Stimulation of Cellular Thymidine Kinases by Human Cytomegalovirus

Thymidine kinase (TK) activity in WI-38 and MRC-5 human fibroblasts was analyzed by discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (disc-PAGE) and discontinuous glycerol gradient electrophoresis (disc-GEP) after subculture or human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. Two peaks of TK activity with different relative fraction-of-migration (R(f)) values were resolved by disc-PAGE or disc-GEP in extracts from log-phase and infected cells. Growing WI-38 cells expressed a slowly migrating (R(f) = 0.14 PAGE, R(f) = 0.4 GEP) peak of TK activity, which was partially inhibited by 1.0 mM dCTP, but which retained little activity at pH 4.5. Growing MRC cells also displayed a slowly migrating peak (R(f) = 0.10 PAGE) with similar properties. Both cell types expressed a faster-migrating TK activity (R(f) = 0.45 PAGE, R(f) = 0.7 GEP) in the growing and resting state that was strongly inhibited by 1 mM dCTP but retained 50% activity at pH 4.5. When either cell type was infected with HCMV, there was a rapid and high-level stimulation of the slowly migrating form of TK and a slight stimulation of the faster-migrating form. Two strains of HCMV (AD169 and Town) failed to produce an electrophoretically distinct virus TK in either cell type after infection. TK enzymes were partially purified by disc-GEP from extracts of log-phase WI-38 or AD169-infected WI-38 cells. Characterization of these enzymes with respect to phosphate donor specificity, pH optima, thermostability, and salt inhibition showed the HCMV-stimulated TKs to be of cellular origin.     

Purification of cytoplasmic antigens from the mycelial phase of Candida albicans: Possible advantages of its use in Candida serology

The serology of candidiasis is complicated by the use of poorly defined antigens. Total extracts of the yeast phase have been commonly used as cytoplasmic antigen, without regard to the significant amounts of carbohydrate that may contaminate such preparations. This is particularly true in the case of commercially available antigens that have been used as cytoplasmic antigens but actually are richer in carbohydrate than in protein. Affinity chromatography in concanavalin A — Sepharose provides a simple procedure to separate carbohydrates, mainly mannan, from protein antigens in whole Candida extracts. By using mannan-poor antigens, the specificity of serological reactions can be increased considerably, since both the positive reactions seen in asymptomatic donors and the cross-reactions seen in patients infected with other fungi are due to anti-mannan antibodies. In contrast, both anti-mannan and anti-cytoplasmic antigen antibodies can be detected in patients suspected of systemic candidiasis. On the other hand, absolute specificity may never be achieved for systemic candidiasis. We have found antibodies against cytoplasmic antigen in a patient allergic to C. albicans, in whom the microorganism was isolated from fecal material. It appears that, under favorable conditions, mucosal sensitization may also trigger a systemic reaction directed against both mannan and cytoplasmic antigens.Publication no. 341 from The Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina.     

Characterization of DNA-protein complexes from simian adenovirus SA7.

DNA-protein complexes prepared from purified simian adenovirus SA7 virions and from lytically infected monkey kidney cells exhibited similar properties when compared with respect to size by sucrose gradient centrifugation, to configuration by electron microscopy, and to susceptibility to a variety of treatments by electron microscopy and electrophoresis in agarose gels.     

High affinity divalent cation exchange on actin. Association rate measurements support the simple competitive model

Each actin molecule has one high affinity site which binds a divalent cation. It has been proposed that an isomerization of the actin molecule is involved in divalent cation exchange at this site ("isomerization model," Frieden, C. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 2882-2886); we have maintained that exchange is by a simple competitive mechanism (Estes, J. E., Selden, L. A., and Gershman, L. C. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 4952-4957). Here, using fluorescent-labeled actin, we measure the apparent rate constant for exchange (kapp) as a function of the ratio of free Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations, ([Ca]/[Mg]), and show that both models are consistent with the data. The major parameter controlling this relationship in the simple competitive exchange model, the ratio of the association rate constants for Ca2+ and Mg2+ to actin (kCa/kMg), is found to have a value of about 90. We have verified this parameter by direct measurements of kCa and kMg, finding that kCa = 1.9 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 and kMg = 2.3 x 10(5) M-1 s-1, consistent with the characteristics of the Ca2+ and Mg2+ aquo ions. The corresponding parameter derived from the isomerization model is not verifiable. We conclude that high affinity divalent cation exchange on actin proceeds by a simple competitive mechanism.     

