Molecular mechanisms of G-proteins coupling with membrane receptors and second messenger systems

G-proteins transmit the signals from hormone receptors onto intracellular effector systems which take part in production of the second messengers such as cAMP, IP3, DAG and Ca2+. Molecular mechanisms of G-protein participation in the coupling of the seven-domain receptors to adenylate cyclase, phospholipase C and channels for Ca2+ and K+ ions are discussed in this paper. G-protein is a heterotrimers built of alpha-, beta- and gamma-subunits, which dissociate onto alpha- and beta gamma-subunits during interaction with hormone-receptor complex. alpha-subunit as well as beta gamma-dimmer may interact with effector system that leads to acceleration or slowing down of second messengers formation. Molecular mechanisms of such regulatory signal diversification are described. Seven-domain receptors possess very high recognition specificity of G-proteins. It is defined by combination of both alpha- and beta gamma-subunits in the G-protein structure. There is well-defined interaction specificity of G-protein alpha-subunit with effector systems. Combinations of different beta- and gamma-subunits involved in complex formation define interaction specificity of G-protein beta gamma-complex with effector systems. The highest interaction specificity of receptors with G-proteins and G-proteins with effector systems is found during triple complex formations: receptor--G-protein--effector. Such specificity is stronger in living cells than in membrane preparations. It can be an evidence of intracellular factors influence on the processes of interaction of the proteins involved in transmembrane regulatory signal transduction.     

Three separable domains regulate GTP-dependent association of H-ras with the plasma membrane

The microlocalization of Ras proteins to different microdomains of the plasma membrane is critical for signaling specificity. Here we examine the complex membrane interactions of H-ras with a combination of FRAP on live cells to measure membrane affinity and electron microscopy of intact plasma membrane sheets to spatially map microdomains. We show that three separable forces operate on H-ras at the plasma membrane. The lipid anchor, comprising a processed CAAX motif and two palmitic acid residues, generates one attractive force that provides a high-affinity interaction with lipid rafts. The adjacent hypervariable linker domain provides a second attractive force but for nonraft plasma membrane microdomains. Operating against the attractive interaction of the lipid anchor for lipid rafts is a repulsive force generated by the N-terminal catalytic domain that increases when H-ras is GTP loaded. These observations lead directly to a novel mechanism that explains how H-ras lateral segregation is regulated by activation state: GTP loading decreases H-ras affinity for lipid rafts and allows the hypervariable linker domain to target to nonraft microdomains, the primary site of H-ras signaling.     

Synergistic interactions between aqueous and membrane domains of a designed protein determine its fold and stability

Membrane-spanning proteins contain both aqueous and membrane-spanning regions, both of which contribute to folding and stability. To explore the interplay between these two domains we have designed and studied the assembly of coiled-coil peptides that span from the membrane into the aqueous phase. The membrane-spanning segment is based on MS1, a transmembrane coiled coil that contains a single Asn at a buried a position of a central heptad in its sequence. This Asn has been shown to drive assembly of the monomeric peptide in a membrane environment to a mixture of dimers and trimers. The coiled coil has now been extended into the aqueous phase by addition of water-soluble helical extensions. Although too short to fold in isolation, these helical extensions were expected to interact synergistically with the transmembrane domain and modulate its stability as well as its conformational specificity for forming dimers versus trimers. One design contains Asn at a position of the aqueous helical extension, which was expected to specify a dimeric state; a second peptide, which contains Val at this position, was expected to form trimers. The thermodynamics of assembly of the hybrid peptides were studied in micelles by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation. The aqueous helical extensions indeed conferred additional stability and conformational specificity to MS1 in the expected manner. These studies highlight the delicate interplay between membrane-spanning and water-soluble regions of proteins, and demonstrate how these different environments define the thermodynamics of a given specific interaction. In this case, an Asn in the transmembrane domain provided a strong driving force for folding but failed to specify a unique oligomerization state, while an Asn in the water-soluble domain was able to define specificity for a specific aggregation state as well as modulate stability.     

