Expression and properties of prochymosin derivatives containing extensions of various length in the pro-part

A series of hybrid prochymosin derivatives containing portions of the simian virus 40 small-t antigen in the pro-part was constructed. Portions comprising 93, 63, 47, 12, and 1 amino acid (aa) from the N terminus of the small-t antigen were separately fused via eight polylinker-encoded amino acids to a prochymosin product commencing with the 5th aa of the pro-part. All the DNAs coding for the hybrid proteins were put under pL-promoter control in the expression constructs. Expression revealed that only fusion of the 47-aa or 12-aa stretch of the small-t antigen to prochymosin gave stable protein products and that only the latter one allowed the hybrid prochymosin to be activated to chymosin. The products containing 93 aa and 63 aa of small-t antigen were unstable and degraded. Complete removal of the small-t antigen portion led to mRNA instability, probably owing to inefficient initiation of translation.     

Association of simian virus 40 small-t antigen with the 61-kilodalton component of a cellular protein complex.

Two cellular proteins, 61 and 37 kDa, are found in association with the simian virus 40 (SV40) small-t antigen. Fractionation in standard chromatography systems showed that these proteins were associated with one another in uninfected cells, suggesting that the small-t antigen may bind the complex as a whole and not each individual protein independently. In the presence of N-ethylmaleimide, the 37-kDA protein was selectively released from immune complexes, leaving the small-t antigen and 61-kDa protein in association. This result suggests that the small-t antigen may bind only the 61-kDa protein and that the 37-kDa protein may be associated with immune complexes by virtue of its association with the 61-kDa cellular protein.     

Mutations which affect the inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A by simian virus 40 small-t antigen in vitro decrease viral transformation.

Three independent point mutations within residues 97 to 103 of the simian virus 40-small-t antigen (small-t) greatly reduced the ability of purified small-t to inhibit protein phosphatase 2A in vitro. These mutations affected the interaction of small-t antigen with the protein phosphatase 2A A subunit translated in vitro, and a peptide from the region identified by these mutations released the A subunit from immune complexes. When introduced into virus, the mutations eliminated the ability of small-t to enhance viral transformation of growth-arrested rat F111 cells. In contrast, the mutant small-t antigens were unimpaired in the transactivation of the adenovirus E2 promoter, an activity which was reduced by a double mutation in small-t residues 43 and 45.     

Simian virus 40 small-t antigen binds two zinc ions.

Six cysteine residues of the simian virus 40 small-t antigen (small-t) are important for stability of the protein. Stability has been shown to be related to the ability of small-t to bind zinc ions in vitro. Purified small-t expressed either in bacteria or from baculovirus vectors binds two molecules of zinc per molecule of protein. Thus, small-t may resemble GAL4, which contains a Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear cluster.     

Complete interaction of cellular 56,000- and 32,000-Mr proteins with simian virus 40 small-t antigen in productively infected cells.

Two cellular proteins are found to be complexed with simian virus 40 small-t antigen in cellular extracts. The complex is a relatively unstable but dynamic one which can dissociate and reform in extracts. In extracts of permissive monkey kidney cells, the small-t antigen appeared to be present in excess, whereas the cellular proteins were nearly entirely committed to the complex in permissive monkey kidney cells.     

Effect of zinc ions on the biochemical behavior of simian virus 40 small-t antigen expressed in bacteria.

The simian virus 40 small-t antigen contains 10 cysteine residues, 6 of which are organized in two CysXCysXXCys clusters. Mutation of individual Cys residues in the two clusters or mutation of specific residues found between these clusters causes pronounced instability of the protein in animal cells. Protein instability correlates with failure of the bacterially expressed mutant proteins to bind zinc ions, an interaction which allows purification of large amounts of small-t antigen in monomeric form.     

An antibody to a synthetic peptide that recognises SV40 small-t antigen.

