Characterization of a mini-F plasmid derived from an F mutant expressing incompatibility in the autonomous but not in the integrated state

Plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli F' ser/MA219 harboring an altered F' factor, which expressed incompatibility in the autonomous but not in the integrated state (DeVries and Maas, 1973, J. Bacteriol. 115, 213-220), was digested with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI and ligated to a nonreplicating trpED fragment. A miniplasmid was obtained containing a 5.7-kb EcoRI fragment capable of self-replication. This plasmid, designated pRE300, was incompatible with mini-F as well as with ColE1 derivatives. It represents a cointegrate formed in vivo between a 2.2-kb segment of the F replication region and a ColE1-type replicon of unknown derivation. The F-derived component of pRE300 corresponds to a minimalized F replicon (43.85-46.05 kb F) retaining oriII and the incB locus but missing the incC and incD functions. It is postulated that the Inc- mutation resulted from the insertion of a transposable DNA sequence into the incC locus of the parent F plasmid.     

ColE1 plasmid incompatibility: localization and analysis of mutations affecting incompatibility.

Deletion mutants of plasmid ColE1 that involve the replication origin and adjacent regions of the plasmid have been studied to determine the mechanism by which those mutations affect the expression of plasmid incompatibility. It was observed that (i) a region of ColE1 that is involved in the expression of plasmid incompatibility lies between base pairs -185 and -684; (ii) the integrity of at least part of the region of ColE1 DNA between base pairs -185 and -572 is essential for the expression of ColE1 incompatibility; (iii) the expression of incompatibility is independent of the ability of the ColE1 genome to replicate autonomously; (iv) plasmid incompatibility is affected by plasmid copy number; and (v) ColE1 plasmid-mediated DNA replication of the lambda phage-ColE1 chimera lambda imm434 Oam29 Pam3 ColE1 is inhibited by ColE1-incompatible but not by ColE1-compatible plasmids.     

A dominant negative mutation in a spliceosomal ATPase affects ATP hydrolysis but not binding to the spliceosome.

PRP16 is an RNA-dependent ATPase required for the second catalytic step of splicing in vitro. A dominant suppressor of a branchpoint mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the prp16-1 allele, contains a Tyr to Asp change in the nucleotide-binding site consensus sequence. We now find that cells harboring the prp16-1 allele have a general growth defect that is exacerbated at cold temperatures. The mutant is dominant over the wild-type gene when overexpressed. Purified Prp16-1 protein binds to the spliceosome with apparently wild-type affinity; however, it only weakly complements the second-step block in a PRP16-depleted extract. Analysis of purified Prp16-1 revealed that the rate of ATP hydrolysis is greatly reduced. These results can account for the dominant negative growth phenotype and argue that the ATPase activity of PRP16 is essential for its role in splicing. Moreover, since PRP16 is a member of the DEAD/H box families, these findings have important implications for a large class of proteins.     

Expression of integrated Rous sarcoma viruses: DNA rearrangements 5'' to the provirus are common in transformed rat cells but not seen in infected but untransformed cells.

The study of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-infected rat cell clones offers a novel approach to unravelling the mechanisms controlling eukaryotic gene expression. RSV-transformed rat cell clones frequently contain duplicated proviral sequences immediately upstream of an intact provirus. This category of proviral rearrangement is not seen in cells that remain untransformed after RSV infection nor in subsequently segregating transformants. These results suggest that such rearrangements occur during or soon after proviral integration, and that they may favour early proviral expression.     

Direct repeats of the F plasmid incC region express F incompatibility

The nucleotide sequence of the incompatibility region incC, located at 45.8--46.4 kb on the F plasmid map, was determined. This region consists of 543 bp and contains sufficient information to code for only two small polypeptides of 34 and 30 amino acids each. Deletion of the ATG start codons for these two polypeptides has no effect on expression of incC incompatibility. A prominent feature of this sequence is the presence of five 22 bp direct repeats. A 58 bp segment of the incC region that contains two of these direct repeats was inserted into plasmid pACYC184, which is compatible with the F plasmid. The pACYC184 plasmid containing the direct-repeat sequences now expresses incompatibility with the F'lac plasmid and replication-proficient derivatives of the mini-F plasmid.     

