Role of extracellular disulfide-bonded cysteines in the ligand binding function of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor

Evidence is presented for a role of disulfide bridging in forming the ligand binding site of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor (beta AR). The presence of disulfide bonds at the ligand binding site is indicated by "competitive" inhibition by dithiothreitol (DTT) in radioligand binding assays, by specific protection by beta-adrenergic ligands of these effects, and by the requirement of disulfide reduction for limit proteolysis of affinity ligand labeled receptor. The kinetics of binding inhibition by DTT suggest at least two pairs of disulfide-bonded cysteines essential for normal binding. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we indeed were able to identify four cysteines which are critical for normal ligand binding affinities and for the proper expression of functional beta AR at the cell surface. Unexpectedly, the four cysteines required for normal ligand binding are not those located within the hydrophobic transmembrane domains of the receptor (where ligand binding is presumed to occur) but lie in the extracellular hydrophilic loops connecting these transmembrane segments. These findings indicate that, in addition to the well-documented involvement of the membrane-spanning domains of the receptor in ligand binding, there is an important and previously unsuspected role of the hydrophilic extracellular domains in forming the ligand binding site.     

Assessment of the number of free cysteines and isolation and identification of cystine-containing peptides from acetylcholine receptor

The number of free cysteines in each polypeptide of acetylcholine receptor from the electric organ of Torpedo californica has been assessed by alkylating the native protein with N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide during homogenization of the tissue and alkylating the polypeptides with N-ethylmaleimide as they were unfolded in solutions of dodecyl sulfate. The cysteines unavailable for alkylation could be accounted for as specific cystines, connecting positions in the amino acid sequences of the individual polypeptides. Unreduced, alkylated polypeptides of acetylcholine receptor were digested with thermolysin or trypsin. Cystine-containing peptides in the chromatograms of the digests were identified electrochemically by the use of a dual gold/mercury electrode. Three thermolytic peptides and three tryptic peptides have been isolated from these digests and shown to contain intact cystines that were originally present in the native protein. The majority of these peptides contained an intact, intramolecular cystine connecting two cysteines in locations homologous to cysteines 128 and 142 from the alpha polypeptide. Each of these cystines from each of the polypeptides of acetylcholine receptor was isolated in at least one peptide, respectively. Each of these cystine-containing peptides also contained glucosamine. It can be concluded that each asparagine in the sequence Asn-Cys-Thr/Ser, which occurs in the respective, homologous location in every polypeptide, is glycosylated even though a cystine sits between the asparagine and the threonine or serine. In addition, the existence of the cystine connecting the adjacent cysteines, alpha 192 and alpha 193, in the alpha subunit of acetylcholine receptor [Kao, P. N., & Karlin, A. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 8085-8088] has been confirmed.     

Role of leptin in reproduction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article focuses on recently gained knowledge concerning the different emerging aspects of the role of leptin in reproduction, through both its central hypothalamus-mediated and peripheral actions. RECENT FINDINGS: As delineated in murine models, STAT3-independent signals triggered by the leptin receptor are clearly important in fertility, and candidate pathways such as those via phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and extracellular signal-related kinase are implicated in leptin-regulated cascades. Another aspect whose importance has recently been revealed is that of the bioavailability of leptin in general, and the fate and action of carrier-bound versus free leptin at central and peripheral sites in particular. SUMMARY: Besides the well-established role of leptin in the control of appetite and energy expenditure in humans and animals, evidence for a major involvement of the hormone in the function of the reproductive system is rapidly accumulating through physiological and molecular genetic approaches. Powerful animal models that facilitate the dissection of increasingly complex pathways, together with detailed studies in man, will soon delineate in detail the diverse roles of leptin in biological regulation. The development of therapeutic agents primarily directed against obesity must therefore take into consideration the consequences of treatment not only on the amelioration of leptin resistance, but also on the bioactivity of leptin in the context of growth, glucose homeostasis, and last but not least, fertility.     

