Variation in expression of sex factor genes in the Proteus-Providencia group relative to Escherichia coli.

Several instances of anomalous expression of genes introduced from Escherichia coli K-12 into Proteus mirabilis have been described. It is shown here that control of sex pilus synthesis directed by the F-like R factor R1 and its depressed derivatives R1-16 (O-C) and R1-19 (i-minus) is also anomalous in P. mirabilis. Piliation in cells bearing the depressed plasmids is expressed at a lower level than in E. coli K-12, and repression is absent in R1-carrying cells. Preliminary results show a similar effect in Providencia. In Proteus morganii, a similarly reduced level of piliation in R1-16-+ or R1-19-+ cultures is observed, but an intermediate level of repression occurs in R1-+ cultures. Less extensive data suggest that expression of the sex factor genes of an R factor of the N incompatibility group differs far less between E. coli and P. mirabilis hosts. Possible bases for these effects are discussed.     

Biotin-binding protein from chicken egg yolk. Assay and relationship to egg-white avidin.

1. Biotin in chicken egg yolk is non-covalently bound to a specific protein that comprises 0.03% of the total yolk protein (0.8 mg/yolk). This biotin-binding protein is not detectable by the normal avidin assay owing to the biotin being tightly bound. Exchange of [14C]biotin for bound biotin at 65 degrees C is the basis of an assay for this protein. 2. Biotin-binding protein from egg yolk is distinguishable from egg-white avidin on Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, although the sizes of the two proteins appear quite similar. 3. Biotin-binding protein is denatured at a lower temperature and freely exchanges biotin at lower temperatures than does avidin. 4. The biotin-binding protein in egg yolk is postulated to be responsible for the deposition of biotin in egg yolk. D-[carboxyl-14C]Biotin injected into laying hens rapidly appears in the egg bound to yolk biotin-binding protein and avidin. Over 60% of the radioactivity is eventually deposited in eggs. The kinetics of biotin deposition in the egg suggests a 25 day half-life for an intracellular biotinyl-coenzyme pool in the laying hen.     

Evidence of non-vascular land plants from the early Silurian (Llandoverian) of Virginia,U.S.A.

Evidence is presented for the earliest known occurrences of non-vascular land plants and of higher, septate fungi. Macerates of carbonaceous silstone lenses from the lower Massanutten Sandstone, early Silurian (Llandoverian) of Virginia, have yielded a diverse assemblage of microfossil elements. Parallel aligned, banded tubes with annular to spiral ribbing and rounded to papilliform ends, membranous cellular sheets, cuticles, trilete spores, small spore tetrads, and septate higher filamentous fungi were recovered from the macerates. The banded tubes are probably a significant analogue with supportive or conductive cell types, but are not considered tracheidal. The heterogeneous plant assemblage may represent a thalloid, non-vascular land plant, in part, with a tubular-filamentous (nematophytic) organization associated with a membranous cellular layer and cuticular covering. While no spores were established as nematophytic, the presence of trilete spores adds to the indirect evidence of multiple evolutionary convergence toward land-plant characters. This assemblage is interpreted as of land-plant origin, based on the inferred fluvial depositional model of the fossiliferous rocks. A glacio-eustatic sea-level drop in the late Ordovician is suggested as a stimulus to the advent of land plants in the early Silurian.     

Interaction between T cells and non-T cells in suppression of cytotoxic lymphocyte responses.

Generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in mixed leukocyte cultures was suppressed by a factor elaborated by alloantigen-activated T cells. This suppressor factor, CTL-TsF, in contrast to a factor that suppresses proliferative responses in mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR-TsF), was effective only when added during the first 24 hr of a 6-day-culture period. Moreover, removal of CTL-TsF 24 hr after culture initiation failed to restore CTL responses. CTL activity could be rescued from suppressed cultures, however, by addition of 2-mercaptoethanol on days 3 or 4. Similarly, transfer of nonadherent cells at 3 or 4 days from cultures treated with CTL-TsF to cultures of adherent cells initiated in control factor restored CTL responses. Mixing experiments with cells pulsed with CTL-TsF for 4 hr at culture initiation identified a target of CTL-TsF as a Thy-1 negative cell that was adherent to plastic and to Sephadex G-10. Suppression was not due to interference with physiologic accessory cell function, but more likely was accomplished via a negative signal from CTL-TsF-pulsed cells. The results thus suggest that CTL-TsF acts early, but reversibly, in the CTL differentiative process via a second suppressor effector cell, possibly a macrophage.     

