Highly stable loading of Mcm proteins onto chromatin in living cells requires replication to unload

The heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance protein complex (Mcm2-7) functions as the eukaryotic helicase during DNA replication. Mcm2-7 loads onto chromatin during early G1 phase but is not converted into an active helicase until much later during S phase. Hence, inactive Mcm complexes are presumed to remain stably bound from early G1 through the completion of S phase. Here, we investigated Mcm protein dynamics in live mammalian cells. We demonstrate that Mcm proteins are irreversibly loaded onto chromatin cumulatively throughout G1 phase, showing no detectable exchange with a gradually diminishing soluble pool. Eviction of Mcm requires replication; during replication arrest, Mcm proteins remained bound indefinitely. Moreover, the density of immobile Mcms is reduced together with chromatin decondensation within sites of active replication, which provides an explanation for the lack of colocalization of Mcm with replication fork proteins. These results provide in vivo evidence for an exceptionally stable lockdown mechanism to retain all loaded Mcm proteins on chromatin throughout prolonged cell cycles.     

CDK-1 inhibits meiotic spindle shortening and dynein-dependent spindle rotation in C. elegans

In animals, the female meiotic spindle is positioned at the egg cortex in a perpendicular orientation to facilitate the disposal of half of the chromosomes into a polar body. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the metaphase spindle lies parallel to the cortex, dynein is dispersed on the spindle, and the dynein activators ASPM-1 and LIN-5 are concentrated at spindle poles. Anaphase-promoting complex (APC) activation results in dynein accumulation at spindle poles and dynein-dependent rotation of one spindle pole to the cortex, resulting in perpendicular orientation. To test whether the APC initiates spindle rotation through cyclin B-CDK-1 inactivation, separase activation, or degradation of an unknown dynein inhibitor, CDK-1 was inhibited with purvalanol A in metaphase-I-arrested, APC-depleted embryos. CDK-1 inhibition resulted in the accumulation of dynein at spindle poles and dynein-dependent spindle rotation without chromosome separation. These results suggest that CDK-1 blocks rotation by inhibiting dynein association with microtubules and with LIN-5-ASPM-1 at meiotic spindle poles and that the APC promotes spindle rotation by inhibiting CDK-1.     

Endocytic recycling proteins EHD1 and EHD2 interact with fer-1-like-5 (Fer1L5) and mediate myoblast fusion

The mammalian ferlins are calcium-sensing, C2 domain-containing proteins involved in vesicle trafficking. Myoferlin and dysferlin regulate myoblast fusion and muscle membrane resealing, respectively. Correspondingly, myoferlin is most highly expressed in singly nucleated myoblasts, whereas dysferlin expression is increased in mature, multinucleated myotubes. Myoferlin also mediates endocytic recycling and participates in trafficking the insulin-like growth factor receptor. We have now characterized a novel member of the ferlin family, Fer1L5, because of its high homology to dysferlin and myoferlin. We found that Fer1L5 protein is expressed in small myotubes that contain only two to four nuclei. We also found that Fer1L5 protein binds directly to the endocytic recycling proteins EHD1 and EHD2 and that the second C2 domain in Fer1L5 mediates this interaction. Reduction of EHD1 and/or EHD2 inhibits myoblast fusion, and EHD2 is required for normal translocation of Fer1L5 to the plasma membrane. The characterization of Fer1L5 and its interaction with EHD1 and EHD2 underscores the complex requirement of ferlin proteins and mediators of endocytic recycling for membrane trafficking events during myotube formation.     

Myosin II redistribution during rear retraction and the role of filament assembly and disassembly

The literature to date suggests a role for myosin II in rear retraction, including evidence that myosin undergoes a characteristic 'C'-to-spot redistribution at the cell posterior which is associated with retraction. Here we investigate the mechanism of both retraction and the'C'-to-spot using Dictyostelium cells containing mutant forms of myosin that affect its polymerization. 3 x Asp-myosin forms few if any filaments. When 3 x Asp cells are added to a wild-type mound, the mutant cells move directionally, but rear retraction is markedly delayed,demonstrating that myosin II filaments are essential for efficient retraction. In addition, using a GFP-tagged 3 x Asp-myosin, we observed a posterior spot pattern associated with retraction,but no cortical 'C' pattern preceding it. This suggests that filamentous myosin is required to produce the 'C', and that its failure to form results in defective rear retraction. In contrast, an alternate mutant myosin that forms filaments constitutively, 3 x Ala-myosin, forms 'Cs' and then spot patterns at the posterior, but in the interim the spots do not disintegrate. This suggests that spot dissolution occurs by filament depolymerization. In summary our data demonstrate a role for myosin II and the 'C'-to-spot in efficient rear retraction, and define filament assembly as critical for formation of the 'C' and filament disassembly as critical for dissolution of the spot.     

