Human lipoprotein lipase: the loop covering the catalytic site is essential for interaction with lipid substrates.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), a key enzyme which initiates the hydrolysis of triglycerides present in chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins, consists of multiple functional domains which are necessary for normal activity. The catalytic domain of LPL mediates the esterase function of the enzyme but separate lipid binding sites have been proposed to be involved in the interaction of LPL with emulsified lipid substrates at the water-lipid interface. Like pancreatic lipase (PL), LPL contains a surface loop covering the catalytic pocket that may modulate access of the substrate to the active site of the enzyme. Secondary structural analysis of this loop reveals a helix-turn-helix motif with two short amphipathic helices that have hydrophobic moments of 0.64 and 0.68. In order to investigate the role of the loop in the initial interaction of LPL with its substrate, we utilized site-directed mutagenesis to generate eight constructs in which the amphipathic properties of the loop were altered and expressed them in human embryonal kidney-293 cells. Reducing the amphiphilicity without changing the predicted secondary structure of the loop abolished the ability of the lipase to hydrolyze emulsified, long chain fatty acid triglycerides (triolein) but not the water soluble substrate tributyrin. Replacing the loop of LPL with the loop of hepatic lipase, which differs in 15 of 22 amino acids but is also amphiphilic, led to the expression of an enzyme that retained both triolein and tributyrin hydrolyzing activity. Substitution of the LPL loop by a short four amino acid peptide, which may allow more direct access to the active site than the 22 amino acid loop, enhanced hydrolysis of short chain fatty acid triglycerides by more than 2-fold, while the ability to hydrolyze emulsified substrates was abolished. Thus, disruption of the amphipathic structure of the LPL loop selectively decreases the hydrolysis of emulsified lipid substrate without affecting the esterase or catalytic function of the enzyme. These studies establish that the loop with its two amphipathic helices is essential for hydrolysis of long chain fatty acid substrate by LPL providing new insight into the role of the LPL loop in lipid-substrate interactions. We propose that the interaction between the lipoprotein substrates and the amphipathic helices within this loop may in part determine lipase substrate specificity.     

Effects of phospholipids on hydrolysis of trioleoylglycerol by human serum carboxylesterase

Human serum carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1), purified by affinity chromatography on trimethylammonium anilinium-Sepharose, hydrolyzed the short-chain fatty acid ester tributyrin (40 mumol/mg protein per h), but scarcely hydrolyzed the long-chain fatty acid ester triolein (less than 0.2 mumol/mg protein per h). Phospholipids enhanced triolein hydrolysis by carboxylesterase to various extents, cardiolipin causing the most enhancement (2.5 mumol/mg protein per h). Phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol also enhanced carboxylesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of triolein (450-980 nmol/mg protein per h). The optimal pH for tributyrin hydrolysis was pH 8.0, but the pH range for triolein hydrolysis was broad, being pH 4.5-7.5. The rates of hydrolyses of monoolein, diolein and triolein by carboxylesterase in the absence and presence of 100 micrograms/ml cardiolipin were 3.9, 0.5 and 0.2 mumol/mg esterase per h and 2.0, 0.6 and 4.0 mumol/mg protein per h, respectively. Thus, on addition of cardiolipin, triolein hydrolysis was enhanced, but tributyrin hydrolysis was reciprocally decreased. Triton X-100 (0.1%) and NaCl (1.0 M) decreased triolein hydrolysis, but did not decrease tributyrin hydrolysis. Mercaptoethanol decreased triolein hydrolysis, but not tributyrin hydrolysis. These results suggest that cardiolipin modifies the interaction of carboxylesterase with substrates in such a way as to facilitate its interaction with a hydrophobic substrate, and that disulfide bonding might be involved in the substrate recognition site.     

