Association of Influenza Virus Matrix Protein with Ribonucleoproteins

To characterize the sites and nature of binding of influenza A virus matrix protein (M1) to ribonucleoprotein (RNP), M1 of A/WSN/33 was altered by deletion or site-directed mutagenesis, expressed in vitro, and allowed to attach to RNP under a variety of conditions. Approximately 70% of the wild-type (Wt) M1 bound to RNP at pH 7.0, but less than 5% of M1 associated with RNP at pH 5.0. Increasing the concentration of NaCl reduced M1 binding, but even at a high salt concentration (0.6 M NaCl), approximately 20% of the input M1 was capable of binding to RNP. Mutations altering potential M1 RNA-binding regions (basic amino acids 101RKLKR105 and the zinc finger motif at amino acids 148 to 162) had varied effect: mutations of amino acids 101 to 105 reduced RNP binding compared to the Wt M1, but mutations of zinc finger motif did not. Treatment of RNP with RNase reduced M1 binding by approximately half, but even M1 mutants lacking RNA-binding regions had residual binding to RNase-treated RNP provided that the N-terminal 76 amino acids of M1 (containing two hydrophobic domains) were intact. Addition of detergent to the reaction mixture further reduced binding related to the N-terminal 76 amino acids and showed the greatest effect for mutations affecting the RNA-binding regions of basic amino acids. The data suggest that M1 interacts with both the RNA and protein components of RNP in assembly and disassembly of influenza A viruses.     

Intracellular signaling molecules involved in an inhibitory factor–induced decrease in fetal‐type AChR expression

The innervation‐induced down‐regulation of fetal‐type acetylcholine receptor (AChR) expression in developing muscle fibers has largely been attributed to nerve‐evoked muscle activity; however, there is increasing evidence that a neural trophic factor also contributes to this receptor down‐regulation. Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that neural extracts contain a factor which decreases fetal‐type AChR expression in skeletal muscle cell lines and therefore may account for the proposed inhibitory neurotrophic influence. The current study investigated possible intracellular signaling molecules involved in this receptor down‐regulation and demonstrated that activation of protein kinase C and p70^S6k appeared to be important in receptor down‐regulation. Decreases in AChR density were independent of myogenin. In addition, the receptor down‐regulation was independent of neuregulin, which also induces p70^S6k activity. These studies demonstrate that neural extracts contain an inhibitory factor which can down‐regulate fetal‐type AChR expression independently of nerve‐evoked muscle activity through intracellular signaling molecules which are known to regulate AChR expression. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 42: 190–201, 2000     

Studies on the enantioselective retention mechanisms of cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) by covalent modification of the intact and fragmented protein

In order to elucidate the chiral recognition mechanisms of the enzyme cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I), its carboxylic groups were covalently modified. The synthetic modification was carried out either in the presence or absence of cellobiose, which has proven to inhibit the enzymatic activity and if present in the mobile phase impairs enantioselectivity of amino alcohols. Compared to the reference CSP (unmodified CBH-I silica and CBH-I core silica), the synthetically modified phases show differences both in enantioselectivity and retention. The enzymatic differences between the CSPs were also in line with the chromatographic results. The selectivity factors of propranolol are almost unchanged during the reaction periods in the presence of cellobiose, while they decreased rapidly without the inhibitor. In one case, even a slight improvement in enantioselectivity was obtained, indicating that non-stereospecific carboxylic groups were ruled out. Chirality 10:760–769, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Growth and differentiation signals regulated by the M-CSF receptor

The normal proto-oncogene c-fms encodes the macrophage growth factor (M-CSF) receptor involved in growth, survival, and differentiation along the monocyte-macrophage lineage of hematopoietic cell development. A major portion of our research concerns unraveling the temporal, molecular, and structural features that determine and regulate these events. Previous results indicated that c-fms can transmit a growth signal as well as a signal for differentiation in the appropriate cells. To investigate the role of the Fms tyrosine autophosphorylation sites in proliferation vs. differentiation signaling, four of these sites were disrupted and the mutant receptors expressed in a clone derived from the myeloid FDC-P1 cell line. These analyses revealed that: (1) none of the four autophosphorylation sites studied (Y697, Y706, Y721, and Y807) are essential for M-CSF-dependent proliferation of the FDC-P1 clone; (2) Y697, Y706, and Y721 sites, located in the kinase insert region of Fms, are not necessary for differentiation but their presence augments this process; and (3) the Y807 site is essential for the Fms differentiation signal: its mutation totally abrogates the differentiation of the FDC-P1 clone and conversely increases the rate of M-CSF-dependent proliferation. This suggests that the Y807 site may control a switch between growth and differentiation. The assignment of Y807 as a critical site for the reciprocal regulation of growth and differentiation may provide a paradigm for Fms involvement in leukemogenesis, and we are currently investigating the downstream signals transmitted by the tyrosine-phosphorylated 807 site. In Fms-expressing FDC-P1 cells, M-CSF stimulation results in the rapid (30 sec) tyrosine phosphorylation of Fms on the five cytoplasmic tyrosine autophosphorylation sites, and subsequent tyrosine phosphorylation of several host cell proteins occurs within 1–2 min. Complexes are formed between Fms and other signal transduction proteins such as Grb2, Shc, Sos1, and p85. In addition, a new signal transduction protein of 150 kDa is detectable in the FDC-P1 cells. The p150 is phosphorylated on tyrosine, and forms a complex with Shc and Grb2. The interaction with Shc occurs via a protein tyrosine binding (PTB) domain at the N-terminus of Shc. The p150 is not detectable in Fms signaling within fibroblasts, yet the PDGF receptor induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of a similarly sized protein. In hematopoietic cells, this protein is involved in signaling by receptors for GM-CSF, IL-3, KL, MPO, and EPO. We have now cloned a cDNA for this protein and found at least one related family member. The related family member is a Fanconia Anemia gene product, and this suggests potential ways the p150 protein may function in Fms signaling. Mol Reprod Dev 46:96–103, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 selectively induces increased expression of the Na,K-ATPase β1 subunit in avian myelomonocytic cells without a concomitant change in Na,K-ATPase activity