Subunit interactions control protein phosphatase 2A. Effects of limited proteolysis, N-ethylmaleimide, and heparin on the interaction of the B subunit.

Protein phosphatase 2A consists of a heterotrimeric complex composed of a catalytic subunit (C) and two associated subunits (A and B). Limited tryptic digestion of the heterotrimeric ABC form resulted in the selective degradation of the Mr = 55,000 B subunit to a 48-kDa polypeptide. The cleavage sites were determined to be within a 3-7-kDa region of the COOH terminus. Proteolysis led to dissociation of the B subunit from the enzyme complex and correlated with an increase in cardiac myosin light chain, smooth muscle myosin light chain peptide, and Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly (Kemptide) phosphatase activity. Purification of the digestion products and native gel electrophoresis indicated that dissociation of the B subunit was responsible for the increase in phosphatase activity. Kinetic analyses with several substrates revealed that dissociation of the B subunit resulted in a 2-7-fold increase in Vmax and a 1.6-5 fold increase in Km. Proteolytic dissociation of the B subunit increased the sensitivity of protein phosphatase 2A to inhibition by okadaic acid. Inhibition of the trypsinized enzyme was very similar to that observed for the purified AC form of protein phosphatase 2A. Incubation of the ABC complex with N-ethylmaleimide resulted in dissociation of the C subunit and generation of an AB complex. Selective release of the C subunit indicated that the B subunit interacts directly with the A subunit and that one or more free sulfhydryls are required to maintain the heterotrimeric structure of protein phosphatase 2A. Treatment of the enzyme with heparin resulted in an increase in specific activity that was due to the release of the B subunit from the complex. These results provide evidence that the B subunit binds directly to the A subunit to modulate enzyme activity and substrate specificity and that the COOH-terminal region of this protein is important for interaction with the AC complex. Dissociation of the B subunit by polyanionic substances related to heparin may represent a mechanism for regulating the activity of this enzyme.     

Biochemical and functional analysis of extracellular stress proteins of Mesocestoides corti

Previous studies of the serum antibody response in mice to Mesocestoides corti infection indicated that molecules released by the parasite influenced the production of IgM and IgG1 to the exclusion of other isotypes. Two proteins isolated from M. corti culture supernatants were found to be homologous to the 70-kDa heat shock proteins (hsp70) and Escherichia coli GroEL families of stress proteins. The proliferative responses of splenic lymphocytes from infected mice were assessed to unfractionated M. corti supernatants as well as the 70- and 60-kDa stress protein homologs isolated from supernatants. Lymphocytes from infected mice respond to complete supernatant and both of the isolated p70 and p60 stress protein homologs. In addition, supernatant from M. corti cultures stimulates an in vitro antibody response restricted to IgM and IgG1; the same isotypes induced during infection. These results suggest that stress proteins play an integral part in the immune response to M. corti and the associated isotype restriction.     

A truncated recombinant alpha subunit of Gi3 with a reduced affinity for beta gamma dimers and altered guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate binding.