Identification and characterisation of regions in the cellular protein LaXp180 and the<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Listeria monocytogenes</Emphasis> surface protein ActA necessary for the interaction of the two proteins

The Listeria monocytogenes surface protein ActA is an important virulence factor that plays an essential role in intracellular movement of Listeria cells by inducing actin polymerisation. The ActA protein is known to interact with several mammalian proteins including the phosphoprotein VASP, actin and the Arp2/3 complex. In a search for additional ActA-binding proteins we recently employed the yeast two-hybrid system to search for proteins that interact with ActA, and identified, among others, the mammalian protein LaXp180 as a binding partner. In the present study the interaction of the two proteins was investigated in more detail. A number of variants were tested in the yeast two-hybrid system for their ability to interact. On the basis of these assays, the 14 C-terminal amino acids of LaXp180 were identified as being necessary for the interaction with ActA. The proline-rich repeat (PRR) region of ActA was found to be necessary for the interaction with LaXp180, but upstream or downstream sequences are also required to enhance the specificity of the interaction. The second and third repeats in ActA are especially important, and the minimal sequence of ActA capable of interacting with LaXp180 was a proline- and glutamate-rich stretch of PRR3 fused to part of the N-terminal sequence of ActA. Further analysis using site-specific mutations located in either the C-terminal region of LaXp180 or the proline-rich motif of PRR3 of ActA showed that three positively charged amino acids in LaXp180 and two negatively charged amino acids in ActA are critical for the interaction of the two proteins.     

A study of the intermolecular association in living systems. IV. Studies on a model molecular fragment (pentane)

The low-lying energy states for the association of two molecules of n-pentane are determined by keeping one molecule fixed and rotating the second molecule simultaneously about its own x-, y-, and z- axes and also around the first molecule, all rotations being carried out from 0° to 360° in steps of 20° The interaction energy is calculated at each step, the form of the interaction energy used is the one given by Claverie &; Rein (1969). Results show that only a very limited number of orientations lead to energy states that are within 5 kcal mol^?1 of the minimum energy state.     

"Difficult to treat infections" pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors--a review

"Difficult to cure infections" are characterized by poor penetration of antibiotics into infected vegetations, altered metabolic state of bacteria within the vegetation, absence of adequate host defense/cellular response. These infections typically include endocarditis, urinary tract infections (infected urinary tract stones), abscesses, infected fibrin clots (septic thromboemboli, haematomas, catheter-related infections) and foreign body infections. Four main aspects are discussed for the influence on human therapy: 1. the kinetics of antibiotic diffusion into vegetations 2. the specificity of some pharmacodynamic aspects and pharmacokinetic regimes 3. fibrin as one of the main constituents associated with infectious processes and 4. synergistical activities of antibiotic combinations on bacterial vegetations.     

Biochemical characterisation of the enzyme responsible for "activated L-serine sulphydrase" activity in nematodes.

The biochemical properties of the enzyme responsible for nematode "activated L-serine sulphydrase" activity (L-cysteine + R-SH----cysteine thioether + H2S) have been investigated using primarily the gastro-intestinal nematodes Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Haemonchus contortus. The activated L-serine sulphydrase enzyme was found to be cytosolic in origin and exhibited maximal activity at pH 9.0. Enzyme activity was widely distributed amongst the major tissues of adult female Ascaris suum but was particularly abundant in longitudinal muscle. The enzyme appeared to have a rigid specificity for L-cysteine as the primary thiol substrate, but was capable of utilising a number of sulphur amino acids (and derivatives) and nonphysiological thiols as second substrates. The best second thiol substrates were nonphysiological, hydroxyl-containing thiols that showed some structural similarity to the standard second substrate, 2-mercaptoethanol. Kinetic analyses revealed that the enzyme operates by a sequential catalytic mechanism, and the absolute Michaelis constants were: KL-cysteine = 0.21 +/- 0.02 mM and K2-mercaptoethanol = 5.58 +/- 0.59 mM. The enzyme was relatively insensitive to inhibition by a variety of substrate analogues and known inhibitors of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent enzymes, whilst plant phenols caused significant levels of inhibition. The most potent inhibitors discovered were the anthelmintics bithionol, dichlorophene and hexachlorophene. Further characterisation revealed that hexachlorophene was a parabolic competitive inhibitor of the activated L-serine sulphydrase enzyme.     

