Manipulation of the host by pathogens to survive the lysosome

Lysosomes form part of our innate immunity and are an important line of defence against microbes, viruses and parasites. Although it is more than 50?years since de Duve discovered lysosomes, it is only in more recent years that we are slowly unravelling the molecular mechanisms involved in the delivery of material to the lysosome. However, successful intracellular pathogens often have a better grip on the mechanisms involved in delivery to the lysosome and can manipulate membrane trafficking pathways to create an intracellular environment that is favourable for replication. By studying pathogen effector proteins that are secreted into the host's cytosol, we can learn about both pathogen-survival mechanisms and further regulatory elements involved in trafficking to the lysosome.     

Semisynthesis and characterization of mammalian thioredoxin reductase

Thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin constitute the cellular thioredoxin system, which provides reducing equivalents to numerous intracellular target disulfides. Mammalian thioredoxin reductase contains the rare amino acid selenocysteine. Known as the "21st" amino acid, selenocysteine is inserted into proteins by recoding UGA stop codons. Some model eukaryotic organisms lack the ability to insert selenocysteine, and prokaryotes have a recoding apparatus different from that of eukaryotes, thus making heterologous expression of mammalian selenoproteins difficult. Here, we present a semisynthetic method for preparing mammalian thioredoxin reductase. This method produces the first 487 amino acids of mouse thioredoxin reductase-3 as an intein fusion protein in Escherichia coli cells. The missing C-terminal tripeptide containing selenocysteine is then ligated to the thioester-tagged protein by expressed protein ligation. The semisynthetic version of thioredoxin reductase that we produce in this manner has k(cat) values ranging from 1500 to 2220 min(-)(1) toward thioredoxin and has strong peroxidase activity, indicating a functional form of the enzyme. We produced the semisynthetic thioredoxin reductase with a total yield of 24 mg from 6 L of E. coli culture (4 mg/L). This method allows production of a fully functional, semisynthetic selenoenzyme that is amenable to structure-function studies. A second semisynthetic system is also reported that makes use of peptide complementation to produce a partially active enzyme. The results of our peptide complementation studies reveal that a tetrapeptide that cannot ligate to the enzyme (Ac-Gly-Cys-Sec-Gly) can form a noncovalent complex with the truncated enzyme to form a weak complex. This noncovalent peptide-enzyme complex has 350-500-fold lower activity than the semisynthetic enzyme produced by peptide ligation.     

Stereoelectronic effects on polyproline conformation

The polyproline type II (PPII) helix is a prevalent conformation in both folded and unfolded proteins, and is known to play important roles in a wide variety of biological processes. Polyproline itself can also form a type I (PPI) helix, which has a disparate conformation. Here, we use derivatives of polyproline, (Pro)10, (Hyp)10, (Flp)10, and (flp)10, where Hyp is (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline, Flp is (2S,4R)-4-fluoroproline, and flp is (2S,4S)-4-fluoroproline, to probe for a stereoelectronic effect on the conformation of polyproline. Circular dichroism spectral analyses show that 4R electron-with-drawing substituents stabilize a PPII helix relative to a PPI helix, even in a solvent that favors the PPI conformation, such as n-propanol. The stereochemistry at C4 ordains the relative stability of PPI and PPII helices, as (flp)10 forms a mixture of PPI and PPII helices in water and a PPI helix in n-propanol. The conformational preferences of (Pro)10 are intermediate between those of (Hyp)10/(Flp)10 and (flp)10. Interestingly, PPI helices of (flp)10 exhibit cold denaturation in n-propanol with a value of T(s) near 70 degrees C. Together, these data show that stereoelectronic effects can have a substantial impact on polyproline conformation and provide a rational means to stabilize a PPI or PPII helix.     

A Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG-derived Soluble Protein,p40, Stimulates Ligand Release from Intestinal Epithelial Cells to Transactivate Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

p40, a Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)-derived soluble protein, ameliorates intestinal injury and colitis, reduces apoptosis, and preserves barrier function by transactivation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) in intestinal epithelial cells. The aim of this study is to determine the mechanisms by which p40 transactivates the EGFR in intestinal epithelial cells. Here we show that p40-conditioned medium activates EGFR in young adult mouse colon epithelial cells and human colonic epithelial cell line, T84 cells. p40 up-regulates a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 17 (ADAM17) catalytic activity, and broad spectrum metalloproteinase inhibitors block EGFR transactivation by p40 in these two cell lines. In ADAM17-deficient mouse colonic epithelial (ADAM17^−/− MCE) cells, p40 transactivation of EGFR is blocked, but can be rescued by re-expression with WT ADAM17. Furthermore, p40 stimulates release of heparin binding (HB)-EGF, but not transforming growth factor (TGF)α or amphiregulin, in young adult mouse colon cells and ADAM17^−/− MCE cells overexpressing WT ADAM17. Knockdown of HB-EGF expression by siRNA suppresses p40 effects on transactivating EGFR and Akt, preventing apoptosis, and preserving tight junction function. The effects of p40 on HB-EGF release and ADAM17 activation in vivo are examined after administration of p40-containing pectin/zein hydrogel beads to mice. p40 stimulates ADAM17 activity and EGFR activation in colonic epithelial cells and increases HB-EGF levels in blood from WT mice, but not from mice with intestinal epithelial cell-specific ADAM17 deletion. Thus, these data define a mechanism of a probiotic-derived soluble protein in modulating intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis through ADAM17-mediated HB-EGF release, leading to transactivation of EGFR.     

Deletion of Vacuolar Proton-translocating ATPase Voa Isoforms Clarifies the Role of Vacuolar pH as a Determinant of Virulence-associated Traits in Candida albicans

Vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) is a central regulator of cellular pH homeostasis, and inactivation of all V-ATPase function has been shown to prevent infectivity in Candida albicans. V-ATPase subunit a of the V_o domain (V_oa) is present as two fungal isoforms: Stv1p (Golgi) and Vph1p (vacuole). To delineate the individual contribution of Stv1p and Vph1p to C. albicans physiology, we created stv1Δ/Δ and vph1Δ/Δ mutants and compared them to the corresponding reintegrant strains (stv1Δ/ΔR and vph1Δ/ΔR). V-ATPase activity, vacuolar physiology, and in vitro virulence-related phenotypes were unaffected in the stv1Δ/Δ mutant. The vph1Δ/Δ mutant exhibited defective V₁V_o assembly and a 90% reduction in concanamycin A-sensitive ATPase activity and proton transport in purified vacuolar membranes, suggesting that the Vph1p isoform is essential for vacuolar V-ATPase activity in C. albicans. The vph1Δ/Δ cells also had abnormal endocytosis and vacuolar morphology and an alkalinized vacuolar lumen (pH_vph1Δ_/Δ = 6.8 versus pH_vph1Δ_/Δ_R = 5.8) in both yeast cells and hyphae. Secreted protease and lipase activities were significantly reduced, and M199-induced filamentation was impaired in the vph1Δ/Δ mutant. However, the vph1Δ/Δ cells remained competent for filamentation induced by Spider media and YPD, 10% FCS, and biofilm formation and macrophage killing were unaffected in vitro. These studies suggest that different virulence mechanisms differentially rely on acidified vacuoles and that the loss of both vacuolar (Vph1p) and non-vacuolar (Stv1p) V-ATPase activity is necessary to affect in vitro virulence-related phenotypes. As a determinant of C. albicans pathogenesis, vacuolar pH alone may prove less critical than originally assumed.     

Bovine pancreatic ribonuclease: fifty years of the first enzymatic reaction mechanism

Fifty years ago, the group of Tony Mathias and Bob Rabin at University College London deduced the first mechanism for catalysis by an enzyme, ribonuclease [Findlay, D., Herries, D. G., Mathias, A. P., Rabin, B. R., and Ross, C. A. (1961) Nature 190, 781-784]. Here, we celebrate this historic accomplishment by surveying knowledge of enzymology and protein science at that time, facts that led to the formulation of the mechanism, criticisms and alternative mechanisms, data that supported the proposed mechanism, and some of the refinements that have since provided a more precise picture of catalysis of RNA cleavage by ribonucleases. The Mathias and Rabin mechanism has appeared in numerous textbooks, monographs, and reviews and continues to have a profound impact on biochemistry.     

