Structural Comparison of Cephalopod Hemocyanins: Phylogenetic Significance

Hemocyanins, the respiratory molecules of cephalopod mollusks, are hollow cylinders with five internal arches. Three hemocyanins representative of three orders of cephalopods (Benthoctopus species, Octopoda; Vampyroteuthis infernalis, Vampyromorpha; Sepia officinalis, Sepioidea) were subjected to cryoelectron microscopy and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. The structure of Benthoctopus hemocyanin, solved at 26.4-A resolution, possesses arches comprising two identical functional units. The similarity between these functional units and the structure recently observed in X-ray crystallography for Octopus by Cuff et al. (J. Mol. Biol., 1998, 232, 522-529) allows the identification of their N- and C-terminal domains in the 3D reconstruction volume. Conversely, arches present in the 3D reconstruction volume of Sepia hemocyanin (21.8 A resolution) contain four functional units that are disposed differently. The strong resemblance between the reconstruction volumes of Vampyroteuthis (21.4-A resolution) and Benthoctopus hemocyanins suggests that Sepioidea diverged from a group containing Octopoda and Vampyromorpha.     

意大利蝗卵发育过程中血蓝蛋白基因表达分析

【目的】意大利蝗Calliptamus italicus是新疆草原的主要优势危害种,以卵在土壤中越冬。呼吸代谢可反映蝗卵的生理状态,呼吸蛋白对于呼吸系统不完善的蝗卵尤为重要。本研究旨在明确意大利蝗卵发育过程中血蓝蛋白基因的表达情况。【方法】采用实时荧光定量PCR方法检测不同发育阶段的蝗卵以及1龄蝗蝻的血蓝蛋白2个亚基基因Hc1和Hc2的表达量。【结果】根据解剖形态观察,将意大利蝗越冬卵的整个发育过程分为10个阶段,包括9个卵发育阶段(C-Ⅰ-C-Ⅹ)和1龄蝗蝻阶段(C-Ⅹ)。Hc1和Hc2在越冬蝗卵各发育阶段以及1龄蝗蝻中均有表达。其中,在蝗卵早期发育阶段(C-Ⅰ, C-Ⅱ和C-Ⅲ),Hc1表达量逐渐增加,C-Ⅲ阶段表达量显著高于C-Ⅰ和C-Ⅱ阶段;滞育阶段(C-Ⅳ, C-Ⅴ和C-Ⅵ),胚胎发育停滞,Hc1表达量较C-Ⅲ,C-Ⅶ和C-Ⅷ阶段低;滞育后发育阶段(C-Ⅶ和C-Ⅷ),蝗卵解除滞育,快速发育,Hc1表达量较早期发育阶段和滞育阶段高,其中,C-Ⅷ阶段Hc1表达量最高(212.3156±10.5470),显著高于其他所有阶段;1龄蝗蝻(C-Ⅹ)的Hc1表达量最低,为0.4017±0.1010。Hc2表达量在C-Ⅴ阶段最高(679.7511±54.5719),显著高于其他所有阶段;除C-Ⅴ阶段外,其他各阶段之间Hc2表达量差异均不显著。Hc1在蝗卵滞育后阶段高表达,而Hc2在蝗卵滞育阶段高表达。【结论】血蓝蛋白亚基基因Hc1和Hc2在整个意大利蝗卵发育过程均有表达,且具有阶段特异性。Hc1与Hc2协同作用为蝗卵发育供氧,其中,Hc1主要负责蝗卵滞育后发育期间的氧气运载,而Hc2主要维持滞育期间的氧气运载,且载氧效率较低。研究结果可为进一步探讨意大利蝗卵的抗逆机制提供科学依据。     

A novel big protein TPRBK possessing 25 units of TPR motif is essential for the progress of mitosis and cytokinesis

