Biochemical and structural consequences of a glycine deletion in the α-8 helix of protoporphyrinogen oxidase

A rare Gly210 deletion in protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) was recently discovered in herbicide-resistant Amaranthus tuberculatus. According to the published X-ray structure of Nicotiana tabacum PPO, Gly210 is adjacent to, not in, the PPO active site, so it is a matter of interest to determine why its deletion imparts resistance to herbicides. In our kinetic experiments, this deletion did not affect the affinity of protoporphyrinogen IX nor the FAD content, but decreased the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. The suboptimal K_cat was compensated by a significant increase in the K_is for inhibitors and a switch in their interactions from competitive to mixed-type inhibition. In our protein modeling studies on herbicide-susceptible PPO and resistant PPO, we show that Gly210 plays a key role in the αL helix-capping motif at the C-terminus of the α-8 helix which helps to stabilize the helix. In molecular dynamics simulations, the deletion had significant architecture consequences, destabilizing the α-8 helix-capping region and unraveling the last turn of the helix, leading to enlargement of the active site cavity by ∼ 50%. This seemingly innocuous deletion of Gly210 of the mitochondrial PPO imparts herbicide resistance to this dual-targeted protein without severely affecting its normal physiological function, which may explain why this unusual mutation was the favored evolutionary path for achieving resistance to PPO inhibitors.     

Differential Involvement of the Five RNA Helicases in Adaptation of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 to Low Growth Temperatures

Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 possesses five RNA helicase-encoding genes overexpressed under cold growth conditions. Out of the five corresponding mutants, only the ΔcshA, ΔcshB, and ΔcshC strains were cold sensitive. Growth of the ΔcshA strain was also reduced at 30°C but not at 37°C. The cold phenotype was restored with the cshA gene for the ΔcshA strain and partially for the ΔcshB strain but not for the ΔcshC strain, suggesting different functions at low temperature.Bacillus cereus is a human pathogenic sporulated bacterium which is associated with emetic and diarrheal types of food-borne illnesses (4). B. cereus is widespread in the environment and in a wide range of foods. The growth domains of B. cereus strains range from psychrotrophic to nearly thermophilic and correlate with several phylogenetic clusters (15), which presumably permit B. cereus to colonize many different habitats with different thermal regimes. Many foods are stored refrigerated before consumption, and in such cases, B. cereus has to adapt to low-temperature conditions.B. cereus growth at low temperature takes place with a lag phase which may correspond to an adaptation phase (12). Cold is a stress which dramatically affects membrane fluidity, protein synthesis, and also the topology of nucleic acids (22). When exposed to low temperature, bacteria have to face a transient inhibition of protein synthesis mainly due to the presence of secondary structures in mRNA that are stabilized by cold conditions (16, 19). To overcome the translation interruption, cold-shocked cells synthesize cold-induced RNA helicases, which remove secondary structures from RNA duplexes in the presence of ATP, such as CsdA of Escherichia coli (19) or CshA of Bacillus subtilis (1). csdA and srmB deletion mutants of E. coli showed a cold-sensitive phenotype, and these RNA helicases have been described as involved in the biogenesis of the ribosomal 50S subunit at 20°C (10, 11). RNA helicases could also be involved in the degradation of mRNA by unwinding double-stranded mRNA, thereby allowing the action of RNase (8).We have recently shown that the deregulation of the expression of one RNA helicase gene of B. cereus ATCC 14579 increased the lag phase of B. cereus at a low temperature (7). In this context, our aim was to investigate the role of the five putative RNA helicases present in the genome of B. cereus ATCC 14579 in its adaptation at low temperature, close to the growth limit.     