H+-ATPase of Escherichia coli. An uncE mutation impairing coupling between F1 and Fo but not Fo-mediated H+ translocation

The uncE114 mutation from Escherichia coli strain KI1 (Nieuwenhuis, F. J. R. M., Kanner, B. I., Gutnick, D. L., Postma, P. W., and Van Dam, K. (1973) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 325, 62-71) was characterized after transfer to a new genetic background. A defective H+-ATPase complex is formed in strains carrying the mutation. Based upon the genetic complementation pattern of other unc mutants by a lambda uncE114 transducing phage, and complementation of uncE114 recipients by an uncE+ plasmid (pCP35), the mutation was concluded to lie in the uncE gene. The uncE gene codes for the omega subunit ("dicyclohexylcarbodiimide binding protein") of the H+-ATPase complex. The mutation was defined by sequencing the mutant gene. The G----C transversion found results in a substitution of Glu for Gln at position 42 of the omega subunit in the Fo sector of the H+-ATPase. The substitution did not significantly impair H+ translocation by Fo or affect inhibition of H+ translocation by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Wild-type F1 was bound by uncE114 Fo with near normal affinity, but the functional coupling between F1 and Fo was disrupted. The uncoupling was indicated by an H+-leaky membrane, even when saturating levels of wild-type F1 were bound. Disassociation of F1 from Fo under conditions of assay did partially contribute to the H+ leakiness, but the major contributor to the high H+ conductance was Fo with bound F1. The F1 bound to uncE114 membranes exhibited normal ATPase activity, but ATP hydrolysis was uncoupled from H+ translocation and was resistant to inhibition by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The F1 isolated from the uncE114 mutant was modified with partial loss of coupling function. However, this modification did not account for the uncoupled properties of the mutant Fo described above, since these properties were retained after reconstitution of mutant membrane (Fo) with wild-type F1.     

Role of macrophages as modulators but not as autonomous accessory cells in primary antibody response

The role of macrophages (M phi) in the in vitro primary antibody response of murine lymphocytes to sheep erythrocytes was investigated. Peritoneal M phi were activated to express Ia antigens either in vitro or in vivo. Nonactivated Ia- M phi were also examined. We observed that only Ia- M phi but also Ia+ M phi failed to trigger the antibody response, in contrast with splenic dendritic cells (DC) which served as potent and autonomous accessory cells, but that M phi modulated the level of response which was dependent primarily on the DC content of culture. The modulation appeared to incline to suppression rather than enhancement, when M phi were allowed to remain throughout the culture period for 4 days. A highly enhancing capacity of M phi, however, could be revealed by removing M phi 2 days after the initiation of culture, indicating that M phi exerted their suppressive effect more strongly in the late phase than in the early phase of in vitro antibody response. The modulatory activity seemed higher in Ia+ M phi than in Ia- M phi.     

DL-alpha-difluoromethylarginine inhibits intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi multiplication by affecting cell division but not trypomastigote-amastigote transformation.

DL-alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), a specific, irreversible inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), decreases the capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi to invade and multiply within different types of mammalian host cells in vitro. In this work we found that inhibition of intracellular growth results from selective impairment of amastigote division without appreciable alteration of the capacity of the invading trypomastigotes to transform into the replicative amastigote form. Addition of agmatine, the product of arginine decarboxylation, reversed the inhibitory effect of DFMA. Inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase activity by DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine present in the medium prior to and during infection did not affect trypomastigote transformation or amastigote replication and did not change the magnitude of the inhibitory effect of DFMA on parasite multiplication. Hence, neither polyamine synthesis via the ornithine decarboxylase pathway nor salvage of host cell polyamines by T. cruzi appeared to be a likely explanation for the normal rate of parasite transformation that was seen in the presence of DFMA. Two clones of T. cruzi, TMSU-1 and TMSU-2, were tested for their degrees of sensitivity to the inhibitory effects of DFMA. Both trypomastigote association with (i.e., binding to and penetration of) myoblasts, and intracellular amastigote multiplication by either clone were found to be significantly (P less than 0.05) but not completely inhibited by DFMA. Therefore, the partial inhibition of T. cruzi infectivity and replication caused by DFMA is unlikely to represent a composite of effects of the drug on DFMA-sensitive and insensitive clones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inhibition of plasma membrane Ca-ATPase by CrATP. LaATP but not CrATP stabilizes the Ca-occluded state