Regulation of cholesteryl oleate and triolein miscibility in monolayers and bilayers

The miscibility of triolein and cholesteryl oleate with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine was studied at the argon-buffer interface. The surface phase behavior of the system was analogous to that for cholesteryl ester-phospholipid mixtures in that both monolayer and double layer surface phases were formed. By considering the bulk properties of cholesteryl oleatetriolein mixtures and the two-dimensional phase rule, the entire system could be described. Double layer properties suggest that it consists of mostly triolein and phospholipid in the layer adjacent to the aqueous phase. The monolayer phase shows the formation of complexes between the neutral lipids and the phospholipid with stoichiometries nearly identical with those reported for bilayers (Hamilton, J. A., Miller, K. W., and Small, D. M. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 12821-12826). A second complex with a 3:1 stoichiometry is formed between triolein and cholesteryl oleate independently of interactions with phospholipid. Upon interaction with phospholipid, the triolein-cholesteryl oleate complex loses proportionately more area than either lipid alone. Because the area of complexes with phospholipid is constant, overall neutral lipid miscibility in such complexes is enhanced by the cholesteryl oleate-triolein interaction. Thus, our data explain the apparently nonideal mixing of cholesteryl oleate, triolein, and phospholipid in monolayers and in bilayers.     

Trypsin treatment may impair the interfacial activation action of lipoprotein lipase.

Lipoprotein lipase was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human lipoprotein lipase cDNA. The lipoprotein lipase retained tributyrin, water-soluble substrate, hydrolyzing activity (esterase activity). The catalytic action of this enzyme was studied by monitoring the esterase activity. The esterase activity was enhanced 4.5-fold by the addition of triolein emulsified with Triton X-100. This process was named interfacial activation. Treatment of LPL with trypsin (100 micrograms/ml, 37 degrees C for 10 min) caused the loss of the triolein hydrolyzing activity without that of the esterase activity. The esterase activity of trypsin-treated LPL was not enhanced by the addition of the triolein emulsion. The trypsin-treated LPL retained the ability to bind to very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). These results are consistent with the idea that LPL has a catalytic site and a lipid interface recognition site, and that the enzyme undergoes interfacial activation, in which the concealed catalytic site is revealed after the enzyme binds to the surface. Based on this hypothesis, the results obtained suggest that trypsin nicking may impair the interfacial activation process and cause the loss of the lipase activity.     

A functional prolipoprotein signal peptide with a deletion of four amino acid residues from the hydrophobic region

The deletion of several codons within the signal sequence coding region of the Escherichia coli lipoprotein gene has been accomplished by oligonucleotide-directed site-specific mutagenesis. The deletion of the Leu-13 residue in a mutant in which two glycine residues had previously been deleted from the hydrophobic region (Inouye, S., Vlasuk, G., Hsiung, H., and Inouye, M. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 3729-3733) was found to cause the accumulation of the unmodified form of the protein in the cytoplasm and cytoplasmic membrane. This mutation also caused a cessation in cell growth within 15 min after synthesis of the mutant protein was induced. A deletion of the Val-7 residue was capable of suppressing the effect of the Leu-13 deletion when both are present. However, by itself the Val-7 deletion appeared to have little effect on the glycine mutant. The ability of the signal sequence to mediate the secretion of the protein after the deletion of 4 residues from the hydrophobic region demonstrates a surprising degree of flexibility in the length of this region. The deletion mutations were also found to have an unusual effect on the rate of synthesis of lipoprotein.     

Mapping the lipid-exposed regions in the Torpedo californica nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

To identify regions of the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AchR) interacting with membrane lipid, we have used 1-azidopyrene (1-AP) as a fluorescent, photoactivatable hydrophobic probe. For AchR-rich membranes equilibrated with 1-AP, irradiation at 365 nm resulted in covalent incorporation in all four AchR subunits with each of the subunits incorporating approximately equal amounts of label. To identify the regions of the AchR subunits that incorporated 1-AP, subunits were digested with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease and trypsin, and the resulting fragments were separated by SDS-PAGE followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. N-terminal sequence analysis identified the hydrophobic segments M1, M3, and M4 within each subunit as containing the sites of labeling. The labeling pattern of 1-AP in the alpha-subunit was compared with that of another hydrophobic photoactivatable probe, 3-trifluoromethyl-3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine ([125I]TID). The nonspecific component of [125I]TID labeling [White, B., Howard, S., Cohen, S. G., & Cohen, J.B. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 21595-21607] was restricted to the same regions as those labeled by 1-AP. The [125I]TID residues labeled in the hydrophobic segment M4 were identified as Cys-412, Met-415, Cys-418, Thr-422, and Val-425. The periodicity and distribution of labeled residues establish that the M4 region is alpha-helical in nature and indicate that M4 presents a broad face to membrane lipid.     

