Amino-terminal processing of proteins by N-myristoylation. Substrate specificity of N-myristoyl transferase

Using synthetic octapeptides, we examined the amino-terminal sequence requirements for substrate recognition by myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyl transferase (NMT). NMT is absolutely specific for peptides with amino-terminal Gly residues. Peptides with Asn, Gln, Ser, Val, or Leu penultimate to the amino-terminal Gly were substrates, whereas peptides with Asp, D-Asn, Phe, or Tyr at this position were not myristoylated. Peptides with aromatic residues at this position competitively inhibited myristoylation of substrates, introducing the possibility of developing specific in vivo inhibitors of NMT. Peptides having sequences which correspond to those of known N-myristoyl proteins, including p60src, appear to be recognized by a single enzyme, and yeast and murine NMT have identical substrate specificities. The catalytic selectivity of NMT for myristoyl transfer accounts for the remarkable acyl chain specificity of this enzyme.     

Acylation of cellular proteins with endogenously synthesized fatty acids

A number of cellular proteins contain covalently bound fatty acids. Previous studies have identified myristic acid and palmitic acid covalently linked to protein, the former usually attached to proteins by an amide linkage and the latter by ester or thio ester linkages. While in a few instances specific proteins have been isolated from cells and their fatty acid composition has been determined, the most frequent approach to the identification of protein-linked fatty acids is to biosynthetically label proteins with fatty acids added to intact cells. This procedure introduces possible bias in that only a selected fraction of proteins may be labeled, and it is not known whether the radioactive fatty acid linked to the protein is identical with that which is attached to the protein when the fatty acid is derived from endogenous sources. We have examined the distribution of protein-bound fatty acid following labeling with [3H]acetate, a general precursor of all fatty acids, using BC3H1 cells (a mouse muscle cell line) and A431 cells (a human epidermoid carcinoma). Myristate, palmitate, and stearate account for essentially all of the fatty acids linked to protein following labeling with [3H]acetate, but at least 30% of the protein-bound palmitate in these cells was present in amide linkage. In BC3H1 cells, exogenous palmitate becomes covalently bound to protein such that less than 10% of the fatty acid is present in amide linkage. These data are compatible with multiple protein acylating activities specific for acceptor protein fatty acid chain length and linkage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Ground wētā in vines of the Awatere Valley,Marlborough: biology,density and distribution

The endemic New Zealand ground wētā (Hemiandrus sp. ‘promontorius’) has a Naturally Uncommon conservation status. This is because of the paucity of information on its density and distribution. Here, the biology, density and distribution of a population of this wētā found in and around vineyards in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough was studied. Wētā density was assessed in vineyards, paddocks and shrublands in this valley. Soil moisture, penetration resistance, pH and organic matter were recorded at locations with and without wētā. Wētā density in vineyards was significantly higher than in either paddocks or shrub habitats. In vineyards, the density of this insect was significantly higher under-vines than in the inter-rows. Higher numbers of this wētā were found in moist soils that required lower force to burrow. Females laid an average of 55 eggs between March and April, which hatched in September. These findings highlight the intersection between agriculture and conservation.     

11-(Ethylthio)undecanoic acid. A myristic acid analogue of altered hydrophobicity which is functional for peptide N-myristoylation with wheat germ and yeast acyltransferase

The covalent attachment of myristic acid to the NH2-terminal glycine residue of proteins is catalyzed by the enzyme myristoyl CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT). Using synthetic octapeptide substrates we have identified and characterized an NMT activity in wheat germ lysates used for cell-free translation of exogenous mRNAs. C-12 and C-14 fatty acids are efficiently transferred to the peptides by this plant NMT, but C-10 and C-16 fatty acids are not. Glycine is required as the NH2-terminal residue: peptides with an NH2-terminal alanine were not substrates. Peptides with proline, aspartic acid, or tyrosine residues adjacent to the NH2-terminal glycine were also not myristoylated. Serine in the fifth position reduced the peptide's Km up to 4000-fold. We have chemically synthesized a sulfur analogue of myristate, 11-(ethylthio)undecanoic acid. Its CoA ester is as good a substrate as myristoyl-CoA for both wheat germ and yeast NMT. Peptides linked to 11-(ethylthio)undecanoic acid are less hydrophobic than the corresponding myristoylpeptides. 11-(Ethylthio)-undecanoic acid may, therefore, help define the role of myristic acid in targeting of acyl proteins within cells.     