The bidentate complex of ATP with Cr³⁺, CrATP, is a nucleotide analog that is known to inhibit the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase and the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase, so that these enzymes accumulate in a conformation with the transported ion (Ca²⁺ and Na⁺, respectively) occluded from the medium. Here, it is shown that CrATP is also an effective and irreversible inhibitor of the plasma membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase. The complex inhibited with similar efficiency the Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase and the phosphatase activities as well as the enzyme phosphorylation by ATP. The inhibition proceeded slowly (T_1/2 = 30 min at 37 °C) with a K_i = 28 ± 9 μM. The inclusion of ATP, ADP or AMPPNP in the inhibition medium effectively protected the enzyme against the inhibition, whereas ITP, which is not a PMCA substrate, did not. The rate of inhibition was strongly dependent on the presence of Mg²⁺ but unaltered when Ca²⁺ was replaced by EGTA. In spite of the similarities with the inhibition of other P-ATPases, no apparent Ca²⁺ occlusion was detected concurrent with the inhibition by CrATP. In contrast, inhibition by the complex of La³⁺ with ATP, LaATP, induced the accumulation of phosphoenzyme with a simultaneous occlusion of Ca²⁺ at a ratio close to 1.5 mol/mol of phosphoenzyme. The results suggest that the transport of Ca²⁺ promoted by the plasma membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase goes through an enzymatic phospho-intermediate that maintains Ca²⁺ ions occluded from the media. This intermediate is stabilized by LaATP but not by CrATP.     

A single mutation in an SH3 domain increases amyloid aggregation by accelerating nucleation, but not by destabilizing thermodynamically the native state

We investigated the relationship between thermodynamic stability and amyloid aggregation propensity for a set of single mutants of the alpha-spectrin SH3 domain (Spc-SH3). Whilst mutations destabilizing the domain at position 56 did not enhance fibrillation, the N47A mutation increased the rate of amyloid fibril formation by 10-fold. Even under conditions of identical thermodynamic stability, the aggregation rate was much higher for the N47A mutant than for the WT domain. We conclude that the N47A mutation does not change the apparent mechanism of fibrillation or the morphology of the amyloid fibrils, and that its amyloidogenic property is due to its effect upon the rate of the conformational events leading to nucleation and not to its overall destabilizing effect.     

Genetic mapping of a mutation affecting pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase in Escherichia coli.

A mutation, pnt-1, causing loss of pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase activity in Escherichia coli, was mapped by assaying for the enzyme in extracts of recombinant strains produced by conjugation, F-duction, and P1 transduction. The site of this mutation was near min 35, counterclockwise from man, and it co-transduced 59% with man. The mutation was associated with loss from the cell membrane fraction of energy-independent and adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent transhydrogenase activities, but reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase activity was not affected. Strains were constructed which lack phosphoglucoisomerase (pgi-2) and which carry either pnt+ or pnt-1. Although such strains, when grown on glucose, are expected to produce a large excess of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, the growth rate was not affected by the pnt-1 allele.     

