The PH domain containing protein CKIP-1 binds to IFP35 and Nmi and is involved in cytokine signaling

The pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein CKIP-1 is implicated in regulation of cell differentiation, apoptosis, cytoskeleton as well as recruitment of CK2 and ATM kinases to plasma membrane. Protein-protein interactions of CKIP-1 were required for these functions. Here we identify the IFN-induced protein IFP35 and its homologue Nmi as two novel CKIP-1 interacting partners. The NID domains of IFP35 and Nmi are required for the interactions. Similar to IFP35 and Nmi, CKIP-1 can be up-regulated dramatically by IFN-gamma and IL-2 and form homodimer and homotrimer in vivo. Nmi stabilizes IFP35, whereas CKIP-1 destabilizes IFP35 via inhibiting IFP35-Nmi interaction. The ratio of Nmi to CKIP-1 determines the stability of IFP35 and control cytokine signaling in a novel mechanism. Importantly, similar to Nmi and contrast to IFP35, CKIP-1 inhibits tumor cell growth and Akt-mediated cell survival. Thus, our results provide a novel role of CKIP-1 in cytokine signaling response and the biochemical mechanism, by which two previously identified modulators IFP35 and Nmi are involved via interactions.     

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus protein 6 mediates ubiquitin-dependent proteosomal degradation of N-Myc(and STAT) interactor

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-Co V) encodes eight accessory proteins, the functions of which are not yet fully understood. SARS-Co V protein 6(P6) is one of the previously studied accessory proteins that have been documented to enhance viral replication and suppress host interferon(IFN) signaling pathways. Through yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified eight potential cellular P6-interacting proteins from a human spleen c DNA library. For further investigation, we targeted the IFN signaling pathway-mediating protein, N-Myc(and STAT) interactor(Nmi). Its interaction with P6 was confirmed within cells. The results showed that P6 can promote the ubiquitin-dependent proteosomal degradation of Nmi. This study revealed a new mechanism of SARS-Co V P6 in limiting the IFN signaling to promote SARS-Co V survival in host cells.     

Biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether and other fuel oxygenates by a new strain,Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012

A strain that efficiently degraded methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was obtained by initial selection on the recalcitrant compound tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). This strain, a gram-positive methylotrophic bacterium identified as Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012, was also able to degrade tert-amyl methyl ether and tert-amyl alcohol. Ethyl tert-butyl ether was weakly degraded. tert-Butyl formate and 2-hydroxy isobutyrate (HIBA), two intermediates in the MTBE catabolism pathway, were detected during growth on MTBE. A positive effect of Co2+ during growth of M. austroafricanum IFP 2012 on HIBA was demonstrated. The specific rate of MTBE degradation was 0.6 mmol/h/g (dry weight) of cells, and the biomass yield on MTBE was 0.44 g (dry weight) per g of MTBE. MTBE, TBA, and HIBA degradation activities were induced by MTBE and TBA, and TBA was a good inducer. Involvement of at least one monooxygenase during degradation of MTBE and TBA was shown by (i) the requirement for oxygen, (ii) the production of propylene epoxide from propylene by MTBE- or TBA- grown cells, and (iii) the inhibition of MTBE or TBA degradation and of propylene epoxide production by acetylene. No cytochrome P-450 was detected in MTBE- or TBA-grown cells. Similar protein profiles were obtained after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude extracts from MTBE- and TBA-grown cells. Among the polypeptides induced by these substrates, two polypeptides (66 and 27 kDa) exhibited strong similarities with known oxidoreductases.     

Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) biodegradation by a syntrophic association of Rhodococcus sp. IFP 2042 and Bradyrhizobium sp. IFP 2049 isolated from a polluted aquifer

Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) enrichment was obtained by adding contaminated groundwater to a mineral medium containing ETBE as the sole carbon and energy source. ETBE was completely degraded to biomass and CO₂ with a transient production of tert-butanol (TBA) and a final biomass yield of 0.37?±?0.08 mg biomass (dry weight).mg^?1 ETBE. Two bacterial strains, IFP 2042 and IFP 2049, were isolated from the enrichment, and their 16S rRNA genes (rrs) were similar to Rhodococcus sp. (99 % similarity to Rhodococcus erythropolis) and Bradyrhizobium sp. (99 % similarity to Bradyrhizobium japonicum), respectively. Rhodococcus sp. IFP 2042 degraded ETBE to TBA, and Bradyrhizobium sp. IFP 2049 degraded TBA to biomass and CO₂. A mixed culture of IFP 2042 and IFP 2049 degraded ETBE to CO₂ with a biomass yield similar to the original ETBE enrichment (0.31?±?0.02 mg?biomass.mg^?1 ETBE). Among the genes previously described to be involved in ETBE, MTBE, and TBA degradation, only alkB was detected in Rhodococcus sp. IFP 2042 by PCR, and none were detected in Bradyrhizobium sp. IFP 2049.     

Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether and Other Fuel Oxygenates by a New Strain, Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012

A strain that efficiently degraded methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was obtained by initial selection on the recalcitrant compound tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). This strain, a gram-positive methylotrophic bacterium identified as Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012, was also able to degrade tert-amyl methyl ether and tert-amyl alcohol. Ethyl tert-butyl ether was weakly degraded. tert-Butyl formate and 2-hydroxy isobutyrate (HIBA), two intermediates in the MTBE catabolism pathway, were detected during growth on MTBE. A positive effect of Co²⁺ during growth of M. austroafricanum IFP 2012 on HIBA was demonstrated. The specific rate of MTBE degradation was 0.6 mmol/h/g (dry weight) of cells, and the biomass yield on MTBE was 0.44 g (dry weight) per g of MTBE. MTBE, TBA, and HIBA degradation activities were induced by MTBE and TBA, and TBA was a good inducer. Involvement of at least one monooxygenase during degradation of MTBE and TBA was shown by (i) the requirement for oxygen, (ii) the production of propylene epoxide from propylene by MTBE- or TBA- grown cells, and (iii) the inhibition of MTBE or TBA degradation and of propylene epoxide production by acetylene. No cytochrome P-450 was detected in MTBE- or TBA-grown cells. Similar protein profiles were obtained after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude extracts from MTBE- and TBA-grown cells. Among the polypeptides induced by these substrates, two polypeptides (66 and 27 kDa) exhibited strong similarities with known oxidoreductases.     

Labeling of proteins with [35S]methionine and/or [35S]cysteine in the absence of cells

Incubation of [35S]methionine and [35S]cysteine with bovine albumin, globulin, catalase, hemoglobin, or human globulin resulted in incorporation of the 35S label into each of these proteins. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) precipitation revealed that the percentage of label incorporated ranged from 1 to 15%. The 35S labeling was resistant to dissociation by reducing SDS-PAGE, prolonged dialysis against 4 M urea, heating, TCA precipitation, and dilution by gel filtration. The labeling effect was more efficient with [35S]cysteine than [35S]methionine. Incubation of 35S label with proteins differing in methionine and cysteine content revealed no requirement for sulfur-containing amino acids in the target protein. Protein carboxymethylation reduced but did not prevent 35S label incorporation. Amino acid analysis of labeled proteins revealed that the radioactive label was not consistently associated with an individual amino acid. Differences in the ability of various proteins to spontaneously label with these amino acids suggest caution in the interpretation of metabolic labeling experiments and the necessity for inclusion of additional controls. Alternatively, our experience indicates a potentially useful method for labeling proteins in the absence of cells.     

Nmi及其变异体在大肠杆菌中表达、抗体制备及其细胞分布

 为了检测细胞内源性Nmi和变异体Nmi s的表达、亚细胞分布以及可能形成的信号转导蛋白复合物 ,成功构建并表达了异源Nmi和Nmi s 获得纯化异源蛋白 ,用以制备兔源抗Nmi(Nmi s)多克隆抗体 .Western印迹在多种细胞株HL 60 ,K562 ,2 93T细胞中检测到Nmi(Nmi s)高表达 .在不同的细胞系中 ,Nmi表现为不同的蛋白复合物迁移带 ;Nmi(Nmi s)在胞浆和胞核均存在 ,而核内荧光更强 .Nmi(Nmi s)通过与多种蛋白相互作用行使其生物学功能 ,在不同细胞中可能与不同的蛋白相互作用 ,发挥不同的功能 .     

The proteasome: a macromolecular assembly designed for controlled proteolysis

In eukaryotic cells, the vast majority of proteins in the cytosol and nucleus are degraded via the proteasome-ubiquitin pathway. The 26S proteasome is a huge protein degradation machine of 2.5 MDa, built of approximately 35 different subunits. It contains a proteolytic core complex, the 20S proteasome and one or two 19S regulatory complexes which associate with the termini of the barrel-shaped 20S core. The 19S regulatory complex serves to recognize ubiquitylated target proteins and is implicated to have a role in their unfolding and translocation into the interior of the 20S complex where they are degraded into oligopeptides. While much progress has been made in recent years in elucidating the structure, assembly and enzymatic mechanism of the 20S complex, our knowledge of the functional organization of the 19S regulator is rather limited. Most of its subunits have been identified, but specific functions can be assigned to only a few of them.     

