Nucleotide sequence of small ColE1 derivatives: Structure of the regions essential for autonomous replication and colicin E1 immunity

Summary A small ColE1 derivative, pAO2, which replicates like the original ColE1 and confers immunity to colicin E1 on its host cell has been constructed from a quarter region of ColE1 DNA (Oka, 1978). The entire nucleotide sequence of pAO2 (1,613 base pairs) was determined based on its fine cleavage map. The sequence of a similar plasmid, pAO3, carrying additional 70 base pairs was also deduced.The sequence in the region covering the replication initiation site on these plasmids was consistent with those reported for ColE1 by Tomizawa et al. (1977) and by Bastia (1977). DNA sequences indispensable for autonomous replication were examined by constructing plasmids from various restriction fragments of pAO2 DNA. As a result, a region of 436 base pairs was found to contain sufficient information to permit replication. The occurrence of initiation and termination codons and of the ribosome-binding sequence on pAO2 DNA suggests that a polypeptide chain consisting of 113 amino acid residues may be encoded by the region in which the colicin E1 immunity gene has been mapped.Abbreviations ColE1 colicin E1 plasmid - Tris tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetate - dNTP deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates - ATP adenosine 5-triphosphate     

TRAF7 sequesters c-Myb to the cytoplasm by stimulating its sumoylation

Small ubiquitin-related modifiers (SUMOs) are proteins that are posttranslationally conjugated to diverse proteins. The c-myb proto-oncogene product (c-Myb) regulates proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. PIASy is the only known SUMO E3 ligase for c-Myb. Here, we report that TRAF7 binds to c-Myb and stimulates its sumoylation. TRAF7 bound to the DNA-binding domain of c-Myb via its WD40 repeats. TRAF7 has an E3 ubiquitin ligase activity for self-ubiquitination, but TRAF7 also stimulated the sumoylation of c-Myb at Lys-523 and Lys-499, which are the same sites as those used for PIASy-induced sumoylation. TRAF7 inhibited trans-activation induced by wild-type c-Myb, but not by the sumoylation site mutant of c-Myb. The expression of both c-myb and TRAF7 was down-regulated during differentiation of M1 cells. Endogenous TRAF7 localized to both the cytoplasm and nucleus of M1 cells. Consistent with this, significant amounts of sumoylated c-Myb were found in the cytoplasm of M1 cells, whereas nonsumoylated c-Myb was found predominantly in the nucleus. Overexpressed TRAF7 was localized in the cytoplasm of CV-1 cells, and sequestered c-Myb and SUMO1 in the cytosol, whereas PIASy was localized in the nucleus. Thus, TRAF7 negatively regulates c-Myb activity by sequestering c-Myb to the cytosol via sumoylation.     

The Wnt-NLK signaling pathway inhibits A-Myb activity by inhibiting the association with coactivator CBP and methylating histone H3

The c-myb proto-oncogene product (c-Myb) regulates proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Recently we have shown that c-Myb is degraded in response to Wnt-1 stimulation via a pathway involving TAK1 (TGF-beta-activated kinase), HIPK2 (homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2), and NLK (Nemo-like kinase). NLK and HIPK2 bind directly to c-Myb and phosphorylate c-Myb at multiple sites, inducing its ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation. The mammalian myb gene family contains two members in addition to c-myb, A-myb, and B-myb. Here, we report that the Wnt-NLK pathway also inhibits A-Myb activity, but by a different mechanism. As in the case of c-Myb, both NLK and HIPK2 bound directly to A-Myb and inhibited its activity. NLK phosphorylated A-Myb, but did not induce A-Myb degradation. Overexpression of NLK inhibited the association between A-Myb and the coactivator CBP, thus, blocking A-Myb-induced trans-activation. The kinase activity of NLK is required for the efficient inhibition of the association between A-Myb and CBP, although the kinase-negative form of NLK also partly inhibits the interaction between A-Myb and CBP. Furthermore, NLK induced the methylation of histone H3 at lysine-9 at A-Myb-bound promoter regions. Thus, the Wnt-NLK pathway inhibits the activity of each Myb family member by different mechanisms.     

Myosin-Va regulates exocytosis through the submicromolar Ca2+-dependent binding of syntaxin-1A

Myosin-Va is an actin-based processive motor that conveys intracellular cargoes. Synaptic vesicles are one of the most important cargoes for myosin-Va, but the role of mammalian myosin-Va in secretion is less clear than for its yeast homologue, Myo2p. In the current studies, we show that myosin-Va on synaptic vesicles interacts with syntaxin-1A, a t-SNARE involved in exocytosis, at or above 0.3 microM Ca2+. Interference with formation of the syntaxin-1A-myosin-Va complex reduces the exocytotic frequency in chromaffin cells. Surprisingly, the syntaxin-1A-binding site was not in the tail of myosin-Va but rather in the neck, a region that contains calmodulin-binding IQ-motifs. Furthermore, we found that syntaxin-1A binding by myosin-Va in the presence of Ca2+ depends on the release of calmodulin from the myosin-Va neck, allowing syntaxin-1A to occupy the vacant IQ-motif. Using an anti-myosin-Va neck antibody, which blocks this binding, we demonstrated that the step most important for the antibody's inhibitory activity is the late sustained phase, which is involved in supplying readily releasable vesicles. Our results demonstrate that the interaction between myosin-Va and syntaxin-1A is involved in exocytosis and suggest that the myosin-Va neck contributes not only to the large step size but also to the regulation of exocytosis by Ca2+.     