Gene disruption in Candida albicans using a synthetic, codon-optimised Cre-loxP system

The development of the molecular toolbox for the fungal pathogen Candida albicans has been hampered by its lack of an exploitable sexual cycle, its diploid nature, and its non-canonical genetic code. We describe the adaptation of the Cre-loxP site-specific recombination system as a tool for the efficient and controlled disruption of C. albicans genes. We have validated this system by disrupting two C. albicans loci: ADE2 and MET15. Ade2 and met15 null mutants were made using loxP-flanked ARG4- and HIS1-based disruption cassettes. These markers were then resolved from the C. albicans genome using a synthetic codon-optimised cre recombinase gene, with near 100% efficiency. Finally, CIp plasmids containing the URA3, HIS1, and ARG4 markers were generated for the reintegration of markers and target genes in control strains. This system allows multiple and sequential genetic manipulations, which will facilitate the functional analysis of multigene families in C. albicans.     

Investigations into the membrane interactions of m-calpain domain V

m-calpain is a calcium-dependent heterodimeric protease implicated in a number of pathological conditions. The activation of m-calpain appears to be modulated by membrane interaction, which has been predicted to involve oblique-orientated alpha-helix formation by a GTAMRILGGVI segment located in domain V of the protein's small subunit. Here, we have investigated this prediction. Fourier transform infrared conformational analysis showed that VP1, a peptide homolog of this segment, exhibited alpha-helicity of approximately 45% in the presence of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine/dimyristoylphosphatidylserine (DMPS) vesicles. The level of helicity was unaffected over a 1- to 8-mM concentration range and did not alter when the anionic lipid composition of these vesicles was varied between 1% and 10% DMPS. Similar levels of alpha-helicity were observed in trifluoroethanol and the peptide appeared to adopt alpha-helical structure at an air/water interface with a molecular area of 164 A(2) at the monolayer collapse pressure. VP1 was found to penetrate dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine/DMPS monolayers, and at an initial surface pressure of 30 mN m(-1), the peptide induced surface pressure changes in these monolayers that correlated strongly with their anionic lipid content (maximal at 4 mN m(-1) in the presence of 10% DMPS). Neutron diffraction studies showed VP1 to be localized at the hydrophobic core of model palmitoyloleylphosphatidylcholine/palmitoyloleylphosphatidylserine (10:1 molar ratio) bilayer structures and, in combination, these results are consistent with the oblique membrane penetration predicted for the peptide. It would also appear that although not needed for structural stabilization anionic lipid was required for membrane penetration.     

BACE1 cytoplasmic domain interacts with the copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase-1 and binds copper

The amyloidogenic pathway leading to the production and deposition of Abeta peptides, major constituents of Alzheimer disease senile plaques, is linked to neuronal metal homeostasis. The amyloid precursor protein binds copper and zinc in its extracellular domain, and the Abeta peptides also bind copper, zinc, and iron. The first step in the generation of Abeta is cleavage of amyloid precursor protein by the aspartic protease BACE1. Here we show that BACE1 interacts with CCS (the copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1)) through domain I and the proteins co-immunoprecipitate from rat brain extracts. We have also been able to visualize the co-transport of membranous BACE1 and soluble CCS through axons. BACE1 expression reduces the activity of SOD1 in cells consistent with direct competition for available CCS as overexpression of CCS restores SOD1 activity. Finally, we demonstrate that the twenty-four residue C-terminal domain of BACE1 binds a single Cu(I) atom with high affinity through cysteine residues.     

Purification and spectropotentiometric characterization of Escherichia coli NrfB, a decaheme homodimer that transfers electrons to the decaheme periplasmic nitrite reductase complex

Escherichia coli can reduce nitrite to ammonium via a 120-kDa decaheme homodimeric periplasmic nitrite reductase (NrfA) complex. Recent structure-based spectropotentiometric studies are shedding light on the catalytic mechanism of NrfA; however, electron input into the enzyme has not been addressed biochemically. This study reports the first purification of NrfB, a novel 20-kDa pentaheme c-type cytochrome encoded by the nrfB gene that follows the nrfA gene in many bacterial nrf operons. Analyses by gel filtration demonstrated that NrfB purifies as a decaheme homodimer. Analysis of NrfB by UV-visible and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy demonstrates that all five NrfB ferric heme irons are low spin and are most likely coordinated by two axial histidine ligands. Spectropotentiometry revealed that the midpoint redox potentials of five ferric hemes were in the low potential range of 0 to -400 mV. Analysis by low temperature EPR spectroscopy revealed signals that arise from two classes of bis-His ligated low spin hemes, namely a rhombic trio at g(1,2,3) = 2.99, 2.27, and 1.5 that arises from two hemes in which the planes of histidine imidazole rings are near-parallel and a large g(max) signal at g = 3.57 that arises from three hemes in which the planes of the histidine imidazole rings are near-perpendicular. NrfB was also overexpressed as a recombinant protein, which had similar spectropotentiometric properties as the native protein. Reconstitution experiments demonstrated that the reduced decaheme NrfB dimer could serve as a direct electron donor to the oxidized decaheme NrfA dimer, thus forming a transient 20-heme [NrfB](2)[NrfA](2) electron transfer complex.