Role of astrocytic leptin receptor subtypes on leptin permeation across hCMEC/D3 human brain endothelial cells

Astrocytic leptin receptors (ObR) can be up-regulated in conditions such as adult-onset obesity. To determine whether the levels and subtypes of astrocytic ObR modulate leptin transport, we co-cultured hCMEC/D3 human brain endothelial cells and C6 astrocytoma cells in the Transwell system, and tested leptin permeation from apical to basolateral chambers. In comparison with hCMEC alone, co-culture of C6 cells reduced the permeability of paracellular markers and leptin. Unexpectedly, ObRb over-expression in C6 cells increased leptin permeation whereas ObRa over-expression showed no effect when compared with the control group of pcDNA-transfected C6 cells. By contrast, the paracellular permeability to the sodium fluorescein control was unchanged by over-expression of ObR subtypes. Leptin remained intact after crossing the monolayer as shown by HPLC and acid precipitation, and this was not affected by C6 cell co-culture or the over-expression of different ObR subtypes. Thus, increased expression of ObRb (and to a lesser extent ObRe) in C6 cells specifically increased the permeation of leptin across the hCMEC monolayer. Consistent with the evidence that the most apparent regulatory changes of ObR during obesity and inflammation occur in astrocytes, the results indicate that astrocytes actively regulate leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier, a mechanism independent of reduction of paracellular permeability.     

Mapping of binding site III in the leptin receptor and modeling of a hexameric leptin.leptin receptor complex

The leptin.leptin receptor (LR) system shows strong similarities to the long chain cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) cytokine.cytokine receptor systems. The IL-6 family cytokines interact with their receptors through three different binding sites (I-III). We demonstrated previously that leptin has similar binding sites I-III and mapped the interactions between binding site II and cytokine receptor homology domain II (CRH2) (Peelman, F., Van Beneden, K., Zabeau, L., Iserentant, H., Ulrichts, P., Defeau, D., Verhee, A., Catteeuw, D., Elewaut, D., and Tavernier, J. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 41038-41046). In this study, we built homology models for the CRH1 and Ig-like domains of the LR. The Ig-like domain shows a large conserved surface patch in the beta-sheet formed by beta-strands 3, 6, and 7. Mutations in this patch almost completely abolished the leptin-induced STAT3-dependent reporter activity. We propose that a conserved cluster of residues Leu370, Ala407, Tyr409, His417, and His418 forms the center of binding site III of the LR. We built a hexameric leptin.LR complex model based on the hexameric IL-6 complex. In this model, a conserved hydrophobic protuberance of Val36, Thr37, Phe41, and Phe43 in the A-B loop of leptin fits perfectly in the CRH2 domain, corresponding to the IL-6 alpha-receptor, and forms the center of binding site I. The 2:4 hexameric leptin.LR complex offers a rational explanation for mutagenesis studies and residue conservation.     

Role of simian virus 40 Vp1 cysteines in virion infectivity

We have developed a new nonoverlapping infectious viral genome (NO-SV40) in order to facilitate structure-based analysis of the simian virus 40 (SV40) life cycle. We first tested the role of cysteine residues in the formation of infectious virions by individually mutating the seven cysteines in the major capsid protein, Vp1. All seven cysteine mutants-C9A, C49A, C87A, C104A, C207S, C254A, and C267L-retained viability. In the crystal structure of SV40, disulfide bridges are formed between certain Cys104 residues on neighboring pentamers. However, our results show that none of these disulfide bonds are required for virion infectivity in culture. We also introduced five different mutations into Cys254, the most strictly conserved cysteine across the polyomavirus family. We found that C254L, C254S, C254G, C254Q, and C254R mutants all showed greatly reduced (around 100,000-fold) plaque-forming ability. These mutants had no apparent defect in viral DNA replication. Mutant Vp1's, as well as wild-type Vp2/3, were mostly localized in the nucleus. Further analysis of the C254L mutant revealed that the mutant Vp1 was able to form pentamers in vitro. DNase I-resistant virion-like particles were present in NO-SV40-C254L-transfected cell lysate, but at about 1/18 the amount in wild-type-transfected lysate. An examination of the three-dimensional structure reveals that Cys254 is buried near the surface of Vp1, so that it cannot form disulfide bonds, and is not involved in intrapentamer interactions, consistent with the normal pentamer formation by the C254L mutant. It is, however, located at a critical junction between three pentamers, on a conserved loop (G2H) that packs against the dual interpentamer Ca(2+)-binding sites and the invading C-terminal helix of an adjacent pentamer. The substitution by the larger side chains is predicted to cause a localized shift in the G2H loop, which may disrupt Ca(2+) ion coordination and the packing of the invading helix, consistent with the defect in virion assembly. Our experimental system thus allows dissection of structure-function relationships during the distinct steps of the SV40 life cycle.     

