockdown-induced defects were rescued by active Fyn and Yes and by active RhoA. We generated mutants of Shp2 with mutations that were identified in human patients with Noonan or LEOPARD Syndrome and established that Noonan Shp2 was activated and LEOPARD Shp2 lacked catalytic protein-tyrosine phosphatase activity. Expression of Noonan or LEOPARD mutant Shp2 in zebrafish embryos induced convergence and extension cell movement defects without affecting cell fate. Moreover, these embryos displayed craniofacial and cardiac defects, reminiscent of human symptoms. Noonan and LEOPARD mutant Shp2s were not additive nor synergistic, consistent with the mutant Shp2s having activating and inactivating roles in the same signaling pathway. Our results demonstrate that Shp2 is required for normal convergence and extension cell movements during gastrulation and that Src family kinases and RhoA were downstream of Shp2. Expression of Noonan or LEOPARD Shp2 phenocopied the craniofacial and cardiac defects of human patients. The finding that defective Shp2 signaling induced cell movement defects as early as gastrulation may have implications for the monitoring and diagnosis of Noonan and LEOPARD syndrome.

  20. Occurrence of toxicity among protease, amylase, and color mutants of a nontoxic soy sauce koji mold

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalayanamitr, A.; Bhumiratana, A.; Flegel, T.W.; Glinsukon, T.; Shinmyo, A.

    1987-01-01

    A soy sauce koji mold, Aspergillus flavus var. columnaris Raper and Fennel (ATCC 44310), was treated with UV irradiation to obtain mutant strains possessing high protease activities, high amylase activities, and light-colored conidia. Selected mutant strains were tested for toxicity, and some were found acutely toxic to weanling rats, although all were negative for aflatoxin production

  1. Active sites environmental monitoring program FY 1997 annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrissey, C.M.; Marshall, D.S.; Cunningham, G.R.

    1998-03-01

    This report summarizes the activities conducted by the Active Sites Environmental Monitoring Program (ASEMP) from October 1996 through September 1997. The purpose of the program is to provide early detection and performance monitoring at active low-level waste (LLW) disposal sites in Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 6 and transuranic (TRU) waste storage sites in SWSA 5 North. This report continues a series of annual and semiannual reports that present the results of ASEMP monitoring activities. This report details monitoring results for fiscal year (FY) 1997 from SWSA 6, including the Interim Waste Management Facility (IWMF) and the Hillcut Disposal Test Facility (HDTF), and (2) TRU-waste storage areas in SWSA 5 N. This report presents a summary of the methodology used to gather data for each major area along with the FY 1997 results. Figures referenced in the text are found in Appendix A and data tables are presented in Appendix B

  2. Excision-repair in mutants of Escherichia coli deficient in DNA polymerase I and/or its associated 5'. -->. 3' exonuclease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, P [Stanford Univ., Calif. (USA). Dept. of Biological Sciences

    1977-01-01

    The UV sensitivity of E.coli mutants deficient in the 5'..-->..3' exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase I is intermediate between that of pol/sup +/ strains and mutants which are deficient in the polymerizing activity of pol I (polA1). Like polA1 mutants, the 5'-econuclease deficient mutants exhibit increased UV-induced DNA degradation and increased repair synthesis compared to a pol/sup +/ strain, although the increase is not as great as in polA1 or in the conditionally lethal mutant BT4113ts deficient in both polymerase I activities. When dimer excision was measured at UV doses low enough to avoid interference from extensive DNA degradation, all three classes of polymerase I deficient mutants were found to remove dimers efficiently from their DNA. We conclude that enzymes alternative to polymerase I can operate in both the excision and resynthesis steps of excision repair and that substitution for either of the polymerase I functions results in longer patches of repair. A model is proposed detailing the possible events in the alternative pathways.

  3. Root hair mutants of barley

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Engvild, K.C.; Rasmussen, K.

    2005-01-01

    Barley mutants without root hairs or with short or reduced root hairs were isolated among M 2 seeds of 'Lux' barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) after acidified sodium azide mutagenesis. Root hair mutants are investigated intensively in Arabidopsis where about 40 genes are known. A few root hair mutants are known in maize, rice, barley and tomato. Many plants without root hairs grow quite well with good plant nutrition, and mutants have been used for investigations of uptake of strongly bound nutrients like phosphorus, iron, zinc and silicon. Seed of 'Lux' barley (Sejet Plant Breeding, Denmark) were soaked overnight, and then treated with 1.5-millimolarsodium azide in 0.1 molar sodium phosphate buffer, pH 3, for 2.5 hours according to the IAEA Manual on Mutation Breeding (2nd Ed.). After rinsing in tap water and air-drying, the M 2 seeds were sown in the field the same day. Spikes, 4-6 per M 1 plant, were harvested. The mutation frequency was similar to that obtained with other barley cultivars from which low-phytate mutants were isolated [5]. Seeds were germinated on black filter paper in tap water for 3 or 4 days before scoring for root hair mutants

  4. Use of X-ray and gamma-induced mutants of lactic acid bacteria in the manufacture of dairy products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dilanian, Z; Makarian, K; Chuprina, D [Erevan Zootechnical and Veterinary Inst. (USSR). Chair of Dairying

    1976-04-01

    With the aid of X-ray and gamma irradiation were got mutants of lactic acid bacteria, which steadily retain acquired properties. Use of proteolytically active mutant strains in the production of armianski and sovetski cheeses shortened the time of their ripening and increased their quality. Gamma-mutant strain L. lactis 1621/I-M with high phenolstability was received and antibiotic activity with respect to some representatives of pathogenic microflora of the bowels. Use of this mutant in starters for sour milk products will raise their therapeutic effect against intestinal diseases. Deep morphological changes are taking place in lactic acid bacteria under the influence of ionizing radiation.

  5. Use of X-ray and gamma-induced mutants of lactic acid bacteria in the manufacture of dairy products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dilanian, Z.; Makarian, K.; Chuprina, D.

    1976-01-01

    With the aid of X-ray and gamma irradiation were got mutants of lactic acid bacteria, which steadily retain acquired properties. Use of proteolytically active mutant strains in the production of armianski and sovetski cheeses shortened the time of their ripening and increased their quality. Gamma-mutant strain L. lactis 1621/I-M with high phenolstability was received and antibiotic activity with respect to some representatives of pathogenic microflora of the bowels. Use of this mutant in starters for sour milk products will raise their therapeutic effect against intestinal diseases. Deep morphological changes are taking place in lactic acid bacteria under the influence of ionizing radiation. (orig.) [de

  6. Structural optimization of N1-aryl-benzimidazoles for the discovery of new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors active against wild-type and mutant HIV-1 strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monforte, Anna Maria; De Luca, Laura; Buemi, Maria Rosa; Agharbaoui, Fatima E; Pannecouque, Christophe; Ferro, Stefania

