Mutations of the FHL1 Gene Cause Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is a rare disorder characterized by early joint contractures, muscular dystrophy, and cardiac involvement with conduction defects and arrhythmias. So far, only 35% of EDMD cases are genetically elucidated and associated with EMD or LMNA gene mutations, suggesting the existence of additional major genes. By whole-genome scan, we identified linkage to the Xq26.3 locus containing the FHL1 gene in three informative families belonging to our EMD- and LMNA-negative cohort. Analysis of the FHL1 gene identified seven mutations, in the distal exons of FHL1 in these families, three additional families, and one isolated case, which differently affect the three FHL1 protein isoforms: two missense mutations affecting highly conserved cysteines, one abolishing the termination codon, and four out-of-frame insertions or deletions. The predominant phenotype was characterized by myopathy with scapulo-peroneal and/or axial distribution, as well as joint contractures, and associated with a peculiar cardiac disease characterized by conduction defects, arrhythmias, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in all index cases of the seven families. Heterozygous female carriers were either asymptomatic or had cardiac disease and/or mild myopathy. Interestingly, four of the FHL1-mutated male relatives had isolated cardiac disease, and an overt hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was present in two. Expression and functional studies demonstrated that the FHL1 proteins were severely reduced in all tested patients and that this was associated with a severe delay in myotube formation in the two patients for whom myoblasts were available. In conclusion, FHL1 should be considered as a gene associated with the X-linked EDMD phenotype, as well as with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.     

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli AL511 requires flagellum to enter renal collecting duct cells

Escherichia coli is the leading cause of urinary tract infections, but the mechanisms governing renal colonization by this bacterium remain poorly understood. We investigated the ability of 13 E. coli strains isolated from the urine of patients with pyelonephritis and cystitis and normal stools to invade collecting duct cells, which constitute the first epithelium encountered by bacteria ascending from the bladder. The AL511 clinical isolate adhered to mouse collecting duct mpkCCD_cl4 cells, used as a model of renal cell invasion, and was able to enter and persist within these cells. Previous studies have shown that bacterial flagella play an important role in host urinary tract colonization, but the role of flagella in the interaction of E. coli with renal epithelial cells remains unclear. An analysis of the ability of E. coli AL511 mutants to invade renal cells showed that flagellin played a key role in bacterial entry. Both flagellum filament assembly and the motor proteins MotA and MotB appeared to be required for E. coli AL511 uptake into collecting duct cells. These findings indicate that pyelonephritis-associated E. coli strains may invade renal collecting duct cells and that flagellin may act as an invasin in this process.     

COOH-terminal truncated human cardiac MyBP-C alters myosin filament organization

Myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) is thought to play structural and/or regulatory role in striated muscles. The cardiac isoform of MyBP-C is one of the disease genes associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and most of the mutations produce COOH truncated proteins. In order to determine the consequences of these mutations on myosin filament organization, we have characterized the effect of a 52-kDa NH2-terminal peptide of human cardiac MyBP-C on the alpha-myosin heavy chain (alpha-MyHC) filament organization. This peptide lacks the COOH-terminal MyHC-binding site and retains the two MyHC-binding domains located in the N-terminal part of MyBP-C. For this characterization, cDNA constructs (rat alpha-MyHC, full-length and truncated human cardiac MyBP-C) were transiently expressed singly or in pairwise combination in COS cells. In conformity with previous works performed on the skeletal isoform of MyBP-C, we observed that full-length cardiac MyBP-C organizes the MyHC into dense structures of uniform width. While the truncated protein is stable and can interact with MyHC in COS cells, it does not result in the same organization of sarcomeric MyHC that is seen with the full-length MyBP-C. These results suggest that the presence of truncated cardiac MyBP-C could, at least partly, disorganize the sarcomeric structure in patients with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.     

Assay of androgen binding sites by exchange with methyltrienolone (R 1881).

Methyltrienolone (R 1881 - 17beta-hydroxy-17alpha-methyl-estra-4,9,11-trien-3-one) binds specifically to androgen receptor in rat prostate cytosol where, unlike androstanolone, it is not metabolized. By exchanging bound endogenous hormone in rat prostate cytosol with labelled R 1881, it is possible to measure total (free anc occupied) binding sites. This assay method has also been applied to the measurement of androgen receptor sites in human benign prostatic hypertrophy where R 1881 has the added advantage of not being bound by any contaminating plasma protein (sex hormone binding protein).     

