Themis2/ICB1 Is a Signaling Scaffold That Selectively Regulates Macrophage Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and Cytokine Production

Background

Thymocyte expressed molecule involved in selection 1 (Themis1, SwissProt accession number {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q8BGW0","term_id":"81896053","term_text":"Q8BGW0"}}Q8BGW0) is the recently characterised founder member of a novel family of proteins. A second member of this family, Themis2 ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q91YX0","term_id":"73920022","term_text":"Q91YX0"}}Q91YX0), also known as ICB1 (Induced on contact with basement membrane 1), remains unreported at the protein level despite microarray and EST databases reporting Themis2 mRNA expression in B cells and macrophages.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we characterise Themis2 protein for the first time and show that it acts as a macrophage signalling scaffold, exerting a receptor-, mediator- and signalling pathway-specific effect on TLR responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Themis2 over-expression enhanced the LPS-induced production of TNF but not IL-6 or Cox-2, nor TNF production induced by ligands for TLR2 (PAM3) or TLR3 (poly I∶C). Moreover, LPS-induced activation of the MAP kinases ERK and p38 was enhanced in cells over-expressing Themis2 whereas the activation of JNK, IRF3 or NF-κB p65, was unaffected. Depletion of Themis2 protein by RNA inteference inhibited LPS-induced TNF production in primary human macrophages demonstrating a requirement for Themis2 in this event. Themis2 was inducibly tyrosine phosphorylated upon LPS challenge and interacted with Lyn kinase ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P25911","term_id":"2507208","term_text":"P25911"}}P25911), the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Vav ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P27870","term_id":"137483","term_text":"P27870"}}P27870), and the adaptor protein Grb2 ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q60631","term_id":"2498425","term_text":"Q60631"}}Q60631). Mutation of either tyrosine 660 or a proline-rich sequence (PPPRPPK) simultaneously interrupted this complex and reduced by approximately 50% the capacity of Themis2 to promote LPS-induced TNF production. Finally, Themis2 protein expression was induced during macrophage development from murine bone marrow precursors and was regulated by inflammatory stimuli both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions/Significance

We hypothesise that Themis2 may constitute a novel, physiological control point in macrophage inflammatory responses.     

Comparative characterization of commercially important xylanase enzymes

Xylanase is an industrially important enzyme having wide range of applications especially in paper industry. It is crucial to gain an understanding about the structure and functional aspects of various xylanases produced from diverse sources. In this study, a bioinformatics and molecular modeling approach was adopted to explore properties and structure of xylanases. Physico-chemical properties were predicted and prediction of motifs, disulfide bridges and secondary structure was performed for functional characterization. Apart from these analyses, three dimensional structures were constructed and stereo-chemical quality was evaluated by different structure validation tools. Comparative catalytic site analysis and assessment was performed to extract information about the important residues. Asn72 was found to be the common residue in the active sites of the proteins {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P35809","term_id":"549462","term_text":"P35809"}}P35809 and {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q12603","term_id":"2494332","term_text":"Q12603"}}Q12603.     

Analysis of the Arabinose-5-Phosphate Isomerase of Bacteroides fragilis Provides Insight into Regulation of Single-Domain Arabinose Phosphate Isomerases

Arabinose-5-phosphate isomerases (APIs) catalyze the interconversion of d-ribulose-5-phosphate and d-arabinose-5-phosphate, the first step in the biosynthesis of 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo), an essential component of the lipopolysaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria. Classical APIs, such as Escherichia coli KdsD, contain a sugar isomerase domain and a tandem cystathionine beta-synthase domain. Despite substantial effort, little is known about structure-function relationships in these APIs. We recently reported an API containing only a sugar isomerase domain. This protein, c3406 from E. coli CFT073, has no known physiological function. In this study, we investigated a putative single-domain API from the anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium Bacteroides fragilis. This putative API (UniProt ID {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1) is the only protein encoded by the B. fragilis genome with significant identity to any known API, suggesting that it is responsible for lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis in B. fragilis. We tested this hypothesis by preparing recombinant {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1 protein (here referred to by the UniProt ID {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1), characterizing its API activity in vitro, and demonstrating that the gene encoding {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1 (GenBank ID {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"YP_209877.1","term_id":"60679733","term_text":"YP_209877.1"}}YP_209877.1) was able to complement an API-deficient E. coli strain. We demonstrated that {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1 is inhibited by cytidine 5′-monophospho-3-deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonic acid, the final product of the Kdo biosynthesis pathway, with a K_i of 1.91 μM. These results support the assertion that {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1 is the API that supports lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis in B. fragilis and is subject to feedback regulation by CMP-Kdo. The sugar isomerase domain of E. coli KdsD, lacking the two cystathionine beta-synthase domains, demonstrated API activity and was further characterized. These results suggest that {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q5LIW1","term_id":"81317194","term_text":"Q5LIW1"}}Q5LIW1 may be a suitable system to study API structure-function relationships.     

ModuleSearch: finding functional modules in a protein–protein interaction network

Many biological processes are performed by a group of proteins rather than by individual proteins. Proteins involved in the same biological process often form a densely connected sub-graph in a protein–protein interaction network. Therefore, finding a dense sub-graph provides useful information to predict the function or protein complex of uncharacterised proteins in the sub-graph. We developed a heuristic algorithm that finds functional modules in a protein–protein interaction network and visualises the modules. The algorithm has been implemented in a platform-independent, standalone program called ModuleSearch. In an interaction network of yeast proteins, ModuleSearch found 366 overlapping modules. Of the modules, 71% have a function shared by more than half the proteins in the module and 58% have a function shared by all proteins in the module. Comparison of ModuleSearch with other programs shows that ModuleSearch finds more sub-graphs than most other programs, yet a higher proportion of the sub-graphs correspond to known functional modules. ModuleSearch and sample data are freely available to academics at http://bclab.inha.ac.kr/ModuleSearch.     