    2018-02-01

    Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are recommended components of preferred combination antiretroviral therapies used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These regimens are extremely effective in suppressing virus replication. Recently, our research group identified some N 1 -aryl-2-arylthioacetamido-benzimidazoles as a novel class of NNRTIs. In this research work we report the design, the synthesis and the structure-activity relationship studies of new compounds (20-34) in which some structural modifications have been introduced in order to investigate their effects on reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibition and to better define the features needed to increase the antiviral activity. Most of the new compounds proved to be highly effective in inhibiting both RT enzyme at nanomolar concentrations and HIV-1 replication in MT4 cells with minimal cytotoxicity. Among them, the most promising N 1 -aryl-2-arylthioacetamido-benzimidazoles and N 1 -aryl-2-aryloxyacetamido-benzimidazoles were also tested toward a panel of single- and double-mutants strain responsible for resistance to NNRTIs, showing in vitro antiviral activity toward single mutants L100I, K103N, Y181C, Y188L and E138K. The best results were observed for derivatives 29 and 33 active also against the double mutants F227L and V106A. Computational approaches were applied in order to rationalize the potency of the new synthesized inhibitors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Directed mutagenesis in Candida albicans: one-step gene disruption to isolate ura3 mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelly, R.; Miller, S.M.; Kurtz, M.B.; Kirsch, D.R.

    1987-01-01

    A method for introducing specific mutations into the diploid Candida albicans by one-step gene disruption and subsequent UV-induced recombination was developed. The cloned C. albicans URA3 gene was disrupted with the C. albicans ADE2 gene, and the linearized DNA was used for transformation of two ade2 mutants, SGY-129 and A81-Pu. Both an insertional inactivation of the URA3 gene and a disruption which results in a 4.0-kilobase deletion were made. Southern hybridization analyses demonstrated that the URA3 gene was disrupted on one of the chromosomal homologs in 15 of the 18 transformants analyzed. These analyses also revealed restriction site dimorphism of EcoRI at the URA3 locus which provides a unique marker to distinguish between chromosomal homologs. This enabled us to show that either homolog could be disrupted and that disrupted transformants of SGY-129 contained more than two copies of the URA3 locus. The A81-Pu transformants heterozygous for the ura3 mutations were rendered homozygous and Ura- by UV-induced recombination. The homozygosity of a deletion mutant and an insertion mutant was confirmed by Southern hybridization. Both mutants were transformed to Ura+ with plasmids containing the URA3 gene and in addition, were resistant to 5-fluoro-orotic acid, a characteristic of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ura3 mutants as well as of orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase mutants of other organisms

  8. Transcarboxylase (TC): demonstration by site-directed mutagenesis that methionines at the biotin site are essential for catalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, H.G.; Shenoy, B.C.; Kumar, G.K.; Paranjape, S.; Murtif, V.; Samols, D.

    1987-01-01

    All biotin enzymes that have thus far been sequenced contain a conserved region ALA MET BCT MET. Two possible roles of the conserved region are (i) for recognition of the specific lysine of the enzyme that is to be biotinated posttranslationally by the synthetase or (ii) for activation of the biotin to function as a carboxyl carrier. The BCT of TC is at residue 89 of the 1.3S subunit. By site-directed mutagenesis, single amino acid substitutions have been made giving LEU 88, THR 88 and LEU 90 and these mutant subunits have been expressed in E. coli and isolated. Catalysis by TC involves Partial Reactions: (1) - 00 14 CCH 2 COCOO - + 1.3S biotin pyruvate + 1.3S biotin-COO - catalyzed by the 5S subunit (2) 14 CH 3 CH( 14 COO - )COSCoA + 1.3S biotin CH 3 CH 2 COSCoA + 1.3S biotin- 14 COO - , catalyzed by the 12S subunit. The mutant subunits LEU 88 and THR 88 are inactive in Reaction 1. In Reaction 2, they are 8% as active as the 1.3S wild type. At 10 times the concentration of the wild type, they are 40% as active. The LEU 90 subunit is about 40% as active as wild type in both Reactions 1 and 2. Thus, the two METS are functionally not equivalent. What their catalytic roles are remains to be determined. Shenoy et al. have shown these modifications do not effect the synthetase reaction

  9. Up-regulation of granzyme B and perforin by staphylococcal enterotoxin C2 mutant induces enhanced cytotoxicity in Hepa1–6 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Guojun [Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.72 Wenhua Road Shenhe Dis., Shenyang, Liaoning (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Xu, Mingkai, E-mail: mkxu@iae.ac.cn [Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.72 Wenhua Road Shenhe Dis., Shenyang, Liaoning (China); Zhang, Huiwen [Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.72 Wenhua Road Shenhe Dis., Shenyang, Liaoning (China); Song, Yubo [Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.72 Wenhua Road Shenhe Dis., Shenyang, Liaoning (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Wang, Jian; Zhang, Chenggang [Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.72 Wenhua Road Shenhe Dis., Shenyang, Liaoning (China)

    2016-12-15

    Staphylococcal enterotoxin C2 (SEC2), a member of bacterial superantigen, is one of the most potent known activators of T lymphocytes. With this property, SEC2 has already been used in clinic as a tumor immunotherapy agent in China. To increase the antitumor activity, a SEC2 mutant named ST-4 (GKVTG102-106WWH) with amino acid substitutions in T cell receptor (TCR)-binding domain was generated by site-directed mutagenesis, and the molecular mechanism of the enhanced antitumor activity was investigated. Results showed that ST-4 could activate much more Vβ 8.2 and 8.3 T cells and NK cells compared with SEC2, and exhibited significantly enhanced immunocyte stimulation and antitumor activity in vitro. The synthetic peptide sequencing the residues of mutant TCR-binding domain could competitively inhibit the immunocyte stimulation activity of ST-4. Most importantly, ST-4 up-regulated granzyme B and perforin at both mRNA and protein levels. We also found that expression of proapoptotic proteins cytochrome c, BAX and activation of caspase-3, 9 was up-regulated, and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL was down-regulated in the treatment with either ST-4 or SEC2. When granzyme B inhibitor or perforin inhibitor is presented, tumor cell viability was significantly rescued. Taken together, we demonstrate that increased ST-4-TCR recognition contributed to massive T cells and NK cells activation. These activated cells released up-regulated granzyme B and perforin, which induced the enhanced tumor cells apoptosis by mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and ultimately led to enhanced tumor cell growth inhibition. ST-4 may be a promising candidate for antitumor clinic usage in future. - Highlights: • We obtained a SEC2 mutant ST-4 with enhanced superantigen and antitumor activity. • Increased ST-4-TCR recognition contributed to massive T cells and NK cells activation. • Up-regulated GzmB and PRF1 in T cell by ST-4 induced enhanced tumor cells apoptosis. • Enhanced tumor cell apoptosis

  10. Mutant matrix metalloproteinase-9 reduces postoperative peritoneal adhesions in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atta, Hussein; El-Rehany, Mahmoud; Roeb, Elke; Abdel-Ghany, Hend; Ramzy, Maggie; Gaber, Shereen