Contribution of leptin receptor N-linked glycans to leptin binding

The extracellular domain of the human leptin receptor (Ob-R) contains 20 potential N-glycosylation sites whose role in leptin binding remains to be elucidated. We found that a mammalian cell-expressed sOb-R (soluble Ob-R) fragment (residues 22-839 of the extracellular domain) bound leptin with a dissociation constant of 1.8 nM. This binding was inhibited by Con A (concanavalin A) or wheatgerm agglutinin. Treatment of sOb-R with peptide N-glycosidase F reduced leptin binding by approximately 80% concurrently with N-linked glycan removal. The human megakaryoblastic cell line, MEG-01, expresses two forms of the Ob-R, of approx. 170 and 130 kDa molecular mass. Endo H (endoglycosidase H) treatment and cell culture with alpha-glucosidase inhibitors demonstrated that N-linked glycans are of the complex mature type in the 170 kDa form and of the high-mannose type in the 130 kDa form. Both isoforms bound leptin, but not after peptide N-glycosidase F treatment. An insect-cell-expressed sOb-R fragment, consisting of the Ig (immunoglobulin), CRH2 (second cytokine receptor homology) and FNIII (fibronectin type III) domains, bound leptin with affinity similar to that of the entire extracellular domain, but this function was abolished after N-linked glycan removal. The same treatment had no effect on the leptin-binding activity of the isolated CRH2 domain. Our findings show that N-linked glycans within Ig and/or FNIII domains regulate Ob-R function, but are not involved in essential interactions with the ligand.     

Role of conserved cysteines in mediating sulfur transfer from IscS to IscU

The role of the three conserved cysteine residues on Azotobacter vinelandii IscU in accepting sulfane sulfur and forming a covalent complex with IscS has been evaluated using electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry studies of variants involving individual cysteine-to-alanine substitutions. The results reveal that IscS can transfer sulfur to each of the three alanine-substituted forms of IscU to yield persulfide or polysulfide species, and formation of a heterodisulfide covalent complex between IscS and Cys(37) on IscU. It is concluded that S transfer from IscS to IscU does not involve a specific cysteine on IscU or the formation of an IscS-IscU heterodisulfide complex.     

Regulation of free and bound leptin and soluble leptin receptors during inflammation in mice

Leptin, an appetite-regulating hormone/cytokine, circulates both free and bound to soluble leptin receptors (s-leptin R). An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay for the quantitative measurement of murine s-leptin R was developed. The absence of s-leptin R immunoreactivity in the serum of db(pas)/db(pas)mice demonstrated the specificity of the assay, which detected s-leptin R both in the free form and complexed with leptin. The distribution of free vs bound leptin and the regulation of s-leptin R were evaluated in mice following administration of the pro-inflammatory stimuli endotoxin (100 microg/mouse) and turpentine (100 microl/mouse). Both endotoxin and turpentine significantly increased serum leptin and s-leptin R levels compared to control mice. The distribution of free vs bound leptin was not altered by administration of endotoxin or turpentine. In fact, approximately 50% of total leptin was present in the free form in either control, endotoxin- or turpentine-injected mice. On the contrary, during the hyperleptinemia of pregnancy, only 10% of total leptin was present in the free form. We conclude that inflammation leads to the increase of both bound and free leptin. Therefore, the total amount of bioactive leptin is increased during acute inflammation, suggesting that leptin participates in the host response to inflammation.     

