The Crystal Structures of the Eukaryotic Chaperonin CCT Reveal Its Functional Partitioning

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Highlights? CCT subunit types can be identified in crystallographic data, even at low resolutions ? Actin and tubulin both bind around CCT6 ? ATP hydrolysis and substrate binding are partitioned in the CCT particle     

Human CCT4 and CCT5 Chaperonin Subunits Expressed in Escherichia coli Form Biologically Active Homo-oligomers

Chaperonins are a family of chaperones that encapsulate their substrates and assist their folding in an ATP-dependent manner. The ubiquitous eukaryotic chaperonin, TCP-1 ring complex (TRiC), is a hetero-oligomeric complex composed of two rings, each formed from eight different CCT (chaperonin containing TCP-1) subunits. Each CCT subunit may have distinct substrate recognition and ATP hydrolysis properties. We have expressed each human CCT subunit individually in Escherichia coli to investigate whether they form chaperonin-like double ring complexes. CCT4 and CCT5, but not the other six CCT subunits, formed high molecular weight complexes within the E. coli cells that sedimented about 20S in sucrose gradients. When CCT4 and CCT5 were purified, they were both organized as two back-to-back rings of eight subunits each, as seen by negative stain and cryo-electron microscopy. This morphology is consistent with that of the hetero-oligomeric double-ring TRiC purified from bovine testes and HeLa cells. Both CCT4 and CCT5 homo-oligomers hydrolyzed ATP at a rate similar to human TRiC and were active as assayed by luciferase refolding and human γD-crystallin aggregation suppression and refolding. Thus, both CCT4 and CCT5 homo-oligomers have the property of forming 8-fold double rings absent the other subunits, and these complexes carry out chaperonin reactions without other partner subunits.     

Vaccinia-Related Kinase 2 Controls the Stability of the Eukaryotic Chaperonin TRiC/CCT by Inhibiting the Deubiquitinating Enzyme USP25

Molecular chaperones monitor the proper folding of misfolded proteins and function as the first line of defense against mutant protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. The eukaryotic chaperonin TRiC is a potent suppressor of mutant protein aggregation and toxicity in early stages of disease progression. Elucidation of TRiC functional regulation will enable us to better understand the pathological mechanisms of neurodegeneration. We have previously shown that vaccinia-related kinase 2 (VRK2) downregulates TRiC protein levels through the ubiquitin-proteasome system by recruiting the E3 ligase COP1. However, although VRK2 activity was necessary in TRiC downregulation, the phosphorylated substrate was not determined. Here, we report that USP25 is a novel TRiC interacting protein that is also phosphorylated by VRK2. USP25 catalyzed deubiquitination of the TRiC protein and stabilized the chaperonin, thereby reducing accumulation of misfolded polyglutamine protein aggregates. Notably, USP25 deubiquitinating activity was suppressed when VRK2 phosphorylated the Thr⁶⁸⁰, Thr⁷²⁷, and Ser⁷⁴⁵ residues. Impaired USP25 deubiquitinating activity after VRK2-mediated phosphorylation may be a critical pathway in TRiC protein destabilization.     

人细胞周期蛋白G2基因真核表达载体构建及其功能研究

构建人cyclin G2基因真核表达载体,进一步研究cyclin G2对体外培养细胞增殖的调节作用及可能的调节机制。以人口腔癌前上皮细胞系POE4总RNA的反转录产物为模板,应用RT-PCR方法克隆cyclin G2基因cDNA,成功构建真核表达载体pIRES -G2;应用脂质体介导的基因转染技术,以体外培养的肿瘤细胞系HeLa细胞和正常细胞系CV-1细胞作为受体细胞,进行转基因表达研究,发现cyclin G2高表达对体外培养细胞的增殖起明显抑制作用;应用p16INK4a、p21WAF1、p27KIP1三种周期蛋白依赖性激酶抑制因子的单克隆抗体对转基因的HeLa细胞进行免疫细胞化学研究,发现转染pIRES-G2的实验组细胞中,p21 WAF1蛋白染色阳性细胞数明显多于转染空载体的对照组,平均光密度值高于对照组,两组间均有显著性差异（p<0.01）,提示cyclin G2抑制细胞增殖作用可能是通过诱导p21WAF1的表达而实现。     

