Identification of allosteric peptide agonists of CXCR4

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is a co-receptor for T-tropic strains of HIV-1. A number of small molecule antagonists of CXCR4 are in development but all are likely to lead to adverse effects due to the physiological function of CXCR4. To prevent these complications, allosteric agonists may be therapeutically useful as adjuvant therapy in combination with small molecule antagonists. A synthetic cDNA library coding for 160,000 different SDF-based peptides was screened for CXCR4 agonist activity in a yeast strain expressing a functional receptor. Peptides that activated CXCR4 in an autocrine manner induced colony formation. Two peptides, designated RSVM and ASLW, were identified as novel agonists that are insensitive to the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. In chemotaxis assays using the acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line CCRF-CEM, RSVM behaves as a partial agonist and ASLW as a superagonist. The superagonist activity of ASLW may be related to its inability to induce receptor internalization. In CCRF-CEM cells, the two peptides are also not inhibited by another CXCR4 antagonist, T140, or the neutralizing monoclonal antibodies 12G5 and 44717.111. These results suggest that alternative agonist-binding sites are present on CXCR4 that could be screened to develop molecules for therapeutic use.     

Determinants of cardiac Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger temperature dependence: NH(2)-terminal transmembrane segments

The cardiacNa⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger (NCX) in troutexhibits profoundly lower temperature sensitivity in comparison to themammalian NCX. In this study, we attempt to characterize the regions of the NCX molecule that are responsible for its temperature sensitivity. Chimeric NCX molecules were constructed using wild-type trout andcanine NCX cDNA and expressed in Xenopus oocytes.NCX-mediated currents were measured at 7, 14, and 30°C using thegiant excised-patch technique. By using this approach, the differentialtemperature dependence of NCX was found to reside within theNH₂-terminal region of the molecule. Specifically, we foundthat ~75% of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchangedifferential energy of activation is attributable to sequencedifferences in the region that include the first four transmembranesegments, and the remainder is attributable to transmembrane segmentfive and the exchanger inhibitory peptide site.

     

X-linked cone-rod dystrophy (locus COD1): identification of mutations in RPGR exon ORF15

X-linked cone-rod dystrophy (COD1) is a retinal disease that primarily affects the cone photoreceptors; the disease was originally mapped to a limited region of Xp11.4. We evaluated the three families from our original study with new markers and clinically reassessed all key recombinants; we determined that the critical intervals in families 2 and 3 overlapped the RP3 locus and that a status change (from affected to probably unaffected) of a key recombinant individual in family 1 also reassigned the disease locus to include RP3 as well. Mutation analysis of the entire RPGR coding region identified two different 2-nucleotide (nt) deletions in ORF15, in family 2 (delAG) and in families 1 and 3 (delGG), both of which result in a frameshift leading to altered amino acid structure and early termination. In addition, an independent individual with X-linked cone-rod dystrophy demonstrated a 1-nt insertion (insA) in ORF15. The presence of three distinct mutations associated with the same disease phenotype provides strong evidence that mutations in RPGR exon ORF15 are responsible for COD1. Genetic heterogeneity was observed in three other families, including the identification of an in-frame 12-nt deletion polymorphism in ORF15 that did not segregate with the disease in one of these families.     

Nucleotide binding and nucleotide hydrolysis properties of the ABC transporter MRP6 (ABCC6)

Mutations in the MRP gene family member MRP6 cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) in humans, a disease affecting elasticity of connective tissues. The normal function of MRP6, including its physiological substrate(s), remains unknown. To address these issues, recombinant rat Mrp6 (rMrp6) was expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. The protein was expressed in the membrane fraction as a stable 170 kDa protein. Its nucleotide binding and hydrolysis properties were investigated using the photoactive ATP analogue 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ATP and compared to those of the drug efflux pump MRP1. rMrp6 can bind 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ATP in a Mg(2+)-dependent and EDTA-sensitive fashion. Co(2+), Mn(2+), and Ni(2+) can also support 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ATP binding by rMrp6 while Ca(2+), Cd(2+), and Zn(2+) cannot. Under hydrolysis conditions (at 37 degrees C), the phosphate analogue beryllium fluoride (BeF(x)()) can stimulate trapping of the 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]adenosine nucleotide in rMrp6 (and in MRP1) in a divalent cation-dependent and temperature-sensitive fashion. This suggests active ATPase activity, followed by trapping and photo-cross-linking of the 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ADP to the protein. By contrast to MRP1, orthovanadate-stimulated nucleotide trapping in rMrp6 does not occur in the presence of Mg(2+) but can be detected with Ni(2+) ions, suggesting structural and/or functional differences between the two proteins. The rMrp6 protein can be specifically photolabeled by a fluorescent photoactive drug analogue, [(125)I]-IAARh123, with characteristics similar to those previously reported for MRP1 (1), and this photolabeling of rMrp6 can be modulated by several structurally unrelated compounds. The P. pastoris expression system has allowed demonstration of ATP binding and ATP hydrolysis by rMrp6. In addition to providing large amounts of active protein for detailed biochemical studies, this system should also prove useful to identify potential rMrp6 substrates in [(125)I]-IAARh123 photolabeling competition studies, as well as to study the molecular basis of PXE mutations, which are most often found in the NBD2 of MRP6.     

