Dipeptide backbone conformation and antibody recognition of a viral octapeptide epitope.

The peptide YKGTMDSG (Tyr-Lys-Gly-Thr-Met-Asp-Ser-Gly) represents an important antigenic determinant from the glycoprotein G2 of the pathogenic Rift Valley fever virus. By preparing a series of single-residue substitution peptides, the importance to antigenicity of individual residues within this octapeptide has been determined. Here, we investigated a simple and rapid computational analysis to test for correlations between the observed antigenicity of the substitution analogue peptides and the calculated conformational preferences in local regions of the peptides. Conformational energy analyses were carried out on all dipeptide combinations represented in the wild-type octapeptide and in the single-residue substitution analogue peptides. Conformational similarities and differences between wild-type and substitution dipeptide pairs were determined. The results of these computational analyses were then compared with the data on the relative antigenicity of the wild-type octapeptide and the substitution analogues. This comparison revealed a positive correlation. Substitution peptides showing changes in antigenicity possessed significant changes in the calculated backbone conformation relative to wild type in the dipeptides encompassing the residue substitution. Substitution peptides showing no change in antigenicity similarly showed no significant changes in dipeptide conformation. The potential utility of dipeptide conformational energy analyses and this preliminary structure-activity correlation are discussed.     

Occurrence of 28- and 27-Carbon ecdysteroids and sterols in developing worker pupae of the leaf-cutting ant acromyrmex octospinosus (reich) (hymenoptera,formicidae: Attini)

The major ecdysteroids in large worker pupae of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus were characterized at the peak ecdysteroid concentration by using high-performance liquid chromatography, enzyme immunoassay, and mass spectrometry. In decreasing amounts, they were determined to be makisterone A, an unidentified C₂₈ ecdysteroid bearing a molecular weight of 494, 20-hydroxyecdysone (ratio of 1 to 6 as compared to makisterone A), and putative but negligible ecdysone. The presence of both C₂₈ and C₂₇ ecdysteroids is discussed in relation to the content of 4-desmethylsterols determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to be ergosta-5,7,24 (28)-trien-3β-ol, ergosterol, ergosta-5,7-dien-3β-ol and ergosta-7,24(28)-dien-3β-ol for the main sterols, and with a small amount of cholesterol.     

Mitochondrial DNA in yeast recombination and subsequent modification following mating between a grande and a suppressive petite

Summary The fluorinated pyrimidines 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) induce the cytoplasmic petite mutation in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae with high efficiency. It was found that in order to induce the mutation, 5FC must first be deaminated to 5FU. However, mutagenesis does not depend on the further conversion of 5FU to its deoxyriboside (5FUDR) and subsequent blockade of intracellular thymidine synthesis, since 5FUDR itself was found not to be mutagenic, and 5FU-induced mutagenesis was not antagonised by supplying thymidine monophosphate (dTMP) to a dTMP permeable strain. In any case, observations of the molecular changes accompanying petite induction in log phase cells ruled out the possibility that mutagenesis resulted simply from the dilution out of replication-blocked mitDNA molecules, since the appearance of mutants coincided with the synthesis of altered mitDNA molecules. In different strains, the resulting defective molecules were either maintained, giving rise to suppressive ^– petites, or completely degraded, to give pure clones of neutral ⁰ mutants. It is suggested that this degradative process was a consequence of the incorporation of 5FU into RNA.     

Elimination of residual RNase activity from purified preparations of RNA-directed DNA polymerase.

Preparations of RNA-directed DNA polymerase purified from RNA tumor viruses by standard methods generally contain trace amounts of single-stranded RNA endonucleolytic activity detectable only by relatively sensitive methods. This contaminating RNase activity has been found to be completely inhibited when RNA-directed DNA polymerase reactions are carried out in the presence of low concentrations of bentonite. Under these conditions, only minimal inhibition of the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities of the RNA-directed DNA polymerase was observed.     

In vitro transcription of 70S RNA by the RNA-directed DNA polymerase of Rouse sarcoma virus: lack of influence of RNase H.

The influence of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-associated RNase H on the in vitro synthesis of DNA by the RSV RNA-directed DNA polymerase was determined under conditions whereby RNase H activity was selectively inhibited with NaF. Not only were we unable to detect any effect on the size, structure, or genetic complixity of the DNA product synthesized in the absence of RNase H activity, but the displacement of DNA from the 70S RNA:DNA hybrid structures was also unaffected. The suitability of 70S RNA:DNA hybrid structures synthesized in vitro to serve as a substrate for RNase H is discussed.     

Lack of Liver X Receptors Leads to Cell Proliferation in a Model of Mouse Dorsal Prostate Epithelial Cell

Recent studies underline the implication of Liver X Receptors (LXRs) in several prostate diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms involved, we derived epithelial cells from dorsal prostate (MPECs) of wild type (WT) or Lxrαβ−/− mice. In the WT MPECs, our results show that LXR activation reduces proliferation and correlates with the modification of the AKT-survival pathway. Moreover, LXRs regulate lipid homeostasis with the regulation of Abca1, Abcg1 and Idol, and, in a lesser extent, Srebp1, Fas and Acc. Conversely cells derived from Lxrαβ−/− mice show a higher basal phosphorylation and consequently activation of the survival/proliferation transduction pathways AKT and MAPK. Altogether, our data point out that the cell model we developed allows deciphering the molecular mechanisms inducing the cell cycle arrest. Besides, we show that activated LXRs regulate AKT and MAPK transduction pathways and demonstrate that LXRs could be good pharmacological targets in prostate disease such as cancer.     

Specific proteolytic fragmentation of p60v-src in transformed cell lysates.

Work involving the transforming protein, p60v-src, of Rous sarcoma virus has resulted in the extensive characterization of its protein structure and associated phosphotransferase activity. However, in many investigations proteolytic fragments (principally p52v-src) of the src protein are actually studied. Here, we emphasize potential problems in the interpretation of experimental results in which the proteolytic fragmentation of p60v-src may be involved and offer several means for the complete prevention of this p60v-src degradation.