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Opposite effect of phencyclidine on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) in juvenile and adult limbic rat brain regions
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Thomsen, Morten S; Hansen, Henrik H; Mikkelsen, Jens D
animals. However, schizophrenia is believed to develop in part due to neurodevelopmental dysfunction during adolescence. Therefore, the effects of PCP in juvenile animals may better reflect the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Here, we compare the effect of PCP (5mg/kg/day for 5 days) on activity......-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) and parvalbumin mRNA expression in juvenile and adult rats. Arc is a marker for excitatory neurotransmission. Parvalbumin is a marker for GABAergic neurotransmission, known to be reduced in postmortem brains of schizophrenics. PCP reduced parvalbumin mRNA expression...
Effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein gene expression in primary frontal cortical neurons. Comparison with NMDA and AMPA
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
El-Sayed, Mona; Hofman-Bang, Jacob; Mikkelsen, Jens D
The effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) mRNA levels in primary neuronal cultures of rat frontal cortex was characterized pharmacologically and compared to the effect on expression of c-fos, bdnf, neuritin, cox-2 as examples...... of other immediate early genes. BDNF induced a very strong increase (around 100 fold) in Arc mRNA and the maximal effect seen at 25 ng/ml. The effect was dose-dependent with EC50 around 1.6 ng/ml. The time profile revealed a significant effect after 25 min. BDNF also increased levels of c-Fos, neuritin...... and BDNF mRNA, but not COX-2 mRNA. The pharmacological profile of NMDA and AMPA-induced arc gene expression in frontal cortical neurons was compared to BDNF. NMDA and AMPA increased Arc mRNA but their maximal effect did not exceed 20-fold. The effect of AMPA was completely blocked by the NMDA receptor...
Familiar Taste Induces Higher Dendritic Levels of Activity-Regulated Cytoskeleton-Associated Protein in the Insular Cortex than a Novel One
Morin, Jean-Pascal; Quiroz, Cesar; Mendoza-Viveros, Lucia; Ramirez-Amaya, Victor; Bermudez-Rattoni, Federico
The immediate early gene (IEG) "Arc" is known to play an important role in synaptic plasticity; its protein is locally translated in the dendrites where it has been involved in several types of plasticity mechanisms. Because of its tight coupling with neuronal activity, "Arc" has been widely used as a tool to tag behaviorally activated networks.…
A critical evaluation of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1)'s putative role in regulating dendritic plasticity, cognitive processes, and mood in animal models of depression.
Li, Yan; Pehrson, Alan L; Waller, Jessica A; Dale, Elena; Sanchez, Connie; Gulinello, Maria
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is primarily conceptualized as a mood disorder but cognitive dysfunction is also prevalent, and may limit the daily function of MDD patients. Current theories on MDD highlight disturbances in dendritic plasticity in its pathophysiology, which could conceivably play a role in the production of both MDD-related mood and cognitive symptoms. This paper attempts to review the accumulated knowledge on the basic biology of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc or Arg3.1), its effects on neural plasticity, and how these may be related to mood or cognitive dysfunction in animal models of MDD. On a cellular level, Arc plays an important role in modulating dendritic spine density and remodeling. Arc also has a close, bidirectional relationship with postsynaptic glutamate neurotransmission, since it is stimulated by multiple glutamatergic receptor mechanisms but also modulates α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor internalization. The effects on AMPA receptor trafficking are likely related to Arc's ability to modulate phenomena such as long-term potentiation, long-term depression, and synaptic scaling, each of which are important for maintaining proper cognitive function. Chronic stress models of MDD in animals show suppressed Arc expression in the frontal cortex but elevation in the amygdala. Interestingly, cognitive tasks depending on the frontal cortex are generally impaired by chronic stress, while those depending on the amygdala are enhanced, and antidepressant treatments stimulate cortical Arc expression with a timeline that is reminiscent of the treatment efficacy lag observed in the clinic or in preclinical models. However, pharmacological treatments that stimulate regional Arc expression do not universally improve relevant cognitive functions, and this highlights a need to further refine our understanding of Arc on a subcellular and network level.
A critical evaluation of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1 's putative role in regulating dendritic plasticity, cognitive processes, and mood in animal models of depression.
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Yan eLi
Full Text Available Major depressive disorder (MDD is primarily conceptualized as a mood disorder but cognitive dysfunction is also prevalent, and may limit the daily function of MDD patients. Current theories on MDD highlight disturbances in dendritic plasticity in its pathophysiology, which could conceivably play a role in the production of both MDD-related mood and cognitive symptoms. This paper attempts to review the accumulated knowledge on the basic biology of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc or Arg3.1, its effects on neural plasticity, and how these may be related to mood or cognitive dysfunction in animal models of MDD. On a cellular level, Arc is found to play an important role in modulating dendritic spine density and remodeling. Arc is also found to have a close, bidirectional relationship with postsynaptic glutamate neurotransmission, since it is stimulated by multiple glutamatergic receptor mechanisms but also modulates α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA receptor internalization. The effects on AMPA receptor trafficking are likely related to Arc's ability to modulate phenomena such as long-term potentiation, long-term depression, and synaptic scaling, each of which are important for maintaining proper cognitive function. Animal studies of chronic stress models of MDD show suppressed Arc expression in the frontal cortex but elevation in the amygdala. Interestingly, cognitive tasks depending on the frontal cortex are generally impaired by chronic stress, while those depending on the amygdala are enhanced, and antidepressant treatments stimulate cortical Arc expression with a timeline that is reminiscent of the treatment efficacy lag observed in the clinic or in preclinical models. However, pharmacological treatments that stimulate regional Arc expression do not universally improve relevant cognitive functions, and this highlights a need to further refine our understanding of Arc on a subcellular and
Suppression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated gene expression in the dorsal striatum attenuates extinction of cocaine-seeking.
Hearing, Matthew C; Schwendt, Marek; McGinty, Jacqueline F
The caudate putamen (CPu) has been implicated in habit learning and neuroadaptive changes that mediate the compulsive nature of drug-seeking following chronic cocaine self-administration. Re-exposure to an operant chamber previously associated with cocaine, but not yoked-saline, increases activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated (Arc) gene mRNA expression within the dorsolateral (dl) CPu following prolonged abstinence. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that antisense gene knockdown of Arc within the dlCPu would alter cocaine-seeking. Initial studies showed that a single infusion of Arc antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) into the dlCPu significantly attenuated the induction of Arc mRNA and Arc protein by a single cocaine exposure (20 mg/kg i.p.) compared to scrambled-ODN-infused controls. In cocaine self-administering rats, infusion of Arc antisense ODN into the dlCPu 3 h prior to a test of context-driven drug-seeking significantly attenuated Arc protein induction, but failed to alter responding during testing, suggesting striatal Arc does not facilitate context-induced drug-seeking following prolonged abstinence. However, Arc antisense ODN infusion blunted the decrease in responding during subsequent 1-h extinction tests 24 and 48 h later. Following re-exposure to a cocaine-paired context, surface expression of the AMPA-type glutamate receptor GluR1 was significantly reduced whereas GluR2 was significantly increased in the dlCPu, independent of Arc antisense ODN infusion. Together, these findings indicate an important role for Arc in neuroadaptations within brain regions responsible for drug-seeking after abstinence and direct attention to changes occurring within striatal circuitry that are necessary to break down the habitual behaviour that leads to relapse.
Reduced basal and novelty-induced levels of activity-regulated cytoskeleton associated protein (Arc) and c-Fos mRNA in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice
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Christensen, Ditte Z; Thomsen, Morten Skøtt; Mikkelsen, Jens D
Activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) and c-Fos are immediate early gene (IEG) products induced by novelty in the hippocampus and involved in the consolidation of synaptic plasticity and long-term memory. We investigated whether induction of arc and c-fos after exposure...... to a novel open field environment was compromised in different neocortical areas and the hippocampal formation in APP/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice characterized by pronounced accumulation and deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ). Notably, the basal level of Arc and c-fos mRNA in the neocortex was significantly lower...... in APP/PS1ΔE9 as in the wild-type mice. In contrast, synaptophysin levels did not differ between mutant and wild type mice, suggesting that the observed effect was not due to a general decrease in the number of presynapses. These data suggest a reduction in basal and novelty-induced neuronal activity...
Reduced basal and novelty-induced levels of activity-regulated cytoskeleton associated protein (Arc) and c-Fos mRNA in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice.
Christensen, Ditte Z; Thomsen, Morten S; Mikkelsen, Jens D
Activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) and c-Fos are immediate early gene (IEG) products induced by novelty in the hippocampus and involved in the consolidation of synaptic plasticity and long-term memory. We investigated whether induction of arc and c-fos after exposure to a novel open field environment was compromised in different neocortical areas and the hippocampal formation in APP/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice characterized by pronounced accumulation and deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ). Notably, the basal level of Arc and c-fos mRNA in the neocortex was significantly lower in APP/PS1ΔE9 compared to wild-type mice. Novelty exposure induced an increase in Arc and c-Fos mRNA in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), parietal cortex, and hippocampal formation in both APP/PS1ΔE9 transgenic and wild-type mice. However, novelty-induced IEG expression did not reach the same levels in APP/PS1ΔE9 as in the wild-type mice. In contrast, synaptophysin levels did not differ between mutant and wild type mice, suggesting that the observed effect was not due to a general decrease in the number of presynapses. These data suggest a reduction in basal and novelty-induced neuronal activity in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, which is most pronounced in cortical regions, indicating that a decreased functional response in IEG expression could be partly responsible for the cognitive deficits observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Nuclear translocation of the cytoskeleton-associated protein, smALP, upon induction of skeletal muscle differentiation
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Cambier, Linda [CNRS UMR5237, Universite Montpellier 1, Universite Montpellier 2, Centre de Recherche en Biochimie Macromoleculaire, Montpellier (France); Pomies, Pascal, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [CNRS UMR5237, Universite Montpellier 1, Universite Montpellier 2, Centre de Recherche en Biochimie Macromoleculaire, Montpellier (France)
Highlights: {yields} The cytoskeleton-associated protein, smALP, is expressed in differentiated skeletal muscle. {yields} smALP is translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of C2C12 myoblasts upon induction of myogenesis. {yields} The differentiation-dependent nuclear translocation of smALP occurs in parallel with the nuclear accumulation of myogenin. {yields} The LIM domain of smALP is essential for the nuclear accumulation of the protein. {yields} smALP might act in the nucleus to control some critical aspect of the muscle differentiation process. -- Abstract: The skALP isoform has been shown to play a critical role in actin organization and anchorage within the Z-discs of skeletal muscles, but no data is available on the function of the smALP isoform in skeletal muscle cells. Here, we show that upon induction of differentiation a nuclear translocation of smALP from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of C2C12 myoblasts, concomitant to an up-regulation of the protein expression, occurs in parallel with the nuclear accumulation of myogenin. Moreover, we demonstrate that the LIM domain of smALP is essential for the nuclear translocation of the protein.
Identification of cytoskeleton-associated proteins essential for lysosomal stability and survival of human cancer cells
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Groth-Pedersen, Line; Aits, Sonja; Corcelle-Termeau, Elisabeth
Microtubule-disturbing drugs inhibit lysosomal trafficking and induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization followed by cathepsin-dependent cell death. To identify specific trafficking-related proteins that control cell survival and lysosomal stability, we screened a molecular motor siRNA library...... in human MCF7 breast cancer cells. SiRNAs targeting four kinesins (KIF11/Eg5, KIF20A, KIF21A, KIF25), myosin 1G (MYO1G), myosin heavy chain 1 (MYH1) and tropomyosin 2 (TPM2) were identified as effective inducers of non-apoptotic cell death. The cell death induced by KIF11, KIF21A, KIF25, MYH1 or TPM2 si......), increased dextran accumulation (KIF20A), or reduced autophagic flux (MYO1G, MYH1). Importantly, all seven siRNAs also killed human cervix cancer (HeLa) and osteosarcoma (U-2-OS) cells and sensitized cancer cells to other lysosome-destabilizing treatments, i.e. photo-oxidation, siramesine, etoposide...
Identification of cytoskeleton-associated proteins essential for lysosomal stability and survival of human cancer cells.
Groth-Pedersen, Line; Aits, Sonja; Corcelle-Termeau, Elisabeth; Petersen, Nikolaj H T; Nylandsted, Jesper; Jäättelä, Marja
Microtubule-disturbing drugs inhibit lysosomal trafficking and induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization followed by cathepsin-dependent cell death. To identify specific trafficking-related proteins that control cell survival and lysosomal stability, we screened a molecular motor siRNA library in human MCF7 breast cancer cells. SiRNAs targeting four kinesins (KIF11/Eg5, KIF20A, KIF21A, KIF25), myosin 1G (MYO1G), myosin heavy chain 1 (MYH1) and tropomyosin 2 (TPM2) were identified as effective inducers of non-apoptotic cell death. The cell death induced by KIF11, KIF21A, KIF25, MYH1 or TPM2 siRNAs was preceded by lysosomal membrane permeabilization, and all identified siRNAs induced several changes in the endo-lysosomal compartment, i.e. increased lysosomal volume (KIF11, KIF20A, KIF25, MYO1G, MYH1), increased cysteine cathepsin activity (KIF20A, KIF25), altered lysosomal localization (KIF25, MYH1, TPM2), increased dextran accumulation (KIF20A), or reduced autophagic flux (MYO1G, MYH1). Importantly, all seven siRNAs also killed human cervix cancer (HeLa) and osteosarcoma (U-2-OS) cells and sensitized cancer cells to other lysosome-destabilizing treatments, i.e. photo-oxidation, siramesine, etoposide or cisplatin. Similarly to KIF11 siRNA, the KIF11 inhibitor monastrol induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization and sensitized several cancer cell lines to siramesine. While KIF11 inhibitors are under clinical development as mitotic blockers, our data reveal a new function for KIF11 in controlling lysosomal stability and introduce six other molecular motors as putative cancer drug targets.
Transient phosphorylation of tumor associated microtubule associated protein (TMAP)/cytoskeleton associated protein 2 (CKAP2) at Thr-596 during early phases of mitosis.
Hong, Kyung Uk; Choi, Yong-Bock; Lee, Jung-Hwa; Kim, Hyun-Jun; Kwon, Hye-Rim; Seong, Yeon-Sun; Kim, Heung Tae; Park, Joobae; Bae, Chang-Dae; Hong, Kyeong-Man
Tumor associated microtubule associated protein (TMAP), also known as cytoskeleton associated protein 2 (CKAP2) is a mitotic spindle-associated protein whose expression is cell cycle-regulated and also frequently deregulated in cancer cells. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against TMAP/CKAP2 were produced: B-1-13 and D-12-3. Interestingly, the reactivity of mAb D-12-3 to TMAP/CKAP2 was markedly decreased specifically in mitotic cell lysate. The epitope mapping study showed that mAb D-12-3 recognizes the amino acid sequence between 569 and 625 and that phosphorylation at T596 completely abolishes the reactivity of the antibody, suggesting that the differential reactivity originates from the phosphorylation status at T596. Immunofluorescence staining showed that mAb D-12-3 fails to detect TMAP/CKAP2 in mitotic cells between prophase and metaphase, but the staining becomes evident again in anaphase, suggesting that phosphorylation at T596 occurs transiently during early phases of mitosis. These results suggest that the cellular functions of TMAP/CKAP2 might be regulated by timely phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during the course of mitosis.
The cytoskeleton-associated protein SCHIP1 is involved in axon guidance, and is required for piriform cortex and anterior commissure development.
Klingler, Esther; Martin, Pierre-Marie; Garcia, Marta; Moreau-Fauvarque, Caroline; Falk, Julien; Chareyre, Fabrice; Giovannini, Marco; Chédotal, Alain; Girault, Jean-Antoine; Goutebroze, Laurence
SCHIP1 is a cytoplasmic partner of cortical cytoskeleton ankyrins. The IQCJ-SCHIP1 isoform is a component of axon initial segments and nodes of Ranvier of mature axons in peripheral and central nervous systems, where it associates with membrane complexes comprising cell adhesion molecules. SCHIP1 is also expressed in the mouse developing central nervous system during embryonic stages of active axonogenesis. Here, we identify a new and early role for SCHIP1 during axon development and establishment of the anterior commissure (AC). The AC is composed of axons from the piriform cortex, the anterior olfactory nucleus and the amygdala. Schip1 mutant mice displayed early defects in AC development that might result from impaired axon growth and guidance. In addition, mutant mice presented a reduced thickness of the piriform cortex, which affected projection neurons in layers 2/3 and was likely to result from cell death rather than from impairment of neuron generation or migration. Piriform cortex neurons from E14.5 mutant embryos displayed axon initiation/outgrowth delay and guidance defects in vitro. The sensitivity of growth cones to semaphorin 3F and Eph receptor B2, two repulsive guidance cues crucial for AC development, was increased, providing a possible basis for certain fiber tract alterations. Thus, our results reveal new evidence for the involvement of cortical cytoskeleton-associated proteins in the regulation of axon development and their importance for the formation of neuronal circuits.
Opposite effect of phencyclidine on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) in juvenile and adult limbic rat brain regions
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Thomsen, Morten S; Hansen, Henrik H; Mikkelsen, Jens D
in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (VLO) and shell of the nucleus accumbens (ACCshell) in both juvenile and adult rats. Contrarily, PCP produced opposite effects on Arc mRNA expression in the mPFC, VLO and ACCshell, leading to decreased expression in juvenile...