Post-heparin plasma hepatic triacylglycerol lipase-catalyzed tributyrin hydrolysis. Effect of trypsin treatment

Hepatic triacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) hydrolyzes water-insoluble fatty acid esters, e.g., trioleoylglycerol (lipase activity) and water-soluble fatty acid esters, e.g., tributyrin (esterase activity). Esterase activity of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase is enhanced by triolein emulsion and phospholipid vesicles [1]. The catalytic mechanism and structure of human hepatic triacylglycerol lipase isolated from human post-heparin plasma and the effect of trypsin treatment on the lipase and esterase activities of the enzyme were examined. Treatment of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase with trypsin resulted in loss of its lipase activity, but had no effect on its esterase activity. Chromatography of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase on Bio-Gel A5m showed that hepatic triacylglycerol lipase binds to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. However, on chromatography of the trypsin-treated enzyme after incubation with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles, a part of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase that retained esterase activity was eluted separately from the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. Addition of vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine to the trypsin-treated enzyme did not enhance its esterase activity. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that hepatic triacylglycerol lipase has a catalytic site that hydrolyzes tributyrin and a lipid interface recognition site, and that these sites are different: trypsin modified the lipid interface recognition site of the hepatic triacylglycerol lipase but not the catalytic site.     

The ABCA1 transporter modulates late endocytic trafficking: insights from the correction of the genetic defect in Tangier disease

We have previously established that the ABCA1 transporter, which plays a critical role in the lipidation of extracellular apolipoprotein acceptors, traffics between late endocytic vesicles and the cell surface (Neufeld, E. B., Remaley, A. T., Demosky, S. J., Jr., Stonik, J. A., Cooney, A. M., Comly, M., Dwyer, N. K., Zhang, M., Blanchette-Mackie, J., Santamarina-Fojo, S., and Brewer, H. B., Jr. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 27584-27590). The present study provides evidence that ABCA1 in late endocytic vesicles plays a role in cellular lipid efflux. Late endocytic trafficking was defective in Tangier disease fibroblasts that lack functional ABCA1. Consistent with a late endocytic protein trafficking defect, the hydrophobic amine U18666A retained NPC1 in abnormally tubulated, cholesterol-poor, Tangier disease late endosomes, rather than cholesterol-laden lysosomes, as in wild type fibroblasts. Consistent with a lipid trafficking defect, Tangier disease late endocytic vesicles accumulated both cholesterol and sphingomyelin and were immobilized in a perinuclear localization. The excess cholesterol in Tangier disease late endocytic vesicles retained massive amounts of NPC1, which traffics lysosomal cholesterol to other cellular sites. Exogenous apoA-I abrogated the cholesterol-induced retention of NPC1 in wild type but not in Tangier disease late endosomes. Adenovirally mediated ABCA1-GFP expression in Tangier disease fibroblasts corrected the late endocytic trafficking defects and restored apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux. ABCA1-GFP expression in wild type fibroblasts also reduced late endosome-associated NPC1, induced a marked uptake of fluorescent apoA-I into ABCA1-GFP-containing endosomes (that shuttled between late endosomes and the cell surface), and enhanced apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux. The combined results of this study suggest that ABCA1 converts pools of late endocytic lipids that retain NPC1 to pools that can associate with endocytosed apoA-I, and be released from the cell as nascent high density lipoprotein.     

Conformational changes in human urokinase induced by a specific reduction of disulfide bond in Cys-194-Cys-222 associated with exhibition of enzymatic activity