Effect of dietary anti-urease immunoglobulin Y on Helicobacter pylori infection in Mongolian gerbils

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori is known to be a major pathogenic factor in the development of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Recently, chicken egg yolk immunoglobulin Y (IgY) has been recognized as an inexpensive antibody source for passive immunization against gastrointestinal infections. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of anti-urease IgY on H. pylori infection in Mongolian gerbils. METHODS: H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils were administered a diet containing anti-urease IgY, with or without famotidine (F). After 10 weeks, bacterial culture and measurement of the gastric mucosal myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were performed. In a second experiment, another group of gerbils was started on a diet containing F + IgY a week prior to H. pylori inoculation. After 9 weeks, these animals were examined. RESULTS: In the H. pylori-infected gerbils, there were no significant differences in the level of H. pylori colonization among the different dietary and control groups. However, the MPO activity was significantly decreased in the H. pylori group administered the F + IgY diet compared with that in the H. pylori group administered the IgY, F, or control diet. Furthermore, in the gerbils administered the F + IgY diet prior to the bacterial inoculation, inhibition of H. pylori colonization and suppression of the elevated gastric mucosal MPO activity were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of urease-specific IgY not only inhibited H. pylori disease activity in H. pylori-infected gerbils, but also prevented H. pylori colonization in those not yet infected. These encouraging results may pave the way for a novel therapeutic and prophylactic approach in the management of H. pylori-associated gastroduodenal disease.     

Enhanced resistance to Gram-positive bacterium and increased susceptibility to bacterial endotoxin in mice sensitized with Propionibacterium acnes: involvement of Toll-like receptor

Mice sensitized with Propionibacterium acnes showed an enhanced resistance against infection with Listeria monocytogenes in contrast to the increased susceptibility to LPS-induced endotoxin shock. The enhanced protection to L. monocytogenes was mediated by activated innate immunity but not by generation of Listeria-specific acquired immunity. After infection with L. monocytogenes, the elimination of bacteria was observed earlier in accordance with a higher level of endogenous cytokine production in P. acnes-sensitized mice than in control mice. Peritoneal cells from P. acnes-sensitized mice produced a larger amount of IL-12p70 and nitric oxide after stimulation with heat-killed L. monocytogenes or peptidoglycan purified from Staphylococcus aureus. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of TLR2 but not TLR1, TLR4 nor TLR6 was induced by injection of P. acnes in peritoneal cells. These results indicated that P. acnes-sensitization could induce the activation of innate immunity against L. monocytogenes through increased recognition of bacterial components by TLR2.     

A soluble adenylyl cyclase from sea urchin spermatozoa

A previously identified, calmodulin-binding, sea urchin sperm flagellar adenylyl cyclase (AC) was cloned and sequenced and found to be a homologue of mammalian sperm soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC). Compared to the mammalian sAC, the sea urchin sAC (susAC) has several long amino acid insertions, some of which contain protein kinase A phosphorylation sites. The enzymatic activity of susAC shows a steep pH dependency curve, the specific activity doubling when the pH is increased from 7.0 to 7.5. This suggests that like sperm dynein ATPase, the susAC is probably activated by increases in intracellular pH occurring upon spawning into seawater and also when sperm respond to contact with the egg jelly layer. The susAC is strongly activated by manganese, but has low activity in magnesium. Gene database searches identified sAC homologues in species known to have cyclic AMP-dependent sperm motility. This implies (as shown in mouse) that susAC has a role in sperm motility, most probably through axonemal protein phosphorylation or ion channel regulation.     

Effect of cobalt on the liver glycogen content in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Cobalt decreases blood glucose in diabetic rats but the mechanisms involved are unclear. To determine the contribution of glycogen metabolism to glycemia-lowering effect, glycogen contents of liver and muscle in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were determined. The liver glycogen was depleted in diabetic rats. But when cobalt was administered to the rats, the glycogen returned to the level of healthy rats, concomitantly with the decrease in blood glucose. The cobalt treatment had no effect on the muscle glycogen in the diabetic rats. The tissue-specific responses of glycogen metabolism suggest the involvement of suppressed glucagon signaling due to cobalt treatment.