Interactions between heme d and heme b595 in quinol oxidase bd from Escherichia coli: a photoselection study using femtosecond spectroscopy

Femtosecond spectroscopy was performed on CO-liganded (fully reduced and mixed-valence states) and O(2)-liganded quinol oxidase bd from Escherichia coli. Substantial polarization effects, unprecedented for optical studies of heme proteins, were observed in the CO photodissociation spectra, implying interactions between heme d (the chlorin ligand binding site) and the close-lying heme b(595) on the picosecond time scale; this general result is fully consistent with previous work [Vos, M. H., Borisov, V. B., Liebl, U., Martin, J.-L., and Konstantinov, A. A. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97, 1554-1559]. Analysis of the data obtained under isotropic and anisotropic polarization conditions and additional flash photolysis nanosecond experiments on a mutant of cytochrome bd mostly lacking heme b(595) allow to attribute the features in the well-known but unusual CO dissociation spectrum of cytochrome bd to individual heme d and heme b(595) transitions. This renders it possible to compare the spectra of CO dissociation from reduced and mixed-valence cytochrome bd under static conditions and on a picosecond time scale in much more detail than previously possible. CO binding/dissociation from heme d is shown to perturb ferrous heme b(595), causing induction/loss of an absorption band centered at 435 nm. In addition, the CO photodissociation-induced absorption changes at 50 ps reveal a bathochromic shift of ferrous heme b(595) relative to the static spectrum. No evidence for transient binding of CO to heme b(595) after dissociation from heme d is found in the picosecond time range. The yield of CO photodissociation from heme d on a time scale of < 15 ps is found to be diminished more than 3-fold when heme b(595) is oxidized rather than reduced. In contrast to other known heme proteins, molecular oxygen cannot be photodissociated from the mixed-valence cytochrome bd at all, indicating a unique structural and electronic configuration of the diheme active site in the enzyme.     

Amyloid fibril formation of the mouse V(L) domain at acidic pH

The recombinant V(L) domain that represents the variable part of the light chain (type kappa) of mouse monoclonal antibody F11 directed against human spleen ferritin was found to form amyloid fibrils at acidic pH as evidenced by electron microscopy, thioflavin T binding, and apple-green birefringence after Congo red staining. This is the first demonstration of amyloid fibril formation of the mouse V(L) domain. To understand the mechanism of acidic pH-induced amyloid fibril formation, conformational changes of the V(L) domain were studied by one-dimensional NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, analytical ultracentrifugation, hydrophobic dye binding, far-UV circular dichroism, and tryptophan fluorescence. The results indicated accumulation of two intermediate states during acid unfolding, which might be responsible for amyloid fibril formation. The more structured intermediate that exhibited maximal accumulation at pH 3 retained the nativelike secondary structure and a hydrophobic core, but exposed hydrophobic surfaces that bind 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate. Below pH 2, a more disordered intermediate with dequenched tryptophan fluorescence but still retaining the beta-sheet structure accumulated. The optimal pH of amyloid fibril formation (i.e., pH 4) was close to the optimal pH of the accumulation of the nativelike intermediate, suggesting that the amyloid fibrils might be formed through this intermediate.     

Polarization-modulated second harmonic generation in collagen

Collagen possesses a strong second-order nonlinear susceptibility, a nonlinear optical property characterized by second harmonic generation in the presence of intense laser beams. We present a new technique involving polarization modulation of an ultra-short pulse laser beam that can simultaneously determine collagen fiber orientation and a parameter related to the second-order nonlinear susceptibility. We demonstrate the ability to discriminate among different patterns of fibrillar orientation, as exemplified by tendon, fascia, cornea, and successive lamellar rings in an intervertebral disc. Fiber orientation can be measured as a function of depth with an axial resolution of approximately 10 microm. The parameter related to the second-order nonlinear susceptibility is sensitive to fiber disorganization, oblique incidence of the beam on the sample, and birefringence of the tissue. This parameter represents an aggregate measure of tissue optical properties that could potentially be used for optical imaging in vivo.     

Interplasmidic illegitimate recombination in Bacillus subtilis

Summary The illegitimate recombination between Staphylococcus aureus plasmids pE194 (or pGG20, the hybrid between pE194 and Escherichia coli plasmid pBR322) and pBD17 (plasmid pUB110 without HpaII C-fragment) was studied in Bacillus subtilis. Cointegrates were generated with the frequency of 1–3x10^-8. Among 22 hybrids analysed 9 types of recombinants were found. Nucleotide sequences of all three parental plasmids were involved in intermolecular recombination. Nucleotide sequencing of recombinant DNA junctions revealed that in 8 cases recombination occurred between short homologous regions (9–15 bp). One recombinant was formed using nonhomologous sites. The similarity was demonstrated between nucleotide sequences of the recombination sites of two types of cointegrates and those used for pE194 integration into the B. subtilis chromosome. Possible mechanisms of illegitimate recombination are discussed.     

On the stimulus conducting structures in insect olfactory receptors

Summary In the olfactory sensilla trichodea of the silk moth, the cuticle of the sense hair is perforated by numerous pores. These pores are shown to be connected with the dendrites of the receptor cell by extracellular pore tubules. It is suggested, therefore, that odour molecules reach the stimulus transduction sites on the receptor membrane by surface diffusion alone, and need not diffuse three-dimensionally through the sensillum liquor.

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Zusammenfassung Bei den olfaktorischen Sensilla trichodea des Seidenspinners wird die Cuticula des Sinneshaares von zahlreichen Poren durchbrochen. Es wird gezeigt, daß diese Poren mit den Dendriten der Sinneszellen durch extrazelluläre Porentubuli verbunden sind. Daraus folgt, daß die Duftmoleküle den Ort der Erregungsbildung an der Rezeptormembran wahrscheinlich allein durch Oberflächendiffusion erreichen, ohne eine dreidimensionale Diffusion durch den Sensillenliquor.

