In vitro and in vivo studies on the mitochondrial import of CBS1, a translational activator of cytochrome b in yeast

Summary Translation of mitochondrial cytochrome b mRNA in yeast is activated by the product of the nuclear gene CBS1. CBS1 encodes a 27 kDa precursor protein, which is cleaved to a 24 kDa mature protein during the import into isolated mitochondria. The sequences required for mitochondrial import reside in the amino-terminal end of the CBS1 precursor. Deletion of the 76 amino-terminal amino acids renders the protein incompetent for mitochondrial import in vitro and non-functional in vivo. When present on a high copy number plasmid and under the control of a strong yeast promoter, biological function can be restored by this truncated derivative. This observation indicates that the CBS1 protein devoid of mitochondrial targeting sequences can enter mitochondria in vivo, possibly due to a bypass of the mitochondrial import system.     

The molecular basis for Duchenne versus Becker muscular dystrophy: Correlation of severity with type of deletion

About 60% of both Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is due to deletions of the dystrophin gene. For cases with a deletion mutation, the "reading frame" hypothesis predicts that BMD patients produce a semifunctional, internally deleted dystrophin protein, whereas DMD patients produce a severely truncated protein that would be unstable. To test the validity of this theory, we analyzed 258 independent deletions at the DMD/BMD locus. The correlation between phenotype and type of deletion mutation is in agreement with the "reading frame" theory in 92% of cases and is of diagnostic and prognostic significance. The distribution and frequency of deletions spanning the entire locus suggests that many "in-frame" deletions of the dystrophin gene are not detected because the individuals bearing them are either asymptomatic or exhibit non-DMD/non-BMD clinical features.     

组胺H2受体拮抗剂对骨髓造血重建的影响

用组胺H_2受体拮抗剂(甲氰咪胍或呋喃硝胺)处理正常和亚致死量γ-射线照射小鼠,探讨正常体内造血和再生骨髓中造血重建与组胺受体的关系。发现非毒性剂量的甲氰咪胍对正常小鼠骨髓多能造血干细胞(CFU-s)无抑制作用,但可抑制小鼠体内粒单系祖细胞(CFU-GM)的生长和亚致死量照射后CFU-s产率的恢复。组胺可能与骨髓的再生有关,组胺H_2受体拮抗剂可抑制骨髓的造血重建。     

Functional Reconstitution of an ATP-Driven Ca-Transport System from the Plasma Membrane of Commelina communis L

The protein(s) that constitute(s) the ATP-driven Ca²⁺-translocator of plasma membrane enriched vesicles obtained by aqueous two-phase partitioning from leaves of Commelina communis L. has/have been solubilized and reincorporated into tightly sealed liposomes. The reconstituted Ca²⁺-transport system was studied using ATP-driven ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ import into the proteoliposomes as a measure of activity. The detergent, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate proved to be the most suitable and was used at 10 millimolar concentration, i.e. just above its critical micellar concentration. The presence of additional phospholipid (2 milligrams phosphatidylcholine per milliliter) and ATP (5 millimolar) improved the solubilization and/or reconstitution. The characteristics of the reconstituted system were similar to those of the plasma membrane-bound activity, including the apparent K_m for Ca²⁺ (5.2 micromolar), inhibition by relatively high levels of vanadate (IC₅₀ = 500 micromolar) and lacking response to added calmodulin. The reconstituted transport system was very strongly inhibited by erythrosine B (IC₅₀ = 0.01 micromolar) and had a low apparent K_m for ATP (11.4 micromolar). As in the plasma membrane vesicles, the protonophore carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone did not affect Ca²⁺-transport detectably in the reconstituted system. However, low levels of the Ca²⁺-ionophore A 23187 instantaneously discharged 90% of the Ca²⁺ associated with the vesicles, proving that it had been accumulated in the intravesicular volume in soluble, freely exchangeable form. Ca²⁺-transport in the reconstituted system was thus primary active, through a Ca²⁺-translocating ATPase. The system reported here may serve as a valuable tool for purifying the Ca²⁺-ATPase and for studying structural and functional aspects of the purified enzyme.     

Different genomic structure of mouse and human Lmp7 genes: characterization of MHC-encoded proteasome genes

The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the accession numbers L11045 (human LMP7) and L11145 (mouse Lmp-7).