Functional analysis of a single chain chimeric alpha/beta-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor. Importance of a glutamate residue in the transmembrane region.

To analyze the function of each subunit of the receptor for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), GMR, we previously generated a single-chain chimeric receptor by fusion of the extracellular and transmembrane domain from the alpha-subunit (alpha-GMR) to the intracellular part of the beta-subunit (beta-GMR) introducing an additional glutamate residue at the fusion site (alpha/beta-GMR). We demonstrated the capacity of alpha/beta-GMR to bind GM-CSF with low affinity and to induce GM-CSF-dependent activation of tyrosine kinase activity and proliferation in transfected Ba/F3 cells. To further compare the functions of wild type and chimeric receptors, we now report that this alpha/beta-GMR is sufficient to mediate morphological changes, expression of alpha(4)- and beta(1)-integrin receptor subunits, and serine-phosphorylation of Akt kinase. To analyze the function of the glutamate residue at the fusion region of alpha/beta-GMR various point mutants changing this amino acid and its position were expressed in Ba/F3 cells. None of these mutants was capable of supporting GM-CSF-dependent proliferation; however, when beta-GMR was coexpressed, GM-CSF mediated short and long term proliferation. Interestingly, some mutants but not alpha/beta-GMR can induce proliferation in the presence of an anti-alpha-GMR antibody. These data demonstrate the significance of a glutamate residue in the transmembrane region of alpha/beta-GMR for ligand-induced receptor activation.     

An antigenic HIV-1 peptide sequence engineered into the surface structure of transferrin does not elicit an antibody response.

One novel approach for the biological delivery of peptide drugs is to incorporate the sequence of the peptide into the structure of a natural transport protein such as human serum transferrin (HST). However, a potential drawback is that the HST may increase the immunoreactivity of the peptide, in the same way that carrier proteins can be used to generate highly immunogenic peptide hapten conjugates. In this study we have generated a recombinant HST carrier protein that contains a peptide substrate of HIV-1 protease (VSQNYPIVL). The protein retained native HST function, and the peptide was surface exposed since it was immunoreactive in native dot blots, and was cleaved by HIV-1 protease. Immunisation of rabbits with the recombinant protein elicited only a very poor anti-peptide immune response. In contrast, strong anti-peptide immune responses were raised against both the peptide alone, and a chemical conjugate of the peptide with HST. These data demonstrate that it is possible to attenuate the immune response normally directed against an immunogenic peptide sequence by engineering into a surface exposed loop of HST. These findings may have an important impact on the future design of peptide delivery systems.     

Apical Scaffolding Protein NHERF2 Modulates the Localization of Alternatively Spliced Plasma Membrane Ca2+ Pump 2B Variants in Polarized Epithelial Cells

The membrane localization of the plasma membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase isoform 2 (PMCA2) in polarized cells is determined by alternative splicing; the PMCA2w/b splice variant shows apical localization, whereas the PMCA2z/b and PMCA2x/b variants are mostly basolateral. We previously reported that PMCA2b interacts with the PDZ protein Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger regulatory factor 2 (NHERF2), but the role of this interaction for the specific membrane localization of PMCA2 is not known. Here we show that co-expression of NHERF2 greatly enhanced the apical localization of GFP-tagged PMCA2w/b in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. GFP-PMCA2z/b was also redirected to the apical membrane by NHERF2, whereas GFP-PMCA2x/b remained exclusively basolateral. In the presence of NHERF2, GFP-PMCA2w/b co-localized with the actin-binding protein ezrin even after disruption of the actin cytoskeleton by cytochalasin D or latrunculin B. Surface biotinylation and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments demonstrated that NHERF2-mediated anchorage to the actin cytoskeleton reduced internalization and lateral mobility of the pump. Our results show that the specific interaction with NHERF2 enhances the apical concentration of PMCA2w/b by anchoring the pump to the apical membrane cytoskeleton. The data also suggest that the x/b splice form of PMCA2 contains a dominant lateral targeting signal, whereas the targeting and localization of the z/b form are more flexible and not fully determined by intrinsic sequence features.     