First Qualification Study of Serum Biomarkers as Indicators of Total Body Burden of Osteoarthritis

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating chronic multijoint disease of global proportions. OA presence and severity is usually documented by x-ray imaging but whole body imaging is impractical due to radiation exposure, time and cost. Systemic (serum or urine) biomarkers offer a potential alternative method of quantifying total body burden of disease but no OA-related biomarker has ever been stringently qualified to determine the feasibility of this approach. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of three OA-related biomarkers to predict various forms or subspecies of OA and total body burden of disease.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Female participants (461) with clinical hand OA underwent radiography of hands, hips, knees and lumbar spine; x-rays were comprehensively scored for OA features of osteophyte and joint space narrowing. Three OA-related biomarkers, serum hyaluronan (sHA), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (sCOMP), and urinary C-telopeptide of type II collagen (uCTX2), were measured by ELISA. sHA, sCOMP and uCTX2 correlated positively with total osteophyte burden in models accounting for demographics (age, weight, height): R² = 0.60, R² = 0.47, R² = 0.51 (all p<10⁻⁶); sCOMP correlated negatively with total joint space narrowing burden: R² = 0.69 (p<10⁻⁶). Biomarkers and demographics predicted 35–38% of variance in total burden of OA (total joint space narrowing or osteophyte). Joint size did not determine the contribution to the systemic biomarker concentration. Biomarker correlation with disease in the lumbar spine resembled that in the rest of the skeleton.

Conclusions/Significance

We have suspected that the correlation of systemic biomarkers with disease has been hampered by the inability to fully phenotype the burden of OA in a patient. These results confirm the hypothesis, revealed upon adequate patient phenotyping, that systemic joint tissue concentrations of several biomarkers can be quantitative indicators of specific subspecies of OA and of total body burden of disease.     

The First Peopling of South America: New Evidence from Y-Chromosome Haplogroup Q

Recent progress in the phylogenetic resolution of the Y-chromosome phylogeny permits the male demographic dynamics and migratory events that occurred in Central and Southern America after the initial human spread into the Americas to be investigated at the regional level. To delve further into this issue, we examined more than 400 Native American Y chromosomes (collected in the region ranging from Mexico to South America) belonging to haplogroup Q – virtually the only branch of the Y phylogeny observed in modern-day Amerindians of Central and South America – together with 27 from Mongolia and Kamchatka. Two main founding lineages, Q1a3a1a-M3 and {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q1a3a1","term_id":"123949938","term_text":"Q1A3A1"}}Q1a3a1-L54(xM3), were detected along with novel sub-clades of younger age and more restricted geographic distributions. The first was also observed in Far East Asia while no {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q1a3a1","term_id":"123949938","term_text":"Q1A3A1"}}Q1a3a1-L54(xM3) Y chromosome was found in Asia except the southern Siberian-specific sub-clade Q1a3a1c-L330. Our data not only confirm a southern Siberian origin of ancestral populations that gave rise to Paleo-Indians and the differentiation of both Native American Q founding lineages in Beringia, but support their concomitant arrival in Mesoamerica, where Mexico acted as recipient for the first wave of migration, followed by a rapid southward migration, along the Pacific coast, into the Andean region. Although Q1a3a1a-M3 and {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q1a3a1","term_id":"123949938","term_text":"Q1A3A1"}}Q1a3a1-L54(xM3) display overlapping general distributions, they show different patterns of evolution in the Mexican plateau and the Andean area, which can be explained by local differentiations due to demographic events triggered by the introduction of agriculture and associated with the flourishing of the Great Empires.     

Comparative Immunogenicity of Subtype A Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Exhibiting Differential Exposure of Conserved Neutralization Epitopes