带绿色荧光蛋白标签的人细胞分裂周期蛋白25同源蛋白的真核表达及其生物学功能研究

目的:构建带增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)标签的人细胞分裂周期蛋白25同源蛋白C(cdc25c)基因的真核表达载体pEGFP-cdc25c,并检测其在人胚肾293T细胞中的表达定位情况及生物学功能。方法:采用PCR技术从实验室已有质粒中扩增人cdc25c基因,并将其克隆到pEGFP-C1载体中;将重组质粒转染人胚肾293T细胞,Western印迹检测转染细胞的表达情况,荧光显微镜观察cdc25c蛋白在细胞中的定位,并利用cdc2 Tyr15位特异性抗体验证EGFP-cdc25c作为磷酸酯酶的生物学功能。结果:双酶切和测序鉴定表明,pEGFP-cdc25c真核表达质粒构建成功;转染293T细胞后获得表达,在荧光显微镜下,表达阳性的细胞呈绿色,并定位于细胞质;Western印迹结果表明,EGFP-cdc25c能增加cdc2 Tyr15位的磷酸化水平,起到拮抗内源性cdc25c的功能。结论:构建了带EGFP标签的人cdc25c基因真核表达载体,该载体能够在哺乳动物细胞293T中表达,表达产物定位于细胞质;EGFP-cdc25c能够发挥显性负性作用,为深入研究cdc25c的生物学功能奠定了重要基础。     

Biochemical Characterization of Mutants in Chaperonin Proteins CCT4 and CCT5 Associated with Hereditary Sensory Neuropathy

Hereditary sensory neuropathies are a class of disorders marked by degeneration of the nerve fibers in the sensory periphery neurons. Recently, two mutations were identified in the subunits of the eukaryotic cytosolic chaperonin TRiC, a protein machine responsible for folding actin and tubulin in the cell. C450Y CCT4 was identified in a stock of Sprague-Dawley rats, whereas H147R CCT5 was found in a human Moroccan family. As with many genetically identified mutations associated with neuropathies, the underlying molecular basis of the mutants was not defined. We investigated the biochemical properties of these mutants using an expression system in Escherichia coli that produces homo-oligomeric rings of CCT4 and CCT5. Full-length versions of both mutant protein chains were expressed in E. coli at levels approaching that of the WT chains. Sucrose gradient centrifugation revealed chaperonin-sized complexes of both WT and mutant chaperonins, but with reduced recovery of C450Y CCT4 soluble subunits. Electron microscopy of negatively stained samples of C450Y CCT4 revealed few ring-shaped species, whereas WT CCT4, H147R CCT5, and WT CCT5 revealed similar ring structures. CCT5 complexes were assayed for their ability to suppress aggregation of and refold the model substrate γd-crystallin, suppress aggregation of mutant huntingtin, and refold the physiological substrate β-actin in vitro. H147R CCT5 was not as efficient in chaperoning these substrates as WT CCT5. The subtle effects of these mutations are consistent with the homozygous disease phenotype, in which most functions are carried out during development and adulthood, but some selective function is lost or reduced.     

Association of the Influenza Virus RNA Polymerase Subunit PB2 with the Host Chaperonin CCT