The major antigenic membrane protein of "Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris" selectively interacts with ATP synthase and actin of leafhopper vectors

Phytoplasmas, uncultivable phloem-limited phytopathogenic wall-less bacteria, represent a major threat to agriculture worldwide. They are transmitted in a persistent, propagative manner by phloem-sucking Hemipteran insects. Phytoplasma membrane proteins are in direct contact with hosts and are presumably involved in determining vector specificity. Such a role has been proposed for phytoplasma transmembrane proteins encoded by circular extrachromosomal elements, at least one of which is a plasmid. Little is known about the interactions between major phytoplasma antigenic membrane protein (Amp) and insect vector proteins. The aims of our work were to identify vector proteins interacting with Amp and to investigate their role in transmission specificity. In controlled transmission experiments, four Hemipteran species were identified as vectors of "Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris", the chrysanthemum yellows phytoplasmas (CYP) strain, and three others as non-vectors. Interactions between a labelled (recombinant) CYP Amp and insect proteins were analysed by far Western blots and affinity chromatography. Amp interacted specifically with a few proteins from vector species only. Among Amp-binding vector proteins, actin and both the α and β subunits of ATP synthase were identified by mass spectrometry and Western blots. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and Western blots of plasma membrane and mitochondrial fractions confirmed the localisation of ATP synthase, generally known as a mitochondrial protein, in plasma membranes of midgut and salivary gland cells in the vector Euscelidius variegatus. The vector-specific interaction between phytoplasma Amp and insect ATP synthase is demonstrated for the first time, and this work also supports the hypothesis that host actin is involved in the internalization and intracellular motility of phytoplasmas within their vectors. Phytoplasma Amp is hypothesized to play a crucial role in insect transmission specificity.     

Species and incompatibility determination within the P1par family of plasmid partition elements

The P1par family of active plasmid partition systems consists of at least six members, broadly distributed in a variety of plasmid types and bacterial genera. Each encodes two Par proteins and contains a cis-acting parS site. Individual par systems can show distinct species specificities; the proteins from one type cannot function with the parS site of another. P1par-versus-P7par specificity resides within two hexamer BoxB repeats encoded by parS that contact the ParB protein near the carboxy terminus. Here, we examine the species specificity differences between Yersinia pestis pMT1parS and Escherichia coli P1 and P7parS. pMT1parS site specificity could be altered to that of either P1 or P7 by point mutation changes in the BoxB repeats. Just one base change in a single BoxB repeat sometimes sufficed. The BoxB sequence appears to be able to adopt a number of forms that define exclusive interactions with different ParB species. The looped parS structure may facilitate this repertoire of interaction specificities. Different P1par family members have different partition-mediated incompatibility specificities. This property defines whether two related plasmids can coexist in the same cell and is important in promoting the evolution of new plasmid species. BoxB sequence changes that switch species specificity between P1, P7, and pMT1 species switched partition-mediated plasmid incompatibility in concert. Thus, there is a direct mechanistic link between species specificity and partition-mediated incompatibility, and the BoxB-ParB interaction can be regarded as a special mechanism for facilitating plasmid evolution.     

BstYI bound to noncognate DNA reveals a "hemispecific" complex: implications for DNA scanning

DNA recognition by proteins is essential for specific expression of genes in a living organism. En route to a target DNA site, a protein will often sample noncognate DNA sites through nonspecific protein-DNA interactions, resulting in a variety of conformationally different binding states. We present here the crystal structure of endonuclease BstYI bound to a noncognate DNA. Surprisingly, the structure reveals the enzyme in a "hemispecific" binding state on the pathway between nonspecific and specific recognition. A single base pair change in the DNA abolishes binding of only one monomer, with the second monomer bound specifically. We show that the enzyme binds essentially as a rigid body, and that one end of the DNA is accommodated loosely in the binding cleft while the other end is held tightly. Another intriguing feature of the structure is Ser172, which has a dual role in establishing nonspecific and specific contacts. Taken together, the structure provides a snapshot of an enzyme in a "paused" intermediate state that may be part of a more general mechanism of scanning DNA.     

Structural relationship between "glutamic acid" and "lysine" forms of human plasminogen and their interaction with the NH2-terminal activation peptide as studied by affinity chromatography.

Urokinase digestion of maleinated plasminogen results in cleavage of the single peptide bond Arg-68-Met-69, which is one of the bonds normally cleaved during the first step of the activation procedure. The inactive intermediate compound formed in this way was subjected to NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis, which clearly demonstrates the structural relationship between the forms of plasminogen with different NH2-terminal amino acids. It is thus shown that lysine-78 and valine-79 in the "glutamic acid" plasminogen actually are the NH2-terminal amino acids in "lysine" and "valine" plasminogen respectively. The forms with glutamic acid in NH2-terminal position are called plasminogen A, while all other forms lacking the NH2-terminal part of the molecule and which can be activated in a single step are called plasminogen B. By affinity chromatographic studies of the NH2-terminal activation peptide on insolubilized plasminogen B, it was demonstrated that this peptide has specific affinity for plasminogen B. It was also shown that this noncovalent interaction is broken by 6-aminohexanoic acid in two concentration. The tryptic heptapeptide (Ala-Phe-Gln-Tyr-His-Ser-Lys) which occupies the positions number 45 to 51 in the NH2-terminal activation peptide (as well as in the intact plasminogen molecule) is importance for the conformational state of the plasminogen molecule.     