Development of broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) remains a major goal of HIV-1 vaccine development, but most candidate envelope immunogens have had limited ability to cross-neutralize heterologous strains. To evaluate the immunogenicity of subtype A variants of HIV-1, rabbits were immunized with pairs of closely related subtype A envelopes from the same individual. In each immunogen pair, one variant was readily neutralized by a variety of monoclonal antibodies and plasma antibodies, while the other was neutralization resistant, suggesting differences in the exposures of key epitopes. The breadth of the antibody response was evaluated against subtype A, B, C, and D variants of HIV-1. The specificity of the immunogen-derived neutralizing antibody response was also compared to that of the infected individuals from whom these variants were cloned. None of the immunogens produced broad neutralizing antibodies in immunized animals, and most of the neutralizing antibodies were directed to the variable loops, particularly the V3 loop. No detectable antibodies to either of the potentially exposed conserved epitopes, the membrane proximal external region, or the CD4 binding site were found with immunized rabbits. In contrast, relatively little of the neutralizing activity within the plasma samples of the infected individuals was directed to linear epitopes within the variable loops. These data indicate that immunogens designed to expose conserved regions did not enhance generation of broadly neutralizing antibodies in comparison with the immunogens that failed to expose those regions using this immunization approach.The ability to elicit broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is likely to be an important component of an effective vaccine to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Unfortunately, the HIV-1 envelope (Env)-based vaccines developed to date do not elicit such antibodies. Initial vaccines based on soluble, monomeric gp120 generated antibodies capable of only weakly neutralizing the homologous virus, with a very narrow breadth of cross-reactivity (13, 30, 53). Subsequent modifications to the Env immunogens, including variable loop deletions (15, 20, 31, 34, 35, 61, 64-66), alterations in the glycosylation pattern (4, 10, 11, 14, 30, 43, 55, 56), epitope repositioning (39, 46), the use of consensus Envs (22, 36, 37, 47), and the use of soluble trimeric gp140 molecules as immunogens (1-3, 5, 14, 16, 20, 21, 24, 25) have led to only modest enhancements in NAb breadth or potency. These modified Env immunogens have failed to redirect NAbs from the variable loops to more conserved regions of Env (reviewed in reference 33).Differences in Env structure between HIV-1 subtypes may further hinder efforts to elicit broadly cross-reactive antibodies capable of protecting against transmitted strains worldwide. Most immunogens tested to date have been derived from subtype B Envs. However, there are clear antigenic differences between subtype B strains and the subtype A and C strains that account for most infections worldwide (6, 8, 27, 28, 40, 42). For instance, most transmitted subtype A Envs are resistant to the monoclonal antibodies 2G12, b12, 2F5, and 4E10, either because of alterations in the epitopes for these monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) or because the epitopes are shielded in these Envs (6, 8). It is therefore possible that even NAbs specific for a conserved region of subtype B Envs, such as the CD4 binding site, would not be able to access and neutralize a similar epitope on a subtype A Env.In order to evaluate the immunogenicity of subtype A Envs, which account for ∼25% of global HIV-1 infections (12), we previously investigated the types of antibody responses elicited following gp160 priming and gp140 boosting with immunogens derived from four subtype A Envs in comparison to the subtype B Env SF162 (38). These experiments were also designed to explore whether deriving immunogens from HIV-1 Envs isolated from early in infection would better target NAbs to transmitted strains. Although all of the subtype A-based immunogens and the SF162 immunogen elicited anti-V3 NAbs capable of neutralizing the easy-to-neutralize SF162 pseudovirus, only one of the four immunogens generated homologous NAbs (38). Even immunogens with shorter variable loops or fewer potential N-linked glycosylation sites (PNGS) did not lead to enhanced breadth of neutralization against heterologous subtype A or B Envs (38). However, the four subtype A Envs used in these immunizations were generally neutralization resistant to both plasma samples from HIV-1-infected individuals and to monoclonal antibodies (6), raising the possibility that the poor breadth observed could be related to the shielding of conserved epitopes within these Envs.In order to determine whether using subtype A Env immunogens that do not shield conserved epitopes could improve neutralization breadth, here we performed immunizations with pairs of Env immunogens derived from two individuals acutely infected with subtype A HIV-1. The Envs in each pair were very similar in their amino acid sequences yet differed dramatically in their neutralization phenotype (6, 9) (Fig. ​(Fig.1A).1A). The pair from subject Q461 had a neutralization-resistant Env, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461e2","term_id":"123931369","term_text":"Q461E2"}}Q461e2 (termed {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461e2","term_id":"123931369","term_text":"Q461E2"}}Q461e2^R to indicate neutralization resistance), and a neutralization-sensitive Env, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461d1","term_id":"123852094","term_text":"Q461D1"}}Q461d1 (termed {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461d1","term_id":"123852094","term_text":"Q461D1"}}Q461d1^S to indicate neutralization sensitivity), which was sensitive to neutralization by plasma, 2F5, 4E10, b12, and soluble CD4 (sCD4). We previously demonstrated that the neutralization sensitivity of the {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461d1","term_id":"123852094","term_text":"Q461D1"}}Q461d1^S Env is mediated entirely by two amino acid substitutions in gp41, one in the first heptad repeat and one in the membrane proximal external region (MPER) (9). These mutations led to enhanced exposure of both the CD4 binding site and the MPER (9). From subject Q168, the Env Q168b23^S was sensitive to autologous and heterologous plasma and to the MPER antibodies 2F5 and 4E10 but resistant to b12 and sCD4, while {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q168a2","term_id":"123361966","term_text":"Q168A2"}}Q168a2^R was weakly neutralized by the MPER antibodies, less sensitive to neutralization by autologous plasma, and resistant to heterologous plasma (6). The {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q168a2","term_id":"123361966","term_text":"Q168A2"}}Q168a2^R and Q168b23^S Envs contain identical sequences in the MPER region yet have >500-fold differences in neutralization sensitivity to 2F5 and 4E10, indicating that the exposure of the MPER region, rather than the sequence, likely accounts for the enhanced neutralization of the Q168b23^S Env.Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Analysis of {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461d1","term_id":"123852094","term_text":"Q461D1"}}Q461d1^S gp140 used for immunizations. (A) SDS-PAGE analysis of final preparation of {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461d1","term_id":"123852094","term_text":"Q461D1"}}Q461d1^S gp140 from the GNA capture and DEAE and CHAP columns. Lane 1 contains molecular weight standards, lane 2 the concentrated DEAE flowthrough, and lane 3 the final concentrated protein. The purified {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q461d1","term_id":"123852094","term_text":"Q461D1"}}Q461d1^S gp140 protein is indicated by an arrow. The sizes of the molecular weight markers (in thousands) are indicated on the left. (B) Binding of purified gp140 subtype A to CD4 as determined by a high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based assay. The bottom line represents the protein obtained after the GNA column, and the top line represents purified protein after all three steps. The trimer and monomer peaks are marked. (C) Summary of neutralization characteristics of all four HIV-1 subtype A Env variants used in the immunizations, adapted from reference 6. The pseudovirus is shown in the far left column. IC₅₀ values for plasma sample (left) and monoclonal antibodies (right) are displayed. The autologous plasma samples were taken 3.7 ypi for subject Q461 and 2.6 ypi for subject Q168. The Kenya pool was derived by pooling plasma from 30 HIV-1-infected individuals in Kenya and has been described previously (6).Thus, to directly test whether using Env immunogens that expose conserved epitopes could enhance neutralization breadth immunization, here we immunized with these pairs of related Envs, in which one variant exposes conserved regions, while the other does not. We also compared the specificity of the NAb responses following immunization with these Envs with the specificities of the NAbs that developed during natural infection in the individuals from whom these variants were cloned.     

