Analysis of Glucocerebrosides of Rye (Secale cereale L. cv Puma) Leaf and Plasma Membrane

Glucocerebrosides of whole rye (Secale cerale L. cv Puma) leaf and plasma membrane were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography following hydrolysis or as intact molecules purified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Fatty acids of acid-hydrolyzed leaf and plasma membrane glucocerebrosides consisted of >98 weight percent saturated and monounsaturated 2-hydroxy fatty acids which contained 16 to 26 carbon atoms. The major fatty acids detected were 2-hydroxynervonic acid (24:1h), 2-hydroxylignoceric acid (24:0h), 2-hydroxyerucic acid (22:1h), and 2-hydroxybehenic acid (22:0h). Long-chain bases of alkaline-hydrolyzed glucocerebrosides consisted primarily of cis-trans isomers of the trihydroxy base 4-hydroxysphingenine (t18:1) and the dihydroxy base sphingadienine (d18:2) with lesser amounts of 4-hydroxysphinganine (t18:0) and isomers of sphingenine (d18:1). Intact, underivatized glucocerebroside molecular species of rye leaf and plasma membrane were separated into more than 30 molecular species using reverse-phase HPLC. The molecular species composition of leaf and plasma membrane were quantitatively and qualitatively similar. The major molecular species was 24:1h-t18:1 which constituted nearly 40 weight percent of leaf and plasma membrane extracts. Several other species including 22:1h-t18:1, 24:1h-t18:1 (isomer), 22:0h-t18:1, 24:1h-d18:2, and 24:0h-t18:1 each comprised 4 to 8% of the total. It is anticipated that the high performance liquid chromatography procedure developed in this study to separate intact, underivatized lipid molecular species will be useful in future studies of the physical properties and biosynthesis of plant glucocerebrosides.     

Nucleotide sequence of a chicken vitellogenin gene and derived amino acid sequence of the encoded yolk precursor protein

The gene encoding the major vitellogenin from chicken has been completely sequenced and its exon-intron organization has been established. The gene is 20,342 base-pairs long and contains 35 exons with a combined length of 5787 base-pairs. They encode the 1850-amino acid pre-peptide of vitellogenin, which is the precursor of the mature yolk proteins, the serine-rich and heavily phosphorylated phosvitin and the lipovitellin. The 217-amino acid phosvitin polypeptide occupies an internal position (residue 1112 through 1328) within the vitellogenin molecule. The 125,000 and 30,000 Mr lipovitellin polypeptides are encoded by the sequences at the N-terminal and the C-terminal sides of the phosvitin section, respectively. The main features of the gene and protein sequences, and the evolutionary implications, are discussed.     

The high-resolution NMR structure of the R21A Spc-SH3:P41 complex: Understanding the determinants of binding affinity by comparison with Abl-SH3

Background  

SH3 domains are small protein modules of 60–85 amino acids that bind to short proline-rich sequences with moderate-to-low affinity and specificity. Interactions with SH3 domains play a crucial role in regulation of many cellular processes (some are related to cancer and AIDS) and have thus been interesting targets in drug design. The decapeptide APSYSPPPPP (p41) binds with relatively high affinity to the SH3 domain of the Abl tyrosine kinase (Abl-SH3), while it has a 100 times lower affinity for the α-spectrin SH3 domain (Spc-SH3).     

Initiation and characterization of a diploid cell line from larval tissues ofAedes dorsalis (Meigen)

Summary Mosquito cell cultures were initiated from the minced tissues of newly hatchedAedes dorsalis (Meigen) larvae. Continuous cell division occurred only after an adaptive period of approximately 6 months. Optimal growth of the cells required a relatively low pH of 6.5. Karyological studies showed that the cells have remained diploid (2n=6) for 60 serial passages and that the cultures are free of contaminating cells. The cultures also were shown to be free of bacteria (includingMycoplasma), fungi and virions. Subpopulations (strains) of the original parental cultures have been selected and characterized on the basis of morphology, karyology, growth rate and monolayer formation. These studies were supported in part by funds from the Office of Naval Research, by Research Grant AI03028 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and by General Research Support Grant I-SO1-FR-05441 from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.     

Members of the Arabidopsis FAE1-like 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase gene family substitute for the Elop proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Several 3-keto-synthases have been studied, including the soluble fatty acid synthases, those involved in polyketide synthesis, and the FAE1-like 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthases. All of these condensing enzymes have a common ancestor and an enzymatic mechanism that involves a catalytic triad consisting of Cys, His, and His/Asn. In contrast to the FAE1-like family of enzymes that mediate plant microsomal fatty acid elongation, the condensation step of elongation in animals and in fungi appears to be mediated by the Elop homologs. Curiously these proteins bear no resemblance to the well characterized 3-keto-synthases. There are three ELO genes in yeast that encode the homologous Elo1p, Elo2p, and Elo3p proteins. Elo2p and Elo3p are required for synthesis of the very long-chain fatty acids, and mutants lacking both Elo2p and Elo3p are inviable confirming that the very long-chain fatty acids are essential for cellular functions. In this study we show that heterologous expression of several Arabidopsis FAE1-like genes rescues the lethality of an elo2Deltaelo3Delta yeast mutant. We further demonstrate that FAE1 acts in conjunction with the 3-keto and trans-2,3-enoyl reductases of the elongase system. These studies indicate that even though the plant-specific FAE1 family of condensing enzymes evolved independently of the Elop family of condensing enzymes, they utilize the same reductases and presumably dehydratase that the Elop proteins rely upon.     

