The enigma of deep-body thermosensory specificity

Information provided by the analysis of peripheral cold and warm receptors may be considered a useful guide for assessing the specificity of thermal information originating in deep-body tissues. A wealth of data concerning the location of deep-body thermosensors and their neuronal correlates and modes of transduction permits the following theses to be proposed. 1. Unlike the peripheral warm and cold receptors, deep-body thermosensors are only in part represented by afferent fibers, mostly warm sensitive ones that are not character- ized in detail, as the source of thermal information outside the central nervous system (CNS). The more important thermal information generated in the CNS originates mainly from warm-sensitive neurons but contributions of cold-sensitive neurons are not definitely excluded. 2. Unlike the peripheral thermoreceptors, monomodality with respect to natural physical stimuli does not seem to be an essential property of deep-body thermosensors. By contrast, multimodality may underlie at least some of the multitude of interactions between thermoregulatory and other homeostatic control systems. 3. Temperature transduction seems to utilize molecular mechanisms that are also found in neurons that lack any thermosensory functions, and so the transduction mechanisms identified in warm-sensitive CNS neurons do not seem to be specific per se. 4. The observation of a multitude of temperature/response characteristics for thermosensitive CNS neurons has been helpful for categorizing these neurons, but there is no clear information that any one might be particularly relevant. 5. Originating from the peripheral cold and warm receptors two separate but interacting cold- and warm-signal pathways ascend multisynaptically to the hypothalamus as the highest level of thermoregulatory control, and to some extent go further to the sensory cortex. The signal contributed by a deep-body thermosensitive neuron, irrespective of its location, attains specificity by being fed properly into one of the two ascending thermosensory pathways. Received: 25 January 2000 / Accepted: 10 April 2000     

Transport of C(4)-dicarboxylates in Wolinella succinogenes

C(4)-dicarboxylate transport is a prerequisite for anaerobic respiration with fumarate in Wolinella succinogenes, since the substrate site of fumarate reductase is oriented towards the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. W. succinogenes was found to transport C(4)-dicarboxylates (fumarate, succinate, malate, and aspartate) across the cytoplasmic membrane by antiport and uniport mechanisms. The electrogenic uniport resulted in dicarboxylate accumulation driven by anaerobic respiration. The molar ratio of internal to external dicarboxylate concentration was up to 10(3). The dicarboxylate antiport was either electrogenic or electroneutral. The electroneutral antiport required the presence of internal Na(+), whereas the electrogenic antiport also operated in the absence of Na(+). In the absence of Na(+), no electrochemical proton potential (delta p) was measured across the membrane of cells catalyzing fumarate respiration. This suggests that the proton potential generated by fumarate respiration is dissipated by the concomitant electrogenic dicarboxylate antiport. Three gene loci (dcuA, dcuB, and dctPQM) encoding putative C(4)-dicarboxylate transporters were identified on the genome of W. succinogenes. The predicted gene products of dcuA and dcuB are similar to the Dcu transporters that are involved in the fumarate respiration of Escherichia coli with external C(4)-dicarboxylates. The genes dctP, -Q, and -M probably encode a binding-protein-dependent secondary uptake transporter for dicarboxylates. A mutant (DcuA(-) DcuB(-)) of W. succinogenes lacking the intact dcuA and dcuB genes grew by nitrate respiration with succinate as the carbon source but did not grow by fumarate respiration with fumarate, malate, or aspartate as substrates. The DcuA(-), DcuB(-), and DctQM(-) mutants grew by fumarate respiration as well as by nitrate respiration with succinate as the carbon source. Cells of the DcuA(-) DcuB(-) mutant performed fumarate respiration without generating a proton potential even in the presence of Na(+). This explains why the DcuA(-) DcuB(-) mutant does not grow by fumarate respiration. Growth by fumarate respiration appears to depend on the function of the Na(+)-dependent, electroneutral dicarboxylate antiport which is catalyzed exclusively by the Dcu transporters. Dicarboxylate transport via the electrogenic uniport is probably catalyzed by the DctPQM transporter and by a fourth, unknown transporter that may also operate as an electrogenic antiporter.     

Selective inhibition of DNA gyrase in vitro by a GC specific eight-ring hairpin polyamide at nanomolar concentration

The influence of an eight-ring hairpin DNA minor groove binder on the gyrase mediated DNA supercoiling and cleavage reaction step of the enzyme was investigated. The results demonstrate that supercoiling is affected by the hairpin polyamide in the millimolar concentration range while the enzyme catalyzed cleavage of a 162 bp fragment of pBR322 containing a single strong gyrase site is effectively inhibited at nanomolar concentration. As demonstrated by footprint analysis the latter effect is caused by a specific binding of the hairpin forming polyamide to the enzyme recognition site (GGCC), which indicates that the gyrase activity to produce a double strand break is blocked at this site. The pyrrole-imidazole hairpin polyamide is the most potent inhibitor of the gyrase mediated cleavage reaction compared to other known anti-gyrase active DNA binding agents.     