A peptide Tyr.Arg.Asp.Leu.Lys.Leu corresponding to the carboxy-terminal six amino acids of small-t antigen predicted from the DNA sequence of SV40 was synthesised, coupled to bovine serum albumin and to ovalbumin and used to raise antibody in rabbits. The sera obtained immunoprecipitated [125I]peptide. It also recognised SV40 small-t that was synthesised in vitro from SV40 mRNA or extracted from SV40 infected monkey cells. The immunoprecipitation of small-t was inhibited by added peptide. To demonstrate that the determinant was present at the carboxy-terminal end of the molecule, truncated versions of small-t coded for by 0.54-0.59 deletion mutants were tested. dl 890 small-t, which contains an in-phase deletion removing nine amino acids but leaving the carboxy-terminal sequences intact, was recognised by the antipeptide serum. By contrast dl 885 small-t, which has an out-of-phase deletion leading to an altered carboxy terminus coded in an alternative reading frame, was not recognised. The data confirm the location and specificity of the determinant recognised on small-t by the antipeptide serum.     

A novel simian virus 40 early-region domain mediates transactivation of the cyclin A promoter by small-t antigen and is required for transformation in small-t antigen-dependent assays.

At least three regions of the simian virus 40 small-t antigen (small-t) contribute to the protein's ability to enhance cellular transformation. As we showed previously for rat F111 cells, one region includes sequences from residues 97 to 103 that are involved in the binding and inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A. In the present study, the role of the protein phosphatase 2A binding region was confirmed in two additional small-t-dependent transformation systems. Second, small-t was found to provide a function previously identified as a large-T transformation domain. Mutations in residues 19 to 28 of large-T affected its transforming ability, but these mutations were complemented by a wild-type small-t. A third region of small-t was also required for efficient transformation. This region, the 42-47 region, is shared by large-T and small-t and contains a conserved HPDKGG hexapeptide. The 42-47 region function could be provided by either small-t or large-T in small-t-dependent systems. Mutations in the 42-47 region reduced the ability of small-t to transactivate the cyclin A promoter, of interest because small-t increased endogenous cyclin A mRNA levels in both human and monkey cells, as well as transactivating the promoter in transient assays.     

Cell Cycle Progression in Monkey Cells Expressing Simian Virus 40 Small t Antigen from Adenovirus Vectors

The simian virus 40 small t antigen (small-t) is required for optimal viral replication and transformation, especially during the infection of nondividing cells, suggesting that the function of small-t is to promote cell cycle progression. The mechanism through which small-t promotes cell growth reflects, in part, its binding and inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). The use of recombinant adenoviruses allows small-t expression in a majority of cells in a population, thus providing a convenient source of cells for biochemical analyses. In monkey kidney CV1 cells, small-t expressed from these adenovirus vectors activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, induced JNK activity, and increased AP-1 DNA-binding activity, all in a PP2A-dependent manner. Expression of small-t also caused an increase in the phosphorylation of the Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter, a mitogen-activated ion exchanger whose activity correlates with its phosphorylation. At least part of the antiporter phosphorylation induced by small-t reflected activation of the MAPK pathway, as suggested by results of assays using a chemical inhibitor of the MAPK-activating kinase, MEK. Finally, small-t expression from adenovirus vectors promoted efficient cell cycle progression by growth-arrested cells. These vectors should facilitate further analysis of effects of small-t on cell cycle mediators.     

High-level synthesis in Escherichia coli of the SV40 small-t antigen under control of the bacteriophage lambda pL promoter

Several plasmids were constructed in which the SV40 small-t antigen gene was inserted in close proximity downstream from the thermoinducible leftward promoter (pL) of bacteriophage lambda. Upon temperature induction the best of our constructions expressed a small-t-related 19 000-dalton polypeptide in an amount corresponding to approx. 2.5% of total de novo protein synthesis. This 19 000-dalton protein was identified as small-t by specific immunoprecipitation with anti-T serum and by two-dimensional fingerprint analysis. In addition to the 19 000-dalton product, representative plasmids expressed fairly large amounts (up to 7% of total de novo protein synthesis) of a protein with an apparent Mr of 14 500. This 14 500-dalton polypeptide was shown to be related to authentic small-t. Presumably the secondary structure of the mRNA starting at pL is such that translation initiation at an internal AUG codon of the small-t gene is favored over initiation at the true initiating codon.     