AT1 Receptor Induced Alterations in Histone H2A Reveal Novel Insights into GPCR Control of Chromatin Remodeling

Chronic activation of angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT₁R), a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) induces gene regulatory stress which is responsible for phenotypic modulation of target cells. The AT₁R-selective drugs reverse the gene regulatory stress in various cardiovascular diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms are not clear. We speculate that activation states of AT₁R modify the composition of histone isoforms and post-translational modifications (PTM), thereby alter the structure-function dynamics of chromatin. We combined total histone isolation, FPLC separation, and mass spectrometry techniques to analyze histone H2A in HEK293 cells with and without AT₁R activation. We have identified eight isoforms: H2AA, H2AG, H2AM, H2AO, H2AQ, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q96QV6","term_id":"74752099","term_text":"Q96QV6"}}Q96QV6, H2AC and H2AL. The isoforms, H2AA, H2AC and H2AQ were methylated and H2AC was phosphorylated. The relative abundance of specific H2A isoforms and PTMs were further analyzed in relationship to the activation states of AT₁R by immunochemical studies. Within 2 hr, the isoforms, H2AA/O exchanged with H2AM. The monomethylated H2AC increased rapidly and the phosphorylated H2AC decreased, thus suggesting that enhanced H2AC methylation is coupled to Ser1p dephosphorylation. We show that H2A125Kme1 promotes interaction with the heterochromatin associated protein, HP1α. These specific changes in H2A are reversed by treatment with the AT₁R specific inhibitor losartan. Our analysis provides a first step towards an awareness of histone code regulation by GPCRs.     

The 1.5-? Structure of XplA-heme,an Unusual Cytochrome P450 Heme Domain That Catalyzes Reductive Biotransformation of Royal Demolition Explosive

XplA is a cytochrome P450 of unique structural organization, consisting of a heme- domain that is C-terminally fused to its native flavodoxin redox partner. XplA, along with flavodoxin reductase XplB, has been shown to catalyze the breakdown of the nitramine explosive and pollutant hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (royal demolition explosive) by reductive denitration. The structure of the heme domain of XplA (XplA-heme) has been solved in two crystal forms: as a dimer in space group P2₁ to a resolution of 1.9 Å and as a monomer in space group P2₁2₁2 to a resolution of 1.5 Å, with the ligand imidazole bound at the heme iron. Although it shares the overall fold of cytochromes P450 of known structure, XplA-heme is unusual in that the kinked I-helix that traverses the distal face of the heme is broken by Met-394 and Ala-395 in place of the well conserved Asp/Glu plus Thr/Ser, important in oxidative P450s for the scission of the dioxygen bond prior to substrate oxygenation. The heme environment of XplA-heme is hydrophobic, featuring a cluster of three methionines above the heme, including Met-394. Imidazole was observed bound to the heme iron and is in close proximity to the side chain of Gln-438, which is situated over the distal face of the heme. Imidazole is also hydrogen-bonded to a water molecule that sits in place of the threonine side-chain hydroxyl exemplified by Thr-252 in Cyt-P450cam. Both Gln-438 → Ala and Ala-395 → Thr mutants of XplA-heme displayed markedly reduced activity compared with the wild type for royal demolition explosive degradation when combined with surrogate electron donors.Royal demolition explosive (RDX)² or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine 1 (see Fig. 1) is a widely used explosive compound with both military and civil applications. The extensive global usage of RDX has resulted in concerns over environmental contamination, because it is both recalcitrant to degradation, leading to contamination in soil and ground water, and a potent convulsant and possible carcinogen. The bioremediation of RDX has thus been the focus of increasing research in recent years, with a number of bacterial strains reported to catalyze its degradation (1–3). Among these, Bruce and co-workers, using a selective enrichment technique, isolated Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain 11Y from an RDX-contaminated site, which was able to grow on RDX as the sole nitrogen source (4). The products of biotransformation of RDX by this bacterium were shown to be nitrite and formaldehyde. A gene cluster in strain 11Y essential for RDX degradation was identified and shown to contain a novel cytochrome P450, termed XplA, and a redox partner, XplB, which were shown together to be capable of catalyzing the biotransformation of RDX in vitro (5). Near identical xplA and xplB genes have now been identified in strains within the Actinomycetales isolated from geographically distinct sites (6). Interestingly, these genes have been found to be plasmid encoded providing compelling evidence for recent lateral gene transfer. In the interests of developing an efficient technology for the targeted phytoremediation of RDX, the XplA-XplB system was expressed in transgenic strains of Arabidopsis thaliana and shown to successfully remediate RDX from contaminated soil (5, 7).Open in a separate windowFIGURE 1.Biocatalyzed routes proposed for the degradation of the nitramine exposive RDX 1 by cytochrome P450 XplA from Rhodococcus rhodochrous 11Y. Pathway A corresponds to the route proposed under anaerobic conditions to give the cleavage product metabolite methylene dinitramine 6; pathway B is that postulated to occur under aerobic conditions to give cleavage product 4-nitro-2,4-diazabutanal 7.RDX has an unusual chemical structure, featuring three nitramine (N-NO₂) bonds on a saturated six-membered ring, a functionality that has few precedents among natural products (8). The products isolated from XplA-XplB-catalyzed degradation of RDX in vitro were shown to be different under aerobic and anaerobic conditions after initial denitration to imine intermediate 2 (Fig. 1) (5). Under anaerobic conditions A, 2 would undergo hydration to give intermediate 4. Ring cleavage would yield the isolable metabolite methylene dinitramine 6. The aerobic process B was thought to proceed via successive denitration of two nitramine groups, to give the di-imine 3, which would then be twice hydrated to give the unstable intermediate 5, which would undergo spontaneous ring cleavage to give the isolable product 4-nitro-2,4-diazabutanal 7, formaldehyde, and two equivalents of nitrite.Although the reductive denitration of, for example, glycerol trinitrate (9) and other nitroheterocylic drugs (10), has previously been described for mammalian cytochromes P450, the best known reactions catalyzed by this family of enzymes include a wide range of oxidative chemical reactions, including hydroxylation, heteroatom dealkylation, and C–C bond cleavage reactions most commonly using molecular oxygen and involving cleavage of the O–O bond after dioxygen is bound by the heme-iron (11). A sequence alignment of some cyt-P450 for which the structures have been determined (Fig. 2) shows that the well conserved residues Glu/Asp-Thr/Ser that are thought to be a requirement for oxidative chemistry (12, 13) and to aid cleavage of the scissile O–O bond are not conserved in XplA, being replaced by methionine-394 and alanine-395. In the interests of illuminating the molecular mechanism and substrate specificity in XplA, we were thus interested in obtaining a structure of the heme domain of the enzyme. In this report, the structure of XplA-heme domain in two crystal forms is presented: the first with two molecules in the asymmetric unit, derived from the attempted crystallization of full-length XplA and the other derived from the subcloned, isolated XplA-heme domain, with one molecule in the asymmetric unit and the heme iron ligated to the substrate analogue imidazole. The results reveal a possible access channel for ligand transport and, in combination with mutational studies, demonstrate a highly unusual active site environment for substrate binding, suggesting substrate binding or catalytic roles for Gln-438 and Ala-395.Open in a separate windowFIGURE 2.Amino acid sequence alignment for portions of selected CYP heme domains for which the structures have been solved. P450_pikC (from Streptomyces venezuelae; Uniprot accession no. {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"O87605","term_id":"75539043","term_text":"O87605"}}O87605); P450_cin (from Citrobacter braakii; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q8VQ86","term_id":"75529099","term_text":"Q8VQ86"}}Q8VQ86); P450_eryF (Saccharopolyspora erythrea; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q00441","term_id":"729202","term_text":"Q00441"}}Q00441); P450_moxa (Nonomuraea recticatena; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q2L6S8","term_id":"123293472","term_text":"Q2L6S8"}}Q2L6S8); P450_staP (Streptomyces sp. TP-A0274; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q83WG3","term_id":"81321418","term_text":"Q83WG3"}}Q83WG3); P450_BioI (B. subtilis; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P53554","term_id":"1705469","term_text":"P53554"}}P53554); P450_epok (Sorangium cellulosum; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q9KIZ4","term_id":"41688519","term_text":"Q9KIZ4"}}Q9KIZ4); P450_terp (Pseudomonas sp.; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P33006","term_id":"416837","term_text":"P33006"}}P33006); P450_xpla (Rhodococcus sp. 11Y; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q8GPH7","term_id":"81322300","term_text":"Q8GPH7"}}Q8GPH7); P450_cam (Pseudomonas putida; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P00183","term_id":"117297","term_text":"P00183"}}P00183); and P450_BM3 (Bacillus megaterium; {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P14779","term_id":"117298","term_text":"P14779"}}P14779). Each catalyzes oxidative chemistry and most apart from P450_cin contain the (E/D)(S/T) dyad (shown in red) demonstrated to be important in the scission of the dioxygen bond as a prerequisite of substrate mono-oxygenation. XplA possesses Met-394 and Ala-395 (shown in green).     