    2016-02-01

    Postoperative peritoneal adhesions continue to be a major source of morbidity and occasional mortality. Studies have shown that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels are decreased postoperatively which may limits matrix degradation and participate in the development of peritoneal adhesions. In this proof-of-principle study, we evaluated the effect of gene therapy with catalytically inactive mutant MMP-9 on postoperative peritoneal adhesions in rats. Adenovirus encoding mutant MMP-9 (Ad-mMMP-9) or saline was instilled in the peritoneal cavity after cecal and parietal peritoneal injury in rats. Expression of mutant MMP-9 transcript was verified by sequencing. Adenovirus E4 gene expression, adhesion scores, MMP-9, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression were evaluated at sacrifice one week after treatment. Both mutant MMP-9 transcripts and adenovirus E4 gene were expressed in Ad-mMMP-9 treated adhesions. Adhesions severity decreased significantly (p = 0.036) in the Ad-mMMP-9-treated compared with saline-treated adhesions. Expression of MMP-9 mRNA and protein were elevated (p = 0.001 and p = 0.029, respectively) in the Ad-mMMP-9-treated adhesions compared with saline-treated adhesions. While tPA levels were increased (p = 0.02) in Ad-mMMP-9 treated adhesions compared with saline-treated adhesions, TGF-β1 and PAI-1 levels were decreased (p = 0.017 and p = 0.042, respectively). No difference in mortality were found between groups (p = 0.64). Mutant MMP-9 gene therapy effectively transduced peritoneal adhesions resulting in reduction of severity of primary peritoneal adhesions. Copyright © 2016 IJS Publishing Group Limited. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Inhibition of citric acid accumulation by manganese ions in Aspergillus niger mutants with reduced citrate control of phosphofructokinase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreferl, G.; Kubicek, C.P.; Roehr, M.

    1986-03-01

    Mutant strains of Aspergillus niger with reduced citrate control of carbohydrate catabolism (cic mutants) grow faster than the parent strain on media containing 5% (wt/vol) citrate. The mutants tolerated a higher intracellular citrate concentration than the parent strain. One mutant (cic-7/3) contained phosphofructokinase activity significantly less sensitive towards citrate than the enzyme from the parent strain. When this mutant was grown under citrate accumulating conditions, acidogenesis was far less sensitive to inhibition by Mn/sup 2 +/ than in the parent strain. Some of the cic mutants also showed altered citrate inhibition of NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase.

  12. Phenotypical and biochemical characterisation of resistance for parasitic weed (Orobanche foetida Poir.) in radiation-mutagenised mutants of chickpea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brahmi, Ines; Mabrouk, Yassine; Brun, Guillaume; Delavault, Philippe; Belhadj, Omrane; Simier, Philippe

    2016-12-01

    Some radiation-mutagenised chickpea mutants potentially resistant to the broomrape, Orobanche foetida Poir., were selected through field trials. The objectives of this work were to confirm resistance under artificial infestation, in pots and mini-rhizotron systems, and to determine the developmental stages of broomrape affected by resistance and the relevant resistance mechanisms induced by radiation mutagenesis. Among 30 mutants tested for resistance to O. foetida, five shared strong resistance in both pot experiments and mini-rhizotron systems. Resistance was not complete, but the few individuals that escaped resistance displayed high disorders of shoot development. Results demonstrated a 2-3-fold decrease in stimulatory activity of root exudates towards broomrape seed germination in resistant mutants in comparison with non-irradiated control plants and susceptible mutants. Resistance was associated with an induction of broomrape necrosis early during infection. When infested, most of the resistant mutants shared enhanced levels of soluble phenolic contents, phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, guaiacol peroxidase activity and polyphenol oxidase activity, in addition to glutathione and notably ascorbate peroxidase gene expression in roots. Results confirmed enhanced resistance in chickpea radiation-mutagenised mutants, and demonstrated that resistance is based on alteration of root exudation, presumed cell-wall reinforcement and change in root oxidative status in response to infection. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Higher antibiotic yielding mutants of bacillus subtilis by gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, M.S.; Shaukat, G.A.; Malik, M.A.

    1987-01-01

    When Bacillus Subtilis AECL69 was grown in malt extract-pepetone-molasses-sugar (MPMS) medium, it could produce antibiotic substance(s) with antibacterial and antifungal properties in the culture fluid. The bacterial cells grown in MPMS medium were washed and suspended into distilled water and irradiated with gamma rays in Gammacell 220 at different doses. Higher antibiotic yielding isolates (plus mutants) were obtained from cell pollutions irradiated at 15 Kr. These gamma rays-induced plus mutants showed simultaneous higher production of antibacterial as well as antifungal activity. (author)

  14. Functional analysis of truncated and site-directed mutagenesis dextransucrases to produce different type dextrans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Zhang, Hong-Bin; Li, Meng-Qi; Hu, Xue-Qin; Li, Yao

    2017-07-01

    Dextrans with distinct molecular size and structure are increasingly being used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Dextran is produced by dextransucrase (DSR, EC2.4.5.1), which is produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. DSR belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family (GH70) and synthesizes branched α-glucan (dextran) with both 5% α(1-3) and 95% α(1-6) glycosidic linkages. The DSR gene dex-YG (Genebank, Accession No. DQ345760) was cloned from the wild strain Leuconostoc mesenteroides 0326. This study generated a series of C-terminally truncated variants of dextransucrase and substituting the amino-acid residues in the active site of DSR. With shorter length of DSR, its polysaccharide-synthesizing capability was impaired heavily, whereas oligosaccharide (acting as prebiotics)-synthesizing capability increased significantly, efficiently producing special sizes of dextran. All truncated mutant enzymes were active. Results demonstrated that the catalytic domain dextransucrase was likely in 800 aa or less. Based on the three-dimensional structure model of dextransucrase built through homology modeling methods, the DSR and its mutants with the acceptor substrate of maltose and donor substrate of sucrose were studied by molecular-docking method. Substituting these amino-acid residues significantly affected enzyme activities. Compared with the wild-type dextran, mutant enzymes catalyzed the synthesis of a-glucan with 1-9% α(1-3) and 90-98% α(1-6) branching linkages. Some mutants introduced a small amount of α(1-4) linkages and α(1-2) linkages. This strategy can be effectively used for the rational protein design of dextransucrase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A γA-Crystallin Mouse Mutant Secc with Small Eye, Cataract and Closed Eyelid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Man Hei Cheng