Recognition between tRNAs and aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases of different specificities]

A few examples of incorrect interactions between aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases and tRNAs extracted from the same organism have already been demonstrated. These interactions can lead, in most cases, to incorrect aminoacylations. The lack of specificity of the aminoacyl-tRNA suggests that incorrect interactions could be a general phenomenon. The aim of this study is to check whether incorrect interactions are a general feature, i.e. whether every aminoacyl-tTNA-synthetase is able to interact with homologous non-cognate tRNAs. In that case, it is interesting to know whether a given aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase is able to recognize any tRNA or only a particular group of tRNAs. The existence of such groups would lead to the concept of tRNA families. For that, we estimated the affinities of non-cognate homologous tRNA species for yeast valyl-tRNA-synthetase by using competition experiments. The measured affinities varied, in standard aminoacylation conditions, between 1:100 to 1:1000 of that of the non-cognate tRNA. In the absence of Mg2+ ions or in the presence of low concentration of this cation, the affinities were higher and could reach 1:3 of the affinity of the cognate tRNA. On the other hand, we determined the inhibitory effect of a high concentration of tRNAVal toward the aminoacylation of tRNAs specific for 13 amino acids. In order to compare the effects, we determined approximate Km/Ki values. These values ranged from 0.07 for methionyl tRNA synthetase to 0.002 for leucyl tRNA synthetase. For some aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases, the inhibition was too low to be detected by this technique. Two conclusions arise from this study. First, it seems that non-specific recognitions are quite a general phenomenon. Secondly, if one classifies tTNAs according to their affinities for valyl-tRNA-synthetase, it does not appear any well cut group of tRNAs. This result is not conflicting with the fact that on the basis of aminoacylation criteria several authors have found tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase families since we have already shown that discrimination depends rather on the maximal velocity of the reaction than on the affinity between the tRNA and the aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases. Finally, the non-existence of clear-cut recognition families of tRNAs casts some doubts on the approach consisting in the characterisation of recognition sites of the tRNAs by the aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases by comparing the sequences of tRNAs which are amonoacylated by a given aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase.     

Concerted Action of the Ubiquitin-Fusion Degradation Protein 1 (Ufd1) and Sumo-Targeted Ubiquitin Ligases (STUbLs) in the DNA-Damage Response

In eukaryotes many players in the DNA-damage response (DDR) catalyze protein sumoylation or ubiquitylation. Emphasis has been placed on how these modifications orchestrate the sequential recruitment of repair factors to sites of DNA damage or stalled replication forks. Here, we shed light on a pathway in which sumoylated factors are eliminated through the coupled action of Sumo-targeted ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) and the ubiquitin-fusion degradation protein 1 (Ufd1). Ufd1 is a subunit of the Cdc48-Ufd1-Npl4 complex implicated in the sorting of ubiquitylated substrates for degradation by the proteasome. We find that in fission yeast, Ufd1 interacts physically and functionally with the Sumo-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) Rfp1, homologous to human RNF4, and with the Sumo E3 ligase Pli1, homologous to human PIAS1. Deleting a C-terminal domain of Ufd1 that mediates the interaction of Ufd1 with Rfp1, Pli1, and Sumo (ufd1ΔCt ^213-342) lead to an accumulation of high-molecular-weight Sumo conjugates and caused severe genomic instabilities. The spectrum of sensitivity of ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 cells to genotoxins, the epistatic relationships of ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 with mutations in DNA repair factors, and the localization of the repair factor Rad22 in ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 cells point to ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 cells accumulating aberrant structures during replication that require homologous recombination (HR) for their repair. We present evidence that HR is however often not successful in ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 cells and we identify Rad22 as one of the high-molecular-weight conjugates accumulating in the ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 mutant consistent with Rad22 being a STUbL/Ufd1 substrate. Suggesting a direct role of Ufd1 in the processing of Sumo-conjugates, Ufd1 formed nuclear foci colocalizing with Sumo during the DDR, and Sumo-conjugates accumulated in foci in the ufd1ΔCt ^213-342 mutant. Broader functional relationships between Ufd1 and STUbLs conceivably affect numerous cellular processes beyond the DDR.     

Identification of a single-stranded DNA binding protein from rat liver with high mobility group protein 1

The rat liver single-stranded DNA binding protein, S25 and HD25, isolated by differential DNA cellulose affinity chromatography was compared to the high mobility group proteins, HMG1 and HMG2, isolated from rat liver chromatin by the technique of Goodwin et al. (Goodwin, G. H., Sanders, C., and Johns, E. W. (1973) Eur. J. Biochem. 38, 14-19). Analysis of their amino acid composition, electrophoretic mobility, and tryptic peptide map reveal the identity of the single-stranded DNA binding protein with HMG1 protein, implying that the rat liver HMG1 protein becomes able both to destabilize a double helix of DNA and to stimulate homologous DNA polymerases only when rat liver cells enter a phase of DNA synthesis, possibly after a specific modification.     

Differential effects of leukotrienes B4 and C4 on bovine aortic endothelial cell proliferation in vitro

The effect of leukotrienes derivated from arachidonic acid was studied on vascular endothelium proliferation. The peptido-leukotriene (LTC4 (0.1 nM – 0.1 μM) promoted a dose-dependent growth of bovine aortic endothelial cells in culture with a maximal effect at 10 nM. This proliferative activity could be receptor-mediated since LTC4 specifically bound to endothelial cell membranes with a Kd value of 50 nM. The leukotriene B4 did not induce any significant proliferation in the same range of concentrations. This result was consistent with the lack of LTB4 specific binding sites. This data suggests that LTC4 could be one of the factors implicated in angiogenesis during inflammatory processes.