Proteomic analysis of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes reveals protein changes in stress and glycolysis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by cartilage degradation. The chondrocyte is the only cell type present in mature cartilage, and it is important in the control of cartilage integrity. The aim of this study was to analyze, by a proteomic approach, the changes that are characteristic of OA chondrocytes, and to identify new OA-related proteins. Chondrocytes were isolated from the cartilage of ten OA patients undergoing joint replacement and ten donors with no history of joint disease. Whole-cell proteins were resolved by 2-DE and stained with SYPRO Ruby. Protein expression patterns of 2-DE gels from OA and normal chondrocyte proteins were analyzed with PDQuest 7.3.1 software. OA-related proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF or MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. The results were validated for ANXA1, GSTO1, GRP78, and HSP90beta in cells by Western blotting and in tissue cartilage by immunohistochemistry. Results showed an average of 700 protein spots that were present in the 2-DE gels. Compared to normal chondrocytes, 19 protein spots were found to be significantly increased in OA cells (ratio OA:N> or =2.0, p<0.05), whereas nine were decreased in OA chondrocytes (ratio OA:N< or =0.5, p<0.05). Three stress response proteins were increased (HSP90beta, GRP78, and GRP94) and three proteins involved in glycolysis were decreased (enolase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and fructose biphosphate aldolase). Functionally, almost all proteins could be classified as proteins involved in cellular metabolism (33%), structure (21%), or protein targeting (21%).     

基于共表达网络和蛋白互作分析挖掘小麦赤霉病抗性相关核心蛋白

高通量蛋白组学技术能够鉴定小麦特定组织的蛋白表达水平,对小麦穗轴混池蛋白组学分析得到的632个差异表达蛋白数据进行共表达网络分析,同时筛选显著表达模块进行蛋白质互作分析,以期挖掘出与小麦赤霉病抗性相关的蛋白。WGCNA分析结果共构建了12个表达模块,其中模块6与赤霉病抗病呈极显著相关,模块8显著相关。蛋白互作网络分析筛选到7个候选蛋白,分别为参与毒素降解的GST （glutathione S?transferase）和AdoMet?MTase（S?adenosylmethionine?dependent methyltransferase）,参与光合作用的IM30（membrane?associated 30 Da, chloroplastic）、PnsL2（photosynthetic NDH subcomplex L 2）和PPL1（PsbP?like protein 1）,以及抗逆相关的UCHL（ubiquitin carboxyl?terminal hydrolase）和MetAP2（methionine aminopeptidase 2）。这些蛋白可能在赤霉病抗、感病响应中具有重要作用,值得进一步研究。     

Diversity and Strain Specificity of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes Revealed by the Draft Genome of Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1