    Full Text Available Cataract is the most common cause of visual loss in humans. A spontaneously occurred, autosomal dominant mouse mutant Secc, which displayed combined features of small eye, cataract and closed eyelid was discovered in our laboratory. In this study, we identified the mutation and characterized the cataract phenotype of this novel Secc mutant. The Secc mutant mice have eyelids that remain half-closed throughout their life. The mutant lens has a significant reduction in size and with opaque spots clustered in the centre. Histological analysis showed that in the core region of the mutant lens, the fiber cells were disorganized and clefts and vacuoles were observed. The cataract phenotype was evident from new born stage. We identified the Secc mutation by linkage analysis using whole genome microsatellite markers and SNP markers. The Secc locus was mapped at chromosome 1 flanked by SNPs rs3158129 and rs13475900. Based on the chromosomal position, the candidate cataract locus γ-crystallin gene cluster (Cryg was investigated by sequencing. A single base deletion (299delG in exon 3 of Cryga which led to a frame-shift of amino acid sequence from position 91 was identified. As a result of this mutation, the sequences of the 3rd and 4th Greek-key motifs of the γA-crystallin are replaced with an unrelated C-terminal peptide of 75 residues long. Coincidentally, the point mutation generated a HindIII restriction site, allowing the identification of the CrygaSecc mutant allele by RFLP. Western blot analysis of 3-week old lenses showed that the expression of γ-crystallins was reduced in the CrygaSecc mutant. Furthermore, in cell transfection assays using CrygaSecc mutant cDNA expression constructs in 293T, COS-7 and human lens epithelial B3 cell lines, the mutant γA-crystallins were enriched in the insoluble fractions and appeared as insoluble aggregates in the transfected cells. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the Secc mutation leads to the

  16. Mutant DnaAs of Escherichia coli that are refractory to negative control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chodavarapu, Sundari; Felczak, Magdalena M; Simmons, Lyle A; Murillo, Alec; Kaguni, Jon M

    2013-12-01

    DnaA is the initiator of DNA replication in bacteria. A mutant DnaA named DnaAcos is unusual because it is refractory to negative regulation. We developed a genetic method to isolate other mutant DnaAs that circumvent regulation to extend our understanding of mechanisms that control replication initiation. Like DnaAcos, one mutant bearing a tyrosine substitution for histidine 202 (H202Y) withstands the regulation exerted by datA, hda and dnaN (β clamp), and both DnaAcos and H202Y resist inhibition by the Hda-β clamp complex in vitro. Other mutant DnaAs carrying G79D, E244K, V303M or E445K substitutions are either only partially sensitive or refractory to inhibition by the Hda-β clamp complex in vitro but are responsive to hda expression in vivo. All mutant DnaAs remain able to interact directly with Hda. Of interest, both DnaAcos and DnaAE244K bind more avidly to Hda. These mutants, by sequestrating Hda, may limit its availability to regulate other DnaA molecules, which remain active to induce extra rounds of DNA replication. Other evidence suggests that a mutant bearing a V292M substitution hyperinitiates by escaping the effect of an unknown regulatory factor. Together, our results provide new insight into the mechanisms that regulate replication initiation in Escherichia coli.

  17. Isozyme differences in barley mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AI-Jibouri, A.A.M.; Dham, K.M.

    1990-01-01

    Full text: Thirty mutants (M 11 ) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) induced by physical and chemical mutagens were analysed for isozyme composition using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results show that these mutants were different in the isozymes leucine aminopeptidase, esterase and peroxidase. The differences included the number of forms of each enzyme, relative mobility value and their intensity on the gel. Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase isozyme was found in six molecular forms and these forms were similar in all mutants. (author)

  18. The helicase and ATPase activities of RECQL4 are compromised by mutations reported in three human patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Martin Borch; Dunn, Christopher A; Keijzers, Guido

    2012-01-01

    RECQL4 is one of five members of the human RecQ helicase family, and is implicated in three syndromes displaying accelerating aging, developmental abnormalities and a predisposition to cancer. In this study, we purified three variants of RECQL4 carrying previously reported patient mutations....... These three mutant proteins were analyzed for the known biochemical activities of RECQL4: DNA binding, unwinding of duplex DNA, ATP hydrolysis and annealing of simplex DNA. Further, the mutant proteins were evaluated for stability and recruitment to sites of laser-induced DNA damage. One mutant was helicase...

  19. Loss of the xeroderma pigmentosum group B protein binding site impairs p210 BCR/ABL1 leukemogenic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pannucci, N L; Li, D; Sahay, S; Thomas, E K; Chen, R; Tala, I; Hu, T; Ciccarelli, B T; Megjugorac, N J; Adams III, H C; Rodriguez, P L; Fitzpatrick, E R; Lagunoff, D; Williams, D A; Whitehead, I P

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies have demonstrated that p210 BCR/ABL1 interacts directly with the xeroderma pigmentosum group B (XPB) protein, and that XPB is phosphorylated on tyrosine in cells that express p210 BCR/ABL1. In the current study, we have constructed a p210 BCR/ABL1 mutant that can no longer bind to XPB. The mutant has normal kinase activity and interacts with GRB2, but can no longer phosphorylate XPB. Loss of XPB binding is associated with reduced expression of c-MYC and reduced transforming potential in ex-vivo clonogenicity assays, but does not affect nucleotide excision repair in lymphoid or myeloid cells. When examined in a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) model for chronic myelogenous leukemia, mice that express the mutant exhibit attenuated myeloproliferation and lymphoproliferation when compared with mice that express unmodified p210 BCR/ABL1. Thus, the mutant-transplanted mice show predominantly neutrophilic expansion and altered progenitor expansion, and have significantly extended lifespans. This was confirmed in a BMT model for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, wherein the majority of the mutant-transplanted mice remain disease free. These results suggest that the interaction between p210 BCR/ABL1 and XPB can contribute to disease progression by influencing the lineage commitment of lymphoid and myeloid progenitors

  20. DISTINCT ROLES OF β1 MIDAS, ADMIDAS AND LIMBS CATION-BINDING SITES IN LIGAND RECOGNITION BY INTEGRIN α2β1*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdramidou, Dimitra; Humphries, Martin J.; Mould, A. Paul

    2012-01-01

    Integrin-ligand interactions are regulated in a complex manner by divalent cations, and previous studies have identified ligand-competent, stimulatory, and inhibitory cation-binding sites. In collagen-binding integrins, such as α2β1, ligand recognition takes place exclusively at the α subunit I domain. However, activation of the αI domain depends on its interaction with a structurally similar domain in the β subunit known as the I-like or βI domain. The top face of the βI domain contains three cation-binding sites: the metal-ion dependent adhesion site (MIDAS), the ADMIDAS (adjacent to MIDAS) and LIMBS (ligand-associated metal binding site). The role of these sites in controlling ligand binding to the αI domain has yet to be elucidated. Mutation of the MIDAS or LIMBS completely blocked collagen binding to α2β1; in contrast mutation of the ADMIDAS reduced ligand recognition but this effect could be overcome by the activating mAb TS2/16. Hence, the MIDAS and LIMBS appear to be essential for the interaction between αI and βI whereas occupancy of the ADMIDAS has an allosteric effect on the conformation of βI. An activating mutation in the α2 I domain partially restored ligand binding to the MIDAS and LIMBS mutants. Analysis of the effects of Ca2+, Mg2+ and Mn2+ on ligand binding to these mutants showed that the MIDAS is a ligand-competent site through which Mn2+ stimulates ligand binding, whereas the LIMBS is a stimulatory Ca2+-binding site, occupancy of which increases the affinity of Mg2+ for the MIDAS. PMID:18820259

  1. Ascertainment of the effect of differential growth rates of mutants on observed mutant frequencies in X-irradiated mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knaap, A.G.A.C.; Simons, J.W.I.M.

