Formation of 70S ribosomes: large activation energy is required for the adaptation of exclusively the small ribosomal subunit

Association of ribosomal subunits is an essential reaction during the initiation phase of protein synthesis. Optimal conditions for 70S formation in vitro were determined to 20 mM Mg2+ and 30 mM K+. Under these conditions, the association reaction proceeds with first order kinetics, suggesting a conformational change to be the rate-limiting step. 70S formation separates into two sub-reactions, the adaptation of the ribosomal subunits to the association conditions and the association step itself. The activation energy of the process was determined to 78 kJ/mol and revealed to be required exclusively for the adaptation of the small subunit, rather than the large subunit or the association step. The presence of mRNA [poly(U)] together with cognate AcPhe-tRNA, accelerates the association rate significantly, forming a well-defined 70S peak in sucrose gradient profiles. mRNA alone provokes an equivalent acceleration, however, the resulting 70S couple impresses as an ill-defined, broad peak, probably indicating the readiness of the ribosome for tRNA binding, upon which the ribosome flips into a defined state.     

Engineering-enhanced protein secretory expression in yeast with application to insulin

Adaptation to efficient heterologous expression is a prerequisite for recombinant proteins to fulfill their clinical and biotechnological potential. We describe a rational strategy to optimize the secretion efficiency in yeast of an insulin precursor by structure-based engineering of the folding stability. The yield of a fast-acting insulin analogue (Asp(B28)) expressed in yeast was enhanced 5-fold by engineering a specific interaction between an aromatic amino acid in the connecting peptide and a phenol binding site in the hydrophobic core of the molecule. This insulin precursor is characterized by significantly enhanced folding stability. The improved folding properties enhanced the secretion efficiency of the insulin precursor from 10 to 50%. The precursor remains fully in vitro convertible to mature fast-acting insulin.     

Immobilization of pectin fragments on solid supports: novel coupling by thiazolidine formation

As a prerequisite to solid-phase and sequence analyses and for the study of the fine structure of pectin, we have developed oriented and chemoselective methodologies to couple model pectin fragments onto a solid support. Polyethylene glycol polyacrylamide (PEGA) resins were selected due to their excellent swelling properties in a wide range of solvents, including water, and their easy accessibility to enzymes. Following appropriate derivatization of amino-terminated PEGA resins, oligomers of alpha-D-galacturonic acid (GalA), up to the trimer, were anchored to the support through their reducing end. In addition to reductive amination, the strategies included the formation of an oxime bond, a glycosyl hydrazide, and a pyroglutamyl ring. Further, we developed a new immobilization approach based on the formation of a thiazolidine ring. All methods proved efficient and did not require modification of the GalA oligomers prior to coupling. In addition, very mild conditions and few steps for derivatization of the support were required. Immobilization by thiazolidine ring and oxime bond formation were the preferred methods, given the stability of the linkages formed, their compatibility with aqueous solvents, the few number of steps required, and their potential for application to larger pectin fragments. Thiazolidine and pyroglutamyl anchoring were developed further by the insertion of a disulfide bond which allowed release of the saccharides under mild, selective conditions.     

How does tmRNA move through the ribosome?

To test the structure of tmRNA in solution, cross-linking experiments were performed which showed two sets of cross-links in two different domains of tmRNA. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to search for tmRNA nucleotide bases that might form a functional analogue of a codon-anticodon duplex to be recognized by the ribosomal A-site. We demonstrate that nucleotide residues U85 and A86 from tmRNA are significant for tmRNA function and propose that they are involved in formation of a tmRNA element playing a central role in A-site recognition. These data are discussed in the frame of a hypothetical model that suggests a general scheme for the interaction of tmRNA with the ribosome and explains how it moves through the ribosome.     

Biophysical study of a molecular intermediate preceding collapse of tight couple and Kaltschmidt-Wittmann ribosomes

Ocellatusin is a new RGD-containing short monomeric disintegrin. It is a better inhibitor of alpha(5)beta(1) integrin and a more potent inducer of the expression of a ligand-induced binding site epitope on beta(1) integrin subunit than echistatin. In further contrast to echistatin, ocellatusin has a direct chemotactic stimulus on human neutrophils in vitro. The distinct effects of these two close evolutionarily related disintegrins might be explained by the presence of methionine-22 and histidine-29 in the RGD loop of ocellatusin, which are arginine and aspartic acid, respectively, in echistatin. These mutations may modulate the conformation and/or recognition properties of the integrin-binding loop of ocellatusin.     

Typification of some Maloideae (Rosaceae) commonly cultivated in Norden

In connection with a contribution of various genera of Maloideae (Rosaceae) to "Flora Nordica" lectotypes are designated for Crataegus sanguinea, C. punctata, Pyrus japonica (‵ Chaenomeles japonica ), Crataegus pyrifolia (‵ Photinia pyrifolia ), and Pyrus floribunda (‵ Photinia floribunda ) . A lectotype and an epitype is selected for Mespilus flabellata (‵ Crataegus flabellata ) . — Flora Nordica note no. 23.     