The mechanism of action of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) was examined by comparing the hydrolysis of a water-soluble substrate, tributyrin, with that of triolein by hepatic triacylglycerol lipase purified from human post-heparin plasma. The hydrolyzing activities toward tributyrin and triolein were coeluted from heparin-Sepharose at an NaCl concentration of 0.7 M. The maximal velocity of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase (Vmax) for tributyrin was 17.9 mumol/mg protein per h and the Michaelis constant (Km) value was 0.12 mM, whereas the Vmax for triolein was 76 mumol/mg per h and the Km value was 2.5 mM. The hydrolyses of tributyrin and triolein by hepatic triacylglycerol lipase were inhibited to similar extends by procainamide, NaF, Zn2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, SDS and sodium deoxycholate. Triolein hydrolysis was inhibited by the addition of tributyrin. Triolein hydrolysis was also inhibited by the addition of dipalmitoylphosphaidylcholine vesicles. In contrast, the additions of triolein emulsified with Triton X-100 and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles enhanced the rate of tributyrin hydrolysis by hepatic triacylglycerol lipase. In the presence of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, the Vmax and Km values of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase for tributyrin were 41 mumol/mg protein per h and 0.12 mM, respectively, indicating that the enhancement of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase activity for tributyrin by dipalmitoylphosphatidycholine vesicles was mainly due to increase in the Vmax. The enhancement of hepatic triacylglycerol lipase activity for tributyrin by phospholipid was not correlated with the amount of tributyrin associated with the phospholipid vesicles. On Bio-Gel A5m column chromatography, glycerol tri[1-14C]butyrate was not coeluted with triolein emulsion, and hepatic triacylglycerol lipase activity was associated with triolein emulsion even in the presence of 2 mM tributyrin. These results suggest that hepatic triacylglycerol lipase has a catalytic site for esterase activity and a separate site for lipid interface recognition, and that on binding to a lipid interface the conformation of the enzyme changes, resulting in enhancement of the esterase activity.     

SOA genes encode proteins controlling lipase expression in response to triacylglycerol utilization in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica efficiently metabolizes hydrophobic substrates such as alkanes, fatty acids or triacylglycerol. This yeast has been identified in oil-polluted water and in lipid-rich food. The enzymes involved in lipid breakdown, for use as a carbon source, are known, but the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of the genes encoding these enzymes are still poorly understood. The study of mRNAs obtained from cells grown on oleic acid identified a new group of genes called SOA genes (specific for oleic acid). SOA1 and SOA2 are two small genes coding for proteins with no known homologs. Single- and double-disrupted strains were constructed. Wild-type and mutant strains were grown on dextrose, oleic acid and triacylglycerols. The double mutant presents a clear phenotype consisting of a growth defect on tributyrin and triolein, but not on dextrose or oleic acid media. Lipase activity was 50-fold lower in this mutant than in the wild-type strain. The impact of SOA deletion on the expression of the main extracellular lipase gene ( LIP2 ) was monitored using a LIP2 -β-galactosidase promoter fusion protein. These data suggest that Soa proteins are components of a molecular mechanism controlling lipase gene expression in response to extracellular triacylglycerol.     

The biosynthesis of gram-negative endotoxin. Identification and function of UDP-2,3-diacylglucosamine in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli mutants defective in the pgsB gene are phosphatidylglycerol-deficient in certain genetic settings and accumulate novel, glucosamine-derived phospholipids (Nishijima, M., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 7837-7844). The simplest of these compounds is 2,3-diacylglucosamine 1-phosphate (2,3-diacyl-GlcN-1-P) ("lipid X" of E. coli), in which beta-hydroxymyristoyl moieties are the sole fatty acid substituents (Takayama, K., Qureshi, N., Mascagni, P., Nashed, M. A., Anderson, L., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 7379-7385). We now report a sensitive radiochemical method for detection of 2,3-diacyl-GlcN-1-P in wild type E. coli and demonstrate that there are about 4000 molecules/cell (0.02% of the total CHCl3-soluble phosphorus). In mutants bearing the pgsB1 lesion, the levels are 100- to 300-fold higher. In addition, we have discovered a novel liponucleotide, UDP-2,3-diacyl-GlcN, that also accumulates in conjunction with the pgsb1 mutation. This material represents 0.005% of the wild type phospholipid and accumulates 50- to 100-fold in the mutant. The identification of UDP-2,3-diacyl-GlcN in E. coli is based on: 1) migration of a minor 32P-labeled lipid from wild type and mutant cells with a UDP-2,3-diacyl-GlCn standard during two-dimensional thin layer chromatography; 2) susceptibility of this 32P-labeled material to cleavage by a liponucleotide-specific pyrophosphatase; and 3) chromatographic identification of [32P]UMP and [32P]2,3-diacyl-GlcN-1-P (lipid X) as the sole products of the enzymatic degradation. As shown in the accompanying article, this novel nucleotide is crucial for biosynthesis of lipid A disaccharides in extracts of E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium.     

