The p53 isoforms are differentially modified by Mdm2

The discovery that the single p53 gene encodes several different p53 protein isoforms has initiated a flurry of research into the function and regulation of these novel p53 proteins. Full-length p53 protein level is primarily regulated by the E3-ligase Mdm2, which promotes p53 ubiquitination and degradation. Here, we report that all of the novel p53 isoforms are ubiquitinated and degraded to varying degrees in an Mdm2-dependent and -independent manner, and that high-risk human papillomavirus can degrade some but not all of the novel isoforms, demonstrating that full-length p53 and the p53 isoforms are differentially regulated. In addition, we provide the first evidence that Mdm2 promotes the NEDDylation of p53β. Altogether, our data indicates that Mdm2 can distinguish between the p53 isoforms and modify them differently.     

Crystal structure of a novel mid-gut procarboxypeptidase from the cotton pest Helicoverpa armigera.

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the most serious insect pests in Australia, India and China. The larva causes substantial economical losses to legume, fibre, cereal oilseed and vegetable crops. This pest has proven to be difficult to control by conventional means, mainly due to the development of pesticide resistance. We present here the 2.5 A crystal structure from the novel procarboxypeptidase (PCPAHa) found in the gut extracts from H. armigera larvae, the first one reported for an insect. This metalloprotease is synthesized as a zymogen of 46.6 kDa which, upon in vitro activation with Lys-C endoproteinase, yields a pro-segment of 91 residues and an active carboxypeptidase moiety of 318 residues. Both regions show a three-dimensional structure quite similar to the corresponding structures in mammalian digestive carboxypeptidases, the most relevant structural differences being located in the loops between conserved secondary structure elements, including the primary activation site. This activation site contains the motif (Ala)(5)Lys at the C terminus of the helix connecting the pro- and the carboxypeptidase domains. A remarkable feature of PCPAHa is the occurrence of the same (Ala)(6)Lys near the C terminus of the active enzyme. The presence of Ser255 in PCPAHa instead of Ile and Asp found in the pancreatic A and B forms, respectively, enlarges the S1' specificity pocket and influences the substrate preferences of the enzyme. The C-terminal tail of the leech carboxypeptidase inhibitor has been modelled into the PCPAHa active site to explore the substrate preferences and the enzymatic mechanism of this enzyme.     

S100 alpha, CAPL, and CACY: molecular cloning and expression analysis of three calcium-binding proteins from human heart.

Elevated levels of intracellular calcium are a major cause of myocardial dysfunction. To find possible mediators of the deregulated calcium we searched for EF-hand calcium-binding proteins of the S100 family. By PCR technology we identified three members of the S100 protein family (S100 alpha, CACY, and CAPL) in the human heart. We cloned the corresponding cDNAs and examined their expression levels in various human tissues by Northern blot analysis. All three proteins are expressed at high levels in the human heart. Whereas CACY and CAPL mRNAs are expressed ubiquitously, S100 alpha mRNA is restricted to heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. Interestingly, the expression pattern of S100 alpha, CACY, and CAPL in human tissues differs significantly from that in rodent tissues.     

On the biosynthesis of biotin in Achromobacter IVSW a reinvestigation

[3-¹⁴C, ³⁵S]-L-cysteine was tested as precursor of biotin in Achromobacter IVSW. No significant incorporation was observed, in contradiction with the data previously reported. On the other hand, Achromobacter IVSW converts [³H, ¹⁴C]-dethiobiotin into biotin. This suggests that biotin is biosynthesized in Achromobacter according to the classical dethiobiotin pathway.     

Equine Pythiosis: Report in Crossed Bred (Criole Venezuelan) Horses

Pythium insidiosum is a pathogenic oomycete known since 1890 that causes pythiosis in mammals. In this report, seven P. insidiosum isolates were recovered from Venezuelan horses and were characterized. The strains were recovered from biopsied tissues and kunkers collected from granulomatous masses located on the hind limb and from a nodular lesion in the left upper eyelid, which decrease the ability of the horses to be used for working purposes. The methods used to identify P. insidiosum isolates were based on the production of sporangia and zoospores, histopathology and PCR assay. To further characterize these strains, portions of the 18S rRNA genes of the seven isolates were sequenced. The sequences showed high homology to previously described P. insidiosum DNA sequences available in GenBank. Similar studies based on the morphological, histological and molecular data identified the etiological agent in samples of granulomatous lesions in these equines as P. insidiosum. In America, the infection has been diagnosed more frequently in equines of Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and the United States of America.