Characterization of the specific binding of rat apolipoprotein E-deficient HDL to rat hepatic plasma membranes

We have used a preparation of rat liver plasma membranes to study the binding of rat apolipoprotein E-deficient HDL to rat liver. The membranes were found to bind HDL by a saturable process that was competed for by excess unlabeled HDL. The binding was temperature-dependent and was 85% receptor-mediated when incubated at 4, 22 and 37 degrees C. The affinity of the binding site for the HDL was consistent at all temperatures, while the maximum binding capacity increased at higher temperatures. The specific binding of HDL to the membranes did not require calcium and was independent of the concentration of NaCl in the media. The effect of varying the pH of the media on HDL binding was small, being 30% higher at pH 6.5 than at pH 9.0. Both rat HDL and human HDL3 were found to compete for the binding of rat HDL to the membranes, whereas rat VLDL remnants and human LDL did not compete. At 4 degrees C, complexes of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and apolipoproteins A-I, A-IV and the C apolipoproteins, but not apolipoprotein E, competed for HDL binding to the membranes. At 22 and 37 degrees C, all DMPC-apolipoprotein complexes competed to a similar extent, DMPC vesicles that contained no protein did not compete for the binding of HDL. These results suggest that the rat liver possesses a specific receptor for apolipoprotein E-deficient HDL that recognizes apolipoproteins A-I, A-IV and the C apolipoproteins as ligands.     

Genotoxicity of monofunctional methanesulphonates in the SOS chromotest as a function of alkylation mechanisms. A comparison with the mutagenicity in S. typhimurium TA100

17 monofunctional methanesulphonates of widely varying structures were investigated in the SOS chromotest using the E. coli strain PQ37. All compounds tested were positive in this assay. The monofunctional methanesulphonates in general possess low SOSiP values. Five of the compounds tested i.e. iBMS, NpMS, 2 PhPMS, PkMS and 1,3-DC12PMS (for abbreviations see Table 1) did not show increasing beta-galactosidase activity and both the positive induction factors and the positive SOSiP values resulted from the toxicity correction as performed according to Quillardet and Hofnung (1985). In general methanesulphonates with a higher SN1 reactivity, in particular the secondary compounds, showed clear genotoxic activities whereas those possessing low SN1 reactivities (primary compounds) induced a low SOS repair indicating that the alkylation of O-atoms in the DNA bases contributes more to the induction of SOS repair in strain PQ37 than N-alkylations. The only exception was methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) which possessed a very high SN2 reactivity but a rather low SN1 reactivity. It had the highest SOSiP value of all tested methanesulphonates. No dependence of the genotoxicity on the SN2 reactivity could be found in this series. In general the phenyl-substituted methanesulphonates showed higher SOSiP values, which is presumably due to their relatively high SN1 reactivities and their relatively long life times in aqueous systems. There is a clear relationship between SN1 reactivities and the SOSiP values: the SOSiP values increase with rising SN1 reactivities reaching a maximum at iPMS after which the genotoxicities decrease due to the decreasing life times. The compounds with very high SN1 reactivities also possess very high hydrolysis rates. A good correlation could be established between the mutagenicities in S. typhimurium TA100 and the SOS chromotest (strain PQ37). Only 4 small deviations from this correlation could be found. The reasons for these deviations are discussed.     

Mutagenicity of 2-methylacrolein, 2-ethylacrolein and 2-propylacrolein in Salmonella typhimurium TA100. A comparative study.