The "study" role of past National Institutes of Health study sections

The original National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections had two missions. The review of grant applications was the enduring one that we all recognize. The second original function, less remembered today, was to stand ready to advise the NIH, and in fact the entire community in a given biomedical field, on the current state of that discipline, as well as to opine on what new vistas were arising and to suggest (or occasionally even launch) appropriate courses of action. The present contribution is intended to remind us of this lesser-known original function of NIH study sections. We might ponder whether today's study sections, although more overworked than Sisyphus, should again take up this second function.     

Dissecting FMR1, the protein responsible for fragile X syndrome, in its structural and functional domains.

FMR1 is an RNA-binding protein that is either absent or mutated in patients affected by the fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental retardation in humans. Sequence analysis of the FMR1 protein has suggested that RNA binding is related to the presence of two K-homologous (KH) modules and an RGG box. However, no attempt has been so far made to map the RNA-binding sites along the protein sequence and to identify possible differential RNA-sequence specificity. In the present article, we describe work done to dissect FMR1 into regions with structurally and functionally distinct properties. A semirational approach was followed to identify four regions: an N-terminal stretch of 200 amino acids, the two KH regions, and a C-terminal stretch. Each region was produced as a recombinant protein, purified, and probed for its state of folding by spectroscopical techniques. Circular dichroism and NMR spectra of the N-terminus show formation of secondary structure with a strong tendency to aggregate. Of the two homologous KH motifs, only the first one is folded whereas the second remains unfolded even when it is extended both N- and C-terminally. The C-terminus is, as expected from its amino acid composition, nonglobular. Binding assays were then performed using the 4-nt homopolymers. Our results show that only the first KH domain but not the second binds to RNA, and provide the first direct evidence for RNA binding of both the N-terminal and the C-terminal regions. RNA binding for the N-terminus could not be predicted from sequence analysis because no known RNA-binding motif is identifiable in this region. Different sequence specificity was observed for the fragments: both the N-terminus of the protein and KH1 bind preferentially to poly-(rG). The C-terminal region, which contains the RGG box, is nonspecific, as it recognizes the bases with comparable affinity. We therefore conclude that FMR1 is a protein with multiple sites of interaction with RNA: sequence specificity is most likely achieved by the whole block that comprises the first approximately 400 residues, whereas the C-terminus provides a nonspecific binding surface.     

Interaction between RNA1 and the primer precursor in the regulation of Co1E1 replication

The analysis of a large number of independent mutants in the target of one of the inhibitors of pMB1 replication suggests that RNA1 regulates primer formation by base-pairing with the complementary sequence in the primer precursor. We conclude that the number of bases that are involved in the hydrogen bonding responsible for the specificity of the mechanism that controls plasmid replication and incompatibility properties is not much larger than seven. Five of these bases are located in the central loop and two in loop I of the RNA primer cloverleaf structure. Twenty-two single, double or triple mutants, with different nucleotide sequences in these seven bases, maintain an active mechanism of control, though with altered specificity. The efficiency of the inhibition mechanism correlates with the delta G value of the hydrogen bonds between the nucleotides of the two heptamers postulated to be involved in the interaction. The implications of these findings are discussed, and a molecular model of the interaction between RNA1 and the primer precursor is presented.     

Identification of tyrosine phosphatases that dephosphorylate the insulin receptor. A brute force approach based on "substrate-trapping" mutants

Many pharmacologically important receptors, including all cytokine receptors, signal via tyrosine (auto)phosphorylation, followed by resetting to their original state through the action of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Establishing the specificity of PTPs for receptor substrates is critical both for understanding how signaling is regulated and for the development of specific PTP inhibitors that act as ligand mimetics. We have set up a systematic approach for finding PTPs that are specific for a receptor and have validated this approach with the insulin receptor kinase. We have tested nearly all known human PTPs (45) in a membrane binding assay, using "substrate-trapping" PTP mutants. These results, combined with secondary dephosphorylation tests, confirm and extend earlier findings that PTP-1b and T-cell PTP are physiological enzymes for the insulin receptor kinase. We demonstrate that this approach can rapidly reduce the number of PTPs that have a particular receptor or other phosphoprotein as their substrate.     