    1983-01-01

    As it is not known to what extent differential growth rates of induced mutants lead to over- and under-representation of mutants in treated populations and thereby affect the determination of mutant frequencies, the mutation induction in X-irradiated L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells was determined via two methods. The first method involves the standard protocol which may suffer from the effect of differential growth rates, while the second method is based upon the fluctuation test in which the differential growth rates can be actually measured. It appeared that the standard protocol led to a mutant frequency that was similar to the mutant frequency determined in the fluctuation test. Therefore, the standard protocol appears to lead to only a minor under-estimation if any. Substantial heterogeneity in growth rates of induced mutants was observed, but the mutants with a selective advantage appear largely to compensate for the mutants that are lost because of selective disadvantage. It was calculated that the chance for isolating the same mutant twice from a treated population had been increased 2.2-fold because of the observed differential growth rates. (orig./AJ)

  2. Directed divergent evolution of a thermostable D-tagatose epimerase towards improved activity for two hexose substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosshart, Andreas; Hee, Chee Seng; Bechtold, Matthias; Schirmer, Tilman; Panke, Sven

    2015-03-02

    Functional promiscuity of enzymes can often be harnessed as the starting point for the directed evolution of novel biocatalysts. Here we describe the divergent morphing of an engineered thermostable variant (Var8) of a promiscuous D-tagatose epimerase (DTE) into two efficient catalysts for the C3 epimerization of D-fructose to D-psicose and of L-sorbose to L-tagatose. Iterative single-site randomization and screening of 48 residues in the first and second shells around the substrate-binding site of Var8 yielded the eight-site mutant IDF8 (ninefold improved kcat for the epimerization of D-fructose) and the six-site mutant ILS6 (14-fold improved epimerization of L-sorbose), compared to Var8. Structure analysis of IDF8 revealed a charged patch at the entrance of its active site; this presumably facilitates entry of the polar substrate. The improvement in catalytic activity of variant ILS6 is thought to relate to subtle changes in the hydration of the bound substrate. The structures can now be used to select additional sites for further directed evolution of the ketohexose epimerase. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. PET imaging of HSV1-tk mutants with acquired specificity toward pyrimidine- and acycloguanosine-based radiotracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Likar, Yury; Dobrenkov, Konstantin; Olszewska, Malgorzata; Shenker, Larissa; Hricak, Hedvig; Ponomarev, Vladimir [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Cai, Shangde [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Radiochemistry/Cyclotron Core Facility, New York, NY (United States)

    2009-08-15

    The aim of this study was to create an alternative mutant of the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) reporter gene with reduced phosphorylation capacity for acycloguanosine derivatives, but not pyrimidine-based compounds that will allow for successful PET imaging. A new mutant of HSV1-tk reporter gene, suitable for PET imaging using pyrimidine-based radiotracers, was developed. The HSV1-tk mutant contains an arginine-to-glutamine substitution at position 176 (HSV1-R176Qtk) of the nucleoside binding region of the enzyme. The mutant-gene product showed favorable enzymatic characteristics toward pyrimidine-based nucleosides, while exhibiting reduced activity with acycloguanosine derivatives. In order to enhance HSV1-R176Qtk reporter activity with pyrimidine-based radiotracers, we introduced the R176Q substitution into the more active HSV1-sr39tk mutant. U87 human glioma cells transduced with the HSV1-R176Qsr39tk double mutant reporter gene showed high {sup 3}H-FEAU pyrimidine nucleoside and low {sup 3}H-penciclovir acycloguanosine analog uptake in vitro. PET imaging also demonstrated high {sup 18}F-FEAU and low {sup 18}F-FHBG accumulation in HSV1-R176Qsr39tk+ xenografts. The feasibility of imaging two independent nucleoside-specific HSV1-tk mutants in the same animal with PET was demonstrated. Two opposite xenografts expressing the HSV1-R176Qsr39tk reporter gene and the previously described acycloguanosine-specific mutant of HSV1-tk, HSV1-A167Ysr39tk reporter gene, were imaged using a short-lived pyrimidine-based {sup 18}F-FEAU and an acycloguanosine-based {sup 18}F-FHBG radiotracer, respectively, administered on 2 consecutive days. We conclude that in combination with acycloguanosine-specific HSV1-A167Ysr39tk reporter gene, a HSV1-tk mutant containing the R176Q substitution could be used for PET imaging of two different cell populations or concurrent molecular biological processes in the same living subject. (orig.)

  4. Indy mutants: live long and prosper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stewart eFrankel

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Indy encodes the fly homologue of a mammalian transporter of di and tricarboxylatecomponents of the Krebs cycle. Reduced expression of fly Indy or two of the C. elegansIndy homologs leads to an increase in life span. Fly and worm tissues that play key roles inintermediary metabolism are also the places where Indy genes are expressed. One of themouse homologs of Indy (mIndy is mainly expressed in the liver. It has been hypothesizedthat decreased INDY activity creates a state similar to caloric restriction (CR. Thishypothesis is supported by the physiological similarities between Indy mutant flies on highcalorie food and control flies on CR, such as increased physical activity and decreases inweight, egg production, triglyceride levels, starvation resistance, and insulin signaling. Inaddition, Indy mutant flies undergo changes in mitochondrial biogenesis also observed inCR animals. Recent findings with mIndy knockout mice support and extend the findingsfrom flies. mIndy-/- mice display an increase in hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis, lipidoxidation and decreased hepatic lipogenesis. When mIndy-/- mice are fed high calorie foodthey are protected from adiposity and insulin resistance. These findings point to INDY as apotential drug target for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

  5. Mutant p97 exhibits species-specific changes of its ATPase activity and compromises the UBXD9-mediated monomerisation of p97 hexamers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rijal, Ramesh; Arhzaouy, Khalid; Strucksberg, Karl-Heinz; Cross, Megan; Hofmann, Andreas; Schröder, Rolf; Clemen, Christoph S; Eichinger, Ludwig

    2016-01-01

    p97 (VCP) is a homo-hexameric triple-A ATPase that exerts a plethora of cellular processes. Heterozygous missense mutations of p97 cause at least five human neurodegenerative disorders. However, the specific molecular consequences of p97 mutations are hitherto widely unknown. Our in silico structural models of human and Dictyostelium p97 showed that the disease-causing human R93C, R155H, and R155C as well as Dictyostelium R154C, E219K, R154C/E219K p97 mutations constitute variations in surface-exposed locations. In-gel ATPase activity measurements of p97 monomers and hexamers revealed significant mutation- and species-specific differences. While all human p97 mutations led to an increase in ATPase activity, no changes could be detected for the Dictyostelium R154C mutant, which is orthologous to human R155C. The E219K mutation led to an almost complete loss of activity, which was partially recuperated in the R154C/E219K double-mutant indicating p97 inter-domain communication. By means of co-immunoprecipitation experiments we identified an UBX-domain containing Dictyostelium protein as a novel p97 interaction partner. We categorized all UBX-domain containing Dictyostelium proteins and named the interaction partner UBXD9. Pull-down assays and surface plasmon resonance analyses of Dictyostelium UBXD9 or the human orthologue TUG/ASPL/UBXD9 demonstrated direct interactions with p97 as well as species-, mutation- and ATP-dependent differences in the binding affinities. Sucrose density gradient assays revealed that both human and Dictyostelium UBXD9 proteins very efficiently disassembled wild-type, but to a lesser extent mutant p97 hexamers into monomers. Our results are consistent with a scenario in which p97 point mutations lead to differences in enzymatic activities and molecular interactions, which in the long-term result in a late-onset and progressive multisystem disease. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

