Antimony resistance during Visceral Leishmaniasis: A possible consequence of serial mutations in ABC transporters of Leishmania species

Visceral Leishmaniasis is a macrophage associated disorder for the treatment of which antimony based drugs like SAG and SSG were the first choice in the recent past. The clinical value of antimony therapy is now declined against VL because increasing cases of Sodium Antimony Gluconate (SAG) resistance have reached outstanding proportion in Bihar, India. Within this context we looked into the protein sequences of ABC transporters of Leishmania spp associated with Visceral Leishmaniasis that are known to play a crucial role in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). Our studies consisting of ClustalW, Phylogeny and TCOFFEE have pinpointed that ABC transporters have enormously diverged during the process of evolution even within the identical species strains resulting in insignificant homology and subdued conservation amongst the aminoacid residues. Moreover these amino acid residues remain susceptible to mutations in evolutionary era as indicated by high frequency of variations by the variability studies. Hence we predict that during the process of evolution a series of frequent mutations might have led to changes in the ABC transporters favorable to effluxing the drug thereby making the Leishmania species prone to resistance against the efficient first line drug SAG, used for combating VL. This selection has made them to survive efficiently in the adverse circumstances of antimony based antileishmanial therapy regime.     

Senescence-associated vacuoles with intense proteolytic activity develop in leaves of Arabidopsis and soybean

Vacuolar compartments associated with leaf senescence and the subcellular localization of the senescence-specific cysteine-protease SAG12 (senescence-associated gene 12) were studied using specific fluorescent markers, the expression of reporter genes, and the analysis of high-pressure frozen/freeze-substituted samples. Senescence-associated vacuoles (SAVs) with intense proteolytic activity develop in the peripheral cytoplasm of mesophyll and guard cells in Arabidopsis and soybean. The vacuolar identity of these compartments was confirmed by immunolabeling with specific antibody markers. SAVs and the central vacuole differ in their acidity and tonoplast composition: SAVs are more acidic than the central vacuole and, whereas the tonoplast of central vacuoles is highly enriched in gamma-TIP (tonoplast intrinsic protein), the tonoplast of SAVs lacks this aquaporin. The expression of a SAG12-GFP fusion protein in transgenic Arabidopsis plants shows that SAG12 localizes to SAVs. The analysis of Pro(SAG12):GUS transgenic plants indicates that SAG12 expression in senescing leaves is restricted to SAV-containing cells, for example, mesophyll and guard cells. A homozygous sag12 Arabidopsis mutant develops SAVs and does not show any visually detectable phenotypical alteration during senescence, indicating that SAG12 is not required either for SAV formation or for progression of visual symptoms of senescence. The presence of two types of vacuoles in senescing leaves could provide different lytic compartments for the dismantling of specific cellular components. The possible origin and functions of SAVs during leaf senescence are discussed.     

Natural developmental variations in leaf and plant senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana

Leaf senescence is a developmentally regulated process that contributes to nutrient redistribution during reproductive growth and finally leads to tissue death. Manipulating leaf senescence through breeding or genetic engineering may help to improve important agronomic traits, such as crop yield and the storage life of harvested organs. Here, we studied natural variations in the regulation of plant senescence among 16 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Chlorophyll content and the proportion of yellow leaves were used as indicator parameters to determine leaf and plant senescence respectively. Our study indicated significant genotype effects on the onset and development of senescence. We selected three late- and five early-senescence accessions for further physiological studies. The relationship between leaf and plant senescence was accession-dependent. There was a significant correlation between plant senescence and the total number of leaves, siliques and plant bolting age. We monitored expression of two senescence marker genes, SAG12 and WRKY53 , to evaluate progression of senescence. Our data revealed that chlorophyll content does not fully reflect leaf age, because even fully green leaves had already commenced senescence at the molecular level. Integrating senescence parameters, such as the proportion of senescent leaves, at the whole plant level provided a better indication of the molecular status of the plant than single leaf senescence parameters.     

Neospora caninum: detection in wild rabbits and investigation of co-infection with Toxoplasma gondii by PCR analysis

Neospora caninum is an important pathogen of cattle causing significant economic loss. There is much current interest in wild animal reservoirs for this parasite. The role of the rabbit in this is currently unknown. DNA samples from the brains of wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) collected from the Malham area of the Yorkshire dales were investigated by species-specific PCR for the presence of N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. We found prevalences of N. caninum of 10.5% (6/57) and T. gondii of 68.4% (39/57) with 8.8% (5/57) co-infected. Strain typing of T. gondii positive rabbits revealed strain types I-III were present in this population. Investigation of tissue distribution determined N. caninum DNA was most often detected in the brain and heart, less often in the tongue and not in the liver. To our knowledge this is the first report of N. caninum detection in naturally infected wild rabbits.     

