Association with litter size of new polymorphisms on ESR1 and ESR2 genes in a Chinese-European pig line

The objective of this study was to search for polymorphisms in the coding region of the estrogen receptors 1 and 2 (ESR1 and ESR2 )and to analyze the effects of these variants and the well known intronic ESR1 Pvu II polymorphism on litter size in a Chinese-European pig line. We identified five silent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the ESR1 cDNA: c.669T > C (exon 3), c.1227C > T (exon 5), c.1452C > T (exon 7), c.1665T > C and c.1755A > G (exon 8). One pair of these SNP (c.1665T > C and c.1755A > G) co-segregated in the analyzed line, and the SNP c.669T > C showed the same segregation pattern as the Pvu II polymorphism. These polymorphisms were tested in this study, although the c.1452C > T SNP within exon 7 was not analyzed due to its low informativeness. In the ESR2 cDNA, one missense SNP was found within exon 5, which caused an amino acid substitution in the coded protein: "c.949G > A (p.Val317Met)" and was tested on sow litter size. Information on 1622 litter records from 408 genotyped sows was analyzed to determine whether these SNP influenced the total number of piglets born (TNB) or the number of born alive (NBA). The polymorphisms ESR1: [Pvu II; c.669T > C], ESR1: [c.1665T > C; c.1755A > G] and ESR2: c.949G > A showed no statistically significant association with litter size. However, the ESR1: c.1227T allele was significantly associated with TNB. The additive substitution effect was estimated to be 0.40 piglets born per litter (P < 0.03), and no dominance effects were observed. This SNP could be useful in assisted selection for litter size in some pig lines, as a new genetic marker in linkage disequilibrium with the causative mutation.     

Molecular interactions between Bos taurus interferon-τ1c and human type I interferon receptor

Interferon (IFN)-τ secreted only by ruminant endometrium, helps in maternal recognition of pregnancy and exhibit antiviral and antiproliferative activity. Among different types of IFN-τ, IFN-τ1c and IFN- τ3a are the most highly expressed isoforms. In the present study structure of INF-τ1c was predicted using homology modelling. The best model was selected based on overall stereo-chemical quality. The generated 3D structure of the Interferon-τ1c protein of Bos taurus was predicted using the ovine interferon-τ (PDB ID: 1B5L_A) as template. The structure comprises of 5 α helices separated by loop regions, which is similar to the one predicted for other IFNs. Molecular interactions of bovine IFN-τ1c with human interferon Type 1 receptor (IFNAR1) was explored in an attempt to predict human IFNAR1 binding sites of IFN-τ1c.     

Efficient production of membrane-integrated and detergent-soluble G protein-coupled receptors in Escherichia coli

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are notoriously difficult to express, particularly in microbial systems. Using GPCR fusions with the green fluorescent protein (GFP), we conducted studies to identify bacterial host effector genes that result in a general and significant enhancement in the amount of membrane-integrated human GPCRs that can be produced in Escherichia coli. We show that coexpression of the membrane-bound AAA+ protease FtsH greatly enhances the expression yield of four different class I GPCRs, irrespective of the presence of GFP. Using this new expression system, we produced 0.5 and 2 mg/L of detergent-solubilized and purified full-length central cannabinoid receptor (CB1) and bradykinin receptor 2 (BR2) in shake flask cultures, respectively, two proteins that had previously eluded expression in microbial systems.     

Association study of the ABCC8 gene variants with type 2 diabetes in south Indians

BACKGROUND:

The ABCC8 gene which encodes the sulfonylurea receptor plays a major role in insulin secretion and is a potential candidate for type 2 diabetes. The -3c → t (rs1799854) and Thr759Thr (C → T, rs1801261) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ABCC8 gene have been associated with type 2 diabetes in many populations. The present study was designed to investigate the association of these two SNPs in an Asian Indian population from south India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A total of 1,300 subjects, 663 normal glucose tolerant (NGT) and 637 type 2 diabetic subjects were randomly selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES). The -3c → t and Thr759Thr were genotyped in these subjects using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and a few variants were confirmed by direct sequencing.

RESULTS:

The frequency of the ‘t’ allele of the -3c → t SNP was found to be 0.27 in NGT and 0.29 in type 2 diabetic subjects (P = 0.44). There was no significant difference in the genotypic frequency between the NGT and type 2 diabetic group (P = 0.18). Neither the genotypic frequency nor the allele frequency of the Thr759Thr polymorphism was found to differ significantly between the NGT and type 2 diabetic groups.

CONCLUSION:

The -3c → t and the Thr759Thr polymorphisms of the ABCC8 gene were not associated with type 2 diabetes in this study. However, an effect of these genetic variants on specific unidentified sub groups of type 2 diabetes cannot be excluded.     