Predicting the oxidation state of cysteines by multiple sequence alignment

MOTIVATION: Protein sequences found in databanks usually do not report post translational covalent modifications such as the oxidation state of cystein (Cys) residues. Accurate prediction of whether a functionally or structurally important Cys occurs in the oxidized or thiol form would be helpful for molecular biology experiments and structure prediction. RESULTS: A new method is presented for predicting the oxidation state of Cys residues based on multiple sequence alignments and on the observation that Cys tends to occur in the same oxidation state within the same protein. The prediction of the redox state of Cys performs above 82%. The oxidation state of Cys correlates with the cellular location of the given protein within the cell, but the correlation is not perfect (up to 70%). We also perform a statistical analysis of the different redox states of Cys found in secondary structures and buried positions, and of the secondary structures linked by disulfide bonds. The results suggest that the natural borderline lies between the different oxidation states of Cys rather than between the half cystines and cysteins. AVAILABILITY: A web server implementing the prediction method is available at http://guitar.rockefeller.edu/approximately andras/cyspred.html CONTACT: fisera@rockefeller.edu     

N-acetyl- -arginine ethyl ester synthesis catalysed by bovine trypsin in organic media

The bovine trypsin-catalysed synthesis of N-acetyl- -arginine ethyl ester from N-acetyl- -arginine and ethanol was studied in various organic solvents (dimethyl sulfoxide, dioxane, dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, toluene, carbon tetrachloride, cyclohexane and n-hexane). The highest yield was achieved in acetonitrile after incubation for 6 or 24 h. The optimal conditions for ester synthesis in acetonitrile for 6 h were as follows: 5.0 mM N-acetyl- -arginine, 10.0 M ethanol, 7.2 mg trypsin, 2.87% water, total volume 10.3 ml, pH 7.0 and 30°C. The hydrolytic activity of trypsin was determined after incubation for 6 days, when 87.7% of the original activity remained, suggesting that acetonitrile caused little inactivation of the enzyme. The synthetic reaction resulted in a maximal 79.3% conversion under optimized conditions after incubation for 48 h.     

Activation of EphA2 kinase suppresses integrin function and causes focal-adhesion-kinase dephosphorylation

Interactions between receptor tyrosine kinases of the Eph family and their ligands, ephrins, are implicated in establishment of organ boundaries and repulsive guidance of cell migration during development, but the mechanisms by which this is achieved are unclear. Here we show that activation of endogenous EphA2 kinase induces an inactive conformation of integrins and inhibits cell spreading, migration and integrin-mediated adhesion. Moreover, EphA2 is constitutively associated with focal-adhesion kinase (FAK) in resting cells. Within one minute after stimulation of EphA2 with its ligand, ephrin-A1, the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is recruited to EphA2; this is followed by dephosphorylation of FAK and paxillin, and dissociation of the FAK-EphA2 complex. We conclude that Eph kinases mediate some of their functions by negatively regulating integrins and FAK.     

Modules in the photoreceptor RGS9-1.Gbeta 5L GTPase-accelerating protein complex control effector coupling, GTPase acceleration, protein folding, and stability

RGS (regulators of G protein signaling) proteins regulate G protein signaling by accelerating GTP hydrolysis, but little is known about regulation of GTPase-accelerating protein (GAP) activities or roles of domains and subunits outside the catalytic cores. RGS9-1 is the GAP required for rapid recovery of light responses in vertebrate photoreceptors and the only mammalian RGS protein with a defined physiological function. It belongs to an RGS subfamily whose members have multiple domains, including G(gamma)-like domains that bind G(beta)(5) proteins. Members of this subfamily play important roles in neuronal signaling. Within the GAP complex organized around the RGS domain of RGS9-1, we have identified a functional role for the G(gamma)-like-G(beta)(5L) complex in regulation of GAP activity by an effector subunit, cGMP phosphodiesterase gamma and in protein folding and stability of RGS9-1. The C-terminal domain of RGS9-1 also plays a major role in conferring effector stimulation. The sequence of the RGS domain determines whether the sign of the effector effect will be positive or negative. These roles were observed in vitro using full-length proteins or fragments for RGS9-1, RGS7, G(beta)(5S), and G(beta)(5L). The dependence of RGS9-1 on G(beta)(5) co-expression for folding, stability, and function has been confirmed in vivo using transgenic Xenopus laevis. These results reveal how multiple domains and regulatory polypeptides work together to fine tune G(talpha) inactivation.