转基因(SAG12-IPT)青菜的迟衰特性

利用根癌农杆菌感染方法将融合基因SAG12 IPT导入青菜 ,转基因植株明显表现出衰老延迟的生理现象。SAG12 IPT的抗衰老作用表现为 :在衰老过程中转基因青菜叶片中叶绿素含量高于未转基因的青菜 ,PCR分析结果表明该融合基因已经转入青菜中。激素检测结果表明转基因青菜叶片中细胞分裂素含量高于未转基因植株 ,说明抗衰老与叶片内细胞分裂素含量提高有关。另外 ,转基因植株不仅表现出活体植株衰老延迟 ,而且长在植株上的与离体的叶片滞绿时间延长。这些为蔬菜的耐储存育种提供了新的思路 ,同时为该融合基因在十字花科经济作物中的应用提供了理论依据。     

弓形虫膜表面抗原SAG2蛋白的高效表达及免疫活性分析

在大肠杆菌中以可溶性形式高效表达弓形虫膜表面抗原SAG2蛋白,并对其免疫活性进行分析。应用PCR技术从刚地弓形虫RH株的基因组DNA中扩增编码SAG2的基因片段,亚克隆至原核表达载体pET32a(+),在大肠埃希菌(E.coli)BL21内表达,并对其表达条件进行优化,Western blotting和ELISA分析纯化蛋白的免疫原性;纯化的重组蛋白免疫小鼠制备多抗,用间接免疫荧光试验(IFA)分析表达蛋白的免疫反应性。成功构建重组质粒pET32a(+)-tSAG2,所表达的融合蛋白大小约为38kD。在IPTG终浓度为0.1mmol/L、诱导时间4-6h和培养温度32℃条件下,重组SAG2蛋白主要以可溶性形式在大肠杆菌中高效表达,每升培养菌液约获得可溶性重组SAG2蛋白16mg。Western blotting及ELISA结果显示纯化蛋白具有良好的免疫原性。IFA显示重组蛋白的抗血清能够识别刚地弓形虫表面的SAG2天然蛋白,所表达蛋白具有良好的免疫反应性。截断的SAG2基因在大肠杆菌中得到了高效表达,重组蛋白保持了天然蛋白的免疫活性,为进一步利用该重组蛋白进行弓形虫病免疫诊断及基因工程亚单位疫苗的研制奠定基础。     

Membrane interactions of the hydrophobic segment of diacylglycerol kinase epsilon

Diacylglycerol kinase epsilon (DGKε) is unique among mammalian DGK isoforms in having a segment of hydrophobic amino acids as a putative membrane anchor. To model the conformation, and stoichiometry of this segment in membrane-mimetic environments, we have prepared a peptide corresponding to this hydrophobic segment of DGKε of sequence KKKKLILWTLCSVLLPVFITFWKKKKK-NH₂. Flanking Lys residues mimic the natural setting of this peptide in DGKε, while facilitating peptide synthesis and characterization. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopic analysis demonstrated that the peptide has increased helical content and significant blue shifts in the presence of anionic - but not zwitterionic - bilayer membranes. When labeled with fluorophores that can undergo fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the peptide was found to dimerize - a result also observed from migration rates on SDS-PAGE gels under both reducing and non-reducing disulfide bridge conditions. The peptide was shown to preferentially interact with cholesterol in lipid films comprised of homogeneous mixtures of cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine, yet the presence of cholesterol in hydrated vesicle bilayers decreases its helical content. The peptide was also able to inhibit the activity of DGKε protein in vitro. Our overall findings suggest that the peptide ultimately cannot leave the bulk water for attachment/insertion into the outer leaflet of an erythrocyte-like bilayer, yet its core sequence is sufficiently hydrophobic to insert into membrane core regions when membrane attachment is promoted by electrostatic attraction to anionic lipid head groups of the inner leaflet of an erythrocyte-like bilayer.     

Molecular basis of a million-fold affinity maturation process in a protein-protein interaction

Protein engineering is becoming increasingly important for pharmaceutical applications where controlling the specificity and affinity of engineered proteins is required to create targeted protein therapeutics. Affinity increases of several thousand-fold are now routine for a variety of protein engineering approaches, and the structural and energetic bases of affinity maturation have been investigated in a number of such cases. Previously, a 3-million-fold affinity maturation process was achieved in a protein-protein interaction composed of a variant T-cell receptor fragment and a bacterial superantigen. Here, we present the molecular basis of this affinity increase. Using X-ray crystallography, shotgun reversion/replacement scanning mutagenesis, and computational analysis, we describe, in molecular detail, a process by which extrainterfacial regions of a protein complex can be rationally manipulated to significantly improve protein engineering outcomes.