The anti-HIV pentameric pseudopeptide HB-19 binds the C-terminal end of nucleolin and prevents anchorage of virus particles in the plasma membrane of target cells

The multivalent pseudopeptide HB-19 that binds the cell-surface-expressed nucleolin is a potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by blocking virus particle attachment and thus anchorage in the plasma membrane. We show that cross-linking of surface-bound HB-19A (like HB-19 but with a modified template) results in aggregation of HB-19A with surface nucleolin. Consistent with its specific action, HB-19A binding to different types of cells reaches saturation at concentrations that have been reported to result in inhibition of HIV infection. By using Chinese hamster ovary mutant cell lines, we confirm that the binding of HB-19A to surface nucleolin is independent of heparan and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. In vitro generated full-length nucleolin was found to bind HB-19A, whereas the N-terminal part containing the acidic amino acid stretches of nucleolin did not. The use of various deletion constructs of the C-terminal part of nucleolin then permitted the identification of the extreme C-terminal end of nucleolin, containing repeats of the amino acid motif, RGG, as the domain that binds HB-19A. Finally, a synthetic peptide corresponding to the last C-terminal 63 amino acids was able to inhibit HIV infection at the stage of HIV attachment to cells, thus suggesting that this domain could be functional in the HIV anchorage process.     

Use of stable isotopically labeled tracers to measure very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride turnover

Tracer methods for VLDL-TG kinetics vary in their ability to account for the effect of tracer recycling, which can influence the calculation of VLDL-TG fractional catabolic rates (FCRs). We evaluated a novel approach, involving stable isotopically labeled glycerol or palmitate tracers in conjunction with compartmental modeling, for measuring VLDL-TG kinetics in normolipidemic human subjects. When administered as a bolus simultaneously, both tracers provided identical VLDL-TG FCRs when the data were analyzed by a compartmental model that accounted for hepatic lipid tracer recycling, but not by non-compartmental analysis. The model-derived FCR was greater than that determined using a non-compartmental approach, and was 2- to 3-fold higher than that usually reported by using a bolus of radioactive [3H]glycerol. When palmitate tracer was given as a constant infusion, VLDL-TG turnover appeared 5-fold slower, because tracer recycling through hepatic lipid pools could not be resolved with the infusion protocol. We conclude that accounting for tracer recycling, particularly the contribution of hepatic glycerolipid pools, is essential to accurately measure VLDL-TG kinetics, and that bolus injection of stable isotopically labeled glycerol or palmitate tracers in conjunction with compartmental modeling analysis offers a reliable approach for measuring VLDL-TG kinetics.     

The tautomerase active site of macrophage migration inhibitory factor is a potential target for discovery of novel anti-inflammatory agents

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an immunoregulatory protein that is a potential therapeutic target for a number of inflammatory diseases. Evidence exists that an unexpected catalytic active site of MIF may have a biological function. To gain further insight into the role of the catalytic active site, a series of mutational, structural, and biological activity studies were performed. The insertion of an alanine between Pro-1 and Met-2 (PAM) abolishes a non-physiological catalytic activity, and this mutant is defective in the in vitro glucocorticoid counter-regulatory activity of MIF. The crystal structure of MIF complexed to (S,R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester (ISO-1), an inhibitor of MIF d-dopachrome tautomerase activity, reveals that ISO-1 binds to the same position of the active site as p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid, a substrate of MIF. ISO-1 inhibits several MIF biological activities, further establishing a role for the catalytic active site of MIF.     

IL-13-induced chemokine responses in the lung: role of CCR2 in the pathogenesis of IL-13-induced inflammation and remodeling

IL-13 stimulates inflammatory and remodeling responses and contributes to the pathogenesis of human airways disorders. To further understand the cellular and molecular events that mediate these responses, we characterized the effects of IL-13 on monocyte chemotactic proteins (MCPs) and compared the tissue effects of transgenic IL-13 in mice with wild-type (+/+) and null (-/-) CCR2 loci. Transgenic IL-13 was a potent stimulator of MCP-1, -2, -3, and -5. This stimulation was not specific for MCPs because macrophage-inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, MIP-2, MIP-3alpha, thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine, thymus-expressed chemokine, eotaxin, eotaxin 2, macrophage-derived chemokines, and C10 were also induced. The ability of IL-13 to increase lung size, alveolar size, and lung compliance, to stimulate pulmonary inflammation, hyaluronic acid accumulation, and tissue fibrosis, and to cause respiratory failure and death were markedly decreased, whereas mucus metaplasia was not altered in CCR2(-/-) mice. CCR2 deficiency did not decrease the basal or IL-13-stimulated expression of target matrix metalloproteinases or cathepsins but did increase the levels of mRNA encoding alpha1-antitrypsin, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, -2, and -4, and secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor. In addition, the levels of bioactive and total TGF-beta(1) were decreased in lavage fluids from IL-13 transgenic mice with -/- CCR2 loci. These studies demonstrate that IL-13 is a potent stimulator of MCPs and other CC chemokines and document the importance of MCP-CCR2 signaling in the pathogenesis of the IL-13-induced pulmonary phenotype.