Francisella tularensis does not manifest virulence in viable but non-culturable state

Francisella tularensis is a small Gram-negative bacterium that causes tularemia in animals and man. The disease can be transmitted by handling of infected animals, by contaminated dust, by insect vectors, or by drinking contaminated water. In the present study cells of F. tularensis were subjected to extended storage in cold water devoid of carbon sources. Total cell counts remained constant throughout a 70-day period and beyond, while plate counts decreased to an undetectable level after 70 days. Attempts to resuscitate the cells were unsuccessful. Quantitative PCR targeting the 16S rDNA of F. tularensis showed an increase in variability after 25 days and the signal was lost after 45 days. Metabolic activity, measured by accumulation of rhodamine 123, declined to approximately 35% after a 140-day period. Analyses of substrate responsiveness of cells stored for 140 days in cold water showed that approximately 30% of the population increased in size after incubation in rich medium in the presence of nalidixic acid. Approximately 10(5) of these cells were injected intraperitoneally into mice. No signs or symptoms of tularemia were observed during 3 weeks. In addition, there was no evidence of stimulation of lymphocytes with F. tularensis as recall antigen. In conclusion, viable but non-culturable cells of F. tularensis are avirulent in mice, giving new insight into the ecological niche of this bacterium.     

Interface mutation in heptameric co-chaperonin protein 10 destabilizes subunits but not interfaces

We here report on a human mitochondrial co-chaperonin protein 10 (cpn10) variant in which the conserved interface residue leucine-96 is replaced with glycine (Leu96Gly cpn10). According to analytical ultracentrifugation, the mutation does not perturb the ability to assemble into a heptamer and electron microscopy reveals that Leu96Gly cpn10 is ring-shaped like wild-type cpn10. Despite elimination of a hydrophobic residue, the subunit-subunit affinity is essentially identical in Leu96Gly cpn10 and in wild-type cpn10. This is explained by a compensating rearrangement in Leu96Gly cpn10, evident from cross-linking and gel-filtration experiments. As a direct result of lower monomer stability, Leu96Gly cpn10 is dramatically less stable towards chemical and thermal perturbations as compared to wild-type cpn10. We conclude that leucine-96 is an interface residue preserved to guarantee stable cpn10 monomers. Our study demonstrates that the cpn10 interfaces can adapt to structural alterations without loss of either subunit-subunit affinity or heptamer specificity.     

Natural Wolbachia infections in the Drosophila yakuba species complex do not induce cytoplasmic incompatibility but fully rescue the wRi modification

In this study, we report data about the presence of Wolbachia in Drosophila yakuba, D. teissieri, and D. santomea. Wolbachia strains were characterized using their wsp gene sequence and cytoplasmic incompatibility assays. All three species were found infected with Wolbachia bacteria closely related to the wAu strain, found so far in D. simulans natural populations, and were unable to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility. We injected wRi, a CI-inducing strain naturally infecting D. simulans, into the three species and the established transinfected lines exhibited high levels of CI, suggesting that absence of CI expression is a property of the Wolbachia strain naturally present or that CI is specifically repressed by the host. We also tested the relationship between the natural infection and wRi and found that it fully rescues the wRi modification. This result was unexpected, considering the significant evolutionary divergence between the two Wolbachia strains.     

Amber mutation affecting the length of Escherichia coli cells.

An amber mutation in a newly found gene (wee) of Escherichia coli has been isolated from strain OV-2, which harbors a temperature-sensitive suppressor. At 42 degrees C cells of the mutant, OV-25, increased in mass and deoxyribonucleic acid content and divided at normal rates, compared with the wild type under the same growth conditions. Total cell length increased under the restrictive conditions, although at a slightly lower rate. Values of mean cell length and cell volume, contrary to what would be expected from the increment in the rate of increase in particles, mass, and deoxyribonucleic acid, became at 42 degrees C smaller than those found in the wild type. A parallel increase in protein content per length and cell density and a loss of viability were found to occur after four generations at the restrictive temperature. The behavior of strain OV-25 in the absence of the wee gene product could be interpreted in terms of either a faulty regulation of the elongation processes or their abnormal coordination with the cell cycle. The genetic location of the wee gene has been found to be at 83.5 min on the E. coli genetic map.