  6. Biocontrol potential of salinity tolerant mutants of Trichoderma harzianum against Fusarium oxysporum Potencial de biocontrole de mutantes sal-tolerantes de Trichoderma harzianum contra Fusarium oxysporum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Abdel-Latif A. Mohamed

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Exposing a wild-type culture of Trichoderma harzianum to gamma irradiation induced two stable salt-tolerant mutants (Th50M6 and Th50M11. Under saline conditions, both mutants greatly surpassed their wild type strain in growth rate, sporulation and biological proficiency against Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of tomato wilt disease. Tolerant T. harzianum mutants detained a capability to grow and convinced sporulation in growth media containing up to 69 mM NaCl. In comparison with their parent strain, characterization of both mutants confirmed that they have reinforced contents of proline and hydroxyproline, relatively higher sodium content compared to potassium, calcium or magnesium contents, higher level of total phenols. Electrophoretic analysis of total soluble proteins in the salt tolerance mutant Th50M6 showed different bands accumulated in response to 69 mM NaCl. Data also showed that mutants produce certain active metabolites, such as chitinases, cellulases, beta-galactosidases, as well as, some antibiotics i.e., trichodermin, gliotoxin and gliovirin. Trichoderma mutants significantly reduced wilt disease incidence and improved yield and mineral contents of tomato plants under both saline and non-saline soil conditions, as well as, under infested and natural conditions. T. harzianum mutants were also more efficient in dropping the F. oxysporum growth in rhizosphere compared to the wild type strain. Population density of both mutants in rhizosphere far exceeded that of T. harzianum wild type strain.A exposição de uma cepa selvagem de Trichoderma harzianum à irradiação gama induziu dois mutantes tolerantes a sal (Th50M6 e Th50M11. Em condições salinas, os dois mutantes foram muito superiores à cepa selvagem em relação à velocidade de multiplicação, esporulação e eficiência contra Fusarium oxysporum, o agente causador da doença wilt do tomate. Os mutantes tolerantes foram capazes de multiplicação e esporulação em

  7. Structural and functional consequences of binding site mutations in transferrin: crystal structures of the Asp63Glu and Arg124Ala mutants of the N-lobe of human transferrin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Heather M; He, Qing-Yu; Briggs, Sara K; Mason, Anne B; Baker, Edward N

    2003-06-17

    Human transferrin is a serum protein whose function is to bind Fe(3+) with very high affinity and transport it to cells, for delivery by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Structurally, the transferrin molecule is folded into two globular lobes, representing its N-terminal and C-terminal halves, with each lobe possessing a high-affinity iron binding site, in a cleft between two domains. Central to function is a highly conserved set of iron ligands, including an aspartate residue (Asp63 in the N-lobe) that also hydrogen bonds between the two domains and an arginine residue (Arg124 in the N-lobe) that binds an iron-bound carbonate ion. To further probe the roles of these residues, we have determined the crystal structures of the D63E and R124A mutants of the N-terminal half-molecule of human transferrin. The structure of the D63E mutant, determined at 1.9 A resolution (R = 0.245, R(free) = 0.261), showed that the carboxyl group still binds to iron despite the larger size of the Glu side chain, with some slight rearrangement of the first turn of alpha-helix residues 63-72, to which it is attached. The structure of the R124A mutant, determined at 2.4 A resolution (R = 0.219, R(free) = 0.288), shows that the loss of the arginine side chain results in a 0.3 A displacement of the carbonate ion, and an accompanying movement of the iron atom. In both mutants, the iron coordination is changed slightly, the principal change being in each case a lengthening of the Fe-N(His249) bond. Both mutants also release iron more readily than the wild type, kinetically and in terms of acid lability of iron binding. We attribute this to more facile protonation of the synergistically bound carbonate ion, in the case of R124A, and to strain resulting from the accommodation of the larger Glu side chain, in the case of D63E. In both cases, the weakened Fe-N(His) bond may also contribute, consistent with protonation of the His ligand being an early intermediate step in iron release, following the

  8. Molecular dynamics simulation studies of the wild type and E92Q/N155H mutant of Elvitegravir-resistance HIV-1 integrase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qi; Cheng, Xiaolin; Wei, Dongqing; Xu, Qin

    2015-03-01

    Although Elvitegravir (EVG) is a newly developed antiretrovirals drug to treat the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), drug resistance has already been found in clinic, such as E92Q/N155H and Q148H/G140S. Several structural investigations have already been reported to reveal the molecular mechanism of the drug resistance. As full length crystal structure for HIV-1 integrase is still unsolved, we herein use the crystal structure of the full length prototype foamy virus (PFV) in complex with virus DNA and inhibitor Elvitegravir as a template to construct the wild type and E92Q/N155H mutant system of HIV-1 integrase. Molecular dynamic simulations was used to revel the binding mode and the drug resistance of the EVG ligand in E92Q/N155H. Several important interactions were discovered between the mutated residues and the residues in the active site of the E92Q/N155H double mutant pattern, and cross correlation and clustering methods were used for detailed analysis. The results from the MD simulation studies will be used to guide the experimental efforts of developing novel inhibitors against drug-resistant HIV integrase mutants.

  9. Isozyme differences in barley mutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    AI-Jibouri, A A.M.; Dham, K M [Department of Botany, Nuclear Research Centre, Baghdad (Iraq)

    1990-01-01

    Full text: Thirty mutants (M{sub 11}) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) induced by physical and chemical mutagens were analysed for isozyme composition using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results show that these mutants were different in the isozymes leucine aminopeptidase, esterase and peroxidase. The differences included the number of forms of each enzyme, relative mobility value and their intensity on the gel. Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase isozyme was found in six molecular forms and these forms were similar in all mutants. (author)

  10. SERCA mutant E309Q binds two Ca ions but adopts a catalytically incompetent conformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Johannes D.; Bublitz, Maike; Arnou, Bertrand

    2013-01-01

    The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) couples ATP hydrolysis to transport of Ca2+. This directed energy transfer requires cross-talk between the two Ca2+ sites and the phosphorylation site over 50 Å distance. We have addressed the mechano-structural basis for this intramolecular...... a shift of transmembrane segment M1 into an ‘up and kinked position’. This transition is impaired in the E309Q mutant, most likely due to a lack of charge neutralization and altered hydrogen binding capacities at Ca2+ site II....

  11. UV- and gamma-radiation sensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, C.Z.; Yen, C.N.; Cronin, K.; Mitchell, D.; Britt, A.B.