Sorgoleone

Sorgoleone, a major component of the hydrophobic root exudate of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], is one of the most studied allelochemicals. The exudate also contains an equivalent amount of a lipid resorcinol analog as well as a number of minor sorgoleone congeners. Synthesis of sorgoleone is constitutive and compartmentalized within root hairs, which can accumulate up to 20 μg of exudate/mg root dry weight. The biosynthesis pathway involves unique fatty acid desaturases which produce an atypical 16:3 fatty acyl-CoA starter unit for an alkylresorcinol synthase that catalyzes the formation of a pentadecatrienylresorcinol intermediate. This intermediate is then methylated by SAM-dependent O-methyltransferases and dihydroxylated by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. An EST data set derived from a S. bicolor root hair-specific cDNA library contained all the candidate sequences potentially encoding enzymes involved in the sorgoleone biosynthetic pathway. Sorgoleone interferes with several molecular target sites, including inhibition of photosynthesis in germinating seedlings. Sorgoleone is not translocated acropetally in older plants, but can be absorbed through the hypocotyl and cotyledonary tissues. Therefore, the mode of action of sorgoleone may be the result of inhibition of photosynthesis in young seedlings in concert with inhibition of its other molecular target sites in older plants. Due to its hydrophobic nature, sorgoleone is strongly sorbed in soil which increases its persistence, but experiments show that it is mineralized by microorganisms over time.     

(Not) Keeping the stem straight: a proteomic analysis of maritime pine seedlings undergoing phototropism and gravitropism

Background  

Plants are subjected to continuous stimuli from the environment and have evolved an ability to respond through various growth and development processes. Phototropism and gravitropism responses enable the plant to reorient with regard to light and gravity.     

New method for selection of hydrogen peroxide adapted bifidobacteria cells using continuous culture and immobilized cell technology

Background  

Oxidative stress can severely compromise viability of bifidobacteria. Exposure of Bifidobacterium cells to oxygen causes accumulation of reactive oxygen species, mainly hydrogen peroxide, leading to cell death. In this study, we tested the suitability of continuous culture under increasing selective pressure combined with immobilized cell technology for the selection of hydrogen peroxide adapted Bifidobacterium cells. Cells of B. longum NCC2705 were immobilized in gellan-xanthan gum gel beads and used to continuously ferment MRS medium containing increasing concentration of H₂O₂ from 0 to 130 ppm.     

Characterization of single chain antibody targets through yeast two hybrid

Background  

Due to their unique ability to bind their targets with high fidelity, antibodies are used widely not only in biomedical research, but also in many clinical applications. Recombinant antibodies, including single chain variable fragments (scFv), are gaining momentum because they allow powerful in vitro selection and manipulation without loss of function. Regardless of the ultimate application or type of antibody used, precise understanding of the interaction between the antibody's binding site and its specific target epitope(s) is of great importance. However, such data is frequently difficult to obtain.     

Homology between a 173-kb Region from Mouse Chromosome 10, Telomeric to the Ifng Locus, and Human Chromosome 12q15

We sequenced a 173-kb region of mouse chromosome 10, telomeric to the Ifng locus, and compared it with the human homologous sequence located on chromosome 12q15 using various sequence analysis programs. This region has a low density of genes: one gene was detected in the mouse and the human sequences and a second gene was detected only in the human sequence. The mouse gene and its human orthologue, which are expressed in the immune system at a low level, produce a noncoding mRNA. Nonexpressed sequences show a higher degree of conservation than exons in this genomic region. At least three of these conserved sequences are also conserved in a third mammalian species (sheep or cow).     

Endocrine regulation of energy metabolism by the skeleton

The regulation of bone remodeling by an adipocyte-derived hormone implies that bone may exert a feedback control of energy homeostasis. To test this hypothesis we looked for genes expressed in osteoblasts, encoding signaling molecules and affecting energy metabolism. We show here that mice lacking the protein tyrosine phosphatase OST-PTP are hypoglycemic and are protected from obesity and glucose intolerance because of an increase in beta-cell proliferation, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, mice lacking the osteoblast-secreted molecule osteocalcin display decreased beta-cell proliferation, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Removing one Osteocalcin allele from OST-PTP-deficient mice corrects their metabolic phenotype. Ex vivo, osteocalcin can stimulate CyclinD1 and Insulin expression in beta-cells and Adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing adipokine, in adipocytes; in vivo osteocalcin can improve glucose tolerance. By revealing that the skeleton exerts an endocrine regulation of sugar homeostasis this study expands the biological importance of this organ and our understanding of energy metabolism.