Cytoskeleton-associated protein in the inner ear and gene mutations cause hereditary deafness%内耳细胞骨架相关蛋白及其基因突变致遗传性耳聋
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
The correlated hereditary deafness-associated genes include cytoskeletal proteins, extracellular matrix proteins , channels and gap junction proteins, transcription factor genes, mitochondrial genes and other unknown function genes. Most of the cloned genes are cytoskeletal molecules. This paper gave a summary about major structural proteins associated with hair cells and the pathogenesis of gene mutations leading to hereditary deafness.%进行遗传性聋病研究的关键是要明确其致病基因,目前发现的相关基因包括细胞骨架蛋白、细胞外基质蛋白、通道和缝隙连接蛋白、转录因子的基因、线粒体基因及其他一些未知功能的基因.其中已克隆的基因大多为细胞骨架分子.通过复习相关研究资料,对与毛细胞相关的主要骨架结构蛋白及其相关基因的突变导致遗传性耳聋的病理机制做了概述.
Cytoskeleton Associated Proteins in Neurons: The Eml family and Synaptopodin
S.H. Houtman (Simone Hendrika)
textabstractHumans (and animals) are able to learn (remembering events or skills) and to forget. This ability of the brain has been a subject of interest for neuroscientists, psychologists and philosophers for many decades. Already 387 B.C. Plato describes that the brain is the seat of the mental pr
Effects of polyamines and calcium and sodium ions on smooth muscle cytoskeleton-associated phosphatidylinositol (4)-phosphate 5-kinase.
Chen, H; Baron, C B; Griffiths, T; Greeley, P; Coburn, R F
In many different cell types, including smooth muscle cells (Baron et al., 1989, Am. J. Physiol., 256: C375-383; Baron et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 266: 8-15), phosphatidylinositol (4)-phosphate 5-kinase plays a critical role in the regulation of membrane concentrations of phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate and formation of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate. In unstimulated porcine trachealis smooth muscle, 70% of total cellular phosphatidylinositol (4)-phosphate 5-kinase activity was associated with cytoskeletal proteins and only trace activity was detectable in isolated sarcolemma. Using two different preparations, we studied cytoskeleton-associated phosphatidyl inositol (4)-phosphate 5-kinase under conditions that attempted to mimic the ionic and thermal cytoplasmic environment of living cells. The cytoskeleton-associated enzyme, studied using phosphatidylinositol (4)-phosphate substrate concentrations that produced phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate at about 10% of the maximal rate, was sensitive to free [Mg2+], had an absolute requirement for phosphatidylserine, phosphatidic acid, or phosphatidylinositol, and included type I isoforms. At 0.5 mM free [Mg2+], physiological spermine concentrations, 0.2-0.4 mM, increased phosphatidylinositol (4)-phosphate 5-kinase activity two to four times compared to controls run without spermine. The EC50 for spermine-evoked increases in activity was 0.17 +/- 0.02 mM. Spermine-evoked enzyme activity was a function of both free [Mg2+] and substrate concentration. Cytoskeleton-associated phosphatidylinositol (4)-phosphate 5-kinase was inhibited by free [Ca2+] over a physiological range for cytoplasm--10(-8) to 10(-5) M, an effect independent of the presence of calmodulin. Na+ over the range 20 to 50 mM also inhibited this enzyme activated by 5 mM Mg2+ but had no effect on spermine-activated enzyme. Na+, Ca2+, and spermine appear to be physiological modulators of smooth muscle cytoskeleton-bound phosphatidylinositol (4
Mitochondrial fusion and ERK activity regulate steroidogenic acute regulatory protein localization in mitochondria.
Duarte, Alejandra; Castillo, Ana Fernanda; Podestá, Ernesto J; Poderoso, Cecilia
The rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, known as the transfer of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane, is facilitated by StAR, the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein. We have described that mitochondrial ERK1/2 phosphorylates StAR and that mitochondrial fusion, through the up-regulation of a fusion protein Mitofusin 2, is essential during steroidogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that mitochondrial StAR together with mitochondrial active ERK and PKA are necessary for maximal steroid production. Phosphorylation of StAR by ERK is required for the maintenance of this protein in mitochondria, observed by means of over-expression of a StAR variant lacking the ERK phosphorylation residue. Mitochondrial fusion regulates StAR levels in mitochondria after hormone stimulation. In this study, Mitofusin 2 knockdown and mitochondrial fusion inhibition in MA-10 Leydig cells diminished StAR mRNA levels and concomitantly mitochondrial StAR protein. Together our results unveil the requirement of mitochondrial fusion in the regulation of the localization and mRNA abundance of StAR. We here establish the relevance of mitochondrial phosphorylation events in the correct localization of this key protein to exert its action in specialized cells. These discoveries highlight the importance of mitochondrial fusion and ERK phosphorylation in cholesterol transport by means of directing StAR to the outer mitochondrial membrane to achieve a large number of steroid molecules per unit of StAR.
Fusion-related host proteins are actively regulated by NA during influenza infection as revealed by quantitative proteomics analysis.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhiwei Sui
Full Text Available Three recombinant influenza A viruses with different neuraminidases (NAs in the background of A/PR/8/34 (PR8, named rPR8-H5N1NA, rPR8-H9N2NA, and rPR8-H1N1NA, derived from H5N1, H9N2, H1N1 (swine viruses, respectively, were constructed. We performed a quantitative proteomics analysis to investigate differential protein expression in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK cells infected with recombinant and wild-type influenza viruses to determine whether NA replacement would alter host cell gene expression. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF MS and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE, we identified 12 up-regulated and 49 down-regulated protein spots, including cytoskeletal proteins, molecular biosynthesis proteins, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway proteins, and heat shock proteins. The most significant changes in infected cells were observed for molecular biosynthesis proteins. We found more differentially expressed protein spots in cells infected with rPR8-H5N1NA or rPR8-H9N2NA viruses than cells infected with wild-type virus. Many of those proteins are postulated to be involved in cell-cell fusion, but the full mechanism remains to be explored. Meanwhile, our data demonstrate that the wild-type virus has evolutionary advantages over recombinant viruses.
Detailed search for protein kinase(s) involved in plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity regulation of yeast cells.
Pereira, Renata R; Castanheira, Diogo; Teixeira, Janaina A; Bouillet, Leoneide E M; Ribeiro, Erica M C; Trópia, Maria M J; Alvarez, Florencia; Correa, Lygia F M; Mota, Bruno E F; Conceição, Luis Eduardo F R; Castro, Ieso M; Brandão, Rogelio L
This study displays a screening using yeast strains deficient in protein kinases known to exist in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From 95 viable single mutants, 20 mutants appear to be affected in the glucose-induced extracellular acidification. The mutants that are unaffected in calcium signaling were tested for their sensitivity to hygromycin B. Furthermore, we verified whether the remaining mutants produced enzymes that are appropriately incorporated at plasma membrane. Finally, we measure the kinetic properties of the enzyme in purified plasma membranes from glucose-starved as well as glucose-fermenting cells. We confirmed the kinase Ptk2 involvement in H(+)-ATPase regulation (increase of affinity for ATP). However, the identification of the kinase(s) responsible for phosphorylation that leads to an increase in Vmax appears to be more complex. Complementary experiments were performed to check how those protein kinases could be related to the control of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase and/or the potential membrane. In summary, our results did not permit us to identify the protein kinase(s) involved in regulating the catalytic efficiency of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. Therefore, our results indicate that the current regulatory model based on the phosphorylation of two different sites located in the C-terminus tail of the enzyme could be inappropriate.
Surfactant protein D, Club cell protein 16, Pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine, C-reactive protein, and Fibrinogen biomarker variation in chronic obstructive lung disease
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Johansson, Sofie Lock; Vestbo, J.; Sorensen, G. L.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multifaceted condition that cannot be fully described by the severity of airway obstruction. The limitations of spirometry and clinical history have prompted researchers to investigate a multitude of surrogate biomarkers of disease for the assessm......Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multifaceted condition that cannot be fully described by the severity of airway obstruction. The limitations of spirometry and clinical history have prompted researchers to investigate a multitude of surrogate biomarkers of disease...... for the assessment of patients, prediction of risk, and guidance of treatment. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of observations for a selection of recently investigated pulmonary inflammatory biomarkers (Surfactant protein D (SP-D), Club cell protein 16 (CC-16), and Pulmonary...
Novelty-induced activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) expression in frontal cortex requires serotonin 2A receptor activation
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Santini, Martin; Klein, A B; El-Sayed, M;
)R antagonists ketanserin and MDL100907, but not with the selective 5-HT(2C)R antagonist SB242084. Novelty-exposure also induced Arc mRNA expression in hippocampus (∼150%), but not in cerebellum or brainstem. Pretreatment with 5-HT(2A)R antagonist ketanserin did not repress the Arc induction in hippocampus...... environment. As an output of FC activation we measured expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc). Novelty-exposure (open-field arena) robustly up-regulated FC Arc mRNA expression (∼160%) in mice compared to home-cage controls. This response was inhibited with the 5-HT(2A......, indicating that the involvement of 5-HT(2A)R in this response is restricted to the FC. Similarly, the novelty-induced stress as determined by increasing levels of plasma corticosterone, was not influenced by 5-HT(2A)R antagonism suggesting that Arc mRNA and stress are activated via distinct mechanisms. Taken...
Novelty-induced activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) expression in frontal cortex requires serotonin 2A receptor activation.
Santini, M A; Klein, A B; El-Sayed, M; Ratner, C; Knudsen, G M; Mikkelsen, J D; Aznar, S
Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by cognitive and emotional alterations that are related to abnormal function of the frontal cortex (FC). FC is involved in working memory and decision making and is activated following exposure to a novel environment. The serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT(2A)R) is highly expressed in the FC where its activation induces hallucinations, while blockade of 5-HT(2A)Rs contributes to the therapeutic effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the involvement of 5-HT(2A)R in FC activation following exposure to a novel environment. As an output of FC activation we measured expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc). Novelty-exposure (open-field arena) robustly up-regulated FC Arc mRNA expression (∼160%) in mice compared to home-cage controls. This response was inhibited with the 5-HT(2A)R antagonists ketanserin and MDL100907, but not with the selective 5-HT(2C)R antagonist SB242084. Novelty-exposure also induced Arc mRNA expression in hippocampus (∼150%), but not in cerebellum or brainstem. Pretreatment with 5-HT(2A)R antagonist ketanserin did not repress the Arc induction in hippocampus, indicating that the involvement of 5-HT(2A)R in this response is restricted to the FC. Similarly, the novelty-induced stress as determined by increasing levels of plasma corticosterone, was not influenced by 5-HT(2A)R antagonism suggesting that Arc mRNA and stress are activated via distinct mechanisms. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the induction of Arc in the FC following exposure to a novel environment is dependent on the 5-HT(2A)R, and that the simultaneous release of corticosterone is regulated via another system independent of 5-HT(2A)R activation.
The alpha7 nicotinic receptor agonist SSR180711 increases activity regulated cytoskeleton protein (Arc) gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of the rat
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Kristensen, Søren; Thomsen, Morten Skøtt; Hansen, Henrik H
Nicotinic alpha7 acetylcholine receptors (alpha7 nAChR) have been shown to enhance attentional function and aspects of memory function in experimental models and in man. The protein Arc encoded by the effector immediate early gene arc or arg3.1 has been shown to be strongly implicated in long-ter...... of neurons in the rat prefrontal cortex and this activation likely is important for the attentional effects of this new class of drugs.......Nicotinic alpha7 acetylcholine receptors (alpha7 nAChR) have been shown to enhance attentional function and aspects of memory function in experimental models and in man. The protein Arc encoded by the effector immediate early gene arc or arg3.1 has been shown to be strongly implicated in long...
Aspirin-induced AMP-activated protein kinase activation regulates the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats
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Sung, Jin Young [Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu 705-717 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Hyoung Chul, E-mail: email@example.com [Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu 705-717 (Korea, Republic of)
Highlights: {yields} Aspirin-induced AMPK phosphorylation was greater in VSMC from SHR than WKY. {yields} Aspirin-induced AMPK phosphorylation inhibited proliferation of VSMC from SHR. {yields} Low basal AMPK phosphorylation in SHR elicits increased VSMC proliferation. {yields} Inhibition of AMPK restored decreased VSMC proliferation by aspirin in SHR. {yields} Aspirin exerts anti-proliferative effect through AMPK activation in VSMC from SHR. -- Abstract: Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), used to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proliferation. However, mechanisms responsible for aspirin-induced growth inhibition are not fully understood. Here, we investigated whether aspirin may exert therapeutic effects via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from wistar kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Aspirin increased AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation in a time- and dose-dependent manner in VSMCs from WKY and SHR, but with greater efficacy in SHR. In SHR, a low basal phosphorylation status of AMPK resulted in increased VSMC proliferation and aspirin-induced AMPK phosphorylation inhibited proliferation of VSMCs. Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, and AMPK siRNA reduced the aspirin-mediated inhibition of VSMC proliferation, this effect was more pronounced in SHR than in WKY. In VSMCs from SHR, aspirin increased p53 and p21 expression and inhibited the expression of cell cycle associated proteins, such as p-Rb, cyclin D, and cyclin E. These results indicate that in SHR VSMCs aspirin exerts anti-proliferative effects through the induction of AMPK phosphorylation.
Taxol-induced unfolded protein response activation in breast cancer cells exposed to hypoxia: ATF4 activation regulates autophagy and inhibits apoptosis.
Notte, Annick; Rebucci, Magali; Fransolet, Maude; Roegiers, Edith; Genin, Marie; Tellier, Celine; Watillon, Kassandra; Fattaccioli, Antoine; Arnould, Thierry; Michiels, Carine
Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the resistance against chemotherapy-induced cell death is still of great interest since the number of patients with cancer increases and relapse is commonly observed. Indeed, the development of hypoxic regions as well as UPR (unfolded protein response) activation is known to promote cancer cell adaptive responses to the stressful tumor microenvironment and resistance against anticancer therapies. Therefore, the impact of UPR combined to hypoxia on autophagy and apoptosis activation during taxol exposure was investigated in MDA-MB-231 and T47D breast cancer cells. The results showed that taxol rapidly induced UPR activation and that hypoxia modulated taxol-induced UPR activation differently according to the different UPR pathways (PERK, ATF6, and IRE1α). The putative involvement of these signaling pathways in autophagy or in apoptosis regulation in response to taxol exposure was investigated. However, while no link between the activation of these three ER stress sensors and autophagy or apoptosis regulation could be evidenced, results showed that ATF4 activation, which occurs independently of UPR activation, was involved in taxol-induced autophagy completion. In addition, an ATF4-dependent mechanism leading to cancer cell adaptation and resistance against taxol-induced cell death was evidenced. Finally, our results demonstrate that expression of ATF4, in association with hypoxia-induced genes, can be used as a biomarker of a poor prognosis for human breast cancer patients supporting the conclusion that ATF4 might play an important role in adaptation and resistance of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy in hypoxic tumors.
Expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor, activity-regulated cytoskeleton protein mRNA, and enhancement of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in rats after sub-chronic and chronic treatment with the triple monoamine re-uptake inhibitor tesofensine.
Larsen, Marianne H; Rosenbrock, Holger; Sams-Dodd, Frank; Mikkelsen, Jens D
The changes of gene expression resulting from long-term exposure to monoamine antidepressant drugs in experimental animals are key to understanding the mechanisms of action of this class of drugs in man. Many of these genes and their products are either relevant biomarkers or directly involved in structural changes that are perhaps necessary for the antidepressant effect. Tesofensine is a novel triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor that acts to increase noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine neurotransmission. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of sub-chronic (5 days) and chronic (14 days) administration of Tesofensine on the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton protein (Arc) in the rat hippocampus. Furthermore, hippocampi from the same animals were used to investigate the effect on cell proliferation by means of Ki-67- and NeuroD-immunoreactivity. We find that chronic, but not sub-chronic treatment with Tesofensine increases BDNF mRNA in the CA3 region of the hippocampus (35%), and Arc mRNA in the CA1 of the hippocampus (65%). Furthermore, the number of Ki-67- and neuroD-positive cells increased after chronic, but not sub-chronic treatment. This study shows that Tesofensine enhances hippocampal gene expression and new cell formation indicative for an antidepressant potential of this novel drug substance.
Proteinase activity regulation by glycosaminoglycans
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Tersariol I.L.S.
Full Text Available There are few reports concerning the biological role and the mechanisms of interaction between proteinases and carbohydrates other than those involved in clotting. It has been shown that the interplay of enzymes and glycosaminoglycans is able to modulate the activity of different proteases and also to affect their structures. From the large number of proteases belonging to the well-known protease families and also the variety of carbohydrates described as widely distributed, only few events have been analyzed more deeply. The term "family" is used to describe a group of proteases in which every member shows an evolutionary relationship to at least one other protease. This relationship may be evident throughout the entire sequence, or at least in that part of the sequence responsible for catalytic activity. The majority of proteases belong to the serine, cysteine, aspartic or metalloprotease families. By considering the existing limited proteolysis process, in addition to the initial idea that the proteinases participate only in digestive processes, it is possible to conclude that the function of the enzymes is strictly limited to the cleavage of intended substrates since the destruction of functional proteins would result in normal tissue damage. In addition, the location as well as the eventual regulation of protease activity promoted by glycosaminoglycans can play an essential role in the development of several physiopathological conditions.
