A Protein Disulfide Isomerase Controls Neuronal Migration through Regulation of Wnt Secretion

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Role of phosphorylation on the structural dynamics and function of types III and IV intermediate filaments

Phosphorylation of types III and IV intermediate filaments (IFs) is known to regulate their organization and function. Phosphorylation of the amino-terminal head domain sites on types III and IV IF proteins plays a key role in the assembly/disassembly of IF subunits into 10 nm filaments, and influences the phosphorylation of sites on the carboxyl-terminal tail domain. These phosphorylation events are largely under the control of second messenger-dependent protein kinases and provide the cells a mechanism to reorganize the IFs in response to the changes in second messenger levels. In mitotic cells, Cdk1, Rho kinase, PAK1 and Aurora-B kinase are believed to regulate vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein phosphorylation in a spatio-temporal manner. In neurons, the carboxyl-terminal tail domains of the NF-M and NF-H subunits of heteropolymeric neurofilaments (NFs) are highly phosphorylated by proline-directed protein kinases. The phosphorylation of carboxyl-terminal tail domains of NFs has been suspected to play roles in forming cross-bridges between NFs and microtubules, slowing axonal transport and promoting their integration into cytoskeleton lattice and, in doing so, to control axonal caliber and stabilize the axon. The role of IF phosphorylation in disease pathobiology is discussed.     

The methylerythritol phosphate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis in coccidia: presence and sensitivity to fosmidomycin

The apicoplast is a recently discovered, plastid-like organelle present in most apicomplexa. The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis is one of the metabolic pathways associated with the apicoplast, and is a new promising therapeutic target in Plasmodium falciparum. Here, we check the presence of isoprenoid genes in four coccidian parasites according to genome database searches. Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis, which have no plastid genome, lack the MEP pathway. In contrast, gene expression studies suggest that this metabolic pathway is present in several development stages of Eimeria tenella and in tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii. We studied the potential of fosmidomycin, an antimalarial drug blocking the MEP pathway, to inhibit E. tenella and T. gondii growth in vitro. The drug was poorly effective even at high concentrations. Thus, both fosmidomycin sensitivity and isoprenoid metabolism differs substantially between apicomplexan species.     

A comparison between the homocyclic aromatic metabolic pathways from plant-derived compounds by bacteria and fungi

Aromatic compounds derived from lignin are of great interest for renewable biotechnical applications. They can serve in many industries e.g. as biochemical building blocks for bioplastics or biofuels, or as antioxidants, flavor agents or food preservatives. In nature, lignin is degraded by microorganisms, which results in the release of homocyclic aromatic compounds. Homocyclic aromatic compounds can also be linked to polysaccharides, tannins and even found freely in plant biomass. As these compounds are often toxic to microbes already at low concentrations, they need to be degraded or converted to less toxic forms. Prior to ring cleavage, the plant- and lignin-derived aromatic compounds are converted to seven central ring-fission intermediates, i.e. catechol, protocatechuic acid, hydroxyquinol, hydroquinone, gentisic acid, gallic acid and pyrogallol through complex aromatic metabolic pathways and used as energy source in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Over the decades, bacterial aromatic metabolism has been described in great detail. However, the studies on fungal aromatic pathways are scattered over different pathways and species, complicating a comprehensive view of fungal aromatic metabolism. In this review, we depicted the similarities and differences of the reported aromatic metabolic pathways in fungi and bacteria. Although both microorganisms share the main conversion routes, many alternative pathways are observed in fungi. Understanding the microbial aromatic metabolic pathways could lead to metabolic engineering for strain improvement and promote valorization of lignin and related aromatic compounds.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida biotype B

The Δ⁵-3-ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida biotype B has been crystallized. The crystals belong to the space group P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions of a = 36.48 Å, b = 74.30 Å, c = 96.02 Å, and contain one homodimer per asymmetric unit. Native diffraction data to 2.19 Å resolution have been obtained from one crystal at room temperature indicating that the crystals are quite suitable for structure determination by multiple isomorphous replacement.     