Background

Ruminococcus flavefaciens is a predominant cellulolytic rumen bacterium, which forms a multi-enzyme cellulosome complex that could play an integral role in the ability of this bacterium to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides. Identifying the major enzyme types involved in plant cell wall degradation is essential for gaining a better understanding of the cellulolytic capabilities of this organism as well as highlighting potential enzymes for application in improvement of livestock nutrition and for conversion of cellulosic biomass to liquid fuels.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The R. flavefaciens FD-1 genome was sequenced to 29x-coverage, based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis estimates (4.4 Mb), and assembled into 119 contigs providing 4,576,399 bp of unique sequence. As much as 87.1% of the genome encodes ORFs, tRNA, rRNAs, or repeats. The GC content was calculated at 45%. A total of 4,339 ORFs was detected with an average gene length of 918 bp. The cellulosome model for R. flavefaciens was further refined by sequence analysis, with at least 225 dockerin-containing ORFs, including previously characterized cohesin-containing scaffoldin molecules. These dockerin-containing ORFs encode a variety of catalytic modules including glycoside hydrolases (GHs), polysaccharide lyases, and carbohydrate esterases. Additionally, 56 ORFs encode proteins that contain carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). Functional microarray analysis of the genome revealed that 56 of the cellulosome-associated ORFs were up-regulated, 14 were down-regulated, 135 were unaffected, when R. flavefaciens FD-1 was grown on cellulose versus cellobiose. Three multi-modular xylanases ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ORF01222","term_id":"1178790230","term_text":"ORF01222"}}ORF01222, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ORF03896","term_id":"1178792974","term_text":"ORF03896"}}ORF03896, and {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ORF01315","term_id":"1178790325","term_text":"ORF01315"}}ORF01315) exhibited the highest levels of up-regulation.

Conclusions/Significance

The genomic evidence indicates that R. flavefaciens FD-1 has the largest known number of fiber-degrading enzymes likely to be arranged in a cellulosome architecture. Functional analysis of the genome has revealed that the growth substrate drives expression of enzymes predicted to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism as well as expression and assembly of key cellulosomal enzyme components.     

Construction and Application of a Protein Interaction Map for White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV)

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is currently the most serious global threat for cultured shrimp production. Although its large, double-stranded DNA genome has been completely characterized, most putative protein functions remain obscure. To provide more informative knowledge about this virus, a proteomic-scale network of WSSV-WSSV protein interactions was carried out using a comprehensive yeast two-hybrid analysis. An array of yeast transformants containing each WSSV open reading frame fused with GAL4 DNA binding domain and GAL4 activation domain was constructed yielding 187 bait and 182 prey constructs, respectively. On screening of ∼28,000 pairwise combinations, 710 interactions were obtained from 143 baits. An independent coimmunoprecipitation assay (co-IP) was performed to validate the selected protein interaction pairs identified from the yeast two-hybrid approach. The program Cytoscape was employed to create a WSSV protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. The topology of the WSSV PPI network was based on the Barabási-Albert model and consisted of a scale-free network that resembled other established viral protein interaction networks. Using the RNA interference approach, knocking down either of two candidate hub proteins gave shrimp more protection against WSSV than knocking down a nonhub gene. The WSSV protein interaction map established in this study provides novel guidance for further studies on shrimp viral pathogenesis, host-viral protein interaction and potential targets for therapeutic and preventative antiviral strategies in shrimp aquaculture.White spot syndrome virus (WSSV)¹ is the causative agent of white spot disease (WSD) and is one of the most serious viral pathogens that threaten the shrimp culture industry worldwide. Because WSD causes rapid and high mortality up to 100% within 3–10 days after viral infection (1), it causes dramatic economic losses on farms. WSSV is a large enveloped, ovoid to bacilliform, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus with a genome of ∼300 kb (See reviews in (2, 3)). The WSSV genome has been completely characterized for isolates from Thailand (GenBank accession number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF369029","term_id":"58866698","term_text":"AF369029"}}AF369029), China (accession number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF332093","term_id":"721172032","term_text":"AF332093"}}AF332093) and Taiwan (accession number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF440570","term_id":"19481591","term_text":"AF440570"}}AF440570). To expand its basic genetic information, various genomic and proteomic approaches have been applied to gain more insight into the molecular mechanisms of WSSV pathogenesis (See reviews in (2, 3)). However, the roles of most of the WSSV proteins still remain to be elucidated. This is due to the fact that many of its putative open reading frames (ORFs) lack homology to known proteins in the database. Protein–protein interaction studies can provide a valuable framework for understanding the roles of protein functions. Interaction studies of WSSV proteins have particularly focused on viral structural proteins (4–15). However, so far there has been no report on a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network for WSSV or any other crustacean virus. By contrast, several PPI networks for cellular organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (16, 17), Helicobacter pylori (18), Drosophila melanogaster (19), Caenarhabitis elegans (20), Plasmodium falciparum (21), and Homo sapiens (22, 23) and pathogens such as bacteriophage T7 (24), vaccinia virus (25), hepatitis C virus (26), and herpesviruses (27–29) have already been established. Therefore, the present study aimed to obtain a more fundamental understanding of WSSV protein interactions. A comprehensive yeast two-hybrid assay was employed to generate viral fusion proteins with DNA binding (BD) and activation (AD) domains in an array format that effectively allowed searching every possible binary interaction in WSSV. The interaction results from the yeast two-hybrid assays were subsequently validated by coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP). Topological properties of the WSSV PPI network were assessed and compared with previously published viral networks. Candidate viral hub proteins with high numbers of interacting partners were identified in this study and their significance was investigated using an RNA interference approach.     