瘦素受体的研究进展

瘦素的体重调节作用是通过瘦素受体介导的。随着分子生物学技术的发展,已以受体的基因表达、结构、功能等方面取得了一些进展。肥胖患者常合并高胰岛素血症、胰岛素抵抗和瘦素抵抗,说明瘦素受体与肥胖及其相关疾病有着不可分割的联系。     

Heritability of free and receptor-bound leptin in normal twins

Free and receptor-bound leptin may be regulated by different mechanisms. Genes that influence the concentration of these fractions may have an important functional bearing. We determined circulating leptin receptor concentrations, bound as well as free leptin concentrations, and body composition in 24 monozygotic (MZ) and in 22 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. Bound leptin and leptin receptor concentrations were inversely correlated with body fat content. Free leptin concentrations were directly correlated with body fat content. The correlations in age- and sex-adjusted free leptin, bound leptin, and leptin receptor concentrations were higher between MZ twins than between DZ twins. Adjusted heritability (h2) estimates were 0.28 for free leptin, 0.73 for bound leptin, and 0.55 for leptin receptor. The genetic correlation with body fat was -0.58 for the leptin receptor, -0.20 for bound leptin, and 0.93 for free leptin. Our data are consistent with a strong genetic influence on leptin receptor and bound leptin and a weaker genetic influence on free leptin concentrations. The same genes that lower bound leptin and leptin receptor concentrations may increase fat mass or vice versa.     

Role of lysine 173 in heparin binding to heparin cofactor II

Heparin cofactor II (HC) is a plasma serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) that inhibits alpha-thrombin in a reaction that is dramatically enhanced by heparin and other glycosaminoglycans/polyanions. We investigated the glycosaminoglycan binding site in HC by: (i) chemical modification with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) in the absence and presence of heparin and dermatan sulfate; (ii) molecular modeling; and (iii) site-directed oligonucleotide mutagenesis. Four lysyl residues (173, 252, 343, and 348) were protected from modification by heparin and to a lesser extent by dermatan sulfate. Heparin-protected PLPHC retained both heparin cofactor and dermatan sulfate cofactor activity while dermatan sulfate-protected PLPHC retained some dermatan sulfate cofactor activity and little heparin cofactor activity. Molecular modeling studies revealed that Lys173 and Lys252 are within a region previously shown to contain residues involved in glycosaminoglycan binding. Lys343 and Lys348 are distant from this region, but protection by heparin and dermatan sulfate might result from a conformational change following glycosaminoglycan binding to the inhibitor. Site-directed mutagenesis of Lys173 and Lys343 was performed to further dissect the role of these two regions during HC-heparin and HC-dermatan sulfate interactions. The Lys343----Asn or Thr mutants had normal or only slightly reduced heparin or dermatan sulfate cofactor activity and eluted from heparin-Sepharose at the same ionic strength as native recombinant HC. However, the Lys173----Gln or Leu mutants had greatly reduced heparin cofactor activity and eluted from heparin-Sepharose at a significantly lower ionic strength than native recombinant HC but retained normal dermatan sulfate cofactor activity. Our results demonstrate that Lys173 is involved in the interaction of HC with heparin but not with dermatan sulfate, whereas Lys343 is not critical for HC binding to either glycosaminoglycan. These data provide further evidence for the determinants required for glycosaminoglycan binding to HC.     

Soluble receptor inhibits leptin transport

Evidence both from mice and cultured cells suggests an important role of soluble leptin receptors in obesity and leptin signaling. However, the direct effects of soluble receptors on leptin uptake by cells are not clear. This study shows that soluble leptin receptors antagonize the permeation of leptin across the mouse blood-brain barrier by reducing the binding and endocytosis of leptin. This is illustrated by analysis of radioactively labeled and fluorescent-tagged leptin in normal mice and in cultured cells overexpressing various forms of leptin receptors. Three constructs of soluble leptin receptors were generated in this study: ObRe (805 aa), ObR839, and ObR852. (125)I-leptin was injected intravenously and its influx rate from blood to brain determined by multiple-time regression analysis. Pre-incubation with ObR839 caused a significant reduction of leptin influx across the blood-brain barrier. Endocytosis assays and fluorescent image analysis further showed that ObRe, ObR839, and ObR852 failed to mediate leptin internalization and trafficking within the cells. Instead, these soluble receptors inhibited surface binding and endocytosis of leptin. Thus, we provide novel direct evidence both in vivo and in vitro that soluble receptors of leptin serve as antagonists of the transport of leptin.     

