A Solanum tuberosum inositol phosphate kinase (StITPK1) displaying inositol phosphate-inositol phosphate and inositol phosphate-ADP phosphotransferase activities

We describe a multifunctional inositol polyphosphate kinase/phosphotransferase from Solanum tuberosum, StITPKalpha (GenBank accession number: EF362784), hereafter called StITPK1. StITPK1 displays inositol 3,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate 1-kinase activity: K(m) = 27 microM, and V(max) = 19 nmol min(-1) mg(-1). The enzyme displays inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate 1-phosphatase activity in the absence of a nucleotide acceptor and inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate-ADP phosphotransferase activity in the presence of physiological concentrations of ADP. Additionally, StITPK1 shows inositol phosphate-inositol phosphate phosphotransferase activity. Homology modelling provides a structural rationale of the catalytic abilities of StITPK1. Inter-substrate transfer of phosphate groups between inositol phosphates is an evolutionarily conserved function of enzymes of this class.     

Sorting out PtdIns(4,5)P2 and clathrin-coated vesicles in plants

Phosphoinositides and their binding proteins are regulators of many aspects of the vesicle-trafficking processes that underlie cellular physiology in animal cells. Relatively little is known, by comparison, of the contribution of phosphoinositides to membrane-trafficking phenomena in plants. A study in this issue of the Biochemical Journal by K?nig et al. reports for the first time in this kingdom the association of PtdIns(4,5)P(2) with an endomembrane fraction enriched for clathrin. This work is discussed in the context of current evidence for constitutive and evoked endocytosis of membrane protein cargoes in plants.     

Two soluble glycosyltransferases glycosylate less efficiently in vivo than their membrane bound counterparts

Many Golgi glycosyltransferases are type II membrane proteins which are cleaved to produce soluble forms that are released from cells. Cho and Cummings recently reported that a soluble form of alpha1, 3- galactosyltransferase was comparable to its membrane bound counterpart in its ability to galactosylate newly synthesized glycoproteins (Cho,S.K. and Cummings,R.D. (1997) J. Biol. Chem., 272, 13622-13628). To test the generality of their findings, we compared the activities of the full length and soluble forms of two such glycosyltransferases, ss1,4 N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GM2/GD2/ GA2 synthase; GalNAcT) and beta galactoside alpha2,6 sialyltransferase (alpha2,6-ST; ST6Gal I), for production of their glycoconjugate products in vivo . Unlike the full length form of GalNAcT which produced ganglioside GM2 in transfected cells, soluble GalNAcT did not produce detectable GM2 in vivo even though it possessed in vitro GalNAcT activity comparable to that of full length GalNAcT. When compared with cells expressing full length alpha2,6-ST, cells expressing a soluble form of alpha2,6-ST contained 3-fold higher alpha2,6-ST mRNA levels and secreted 7-fold greater alpha2,6-ST activity as measured in vitro , but in striking contrast contained 2- to 4-fold less of the alpha2,6-linked sialic acid moiety in cellular glycoproteins in vivo . In summary these results suggest that unlike alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase the soluble forms of these two glycosyltransferases are less efficient at glycosylation of membrane proteins and lipids in vivo than their membrane bound counterparts.      

Bacterial species and evolution: Theoretical and practical perspectives

A discussion of the species problem in modern evolutionary biology serves as the point of departure for an exploration of how the basic science aspects of this problem relate to efforts to map bacterial diversity for practical pursuits—for prospecting among the bacteria for useful genes and gene-products. Out of a confusing array of species concepts, the Cohesion Species Concept seems the most appropriate and useful for analyzing bacterial diversity. Techniques of allozyme analysis and DNA fingerprinting can be used to put this concept into practice to map bacterial genetic diversity, though the concept requires minor modification to encompass cases of complete asexuality. Examples from studies of phenetically definedBacillus species provide very partial maps of genetic population structure. A major conclusion is that such maps frequently reveal deep genetic subdivision within the phenetically defined specles; divisions that in some cases are clearly distinct genetic species. Knowledge of such subdivisions is bound to make prospecting within bacterial diversity more effective. Under the general concept of genetic cohesion a hypothetical framework for thinking about the full range of species conditions that might exist among bacteria is developed and the consequences of each such model for species delineation, and species identification are discussed. Modes of bacterial evolution, and a theory of bacterial speciation with and without genetic recombination, are examined. The essay concludes with thoughts about prospects for very extensive mapping of bacterial diversity in the service of future efforts to find useful products. In this context, evolutionary biology becomes the handmaiden of important industrial activities. A few examples of past success in commercializing bacterial gene-products from species ofBacillus and a few other bacteria are reviewed.     