Through the comprehensive analysis of the genomic DNA sequence of human chromosome 22, we identified a novel gene of 702 kb encoding a big protein of 2481 amino acid residues, and named it as TPRBK (TPR containing big gene cloned at Keio). A novel protein TPRBK possesses 25 units of the TPR motif, which has been known to associate with a diverse range of biological functions. Orthologous genes of human TPRBK were found widely in animal species, from insecta to mammal, but not found in plants, fungi and nematoda. Northern blotting and RT-PCR analyses revealed that TPRBK gene is expressed ubiquitously in the human and mouse fetal tissues and various cell lines of human, monkey and mouse. Immunofluorescent staining of the synchronized monkey COS-7 cells with several relevant antibodies indicated that TPRBK changes its subcellular localization during the cell cycle: at interphase TPRBK locates on the centrosomes, during mitosis it translocates from spindle poles to mitotic spindles then to spindle midzone, and through a period of cytokinesis it stays on the midbody. Co-immunoprecipitation assay and immunofluorescent staining with adequate antibodies revealed that TPRBK binds to Aurora B, and those proteins together translocate throughout mitosis and cytokinesis. Treatments of cells with two drugs (Blebbistatin and Y-27632), that are known to inhibit the contractility of actin–myosin, disturbed the proper intracellular localization of TPRBK. Moreover, the knockdown of TPRBK expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed the bundling of spindle midzone microtubules and disrupted the midbody formation, arresting the cells at G₂ + M phase. These observations indicated that a novel big protein TPRBK is essential for the formation and integrity of the midbody, hence we postulated that TPRBK plays a critical role in the progress of mitosis and cytokinesis during mammalian cell cycle.     

Antigenic sites of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor cannot be predicted from the hydrophilicity profile

The amino acid sequences of the polypeptide chains of the acetylcholine receptor have recently been published. From the hydrophilicity profiles, it has been proposed that residues 161-166 of the alpha-chain might be an important antigenic site. We have synthesised a peptide containing this sequence and raised antisera to it. Here we report that this peptide does not represent an important antigenic site on the molecule, and that this region is probably inaccessible to antibodies. Based on the known DNA sequences and hydrophilicity profiles of the receptor chains, we suggest that many regions of high hydrophilicity may represent inter-domain regions of proteins.     

Development of microsatellite loci for the black-footed limpet, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Patella depressa</Emphasis>, and cross-amplification in two other <Emphasis Type="Italic">Patella</Emphasis> species

Limpets (Patella spp.) are suitable organisms to investigate the effects of climate change in marine systems. They are widespread over NE Atlantic intertidal rocky shores and have been extensively studied in terms of population dynamics and ecology. Within genus Patella, microsatellites have only been developed for Patella caerulea and cross-species tests are unknown. In this work, we describe 11 primer pairs for Patella depressa and the results of cross-species testing on Patella candei and Patella rustica.     

Hexamers of subunit II from Limulus hemocyanin (a 48-mer) have the same quaternary structure as whole Panulirus hemocyanin molecules

Hemocyanins are copper-containing proteins that transport oxygen in a variety of invertebrates. Considerable evidence has accumulated that arthropodan hemocyanins are multimers of a fundamental hexameric unit. X-Ray crystallographic structure determination has revealed that the hemocyanin molecule from the spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus is a single hexamer having 32 point group symmetry. Using crystals of subunit II, one of 8 polypeptide types comprising the octahexameric hemocyanin of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus, and the molecular replacement method for crystallographic phase determination we show that subunit II forms assemblies with the same hexameric quaternary structure as the whole Panulirus hemocyanin molecule. Observation of the same hexameric motif in two widely separated species provides strong additional evidence that this quaternary structural unit is a universal building block of arthropodan hemocyanins.     

Switch between tyrosinase and catecholoxidase activity of scorpion hemocyanin by allosteric effectors

Phenoloxidases and hemocyanins have similar type 3 copper centers although they perform different functions. Hemocyanins are oxygen carriers, while phenoloxidases (tyrosinase/catecholoxidase) catalyze the initial step in melanin synthesis. Tyrosinases catalyze two subsequent reactions, whereas catecholoxidases catalyze only the second one. Recent results indicate that hemocyanins can also function as phenoloxidases and here we show for the first time that hemocyanin can be converted to phenoloxidase. Furthermore, its substrate specificity can be switched between catecholoxidase and tyrosinase activity depending on effectors such as hydroxymethyl-aminomethan (Tris) and Mg(2+)-ions. This demonstrates that substrate specificity is not caused by a chemical modification of the active site.