人Nmi mRNA编码区存在变异形式

Ｎｍｉ基因编码一种可与Ｍｙｃ相互作用的蛋白质．在人红白血病细胞系ＴＦ－１细胞去细胞因子ＧＭ－ＣＳＦ后８ｈ,发现ＮｍｉＲＮＡ表达水平升高．利用ＰＣＲ方法从中扩增ＮｍｉｃＤＮＡ编码区,发现除正常大小的扩增片段外,还有一比公布核酸序列小约１００～２００ｂｐ的扩增片段．序列分析表明该片段为编码区第３３７～５０９位的碱基缺失,由ＧＴＴＣＣＡＴＴＧＣＧ１１个碱基取代,形成一个开放读码框架,编码２５４个氨基酸,比野生型Ｎｍｉ编码的３０７个氨基酸少５３个氨基酸．     

The Sec34/Sec35p complex,a Ypt1p effector required for retrograde intra-Golgi trafficking,interacts with Golgi SNAREs and COPI vesicle coat proteins

The Sec34/35 complex was identified as one of the evolutionarily conserved protein complexes that regulates a cis-Golgi step in intracellular vesicular transport. We have identified three new proteins that associate with Sec35p and Sec34p in yeast cytosol. Mutations in these Sec34/35 complex subunits result in defects in basic Golgi functions, including glycosylation of secretory proteins, protein sorting, and retention of Golgi resident proteins. Furthermore, the Sec34/35 complex interacts genetically and physically with the Rab protein Ypt1p, intra-Golgi SNARE molecules, as well as with Golgi vesicle coat complex COPI. We propose that the Sec34/35 protein complex acts as a tether that connects cis-Golgi membranes and COPI-coated, retrogradely targeted intra-Golgi vesicles.     

Roles of tert-butyl formate,tert-butyl alcohol and acetone in the regulation of methyl tert-butyl ether degradation by Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012

Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012 is a Gram-positive strain able to grow on methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a sole carbon and energy source. The effect of two downstream metabolites of MTBE, tert-butyl formate (TBF) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) on MTBE degradation was investigated using resting cells. The addition of low concentrations of TBF decreased the MTBE degradation rate by about 30%. In contrast, the addition of TBA did not have a significant effect on MTBE degradation rate, even at high concentrations; and it was also shown that TBA degradation occurred only once MTBE was exhausted. At neutral pH, TBF hydrolysis involved mainly an esterase-type activity regulated by the presence of TBA. The TBF degradation rate was about four times lower than the MTBE degradation rate. Furthermore, acetone was identified as an intermediate during TBA degradation. An acetone mono-oxygenase activity, inhibited by methimazole but not by acetylene, was suggested. It was different from the MTBE/TBA mono-oxygenase and, thus, acetone did not appear to compete with MTBE and TBA for the same enzyme. These new results show that the metabolic regulation of the early steps of MTBE degradation by M. austroafricanum IFP 2012 is complex, involving inhibition and competition phenomena.     

Interferon induction and/or production and its suppression by influenza A viruses

Developmentally aged chicken embryo cells which hyperproduce interferon (IFN) when induced were used to quantify IFN production and its suppression by eight strains of type A influenza viruses (AIV). Over 90% of the IFN-inducing or IFN induction-suppressing activity of AIV populations resided in noninfectious particles. The IFN-inducer moiety of AIV appears to preexist in, or be generated by, virions termed IFN-inducing particles (IFP) and was detectable under conditions in which a single molecule of double-stranded RNA introduced into a cell via endocytosis induced IFN, whereas single-stranded RNA did not. Some AIV strains suppressed IFN production, an activity that resided in a noninfectious virion termed an IFN induction-suppressing particle (ISP). The ISP phenotype was dominant over the IFP phenotype. Strains of AIV varied 100-fold in their capacity to induce IFN. AIV genetically compromised in NS1 expression induced about 20 times more IFN than NS1-competent parental strains. UV irradiation further enhanced the IFN-inducing capacity of AIV up to 100-fold, converting ISP into IFP and IFP into more efficient IFP. AIV is known to prevent IFN induction and/or production by expressing NS1 from a small UV target (gene NS). Evidence is presented for an additional downregulator of IFN production, identified as a large UV target postulated to consist of AIV polymerase genes PB1 + PB2 + PA, through the ensuing action of their cap-snatching endonuclease on pre-IFN-mRNA. The products of both the small and large UV targets act in concert to regulate IFN induction and/or production. Knowledge of the IFP/ISP phenotype may be useful in the development of attenuated AIV strains that maximally induce cytokines favorable to the immune response.     

Interaction of the human papillomavirus type 16 E6 oncoprotein with wild-type and mutant human p53 proteins.

The E6 oncoproteins encoded by the cancer-associated human papillomaviruses (HPVs) can associate with and promote the degradation of wild-type p53 in vitro. To gain further insight into this process, the ability of HPV-16 E6 to complex with and promote the degradation of mutant forms of p53 was studied. A correlation between binding and the targeted degradation of p53 was established. Mutant p53 proteins that bound HPV-16 E6 were targeted for degradation, whereas those that did not complex HPV-16 E6 were not degraded. Since the HPV-16 E6-promoted degradation involves the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis pathway, specific mutations were made in the amino terminus of p53 to examine whether the E6 targeted degradation involved the N-end rule pathway. No requirement for destabilizing amino acids at the N terminus of p53 was found, nor was evidence found that HPV-16 E6 could provide this determinant in trans, indicating that the N-terminal rule pathway is not involved in the E6-promoted degradation of p53.