Presence in growth-arrested cells of cellular proteins that interact with simian virus 40 small-t antigen.

Two cellular proteins, 56K and 32K, found in association with simian virus 40 small-t antigen were not induced by viral infection. In addition, the proteins were expressed by cells in the growth arrest period, a time in which small-t function is of importance in infection and transformation.     

Stimulation of host centriolar antigen in TC7 cells by simian virus 40: requirement for RNA and protein syntheses and an intact simian virus 40 small-t gene function

Simian virus 40 (SV 40) stimulated a host cell antigen in the centriolar region after infection of African green monkey kidney (AGMK) cells. The addition of puromycin and actinomycin D to cells infected with SV40 within 5 h after infection inhibited the stimulation of the host cell antigen, indicating that de novo protein and RNA syntheses that occurred within the first 5 h after infection were essential for the stimulation. Early viable deletion mutants of SV40 with deletions mapping between 0.54 and 0.59 map units on the SV40 genome, dl2000, dl2001, dl2003, dl2004, dl2005, dl2006, and dl2007, did not stimulate the centriolar antigen above the level of uninfected cells. This indicated that an intact, functional small-t protein was essential for the SV40-mediated stimulation of the host cell antigen. Our studies, using cells infected with nondefective adenovirus-SV40 hybrid viruses that lack the small-t gene region of SV40 (Ad2+ND1, Ad2+ND2, Ad2+ND3, Ad2+ND4, and Ad2+ND5), revealed that the lack of small-t gene function of SV40 could be complemented by a gene function of the adenovirus-SV40 hybrid viruses for the centriolar antigen stimulation. Thus, adenovirus 2 has a gene(s) that is analogous to the small-t gene of SV40 for the stimulation of the host cell antigen in AGMK cells.     

Characterization of the amino-terminal tryptic peptide of simian virus 40 small-t and large-T antigens.

Simian virus 40 small-t and large-T antigen were synthesized in vitro and labeled with methionine donated by initiator tRNA. Tryptic peptide fingerprinting was used to identify the amino-terminal peptide of the two proteins. Similar fingerprint analysis of small-t and large-T made in vitro in the absence of acetyl coenzyme A showed that the mobility of the amino-terminal peptide was changed under these conditions and suggested that it is acetylated. These data establish that the amino-terminal methionine residue of simian virus 40 small-t and large-T results from an initiation event, not post-translational cleavage, and provides additional evidence that the amino terminus of both proteins is acetylated. The identification of the amino-terminal peptide provides a useful marker for further studies on different forms of T-antigen from cells infected with and transformed by simian virus 40 and related viruses.     

Control of protein phosphatase 2A by simian virus 40 small-t antigen.