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available kyrin repeat domain-containing protein 16 ... 33 0.95 sp|Q7LC44|ARC_HUMAN Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-as...ELLERCHYEPDCRDNCGVTPFMD 220 >sp|Q7LC44|ARC_HUMAN Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein OS=Homo
Neuronal Activity Regulates Hippocampal miRNA Expression
Eacker, Stephen M.; Keuss, Matthew J.; Berezikov, Eugene; Dawson, Valina L.; Dawson, Ted M.
Neuronal activity regulates a broad range of processes in the hippocampus, including the precise regulation of translation. Disruptions in proper translational control in the nervous system are associated with a variety of disorders that fall in the autistic spectrum. MicroRNA (miRNA) represent a re
Neuronal Activity Regulates Hippocampal miRNA Expression
Eacker, Stephen M.; Keuss, Matthew J.; Berezikov, Eugene; Dawson, Valina L.; Dawson, Ted M.
Neuronal activity regulates a broad range of processes in the hippocampus, including the precise regulation of translation. Disruptions in proper translational control in the nervous system are associated with a variety of disorders that fall in the autistic spectrum. MicroRNA (miRNA) represent a relatively recently discovered player in the regulation of translation in the nervous system. We have conducted an in depth analysis of how neuronal activity regulates miRNA expression in the hippocampus. Using deep sequencing we exhaustively identify all miRNAs, including 15 novel miRNAs, expressed in hippocampus of the adult mouse. We identified 119 miRNAs documented in miRBase but less than half of these miRNA were expressed at a level greater than 0.1% of total miRNA. Expression profiling following induction of neuronal activity by electroconvulsive shock demonstrates that most miRNA show a biphasic pattern of expression: rapid induction of specific mature miRNA expression followed by a decline in expression. These results have important implications into how miRNAs influence activity-dependent translational control. PMID:21984899
Neuronal activity regulates hippocampal miRNA expression.
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Stephen M Eacker
Full Text Available Neuronal activity regulates a broad range of processes in the hippocampus, including the precise regulation of translation. Disruptions in proper translational control in the nervous system are associated with a variety of disorders that fall in the autistic spectrum. MicroRNA (miRNA represent a relatively recently discovered player in the regulation of translation in the nervous system. We have conducted an in depth analysis of how neuronal activity regulates miRNA expression in the hippocampus. Using deep sequencing we exhaustively identify all miRNAs, including 15 novel miRNAs, expressed in hippocampus of the adult mouse. We identified 119 miRNAs documented in miRBase but less than half of these miRNA were expressed at a level greater than 0.1% of total miRNA. Expression profiling following induction of neuronal activity by electroconvulsive shock demonstrates that most miRNA show a biphasic pattern of expression: rapid induction of specific mature miRNA expression followed by a decline in expression. These results have important implications into how miRNAs influence activity-dependent translational control.
Death-associated protein kinase: A molecule with functional antagonistic duality and a potential role in inflammatory bowel disease (Review)
STEINMANN, SARA; SCHEIBE, KRISTINA; ERLENBACH-WUENSCH, KATHARINA; Neufert, Clemens; Schneider-Stock, Regine
The cytoskeleton-associated serine/threonine kinase death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) has been described as a cancer gene chameleon with functional antagonistic duality in a cell type and context specific manner. The broad range of interaction partners and substrates link DAPK to inflammatory processes especially in the gut. Herein we summarize our knowledge on the role of DAPK in different cell types that play a role under inflammatory conditions in the gut. Besides some promising exper...
Effect of IL-4 on altered expression of complement activation regulators in rat pancreatic cells during severe acute pancreatitis
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Cheng Zhang; Chun-Lin Ge; Ren-Xuan Guo; San-Guang He
AIM: To investigate the effect of IL-4 on the altered expression of complement activation regulators in pancreas and pancreatic necrosis during experimental severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).METHODS: SAP model of rats was established by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate (1 mL/kg)into the pancreatic duct. We immunohistochemically assayed the expression of three complement activation regulators: decay accelerating factor (DAF; CD55), 20ku homologous restriction factor (HRF20; CD59) and membrane cofactor protein (MCP; CD46), in the pancreatic acinar cells of rats at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after the induction of SAP model. Meanwhile the levels of amylase and lipase were determined, and morphological examination was performed. Then, 61 rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group A (n = 21) received notreatment after the SAP model was established; group B (n = 20) was given IL-4 (8 μg/animal) intraperitoneally 0.5 h before the SAP model was established; group C (n = 20) was given IL-4 (8 μg/animal) intraperitoneally 0.5 h after the SAP model was established. Plasma amylase and lipase, extent of pancreatic necrosis and expression of complement activation regulators were investigated 6 h after the induction of SAP model.RESULTS: Three complement activation regulators were all expressed in pancreatic acinar cells. MCP was not found on the basolateral surface as reported. Contrary to the gradually increasing plasma level of amylase and lipase, expression of complement activation regulators decreased after SAP model was set up. At the same time, the severity of pancreatic necrosis was enhanced.A strong negative correlation was found between the expression of MCP, DAF, CD59 in pancreatic acinar cells and the severity of pancreatic necrosis (r = -0.748, -0.827,-0.723; P<0.01). In the second series of experiments,no matter when the treatment of IL-4 was given (before or after the induction of SAP model), the serum level of amylase or lipase Was decreased
Plasma thymus and activation-regulated chemokine as an early response marker in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma
Plattel, Wouter J.; van den Berg, Anke; Visser, Lydia; van der Graaf, Anne-Marijn; Pruim, Jan; Vos, Hans; Hepkema, Bouke; Diepstra, Arjan; van Imhoff, Gustaaf W.
BACKGROUND: Plasma thymus and activation-regulated chemokine is a potential biomarker for classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. To define its value as a marker to monitor treatment response, we correlated serial plasma thymus and activation-regulated chemokine levels with clinical response in newly diagnose
Epac Activation Regulates Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Migration and Adhesion.
Yu, Jiao-Le; Deng, Ruixia; Chung, Sookja K; Chan, Godfrey Chi-Fung
How to enhance the homing of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to the target tissues remains a clinical challenge nowadays. To overcome this barrier, the mechanism responsible for the hMSCs migration and engraftment has to be defined. Currently, the exact mechanism involved in migration and adhesion of hMSCs remains unknown. Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac), a novel protein discovered in cAMP signaling pathway, may have a potential role in regulating cells adhesion and migration by triggering the downstream Rap family signaling cascades. However, the exact role of Epac in cells homing is elusive. Our study evaluated the role of Epac in the homing of hMSCs. We confirmed that hMSCs expressed functional Epac and its activation enhanced the migration and adhesion of hMSCs significantly. The Epac activation was further found to be contributed directly to the chemotactic responses induced by stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) which is a known chemokine in regulating hMSCs homing. These findings suggested Epac is connected to the SDF-1 signaling cascades. In conclusion, our study revealed that Epac plays a role in hMSCs homing by promoting adhesion and migration. Appropriate manipulation of Epac may enhance the homing of hMSCs and facilitate their future clinical applications.
... Food Service Resources Additional Resources About FAQ Contact Protein Protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, ... the heart and respiratory system, and death. All Protein Isn't Alike Protein is built from building ...
The molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis complex interacts with actin filaments via molybdenum insertase Cnx1 as anchor protein in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Kaufholdt, David; Baillie, Christin-Kirsty; Bikker, Rolf; Burkart, Valentin; Dudek, Christian-Alexander; von Pein, Linn; Rothkegel, Martin; Mendel, Ralf R; Hänsch, Robert
The pterin based molybdenum cofactor (Moco) plays an essential role in almost all organisms. Its biosynthesis is catalysed by six enzymes in a conserved four step reaction pathway. The last three steps are located in the cytoplasm, where a multimeric protein complex is formed to protect the intermediates from degradation. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation was used to test for cytoskeleton association of the Moco biosynthesis enzymes with actin filaments and microtubules using known cytoskeleton associated proteins, thus permitting non-invasive in vivo studies. Coding sequences of binding proteins were cloned via the GATEWAY system. No Moco biosynthesis enzyme showed any interaction with microtubules. However, alone the two domain protein Cnx1 exhibited interaction with actin filaments mediated by both domains with the Cnx1G domain displaying a stronger interaction. Cnx6 showed actin association only if unlabelled Cnx1 was co-expressed in comparable amounts. So Cnx1 is likely to be the anchor protein for the whole biosynthesis complex on actin filaments. A stabilization of the whole Moco biosynthesis complex on the cytoskeleton might be crucial. In addition a micro-compartmentation might either allow a localisation near the mitochondrial ATM3 exporter providing the first Moco intermediate or near one of the three molybdate transporters enabling efficient molybdate incorporation.
Death-associated protein kinase: A molecule with functional antagonistic duality and a potential role in inflammatory bowel disease (Review).
Steinmann, Sara; Scheibe, Kristina; Erlenbach-Wuensch, Katharina; Neufert, Clemens; Schneider-Stock, Regine
The cytoskeleton-associated serine/threonine kinase death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) has been described as a cancer gene chameleon with functional antagonistic duality in a cell type and context specific manner. The broad range of interaction partners and substrates link DAPK to inflammatory processes especially in the gut. Herein we summarize our knowledge on the role of DAPK in different cell types that play a role under inflammatory conditions in the gut. Besides some promising experimental data suggesting DAPK as an interesting drug target in inflammatory bowel disease there are many open questions regarding direct evidence for a role of DAPK in intestinal inflammation.
Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant enzyme activity regulates radioresistance in human pancreatic cancer cells
Fisher, Carolyn J.; Goswami, Prabhat C.
In recent years, cellular redox environment gained significant attention as a critical regulator of cellular responses to oxidative stress. Cellular redox environment is a balance between production of reactive oxygen species and their removal by antioxidant enzymes. We investigated the hypothesis that mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme activity regulates radioresistance in human pancreatic cancer cells. Vector-control and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) overexpressing human pancreatic c...
Regulation of activity-regulated cytoskeleton protein (Arc) mRNA after acute and chronic electroconvulsive stimulation in the rat
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Larsen, M H; Olesen, M; Woldbye, D P D
The temporal profile of Arc gene expression after acute and chronic electroconvulsive stimulations (ECS) was studied using semi-quantitative in situ hybridisation in the rat cortex. A single ECS strongly and temporarily increased Arc mRNA levels in dentate granular cells with maximal induction se......, but not accumulated by long term repetitive ECS and therefore not a molecular biomarker for antidepressant properties. More likely, Arc is likely a molecular link to the decline in memory consolidation seen in depressive patients subjected to electroconvulsive therapy....
Active regulation of longitudinal arch compression and recoil during walking and running.
Kelly, Luke A; Lichtwark, Glen; Cresswell, Andrew G
The longitudinal arch (LA) of the human foot compresses and recoils in response to being cyclically loaded. This has typically been considered a passive process, however, it has recently been shown that the plantar intrinsic foot muscles have the capacity to actively assist in controlling LA motion. Here we tested the hypothesis that intrinsic foot muscles, abductor hallucis (AH), flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) and quadratus plantae (QP), actively lengthen and shorten during the stance phase of gait in response to loading of the foot. Nine participants walked at 1.25 m s⁻¹ and ran at 2.78 and 3.89 m s⁻¹ on a force-instrumented treadmill while foot and ankle kinematics were recorded according to a multisegment foot model. Muscle-tendon unit (MTU) lengths, determined from the foot kinematics, and intramuscular electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from AH, FDB and QP. Peak EMG amplitude was determined during the stance phase for each participant at each gait velocity. All muscles underwent a process of slow active lengthening during LA compression, followed by a rapid shortening as the arch recoiled during the propulsive phase. Changes in MTU length and peak EMG increased significantly with increasing gait velocity for all muscles. This is the first in vivo evidence that the plantar intrinsic foot muscles function in parallel to the plantar aponeurosis, actively regulating the stiffness of the foot in response to the magnitude of forces encountered during locomotion. These muscles may therefore contribute to power absorption and generation at the foot, limit strain on the plantar aponeurosis and facilitate efficient foot ground force transmission.
Molecular machines in the synapse: Overlapping protein sets control distinct steps in neurosecretion
Cornelisse, L.N.; Tsivtsivadze, E.; Meijer, M.; Dijkstra, T.M.H.; Heskes, T.; Verhage, M.
Activity regulated neurotransmission shapes the computational properties of a neuron and involves the concerted action of many proteins. Classical, intuitive working models often assign specific proteins to specific steps in such complex cellular processes, whereas modern systems theories emphasize
BicaudalD actively regulates microtubule motor activity in lipid droplet transport.
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Kristoffer S Larsen
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A great deal of sub-cellular organelle positioning, and essentially all minus-ended organelle transport, depends on cytoplasmic dynein, but how dynein's function is regulated is not well understood. BicD is established to play a critical role in mediating dynein function-loss of BicD results in improperly localized nuclei, mRNA particles, and a dispersed Golgi apparatus-however exactly what BicD's role is remains unknown. Nonetheless, it is widely believed that BicD may act to tether dynein to cargos. Here we use a combination of biophysical and biochemical studies to investigate BicD's role in lipid droplet transport during Drosophila embryogenesis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Functional loss of BicD impairs the embryo's ability to control the net direction of droplet transport; the developmentally controlled reversal in transport is eliminated. We find that minimal BicD expression (near-BicD(null decreases the average run length of both plus and minus end directed microtubule (MT based transport. A point mutation affecting the BicD N-terminus has very similar effects on transport during cellularization (phase II, but in phase III (gastrulation motion actually appears better than in the wild-type. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In contrast to a simple static tethering model of BicD function, or a role only in initial dynein recruitment to the cargo, our data uncovers a new dynamic role for BicD in actively regulating transport. Lipid droplets move bi-directionally, and our investigations demonstrate that BicD plays a critical-and temporally changing-role in balancing the relative contributions of plus-end and minus-end motors to control the net direction of transport. Our results suggest that while BicD might contribute to recruitment of dynein to the cargo it is not absolutely required for such dynein localization, and it clearly contributes to regulation, helping activation/inactivation of the motors.
ROCK activity regulates functional tight junction assembly during blastocyst formation in porcine parthenogenetic embryos
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Jeongwoo Kwon
Full Text Available The Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein serine/threonine kinases 1 and 2 (ROCK1 and ROCK2 are Rho subfamily GTPase downstream effectors that regulate cell migration, intercellular adhesion, cell polarity, and cell proliferation by stimulating actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Inhibition of ROCK proteins affects specification of the trophectoderm (TE and inner cell mass (ICM lineages, compaction, and blastocyst cavitation. However, the molecules involved in blastocyst formation are not known. Here, we examined developmental competence and levels of adherens/tight junction (AJ/TJ constituent proteins, such as CXADR, OCLN, TJP1, and CDH1, as well as expression of their respective mRNAs, after treating porcine parthenogenetic four-cell embryos with Y-27632, a specific inhibitor of ROCK, at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 100 µM for 24 h. Following this treatment, the blastocyst development rates were 39.1, 20.7, 10.0, and 0% respectively. In embryos treated with 20 µM treatment, expression levels of CXADR, OCLN, TJP1, and CDH1 mRNA and protein molecules were significantly reduced (P < 0.05. FITC-dextran uptake assay revealed that the treatment caused an increase in TE TJ permeability. Interestingly, the majority of the four-cell and morula embryos treated with 20 µM Y-27643 for 24 h showed defective compaction and cavitation. Taken together, our results indicate that ROCK activity may differentially affect assembly of AJ/TJs as well as regulate expression of genes encoding junctional proteins.
[The aspects of adenylate cyclase activity regulation in myocardium cell membranes during hypokinesia].
Bulanova, K Ia; Komar, E S; Lobanok, L M
Nonstimulated and isoproterenol, GTF, GITF, NaF stimulated activities of the adenylate cyclase in sarcolemma in white rats' myocardium was studied after two weeks of hypokinesia. As was established, in restrained animals the sensitivity of adenylate cyclase to the specified agents was increased and transition to the bimodal GTF regulation took place. It is hypothesised that involvement of membrane-bound Gi-proteins in the adrenergic effects on cardiomyocytes is one of mechanisms of the cardiotropic effects of restraint and heart distresses.
Mitochondrial metabolism during daily torpor in the dwarf Siberian hamster: role of active regulated changes and passive thermal effects.
Brown, Jason C L; Gerson, Alexander R; Staples, James F
During daily torpor in the dwarf Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus, metabolic rate is reduced by 65% compared with the basal rate, but the mechanisms involved are contentious. We examined liver mitochondrial respiration to determine the possible role of active regulated changes and passive thermal effects in the reduction of metabolic rate. When assayed at 37 degrees C, state 3 (phosphorylating) respiration, but not state 4 (nonphosphorylating) respiration, was significantly lower during torpor compared with normothermia, suggesting that active regulated changes occur during daily torpor. Using top-down elasticity analysis, we determined that these active changes in torpor included a reduced substrate oxidation capacity and an increased proton conductance of the inner mitochondrial membrane. At 15 degrees C, mitochondrial respiration was at least 75% lower than at 37 degrees C, but there was no difference between normothermia and torpor. This implies that the active regulated changes are likely more important for reducing respiration at high temperatures (i.e., during entrance) and/or have effects other than reducing respiration at low temperatures. The decrease in respiration from 37 degrees C to 15 degrees C resulted predominantly from a considerable reduction of substrate oxidation capacity in both torpid and normothermic animals. Temperature-dependent changes in proton leak and phosphorylation kinetics depended on metabolic state; proton leakiness increased in torpid animals but decreased in normothermic animals, whereas phosphorylation activity decreased in torpid animals but increased in normothermic animals. Overall, we have shown that both active and passive changes to oxidative phosphorylation occur during daily torpor in this species, contributing to reduced metabolic rate.
