Ligand Independence of the T618I Mutation in the Colony-stimulating Factor 3 Receptor (CSF3R) Protein Results from Loss of O-Linked Glycosylation and Increased Receptor Dimerization

Mutations in the CSF3 granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor CSF3R have recently been found in a large percentage of patients with chronic neutrophilic leukemia and, more rarely, in other types of leukemia. These CSF3R mutations fall into two distinct categories: membrane-proximal mutations and truncation mutations. Although both classes of mutation have exhibited the capacity for cellular transformation, several aspects of this transformation, including the kinetics, the requirement for ligand, and the dysregulation of downstream signaling pathways, have all been shown to be discrepant between the mutation types, suggesting distinct mechanisms of activation. CSF3R truncation mutations induce overexpression and ligand hypersensitivity of the receptor, likely because of the removal of motifs necessary for endocytosis and degradation. In contrast, little is known about the mechanism of activation of membrane-proximal mutations, which are much more commonly observed in chronic neutrophilic leukemia. In contrast with CSF3R truncation mutations, membrane-proximal mutations do not exhibit overexpression and are capable of signaling in the absence of ligand. We show that the Thr-615 and Thr-618 sites of membrane-proximal mutations are part of an O-linked glycosylation cluster. Mutation at these sites prevents O-glycosylation of CSF3R and increases receptor dimerization. This increased dimerization explains the ligand-independent activation of CSF3R membrane-proximal mutations. Cytokine receptor activation through loss of O-glycosylation represents a novel avenue of aberrant signaling. Finally, the combination of the CSF3R membrane proximal and truncation mutations, as has been reported in some patients, leads to enhanced cellular transformation when compared with either mutation alone, underscoring their distinct mechanisms of action.     

Identifying the drivers of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae at a European level

Beta-lactam- and in particular carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae represent a major public health threat. Despite strong variation of resistance across geographical settings, there is limited understanding of the underlying drivers. To assess these drivers, we developed a transmission model of cephalosporin- and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. The model is parameterized using antibiotic consumption and demographic data from eleven European countries and fitted to the resistance rates for Klebsiella pneumoniae for these settings. The impact of potential drivers of resistance is then assessed in counterfactual analyses. Based on reported consumption data, the model could simultaneously fit the prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL and CRK) across eleven European countries over eleven years. The fit could explain the large between-country variability of resistance in terms of consumption patterns and fitted differences in hospital transmission rates. Based on this fit, a counterfactual analysis found that reducing nosocomial transmission and antibiotic consumption in the hospital had the strongest impact on ESBL and CRK prevalence. Antibiotic consumption in the community also affected ESBL prevalence but its relative impact was weaker than inpatient consumption. Finally, we used the model to estimate a moderate fitness cost of CRK and ESBL at the population level. This work highlights the disproportionate role of antibiotic consumption in the hospital and of nosocomial transmission for resistance in gram-negative bacteria at a European level. This indicates that infection control and antibiotic stewardship measures should play a major role in limiting resistance even at the national or regional level.     

Glutathione Reductase-null Malaria Parasites Have Normal Blood Stage Growth but Arrest during Development in the Mosquito

Malaria parasites contain a complete glutathione (GSH) redox system, and several enzymes of this system are considered potential targets for antimalarial drugs. Through generation of a γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS)-null mutant of the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei, we previously showed that de novo GSH synthesis is not critical for blood stage multiplication but is essential for oocyst development. In this study, phenotype analyses of mutant parasites lacking expression of glutathione reductase (GR) confirmed that GSH metabolism is critical for the mosquito oocyst stage. Similar to what was found for γ-GCS, GR is not essential for blood stage growth. GR-null parasites showed the same sensitivity to methylene blue and eosin B as wild type parasites, demonstrating that these compounds target molecules other than GR in Plasmodium. Attempts to generate parasites lacking both GR and γ-GCS by simultaneous disruption of gr and γ-gcs were unsuccessful. This demonstrates that the maintenance of total GSH levels required for blood stage survival is dependent on either de novo GSH synthesis or glutathione disulfide (GSSG) reduction by Plasmodium GR. Our studies provide new insights into the role of the GSH system in malaria parasites with implications for the development of drugs targeting GSH metabolism.     

Binding of hydrogen donors to horseradish peroxidase: A spectroscopic study

Absorption spectroscopy measurements of the binding of aromatic donors and competitive inhibitors to horseradish peroxidase indicate that they are bound to the enzyme through hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonding. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments show that the minimal distances between the enzyme iron and the protons of a typical donor, p-cresol, are 7.0 ± 0.5, 7.7 ± 0.5 and 8.5 ± 0.5 Å, for the ortho-, meta- and methyl-protons, respectively.A model for the binding of aromatic donors to horseradish peroxidase based on this result is presented. It is proposed that the aromatic ring is attached to a hydrophobic region in the protein interior and the phenol oxygen is hydrogen-bonded to the pyrrolic nitrogen of the iron-coordinated histidine. This structure is compatible with the proton-iron distances measured and offers an intramolecular path for electron conduction from donor to heme analogous to that proposed by Winfield for the peroxidases.     

Cortisol metabolism by human liver in vitro—IV. Metabolism of 9α-fluorocortisol by human liver microsomes and cytosol

The oxidative and reductive biotransformations of 9α-fluorocortisol (fluorocortisol) by human liver microsomes and cytosol have been characterized. 9α-Fluorination greatly simplified cortisol metabolism in microsomes: dehydrogenation of the 11β-hydroxyl group and A-ring (4-ene-5β and 3α-keto) reduction, the principle pathways, were completely blocked. Fluorocortisol was essentially metabolized by the remaining pathways, 20β-reduction and 6β-hydroxylation. In cytosol, 20β-reduction replaced the A-ring reduction of cortisol as the sole biotransformation. The major structure-metabolism relationships of fluorocortisol in man, i.e. complete and extensive inhibition of 11β-dehydrogenation and 4-ene-5β-reduction, respectively, were attributed to hepatic enzyme systems. Their mechanistic basis is discussed with reference to the electronic and conformational changes induced by 9α-fluorination.