Atherogenic effect of Arecoline: A computational study

There are over 600 million people worldwide covering Asian and Oceanic countries including India have the habit of chewing areca nut as masticator in different forms. Arecoline (C(8)H(13)NO(2)) has been reported as one of the abundant constituents of areca nut. A good number of scientific publications have made Arecoline responsible for oral cancer. Based on observation from clinical situation in North East India, one of the most betel quid chewing region of the country, we suspected a link between consumption of areca nut and Cerebro Vascular Disease like stroke. Therefore, we considered Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) receptor as target and Arecoline as ligand and studied ligand -target interaction using computational tools. Also we considered High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) receptor as another target to see if Arecoline has any binding potential with it over and above LDL receptor. Docking result indicated that Arecoline and Cholesterol both, have affinity towards extracellular domain of Human LDL receptor but affinity of Arecoline is much higher (-12.3560.) than that of Cholesterol(-0.1810). Docking of Arecoline and 1, 2-Hexyl-1- cyclopentanone thiosemicarbazone (thiosemicarbazone) with Bovine HDL receptor showed that Arecoline also has the potential (Score, -6.2690Kcal/Mol) to block HDL receptor though its potential is less than that (score, -10.0509 Kcal/Mol) of control (thiosemicarbazone). We, therefore, suggest that by inhibiting endocytosis of LDL cholesterol because of blocking LDL receptor function and also by preventing LDL cholesterol uptake by liver from blood because of interference with HDL receptor, Arecoline may contribute to atherosclerosis. The study therefore, indicates a positive correlation between chewing of betel quid and Cerebro Vascular Disease.     

Structure basis of bigelovin as a selective RXR agonist with a distinct binding mode

The nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor (RXR) functions potently in the regulation of homeostasis and cell development, while rexinoids as RXR agonists have proved their therapeutic potential in the treatment of metabolic diseases and cancer. Here, the natural product bigelovin was identified as a selective RXRα agonist. Interestingly, this compound could not transactivate RXRα:RXRα homodimer but could enhance the transactivation of RXRα:peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ heterodimer and repress that of RXRα:liver X receptor (LXR) α heterodimer, while it had no effects on RXRα:farnesoid X receptor heterodimer. Considering that the effective role of LXR response element involved transactivation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c mediated by RXRα:LXRα in triglyceride elevation, such LXR response element repressing by bigelovin has obviously addressed its potency for further research. Moreover, our determined crystal structure of the bigelovin-activated RXRα ligand-binding domain with the coactivator human steroid receptor coactivator-1 peptide revealed that bigelovin adopted a distinct binding mode. Compared with the known RXR ligands, bigelovin lacks the acidic moiety in structure, which indicated that the acidic moiety rendered little effects on RXR activation. Our results have thereby provided new insights into the structure-based selective rexinoids design with bigelovin as a potential lead compound.     

Genetic polymorphisms of estrogen receptor alpha and catechol-O-methyltransferase genes in Turkish patients with familial prostate carcinoma

OBJECTIVES:

Estrogen is one of the most crucial hormones participating in the proliferation and carcinogenesis of the prostate glands. Genetic polymorphisms in the estrogen metabolism pathway might be involved in the risk of prostate carcinoma development. We evaluated the association between genetic polymorphisms in estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes and the risk of developing familial prostate carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In this study, 34 cases with prostate carcinoma whose first-degree relatives had prostate carcinoma and 30 healthy age-matched male controls were enrolled. The genotypes of ESR1 and COMT genes were analyzed employing polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. 34 cases with prostate carcinoma, whose first degree relatives had prostate carcinoma and 14 age-matched male controls were enrolled to analyze the genotype of these two genes.

RESULTS:

Among control patients, the ESR1 PvuII genotypes of C/C, C/T and T/T were observed in 37%, 26% and 37%, respectively, whereas the C/C, C/T and T/T genotypes were observed in 18%, 41% and 41% of case patients, respectively. Among controls, the ESR1 PvuII allele frequencies of C and T were equally observed, whereas the C and T allele frequencies were observed in 38% and 62% of patients, respectively. Among ESR1 PvuII genotypes there were not any significant difference in terms of genotype (P = 0.199) and allele (P = 0.181) frequencies. Among controls, the ESR1 XbaI genotypes of G/G, G/A and A/A were observed in 33%, 37% and 33%, respectively, whereas the G/G, G/A and A/A genotypes were observed in 12%, 47% and 41% of patients, respectively. Among controls, the ESR1 XbaI allele frequencies of A and G were observed equally, respectively, whereas the A and G frequencies were observed in 65% and 35% of patients, respectively. Among ESR1 Χ baI, there was not any significant difference in terms of genotype (P = 0.111) and allele (P = 0.093) frequencies. But the C/C genotype of the PvuII site and G/G genotype of the XbaI site in the ESR1 gene were associated significantly with the risk of developing prostate carcinoma. The G/G, G/A and A/A genotypes of the COMT gene were observed in 50%, 29% and 21% of control patients and in 53%, 21% and 26% of case patients, respectively. The A and G allele frequencies of the COMT gene were observed in 36.7%, 63.3% of control patients and in 36.8%, 63.2% of case patients, respectively. In COMT gene, there was not any significant difference in terms of genotype (P = 0.843) and allele (P = 0.991) frequencies. But the G/A genotype of the COMT gene had a weak tendency toward increased risk.