Crystal Structure and Comparative Sequence Analysis of GmhA from Colwellia psychrerythraea Strain 34H Provides Insight into Functional Similarity with DiaA

The psychrophilic organism Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H produces extracellular polysaccharide substances to tolerate cold environments. Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate isomerase (GmhA) is essential for producing d-glycero-d-mannoheptose 7-phosphate, a key mediator in the lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic pathway. We determined the crystal structure of GmhA from C. psychrerythraea strain 34H (CpsGmhA, UniProtKB code: {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q47VU0","term_id":"123630951","term_text":"Q47VU0"}}Q47VU0) at a resolution of 2.8 Å. The tetrameric structure is similar to that of homologous GmhA structures. Interestingly, one of the catalytic residues, glutamate, which has been reported to be critical for the activity of other homologous GmhA enzymes, is replaced by a glutamine residue in the CpsGmhA protein. We also found differences in the conformations of several other catalytic residues. Extensive structural and sequence analyses reveal that CpsGmhA shows high similarity to Escherichia coli DnaA initiator-associating protein A (DiaA). Therefore, the CpsGmhA structure reported here may provide insight into the structural and functional correlations between GmhA and DiaA among specific microorganisms.     

Involvement of Arabidopsis ACYL-COENZYME A DESATURASE-LIKE2 (At2g31360) in the Biosynthesis of the Very-Long-Chain Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Components of Membrane Lipids

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) desaturase-like (ADS) gene family contains nine genes encoding fatty acid desaturase-like proteins. The biological function of only one member of the family, fatty acid desaturase5 (AtADS3/FAD5, At3g15850), is known, and this gene encodes the plastidic palmitoyl-monogalactosyldiacylglycerol Δ7 desaturase. We cloned seven members of the gene family that are predicted not to have a chloroplast transit peptide and expressed them in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All seven have previously undescribed desaturase activity on very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) substrates and exhibit diverse regiospecificity, catalyzing introduction of double bonds relative to the methyl end of the molecule (n-x) at n-6 (AtADS4, At1g06350), n-7 (AtADS1.3, At1g06100 and AtADS4.2, At1g06360), n-9 (AtADS1, At1g06080 and AtADS2, At2g31360) or Δ9 (relative to the carboxyl end of the molecule) positions (AtADS1.2, At1g06090 and AtADS1.4, At1g06120). Through forward and reverse genetics it was shown that AtADS2 is involved in the synthesis of the 24:1(n-9) and 26:1(n-9) components (X:Y, where X is chain length and Y is number of double bonds) of seed lipids, sphingolipids, and the membrane phospholipids phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Plants deficient in AtADS2 expression showed no obvious phenotype when grown under normal growing conditions, but showed an almost complete loss of phosphatidylethanolamine(42:4), phosphatidylserine(42:4), dihydroxy-monohexosylceramide(42:2)-2, trihydroxy-monohexosylceramide(42:2)-3, and trihydroxy-glycosylinositolphosphoceramide(42:2)-3, lipid species that contain the VLCFA 24:1(n-9), and trihydroxy-glycosylinositolphosphoceramide(44:2)-3, a lipid containing 26:1(n-9). Acyl-CoA profiling of these plants revealed a major reduction in 24:1-CoA and a small reduction in 26:1-CoA. Overexpression of AtADS2 resulted in a substantial increase in the percentage of glycerolipid and sphingolipids species containing 24:1 and a dramatic increase in the percentage of very-long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids in the acyl-CoA pool. Plants deficient in AtADS1 expression had reduced levels of 26:1(n-9) in seed lipids, but no significant changes in leaf phospholipids or sphingolipids were observed. These findings indicate that the 24-carbon and 26-carbon monounsaturated VLCFAs of Arabidopsis result primarily from VLCFA desaturation, rather than by elongation of long chain monounsaturated fatty acids.The ADS (for acyl-CoA desaturase-like) gene family of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) encodes a group of nine proteins with homology to the Δ9 acyl-lipid desaturases of cyanobacteria, the Δ9 acyl-CoA desaturases of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and mammals (Fukuchi-Mizutani et al., 1998; Heilmann et al., 2004b) and the membrane-bound desaturases of insects (Knipple et al., 2002). Eight of these genes are located in three clusters on chromosomes I and III. The remaining gene, designated AtADS2 (At2g31360), is present on chromosome II. With the exception of Arabidopsis fatty acid desaturase5 (AtADS3/FAD5, At3g15850), which encodes the plastidic palmitoyl-monogalactosyldiacylglycerol Δ7 desaturase (Heilmann et al., 2004b), the biological role of these enzymes in Arabidopsis is currently unknown. AtADS3/FAD5 and a second closely linked homolog designated AtADS3.2 (At3g15870), are the only members of the gene family predicted to encode proteins with a plastid transit peptide.The first study, to our knowledge, to report evidence of desaturase activity associated with an Arabidopsis ADS, AtADS1 (At1g06080), described the heterologous expression of the gene in Brassica juncea. Seeds from transformed plants contained decreased levels of saturated fatty acids and a slight increase in oleic acid content (Yao et al., 2003). Although the evidence was indirect, the results suggested that AtADS1 may encode a Δ9 desaturase. More detailed studies involving in vivo expression of AtADS1, AtADS2, and AtADS3 (without the plastid transit peptide) in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) have shown that all three enzymes can catalyze the Δ9 or Δ7 desaturation of palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) acids (X:Y, where X is chain length and Y is number of double bonds), with regiospecificity being partly influenced by fatty acid substrate (Heilmann et al., 2004a). In this work, the substrate for desaturation was suggested to be a glycerolipid rather than acyl-CoA. The bifunctionality of these enzymes was further demonstrated by expression in Arabidopsis. When AtADS3 was expressed as the full-length form including the plastid transit peptide, or when AtADS1 and AtADS2 were retargeted to the plastid by the addition of a plastid transit peptide, 16:1Δ7 became the predominant monounsaturated 16-carbon (C16) fatty acid. The Arabidopsis plants used in the study were fab1/fae1 (for fatty acid elongase1) double mutant lines lacking the activity of KASII (for 3-ketoacyl-acyl-carrier protein synthase; FAB1, At1g74960) and the FAE1 condensing enzyme (At4g34520), and consequently exhibiting higher than normal levels of 16:0 and low very-long-chain unsaturated fatty acid content in the seed lipids.Homologs of the Arabidopsis ADS enzymes have been identified in other plant species, but their catalytic activity and acyl-substrates are not well characterized. Heterologous expression of a complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding an ADS-like protein from white spruce (Picea glauca) gave evidence of Δ9 activity when expressed in yeast (Marillia et al., 2002). The lipid substrate of this desaturase was not determined and the cDNA appeared to encode an enzyme with a plastid transit peptide. The Δ5 desaturase catalyzing the synthesis of 20:1Δ5 in the seeds of Limnanthes alba is also an ADS homolog (Cahoon et al., 2000). The substrate for this reaction is thought to be the 20:0-CoA thioester (Pollard and Stumpf, 1980; Moreau et al., 1981). Δ5 desaturase activity on fatty acids with chain length longer than 18 carbons (very-long-chain fatty acids [VLCFAs]) has also been demonstrated from two ADS homologs isolated from Anemone leveillei (Sayanova et al., 2007). Indirect evidence suggesting that both enzymes utilized acyl-CoA substrates was presented based on characterization of acyl-CoA pools in developing seeds of transgenic Arabidopsis expressing the A. leveillei desaturases.In addition to functioning in the synthesis of chloroplast lipids (AtADS3/FAD5) and VLCFAs of certain seed oils, ADS proteins have been suggested to play a role in petal senescence in roses (Rosa spp.; Fukuchi-Mizutani et al., 1995) and the expression of Arabidopsis AtADS1 and AtADS2 appears to be regulated in response to changes in temperature (Fukuchi-Mizutani et al., 1998; Byun et al., 2009). A potential role in drought tolerance has also been suggested for a member of the gene family (At1g06100; Allen et al., 2012). This group of plant enzymes therefore appears to contain members showing a diversity of lipid substrate utilization, desaturation regiospecificity and biological function that merits further investigation.Only four members of the Arabidopsis ADS gene family have documented nomenclature. Based on the existing literature we propose a systematic nomenclature of the ADS gene family based on their chromosomal location and grouping (VLCFA substrates. Forward and reverse genetics have revealed a role for AtADS2 in the production of very-long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (VLCMUFAs) in seed lipids and in membrane phospholipids and sphingolipids.