CpG islands detected by self-primed in situ labeling (SPRINS)

We have studied the distribution and methylation of CpG islands on human chromosomes, using the novel technique of self-primed in situ labeling (SPRINS). The SPRINS technique is a hybrid of the two techniques primed in situ labeling (PRINS) and nick translation in situ. SPRINS detects chromosomal DNA breaks, as in nick translation in situ, and not annealed primers, as is the case in PRINS. We analyzed in situ-generated DNA breaks induced by the restriction enzymes HpaII and MspI. These restriction enzymes enable the detection of chromosomal CpG islands. Both HpaII- and MspI-SPRINS produce a banding pattern resembling R-banding, indicating a higher level of CpG islands in R-positive bands than in R-negative bands. Our SPRINS banding observations also indicate differences in sequence copy number in the satellites of homologous acrocentric chromosomes. Furthermore, a comparison of homologous HpaII-SPRINS-banded X chromosomes of females from lymphocyte cultures grown without methotrexate or bromodeoxyuridine revealed methylation difference between them. The same comparison of homologous X chromosomes from the cell line GM01202D, which has four X chromosomes, one active and three inactive, revealed the active X chromosome to be hypermethylated. Received: 5 February 1998; in revised form: 8 May 1998 / Accepted: 11 May 1998     

Regulation of the dnaA product in Escherichia coli.

Summary When an E. coli mutant (CRT46, dnaA46), thermosensitive in the initiation of DNA replication, grows at intermediate temperatures its DNA/mass ratio is somewhat lower than normal, but the cells possess an excess of initiation capacity, which can be expressed in the absence of proteins synthesis and lead to the accumulation of anomalously high amounts of DNA. A shift-up in temperature causes inhibition of initiation, and at the same time the production of initiation capacity is accelerated. After a shift-down in temperature initiation is released but the production of capacity is inhibited. The initiation capacity is thermolabile.The simplest explanation of these observations is that the dnaA product has a dual role: a positive function as an initiator of replication and a negative control function in its own synthesis.     

Control of Protein Synthesis in Escherichia coli: Analysis of an Energy Source Shift-Down

The energy source shift-down described in the preceding paper (Molin et al., J. Bacteriol. 131: 7-17, 1977) was used to study the effects of shift-down on protein synthesis. The overall rate of protein synthesis was reduced immediately, and to the same extent, in stringent and relaxed strains. The primary effect of the shift was a slowing down of the polypeptide chain growth rate, a finding not previously reported. In stringent strains the normal, preshift rate was reestablished within 2 to 3 min, whereas in relaxed strains the chain growth rate remained low for about 20 min before slowly returning to the normal value, which was reestablished some 50 to 60 min after the shift. Throughout this transition, the stability of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) remained unchanged in both strains. We interpret these findings as evidence of the more rapid reduction of the mRNA pool in the stringent strain after shift-down: we believe that very soon after the shift, the stringent strain reduces its pool of mRNA and with it the number of ribosomes engaged in protein synthesis. In this manner the number of active ribosomes is adjusted to the availability of energy and carbon. The relaxed strain cannot rapidly reduce its mRNA pool, which thus remains large enough to engage a near-preshift number of ribosomes during a prolonged period; as a consequence its ribosomes must work at a reduced rate. The possibility that ppGpp is involved in the control of mRNA production is discussed. After shift-down, the initial part of beta-galactosidase (the auto-alpha fragment) was produced at a higher rate than complete beta-galactosidase in the relaxed strain, as expected when translation is impeded.     

Quantification of Rat Cerebral Cortex Na+,K+-ATPase: Effect of Age and Potassium Depletion

Na+,K(+)-ATPase concentration in rat cerebral cortex was studied by vanadate-facilitated [3H]ouabain binding to intact samples and by K(+)-dependent 3-O-methylfluorescein phosphatase activity determinations in crude homogenates. Methodological errors of both methods were evaluated. [3H]Ouabain binding to cerebral cortex obtained from 12-week-old rats measured incubating samples in buffer containing [3H]ouabain, and ouabain at a final concentration of 1 x 10(-6) mol/L gave a value of 11,351 +/- 177 (n = 5) pmol/g wet weight (mean +/- SEM) without any significant variation between the lobes. Evaluation of affinity for ouabain was in agreement with a heterogeneous population of [3H]ouabain binding sites. K(+)-dependent 3-O-methylfluorescein phosphatase activity in crude cerebral homogenates of age-matched rats was 7.24 +/- 0.14 (n = 5) mumol/min/g wet weight, corresponding to a Na+,K(+)-ATPase concentration of 12,209 +/- 236 pmol/g wet weight. It was concluded that the present methods were suitable for quantitative studies of cerebral cortex Na+,K(+)-ATPase. The concentration of rat cerebral cortex Na+,K(+)-ATPase showed approximately 10-fold increase within the first 4 weeks of life to reach a plateau of approximately 11,000-12,000 pmol/g wet weight, indicating a larger synthesis of Na+,K+ pumps than tissue mass in rat cerebral cortex during the first 4 weeks of development. K+ depletion induced by K(+)-deficient fodder for 2 weeks resulted in a slight tendency toward a reduction in K+ content (6%, p > 0.5) and Na+,K(+)-ATPase concentration (3%, p > 0.4) in cerebral cortex, whereas soleus muscle K+ content and Na+,K(+)-ATPase concentration were decreased by 30 (p < 0.02) and 32% (p < 0.001), respectively. Hence, during K+ depletion, cerebral cortex can maintain almost normal K+ homeostasis, whereas K+ as well as Na+,K+ pumps are lost from skeletal muscles.