CONCLUSION:

Polymorphisms of ESR1 gene in the estrogen metabolism pathway were associated significantly with familial prostate carcinoma risk. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of low-penetrance genes are targets for understanding the genetic susceptibility of familial prostate carcinoma.     

The crystal structure of CHIR-AB1: a primordial avian classical Fc receptor

CHIR-AB1 is a newly identified avian immunoglobulin (Ig) receptor that includes both activating and inhibitory motifs and was therefore classified as a potentially bifunctional receptor. Recently, CHIR-AB1 was shown to bind the Fc region of chicken IgY and to induce calcium mobilization via association with the common γ-chain, a subunit that transmits signals upon ligation of many different immunoreceptors. Here we describe the 1.8-Å-resolution crystal structure of the CHIR-AB1 ectodomain. The receptor ectodomain consists of a single C2-type Ig domain resembling the Ig-like domains found in mammalian Fc receptors such as FcγRs and FcαRI. Unlike these receptors and other monomeric Ig superfamily members, CHIR-AB1 crystallized as a 2-fold symmetrical homodimer that bears no resemblance to variable or constant region dimers in an antibody. Analytical ultracentrifugation demonstrated that CHIR-AB1 exists as a mixture of monomers and dimers in solution, and equilibrium gel filtration revealed a 2:1 receptor/ligand binding stoichiometry. Measurement of the 1:1 CHIR-AB1/IgY interaction affinity indicates a relatively low affinity complex, but a 2:1 CHIR-AB1/IgY interaction allows an increase in apparent affinity due to avidity effects when the receptor is tethered to a surface. Taken together, these results add to the structural understanding of Fc receptors and their functional mechanisms.     

Expression of human peripheral cannabinoid receptor for structural studies

Human peripheral-type cannabinoid receptor (CB2) was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion with the maltose-binding protein, thioredoxin, and a deca-histidine tag. Functional activity and structural integrity of the receptor in bacterial protoplast membranes was confirmed by extensive binding studies with a variety of natural and synthetic cannabinoid ligands. E. coli membranes expressing CB2 also activated cognate G-proteins in an in vitro coupled assay. Detergent-solubilized receptor was purified to 80%-90% homogeneity by affinity chromatography followed by ion-exchange chromatography. By high-resolution NMR on the receptor in DPC micelles, it was determined that purified CB2 forms 1:1 complexes with the ligands CP-55,940 and anandamide. The receptor was successfully reconstituted into phosphatidylcholine bilayers and the membranes were deposited into a porous substrate as tubular lipid bilayers for structural studies by NMR and scattering techniques.     

Ddi1-like protein from Leishmania major is an active aspartyl proteinase

Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage by activating damage checkpoint pathways, which arrest cell cycle progression and induce gene expression. We isolated a full-length cDNA encoding a 49-kDa protein from Leishmania major, which exhibited significant deduced amino acid sequence homology with the annotated Leishmania sp. DNA damage-inducible (Ddi1-like) protein, as well as with the Ddi1 protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In contrast to the previously described Ddi1 protein, the protein from L. major displays three domains: (1) an NH2-terminal ubiquitin like; (2) a COOH terminal ubiquitin-associated; (3) a retroviral aspartyl proteinase, containing the typical D[S/T]G signature. The function of the L. major Ddi1-like recombinant protein was investigated after expression in baculovirus/insect cells and biochemical analysis, revealing preferential substrate selectivity for aspartyl proteinase A₂ family substrates, with optimal activity in acidic conditions. The proteolytic activity was inhibited by aspartyl proteinase inhibitors. Molecular modeling of the retroviral domain of the Ddi1-like Leishmania protein revealed a dimer structure that contained a double Asp-Ser-Gly-Ala amino acid sequence motif, in an almost identical geometry to the exhibited by the homologous retroviral aspartyl protease domain of yeast Ddi1 protein. Our results indicate that the isolated Ddi1-like protein is a functional aspartyl proteinase in L. major, opening possibility to be considered as a potential target for novel antiparasitic drugs.     