GPS2/KDM4A Pioneering Activity Regulates Promoter-Specific Recruitment of PPARγ
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M. Dafne Cardamone
Full Text Available Timely and selective recruitment of transcription factors to their appropriate DNA-binding sites represents a critical step in regulating gene activation; however, the regulatory strategies underlying each factor's effective recruitment to specific promoter and/or enhancer regions are not fully understood. Here, we identify an unexpected regulatory mechanism by which promoter-specific binding, and therefore function, of peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor γ (PPARγ in adipocytes requires G protein suppressor 2 (GPS2 to prime the local chromatin environment via inhibition of the ubiquitin ligase RNF8 and stabilization of the H3K9 histone demethylase KDM4A/JMJD2. Integration of genome-wide profiling data indicates that the pioneering activity of GPS2/KDM4A is required for PPARγ-mediated regulation of a specific transcriptional program, including the lipolytic enzymes adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL. Hence, our findings reveal that GPS2 exerts a biologically important function in adipose tissue lipid mobilization by directly regulating ubiquitin signaling and indirectly modulating chromatin remodeling to prime selected genes for activation.
B-cell receptor-driven MALT1 activity regulates MYC signaling in mantle cell lymphoma.
Dai, Beiying; Grau, Michael; Juilland, Mélanie; Klener, Pavel; Höring, Elisabeth; Molinsky, Jan; Schimmack, Gisela; Aukema, Sietse M; Hoster, Eva; Vogt, Niklas; Staiger, Annette M; Erdmann, Tabea; Xu, Wendan; Erdmann, Kristian; Dzyuba, Nicole; Madle, Hannelore; Berdel, Wolfgang E; Trneny, Marek; Dreyling, Martin; Jöhrens, Korinna; Lenz, Peter; Rosenwald, Andreas; Siebert, Reiner; Tzankov, Alexandar; Klapper, Wolfram; Anagnostopoulos, Ioannis; Krappmann, Daniel; Ott, German; Thome, Margot; Lenz, Georg
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a mature B-cell lymphoma characterized by poor clinical outcome. Recent studies revealed the importance of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling in maintaining MCL survival. However, it remains unclear which role MALT1, an essential component of the CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 complex that links BCR signaling to the NF-κB pathway, plays in the biology of MCL. Here we show that a subset of MCLs is addicted to MALT1, as its inhibition by either RNA or pharmacologic interference induced cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo. Gene expression profiling following MALT1 inhibition demonstrated that MALT1 controls an MYC-driven gene expression network predominantly through increasing MYC protein stability. Thus, our analyses identify a previously unappreciated regulatory mechanism of MYC expression. Investigating primary mouse splenocytes, we could demonstrate that MALT1-induced MYC regulation is not restricted to MCL, but represents a common mechanism. MYC itself is pivotal for MCL survival because its downregulation and pharmacologic inhibition induced cytotoxicity in all MCL models. Collectively, these results provide a strong mechanistic rationale to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of targeting the MALT1-MYC axis in MCL patients.
How Phosphorylation and ATPase Activity Regulate Anion Flux though the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR).
Zwick, Matthias; Esposito, Cinzia; Hellstern, Manuel; Seelig, Anna
The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR, ABCC7), mutations of which cause cystic fibrosis, belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family and works as a channel for small anions, such as chloride and bicarbonate. Anion channel activity is known to depend on phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and CFTR-ATPase activity. Whereas anion channel activity has been extensively investigated, phosphorylation and CFTR-ATPase activity are still poorly understood. Here, we show that the two processes can be measured in a label-free and non-invasive manner in real time in live cells, stably transfected with CFTR. This study reveals three key findings. (i) The major contribution (≥90%) to the total CFTR-related ATP hydrolysis rate is due to phosphorylation by PKA and the minor contribution (≤10%) to CFTR-ATPase activity. (ii) The mutant CFTR-E1371S that is still conductive, but defective in ATP hydrolysis, is not phosphorylated, suggesting that phosphorylation requires a functional nucleotide binding domain and occurs in the post-hydrolysis transition state. (iii) CFTR-ATPase activity is inversely related to CFTR anion flux. The present data are consistent with a model in which CFTR is in a closed conformation with two ATPs bound. The open conformation is induced by ATP hydrolysis and corresponds to the post-hydrolysis transition state that is stabilized by phosphorylation and binding of chloride channel potentiators.
Acoustic input and efferent activity regulate the expression of molecules involved in cochlear micromechanics
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Verónica eLamas
Full Text Available Electromotile activity in auditory outer hair cells (OHCs is essential for sound amplification. It relies on the highly specialized membrane motor protein prestin, and its interactions with the cytoskeleton. It is believed that the expression of prestin and related molecules involved in OHC electromotility may be dynamically regulated by signals from the acoustic environment. However little is known about the nature of such signals and how they affect the expression of molecules involved in electromotility in OHCs. We show evidence that prestin oligomerization is regulated, both at short and relatively long term, by acoustic input and descending efferent activity originating in the cortex, likely acting in concert. Unilateral removal of the middle ear ossicular chain reduces levels of trimeric prestin, particularly in the cochlea from the side of the lesion, whereas monomeric and dimeric forms are maintained or even increased in particular in the contralateral side, as shown in Western blots. Unilateral removal of the auditory cortex (AC, which likely causes an imbalance in descending efferent activity on the cochlea, also reduces levels of trimeric and tetrameric forms of prestin in the side ipsilateral to the lesion, whereas in the contralateral side prestin remains unaffected, or even increased in the case of trimeric and tetrameric forms. As far as efferent inputs are concerned, unilateral ablation of the AC up-regulates the expression of α10 nAChR transcripts in the cochlea. Limited, unbalanced efferent activity after unilateral AC removal, also affects prestin and β-actin mRNA levels. These findings support that the concerted action of acoustic and efferent inputs to the cochlea is needed to regulate the expression of major molecules involved in OHC electromotility, both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels.
NMDA receptor activation regulates sociability by its effect on mTOR signaling activity.
Burket, Jessica A; Benson, Andrew D; Tang, Amy H; Deutsch, Stephen I
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex is one example of a syndromic form of autism spectrum disorder associated with disinhibited activity of mTORC1 in neurons (e.g., cerebellar Purkinje cells). mTORC1 is a complex protein possessing serine/threonine kinase activity and a key downstream molecule in a signaling cascade beginning at the cell surface with the transduction of neurotransmitters (e.g., glutamate and acetylcholine) and nerve growth factors (e.g., Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). Interestingly, the severity of the intellectual disability in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex may relate more to this metabolic disturbance (i.e., overactivity of mTOR signaling) than the density of cortical tubers. Several recent reports showed that rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTORC1, improved sociability and other symptoms in mouse models of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and autism spectrum disorder, consistent with mTORC1 overactivity playing an important pathogenic role. NMDA receptor activation may also dampen mTORC1 activity by at least two possible mechanisms: regulating intraneuronal accumulation of arginine and the phosphorylation status of a specific extracellular signal regulating kinase (i.e., ERK1/2), both of which are "drivers" of mTORC1 activity. Conceivably, the prosocial effects of targeting the NMDA receptor with agonists in mouse models of autism spectrum disorders result from their ability to dampen mTORC1 activity in neurons. Strategies for dampening mTORC1 overactivity by NMDA receptor activation may be preferred to its direct inhibition in chronic neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders.
Increasing levels of wild-type CREB up-regulates several activity-regulated inhibitor of death (AID genes and promotes neuronal survival
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Tan Yan-Wei
Full Text Available Abstract Background CREB (cAMP-response element binding protein is the prototypical signal-regulated transcription factor. In neurons, it is the target of the synaptic activity-induced nuclear calcium-calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaMK IV signaling pathway that controls the expression of genes important for acquired neuroprotection as well as other long-lasting adaptive processes in the nervous system. The function of CREB as a transcriptional activator is controlled by its phosphorylation on serine 133, which can be catalyzed by CaMKIV and leads to the recruitment of the co-activator, CREB binding protein (CBP. Activation of CBP function by nuclear calcium-CaMKIV signaling is a second regulatory step required for CREB/CBP-mediated transcription. Results Here we used recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV to increase the levels of wild type CREB or to overexpress a mutant version of CREB (mCREB containing a serine to alanine mutation at position amino acid 133 in mouse hippocampal neurons. Increasing the levels of CREB was sufficient to boost neuroprotective activity even under basal conditions (i.e., in the absence of stimulation of synaptic activity. In contrast, overexpression of mCREB increased cell death. The ratio of phospho(serine 133CREB to CREB immunoreactivity in unstimulated hippocampal neurons was similar for endogenous CREB and overexpressed wild type CREB and, as expected, dramatically reduced for overexpressed mCREB. A gene expression analysis revealed that increased expression of CREB but not that of mCREB in hippocampal neurons led to elevated expression levels of bdnf as well as that of several members of a previously characterized set of Activity-regulated Inhibitor of Death (AID genes, which include atf3, btg2, gadd45β, and gadd45γ. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the expression levels of wild type CREB are a critical determinant of the ability of hippocampal neurons to survive harmful conditions
Electron transfer and interfacial behavior of redox proteins
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
This paper reviews the recent progress in the electron transfer and interfacial behavior of redox proteins. Significant achievements in the relevant fields are summarized including the direct electron transfer between proteins and electrodes, the thermodynamic and kinetic properties, catalytic activities and activity regulation of the redox proteins. It has been demonstrated that the electrochemical technique is an effective tool for protein studies, especially for probing into the electron transfer and interfacial behavior of redox proteins.
Data on Arc and Zif268 expression in the brain of the α-2A adrenergic receptor knockout mouse
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Jeff Sanders
Full Text Available The α2-adrenergic receptor (α2-AR is widely distributed in the brain with distinct roles for α2-AR subtypes (A, B and C. In this article, data are provided on Activity Regulated Cytoskeleton Associated Protein (Arc and Zif268 expression in the brain of the α2A-AR knockout (α2A-AR KO mouse. These data are supplemental to an original research article examining Arc and Zif268 expression in rats injected with the α2-AR antagonist, RX821002 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2015.12.002. [1].
Rapid and long-term induction of effector immediate early genes (BDNF, Neuritin and Arc) in peri-infarct cortex and dentate gyrus after ischemic injury in rat brain
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rickhag, Karl Mattias; Teilum, Maria; Wieloch, Tadeusz
including cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Neuritin and Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) belong to a subgroup of immediate early genes implicated in synaptic plasticity known as effector immediate early genes. Here, we investigated...... at 0-6 h of reperfusion for Neuritin and 0-12 h of reperfusion for Arc while BDNF was induced 0-9 h of reperfusion. Our study demonstrates a rapid and long-term activation of effector immediate early genes in distinct brain areas following ischemic injury in rat. Effector gene activation may be part...
A super-family of transcriptional activators regulates bacteriophage packaging and lysis in Gram-positive bacteria
Quiles-Puchalt, Nuria; Tormo-Más, María Ángeles; Campoy, Susana; Toledo-Arana, Alejandro; Monedero, Vicente; Lasa, Íñigo; Novick, Richard P.; Christie, Gail E.; Penadés, José R.
The propagation of bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements requires exploitation of the phage mechanisms involved in virion assembly and DNA packaging. Here, we identified and characterized four different families of phage-encoded proteins that function as activators required for transcription of the late operons (morphogenetic and lysis genes) in a large group of phages infecting Gram-positive bacteria. These regulators constitute a super-family of proteins, here named late transcriptional regulators (Ltr), which share common structural, biochemical and functional characteristics and are unique to this group of phages. They are all small basic proteins, encoded by genes present at the end of the early gene cluster in their respective phage genomes and expressed under cI repressor control. To control expression of the late operon, the Ltr proteins bind to a DNA repeat region situated upstream of the terS gene, activating its transcription. This involves the C-terminal part of the Ltr proteins, which control specificity for the DNA repeat region. Finally, we show that the Ltr proteins are the only phage-encoded proteins required for the activation of the packaging and lysis modules. In summary, we provide evidence that phage packaging and lysis is a conserved mechanism in Siphoviridae infecting a wide variety of Gram-positive bacteria. PMID:23771138
Novelty-induced activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) expression in frontal cortex requires serotonin 2A receptor activation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Santini, Martin; Klein, A B; El-Sayed, M
Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by cognitive and emotional alterations that are related to abnormal function of the frontal cortex (FC). FC is involved in working memory and decision making and is activated following exposure to a novel environment. The serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT(2A...
Functional variability in butyrylcholinesterase activity regulates intrathecal cytokine and astroglial biomarker profiles in patients with Alzheimer's disease
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Darreh-Shori, Taher; Vijayaraghavan, Swetha; Aeinehband, Shahin
of glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100B, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. BCHE-K noncarriers displayed 100%-150% higher glial fibrillary acidic protein and 64%-110% higher S100B than BCHE-K carriers, who, in contrast, had 40%-80% higher interleukin-1β and 21%-27% higher TNF-α compared...... findings, such as high cerebral glucose utilization, low β-amyloid load, and less severe progression of clinical symptoms. In vitro analysis on human astrocytes confirmed the involvement of a regulated BuChE status in the astroglial responses to TNF-α and ACh. Histochemical analysis in a rat model of nerve...... and that this might be of clinical relevance. The dissociation between astroglial markers and inflammatory cytokines indicates that a proper activation and maintenance of astroglial function is a beneficial response, rather than a disease-driving mechanism. Further studies are needed to explore the therapeutic...
Modulation of dopamine D(2) receptor signaling by actin-binding protein (ABP-280).
Li, M; Bermak, J C; Wang, Z W; Zhou, Q Y
Proteins that bind to G protein-coupled receptors have recently been identified as regulators of receptor anchoring and signaling. In this study, actin-binding protein 280 (ABP-280), a widely expressed cytoskeleton-associated protein that plays an important role in regulating cell morphology and motility, was found to associate with the third cytoplasmic loop of dopamine D(2) receptors. The specificity of this interaction was originally identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen and confirmed by protein binding. The functional significance of the D(2) receptor-ABP-280 association was evaluated in human melanoma cells lacking ABP-280. D(2) receptor agonists were less potent in inhibiting forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in these cells. Maximal inhibitory responses of D(2) receptor activation were also reduced. Further yeast two-hybrid experiments showed that ABP-280 association is critically dependent on the carboxyl domain of the D(2) receptor third cytoplasmic loop, where there is a potential serine phosphorylation site (S358). Serine 358 was replaced with aspartic acid to mimic the effects of receptor phosphorylation. This mutant (D(2)S358D) displayed compromised binding to ABP-280 and coupling to adenylate cyclase. PKC activation also generated D(2) receptor signaling attenuation, but only in ABP-containing cells, suggesting a PKC regulatory role in D(2)-ABP association. A mechanism for these results may be derived from a role of ABP-280 in the clustering of D(2) receptors, as determined by immunocytochemical analysis in ABP-deficient and replete cells. Our results suggest a new molecular mechanism of modulating D(2) receptor signaling by cytoskeletal protein interaction.
Tissue-specific and neural activity-regulated expression of human BDNF gene in BAC transgenic mice
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Palm Kaia
Full Text Available Abstract Background Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF is a small secreted protein that has important roles in the developing and adult nervous system. Altered expression or changes in the regulation of the BDNF gene have been implicated in a variety of human nervous system disorders. Although regulation of the rodent BDNF gene has been extensively investigated, in vivo studies regarding the human BDNF gene are largely limited to postmortem analysis. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC transgenic mice harboring the human BDNF gene and its regulatory flanking sequences constitute a useful tool for studying human BDNF gene regulation and for identification of therapeutic compounds modulating BDNF expression. Results In this study we have generated and analyzed BAC transgenic mice carrying 168 kb of the human BDNF locus modified such that BDNF coding sequence was replaced with the sequence of a fusion protein consisting of N-terminal BDNF and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP. The human BDNF-BAC construct containing all BDNF 5' exons preceded by different promoters recapitulated the expression of endogenous BDNF mRNA in the brain and several non-neural tissues of transgenic mice. All different 5' exon-specific BDNF-EGFP alternative transcripts were expressed from the transgenic human BDNF-BAC construct, resembling the expression of endogenous BDNF. Furthermore, BDNF-EGFP mRNA was induced upon treatment with kainic acid in a promotor-specific manner, similarly to that of the endogenous mouse BDNF mRNA. Conclusion Genomic region covering 67 kb of human BDNF gene, 84 kb of upstream and 17 kb of downstream sequences is sufficient to drive tissue-specific and kainic acid-induced expression of the reporter gene in transgenic mice. The pattern of expression of the transgene is highly similar to BDNF gene expression in mouse and human. This is the first study to show that human BDNF gene is regulated by neural activity.