Soluble, monomeric simian virus 40 (SV40) small-t antigen (small-t) was purified from bacteria and assayed for its ability to form complexes with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and to modify its catalytic activity. Different forms of purified PP2A, composed of combinations of regulatory subunits (A and B) with a common catalytic subunit (C), were used. The forms used included free A and C subunits and AC and ABC complexes. Small-t associated with both the free A subunit and the AC form of PP2A, resulting in a shift in mobility during nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Small-t did not interact with the free C subunit or the ABC form. These data demonstrate that the primary interaction is between small-t and the A subunit and that the B subunit of PP2A blocks interaction of small-t with the AC form. The effect of small-t on phosphatase activity was determined by using several exogenous substrates, including myosin light chains phosphorylated by myosin light-chain kinase, myelin basic protein phosphorylated by microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase/ERK1, and histone H1 phosphorylated by protein kinase C. With the exception of histone H1, small-t inhibited the dephosphorylation of these substrates by the AC complex. With histone H1, a small stimulation of dephosphorylation by AC was observed. Small-t had no effect on the activities of free C or the ABC complex. A maximum of 50 to 75% inhibition was obtained, with half-maximal inhibition occurring at 10 to 20 nM small-t. The specific activity of the small-t/AC complex was similar to that of the ABC form of PP2A with myosin light chains or histone H1 as the substrate. These results suggested that small-t and the B subunit have similar qualitative and quantitative effects on PP2A enzyme activity. These data show that SV40 small-antigen binds to purified PP2A in vitro, through interaction with the A subunit, and that this interaction inhibits enzyme activity.     

Hepatic expression of SV40 small-T antigen blocks the in vivo CD95-mediated apoptosis

We have previously demonstrated that CD95-mediated apoptosis of hepatocytes is blocked in a murine model of hepatocarcinogenesis due to the expression of SV40 early sequences encoding the large-T and small-t antigens. In this study, we set out to pinpoint the sequences involved in this apoptosis-resistant phenotype, and tested several mutants of the SV40 early region for their ability to confer protection against CD95-induced apoptosis in transgenic mice. We show that resistance to apoptosis is independent of the transforming character of the mutants and demonstrate that the expression of the small-t antigen alone in transgenic mice is sufficient to confer this resistance. Our data also reveal an increased level of activated Akt kinase in these transgenic mice, and this could account for this hitherto unknown function of the SV40 small-t antigen.     

The simian virus 40 small-t and large-T antigens jointly regulate cell cycle reentry in human fibroblasts

Focus formation in human diploid fibroblasts (HDF cells) is known to require both the simian virus 40 (SV40) large-T and small-t antigens. Similarly, both SV40 proteins were required to stimulate confluent, density-arrested HDF cells to reenter the cell cycle. This study used defective recombinant adenoviruses to examine the roles of the individual SV40 proteins in altering specific steps in the cell cycle. Small-t antigen and, to a lesser extent, large-T antigen increased the level of the S phase cyclin cyclin A but without increasing the activity of associated cyclin kinases unless the two SV40 proteins were coexpressed. The absence of kinase activity reflected the presence in density-arrested cells of high levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(WAF1) and p27(KIP1). We report here that expression of SV40 large-T antigen reduced levels of p21(WAF1), while expression of small-t antigen was required to decrease p27(KIP1). The separate effects of large-T and small-t antigens on these two inhibitors may explain the joint requirement for the two proteins to drive cell cycle reentry of HDF cells and ultimately transform these cells.     

Effect of alkylation on the physical properties of simian virus 40 T-antigen species.

We analyzed large and small species of T-antigen by immunoprecipitation and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The T-antigen species were subjected to electrophoresis either directly or after reduction and alkylation with N-ethylmaleimide. Treatment with N-ethylmaleimide improved the resolution of large-T by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and was a requirement for the resolution of small-t antigen on two dimensional gels. Large-T did not form a discrete protein spot, but rather formed a streak from approximately pH 6.5 to 6.9 on isoelectric focusing gels. Small-t formed a sharp protein spot at approximately pH 7.2 when subjected to electrophoresis under non-equilibrium conditions which extended the pH gradient to include proteins with basic isoelectric points. Treatment with N-ethylmaleimide decreased the mobility of the T-antigen species during sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. We suggest that the apparent increase in molecular weight was due to the association of N-ethylmaleimide with cysteine-rich regions of these proteins. Viable deletion mutants of simian virus 40 which do not induce the synthesis of small-t but product small-t-related polypeptides were used to localize the cysteine-rich region of small-t to between 0.54 and 0.59 on the genetic map of simian virus 40.