The RNA polymerase of influenza A virus is a host range determinant and virulence factor. In particular, the PB2 subunit of the RNA polymerase has been implicated as a crucial factor that affects cell tropism as well as virulence in animal models. These findings suggest that host factors associating with the PB2 protein may play an important role during viral replication. In order to identify host factors that associate with the PB2 protein, we purified recombinant PB2 from transiently transfected mammalian cells and identified copurifying host proteins by mass spectrometry. We found that the PB2 protein associates with the cytosolic chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT), stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1), FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5), α- and β-tubulin, Hsp60, and mitochondrial protein p32. Some of these binding partners associate with each other, suggesting that PB2 might interact with these proteins in multimeric complexes. More detailed analysis of the interaction of the PB2 protein with CCT revealed that PB2 associates with CCT as a monomer and that the CCT binding site is located in a central region of the PB2 protein. PB2 proteins from various influenza virus subtypes and origins can associate with CCT. Silencing of CCT resulted in reduced viral replication and reduced PB2 protein and viral RNA accumulation in a ribonucleoprotein reconstitution assay, suggesting an important function for CCT during the influenza virus life cycle. We propose that CCT might be acting as a chaperone for PB2 to aid its folding and possibly its incorporation into the trimeric RNA polymerase complex.Influenza A viruses, members of the family of Orthomyxoviridae, contain a segmented RNA genome of negative polarity. The genomic RNA segments together with the three subunits of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (PB1, PB2, and PA protein) and the nucleoprotein (NP) form viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (vRNPs). The PB1 subunit is the polymerase itself, while the PB2 and PA subunits are involved in the generation of 5′ capped RNA primers through binding to and endonucleolytic cleavage of host pre-mRNAs (8, 10, 11, 41, 61). After the virus enters the cell via endocytosis, vRNPs are released into the cytoplasm and transported into the nucleus. In the nucleus, vRNPs catalyze the synthesis of viral mRNAs and complementary RNAs (cRNA) which, in turn, are used as templates for the synthesis of vRNAs. The newly formed vRNPs in association with other viral proteins (M1 and nonstructural protein 2/nuclear export factor [NS2/NEP]) are transported into the cytoplasm and subsequently to the cell membrane, where the assembly process takes place, followed by the release of progeny virions by budding (44).The PB1, PB2, and PA proteins are synthesized in the cytoplasm whereupon PB1 and PA form a dimeric complex that is transported into the nucleus. In the nucleus the dimer assembles with the PB2 subunit, which is transported separately (7, 14). RanBP5 was identified as a factor that is involved in the import of the PB1-PA dimer into the nucleus (6), while PB2 uses the classical importin-α/β pathway for nuclear import (57). Recently, further support for this transport and assembly model was provided by using fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (25). An alternative pathway proposed for the import of the RNA polymerase subunits into the nucleus involves the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) that was shown to interact with the PB1 and PB2 proteins (39). Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) was also found to interact with the influenza virus polymerase subunits and vRNPs, and it was implicated in blocking the nuclear export of vRNPs (22).The RNA polymerase has been implicated as a host range determinant and pathogenicity factor of influenza viruses. In particular, amino acid residue 627 in the PB2 subunit was shown to determine the ability of certain influenza viruses to replicate in avian and mammalian cells (34, 54). A lysine at position 627, characteristic of most human influenza virus strains, appears to enhance replication in mammalian cells, while a glutamic acid, found in most avian isolates, attenuates virus replication in mammalian cells. The presence of a lysine was also shown to enhance virulence in mammalian models and has been associated with the lethality of H5N1 viruses in humans (20). It has been proposed that a negative factor, present in mammalian cells, specifically reduces the activity of a polymerase containing a glutamic acid (38). However, the identity of this factor remains to be determined. Interestingly, the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus encodes a glutamic acid at this position, and a second-site suppressor mutation has been identified in PB2 that promotes activity in mammalian cells (37). Introduction of a lysine at residue 627 in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus did not result in enhanced virulence (21, 62). Several other amino acid residues in the PB2 protein were also implicated in host range determination and virulence, suggesting that multiple amino acid substitutions are involved (15, 48). Collectively, these results suggest that the PB2 protein interacts with host factors and that these interactions have implications for host range and virulence.Therefore, we set up a biochemical copurification assay followed by mass spectrometry to identify host factors that associate with the PB2 protein in mammalian cells. We confirmed the interaction with several previously identified host factors, e.g., Hsp70 and Hsp90, and identified novel host proteins that interact with the PB2 protein. Among these, we have identified the oligomeric chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT) (also known as TRiC [TCP-1 ring complex]) and investigated the significance of this interaction in more detail. We found that CCT interacts with the PB2 protein but not with the PB1 or PA protein. However, PB2 in association with PB1 or PB1 and PA did not interact with CCT. We also found that PB2 proteins of different influenza virus strains of different origins, hosts, and subtypes interact with CCT. Growth of influenza virus, as well as the accumulation of the PB2 protein and viral RNAs in a ribonucleoprotein reconstitution assay, was reduced in CCT-silenced cells compared to that in control cells. These results suggest a role for CCT in the influenza A virus life cycle, possibly acting as a chaperone for the PB2 protein.     