间歇性低氧对肥胖小鼠瘦素及其受体表达的影响

为探讨适度低氧环境对体重的影响及其作用机制,明确瘦素在其中的作用,用高脂饮食建立小鼠肥胖模型并观察间歇性低氧的干预效果。健康昆明小鼠随机分为4组（每组20只）,正常对照组：喂正常食物,不进行间歇性低氧训练;低氧组：喂正常食物,并进行间歇性低氧训练;肥胖组：喂高脂、高糖食物,但不进行间歇性低氧训练;低氧＋肥胖组,喂高脂、高糖食物,并进行间歇性低氧训练。40d后,测量小鼠体重,用酶联免疫吸附法测定血清瘦素水平,免疫组织化学检测肝脏瘦素受体表达,苏丹Ⅲ染色检测肝脏脂肪细胞分布和密度。结果显示,与正常对照组相比,肥胖组小鼠平均体重和平均血清瘦素水平显著升高,肝脏分布大量脂肪细胞,提示高脂模型建立成功;经过间歇性低氧训练后,低氧组和低氧＋肥胖组小鼠的平均体重及肝脏脂肪细胞分布密度和范围分别较对照组和肥胖组低,而血清瘦素水平明显增高;低氧＋肥胖组小鼠肝脏瘦素受体的表达高于肥胖组。结果提示,适度的间歇性低氧可以通过提高血清瘦素水平和增强肝脏瘦素受体表达而使体重减轻,并有效防止肝细胞脂肪变。     

Soluble leptin receptor represents the main leptin binding activity in human blood

In human blood leptin circulates both free and bound to high molecular weight proteins. Hypothesising that these proteins may modulate ligand bioavailability and bioactivity of leptin, we investigated their molecular nature. Therefore, leptin binding activity was partially purified from human plasma using a leptin affinity column. Subjecting this preparation to size exclusion chromatography (SEC) we observed a coelution of leptin binding activity with levels of the soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R) determined by a newly developed ligand immunofunctional assay. In Western blot analysis the partially purified leptin binding activity exhibited sOB-R immunoreactivity in two bands of 110 and 140 kD. Following N-deglycosylation these bands were replaced by two bands with the molecular weight of 90 and 60 kD, suggesting two isoforms which are capable of leptin binding, as determined by cross-linking. Furthermore, different ratios of these isoforms were detectable in fractions of the leptin binding activity after separation by SEC. These findings indicate the formation of heterodimers and homodimers complexed with and without leptin. As the two sOB-R bands from Western blot analysis correspond to only two specific bands in cross-linking experiments with 125l-leptin, the role of both isoforms as leptin binding proteins appears to be exclusive. Therefore, our results indicate that sOB-R is the major leptin binding protein in the circulating human blood.     

Induction of leptin receptor expression in the liver by leptin and food deprivation

Leptin resistance is a common feature of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. However, the regulated expression of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) has not been studied in detail. Expression profiling of liver mRNA in leptin-treated wild-type mice revealed a marked increase in leptin receptor mRNA levels, which had not previously been described. This was confirmed by isoform-specific real-time PCR, which showed a >25-fold increase in the mRNAs encoding the short forms (Ob-Ra, Ob-Rc) and a >10-fold increase in the mRNA encoding the long (Ob-Rb) form of the leptin receptor in liver. In parallel, we also observed induction of plasma-soluble leptin receptor (SLR) protein by leptin administration, pair feeding, and short term food restriction. However, induction of SLR by leptin is abolished in mice with selective deletion of Ob-R from liver using Cre-LoxP technology. These data suggest that the liver is a major source of Ob-R mRNA expression under conditions of negative energy balance. Membrane-bound Ob-R is then shed into the circulation as SLR. Our study thus reveals an unexpected role of the liver in modulating total circulating leptin levels and possibly its biological activity.