The C2-alkylated acrolein derivatives 2-methylacrolein, 2-ethylacrolein and 2-propylacrolein are mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA100. They are direct mutagens, their mutagenic potency being inversely proportional to the size of the alkylating substituent in the C2 position. In the presence of S9 mix, the mutagenicity of all these substances is considerably reduced; the reduction in mutagenicity is inversely proportional to the direct mutagenic potential of the substance. As shown for 2-methylacrolein, the reduction in mutagenicity is dependent on the concentration of S9 in the S9 mix and is not significantly influenced by heat inactivation of the S9 mix or by addition of TCPO, an inhibitor of epoxide hydrolase, to the testing system. There are no indications of enzymatic activation by the metabolizing microsomal system.     

Content of phenolic acids in callus culture of alfalfa (Medicago sativa): The effect of age and biochemical differentiation

Phenolic acids were separated into three fractions and determined by HPLC inMedicago sativa callus culture at the age of two, three and four weeks. The contents of free and especially of predominating ester-bound phenolic acids decreased with callus age to approx. 80 % while the content of phenolic acids nonextractable by methanol increased byca. 90 %. The proportion of benzoic acid derivatives rose from 15 to 21 % within four weeks. The determined difference in the contents of phenolic acids in the upper and lower parts of callus diminished with age. The content of bound forms was higher in the lower part regardless of the callus age. The content of free acids in two weeks old callus was half as high as in the upper part.     

Standardization of salt aggregation test for reproducible determination of cell-surface hydrophobicity with special reference to Staphylococcus species

The laboratory conditions for reproducible routine determination of staphylococcal cell-surface hydrophobicity by the salt aggregation test were standardized. Fresh bacterial suspensions standardized to 5 times 10⁹ cfu/ml gave the most reproducible results with both Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci. For relatively hydrophobic strains a 5-min reading time was necessary to detect bacterial aggregation in ammonium sulphate solutions ranging from 0.1 M to 1.5 M, pH 6.8. A × 10 hand lens facilitated reading aggregations. Overnight storage of bacterial suspensions at 20C reduced cell-surface hydrophobicity of all species, while storage at 4C reduced the hydrophobic nature of Staph. aureus strains. The hydrophobicity of coagulase-negative staphylococci rarely changed at 4C. A 10-fold dilution of fresh, standardized bacterial suspensions made it impossible to detect bacterial aggregation in ammonium sulphate solutions even with a hand lens. Under standardized conditions three types of staphylococcal cell aggregations were observed. The first looked like the slide agglutination for O antigens of Enterobacteriaceae, the second resembled H-agglutination, while the third had a filamentous appearance. These patterns indicated that more than one component might contribute to cell-surface hydrophobicity of both Staph. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, or the same component might have different position on the cell surface.     

Transposon mutagenesis of Rhizobium japonicum

Summary We report here successful mutagenesis with Transposon Tn5 of three slow-growing strains of Rhizobium japonicum USDA 122, 61A76, USDA 74 and one fast-growing strain, USDA 191. Strains were chosen as representatives of different DNA homology and serogroups of this divergent species, which effectively nodulate North American soybean cultivars. The source of Tn5 was the suicide plasmid pGS9, which possesses broad host range N-type transfer genes in a narrow host range p15A replicon. The selection of Tn5 mutants was facilitated by the expression of the Tn5 encoded streptomycin gene in R. japonicum. Kanamycin and streptomycin resistant colonies appeared from interspecific crosses with E. coli at optimal frequencies of 10^-6 for R. japonicum USDA 61A76 and USDA 191 and 5x10^-7 for R. japonicum USDA 122 and USDA 74. Altogether, 6550 Tn5 mutants were isolated in USDA 122 and 61A76, and a small number from USDA 74 and USDA 191. Colony hybridization showed that all tested mutants of 61A76 and USDA 122 contained Tn5. Physical analysis of total DNAs from representative numbers of USDA 122, 61A76 and USDA 191 mutants revealed that each of them carried one copy of the transposon integrated randomly in the genome. This was also true for most USDA 74 mutants. Screening of mutants for auxotrophy showed frequencies of 0.2% for USDA 122 and 0.08% for 61A76. Several symbiotically defective mutants were identified on plants, Glycine soja and G. max.