Treatment of avian myelomonocytic cells with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25(OH)2D3) results in an approximately two fold increase in levels of Na,K-ATPase β1 subunit mRNA and protein (both total and plasma membrane-associated). The changes in β1 subunit expression occur in the absence of a detectable increase in expression of any of the three α subunit isoforms or in Na,K-ATPase activity. The selective induction of the expression of the β subunit in avian myelomonocytic cells by 1,25(OH)2D3 reveals a previously unobserved feature of the regulation of Na,K-ATPase expression, while the targeting of β subunit polypeptides to the plasma membrane in the absence of a corresponding increase in active Na,K-ATPase suggests that, in these cells, transport of the β subunit to the plasma membrane may be independent of its binding to the α subunit. J. Cell. Physiol. 172:221–229, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Mitigation of reactive metabolite formation for a series of 3-amino-2-pyridone inhibitors of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK)

Reactive metabolites have been putatively linked to many adverse drug reactions including idiosyncratic toxicities for a number of drugs with black box warnings or withdrawn from the market. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the risk of reactive metabolite formation for lead molecules in optimization, in particular for non-life threatening chronic disease, to maximize benefit to risk ratio. This article describes our effort in addressing reactive metabolite issues for a series of 3-amino-2-pyridone inhibitors of BTK, e.g. compound 1 has a value of 459 pmol/mg protein in the microsomal covalent binding assay. Parallel approaches were taken to successfully resolve the issues: establishment of a predictive screening assay with correlation association of covalent binding assay, identification of the origin of reactive metabolite formation using MS/MS analysis of HLM as well as isolation and characterization of GSH adducts. This ultimately led to the discovery of compound 7 (RN941) with significantly reduced covalent binding of 26 pmol/mg protein.     

Discovery of the type VII ESX‐1 secretion needle?

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of human tuberculosis, harbours five ESAT‐6/type VII secretion (ESX/T7S) systems. The first esx gene clusters were identified during the genome‐sequencing project of M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Follow‐up studies revealed additional genes playing important roles in ESX/T7S systems. Among the latter genes, one can find those that encode Pro‐Glu (PE) and Pro‐Pro‐Glu (PPE) proteins as well as a gene cluster that is encoded >260 kb upstream of the esx‐1 locus and encodes ESX‐1 secretion‐associated proteins EspA (Rv3616c), EspC (Rv3615c) and EspD (Rv3614c). The espACD cluster has been suggested to have an important function in ESX‐1 secretion since EspA‐EspC and EsxA–EsxB are mutually co‐dependent on each other for secretion. However, the molecular mechanism of this co‐dependence and interaction between the substrates remained unknown. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Lou and colleagues show that EspC forms high‐molecular weight polymerization complexes that resemble selected components of type II, III and/or IV secretion systems of Gram‐negative bacteria. Indeed, EspC‐multimeric complexes form filamentous structures that could well represent a secretion needle of ESX‐1 type VII secretion systems. This exciting observation opens new avenues for research to discover and characterize ESX/T7S components and elucidates the co‐dependence of EsxA/B secretion with EspA/C.     

Usefulness of 1,3 Beta-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Glucan Detection in non-HIV Immunocompromised Mechanical Ventilated Critically Ill Patients with ARDS and Suspected <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pneumocystis jirovecii</Emphasis> Pneumonia

Introduction

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a major cause of disease in immunocompromised individuals. Diagnosis is typically obtained by microscopy and/or PCR. For ambiguous PCR results, we evaluated the new biomarker 1,3-Beta-d-Glucan (BDG).

Methods

BDG serum levels were assessed and correlated to PCR results in immunosuppressed patients with ARDS.

Results

11 (22%) out of 50 patients had suspected PCP. APACHE II (26 vs. 24; p < 0.002), SOFA score (16 vs. 14; p < 0.010) and mortality rate (34 vs. 69% p < 0.004; 34 vs. 80% p < 0.003) were significantly altered in patients with positive (pPCR) and slightly positive (spPCR) PCJ PCR as compared to patients with no-PCP (nPCP). BDG levels were significantly lower in patients with nPCP (86; 30–315 pg/ml) than in patients with pPCR (589; 356–1000 pg/ml; p < 0.001) and spPCP (398; 297–516 pg/ml; p < 0.004) referring to the cutoff in this study for PCP of 275 pg/ml. An overall sensitivity (S) of 92% (95% CI 86–96%) and specificity (SP) of 84% (95% CI 79–85%) for PCP were found for the BDG Fungitell assay. In detail, S of 98% (95% CI 94–100%) and SP of 86% (95% CI 82–92%) for pPCP and S of 98% (95% CI 96–100%) and SP of 88% (95% CI 86–96%) for spPCO were found.

Conclusion

Serum BDG levels were strongly elevated in PCP, and the negative predictive value is high. BDG could be used as a preliminary test for patients with suspected PCP, especially in patients with slightly positive PCR results.