Novel fucolipids of human adenocarcinoma: monoclonal antibody specific for trifucosyl Ley (III3FucV3FucVI2FucnLc6) and a possible three-dimensional epitope structure

Immunization of mice with Ley-active trifucosylnonaosylceramide (III3FucV3FucVI2FucnLc6) isolated from human colonic adenocarcinoma (Nudelman, E., Levery, S. B., Kaizu, T., and Hakomori, S. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 11247-11253) followed by selection of hybridoma by positive reaction with this antigen and negative reaction with two other Ley antigens (III3FucIV2FucnLc4 and V3FucVI2FucnLc6) resulted in successful isolation of the hybridoma producing IgM antibody, termed KH1, specific to Ley-active trifucosylnonaosylceramide, which does not cross-react with Ley-active hexaosyl- or octaosylceramides (III3FucIV2FucnLc4 and V3FucVI2FucnLc6) without internal fucosyl substitution. The three-dimensional structure of the trifucosylnonaosylceramide was simulated based on previously published glycosidic torsion angles for fucosyl type 2 chain (Lex and Ley) and for GlcNAc beta 1----3Gal beta as predicted by hard sphere exo-anomeric calculations (Th?gersen, H., Lemieux, R. U., Bock, K., and Meyer, B. (1982) Can. J. Chem. 60, 44-57). The picture thus constructed showed a broad nonpolar area consisting of the hydrophobic surface of the pyranosyl ring and acetamido group of N-acetylglucosamine and three CH3 groups of L-fucose; this hydrophobic area is adjacent to a hydrophilic area. In analogy to the detailed structure of Leb or Ley involved in their interactions with antibodies and lectins (Spohr, U., Hindsgaul, O., and Lemieux, R. U. (1985) Can. J. Chem. 63, 2644-2652), such a wide hydrophobic area adjacent to a hydrophilic region could be recognized by the antibody KH1, as shown in the model illustrated in the text. Since the axis of ceramide, which is inserted in the lipid bilayer, is perpendicular to the plane of type 2 chain, the epitope recognized by the antibody KH1 is located at the external nonpolar surface of the carbohydrate chain that is overlaid on the lipid bilayer.     

Human lipoprotein lipase. Analysis of the catalytic triad by site-directed mutagenesis of Ser-132, Asp-156, and His-241.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) plays a central role in normal lipid metabolism as the key enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of triglycerides present in chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins. LPL is a member of a family of hydrolytic enzymes that include hepatic lipase and pancreatic lipase. Based on primary sequence homology of LPL to pancreatic lipase, Ser-132, Asp-156, and His-241 have been proposed to be part of a domain required for normal enzymic activity. We have analyzed the role of these potential catalytic residues by site-directed mutagenesis and expression of the mutant LPL in human embryonic kidney-293 cells. Substitution of Ser-132, Asp-156, and His-241 by several different residues resulted in the expression of an enzyme that lacked both triolein and tributyrin esterase activities. Mutation of other conserved residues, including Ser-97, Ser-307, Asp-78, Asp-371, Asp-440, His-93, and His-439 resulted in the expression of active enzymes. Despite their effect on LPL activity, substitutions of Ser-132, Asp-156, and His-241 did not change either the heparin affinity or lipid binding properties of the mutant LPL. In summary, mutation of Ser-132, Asp-156, and His-241 specifically abolishes total hydrolytic activity without disrupting other important functional domains of LPL. These combined results strongly support the conclusion that Ser-132, Asp-156, and His-241 form the catalytic triad of LPL and are essential for LPL hydrolytic activity.     