The baculovirus-based expression system was adapted to express alpha subunits of the complete (alpha i3) and an amino-terminally truncated (alpha i3') form of Gi3 and of two complete forms of Gs (alpha s-L and alpha s-S). Subunits encoded in full length cDNAs were obtained with yields of 40-60 mg of recombinant protein/liter of cells, of which alpha i3 was between 30 and 50% soluble, but alpha s subunits were only 5-10% soluble. Only the complete alpha i3 was myristoylated. alpha i3 was purified in four steps. The purified protein bound 0.8-0.9 mol of guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) per mol of protein and had one predominant contaminant which was identified as a truncated form that begins with methionine 18 instead of methionine 1. Both the full length alpha i3 and the truncated alpha i3' formed trimers with human erythrocyte beta gamma as seen by their migration in sucrose density gradients and by an increased rate of ADP ribosylation by pertussis toxin, but compared to alpha i3, alpha i3' interacted with beta gamma with a reduced affinity and dissociated upon warming. At 32 degrees C, only full length alpha i3 was ADP-ribosylated; at 4 degrees C, alpha i3 and alpha i3' were both ADP-ribosylated, with the truncated form requiring approximately 200-fold higher concentrations of beta gamma. A genetically engineered alpha i3' (alpha i3[18-354]) was also expressed in Sf9 cells. Yields, assessed as saturable GTP gamma S binding sites, were 3-5 mg per liter. Scatchard analysis showed that truncation of the amino terminus interferes with the ability of Mg2+ to promote high affinity binding of GTP gamma S. We conclude that the G protein alpha subunit amino terminus is not essential for interaction with beta gamma dimers, but rather is important in determining the affinity of the alpha subunit for both the beta gamma dimers and guanine nucleotide.     

Concentration and detection of hepatitis A virus and rotavirus from shellfish by hybridization tests.

A modified polyethylene glycol precipitation method for concentration of virus followed by a new method to recover nucleic acid was used to detect hepatitis A virus (HAV) and rotavirus (SA11) in shellfish (oysters and hard-shell clams) by hybridization tests. Infectious virus, seeded into relatively large quantities of shellfish, was recovered consistently, with greater than 90% efficiency as measured by either in situ hybridization (HAV) or plaque assay (rotavirus SA11). Viral nucleic acid for dot blot hybridization assays was extracted and purified from virus-containing polyethylene glycol concentrates. Separation of shellfish polysaccharides from nucleic acid was necessary before viral RNA could be detected by dot blot hybridization. Removal of shellfish polysaccharides was accomplished by using the cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Use of CTAB reduced background interference with hybridization signals, which resulted in increased hybridization test sensitivity. After polysaccharide removal, dot blot hybridization assays could detect approximately 10(6) physical particles (corresponding to approximately 10(3) infectious particles) of HAV and 10(4) PFU of SA11 rotavirus present in 20-g samples of oyster and clam meats. These studies show continuing promise for the development of uniform methods to directly detect human viral pathogens in different types of shellfish. However, practical applications of such methods to detect noncultivatable human viral pathogens of public health interest will require additional improvements in test sensitivity.     

Evidence that heat shock protein-70 associated with progesterone receptors is not involved in receptor-DNA binding.

In the absence of hormone, human progesterone receptors (PR) are recovered in the cytosolic fraction of cell lysates as a multimeric complex containing the steroid-binding polypeptide, heat shock protein-90 (hsp90), and heat shock protein-70 (hsp70). Activated forms of human PR that acquire the ability to bind to DNA are dissociated from hsp90, but retain association with hsp70. The present study has examined whether associated hsp70 has a function in receptor-DNA binding. When activated PR was bound to specific target DNA in a gel shift assay, no hsp70 was detectable in the PR-DNA complex, as evidenced by the failure of several antibodies to hsp70 to affect the mobility or the amount of complexes. To determine whether hsp70 might indirectly influence DNA-binding activity, we have examined the effect of hsp70 dissociation on PR-DNA-binding activity. Dissociation was achieved either by treatment of immunoaffinity-purified immobilized PR complexes with ATP or by the binding of PR complexes to ATP-agarose, followed by elution with high salt. Under both conditions, dissociation from hsp70 neither enhanced nor impaired the ability of PR to bind to specific DNA. These results suggest that hsp70 is not involved in PR binding to DNA, either directly by participating in DNA binding or indirectly by modulating PR-DNA-binding activity. This implies that hsp70 functions at an earlier stage in the receptor activation pathway. Consistent with the known involvement of hsp70 in stabilizing unfolded states of other target proteins, we propose that hsp70 may assist in nuclear transport of PR or in assembly-disassembly of the 8-10S multimeric complex.