De novo lipogenesis maintains vascular homeostasis through endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) palmitoylation

Endothelial dysfunction leads to lethal vascular complications in diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Here, we demonstrate that de novo lipogenesis, an insulin-dependent process driven by the multifunctional enzyme fatty-acid synthase (FAS), maintains endothelial function by targeting endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) to the plasma membrane. In mice with endothelial inactivation of FAS (FASTie mice), eNOS membrane content and activity were decreased. eNOS and FAS were physically associated; eNOS palmitoylation was decreased in FAS-deficient cells, and incorporation of labeled carbon into eNOS-associated palmitate was FAS-dependent. FASTie mice manifested a proinflammatory state reflected as increases in vascular permeability, endothelial inflammatory markers, leukocyte migration, and susceptibility to LPS-induced death that was reversed with an NO donor. FAS-deficient endothelial cells showed deficient migratory capacity, and angiogenesis was decreased in FASTie mice subjected to hindlimb ischemia. Insulin induced FAS in endothelial cells freshly isolated from humans, and eNOS palmitoylation was decreased in mice with insulin-deficient or insulin-resistant diabetes. Thus, disrupting eNOS bioavailability through impaired lipogenesis identifies a novel mechanism coordinating nutritional status and tissue repair that may contribute to diabetic vascular disease.     

Clathrin isoform CHC22, a component of neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions, binds sorting nexin 5 and has increased expression during myogenesis and muscle regeneration

The muscle isoform of clathrin heavy chain, CHC22, has 85% sequence identity to the ubiquitously expressed CHC17, yet its expression pattern and function appear to be distinct from those of well-characterized clathrin-coated vesicles. In mature muscle CHC22 is preferentially concentrated at neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions, suggesting a role at sarcolemmal contacts with extracellular matrix. During myoblast differentiation, CHC22 expression is increased, initially localized with desmin and nestin and then preferentially segregated to the poles of fused myoblasts. CHC22 expression is also increased in regenerating muscle fibers with the same time course as embryonic myosin, indicating a role in muscle repair. CHC22 binds to sorting nexin 5 through a coiled-coil domain present in both partners, which is absent in CHC17 and coincides with the region on CHC17 that binds the regulatory light-chain subunit. These differential binding data suggest a mechanism for the distinct functions of CHC22 relative to CHC17 in membrane traffic during muscle development, repair, and at neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions.     

Effect of temperature on seed production in the invasive grass Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. (Poaceae) in South Africa

Temperature is one of the main factors that determine sexual reproduction in terrestrial and emergent aquatic plant species. The effect of temperature on sexual reproduction and seed production of Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. in the southern hemisphere is unknown. Glyceria maxima collections in February 2010 at three isolated infestations in KwaZulu-Natal failed to yield a single seed, only empty panicles. Laboratory experiments showed that vernalisation had no consistent effect on seed production. Field- and laboratory-grown plants produced seeds in the 2010/2011 season, because of having sufficient time at optimum temperatures required for seed production (1 491 and 1 585 hours, respectively), compared to a shorter period (1 352 hours) of suitable temperatures during the 2009/2010 growing season. An inadequate period of optimum temperatures (15–25°C) during seed production resulted in the lack of seeds in the field in the 2009/2010 growing season. This study showed that temperature and duration of exposure thereto during the seed-production period play vital roles in G. maxima sexual reproduction.