Myosin-I moves actin filaments on a phospholipid substrate: implications for membrane targeting

Acanthamoeba myosin-I bound to substrates of nitrocellulose or planar lipid membranes on glass moved actin filaments at an average velocity of 0.2 micron/s. This movement required ATP and phosphorylation of the myosin-I heavy chain. We prepared planar lipid membranes on a glass support by passive fusion of lipid vesicles (Brian, A. A., and H. M. McConnell. 1984. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 81:6159-6163) composed of phosphatidylcholine and containing 0-40% phosphatidylserine. The mass of lipid that bound to the glass was the same for membranes of 2 and 20% phosphatidylserine in phosphatidylcholine and was sufficient to form a single bilayer. Myosin-I moved actin filaments on planar membranes of 5-40% but not 0-2% phosphatidylserine. At the low concentrations of phosphatidylserine, actin filaments tended to detach suggesting that less myosin-I was bound. We used the cooperative activation of Acanthamoeba myosin-I ATPase by low concentrations of actin to assess the association of phospholipids with myosin-I. Under conditions where activity depends on the binding of actin to the tail of myosin-I (Albanesi, J. P., H. Fujisaki, and E. D. Korn. 1985. J. Biol. Chem. 260:11174-11179), phospholipid vesicles with 5-40% phosphatidylserine inhibited ATPase activity. The motility and ATPase results demonstrate a specific interaction of the tail of myosin-I with physiological concentrations of phosphatidylserine. This interaction is sufficient to support motility and may provide a mechanism to target myosin-I to biological membranes.     

Molecular analysis of an esterase-encoding gene from a lipolytic psychrotrophic pseudomonad.

An esterase gene (estA) from a lipolytic psychotroph (Pseudomonas sp. LS107d2), was cloned in Escherichia coli and its nucleotide sequence was determined, revealing an ORF encoding a polypeptide of 389 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 42276 Da. Labelling of plasmid-encoded proteins with [35S]methionine, using the maxicell procedure, gave a single polypeptide of molecular mass 42 kDa, consistent with that calculated from the ORF. Colonies of E. coli cells containing estA produced a clear halo when grown on solid media containing tributyrin; no clearance was produced when cells were grown on media containing triolein. Extracts of cells containing estA also hydrolysed water-soluble nitrophenol esters, but were unable to cleave water-insoluble substrates. The preference for water-soluble substrates indicates that the gene product is an esterase.     

A carboxyl-terminal mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor alters tyrosine kinase activity and substrate specificity as measured by a fluorescence polarization assay

The expression of certain COOH-terminal truncation mutants of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can lead to cell transformation, and with ligand stimulation, a broader spectrum of phosphorylated proteins appears compared with EGF-treated cells expressing wild-type EGFR. Accordingly, it has been proposed that elements within the COOH terminus may determine substrate specificity of the EGFR tyrosine kinase (Decker, S. J., Alexander, C., and Habib, T. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 1104-1108; Walton, G. M., Chen, W. S., Rosenfeld, M. G., and Gill, G. N. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 1750-1754). To address this hypothesis, we analyzed in vitro the steady-state kinetic parameters for phosphorylation of several substrates by both wild-type EGFR and an oncogenic EGFR mutant (the ct1022 mutant) truncated at residue 1022. The substrates included: (i) a phospholipase C-gamma fragment (residues 530-850); (ii) the 46-kDa isoform of the Shc adapter protein; (iii) a 13-residue peptide mimic for the region around the major autophosphorylation tyrosine and the Shc binding site (the Y1173 peptide); (iv) a poly(Glu,Tyr) 4:1 copolymer; and (v) the 8-residue peptide, angiotensin II. Our data demonstrate that the steady-state kinetic parameters for the ct1022 mutant differ from those of the wild-type enzyme, and the differences are substrate-dependent. These results support the concept that this oncogenic truncation/mutation alters EGFR substrate specificity, rather than causing a general alteration of activity. We performed the experiments using a non-radioactive fluorescence polarization assay that quantifies the degree of phosphorylation of peptide as well as natural substrates. The results are consistent with those from the traditional [gamma-32P]ATP/filtration assay.     

Analysis of sequence homologies in plant and bacterial pyruvate phosphate dikinase, enzyme I of the bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system and other PEP-utilizing enzymes. Identification of potential catalytic and regulatory motifs