Lysosomal enzyme oligosaccharide phosphorylation in mouse lymphoma cells: specificity and kinetics of binding to the mannose 6-phosphate receptor in vivo

Phosphomannosyl residues on lysosomal enzymes serve as an essential component of the recognition marker necessary for binding to the mannose 6-phosphate (Man 6-P) receptor and translocation to lysosomes. The high mannose-type oligosaccharide units of lysosomal enzymes are phosphorylated by the following mechanism: N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate is transferred to the 6 position of a mannose residue to form a phosphodiester; then N- acetylglucosamine is removed to expose a phosphomonoester. We examined the kinetics of this phosphorylation pathway in the murine lymphoma BW5147.3 cell line to determine the state of oligosaccharide phosphorylation at the time the newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes bind to the receptor. Cells were labeled with [2-(3)H]mannose for 20 min and then chased for various times up to 4 h. The binding of newly synthesized glycoproteins to the Man 6-P receptor was followed by eluting the bound ligand with Man 6-P. Receptor-bound material was first detected at 30 min of chase and reached a maximum at 60 min of chase, at which time approximately 10 percent of the total phosphorylated oligosaccharides were associated with the receptor. During longer chase times, the total quantity of cellular phosphorylated oligosaccharides decreased with a half-time of 1.4 h, suggesting that the lysosomal enzymes had reached their destination and had been dephosphorylated. The structures of the phosphorylated aligosaccharides of the eluted ligand were then determined and compared with the phosphorylated oligosaccharides of molecules which were not bond to the receptor. The major phosphorylated oligosaccharide species present in the nonreceptor-bound material contained a single phosphosphodiester at all time examined. In contrast, receptor-bound oligosaccharides were greatly enriched in species possessing one and two phosphomonoesters. These results indicate that binding of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes to the Man 6-P receptor occurs only after removal of the covering N- acetylglucosamine residues.     

Tempo and mode of concerted evolution in the L1 repeat family of mice

A 300-bp DNA sequence has been determined for 30 (10 from each of three species of mice) random isolates of a subset of the long interspersed repeat family L1. From these data we conclude that members of the L1 family are evolving in concert at the DNA sequence level in Mus domesticus, Mus caroli, and Mus platythrix. The mechanism responsible for this phenomenon may be either duplicative transposition, gene conversion, or a combination of the two. The amount of intraspecies divergence averages 4.4%, although between species base substitutions accumulate at the rate of approximately 0.85%/Myr to a maximum divergence of 9.1% between M. platythrix and both M. domesticus and M. caroli. Parsimony analysis reveals that the M. platythrix L1 family has evolved into a distinct clade in the 10-12 Myr since M. platythrix last shared a common ancestor with M. domesticus and M. caroli. The parsimony tree also provides a means to derive the average half-life of L1 sequences in the genome. The rates of gain and loss of individual copies of L1 were estimated to be approximately equal, such that approximately one-half of them turn over every 3.3 Myr.      

TGF-beta expression during rat pregnancy and activity on decidual cell survival

Background  

During early rat pregnancy, trophoblast of the tiny embryo joins with the endometrium and epithelial cells undergo apoptosis. Near the end of pregnancy, regression of the decidua basalis (DB) is also observed (from day 14 to 20). However, little is known about the intra-cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in apoptosis regulation in the uterus during pregnancy. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence and the developmental expression of transforming growth factor-beta isoforms (TGF-beta well known differentiation factor) in the rat endometrium throughout pregnancy and its action in vitro using cultured endometrial stromal cells.