Identifying potential survival strategies of HIV-1 through virus-host protein interaction networks

Background  

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has launched the HIV-1 Human Protein Interaction Database in an effort to catalogue all published interactions between HIV-1 and human proteins. In order to systematically investigate these interactions functionally and dynamically, we have constructed an HIV-1 human protein interaction network. This network was analyzed for important proteins and processes that are specific for the HIV life-cycle. In order to expose viral strategies, network motif analysis was carried out showing reoccurring patterns in virus-host dynamics.     

Molecular basis of cysteine biosynthesis in plants: structural and functional analysis of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase from Arabidopsis thaliana

In plants, cysteine biosynthesis plays a central role in fixing inorganic sulfur from the environment and provides the only metabolic sulfide donor for the generation of methionine, glutathione, phytochelatins, iron-sulfur clusters, vitamin cofactors, and multiple secondary metabolites. O-Acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) catalyzes the final step of cysteine biosynthesis, the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent conversion of O-acetylserine into cysteine. Here we describe the 2.2 A resolution crystal structure of OASS from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtOASS) and the 2.7 A resolution structure of the AtOASS K46A mutant with PLP and methionine covalently linked as an external aldimine in the active site. Although the plant and bacterial OASS share a conserved set of amino acids for PLP binding, the structure of AtOASS reveals a difference from the bacterial enzyme in the positioning of an active site loop formed by residues 74-78 when methionine is bound. Site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic analysis, and ligand binding titrations probed the functional roles of active site residues. These experiments indicate that Asn(77) and Gln(147) are key amino acids for O-acetylserine binding and that Thr(74) and Ser(75) are involved in sulfur incorporation into cysteine. In addition, examination of the AtOASS structure and nearly 300 plant and bacterial OASS sequences suggest that the highly conserved beta8A-beta9A surface loop may be important for interaction with serine acetyltransferase, the other enzyme in cysteine biosynthesis. Initial protein-protein interaction experiments using AtOASS mutants targeted to this loop support this hypothesis.     

Dimorphecolic acid is synthesized by the coordinate activities of two divergent Delta12-oleic acid desaturases

Dimorphecolic acid (9-OH-18:2Delta(10)(trans)(,12)(trans)) is the major fatty acid of seeds of Dimorphotheca species. This fatty acid contains structural features that are not typically found in plant fatty acids, including a C-9 hydroxyl group, Delta(10),Delta(12)-conjugated double bonds, and trans-Delta(12) unsaturation. Expressed sequence tag analysis was conducted to determine the biosynthetic origin of dimorphecolic acid. cDNAs for two divergent forms of Delta(12)-oleic acid desaturase, designated DsFAD2-1 and Ds-FAD2-2, were identified among expressed sequence tags generated from developing Dimorphotheca sinuata seeds. Expression of DsFAD2-1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and soybean somatic embryos resulted in the accumulation of the trans-Delta(12) isomer of linoleic acid (18: 2Delta(9)(cis)(,12)(trans)) rather than the more typical cis-Delta(12) isomer. When co-expressed with DsFAD2-1 in soybean embryos or yeast, DsFAD2-2 converted 18:2Delta(9)(cis)(,12)(trans) into dimorphecolic acid. When DsFAD2-2 was expressed alone in soybean embryos or together with a typical cis-Delta(12)-oleic acid desaturase in yeast, trace amounts of the cis-Delta(12) isomer of dimorphecolic acid (9-OH-18:2Delta(10)(trans,)(12)(cis)) were formed from DsFAD2-2 activity with cis-Delta(12)-linoleic acid [corrected]. These results indicate that DsFAD2-2 catalyzes the conversion of the Delta(9) double bond of linoleic acid into a C-9 hydroxyl group and Delta(10)(trans) double bond and displays a substrate preference for the trans-Delta(12), rather than the cis-Delta(12), isomer of linoleic acid. Overall these data are consistent with a biosynthetic pathway of dimorphecolic acid involving the concerted activities of DsFAD2-1 and DsFAD2-2. The evolution of two divergent Delta(12)-oleic acid desaturases for the biosynthesis of an unusual fatty acid is unprecedented in plants.     

Arabidopsis thaliana glutamate-cysteine ligase: functional properties, kinetic mechanism, and regulation of activity

In plants, glutathione accumulates in response to different stress stimuli as a protective mechanism, but only limited biochemical information is available on the plant enzymes that synthesize glutathione. Glutamatecysteine ligase (GCL) catalyzes the first step in glutathione biosynthesis and plays an important role in regulating the intracellular redox environment. Because the putative Arabidopsis thaliana GCL (AtGCL) displays no significant homology to the GCL from bacteria and other eukaryotes, the identity of this protein as a GCL has been debated. We have purified AtGCL from an Escherichia coli expression system and demonstrated that the recombinant enzyme catalyzes the ATP-dependent formation of gamma-glutamylcysteine from glutamate (Km = 9.1 mm) and cysteine (Km = 2.7 mm). Glutathione feedback inhibits AtGCL (Ki approximately 1.0 mm). As with other GCL, buthionine sulfoximine and cystamine inactivate the Arabidopsis enzyme but with inactivation rates much slower than those of the mammalian, bacterial, and nematode enzymes. The slower inactivation rates observed with AtGCL suggest that the active site differs structurally from that of other GCL. Global fitting analysis of initial velocity data indicates that a random terreactant mechanism with a preferred binding order best describes the kinetic mechanism of AtGCL. Unlike the mammalian GCL, which consists of a catalytic subunit and a regulatory subunit, AtGCL functions and is regulated as a monomeric protein. In response to redox environment, AtGCL undergoes a reversible conformational change that modulates the enzymatic activity of the monomer. These results explain the reported posttranslational change in AtGCL activity in response to oxidative stress.