Functional variability in butyrylcholinesterase activity regulates intrathecal cytokine and astroglial biomarker profiles in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Darreh-Shori, Taher; Vijayaraghavan, Swetha; Aeinehband, Shahin; Piehl, Fredrik; Lindblom, Rickard P F; Nilsson, Bo; Ekdahl, Kristina N; Långström, Bengt; Almkvist, Ove; Nordberg, Agneta
Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity is associated with activated astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease brain. The BuChE-K variant exhibits 30%-60% reduced acetylcholine (ACh) hydrolyzing capacity. Considering the increasing evidence of an immune-regulatory role of ACh, we investigated if genetic heterogeneity in BuChE affects cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of inflammation and cholinoceptive glial function. Alzheimer's disease patients (n = 179) were BCHE-K-genotyped. Proteomic and enzymatic analyses were performed on CSF and/or plasma. BuChE genotype was linked with differential CSF levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100B, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. BCHE-K noncarriers displayed 100%-150% higher glial fibrillary acidic protein and 64%-110% higher S100B than BCHE-K carriers, who, in contrast, had 40%-80% higher interleukin-1β and 21%-27% higher TNF-α compared with noncarriers. A high level of CSF BuChE enzymatic phenotype also significantly correlated with higher CSF levels of astroglial markers and several factors of the innate complement system, but lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines. These individuals also displayed beneficial paraclinical and clinical findings, such as high cerebral glucose utilization, low β-amyloid load, and less severe progression of clinical symptoms. In vitro analysis on human astrocytes confirmed the involvement of a regulated BuChE status in the astroglial responses to TNF-α and ACh. Histochemical analysis in a rat model of nerve injury-induced neuroinflammation, showed focal assembly of astroglial cells in proximity of BuChE-immunolabeled sites. In conclusion, these results suggest that BuChE enzymatic activity plays an important role in regulating intrinsic inflammation and activity of cholinoceptive glial cells and that this might be of clinical relevance. The dissociation between astroglial markers and inflammatory cytokines indicates that a proper activation and maintenance of
RAF kinase activity regulates neuroepithelial cell proliferation and neuronal progenitor cell differentiation during early inner ear development.
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Marta Magariños
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Early inner ear development requires the strict regulation of cell proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation, coordinated by the concerted action of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Deregulation of these processes is associated with embryonic malformations and deafness. We have shown that insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I plays a key role in embryonic and postnatal otic development by triggering the activation of intracellular lipid and protein kinases. RAF kinases are serine/threonine kinases that regulate the highly conserved RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade involved in transducing the signals from extracellular growth factors to the nucleus. However, the regulation of RAF kinase activity by growth factors during development is complex and still not fully understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By using a combination of qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we show that C-RAF and B-RAF are expressed during the early development of the chicken inner ear in specific spatiotemporal patterns. Moreover, later in development B-RAF expression is associated to hair cells in the sensory patches. Experiments in ex vivo cultures of otic vesicle explants demonstrate that the influence of IGF-I on proliferation but not survival depends on RAF kinase activating the MEK-ERK phosphorylation cascade. With the specific RAF inhibitor Sorafenib, we show that blocking RAF activity in organotypic cultures increases apoptosis and diminishes the rate of cell proliferation in the otic epithelia, as well as severely impairing neurogenesis of the acoustic-vestibular ganglion (AVG and neuron maturation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that RAF kinase activity is essential to establish the balance between cell proliferation and death in neuroepithelial otic precursors, and for otic neuron differentiation and axonal growth at the AVG.
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor activation regulates cocaine actions and dopamine homeostasis in the lateral septum by decreasing arachidonic acid levels
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Reddy, I A; Pino, J A; Weikop, P
Agonism of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R) has been effective at treating aspects of addictive behavior for a number of abused substances, including cocaine. However, the molecular mechanisms and brain circuits underlying the therapeutic effects of GLP-1R signaling on cocaine...... plasma membrane expression and function. These results support a mechanism in which postsynaptic septal GLP-1R activation regulates 2-AG levels to alter presynaptic DA homeostasis and cocaine actions through AA....... actions remain elusive. Recent evidence has revealed that endogenous signaling at the GLP-1R within the forebrain lateral septum (LS) acts to reduce cocaine-induced locomotion and cocaine conditioned place preference, both considered dopamine (DA)-associated behaviors. DA terminals project from...
Bim, a proapoptotic protein, up-regulated via transcription factor E2F1-dependent mechanism, functions as a prosurvival molecule in cancer.
Gogada, Raghu; Yadav, Neelu; Liu, Junwei; Tang, Shaohua; Zhang, Dianmu; Schneider, Andrea; Seshadri, Athul; Sun, Leimin; Aldaz, C Marcelo; Tang, Dean G; Chandra, Dhyan
Proapoptotic Bcl-2 homology 3-only protein Bim plays an important role in Bax/Bak-mediated cytochrome c release and apoptosis. Here, we provide evidence for a novel prosurvival function of Bim in cancer cells. Bim was constitutively overexpressed in multiple prostate and breast cancer cells as well as in primary tumor cells. Quantitative real time PCR analysis showed that Bim was transcriptionally up-regulated. We have identified eight endogenous E2F1-binding sites on the Bim promoter using in silico analysis. Luciferase assay demonstrated that Bim expression was E2F1-dependent as mutation of the E2F1-binding sites on the Bim promoter inhibited luciferase activities. In support, E2F1 silencing led to the loss of Bim expression in cancer cells. Bim primarily localized to mitochondrial and cytoskeleton-associated fractions. Bim silencing or microinjection of anti-Bim antibodies into the cell cytoplasm resulted in cell rounding, detachment, and subsequent apoptosis. We observed up-regulation of prosurvival proteins Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, which sequester Bim in cancer cells. In addition, a phosphorylated form of Bim was also elevated in cancer cells. These findings suggest that the constitutively overexpressed Bim may function as a prosurvival molecule in epithelial cancer cells, and phosphorylation and association with Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 block its proapoptotic functions.
Nonsense Mutations in SMPX, Encoding a Protein Responsive to Physical Force, Result in X-Chromosomal Hearing Loss
Huebner, Antje K.; Gandia, Marta; Frommolt, Peter; Maak, Anika; Wicklein, Eva M.; Thiele, Holger; Altmüller, Janine; Wagner, Florian; Viñuela, Antonio; Aguirre, Luis A.; Moreno, Felipe; Maier, Hannes; Rau, Isabella; Gießelmann, Sebastian; Nürnberg, Gudrun; Gal, Andreas; Nürnberg, Peter; Hübner, Christian A.; del Castillo, Ignacio; Kurth, Ingo
The fact that hereditary hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in humans is reflected by, among other things, an extraordinary allelic and nonallelic genetic heterogeneity. X-chromosomal hearing impairment represents only a minor fraction of all cases. In a study of a Spanish family the locus for one of the X-chromosomal forms was assigned to Xp22 (DFNX4). We mapped the disease locus in the same chromosomal region in a large German pedigree with X-chromosomal nonsyndromic hearing impairment by using genome-wide linkage analysis. Males presented with postlingual hearing loss and onset at ages 3–7, whereas onset in female carriers was in the second to third decades. Targeted DNA capture with high-throughput sequencing detected a nonsense mutation in the small muscle protein, X-linked (SMPX) of affected individuals. We identified another nonsense mutation in SMPX in patients from the Spanish family who were previously analyzed to map DFNX4. SMPX encodes an 88 amino acid, cytoskeleton-associated protein that is responsive to mechanical stress. The presence of Smpx in hair cells and supporting cells of the murine cochlea indicates its role in the inner ear. The nonsense mutations detected in the two families suggest a loss-of-function mechanism underlying this form of hearing impairment. Results obtained after heterologous overexpression of SMPX proteins were compatible with this assumption. Because responsivity to physical force is a characteristic feature of the protein, we propose that long-term maintenance of mechanically stressed inner-ear cells critically depends on SMPX function. PMID:21549336
Role of G protein signaling in the formation of the fibrin(ogen)-integrin αIIbβ3-actin cytoskeleton complex in platelets.
Budnik, Ivan; Shenkman, Boris; Savion, Naphtali
Effective platelet function requires formation of a physical link between fibrin(ogen), integrin αIIbβ3, and cytoplasmic actin filaments. We investigated the role of the Gαq, Gαi, and Gα12/13 families of heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) in the assembly of a ligand-αIIbβ3-actin cytoskeleton complex. Selective and combined activation of the G proteins was achieved by using combinations of various platelet agonists and inhibitors. Formation and stability of fibrinogen-αIIbβ3 interaction were evaluated by the extent of platelet aggregation and the rate of eptifibatide-induced platelet disaggregation; association of αIIbβ3 with the cytoskeleton was analyzed by western blot. Formation of the fibrin-αIIbβ3-actin cytoskeleton complex was evaluated by rotational thromboelastometry assay in which clot formation was induced by the mixture of reptilase and factor XIIIa. We demonstrated that involvement of heterotrimeric G proteins in the formation of the ligand-αIIbβ3-cytoskeleton complex depends on whether fibrinogen or fibrin serves as the integrin ligand. Formation of the fibrinogen-αIIbβ3-cytoskeleton complex requires combined activation of at least two G protein pathways while the maximal αIIbβ3-cytoskeleton association and the strongest αIIbβ3-fibrinogen binding supporting irreversible platelet aggregation require combined activation of all three-Gαq, Gαi, and Gα12/13-G protein families. In contrast, formation of the fibrin-αIIbβ3-cytoskeleton complex mediating clot retraction is critically dependent on the activation of the Gαi family, especially on the activation of Gαz.
Molecular cloning of the feline thymus and activation-regulated chemokine cDNA and its expression in lesional skin of cats with eosinophilic plaque.
Maeda, Sadatoshi; Okayama, Taro; Ohmori, Keitaro; Masuda, Kenichi; Ohno, Koichi; Tsujimoto, Hajime
Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is a member of CC chemokine and plays an essential role in recruitment of CC chemokine receptor 4 positive Th2 cells to allergic lesion. To investigate the association of TARC in allergic inflammation of cats, a TARC cDNA was cloned from feline thymus by RT-PCR with 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. The feline TARC clone contained a full length open reading frame encoding 99 amino acids which shared 80.8%, 72.5%, 65.6% and 67.8% homology with dog, human, mouse and rat homologues, respectively. Expression of TARC mRNA was detected not only in thymus but also in spleen, lung, lymph node, kidney, small intestine, colon and skin of the normal cat tissues examined. Furthermore, it was found that TARC mRNA was strongly expressed in lesional skin of cats with eosinophilic plaque. The present results demonstrated that TARC might be involved in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic plaque in cats.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Byron, Olwyn; Vestergaard, Bente
Responsive formation of protein:protein interaction (PPI) upon diverse stimuli is a fundament of cellular function. As a consequence, PPIs are complex, adaptive entities, and exist in structurally heterogeneous interplays defined by the energetic states of the free and complexed protomers......, are reported. The aim is to depict how the elucidation of the interplay of structures requires the interplay of methods....
Genetic Disruption of Arc/Arg3.1 in Mice Causes Alterations in Dopamine and Neurobehavioral Phenotypes Related to Schizophrenia
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Francesca Managò
Full Text Available Human genetic studies have recently suggested that the postsynaptic activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc complex is a convergence signal for several genes implicated in schizophrenia. However, the functional significance of Arc in schizophrenia-related neurobehavioral phenotypes and brain circuits is unclear. Here, we find that, consistent with schizophrenia-related phenotypes, disruption of Arc in mice produces deficits in sensorimotor gating, cognitive functions, social behaviors, and amphetamine-induced psychomotor responses. Furthermore, genetic disruption of Arc leads to concomitant hypoactive mesocortical and hyperactive mesostriatal dopamine pathways. Application of a D1 agonist to the prefrontal cortex or a D2 antagonist in the ventral striatum rescues Arc-dependent cognitive or psychomotor abnormalities, respectively. Our findings demonstrate a role for Arc in the regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and related behaviors. The results also provide initial biological support implicating Arc in dopaminergic and behavioral abnormalities related to schizophrenia.
alpha(7) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation prevents behavioral and molecular changes induced by repeated phencyclidine treatment
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Thomsen, Morten Skøtt; Christensen, Ditte Z; Hansen, Henrik H;
, and administration of the NMDA-antagonist phencyclidine (PCP) in rodents is a well validated model of such cognitive deficits. Here we show that repeated PCP treatment (10 mg/kg/day for 10 days) decreased the expression of parvalbumin and synaptophysin mRNA in the mouse PFC, which corresponds to changes seen...... in patients with schizophrenia. In addition, PCP increased the basal mRNA expression in the PFC of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), a molecule involved in synaptic plasticity. These molecular changes produced by PCP were accompanied by a behavioral impairment as determined...... in a modified Y-maze test. Polymorphisms in the alpha(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) gene have been linked to schizophrenia. Here we demonstrate that acute administration of the selective alpha(7) nAChR partial agonist SSR180711 dose-dependently reversed the behavioral impairment induced by PCP...
Gunton, James D.; Shiryayev, Andrey; Pagan, Daniel L.
Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Globular protein structure; 3. Experimental methods; 4. Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; 5. Protein-protein interactions; 6. Theoretical studies of equilibrium; 7. Nucleation theory; 8. Experimental studies of nucleation; 9. Lysozyme; 10. Some other globular proteins; 11. Membrane proteins; 12. Crystallins and cataracts; 13. Sickle hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia; 14, Alzheimer's disease; Index.
GLD-4-mediated translational activation regulates the size of the proliferative germ cell pool in the adult C. elegans germ line.
Millonigg, Sophia; Minasaki, Ryuji; Nousch, Marco; Novak, Jakub; Eckmann, Christian R
To avoid organ dysfunction as a consequence of tissue diminution or tumorous growth, a tight balance between cell proliferation and differentiation is maintained in metazoans. However, cell-intrinsic gene expression mechanisms controlling adult tissue homeostasis remain poorly understood. By focusing on the adult Caenorhabditis elegans reproductive tissue, we show that translational activation of mRNAs is a fundamental mechanism to maintain tissue homeostasis. Our genetic experiments identified the Trf4/5-type cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase (cytoPAP) GLD-4 and its enzymatic activator GLS-1 to perform a dual role in regulating the size of the proliferative zone. Consistent with a ubiquitous expression of GLD-4 cytoPAP in proliferative germ cells, its genetic activity is required to maintain a robust proliferative adult germ cell pool, presumably by regulating many mRNA targets encoding proliferation-promoting factors. Based on translational reporters and endogenous protein expression analyses, we found that gld-4 activity promotes GLP-1/Notch receptor expression, an essential factor of continued germ cell proliferation. RNA-protein interaction assays documented also a physical association of the GLD-4/GLS-1 cytoPAP complex with glp-1 mRNA, and ribosomal fractionation studies established that GLD-4 cytoPAP activity facilitates translational efficiency of glp-1 mRNA. Moreover, we found that in proliferative cells the differentiation-promoting factor, GLD-2 cytoPAP, is translationally repressed by the stem cell factor and PUF-type RNA-binding protein, FBF. This suggests that cytoPAP-mediated translational activation of proliferation-promoting factors, paired with PUF-mediated translational repression of differentiation factors, forms a translational control circuit that expands the proliferative germ cell pool. Our additional genetic experiments uncovered that the GLD-4/GLS-1 cytoPAP complex promotes also differentiation, forming a redundant translational circuit with
GLD-4-mediated translational activation regulates the size of the proliferative germ cell pool in the adult C. elegans germ line.
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Sophia Millonigg
Full Text Available To avoid organ dysfunction as a consequence of tissue diminution or tumorous growth, a tight balance between cell proliferation and differentiation is maintained in metazoans. However, cell-intrinsic gene expression mechanisms controlling adult tissue homeostasis remain poorly understood. By focusing on the adult Caenorhabditis elegans reproductive tissue, we show that translational activation of mRNAs is a fundamental mechanism to maintain tissue homeostasis. Our genetic experiments identified the Trf4/5-type cytoplasmic poly(A polymerase (cytoPAP GLD-4 and its enzymatic activator GLS-1 to perform a dual role in regulating the size of the proliferative zone. Consistent with a ubiquitous expression of GLD-4 cytoPAP in proliferative germ cells, its genetic activity is required to maintain a robust proliferative adult germ cell pool, presumably by regulating many mRNA targets encoding proliferation-promoting factors. Based on translational reporters and endogenous protein expression analyses, we found that gld-4 activity promotes GLP-1/Notch receptor expression, an essential factor of continued germ cell proliferation. RNA-protein interaction assays documented also a physical association of the GLD-4/GLS-1 cytoPAP complex with glp-1 mRNA, and ribosomal fractionation studies established that GLD-4 cytoPAP activity facilitates translational efficiency of glp-1 mRNA. Moreover, we found that in proliferative cells the differentiation-promoting factor, GLD-2 cytoPAP, is translationally repressed by the stem cell factor and PUF-type RNA-binding protein, FBF. This suggests that cytoPAP-mediated translational activation of proliferation-promoting factors, paired with PUF-mediated translational repression of differentiation factors, forms a translational control circuit that expands the proliferative germ cell pool. Our additional genetic experiments uncovered that the GLD-4/GLS-1 cytoPAP complex promotes also differentiation, forming a redundant
Asmus, Elaine Garbarino
Individual students model specific amino acids and then, through dehydration synthesis, a class of students models a protein. The students clearly learn amino acid structure, primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure in proteins and the nature of the bonds maintaining a protein's shape. This activity is fun, concrete, inexpensive and…
... Fraction de Lactosérum, Fraction de Petit-Lait, Goat Milk Whey, Goat Whey, Isolat de Protéine de Lactosérum, Isolat ... Lactosérum de Lait de Chèvre, MBP, Milk Protein, Milk Protein Isolate, Mineral Whey Concentrate, Proteínas del Suero de la Leche, Protéine ...