Vaccinia Virus Infection Requires Maturation of Macropinosomes

The prototypic poxvirus, vaccinia virus (VACV), occurs in two infectious forms, mature virions (MVs) and extracellular virions (EVs). Both enter HeLa cells by inducing macropinocytic uptake. Using confocal microscopy, live‐cell imaging, targeted RNAi screening and perturbants of endosome maturation, we analyzed the properties and maturation pathway of the macropinocytic vacuoles containing VACV MVs in HeLa cells. The vacuoles first acquired markers of early endosomes [Rab5, early endosome antigen 1 and phosphatidylinositol(3)P]. Prior to release of virus cores into the cytoplasm, they contained markers of late endosomes and lysosomes (Rab7a, lysosome‐associated membrane protein 1 and sorting nexin 3). RNAi screening of endocytic cell factors emphasized the importance of late compartments for VACV infection. Follow‐up perturbation analysis showed that infection required Rab7a and PIKfyve, confirming that VACV is a late‐penetrating virus dependent on macropinosome maturation. VACV EV infection was inhibited by depletion of many of the same factors, indicating that both infectious particle forms share the need for late vacuolar conditions for penetration.      

细胞周期蛋白B1、D1和E真核表达载体的构建及表达

目的：为研究细胞周期蛋白（cyclin）在肿瘤形成过程中的分子机制,构建带FLAG标签的细胞周期蛋白B1、D1、E的真核表达载体,并检测其在293T细胞中的表达。方法：以乳腺cDNA文库为模板,分别扩增细胞周期蛋白B1、D1、E基因全长编码区序列,克隆到pcDNA3-FLAG真核表达载体上;用脂质体介导的基因瞬时转染法,将重组正确的表达载体转染293T细胞,检测细胞中的FLAG融合蛋白的表达。结果：酶切鉴定和DNA序列分析显示构建了正确的FLAG-Cyclin真核表达载体,Western印迹分析表明克隆的载体都能在真核细胞中表达分子大小相符的重组蛋白。结论：构建了FLAG-CyclinBl、FIAG-CyclinDl、FLAG-CyclinE真核表达载体,为细胞周期蛋白及其相关蛋白的研究奠定了基础。     

反义细胞周期蛋白E真核表达载体的构建及其对体外人乳腺癌细胞的抑制作用

 为了探讨细胞周期蛋白 E(cyclin E)与人乳腺癌细胞恶性特征间的相关性 ,利用反义 RNA抑制基因表达的技术 ,构建了细胞周期蛋白 E反义 RNA的真核表达载体并转入人乳腺癌细胞中 .通过 G41 8筛选出阳性克隆 ,经 PCR和 Western印迹检测 ,确定细胞中含有重组质粒 ,并且细胞周期蛋白 E蛋白的水平明显降低 ,由此获得了反义 RNA表达载体导致的细胞周期蛋白 E表达受抑制的细胞 .细胞模型建立后 ,观察分析了细胞形态 ,细胞生长的血清依赖性以及软琼脂成集落能力 ,与对照细胞相比所发生的变化 .结果显示 ,细胞周期蛋白 E受抑制后 ,乳腺癌细胞体积变大 ,细胞生长对血清依赖性增加 ,低血清培养到第 6d时 ,细胞密度约为对照细胞的五分之一 ,细胞成集落能力也显著下降 ,软琼脂中克隆形成率下降 57% .这些变化都表明乳腺癌细胞恶性程度由于细胞周期蛋白 E表达受抑制而减弱 ,可以推测 cyclin E与乳腺癌细胞的恶性增殖及非锚定依赖性生长有着明显的关系 .     

Functional Maturation of hPSC-Derived Forebrain Interneurons Requires an Extended Timeline and Mimics Human Neural Development

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Influence of Human Papillomavirus E7 Oncoprotein on Maturation and Function of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells In Vitro

The major difficulties of human papillomavirus(HPV) treatment are its persistence and recurrence. The HPV E7 oncoprotein-loaded dendritic cells have been evaluated as cellular vaccine in previous reports. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells(pDCs) play an essential role of connecting the innate immune response and adaptive immune response in the immune system. But they function in HPV E7 loading is unclear. To investigate whether loading of the HPV type 6b, 11, and 16 E7 proteins affects the activity of pDCs, human peripheral blood-separated pDCs and mouse bone marrow-derived pDCs were pulsed with the HPV E7 proteins. The expression levels of CD40, CD80, CD86, and MHC II were significantly upregulated in pDCs upon HPV 6b/11 E7 protein pulse. The secretion and gene expression of type I IFN and IL-6 were both upregulated by HPV 6b/11 E7 proteins, more significant than HPV 16 E7 protein. The expression of essential factors of TLR signaling pathway and JNK/p38 MAP kinase signaling pathway were all increased in HPV 6b/11 E7 proteins pulsed pDCs. Our results suggest that HPV E7 proteins could promote the differentiation and maturation of pDCs and activate the TLR and MAPK pathway to induce host innate immune response. It might be conducive to explore novel immunotherapy targeting HPV infection with HPV E7 loaded pDC.     