Site-specific folate conjugation to a cytotoxic protein

Conjugation to folic acid is known to enhance the uptake of molecules by human cells that over-produce folate receptors. Variants of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) that have attenuated affinity for the endogenous ribonuclease inhibitor protein (RI) are toxic to mammalian cells. Here, the random acylation of amino groups in wild-type RNase A with folic acid is shown to decrease its catalytic activity dramatically, presumably because of the alteration to a key active-site residue, Lys41. To effect site-specific coupling, N^δ-bromoacetyl-N^α-pteroyl-l-ornithine, which is a folate analogue with an electrophilic bromoacetamido group, was synthesized and used to S-alkylate Cys88 of the G88C variant of RNase A. The pendant folate moiety does not decrease enzymatic activity, enables RI-evasion, and endows toxicity for cancer cells that over-produce the folate receptor. These data reveal a propitious means for targeting proteins and other molecules to cancer cells.     

Metabolic and molecular action of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trigonella foenum-graecum</Emphasis> (fenugreek) and trace metals in experimental diabetic tissues

Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycaemia resulting in defective insulin secretion, resistance to insulin action or both. The use of biguanides, sulphonylurea and other drugs are valuable in the treatment of diabetes mellitus; their use, however, is restricted by their limited action, pharmaco-kinetic properties, secondary failure rates and side effects. Trigonella foenum-graecum, commonly known as fenugreek, is a plant that has been extensively used as a source of antidiabetic compounds from its seeds and leaf extracts. Preliminary human trials and animal experiments suggest possible hypoglycaemic and anti-hyperlipedemic properties of fenugreek seed powder taken orally. Our results show that the action of fenugreek in lowering blood glucose levels is almost comparable to the effect of insulin. Combination with trace metal showed that vanadium had additive effects and manganese had additive effects with insulin on in vitro system in control and diabetic animals of young and old ages using adipose tissue. The Trigonella and vanadium effects were studied in a number of tissues including liver, kidney, brain peripheral nerve, heart, red blood cells and skeletal muscle. Addition of Trigonella to vanadium significantly removed the toxicity of vanadium when used to reduce blood glucose levels. Administration of the various combinations of the antidiabetic compounds to diabetic animals was found to reverse most of the diabetic effects studied at physiological, biochemical, histochemical and molecular levels. Results of the key enzymes of metabolic pathways have been summarized together with glucose transporter, Glut-4 and insulin levels. Our findings illustrate and elucidate the antidiabetic/insulin mimetic effects of Trigonella, manganese and vanadium.     

Interaction of onconase with the human ribonuclease inhibitor protein

One of the tightest known protein-protein interactions in biology is that between members of the ribonuclease A superfamily and the ribonuclease inhibitor protein (RI). Some members of this superfamily are able to kill cancer cells, and the ability to evade RI is a major determinant of whether a ribonuclease will be cytotoxic. The archetypal cytotoxic ribonuclease, onconase (ONC), is in late-stage clinical trials for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. We present here the first measurement of the inhibition of the ribonucleolytic activity of ONC by RI. This inhibition occurs with K_i = 0.15 μM in a solution of low salt concentration.     

The ribonucleolytic activity of angiogenin.

Angiogenin (ANG), a homologue of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A), promotes the growth of new blood vessels. The biological activity of ANG is dependent on its ribonucleolytic activity, which is far lower than that of RNase A. Here, the efficient heterologous production of human ANG in Escherichia coli was achieved by replacing two sequences of rare codons with codons favored by E. coli. Hypersensitive fluorogenic substrates were used to determine steady-state kinetic parameters for catalysis by ANG in continuous assays. The ANG pH-rate profile is a classic bell-shaped curve, with pK(1) = 5.0 and pK(2) = 7.0. The ribonucleolytic activity of ANG is highly sensitive to Na(+) concentration. A decrease in Na(+) concentration from 0.25 to 0.025 M causes a 170-fold increase in the value of k(cat)/K(M). Likewise, the binding of ANG to a tetranucleotide substrate analogue is dependent on [Na(+)]. ANG cleaves a dinucleotide version of the fluorogenic substrates with a k(cat)/K(M) value of 61 M(-1) s(-1). When the substrate is extended from two nucleotides to four or six nucleotides, values of k(cat)/K(M) increase by 5- and 12-fold, respectively. Together, these data provide a thorough picture of substrate binding and turnover by ANG.