Genome structure of the genus Azospirillum

Azospirillum species are plant-associated diazotrophs of the alpha subclass of Proteobacteria. The genomes of five of the six Azospirillum species were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. All strains possessed several megareplicons, some probably linear, and 16S ribosomal DNA hybridization indicated multiple chromosomes in genomes ranging in size from 4.8 to 9.7 Mbp. The nifHDK operon was identified in the largest replicon.     

Topographic mapping from the retina to the midbrain is controlled by relative but not absolute levels of EphA receptor signaling

Topographic maps are a fundamental feature of sensory representations in nervous systems. The formation of one such map, defined by the connection of ganglion cells in the retina to their targets in the superior colliculus of the midbrain, is thought to depend upon an interaction between complementary gradients of retinal EphA receptors and collicular ephrin-A ligands. We have tested this hypothesis by using gene targeting to elevate EphA receptor expression in a subset of mouse ganglion cells, thereby producing two intermingled ganglion cell populations that express distinct EphA receptor gradients. We find that these two populations form separate maps in the colliculus, which can be predicted as a function of the net EphA receptor level that a given ganglion cell expresses relative to its neighbors.     

Proteomic tools for cell biology

Acquisition of large bodies of genomic sequence is facilitating the use of global techniques to assay cellular function. DNA microarrays have enabled the measurement of global mRNA levels and are able to detect changes in gene expression between different cellular states. Since much of the regulation of physiolgical processes happens post-translationally, measuring only the mRNA levels gives an incomplete picture. Strategies to assay global expression, localization, or interaction of proteins fall into the emerging field of proteomics, with various combinations of techniques being utilized to separate and identify proteins. In this review, we will present a general overview of the currently available proteomic tools and then give examples of how these tools are being utilized to answer questions in cell biology.     

Serine 727 phosphorylation and activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 by MNK1-related protein kinases

We have previously reported that in thrombin-stimulated human platelets, cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA2) is phosphorylated on Ser-505 by p38 protein kinase and on Ser-727 by an unknown kinase. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 leads to inhibition of cPLA2 phosphorylation at both Ser-505 and Ser-727 suggesting that the kinase responsible for phosphorylation on Ser-727 is activated in a p38-dependent pathway. By using Chinese hamster ovary, HeLa, and HEK293 cells stably transfected with wild type and phosphorylation site mutant forms of cPLA2, we show that phosphorylation of cPLA2 at both Ser-505 and Ser-727 and elevation of Ca(2+) leads to its activation in agonist-stimulated cells. The p38-activated protein kinases MNK1, MSK1, and PRAK1 phosphorylate cPLA2 in vitro uniquely on Ser-727 as shown by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, MNK1 and PRAK1, but not MSK1, is present in platelets and undergo modest activation in response to thrombin. Expression of a dominant negative form of MNK1 in HEK293 cells leads to significant inhibition of cPLA2-mediated arachidonate release. The results suggest that MNK1 or a closely related kinase is responsible for in vivo phosphorylation of cPLA2 on Ser-727.     

Ligand design for alpha1 adrenoceptor subtype selective antagonists

Alpha1 adrenoceptors have three subtypes and drugs interacting selectively with these subtypes could be useful in the treatment of a variety of diseases. In order to gain an insight into the structural principles governing subtype selectivity, ligand based drug design (pharmacophore development) methods have been used to design a novel 1,2,3-thiadiazole ring D analogue of the aporphine system. Synthesis and testing of this compound as a ligand on cloned and expressed human alpha1 adrenoceptors is described. Low binding affinity was found, possibly due to an unfavourable electrostatic potential distribution. Pharmacophore models for antagonists at the three adrenoceptor sites (alpha1A, alpha1B, alpha1D) were generated from a number of different training sets and their value for the design of new selective antagonists discussed. The first preliminary antagonist pharmacophore model for the alpha1D adrenoceptor subtype is also reported.     

Use of lactose to induce expression of soluble NifA protein domains of Herbaspirillum seropedicae in Escherichia coli

Overexpression and purification are procedures used to allow functional and structural characterization of proteins. Many overexpressed proteins are partially or completely insoluble, and can not be easily purified. The NifA protein is an enhancer-binding protein involved in activating the expression of nif and some fix genes. The NifA protein from many organisms is usually insoluble when over-expressed, and therefore difficult to work with in vitro. In this work we have overexpressed the central + C-terminal and the central domains of the Herbaspirrilum seropedicae NifA protein in an Escherichia coli background. Expression was induced with either IPTG or lactose. The data showed that induction with lactose promoted a significantly higher percentage of these proteins in the soluble fraction than with IPTG. This probably reflects a slower kinetics of induction by lactose.     