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Frederiksen, Jette Lautrup Battistini; Kristensen, Kim; Bahl, Jmc
Background: Tau protein has been proposed as biomarker of axonal damage leading to irreversible neurological impairment in MS. CSF concentrations may be useful when determining risk of progression from ON to MS. Objective: To investigate the association between tau protein concentration and 14......-3-3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with monosymptomatic optic neuritis (ON) versus patients with monosymptomatic onset who progressed to multiple sclerosis (MS). To evaluate results against data found in a complete literature review. Methods: A total of 66 patients with MS and/or ON from...... the Department of Neurology of Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, were included. CSF samples were analysed for tau protein and 14-3-3 protein, and clinical and paraclinical information was obtained from medical records. Results: The study shows a significantly increased concentration of tau...
Protein-Protein Interaction Databases
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Szklarczyk, Damian; Jensen, Lars Juhl
of research are explored. Here we present an overview of the most widely used protein-protein interaction databases and the methods they employ to gather, combine, and predict interactions. We also point out the trade-off between comprehensiveness and accuracy and the main pitfall scientists have to be aware......Years of meticulous curation of scientific literature and increasingly reliable computational predictions have resulted in creation of vast databases of protein interaction data. Over the years, these repositories have become a basic framework in which experiments are analyzed and new directions...
Sequential Notch activation regulates ventricular chamber development
D'Amato, Gaetano
Tesis doctoral inédita, leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica. Fecha de lectura: 15 de enero de 2016 Ventricular chamber morphogenesis is a beautiful example of tissue interactions orchestrating a precise gene regulatory network essential for tissue patterning, cellular proliferation and differentiation that ultimately lead to a fully compacted and functional adult ventricle. The Notch signaling pathway is a crucial regulator ...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Berinde Mihai
Full Text Available In a broad sense, the term "competition" defines the relations between economic operators acting on the same market seeking attainment of certain interests in economic freedom conditions. The need for regulations in the area of competition stems from the nature of free, open market economy which is founded on the existence of fair competition between economic agents, competition which must be observed, maintained and protected by the law. Public authorities who issue various regulations should be cautious about how far this role is played in the economy and they way adopted regulations affect competition in the market. Hence, the need for prior assessment relating to the potential effect of a regulation on competition. It was proven in practice that some regulations may lead to measures that may affect competition directly or indirectly by: limiting the number or range of suppliers; limiting supplier capability to compete and reducing interests of suppliers to compete vigorously.
Circulating thymus and activation-regulated chemokine/CC chemokine ligand 17 is a strong candidate diagnostic marker for interstitial lung disease in patients with malignant tumors: a result from a pilot study
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yamane H
Full Text Available Hiromichi Yamane, Nobuaki Ochi, Tomoko Yamagishi, Yoshihiro Honda, Masami Takeyama, Nagio TakigawaDepartment of General Internal Medicine 4, Kawasaki Medical School, Kita-ku, Okayama, JapanIntroduction: Serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6 level is an established diagnostic marker of interstitial lung disease (ILD. However, it is also elevated in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. The significance of circulating thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CC chemokine ligand 17 (CCL17 in malignant diseases remains unknown.Methods: We measured circulating TARC/CCL17 and KL-6 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, respectively, in 26 patients with malignant disease and six patients with benign lung disease (BLD. The cutoff levels were 500 U/mL for KL-6 and 450 pg/mL for TARC/CCL17. The significance of the markers was evaluated in relationship to the presence of ILD (n=10. The statistical significance was set at P<0.05.Results: The KL-6 positive ratio was significantly higher in the patients with NSCLC (n=17 than in those with BLD. There was a significant difference in the KL-6 positive ratio between the patients with NSCLC without ILD and those with BLD without ILD. However, there were no significant differences in the TARC/CCL17 positive ratio between the patients with NSCLC and BLD or between those with NSCLC without ILD and those with BLD without ILD. The TARC/CCL17 positive ratio was significantly higher in the patients with malignancy and ILD than in those without ILD. There was also a significant difference in the TARC/CCL17 positive ratio between the patients with NSCLC without ILD and those with ILD.Conclusion: TARC/CCL17 may be useful for the diagnosis of ILD in patients with malignancies. Confirmation of the results is warranted through a large-scale study.Keywords: thymus and activation-regulated chemokine/CC chemokine ligand 17, Krebs von den Lungen-6, interstitial lung
Chernov, Alexander A.
Nucleation, growth and perfection of protein crystals will be overviewed along with crystal mechanical properties. The knowledge is based on experiments using optical and force crystals behave similar to inorganic crystals, though with a difference in orders of magnitude in growing parameters. For example, the low incorporation rate of large biomolecules requires up to 100 times larger supersaturation to grow protein, rather than inorganic crystals. Nucleation is often poorly reproducible, partly because of turbulence accompanying the mixing of precipitant with protein solution. Light scattering reveals fluctuations of molecular cluster size, its growth, surface energies and increased clustering as protein ages. Growth most often occurs layer-by-layer resulting in faceted crystals. New molecular layer on crystal face is terminated by a step where molecular incorporation occurs. Quantitative data on the incorporation rate will be discussed. Rounded crystals with molecularly disordered interfaces will be explained. Defects in crystals compromise the x-ray diffraction resolution crucially needed to find the 3D atomic structure of biomolecules. The defects are immobile so that birth defects stay forever. All lattice defects known for inorganics are revealed in protein crystals. Contribution of molecular conformations to lattice disorder is important, but not studied. This contribution may be enhanced by stress field from other defects. Homologous impurities (e.g., dimers, acetylated molecules) are trapped more willingly by a growing crystal than foreign protein impurities. The trapped impurities induce internal stress eliminated in crystals exceeding a critical size (part of mni for ferritin, lysozyme). Lesser impurities are trapped from stagnant, as compared to the flowing, solution. Freezing may induce much more defects unless quickly amorphysizing intracrystalline water.
Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine level monitoring may predict disease relapse detected by PET scan after reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Farina, Lucia; Rezzonico, Francesca; Spina, Francesco; Dodero, Anna; Mazzocchi, Arabella; Crippa, Flavio; Alessi, Alessandra; Dalto, Serena; Viviani, Simonetta; Corradini, Paolo
Patients with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) may experience long-term survival after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT), but disease recurrence represents the main cause of treatment failure. Positron-emission tomography (PET)-positive patients after alloSCT have a dismal outcome. Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is produced by Reed-Sternberg cells and may be a marker of disease. Our study aimed at assessing whether TARC levels after alloSCT correlated with disease status and whether TARC monitoring could increase the ability to predict relapse. Twenty-four patients were evaluated in a prospective observational study. TARC serum level and PET were assessed before and after alloSCT during the follow-up (median, 30 months; range, 2 to 54). Before alloSCT, the median TARC level was 721 pg/mL (range, 209 to 1332) in PET-negative patients and 2542 pg/mL (range, 94 to 13,870) in PET-positive patients. After alloSCT, TARC was 620 pg/mL (range, 12 to 4333) in persistently PET-negative patients compared with 22,397 pg/mL (range, 602 to 106,578) in PET-positive patients (P disease status and its monitoring may be able to predict PET positivity after alloSCT, thus potentially allowing an early immune manipulation.
Protein inference: A protein quantification perspective.
He, Zengyou; Huang, Ting; Liu, Xiaoqing; Zhu, Peijun; Teng, Ben; Deng, Shengchun
In mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics, protein quantification and protein identification are two major computational problems. To quantify the protein abundance, a list of proteins must be firstly inferred from the raw data. Then the relative or absolute protein abundance is estimated with quantification methods, such as spectral counting. Until now, most researchers have been dealing with these two processes separately. In fact, the protein inference problem can be regarded as a special protein quantification problem in the sense that truly present proteins are those proteins whose abundance values are not zero. Some recent published papers have conceptually discussed this possibility. However, there is still a lack of rigorous experimental studies to test this hypothesis. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of using protein quantification methods to solve the protein inference problem. Protein inference methods aim to determine whether each candidate protein is present in the sample or not. Protein quantification methods estimate the abundance value of each inferred protein. Naturally, the abundance value of an absent protein should be zero. Thus, we argue that the protein inference problem can be viewed as a special protein quantification problem in which one protein is considered to be present if its abundance is not zero. Based on this idea, our paper tries to use three simple protein quantification methods to solve the protein inference problem effectively. The experimental results on six data sets show that these three methods are competitive with previous protein inference algorithms. This demonstrates that it is plausible to model the protein inference problem as a special protein quantification task, which opens the door of devising more effective protein inference algorithms from a quantification perspective. The source codes of our methods are available at: http://code.google.com/p/protein-inference/.
Perinatal exposure to PTU decreases expression of Arc, Homer 1, Egr 1 and Kcna 1 in the rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus.
Kobayashi, Kumiko; Akune, Haruyo; Sumida, Kayo; Saito, Koichi; Yoshioka, Takafumi; Tsuji, Ryozo
Environmental chemicals have a potential impact on neuronal development and children's health. The current developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) guideline studies to assess their underlying risk are costly and time-consuming; therefore the more efficient protocol for DNT test is needed. Hypothyroidism in rats induced by perinatal exposure to propylthiouracil (PTU), a thyroid hormone synthesis inhibitor, offers an advantageous model of developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Understanding the associated alterations in gene expression in brain is a key to elucidate mechanisms and find appropriate molecular markers. The purpose of the present study was to identify PTU treatment-affected transcriptomes in the rat cerebral cortex and the hippocampus using DNA microarrays, and to specify candidate genes linked to DNT. We used an approximately 9000 probe microarray to examine differentially expressed genes between PTU-dosed and vehicle-dosed rats at postnatal days 4, 14, 22 and 70. Expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) such as activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), Homer 1, early growth response 1 (Egr 1), myelin-associated genes such as myelin-associated oligodendrocytic basic protein (MOBP), myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP) and Kcna1 was apparently affected by perinatal administration of PTU. The results suggest that the alterations may be responsible for the detrimental effects caused by PTU treatment on the nervous system.
Analysis of Protein Import into Chloroplasts Isolated from Stressed Plants.
Ling, Qihua; Jarvis, Paul
Chloroplasts are organelles with many vital roles in plants, which include not only photosynthesis but numerous other metabolic and signaling functions. Furthermore, chloroplasts are critical for plant responses to various abiotic stresses, such as salinity and osmotic stresses. A chloroplast may contain up to ~3,000 different proteins, some of which are encoded by its own genome. However, the majority of chloroplast proteins are encoded in the nucleus and synthesized in the cytosol, and these proteins need to be imported into the chloroplast through translocons at the chloroplast envelope membranes. Recent studies have shown that the chloroplast protein import can be actively regulated by stress. To biochemically investigate such regulation of protein import under stress conditions, we developed the method described here as a quick and straightforward procedure that can easily be achieved in any laboratory. In this method, plants are grown under normal conditions and then exposed to stress conditions in liquid culture. Plant material is collected, and chloroplasts are then released by homogenization. The crude homogenate is separated by density gradient centrifugation, enabling isolation of the intact chloroplasts. Chloroplast yield is assessed by counting, and chloroplast intactness is checked under a microscope. For the protein import assays, purified chloroplasts are incubated with (35)S radiolabeled in vitro translated precursor proteins, and time-course experiments are conducted to enable comparisons of import rates between genotypes under stress conditions. We present data generated using this method which show that the rate of protein import into chloroplasts from a regulatory mutant is specifically altered under osmotic stress conditions.
[Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)--MMP-1,-2,-9 and its endogenous activity regulators in transformed by E7 oncogene HPV16 and HPV18 cervical carcinoma cell lines].
Ryzhakova, O S; Solov'eva, N I
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play a key role in development of tumor invasion and metestasis. The purpose of the work is the elucidation of peculiarities of expression of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 and their activity regulators: plasminogen activator uPA and tissue inhibitors of MMPs - TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in human cell lines of squoamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Comparative study of MMPs' expression was carried out on cell lines SCC which differed in HPV types (HPV-16 and HPV-18): SiHa, Caski - HPV16, Hela, C4-1 - HPV18). As a control, the C33A line was used where HPV copies were absent. The human papilloma viruses (HPV) of high risk--HPV-16, HPV-18, as etiological factors of initiation of cervical cancer, are most widespread and most aggressive among oncogenic HPVs. Study of MMP expression involved estimation of expression of mRNA using the RT-PCR method and determination of collagenolytic activity by hydrolysis of fluorogenic type 1 collagen and also by the zymography method. It was shown that: 1. In both types of cell lines, the MMP-1 expression was essentially increased (2 to 8 times), and in HPV18 lines it was most expressed. The exception was made by the SiHa line in which the decrease of expression of this enzyme was observed. MMP-2 expression was at the control level in both types of cell lines. 2. Expression of inhibitors generally was at the control level. The only exception was the C4-1 line where the expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 was increased in 1,7 and 2,6 times accordingly. Expression of uPA was increased 2 to 4, 5 times in all cell lines except Siha where was lowered to 20%. 3. Collagenolytic activity in the Caski and Hela cell line was 2-3 times higher that it was in control, while the activity in the SiHa cell line was compatible with that in the control. Research of gelatinolytic activity also as well as the data on an expression MPHK has revealed only presence MMFP-2, but not MMP-9 in all cervical carcinoma cell lines. The data obtained provide
Small heat shock protein Hsp27 is required for proper heart tube formation.
Brown, Daniel D; Christine, Kathleen S; Showell, Christopher; Conlon, Frank L
The small heat shock protein Hsp27 has been shown to be involved in a diverse array of cellular processes, including cellular stress response, protein chaperone activity, regulation of cellular glutathione levels, apoptotic signaling, and regulation of actin polymerization and stability. Furthermore, mutation within Hsp27 has been associated with the human congenital neuropathy Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT) disease. Hsp27 is known to be expressed in developing embryonic tissues; however, little has been done to determine the endogenous requirement for Hsp27 in developing embryos. In this study, we show that depletion of XHSP27 protein results in a failure of cardiac progenitor fusion resulting in cardia bifida. Furthermore, we demonstrate a concomitant disorganization of actin filament organization and defects in myofibril assembly. Moreover, these defects are not associated with alterations in specification or differentiation. We have thus demonstrated a critical requirement for XHSP27 in developing cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues.
Grafting of protein-protein binding sites
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
A strategy for grafting protein-protein binding sites is described. Firstly, key interaction residues at the interface of ligand protein to be grafted are identified and suitable positions in scaffold protein for grafting these key residues are sought. Secondly, the scaffold proteins are superposed onto the ligand protein based on the corresponding Ca and Cb atoms. The complementarity between the scaffold protein and the receptor protein is evaluated and only matches with high score are accepted. The relative position between scaffold and receptor proteins is adjusted so that the interface has a reasonable packing density. Then the scaffold protein is mutated to corresponding residues in ligand protein at each candidate position. And the residues having bad steric contacts with the receptor proteins, or buried charged residues not involved in the formation of any salt bridge are mutated. Finally, the mutated scaffold protein in complex with receptor protein is co-minimized by Charmm. In addition, we deduce a scoring function to evaluate the affinity between mutated scaffold protein and receptor protein by statistical analysis of rigid binding data sets.
Interactome map uncovers phosphatidylserine transport by oxysterol-binding proteins.
Maeda, Kenji; Anand, Kanchan; Chiapparino, Antonella; Kumar, Arun; Poletto, Mattia; Kaksonen, Marko; Gavin, Anne-Claude
The internal organization of eukaryotic cells into functionally specialized, membrane-delimited organelles of unique composition implies a need for active, regulated lipid transport. Phosphatidylserine (PS), for example, is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and then preferentially associates--through mechanisms not fully elucidated--with the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Lipids can travel via transport vesicles. Alternatively, several protein families known as lipid-transfer proteins (LTPs) can extract a variety of specific lipids from biological membranes and transport them, within a hydrophobic pocket, through aqueous phases. Here we report the development of an integrated approach that combines protein fractionation and lipidomics to characterize the LTP-lipid complexes formed in vivo. We applied the procedure to 13 LTPs in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae: the six Sec14 homology (Sfh) proteins and the seven oxysterol-binding homology (Osh) proteins. We found that Osh6 and Osh7 have an unexpected specificity for PS. In vivo, they participate in PS homeostasis and the transport of this lipid to the plasma membrane. The structure of Osh6 bound to PS reveals unique features that are conserved among other metazoan oxysterol-binding proteins (OSBPs) and are required for PS recognition. Our findings represent the first direct evidence, to our knowledge, for the non-vesicular transfer of PS from its site of biosynthesis (the endoplasmic reticulum) to its site of biological activity (the plasma membrane). We describe a new subfamily of OSBPs, including human ORP5 and ORP10, that transfer PS and propose new mechanisms of action for a protein family that is involved in several human pathologies such as cancer, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome.