Biochemical properties of V91G calmodulin: A calmodulin point mutation that deregulates muscle contraction in Drosophila

A mutation (Cam7) to the single endogenous calmodulin gene of Drosophila generates a mutant protein with valine 91 changed to glycine (V91G D-CaM). This mutation produces a unique pupal lethal phenotype distinct from that of a null mutation. Genetic studies indicate that the phenotype reflects deregulation of calcium fluxes within the larval muscles, leading to hypercontraction followed by muscle failure. We investigated the biochemical properties of V91G D-CaM. The effects of the mutation on free CaM are minor: Calcium binding, and overall secondary and tertiary structure are indistinguishable from those of wild type. A slight destabilization of the C-terminal domain is detectable in the calcium-free (apo-) form, and the calcium-bound (holo-) form has a somewhat lower surface hydrophobicity. These findings reinforce the indications from the in vivo work that interaction with a specific CaM target(s) underlies the mutant defects. In particular, defective regulation of ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels was indicated by genetic interaction analysis. Studies described here establish that the putative CaM binding region of the Drosophila RyR (D-RyR) binds wild-type D-CaM comparably to the equivalent CaM-RyR interactions seen for the mammalian skeletal muscle RyR channel isoform (RYR1). The V91G mutation weakens the interaction of both apo- and holo-D-CaM with this binding region, and decreases the enhancement of the calcium-binding affinity of CaM that is detectable in the presence of the RyR target peptide. The predicted functional consequences of these changes are consonant with the in vivo phenotype, and indicate that D-RyR is one, if not the major, target affected by the V91G mutation in CaM.     

Molecular determinants of the interactions between SRC-1 and LXR/RXR heterodimers

Liver X receptor (LXR)/retinoid X receptor (RXR) heterodimers have been shown to perform critical functions in cholesterol and lipid metabolism. Here, we have conducted a comparative analysis of the contributions of LXR and RXR binding to steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), which contains three copies of the NR box. We demonstrated that the coactivator-binding surface of LXR, but not that of RXR, is critically important for physical and functional interactions with SRC-1, thereby confirming that RXR functions as an allosteric activator of SRC-1-LXR interaction. Notably, we identified NR box-2 and -3 as the essential binding targets for the SRC-1-induced stimulation of LXR transactivity, and observed the competitive in vitro binding of NR box-2 and -3 to LXR.

Structured summary

MINT-7986678, MINT-7986639, MINT-7986700, MINT-7986720, MINT-7986736, MINT-7986760, MINT-7986787: LXR (uniprotkb:Q13133) physically interacts (MI:0915) with SRC1 (uniprotkb:Q15788) and RXR (uniprotkb:P19793) by pull down (MI:0096)MINT-7986596, MINT-7986621: SRC1 (uniprotkb:Q15788) physically interacts (MI:0915) with LXR (uniprotkb:Q13133) by pull down (MI:0096)MINT-7986555, MINT-7986575: LXR (uniprotkb:Q13133) physically interacts (MI:0915) with SRC1 (uniprotkb:Q15788) by two hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-7986808, MINT-7986907, MINT-7986890: SRC1 (uniprotkb:Q15788) binds (MI:0407) to LXR (uniprotkb:Q13133) by pull down (MI:0096)MINT-7986822, MINT-7986848, MINT-7986865: SRC1 (uniprotkb:Q15788) binds (MI:0407) to RXR (uniprotkb:P19793) by pull down (MI:0096)     

Dopamine modulates the plasticity of mechanosensory responses in Caenorhabditis elegans

Dopamine-modulated behaviors, including information processing and reward, are subject to behavioral plasticity. Disruption of these behaviors is thought to support drug addictions and psychoses. The plasticity of dopamine-mediated behaviors, for example, habituation and sensitization, are not well understood at the molecular level. We show that in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a D1-like dopamine receptor gene (dop-1) modulates the plasticity of mechanosensory behaviors in which dopamine had not been implicated previously. A mutant of dop-1 displayed faster habituation to nonlocalized mechanical stimulation. This phenotype was rescued by the introduction of a wild-type copy of the gene. The dop-1 gene is expressed in mechanosensory neurons, particularly the ALM and PLM neurons. Selective expression of the dop-1 gene in mechanosensory neurons using the mec-7 promoter rescues the mechanosensory deficit in dop-1 mutant animals. The tyrosine hydroxylase-deficient C. elegans mutant (cat-2) also displays these specific behavioral deficits. These observations provide genetic evidence that dopamine signaling modulates behavioral plasticity in C. elegans.