Behavioral characterization of striatal‐enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) knockout mice

Striatal‐enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) has been described as a regulator of multiple kinases and glutamate receptor subunits critical for synaptic plasticity. Published behavioral and biochemical characterization from the founder line of STEP knockout (KO) mice revealed superior cognitive performance, with enhanced phosphorylation of substrates such as ERK, Fyn and GluN2B; suggesting that inhibitors of STEP may have potential as therapeutic agents for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The objectives of this work aimed to replicate and extend the previously reported behavioral consequences of STEP knockout. Consistent with previous reported data, STEP KO mice demonstrated exploratory activity levels and similar motor coordination relative to WT littermate controls as well as intact memory in a Y‐maze spatial novelty test. Interestingly, KO mice demonstrated deficits in pre‐pulse inhibition as well as reduced seizure threshold relative to WT controls. Immunohistochemical staining of brains revealed the expected gene‐dependent reduction in STEP protein confirming knockout in the mice. The present data confirm expression and localization of STEP and the absence in KO mice, and describe functional downstream implications of reducing STEP levels in vivo.     

Immunogenic,but Not Steady-State,Antigen Presentation Permits Regulatory T-Cells To Control CD8+ T-Cell Effector Differentiation by IL-2 Modulation

Absorption of IL-2 is one proposed mechanism of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) suppression. Direct in vivo experimental evidence for this has recently been obtained. While modulation of IL-2 bioavailability controls CD8+ T-cell effector differentiation under strongly immunogenic conditions it is not known whether Treg modulate CD8+ T cell responses through this mechanism under steady-state conditions. Here we assess this using a mouse model in which dendritic cells (DC) are manipulated to present cognate antigen to CD8+ T cells either in the steady-state or after activation. Our observations show that Treg exert a check on expansion and effector differentiation of CD8+ T cells under strongly immunogenic conditions associated with TLR ligand activation of DC, and this is mediated by limiting IL-2 availability. In contrast, when DC remain unactivated, depletion of Treg has little apparent effect on effector differentiation or IL-2 homeostasis. We conclude that while modulation of IL-2 homeostasis is an important mechanism through which Treg control CD8+ effector differentiation under immunogenic conditions, this mechanism plays little role in modulating CD8+ T-cell differentiation under steady-state conditions.     

Stress-dependent Proteolytic Processing of the Actin Assembly Protein Lsb1 Modulates a Yeast Prion

Yeast prions are self-propagating amyloid-like aggregates of Q/N-rich protein that confer heritable traits and provide a model of mammalian amyloidoses. [PSI⁺] is a prion isoform of the translation termination factor Sup35. Propagation of [PSI⁺] during cell division under normal conditions and during the recovery from damaging environmental stress depends on cellular chaperones and is influenced by ubiquitin proteolysis and the actin cytoskeleton. The paralogous yeast proteins Lsb1 and Lsb2 bind the actin assembly protein Las17 (a yeast homolog of human Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein) and participate in the endocytic pathway. Lsb2 was shown to modulate maintenance of [PSI⁺] during and after heat shock. Here, we demonstrate that Lsb1 also regulates maintenance of the Sup35 prion during and after heat shock. These data point to the involvement of Lsb proteins in the partitioning of protein aggregates in stressed cells. Lsb1 abundance and cycling between actin patches, endoplasmic reticulum, and cytosol is regulated by the Guided Entry of Tail-anchored proteins pathway and Rsp5-dependent ubiquitination. Heat shock-induced proteolytic processing of Lsb1 is crucial for prion maintenance during stress. Our findings identify Lsb1 as another component of a tightly regulated pathway controlling protein aggregation in changing environments.     

Full-length rat alpha and beta cardiac myosin heavy chain sequences. Comparisons suggest a molecular basis for functional differences

The two cardiac myosin heavy chain isoforms, alpha and beta, differ functionally, alpha Myosin exhibits higher actin-activated ATPase than does beta myosin, and hearts expressing alpha myosin exhibit increased contractility relative to hearts expressing beta myosin. To understand the molecular basis for this functional difference, we determined the complete nucleotide sequence of full-length rat alpha and beta myosin heavy chain cDNAs. This study represents the first opportunity to compare full-length fast ATPase and slow ATPase muscle myosin sequences. The alpha and beta myosin heavy chain amino acid sequences are more related to each other than to other sarcomeric myosin heavy chain sequences. Of the 1938 amino acid residues in alpha and beta myosin heavy chain, 131 are non-identical with 37 non-conservative changes. Two-thirds of these non-identical residues are clustered, and several of these clusters map to regions that have been implicated as functionally important. Some of the regions identified by the clusters of non-identical amino acid residues may affect actin binding, ATP hydrolysis and force production.     

Adeno-associated virus: a vector system for efficient introduction and integration of DNA into a variety of mammalian cell types.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a single-stranded DNA parvovirus that is dependent on adenovirus or herpesvirus for reproductive functions. We describe the construction of recombinant AAV vectors containing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene or the neomycin phosphotransferase gene. These vectors carried their respective genes into a wide variety of cell types, including primary skin fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells. Infection efficiencies varied with cell type and ranged up to 3.0%. Coinfection of two different recombinant viruses was also used to introduce two different sequences simultaneously into a given cell. Finally, methods for obtaining recombinant AAV vectors with minimal contamination of wild-type virus are described. These various attributes of AAV vectors make them a viable DNA transduction system.