EDITORIAL: Precision proteins Precision proteins
Demming, Anna
Since the birth of modern day medicine, during the times of Hippocrates in ancient Greece, the profession has developed from the rudimentary classification of disease into a rigorous science with an inspiring capability to treat and cure. Scientific methodology has distilled clinical diagnostic tools from the early arts of prognosis, which used to rely as much on revelation and prophecy, as intuition and judgement [1]. Over the past decade, research into the interactions between proteins and nanosystems has provided some ingenious and apt techniques for delving into the intricacies of anatomical systems. In vivo biosensing has emerged as a vibrant field of research, as much of medical diagnosis relies on the detection of substances or an imbalance in the chemicals in the body. The inherent properties of nanoscale structures, such as cantilevers, make them well suited to biosensing applications that demand the detection of molecules at very low concentrations. Measurable deflections in cantilevers functionalised with antibodies provide quantitative indicators of the presence of specific antigens when the two react. Such developments have roused mounting interest in the interactions of proteins with nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes [3], which have demonstrated great potential as generic biomarkers. Plasmonic properties are also being exploited in sensing applications, such as the molecular sentinel recently devised by researchers in the US. The device uses the plasmonic properties of a silver nanoparticle linked to a Raman labelled hairpin DNA probe to signal changes in the probe geometry resulting from interactions with substances in the environment. Success stories so far include the detection of two specific genes associated with breast cancer [4]. A greater understanding of how RNA interference regulates gene expression has highlighted the potential of using this natural process as another agent for combating disease in personalized medicine. However, the
Scaffolds for blocking protein-protein interactions.
Hershberger, Stefan J; Lee, Song-Gil; Chmielewski, Jean
Due to the pivotal roles that protein-protein interactions play in a plethora of biological processes, the design of therapeutic agents targeting these interactions has become an attractive and important area of research. The development of such agents is faced with a variety of challenges. Nevertheless, considerable progress has been made in the design of proteomimetics capable of disrupting protein-protein interactions. Those inhibitors based on molecular scaffold designs hold considerable interest because of the ease of variation in regard to their displayed functionality. In particular, protein surface mimetics, alpha-helical mimetics, beta-sheet/beta-strand mimetics, as well as beta-turn mimetics have successfully modulated protein-protein interactions involved in such diseases as cancer and HIV. In this review, current progress in the development of molecular scaffolds designed for the disruption of protein-protein interactions will be discussed with an emphasis on those active against biological targets.
Fusion-protein-assisted protein crystallization.
Kobe, Bostjan; Ve, Thomas; Williams, Simon J
Fusion proteins can be used directly in protein crystallization to assist crystallization in at least two different ways. In one approach, the `heterologous fusion-protein approach', the fusion partner can provide additional surface area to promote crystal contact formation. In another approach, the `fusion of interacting proteins approach', protein assemblies can be stabilized by covalently linking the interacting partners. The linker connecting the proteins plays different roles in the two applications: in the first approach a rigid linker is required to reduce conformational heterogeneity; in the second, conversely, a flexible linker is required that allows the native interaction between the fused proteins. The two approaches can also be combined. The recent applications of fusion-protein technology in protein crystallization from the work of our own and other laboratories are briefly reviewed.
Protein docking prediction using predicted protein-protein interface
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Li Bin
Full Text Available Abstract Background Many important cellular processes are carried out by protein complexes. To provide physical pictures of interacting proteins, many computational protein-protein prediction methods have been developed in the past. However, it is still difficult to identify the correct docking complex structure within top ranks among alternative conformations. Results We present a novel protein docking algorithm that utilizes imperfect protein-protein binding interface prediction for guiding protein docking. Since the accuracy of protein binding site prediction varies depending on cases, the challenge is to develop a method which does not deteriorate but improves docking results by using a binding site prediction which may not be 100% accurate. The algorithm, named PI-LZerD (using Predicted Interface with Local 3D Zernike descriptor-based Docking algorithm, is based on a pair wise protein docking prediction algorithm, LZerD, which we have developed earlier. PI-LZerD starts from performing docking prediction using the provided protein-protein binding interface prediction as constraints, which is followed by the second round of docking with updated docking interface information to further improve docking conformation. Benchmark results on bound and unbound cases show that PI-LZerD consistently improves the docking prediction accuracy as compared with docking without using binding site prediction or using the binding site prediction as post-filtering. Conclusion We have developed PI-LZerD, a pairwise docking algorithm, which uses imperfect protein-protein binding interface prediction to improve docking accuracy. PI-LZerD consistently showed better prediction accuracy over alternative methods in the series of benchmark experiments including docking using actual docking interface site predictions as well as unbound docking cases.
Protein Crystal Based Nanomaterials
Bell, Jeffrey A.; VanRoey, Patrick
This is the final report on a NASA Grant. It concerns a description of work done, which includes: (1) Protein crystals cross-linked to form fibers; (2) Engineering of protein to favor crystallization; (3) Better knowledge-based potentials for protein-protein contacts; (4) Simulation of protein crystallization.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Faulon, Jean-Loup Michel; Heffelfinger, Grant S.
A novel experimental and computational technique based on multiple enzymatic digestion of a protein or protein mixture that reconstructs protein sequences from sequences of overlapping peptides is described in this SAND report. This approach, analogous to shotgun sequencing of DNA, is to be used to sequence alternative spliced proteins, to identify post-translational modifications, and to sequence genetically engineered proteins.
Impact of contextual cues in the expression of the memory associated with diazepam withdrawal: involvement of hippocampal PKMζ in vivo, and Arc expression and LTP in vitro.
Monti, Maria C; Gabach, Laura A; Perez, Mariela F; Ramírez, Oscar A
Hippocampal synaptic plasticity has been related to learning and adaptive processes developed during chronic drug administration, suggesting the existence of a common neurobiological mechanism mediating drug addiction and memory. Moreover, protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ) is critical for the maintenance of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial conditioned long-term memories. Also, a link between activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), PKMζ and LTP has been proposed. Our previous results demonstrated that re-exposure to the withdrawal environment was able to evoke the memory acquired when the anxiety measured as a diazepam (DZ) withdrawal sign was experienced. In the present work we evaluated if the memory associated with DZ withdrawal could be affected by changes in the contextual cues presented during withdrawal and by intrahippocampal administration of a PKMζ inhibitor. We found that the context was relevant for the expression of withdrawal signs as changes in contextual cues prevented the expression of the anxiety-like behavior observed during plus-maze (PM) re-exposure, the associated enhanced synaptic plasticity and the increase in Arc expression. Furthermore, intrahippocampal administration of PKMζ inhibitor previous to re-exposure to the PM test also impaired expression of anxiety-like behavior and the facilitated LTP. These results support the relevance of the hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the maintenance of the memory trace during benzodiazepines withdrawal, adding new evidences for common mechanisms between memory and drug addiction that can be intervened for treatment or prevention of this pathology.
A novel form of synaptic plasticity in field CA3 of hippocampus requires GPER1 activation and BDNF release.
Briz, Victor; Liu, Yan; Zhu, Guoqi; Bi, Xiaoning; Baudry, Michel
Estrogen is an important modulator of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation through its rapid action on membrane-associated receptors. Here, we found that both estradiol and the G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) specific agonist G1 rapidly induce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) release, leading to transient stimulation of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated (Arc) protein translation and GluA1-containing AMPA receptor internalization in field CA3 of hippocampus. We also show that type-I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation does not induce Arc translation nor long-term depression (LTD) at the mossy fiber pathway, as opposed to its effects in CA1, and it only triggers LTD after GPER1 stimulation. Furthermore, this form of mGluR-dependent LTD is associated with ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation of GluA1, and is prevented by proteasome inhibition. Overall, our study identifies a novel mechanism by which estrogen and BDNF regulate hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the adult brain.
The Neuroprotective Effects of Brazilian Green Propolis on Neurodegenerative Damage in Human Neuronal SH-SY5Y Cells
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Junjun Ni
Full Text Available Oxidative stress and synapse dysfunction are the major neurodegenerative damage correlated to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD. We have found that Brazilian green propolis (propolis improves the cognitive functions of mild cognitive impairment patients living at high altitude; however, mechanism underlying the effects of propolis is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of propolis on oxidative stress, expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc, the critical factors of synapse efficacy, using human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Pretreatment with propolis significantly ameliorated the hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2- induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, propolis significantly reduced the H2O2-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS derived from mitochondria and 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG, the DNA oxidative damage marker but significantly reversed the fibrillar β-amyloid and IL-1β-impaired BDNF-induced Arc expression in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, propolis significantly upregulated BDNF mRNA expression in time- and dose-dependent manners. In addition, propolis induced Arc mRNA and protein expression via phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K. These observations strongly suggest that propolis protects from the neurodegenerative damage in neurons through the properties of various antioxidants. The present study provides a potential molecular mechanism of Brazilian green propolis in prevention of cognitive impairment in AD as well as aging.
Protein folding, protein homeostasis, and cancer
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
John H. Van Drie
Proteins fold into their functional 3-dimensional structures from a linear amino acid sequence. In vitro this process is spontaneous; while in vivo it is orchestrated by a specialized set of proteins, called chaperones. Protein folding is an ongoing cellular process, as cellular proteins constantly undergo synthesis and degradation. Here emerging links between this process and cancer are reviewed. This perspective both yields insights into the current struggle to develop novel cancer chemotherapeutics and has implications for future chemotherapy discovery.
Oligomeric protein structure networks: insights into protein-protein interactions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Brinda KV
Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein-protein association is essential for a variety of cellular processes and hence a large number of investigations are being carried out to understand the principles of protein-protein interactions. In this study, oligomeric protein structures are viewed from a network perspective to obtain new insights into protein association. Structure graphs of proteins have been constructed from a non-redundant set of protein oligomer crystal structures by considering amino acid residues as nodes and the edges are based on the strength of the non-covalent interactions between the residues. The analysis of such networks has been carried out in terms of amino acid clusters and hubs (highly connected residues with special emphasis to protein interfaces. Results A variety of interactions such as hydrogen bond, salt bridges, aromatic and hydrophobic interactions, which occur at the interfaces are identified in a consolidated manner as amino acid clusters at the interface, from this study. Moreover, the characterization of the highly connected hub-forming residues at the interfaces and their comparison with the hubs from the non-interface regions and the non-hubs in the interface regions show that there is a predominance of charged interactions at the interfaces. Further, strong and weak interfaces are identified on the basis of the interaction strength between amino acid residues and the sizes of the interface clusters, which also show that many protein interfaces are stronger than their monomeric protein cores. The interface strengths evaluated based on the interface clusters and hubs also correlate well with experimentally determined dissociation constants for known complexes. Finally, the interface hubs identified using the present method correlate very well with experimentally determined hotspots in the interfaces of protein complexes obtained from the Alanine Scanning Energetics database (ASEdb. A few predictions of interface hot
Conductometric monitoring of protein-protein interactions.
Spera, Rosanna; Festa, Fernanda; Bragazzi, Nicola L; Pechkova, Eugenia; LaBaer, Joshua; Nicolini, Claudio
Conductometric monitoring of protein-protein and protein-sterol interactions is here proved feasible by coupling quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM_D) to nucleic acid programmable protein arrays (NAPPA). The conductance curves measured in NAPPA microarrays printed on quartz surface allowed the identification of binding events between the immobilized proteins and the query. NAPPA allows the immobilization on the quartz surface of a wide range of proteins and can be easily adapted to generate innumerous types of biosensors. Indeed multiple proteins on the same quartz crystal have been tested and envisaged proving the possibility of analyzing the same array for several distinct interactions. Two examples of NAPPA-based conductometer applications with clinical relevance are presented herein, the interaction between the transcription factors Jun and ATF2 and the interaction between Cytochrome P540scc and cholesterol.
Protein sequence comparison and protein evolution
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Pearson, W.R. [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States). Dept. of Biochemistry
This tutorial was one of eight tutorials selected to be presented at the Third International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology which was held in the United Kingdom from July 16 to 19, 1995. This tutorial examines how the information conserved during the evolution of a protein molecule can be used to infer reliably homology, and thus a shared proteinfold and possibly a shared active site or function. The authors start by reviewing a geological/evolutionary time scale. Next they look at the evolution of several protein families. During the tutorial, these families will be used to demonstrate that homologous protein ancestry can be inferred with confidence. They also examine different modes of protein evolution and consider some hypotheses that have been presented to explain the very earliest events in protein evolution. The next part of the tutorial will examine the technical aspects of protein sequence comparison. Both optimal and heuristic algorithms and their associated parameters that are used to characterize protein sequence similarities are discussed. Perhaps more importantly, they survey the statistics of local similarity scores, and how these statistics can both be used to improve the selectivity of a search and to evaluate the significance of a match. They them examine distantly related members of three protein families, the serine proteases, the glutathione transferases, and the G-protein-coupled receptors (GCRs). Finally, the discuss how sequence similarity can be used to examine internal repeated or mosaic structures in proteins.
Prediction of Protein-Protein Interactions Using Protein Signature Profiling
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Mahmood A. Mahdavi; Yen-Han Lin
Protein domains are conserved and functionally independent structures that play an important role in interactions among related proteins. Domain-domain inter- actions have been recently used to predict protein-protein interactions (PPI). In general, the interaction probability of a pair of domains is scored using a trained scoring function. Satisfying a threshold, the protein pairs carrying those domains are regarded as "interacting". In this study, the signature contents of proteins were utilized to predict PPI pairs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis ele- gans, and Homo sapiens. Similarity between protein signature patterns was scored and PPI predictions were drawn based on the binary similarity scoring function. Results show that the true positive rate of prediction by the proposed approach is approximately 32% higher than that using the maximum likelihood estimation method when compared with a test set, resulting in 22% increase in the area un- der the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. When proteins containing one or two signatures were removed, the sensitivity of the predicted PPI pairs in- creased significantly. The predicted PPI pairs are on average 11 times more likely to interact than the random selection at a confidence level of 0.95, and on aver- age 4 times better than those predicted by either phylogenetic profiling or gene expression profiling.
Inferring Protein Associations Using Protein Pulldown Assays
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Sharp, Julia L.; Anderson, Kevin K.; Daly, Don S.; Auberry, Deanna L.; Borkowski, John J.; Cannon, William R.
Background: One method to infer protein-protein associations is through a "bait-prey pulldown" assay using a protein affinity agent and an LC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry)-based protein identification method. False positive and negative protein identifications are not uncommon, however, leading to incorrect inferences. Methods: A pulldown experiment generates a protein association matrix wherein each column represents a sample from one bait protein, each row represents one prey protein and each cell contains a presence/absence association indicator. Our method evaluates the presence/absence pattern across a prey protein (row) with a Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT), computing its p-value with simulated LRT test statistic distributions after a check with simulated binomial random variates disqualified the large sample 2 test. A pulldown experiment often involves hundreds of tests so we apply the false discovery rate method to control the false positive rate. Based on the p-value, each prey protein is assigned a category (specific association, non-specific association, or not associated) and appraised with respect to the pulldown experiment's goal and design. The method is illustrated using a pulldown experiment investigating the protein complexes of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Results: The Monte Carlo simulated LRT p-values objectively reveal specific and ubiquitous prey, as well as potential systematic errors. The example analysis shows the results to be biologically sensible and more realistic than the ad hoc screening methods previously utilized. Conclusions: The method presented appears to be informative for screening for protein-protein associations.
Polymer Directed Protein Assemblies
van Rijn, Patrick
Protein aggregation and protein self-assembly is an important occurrence in natural systems, and is in some form or other dictated by biopolymers. Very obvious influences of biopolymers on protein assemblies are, e. g., virus particles. Viruses are a multi-protein assembly of which the morphology is
Zhao, Le; Lu, Wuyuan
Proteins composed entirely of unnatural d-amino acids and the achiral amino acid glycine are mirror image forms of their native l-protein counterparts. Recent advances in chemical protein synthesis afford unique and facile synthetic access to domain-sized mirror image d-proteins, enabling protein research to be conducted through 'the looking glass' and in a way previously unattainable. d-Proteins can facilitate structure determination of their native l-forms that are difficult to crystallize (racemic X-ray crystallography); d-proteins can serve as the bait for library screening to ultimately yield pharmacologically superior d-peptide/d-protein therapeutics (mirror-image phage display); d-proteins can also be used as a powerful mechanistic tool for probing molecular events in biology. This review examines recent progress in the application of mirror image proteins to structural biology, drug discovery, and immunology.
Protein- protein interaction detection system using fluorescent protein microdomains
Waldo, Geoffrey S.; Cabantous, Stephanie
The invention provides a protein labeling and interaction detection system based on engineered fragments of fluorescent and chromophoric proteins that require fused interacting polypeptides to drive the association of the fragments, and further are soluble and stable, and do not change the solubility of polypeptides to which they are fused. In one embodiment, a test protein X is fused to a sixteen amino acid fragment of GFP (.beta.-strand 10, amino acids 198-214), engineered to not perturb fusion protein solubility. A second test protein Y is fused to a sixteen amino acid fragment of GFP (.beta.-strand 11, amino acids 215-230), engineered to not perturb fusion protein solubility. When X and Y interact, they bring the GFP strands into proximity, and are detected by complementation with a third GFP fragment consisting of GFP amino acids 1-198 (strands 1-9). When GFP strands 10 and 11 are held together by interaction of protein X and Y, they spontaneous association with GFP strands 1-9, resulting in structural complementation, folding, and concomitant GFP fluorescence.
Urine Protein and Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio
... limited. Home Visit Global Sites Search Help? Urine Protein and Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio Share this page: Was this page helpful? Also known as: 24-Hour Urine Protein; Urine Total Protein; Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio; ...