     

Probing Conformational Changes during the Gating Cycle of a Potassium Channel in Lipid Bilayers

Ion conduction across the cellular membrane requires the simultaneous opening of activation and inactivation gates of the K⁺ channel pore. The bacterial KcsA channel has served as a powerful system for dissecting the structural changes that are related to four major functional states associated with K⁺ gating. Yet, the direct observation of the full gating cycle of KcsA has remained structurally elusive, and crystal structures mimicking these gating events require mutations in or stabilization of functionally relevant channel segments. Here, we found that changes in lipid composition strongly increased the KcsA open probability. This enabled us to probe all four major gating states in native-like membranes by combining electrophysiological and solid-state NMR experiments. In contrast to previous crystallographic views, we found that the selectivity filter and turret region, coupled to the surrounding bilayer, were actively involved in channel gating. The increase in overall steady-state open probability was accompanied by a reduction in activation-gate opening, underscoring the important role of the surrounding lipid bilayer in the delicate conformational coupling of the inactivation and activation gates.     

The metalloprotease SepA governs processing of accumulation‐associated protein and shapes intercellular adhesive surface properties in Staphylococcus epidermidis

The otherwise harmless skin inhabitant Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major cause of healthcare‐associated medical device infections. The species' selective pathogenic potential depends on its production of surface adherent biofilms. The Cell wall‐anchored protein Aap promotes biofilm formation in S. epidermidis, independently from the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin PIA. Aap requires proteolytic cleavage to act as an intercellular adhesin. Whether and which staphylococcal proteases account for Aap processing is yet unknown. Here, evidence is provided that in PIA‐negative S. epidermidis 1457Δica, the metalloprotease SepA is required for Aap‐dependent S. epidermidis biofilm formation in static and dynamic biofilm models. qRT‐PCR and protease activity assays demonstrated that under standard growth conditions, sepA is repressed by the global regulator SarA. Inactivation of sarA increased SepA production, and in turn augmented biofilm formation. Genetic and biochemical analyses demonstrated that SepA‐related induction of biofilm accumulation resulted from enhanced Aap processing. Studies using recombinant proteins demonstrated that SepA is able to cleave the A domain of Aap at residue 335 and between the A and B domains at residue 601. This study identifies the mechanism behind Aap‐mediated biofilm maturation, and also demonstrates a novel role for a secreted staphylococcal protease as a requirement for the development of a biofilm.     

Long wavelength fluorophores and cell-by-cell correction for autofluorescence significantly improves the accuracy of flow cytometric energy transfer measurements on a dual-laser benchtop flow cytometer

BACKGROUND: Flow cytometric fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FCET) is an efficient method to map associations between biomolecules because of its high sensitivity to changes in molecular distances in the range of 1-10 nm. However, the requirement for a dual-laser instrument and the need for a relatively high signal-to-noise system (i.e., high expression level of the molecules) pose limitations to a wide application of the method. METHODS: Antibodies conjugated to cyanines 3 and 5 (Cy3 and Cy5) were used to label membrane proteins on the cell surface. FCET measurements were made on a widely used benchtop dual-laser flow cytometer, the FACSCalibur, by using cell-by-cell analysis of energy transfer efficiency.ResultsTo increase the accuracy of FCET measurements, we applied a long wavelength donor-acceptor pair, Cy3 and Cy5, which beneficially affected the signal-to-noise ratio in comparison with the classic pair of fluorescein and rhodamine. A new algorithm for cell-by-cell correction of autofluorescence further improved the sensitivity of the technique; cell subpopulations with only slightly different FCET efficiencies could be identified. The new FCET technique was tested on various direct and indirect immunofluorescent labeling strategies. The highest FCET values could be measured when applying direct labeling on both (donor and acceptor) sides. Upon increasing the complexity of the labeling scheme by introducing secondary antibodies, we detected a decrease in the energy transfer efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a new FCET protocol by applying long wavelength excitation and detection of fluorescence and by refining autofluorescence correction. The increased accuracy of the new method makes cells with low receptor expression amenable to FCET investigation, and the new approach can be implemented easily on a commercially available dual-laser flow cytometer, such as a FACSCalibur.     

Distribution,phosphorylation, and activities of Hsp25 in heat-stressed H9c2 myoblasts: a functional link to cytoprotection

The behavior of the endogenous heat shock protein 25 (Hsp25) in heat-stressed rat H9c2 myoblasts was studied. After mild or severe heating, this protein became less extractable with Triton X-100 and displayed characteristic immunofluorescence patterns, namely (1) granules in the nucleus, and (2) association with F-actin bundles in the cytoplasm. The intranuclear granulation of Hsp25 and its association with F-actin were sensitive to drugs affecting Hsp25 phosphorylation (cantharidin, sodium orthovanadate, SB203580, SB202190). Isoform analysis of Hsp25 translocated to the nucleus-free cytoskeletal fraction revealed only mono- and biphosphorylated Hsp25 and no unphosphorylated Hsp25. Transfected luciferase with initial localization in the nucleosol became colocalized with the Hsp25-containing granules after a heat shock treatment that denatured the enzyme in the cells. The association of Hsp25 with actin filaments after a mild heat stress conferred protection from subsequent F-actin-damaging treatments with cytochalasins (D and B) or severe heat stress. We hypothesize that (1) the binding of heat-denatured nucleosolic proteins to the Hsp25 contained in specific granular structures may serve for the subsequent chaperoning or degradation of the bound proteins, and (2) the actin cytoskeleton is stabilized by the direct targeting of phosphorylated Hsp25 to microfilament bundles.