    1997-01-01

    Arabidopsis seedlings repair UV-induced DNA damage via light-dependent and -independent pathways. The mechanism of the ''dark repair'' pathway is still unknown. To determine the number of genes required for dark repair and to investigate the substrate-specificity of this process we isolated mutants with enhanced sensitivity to UV radiation in the absence of photoreactivating light. Seven independently derived UV sensitive mutants were isolated from an EMS-mutagenized population. These fell into six complementation groups, two of which (UVR1 and UVH1) have previously been defined. Four of these mutants are defective in the dark repair of UV-induced pyrimidine [6-4] pyrimidinone dimers. These four mutant lines are sensitive to the growth-inhibitory effects of gamma radiation, suggesting that this repair pathway is also involved in the repair of some type of gamma-induced DNA damage product. The requirement for the coordinate action of several different gene products for effective repair of pyrimidine dimers, as well as the nonspecific nature of the repair activity, is consistent with nucleotide excision repair mechanisms previously described in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and nonplant higher eukaryotes and inconsistent with substrate-specific base excision repair mechanisms found in some bacteria, bacteriophage, and fungi. (author)

  12. Combined MEK and ERK inhibition overcomes therapy-mediated pathway reactivation in RAS mutant tumors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Merchant

    Full Text Available Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK pathway dysregulation is implicated in >30% of all cancers, rationalizing the development of RAF, MEK and ERK inhibitors. While BRAF and MEK inhibitors improve BRAF mutant melanoma patient outcomes, these inhibitors had limited success in other MAPK dysregulated tumors, with insufficient pathway suppression and likely pathway reactivation. In this study we show that inhibition of either MEK or ERK alone only transiently inhibits the MAPK pathway due to feedback reactivation. Simultaneous targeting of both MEK and ERK nodes results in deeper and more durable suppression of MAPK signaling that is not achievable with any dose of single agent, in tumors where feedback reactivation occurs. Strikingly, combined MEK and ERK inhibition is synergistic in RAS mutant models but only additive in BRAF mutant models where the RAF complex is dissociated from RAS and thus feedback productivity is disabled. We discovered that pathway reactivation in RAS mutant models occurs at the level of CRAF with combination treatment resulting in a markedly more active pool of CRAF. However, distinct from single node targeting, combining MEK and ERK inhibitor treatment effectively blocks the downstream signaling as assessed by transcriptional signatures and phospho-p90RSK. Importantly, these data reveal that MAPK pathway inhibitors whose activity is attenuated due to feedback reactivation can be rescued with sufficient inhibition by using a combination of MEK and ERK inhibitors. The MEK and ERK combination significantly suppresses MAPK pathway output and tumor growth in vivo to a greater extent than the maximum tolerated doses of single agents, and results in improved anti-tumor activity in multiple xenografts as well as in two Kras mutant genetically engineered mouse (GEM models. Collectively, these data demonstrate that combined MEK and ERK inhibition is functionally unique, yielding greater than additive anti-tumor effects and

  13. Zebrafish enpp1 mutants exhibit pathological mineralization, mimicking features of generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI and pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Apschner

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In recent years it has become clear that, mechanistically, biomineralization is a process that has to be actively inhibited as a default state. This inhibition must be released in a rigidly controlled manner in order for mineralization to occur in skeletal elements and teeth. A central aspect of this concept is the tightly controlled balance between phosphate, a constituent of the biomineral hydroxyapatite, and pyrophosphate, a physiochemical inhibitor of mineralization. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of a zebrafish mutant, dragonfish (dgf, which is mutant for ectonucleoside pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (Enpp1, a protein that is crucial for supplying extracellular pyrophosphate. Generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI is a fatal human disease, and the majority of cases are thought to be caused by mutations in ENPP1. Furthermore, some cases of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE have recently been linked to ENPP1. Similar to humans, we show here that zebrafish enpp1 mutants can develop ectopic calcifications in a variety of soft tissues – most notably in the skin, cartilage elements, the heart, intracranial space and the notochord sheet. Using transgenic reporter lines, we demonstrate that ectopic mineralizations in these tissues occur independently of the expression of typical osteoblast or cartilage markers. Intriguingly, we detect cells expressing the osteoclast markers Trap and CathepsinK at sites of ectopic calcification at time points when osteoclasts are not yet present in wild-type siblings. Treatment with the bisphosphonate etidronate rescues aspects of the dgf phenotype, and we detected deregulated expression of genes that are involved in phosphate homeostasis and mineralization, such as fgf23, npt2a, entpd5 and spp1 (also known as osteopontin. Employing a UAS-GalFF approach, we show that forced expression of enpp1 in blood vessels or the floorplate of mutant embryos is sufficient to rescue the notochord

  14. Oncogenic activation of v-kit involves deletion of a putative tyrosine-substrate interaction site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbst, R; Munemitsu, S; Ullrich, A

    1995-01-19

    The transforming gene of the Hardy-Zuckerman-4 strain of feline sarcoma virus, v-kit, arose by transduction of the cellular c-kit gene, which encodes the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) p145c-kit. To gain insight into the molecular basis of the v-kit transforming potential, we characterized the feline c-kit by cDNA cloning. Comparison of the feline v-kit and c-kit sequences revealed, in addition to deletions of the extracellular and transmembrane domains, three additional mutations in the v-kit oncogene product: deletion of tyrosine-569 and valine-570, the exchange of aspartate at position 761 to glycine, and replacement of the C-terminal 50 amino acids by five unrelated residues. Examinations of individual v-kit mutations in the context of chimeric receptors yielded inhibitory effects for some mutants on both autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation functions. In contrast, deletion of tyrosine-569 and valine-570 significantly enhanced transforming and mitogenic activities of p145c-kit, while the other mutations had no significant effects. Conservation in subclass III RTKs and the identification of the corresponding residue in beta PDGF-R, Y579, as a binding site for src family tyrosine kinases suggests an important role for Y568 in kit signal regulation and the definition of its oncogenic potential. Repositioning of Y571 by an inframe two codon deletion may be the crucial alteration resulting in enhancement of v-kit oncogenic activity.

  15. Disulfide bond within mu-calpain active site inhibits activity and autolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lametsch, René; Lonergan, Steven; Huff-Lonergan, Elisabeth

    2008-09-01

    Oxidative processes have the ability to influence mu-calpain activity. In the present study the influence of oxidation on activity and autolysis of mu-calpain was examined. Furthermore, LC-MS/MS analysis was employed to identify and characterize protein modifications caused by oxidation. The results revealed that the activity of mu-calpain is diminished by oxidation with H2O2 in a reversible manner involving cysteine and that the rate of autolysis of mu-calpain concomitantly slowed. The LC-MS/MS analysis of the oxidized mu-calpain revealed that the amino acid residues 105-133 contained a disulfide bond between Cys(108) and Cys(115). The finding that the active site cysteine in mu-calpain is able to form a disulfide bond has, to our knowledge, not been reported before. This could be part of a unique oxidation mechanism for mu-calpain. The results also showed that the formation of the disulfide bond is limited in the control (no oxidant added), and further limited in a concentration-dependent manner when beta-mercaptoethanol is added. However, the disulfide bond is still present to some extent in all conditions indicating that the active site cysteine is potentially highly susceptible to the formation of this intramolecular disulfide bond.