Cytokine-modulated regulation of helper T cell populations

Helper T (Th) cells are a crucial component of the adaptive immune system and are of fundamental importance in orchestrating the appropriate response to pathogenic challenge. They fall into two broad categories defined by the cytokines each produces. Th1 cells produce interferon- gamma and are required for effective immunity to intracellular bacteria, viruses and protozoa whereas Th2 produce IL-4 and are required for optimal antibody production to T-dependent antigens. A great deal of experimental data on the regulation of Th1 and Th2 differentiation have been obtained but many essential features of this complex system are still not understood. Here we present a mathematical model of Th1/Th2 differentiation and cross regulation. We model Fas-mediated activation-induced cell death (AICD) as this process has been identified as an important mechanism for limiting clonal expansion and resolving T cell responses. We conclude that Th2 susceptibility to AICD is important for stabilizing the two polarized arms of the T helper response, and that cell-cell killing, not suicide, is the dominant mechanism for Fas-mediated death of Th1 effectors. We find that the combination of the anti-proliferative effect of the cytokine TGF- beta and the inhibiting influence of IL-10 on T cell activation are crucial controls for Th2 populations. We see that the strengths of the activation signals for each T helper cell subset, which are dependent on the antigen dose, co-stimulatory signals and the cytokine environment, critically determine the dominant helper subset. Switches from Th1- to Th2-dominance may be important in chronic infection and we show that this phenomenon can arise from differential AICD susceptibility of T helper subsets, and asymmetries in the nature of the cross-suppressive cytokine interactions. Our model suggests that in some senses a predominantly type 2 reaction may well be the "default" pathway for an antigen-specific immune response, due to these asymmetries.     

The minimal replicator of Epstein-Barr virus oriP

oriP is a 1.7-kb region of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) chromosome that supports the replication and stable maintenance of plasmids in human cells. oriP contains two essential components, called the DS and the FR, both of which contain multiple binding sites for the EBV-encoded protein, EBNA-1. The DS appears to function as the replicator of oriP, while the FR acts in conjunction with EBNA-1 to prevent the loss of plasmids from proliferating cells. Because of EBNA-1's role in stabilizing plasmids through the FR, it has not been entirely clear to what extent EBNA-1 might be required for replication from oriP per se, and a recent study has questioned whether EBNA-1 has any direct role in replication. In the present study we found that plasmids carrying oriP required EBNA-1 to replicate efficiently even when assayed only 2 days after plasmids were introduced into the cell lines 143B and 293. Significantly, using 293 cells it was demonstrated that the plasmid-retention function of EBNA-1 and the FR did not contribute significantly to the accumulation of replicated plasmids, and the DS supported efficient EBNA-1-dependent replication in the absence of the FR. The DS contains two pairs of closely spaced EBNA-1 binding sites, and a previous study had shown that both sites within either pair are required for activity. However, it was unclear from previous work what additional sequences within the DS might be required. We found that each "half" of the DS, including a pair of closely spaced EBNA-1 binding sites, had significant replicator activity when the other half had been deleted. The only significant DNA sequences that the two halves of the DS share in common, other than EBNA-1 binding sites, is a 9-bp sequence that is present twice in the "left half" and once in the "right half." These nonamer repeats, while not essential for activity, contributed significantly to the activity of each half of the DS. Two thymines occur at unique positions within EBNA-1 binding sites 1 and 4 at the DS and become sensitive to oxidation by permanganate when EBNA-1 binds, but mutation of each to the consensus base, adenine, actually improved the activity of each half of the DS slightly. In conclusion, the DS of oriP is an EBNA-1-dependent replicator, and its minimal active core appears to be simply two properly spaced EBNA-1 binding sites.     

Role of the Air-Water-Solid Interface in Bacteriophage Sorption Experiments

Batch sorption experiments were carried out with the bacteriophages MS2 and X174. Two types of reactor vessels, polypropylene and glass, were used. Consistently lower concentrations of MS2 were found in the liquid phase in the absence of soil (control blanks) than in the presence of soil after mixing. High levels of MS2 inactivation (~99.9%) were observed in control tubes made of polypropylene (PP), with comparatively little loss of virus seen in PP tubes when soil was present. Minimal inactivation of MS2 was observed when the air-water interface was completely eliminated from PP control blanks during mixing. All batch experiments performed with reactor tubes made of glass demonstrated no substantial inactivation of MS2. In similar experiments, bacteriophage X174 did not undergo inactivation in either PP or glass control blanks, implying that this virus is not affected by the same factors which led to inactivation of MS2 in the PP control tubes. When possible, phage adsorption to soil was calculated by the Freundlich isotherm. Our data suggest that forces associated with the air-water-solid interface (where the solid is a hydrophobic surface) are responsible for inactivation of MS2 in the PP control tubes. The influence of air-water interfacial forces should be carefully considered when batch sorption experiments are conducted with certain viruses.