Maturation of Human Herpesvirus 6A Glycoprotein O Requires Coexpression of Glycoprotein H and Glycoprotein L

Glycoprotein O (gO) is conserved among betaherpesviruses, but little is known about the maturation process of gO in human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). We found that HHV-6 gO maturation was accompanied by cleavage of its carboxyl terminus and required coexpression of gH and gL, which promoted the export of gO out of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Finally, we also found that gO was not required for HHV-6A growth in T cells.     

真核细胞伴侣素CCT及其与细胞骨架的关系

CCT(the chaperonin containing tailless complex polypeptide 1)是一种广泛存在于细胞浆中的异型寡聚蛋白,也是迄今为止真核细胞胞浆中发现的唯一伴侣素。目前认为大约15%的哺乳动物蛋白折叠需要CCT的参与,其中研究得最多的是肌动蛋白和微管蛋白。研究发现,CCT的异常会导致细胞骨架蛋白发生改变,甚至影响细胞骨架的形成与解聚。由此推测,一些细胞骨架相关疾病可能与CCT异常有关。     

Equivalent Mutations in the Eight Subunits of the Chaperonin CCT Produce Dramatically Different Cellular and Gene Expression Phenotypes

The eukaryotic cytoplasmic chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (CCT) is a complex formed by two back-to-back stacked hetero-octameric rings that assists the folding of actins, tubulins, and other proteins in an ATP-dependent manner. Here, we tested the significance of the hetero-oligomeric nature of CCT in its function by introducing, in each of the eight subunits in turn, an identical mutation at a position that is conserved in all the subunits and is involved in ATP hydrolysis, in order to establish the extent of ‘individuality’ of the various subunits. Our results show that these identical mutations lead to dramatically different phenotypes. For example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells with the mutation in subunit CCT2 display heat sensitivity and cold sensitivity for growth, have an excess of actin patches, and are the only strain here generated that is pseudo-diploid. By contrast, cells with the mutation in subunit CCT7 are the only ones to accumulate juxtanuclear protein aggregates that may reflect an impaired stress response in this strain. System-level analysis of the strains using RNA microarrays reveals connections between CCT and several cellular networks, including ribosome biogenesis and TOR2, that help to explain the phenotypic variability observed.     

MicroRNA-195 Inhibits the Proliferation of Human Glioma Cells by Directly Targeting Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1

Glioma proliferation is a multistep process during which a sequence of genetic and epigenetic alterations randomly occur to affect the genes controlling cell proliferation, cell death and genetic stability. microRNAs are emerging as important epigenetic modulators of multiple target genes, leading to abnormal cellular signaling involving cellular proliferation in cancers.In the present study, we found that expression of miR-195 was markedly downregulated in glioma cell lines and human primary glioma tissues, compared to normal human astrocytes and matched non-tumor associated tissues. Upregulation of miR-195 dramatically reduced the proliferation of glioma cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that ectopic expression of miR-195 significantly decreased the percentage of S phase cells and increased the percentage of G1/G0 phase cells. Overexpression of miR-195 dramatically reduced the anchorage-independent growth ability of glioma cells. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-195 downregulated the levels of phosphorylated retinoblastoma (pRb) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in glioma cells. Conversely, inhibition of miR-195 promoted cell proliferation, increased the percentage of S phase cells, reduced the percentage of G1/G0 phase cells, enhanced anchorage-independent growth ability, upregulated the phosphorylation of pRb and PCNA in glioma cells. Moreover, we show that miR-195 inhibited glioma cell proliferation by downregulating expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1, via directly targeting the 3′-untranslated regions (3′-UTR) of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 mRNA. Taken together, our results suggest that miR-195 plays an important role to inhibit the proliferation of glioma cells, and present a novel mechanism for direct miRNA-mediated suppression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 in glioma.