  16. Spontaneous and radiation-induced leukemogenesis of the mouse small eye mutant, Pax6Sey3H

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nitta, Yumiko; Satoh, Kenichi; Yoshida, Kazuko; Senba, Kei; Nakagata, Naomi; Peters, J.; Cattanach, B.M.

    2004-01-01

    Allelic loss on the chromosome 2 is associated with radiation-induced murine acute myeloid leukemia. However, the gene, which contributes mainly to the leukemogenesis has not yet been identified. Expecting any predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia, we performed a radiation leukemogenesis experiment with Pax6 SeY3H , one of the small eye mutants carrying a congenital hemizygosity of the chromosome 2 middle region. A deletion mapping of Pax6 SeY3H with 50 sequence-tagged site (STS) markers indicated that the deleted segment extended between the 106.00 and 111.47 Mb site from the centromere with a length of 5.47 Mb. In the deleted segment, 6 known and 17 novel genes were located. Pax6 SeY3H mutants that crossed back into C3H/He did not develop myeloid leukemia spontaneously, but they did when exposed to gamma-rays. The final incidence of myeloid leukemia in mutants (25.8%) was as high as that in normal sibs (21.4%). Survival curves of leukemia-bearing mutants shifted toward the left (p=0.043 by the Log rank test). F1 hybrids of Pax6 SeY3H with JF1 were less susceptible to radiation than Pax6 SeY3H onto C3H/He in regard to survival (p=0.003 and p<0.00001 for mutants and normal sibs, respectively, by a test of the difference between two proportions). Congenital deletion of the 5.47 Mb segment at the middle region on chromosome 2 alone did not trigger myeloid stem cells to expand clonally in vivo; however, the deletion shortcut the latency of radiation-induced myeloid leukemia. (author)

  17. In silico analyses of essential interactions of iminosugars with the Hex A active site and evaluation of their pharmacological chaperone effects for Tay-Sachs disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Atsushi; Nakagome, Izumi; Nakagawa, Shinpei; Kinami, Kyoko; Adachi, Isao; Jenkinson, Sarah F; Désiré, Jérôme; Blériot, Yves; Nash, Robert J; Fleet, George W J; Hirono, Shuichi

    2017-11-15

    The affinity of a series of iminosugar-based inhibitors exhibiting various ring sizes toward Hex A and their essential interactions with the enzyme active site were investigated. All the Hex A-inhibiting iminosugars tested formed hydrogen bonds with Arg178, Asp322, Tyr421 and Glu462 and had the favorable cation-π interaction with Trp460. Among them, DMDP amide (6) proved to be the most potent competitive inhibitor with a K i value of 0.041 μM. We analyzed the dynamic properties of both DMDP amide (6) and DNJNAc (1) in aqueous solution using molecular dynamics (MD) calculations; the distance of the interaction between Asp322 and 3-OH and Glu323 and 6-OH was important for stable interactions with Hex A, reducing fluctuations in the plasticity of the active site. DMDP amide (6) dose-dependently increased intracellular Hex A activity in the G269S mutant cells and restored Hex A activity up to approximately 43% of the wild type level; this effect clearly exceeded the border line treatment for Tay-Sachs disease, which is regarded as 10-15% of the wild type level. This is a significantly greater effect than that of pyrimethamine, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. DMDP amide (6), therefore, represents a new promising pharmacological chaperone candidate for the treatment of Tay-Sachs disease.

  18. Prevalence of precore-defective mutant of hepatitis B virus in HBV carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niitsuma, H; Ishii, M; Saito, Y; Miura, M; Kobayashi, K; Ohori, H; Toyota, T

    1995-08-01

    Two hundred and seventy-three serum specimens from hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers were examined for the presence of a characteristic one point mutation at nucleotide (nt) 1896 from the EcoRI site of the HBV genome in the precore region (the preC mutant) using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. This assay approach could detect preC mutants or wild-type sequences when either form constituted more than 10% of the total sample. Overall, 65.5% (76/116) of HBeAg-positive carriers had only the preC wild-type. All HBeAg-positive asymptomatic carriers (n = 14) had only the preC wild-type. In patients with chronic hepatitis B and in anti-HBe-positive asymptomatic carriers, increased prevalence of the preC mutant was associated with the development of anti-HBe antibodies and normalization of the serum alanine aminotransferase concentration. Furthermore, 27 (29.0%) of 93 HBeAg-negative carriers had unexpectedly preC wild-type sequences only. Direct sequencing of the HBV precore region of HBV specimens from 24 patients revealed no mutation at nt 1896, supporting the specificity of the RFLP analysis. These results suggest that RFLP analysis was accurate for the detection of the preC mutation and that the absence of serum HBeAg cannot be explained solely by the dominance of the preC mutant.

  19. Problem-Solving Test: Tryptophan Operon Mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szeberenyi, Jozsef

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a problem-solving test that deals with the regulation of the "trp" operon of "Escherichia coli." Two mutants of this operon are described: in mutant A, the operator region of the operon carries a point mutation so that it is unable to carry out its function; mutant B expresses a "trp" repressor protein unable to bind…

  20. Site-Specific Phosphorylation of Ikaros Induced by Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation Regulates Cell Cycle Progression of B Lymphoblast Through CK2 and AKT Activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Seong-Jun; Kang, Hana [KHNP Radiation Health Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Min Young [Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jung Eun; Kim, Sung Jin; Nam, Seon Young; Kim, Ji Young; Kim, Hee Sun [KHNP Radiation Health Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Pyo, Suhkneung [College of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Kwang Hee, E-mail: kwangheey@khnp.co.kr [KHNP Radiation Health Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-04-01

    Purpose: To determine how low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) regulates B lympho-proliferation and its molecular mechanism related with Ikaros, transcription factor. Methods and Materials: Splenocytes and IM-9 cells were uniformly irradiated with various doses of a {sup 137}Cs γ-source, and cell proliferation was analyzed. To determine the LDIR-specific phosphorylation of Ikaros, immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis were performed. To investigate the physiologic function of LDIR-mediatied Ikaros phosphorylation, Ikaros mutants at phosphorylation sites were generated, and cell cycle analysis was performed. Results: First, we found that LDIR enhances B lymphoblast proliferation in an Ikaros-dependent manner. Moreover, we found that LDIR elevates the phosphorylation level of Ikaros protein. Interestingly, we showed that CK2 and AKT are involved in LDIR-induced Ikaros phosphorylation and capable of regulating DNA binding activity of Ikaros via specific phosphorylation. Finally, we identified LDIR-specific Ikaros phosphorylation sites at S391/S393 and showed that the Ikaros phosphorylations at these sites control Ikaros's ability to regulate G1/S cell cycle progression. Conclusion: Low-dose ionizing radiation specifically phosphorylates Ikaros protein at Ser 391/393 residues to regulate cell cycle progression in B lymphoblast.