Molecular cloning and expression of the glucose/xylose isomerase gene from Streptomyces sp. NCIM 2730 in Escherichia coli

Abstract A partial genomic library of Streptomyces sp. NCIM 2730 was constructed in Escherichia coli using pUC8 vector and screened for the presence of the d-glucose/xylose isomerase (GXI) gene using an 18-mer mixed oligonucleotide probe complementary to a highly conserved six-amino acid sequence of GXI from actinomycetes. Eight clones which hybridized with the radiolabelled oligoprobe showed the ability to complement xylose isomerase-defective E. coli mutants. The restriction map of the insert from one (pMSG27) of the eight GXI-positive clones showing detectable GXI activity was constructed. GXI-deficient strains of E. coli were able to utilize xylose as the sole carbon source for their growth upon transformation with pMSG27. E. coli JM105 (pMSG27) and E. coli JC1553 (pMSG27) were inducible by IPTG suggesting that the expression of the cloned gene was under the control of the lacZ promoter. Western blot analysis revealed that the cloned gene is expressed as a fusion protein of M _r 110. This is the first report of expression of a catalytically active GXI from Streptomyces in Escherichia coli .     

Enzymes of a New Modified ortho-Pathway Utilizing 2-Chlorophenol in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP

Chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (CC 1,2-DO), chloromuconate cycloisomerase (CMCI), chloromuconolactone isomerase (CMLI), and dienolactone hydrolase (DELH), the key enzymes of a new modified ortho-pathway in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP cells utilizing 2-chlorophenol via a 3-chlorocatechol branch of a modified ortho-pathway, were isolated and characterized. CC 1,2-DO showed the maximum activity with 3-chlorocatechol; its activity with catechol and 4-chlorocatechol was 93 and 50%, respectively. The enzyme of the studied pathway had physicochemical properties intermediate between the pyrocatechase of ordinary and chlorocatechase of modified pathways described earlier for this strain. In contrast to the enzymes investigated earlier, CMCI of the new pathway exhibited high substrate specificity. The enzyme had K _m for 2-chloromuconate of 142.86 M, V _max = 71.43 U/mg, pH optimum around 6.0, and temperature optimum at 65°C. CMCI converted 2-chloromuconate into 5-chloromuconolactone. CMLI converted 5-chloromuconolactone into cis-dienolactone used as a substrate by DELH; this enzyme did not convert trans-dienolactone. DELH had Km for cis-dienolactone of 200 M, V _max = 167 U/mg, pH optimum of 8.6, and temperature optimum of 40°C. These results confirm the existence of a new modified ortho-pathway for utilization of 2-chlorophenol by R. opacus 1CP.     

猪骨骼肌磷酸葡萄糖异构酶的提纯及性质研究

本文报道猪骨骼肌磷酸葡萄糖异构酶（ＧＰＩ．ＥＣ ５．３．１．９）的提纯及其性质。设计了四步提纯法（稀盐溶液抽提、有机溶媒沉淀、透析、葡聚糖Ｇ－１００柱层析），对猪的五种不同解剖部位的骨骼风进行了ＧＰＩ的提纯。结果均得到聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（ＰＡＧＥ）图谱为一条带的产品。提纯效果以猪股二头肌为例：提纯１０．６８倍、活力回收３２．３７％，比活力１．６×１０５单位。对提纯酶性质的研究表明；猪肌提纯的ＧＰＩ由三个亚基组成。分子量约为１２０Ｋｄ，等电点为 ６． ６，最适ｐＨ８．５，最适温度 ３５℃，米氏常数：６．０２ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ，活化能为３２３７８．４焦耳／Ｋ，ｍｏｌ。免疫电泳实验证实猪肌提纯酶具抗原性。其免疫血清与自牛、兔、鸡、鱼的骨骼肌用同法提纯的ＧＰＩ有交叉免疫反应。免疫血清且对原酶液有抑制作用。猪肌ＧＰＩ与其它数种动物肌肉之ＧＰＩ的ＰＡＧＥ行为、混合电泳行为，等电聚焦行为、氨基酸组成等各方面基本相同，可以认为这是猪肌ＧＰＩ与其它数种动物肌肉的ＧＰＩ为同源蛋白质的佐证。     

A highly conserved nematode protein folding operon in Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae

In the free-living model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, a protein-folding co-transcribed gene pair has previously been described. The degree and form of trans-splicing, orientation and spacing of the genes, and the co-ordinate co-expression of protein folding catalysts in the nematode's hypodermis indicated this to be a functionally important operon. This gene pair has now been cloned and compared in the related organism Caenorhabditis briggsae to identify evolutionarily conserved, functionally important features. The corresponding C. briggsae gene pair was found to share the operon-specific features, including sequence homology blocks in the upstream 5′ flanking regions. The intergenic regions were not conserved. The homology block closest to the translational initiation codon of the upstream gene was found to contain a known Ceanorhabbitis promoter element site, and may therefore be an important cis-regulatory region directing the hypodermis-specific expression of this operon gene of C. elegans. This study also provides further confirmation of the high degree of chromosomal synteny between these nematode species.