In this paper we report the amino acid sequence of pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) from Bacteroides symbiosus as determined from the nucleotide sequence of the PPDK gene. Comparison of the B. symbiosus PPDK amino acid sequence with that of the maize PPDK [Matsuoka, M., Ozeki, Y., Yamamoto, N., Hirano, H., Kamo-Murakami, Y., & Tanaka, Y. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 11080] revealed long stretches of homologous sequence (greater than 70% identity), which contributed to an overall sequence identity of 53%. The circular dichrosim spectra, hydropathy profiles, and calculated secondary structural elements of the two dikinases suggest that they may have very similar tertiary structures as well. A comparison made between the amino acid sequence of the maize and B. symbiosus dikinase with other known protein sequences revealed homology, concentrated in three stretches of sequences, to a mechanistically related enzyme, enzyme I of the Escherichia coli PEP: sugar phosphotransferase system [Saffen, D. W., Presper, K. A., Doering, T. L., Roseman, S. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 16241]. It is proposed that (i) these three stretches of sequence constitute the site for PEP binding and catalysis and a possible site for the regulation of enzymatic activity and (ii) the conserved sequences exist in a third mechanistically related enzyme, PEP synthase.     

A 1H NMR study of a ternary peptide complex that mimics the interaction between troponin C and troponin I.

The troponin I peptide N alpha-acetyl TnI (104-115) amide (TnIp) represents the minimum sequence necessary for inhibition of actomyosin ATPase activity of skeletal muscle (Talbot, J.A. & Hodges, R.S. 1981, J. Biol. Chem. 256, 2798-3802; Van Eyk, J.E. & Hodges, R.S., 1988, J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1726-1732; Van Eyk, J.E., Kay, C.M., & Hodges, R.S., 1991, Biochemistry 30, 9974-9981). In this study, we have used 1H NMR spectroscopy to compare the binding of this inhibitory TnI peptide to a synthetic peptide heterodimer representing site III and site IV of the C-terminal domain of troponin C (TnC) and to calcium-saturated skeletal TnC. The residues whose 1H NMR chemical shifts are perturbed upon TnIp binding are the same in both the site III/site IV heterodimer and TnC. These residues include F102, I104, F112, I113, I121, I149, D150, F151, and F154, which are all found in the C-terminal domain hydrophobic pocket and antiparallel beta-sheet region of the synthetic site III/site IV heterodimer and of TnC. Further, the affinity of TnIp binding to the heterodimer (Kd = 192 +/- 37 microM) was found to be similar to TnIp binding to TnC (48 +/- 18 microM [Campbell, A.P., Cachia, P.J., & Sykes, B.D., 1991, Biochem. Cell Biol. 69, 674-681]). The results indicate that binding of the inhibitory region of TnI is primarily to the C-terminal domain of TnC. The results also indicate how well the synthetic peptide heterodimer mimics the C-terminal domain of TnC in structure and functional interactions.     

Amelogenin interacts with cytokeratin-5 in ameloblasts during enamel growth

The enamel protein amelogenin binds to GlcNAc (Ravindranath, R. M. H., Moradian-Oldak, R., and Fincham, A.G. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 2464-2471) and to the GlcNAc-mimicking peptide (GMp) (Ravindranath, R. M. H., Tam, W., Nguyen, P., and Fincham, A. G. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 39654-39661). The GMp motif in the N-terminal region of the cytokeratin 14 of ameloblasts binds to trityrosyl motif peptide (ATMP) of amelogenin (Ravindranath, R. M. H., Tam, W., Bringas, P., Santos, V., and Fincham, A. G. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 36586 - 36597). K14 (Type I) pairs with K5 (Type II) in basal epithelial cells; GlcNAc-acylated K5 is identified in ameloblasts. Dosimetric analysis showed the binding affinity of amelogenin to K5 and to GlcNAc-acylated-positive control, ovalbumin. The specific binding of [3H]ATMP with K5 or ovalbumin was confirmed by Scatchard analysis. [3H]ATMP failed to bind to K5 after removal of GlcNAc. Blocking K5 with ATMP abrogates the K5-amelogenin interaction. K5 failed to bind to ATMP when the third proline was substituted with threonine, as in some cases of human X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta or when tyrosyl residues were substituted with phenylalanine. Confocal laser scan microscopic observations on ameloblasts during postnatal (PN) growth of the teeth showed that the K5-amelogenin complex migrated from the cytoplasm to the periphery (on PN day 1) and accumulated at the apical region on day 3. Secretion of amelogenin commences from day 1. K5, similar to K14, may play a role of chaperone during secretion of amelogenin. Upon secretion of amelogenin, K5 pairs with K14. Pairing of K5 and K14 commences on day 3 and ends on day 9. The pairing of K5 and K14 marks the end of secretion of amelogenin.