Table I.

The Arabidopsis ADS gene family

Aminostyrylbenzofuran Directly Reduces Oligomeric Amyloid-β and Reverses Cognitive Deficits in Alzheimer Transgenic Mice

Alzheimer''s disease is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the abnormal aggregation of amyloid-β into neurotoxic oligomers and plaques. Although many disease-modifying molecules are currently in Alzheimer clinical trials, a small molecule that inhibits amyloid-β aggregation and ameliorates the disorder has not been approved to date. Herein, we report the effects of a potent small molecule, 6-methoxy-2-(4-dimethylaminostyryl) benzofuran ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"KMS88009","term_id":"870800947","term_text":"KMS88009"}}KMS88009), that directly disrupts amyloid-β oligomerization, preserving cognitive behavior when used prophylactically and reversing declines in cognitive behavior when used therapeutically. {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"KMS88009","term_id":"870800947","term_text":"KMS88009"}}KMS88009 exhibited excellent pharmacokinetic profiles with extensive brain uptake and a high level of safety. When orally administered before and after the onset of Alzheimer''s disease symptoms, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"KMS88009","term_id":"870800947","term_text":"KMS88009"}}KMS88009 significantly reduced assembly of amyloid-β oligomers and improved cognitive behaviors in the APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model. The unique dual mode of action indicates that {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"KMS88009","term_id":"870800947","term_text":"KMS88009"}}KMS88009 may be a powerful therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer''s disease.     

USP7 inhibitor P22077 inhibits neuroblastoma growth via inducing p53-mediated apoptosis

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common pediatric cancer and contributes to more than 15% of all pediatric cancer-related deaths. Unlike adult tumors, recurrent somatic mutations in NB, such as tumor protein 53 (p53) mutations, occur with relative paucity. In addition, p53 downstream function is intact in NB cells with wild-type p53, suggesting that reactivation of p53 may be a viable therapeutic strategy for NB treatment. Herein, we report that the ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) inhibitor, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P22077","term_id":"134707","term_text":"P22077"}}P22077, potently induces apoptosis in NB cells with an intact USP7-HDM2-p53 axis but not in NB cells with mutant p53 or without human homolog of MDM2 (HDM2) expression. In this study, we found that {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P22077","term_id":"134707","term_text":"P22077"}}P22077 stabilized p53 by inducing HDM2 protein degradation in NB cells. {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P22077","term_id":"134707","term_text":"P22077"}}P22077 also significantly augmented the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin (Dox) and etoposide (VP-16) in NB cells with an intact USP7-HDM2-p53 axis. Moreover, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P22077","term_id":"134707","term_text":"P22077"}}P22077 was found to be able to sensitize chemoresistant LA-N-6 NB cells to chemotherapy. In an in vivo orthotopic NB mouse model, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P22077","term_id":"134707","term_text":"P22077"}}P22077 significantly inhibited the xenograft growth of three NB cell lines. Database analysis of NB patients shows that high expression of USP7 significantly predicts poor outcomes. Together, our data strongly suggest that targeting USP7 is a novel concept in the treatment of NB. USP7-specific inhibitors like {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P22077","term_id":"134707","term_text":"P22077"}}P22077 may serve not only as a stand-alone therapy but also as an effective adjunct to current chemotherapeutic regimens for treating NB with an intact USP7-HDM2-p53 axis.