Interaction of reduced lysozyme with surfactants: Disulfide effects on reformed structure in micelles

The reformation of secondary structure for unfolded, disulfide reduced hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) upon interaction with surfactants was studied using CD, fluorescence and IR (infrared) techniques. Equilibrium CD studies showed that reduced HEWL when mixed with negatively charged surfactants, such as SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate), gradually regains average helical structure to a level equivalent to that obtained for the oxidized form also in SDS, but both forms lose tertiary structure in such environments. This non-native structure recovery process begins with monomer surfactant interaction but at higher concentrations is in part dependent on micelle formation, with the helical fraction reaching its maximum value with each surfactant only above the CMC. Fluorescence changes were more complex, evidencing an intermediate state at lower surfactant concentration. With positively charged surfactants the degree of helicity recovered was less, and the intermediate state in fluorescence was not seen. Stopped flow dynamics studies showed the CD kinetics fit to two exponentials as did the fluorescence. The faster steps in CD and fluorescence detected kinetics appear to be correlated which suggests formation of an intermediate on rapid interaction of the micelle and protein. The second step then reflected attainment of a stable surfactant solvated state which attains maximum helicity and moves the Trps to a more hydrophobic environment, which may occur in independent steps, as the slower kinetics are not well correlated.     

Energetic mapping of transition state analogue interactions with human and Plasmodium falciparum purine nucleoside phosphorylases

Human purine nucleoside phosphorylase (huPNP) is essential for human T-cell division by removing deoxyguanosine and preventing dGTP imbalance. Plasmodium falciparum expresses a distinct PNP (PfPNP) with a unique substrate specificity that includes 5'-methylthioinosine. The PfPNP functions both in purine salvage and in recycling purine groups from the polyamine synthetic pathway. Immucillin-H is an inhibitor of both huPNP and PfPNPs. It kills activated human T-cells and induces purine-less death in P. falciparum. Immucillin-H is a transition state analogue designed to mimic the early transition state of bovine PNP. The DADMe-Immucillins are second generation transition state analogues designed to match the fully dissociated transition states of huPNP and PfPNP. Immucillins, DADMe-Immucillins and related analogues are compared for their energetic interactions with human and P. falciparum PNPs. Immucillin-H and DADMe-Immucillin-H are 860 and 500 pM inhibitors against P. falciparum PNP but bind human PNP 15-35 times more tightly. This common pattern is a result of kcat for huPNP being 18-fold greater than kcat for PfPNP. This energetic binding difference between huPNP and PfPNP supports the k(chem)/kcat binding argument for transition state analogues. Preferential PfPNP inhibition is gained in the Immucillins by 5'-methylthio substitution which exploits the unique substrate specificity of PfPNP. Human PNP achieves part of its catalytic potential from 5'-OH neighboring group participation. When PfPNP acts on 5'-methylthioinosine, this interaction is not possible. Compensation for the 5'-OH effect in the P. falciparum enzyme is provided by improved leaving group interactions with Asp206 as a general acid compared with Asn at this position in huPNP. Specific atomic modifications in the transition state analogues cause disproportionate binding differences between huPNP and PfPNPs and pinpoint energetic binding differences despite similar transition states.     

Characterization of the physical interaction between antigen-specific B and T cells

It has been assumed that physical interaction between B cells and helper T cells in the presence of specific antigen is an early and essential step in the physiologic antibody response to thymus-dependent antigens. The present studies were designed to examine this physical interaction by employing carrier-specific T hybridoma cells that can provide help to highly enriched hapten-binding B cells. Direct conjugation of the B and T cells can be visualized at both the light and electron microscopic level and the number of conjugates can be directly quantified. Before their effective conjugation with T cells, the B cells must be incubated with specific antigen for 4 to 6 hr. After this time, the T cells form conjugates with the B cells within 5 min. Conjugate formation requires hapten specificity, carrier specificity, covalent linkage between hapten and carrier, and is MHC restricted. Two types of T-B conjugates were observed by electron microscopy: an antigen-independent attachment of B cell microvilli to small portions of the T cell surface and an antigen-dependent, intimate apposition of large areas of the plasma membranes of the T and B cells. The kinetics of development of the two modes of interaction suggest that the second type may be important for signal transduction, since the number of T and B cells showing intimate interactions increases with time. Monoclonal antibodies directed against Thy-1.2, LFA-1 alpha, L3T4, and I-A partially block conjugation of the two cell types, suggesting that these surface molecules are involved in T-B interaction.