Small Cytoskeleton-Associated Molecule, Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 Oncogene Partner 2/Wound Inducible Transcript-3.0 (FGFR1OP2/wit3.0), Facilitates Fibroblast-Driven Wound Closure
Lin, Audrey; Hokugo, Akishige; Choi, Jae; Nishimura, Ichiro
Wounds created in the oral cavity heal rapidly and leave minimal scarring. We have examined a role of a previously isolated cDNA from oral wounds encoding wound inducible transcript-3.0 (wit3.0), also known as fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 oncogene partner 2 (FGFR1OP2). FGFR1OP2/wit3.0 was highly expressed in oral wound fibroblasts without noticeable up-regulation of α-smooth muscle actin. In silico analyses, denaturing and nondenaturing gel Western blot, and immunocytology together dem...
Dendritic transport element of human arc mRNA confers RNA degradation activity in a translation-dependent manner.
Ninomiya, Kensuke; Ohno, Mutsuhito; Kataoka, Naoyuki
Localization of mRNA in neuronal cells is a critical process for spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression. Cytoplasmic localization of mRNA is often conferred by transport elements in 3' untranslated region (UTR). Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (arc) mRNA is one of the localizing mRNAs in neuronal cells, and its localization is mediated by dendritic targeting element (DTE). As arc mRNA has introns in its 3' UTR, it was thought that arc mRNA is a natural target of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Here, we show that DTE in human arc 3' UTR has destabilizing activity of RNA independent of NMD pathway. DTE alone was able to cause instability of the reporter mRNA and this degradation was dependent on translation. Our results indicate that DTE has dual activity in mRNA transport and degradation, which suggests the novel spatiotemporal regulation mechanism of activity-dependent degradation of the mRNA.
Differential Activation of Amygdala Arc Expression By Positive and Negatively Valenced Emotional Learning Conditions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Erica eYoung
Full Text Available Norepinephrine is released in the amygdala following negatively arousing learning conditions. This event initiates a cascade of changes including the transcription of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc expression, an early-immediate gene associated with memory encoding. Recent evidence suggests that the valence of emotionally laden encounters may generate lateralized, as opposed to symmetric release of this transmitter in the right or left amygdala. It is currently not clear if valence-induced patterns of selective norepinephrine output across hemispheres are also reproduced in downstream pathways of cellular signaling necessary for memory formation. This question was addressed by determining if Arc expression is differentially distributed across the right and left amygdala following exposure to positively or negatively valenced learning conditions respectively. Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to groups exposed to the Homecage only, 5 auditory tones only, or 5 auditory tones paired with footshock (0.35mA during Pavlovian fear conditioning. Western blot analysis revealed that Arc expression in the right amygdala was elevated significantly above that observed in the left amygdala 60 and 90 minutes following fear conditioning. Similarly, subjects exposed to a a negatively valenced outcome consisting of an unexpected reduction in food rewards showed a greater level of Arc expression in only the right, but not left basolateral amygdala. Presenting a positively valenced event involving an unexpected increase in food reward magnitude following bar pressing, resulted in significantly greater Arc expression in the left, but not right basolateral amygdala (p
Developmental DSP4 effects on cortical Arc expression.
Sanders, Jeff
Activity Regulated Cytoskeleton Associated Protein (Arc) is an immediate early gene that is critical to brain plasticity. In this study, norepinephrine's regulation of Arc expression was examined during different stages of postnatal development. Rats were injected with N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydrochloride (DSP-4), a selective noradrenergic neurotoxin, during preadolescence (PND 0 or 13), adolescence (PND 23 or 48) or adulthood (PND 60). After each DSP4 treatment, brains were harvested later in development and Arc mRNA levels analyzed with in situ hybridization. Rats lesioned with DSP4 during preadolescence showed no differences in Arc level compared to saline treated controls. In contrast, adolescence was a time of changing Arc mRNA response to DSP4. Rats lesioned during early adolescence showed Arc expression increases, while rats lesioned during late adolescence showed dramatic Arc expression decreases. Decreases in Arc level caused by late adolescent DSP4 were similar to those found in lesioned adults. These findings highlight a qualitatively different regulation of Arc expression by norepinephrine according to developmental stage, and indicate that mature regulation is not intact until late adolescence. These data point to important developmental differences in norepinephrine's regulation of brain plasticity. These differences may underlie contrasting psychotropic responses in children and adolescents compared to adults.
Dendritic morphology, synaptic transmission, and activity of mature granule cells born following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in the rat
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fei eGao
Full Text Available To understand the potential role of enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE in the development of epilepsy, we quantitatively analyzed the geometry of apical dendrites, synaptic transmission, and activation levels of normotopically distributed mature newborn granule cells in the rat.SE in male Sprague-Dawley rats lasting for more than 2 hours was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine. The complexity, spine density, miniature post-synaptic currents, and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc expression of granule cells born five days after SE were studied at least 10 weeks after CAG-GFP retroviral vector-mediated labeling.Mature granule cells born after SE had dendritic complexity similar to that of granule cells born naturally, but with denser mushroom-like spines in dendritic segments located in the outer molecular layer. Miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents (mIPSCs were similar between the controls and rats subjected to SE; however, smaller miniature excitatory post-synaptic current (mEPSC amplitude with a trend toward less frequent was found in mature granule cells born after SE. After maturation, granule cells born after SE did not show denser Arc expression in the resting condition or after being activated by transient seizure activity than vicinal GFP-unlabeled granule cells.Thus our results suggest that normotopic granule cells born after pilocarpine-induced SE are no more active when mature than age-matched, naturally born granule cells.
Lack of increased immediate early gene expression in rats reinstating cocaine-seeking behavior to discrete sensory cues.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matthew D Riedy
Full Text Available Drug-seeking behavior elicited by drug-associated cues contributes to relapse in addiction; however, whether relapse elicited by drug-associated conditioned reinforcers (CR versus discriminative stimuli (DS involves distinct or overlapping neuronal populations is unknown. To address this question, we developed a novel cocaine self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement paradigm that exposed the same rats to distinct cocaine-associated CR and DS. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine in separate sessions. In one, a DS signaled cocaine availability; in the other, cocaine delivery was paired with a different CR. After extinction training and reinstatement testing, where both cues were presented in separate sessions, rats were sacrificed and processed for cellular analysis of temporal activity by fluorescent in situ hybridization (CatFISH for activity regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc mRNA and for radioactive in situ hybridization for Arc and zif268 mRNAs. CatFISH did not reveal significant changes in Arc mRNA expression. Similar results were obtained with radioactive in situ hybridization. We have shown that while rats reinstate drug seeking in response to temporally discrete presentations of distinct drug-associated cues, such reinstatement is not associated with increased transcriptional activation of Arc or zif268 mRNAs, suggesting that expression of these genes may not be necessary for cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hansen, Maria; Walmod, Peter Schledermann
The Drosophila protein Turtle and the vertebrate proteins immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF), member 9 (IGSF9/Dasm1) and IGSF9B are members of an evolutionarily ancient protein family. A bioinformatics analysis of the protein family revealed that invertebrates contain only a single IGSF9 family gene......, the longest isoforms of the proteins have the same general organization as the neural cell adhesion molecule family of cell adhesion molecule proteins, and like this family of proteins, IGSF9 family members are expressed in the nervous system. A review of the literature revealed that Drosophila Turtle...... facilitates homophilic cell adhesion. Moreover, IGSF9 family proteins have been implicated in the outgrowth and branching of neurites, axon guidance, synapse maturation, self-avoidance, and tiling. However, despite the few published studies on IGSF9 family proteins, reports on the functions of both Turtle...
Concepts and Methodologies to Study Protein SUMOylation: An Overview.
Matunis, Michael J; Rodriguez, Manuel S
Protein modification by the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) was simultaneously discovered by several groups at the middle of the 1990s. Although distinct names were proposed including Sentrin, GMP1, PIC1, or SMT3, SUMO became the most popular. Early studies on the functions of SUMOylation focused on activities in the nucleus, including transcription activation, chromatin structure, and DNA repair. However, it is now recognized that SUMOylation affects a large diversity of cellular processes both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm and functions of SUMOylation appear to have undefined limits. SUMO-conjugating enzymes and specific proteases actively regulate the modification status of target proteins. The recent discoveries of ubiquitin-SUMO hybrid chains, multiple SUMO-interacting motifs, and macromolecular complexes regulated by SUMOylation underscore the high complexity of this dynamic reversible system. New conceptual frameworks suggested by these findings have motivated the development of new methodologies to study pre- and post-SUMOylation events in vitro and in vivo, using distinct model organisms. Here we summarize some of the new developments and methodologies in the field, particularly those that will be further elaborated on in the chapters integrating this book.
Physics of protein motility and motor proteins
Kolomeisky, Anatoly B.
Motor proteins are enzymatic molecules that transform chemical energy into mechanical motion and work. They are critically important for supporting various cellular activities and functions. In the last 15 years significant progress in understanding the functioning of motor proteins has been achieved due to revolutionary breakthroughs in single-molecule experimental techniques and strong advances in theoretical modelling. However, microscopic mechanisms of protein motility are still not well explained, and the collective efforts of many scientists are needed in order to solve these complex problems. In this special section the reader will find the latest advances on the difficult road to mapping motor proteins dynamics in various systems. Recent experimental developments have allowed researchers to monitor and to influence the activity of single motor proteins with a high spatial and temporal resolution. It has stimulated significant theoretical efforts to understand the non-equilibrium nature of protein motility phenomena. The latest results from all these advances are presented and discussed in this special section. We would like to thank the scientists from all over the world who have reported their latest research results for this special section. We are also grateful to the staff and editors of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter for their invaluable help in handling all the administrative and refereeing activities. The field of motor proteins and protein motility is fast moving, and we hope that this collection of articles will be a useful source of information in this highly interdisciplinary area. Physics of protein motility and motor proteins contents Physics of protein motility and motor proteinsAnatoly B Kolomeisky Identification of unique interactions between the flexible linker and the RecA-like domains of DEAD-box helicase Mss116 Yuan Zhang, Mirkó Palla, Andrew Sun and Jung-Chi Liao The load dependence of the physical properties of a molecular motor
Polymer Directed Protein Assemblies
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Patrick van Rijn
Full Text Available Protein aggregation and protein self-assembly is an important occurrence in natural systems, and is in some form or other dictated by biopolymers. Very obvious influences of biopolymers on protein assemblies are, e.g., virus particles. Viruses are a multi-protein assembly of which the morphology is dictated by poly-nucleotides namely RNA or DNA. This "biopolymer" directs the proteins and imposes limitations on the structure like the length or diameter of the particle. Not only do these bionanoparticles use polymer-directed self-assembly, also processes like amyloid formation are in a way a result of directed protein assembly by partial unfolded/misfolded biopolymers namely, polypeptides. The combination of proteins and synthetic polymers, inspired by the natural processes, are therefore regarded as a highly promising area of research. Directed protein assembly is versatile with respect to the possible interactions which brings together the protein and polymer, e.g., electrostatic, v.d. Waals forces or covalent conjugation, and possible combinations are numerous due to the large amounts of different polymers and proteins available. The protein-polymer interacting behavior and overall morphology is envisioned to aid in clarifying protein-protein interactions and are thought to entail some interesting new functions and properties which will ultimately lead to novel bio-hybrid materials.
Protein and protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition.
van Loon, Luc J C; Kies, Arie K; Saris, Wim H M
With the increasing knowledge about the role of nutrition in increasing exercise performance, it has become clear over the last 2 decades that amino acids, protein, and protein hydrolysates can play an important role. Most of the attention has been focused on their effects at a muscular level. As these nutrients are ingested, however, it also means that gastrointestinal digestibility and absorption can modulate their efficacy significantly. Therefore, discussing the role of amino acids, protein, and protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition entails holding a discussion on all levels of the metabolic route. On May 28-29, 2007, a small group of researchers active in the field of exercise science and protein metabolism presented an overview of the different aspects of the application of protein and protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. In addition, they were asked to share their opinions on the future progress in their fields of research. In this overview, an introduction to the workshop and a short summary of its outcome is provided.
Protein electrophoresis - serum
... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003540.htm Protein electrophoresis - serum To use the sharing features on ... JavaScript. This lab test measures the types of protein in the fluid (serum) part of a blood ...
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive is the single worldwide repository of information about the 3D structures of large biological molecules, including proteins and...
Abnormal protein aggregationand neurodegenerativediseases
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Abnormal protein aggregation or amyloid is the major cause ofmany neurodegenerative disorders. The present review focuses on the correlation between sequence and structure features of proteins related to the diseases and abnormal protein aggregation. Recent progress has improved our knowledge on understand-ing the mechanism of amyloid formation. We suggest a nucleation model for ordered protein aggregation, which can also explain pathogenesis mechanisms of these neurodegenerative diseases in vivo.
CSF total protein is a test to determine the amount of protein in your spinal fluid, also called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ... The normal protein range varies from lab to lab, but is typically about 15 to 60 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) ...
Ingolfsson, Helgi; Yona, Golan
Domains are considered to be the building blocks of protein structures. A protein can contain a single domain or multiple domains, each one typically associated with a specific function. The combination of domains determines the function of the protein, its subcellular localization and the interacti
Destabilized bioluminescent proteins
Allen, Michael S.; Rakesh, Gupta; Gary, Sayler S.
Purified nucleic acids, vectors and cells containing a gene cassette encoding at least one modified bioluminescent protein, wherein the modification includes the addition of a peptide sequence. The duration of bioluminescence emitted by the modified bioluminescent protein is shorter than the duration of bioluminescence emitted by an unmodified form of the bioluminescent protein.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Gonzalo Parra, R.; Schafer, Nicholas P.; Radusky, Leandro G.
The protein frustratometer is an energy landscape theory-inspired algorithm that aims at localizing and quantifying the energetic frustration present in protein molecules. Frustration is a useful concept for analyzing proteins' biological behavior. It compares the energy distributions of the nati...... a user-friendly interface. The webserver is freely available at URL: http://frustratometer.qb.fcen.uba.ar....
Protopia: a protein-protein interaction tool
Real-Chicharro, Alejandro; Ruiz-Mostazo, Iván; Navas-Delgado, Ismael; Kerzazi, Amine; Chniber, Othmane; Sánchez-Jiménez, Francisca; Medina, Miguel Ángel; Aldana-Montes, José F
Background Protein-protein interactions can be considered the basic skeleton for living organism self-organization and homeostasis. Impressive quantities of experimental data are being obtained and computational tools are essential to integrate and to organize this information. This paper presents Protopia, a biological tool that offers a way of searching for proteins and their interactions in different Protein Interaction Web Databases, as a part of a multidisciplinary initiative of our institution for the integration of biological data . Results The tool accesses the different Databases (at present, the free version of Transfac, DIP, Hprd, Int-Act and iHop), and results are expressed with biological protein names or databases codes and can be depicted as a vector or a matrix. They can be represented and handled interactively as an organic graph. Comparison among databases is carried out using the Uniprot codes annotated for each protein. Conclusion The tool locates and integrates the current information stored in the aforementioned databases, and redundancies among them are detected. Results are compatible with the most important network analysers, so that they can be compared and analysed by other world-wide known tools and platforms. The visualization possibilities help to attain this goal and they are especially interesting for handling multiple-step or complex networks. PMID:19828077
Protein crystallization with paper
Matsuoka, Miki; Kakinouchi, Keisuke; Adachi, Hiroaki; Maruyama, Mihoko; Sugiyama, Shigeru; Sano, Satoshi; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Y.; Takahashi, Yoshinori; Yoshimura, Masashi; Matsumura, Hiroyoshi; Murakami, Satoshi; Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Mori, Yusuke; Takano, Kazufumi
We developed a new protein crystallization method that incorporates paper. A small piece of paper, such as facial tissue or KimWipes, was added to a drop of protein solution in the traditional sitting drop vapor diffusion technique, and protein crystals grew by incorporating paper. By this method, we achieved the growth of protein crystals with reducing osmotic shock. Because the technique is very simple and the materials are easy to obtain, this method will come into wide use for protein crystallization. In the future, it could be applied to nanoliter-scale crystallization screening on a paper sheet such as in inkjet printing.
Highly thermostable fluorescent proteins
Bradbury, Andrew M.; Waldo, Geoffrey S.; Kiss, Csaba
Thermostable fluorescent proteins (TSFPs), methods for generating these and other stability-enhanced proteins, polynucleotides encoding such proteins, and assays and method for using the TSFPs and TSFP-encoding nucleic acid molecules are provided. The TSFPs of the invention show extremely enhanced levels of stability and thermotolerance. In one case, for example, a TSFP of the invention is so stable it can be heated to 99.degree. C. for short periods of time without denaturing, and retains 85% of its fluorescence when heated to 80.degree. C. for several minutes. The invention also provides a method for generating stability-enhanced variants of a protein, including but not limited to fluorescent proteins.
Protein oxidation and peroxidation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Davies, Michael Jonathan
and chain reactions with alcohols and carbonyls as major products; the latter are commonly used markers of protein damage. Direct oxidation of cysteine (and less commonly) methionine residues is a major reaction; this is typically faster than with H2O2, and results in altered protein activity and function....... Unlike H2O2, which is rapidly removed by protective enzymes, protein peroxides are only slowly removed, and catabolism is a major fate. Although turnover of modified proteins by proteasomal and lysosomal enzymes, and other proteases (e.g. mitochondrial Lon), can be efficient, protein hydroperoxides...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sharma M
Full Text Available Protein aggregate myopathies (PAM are an emerging group of muscle diseases characterized by structural abnormalities. Protein aggregate myopathies are marked by the aggregation of intrinsic proteins within muscle fibers and fall into four major groups or conditions: (1 desmin-related myopathies (DRM that include desminopathies, a-B crystallinopathies, selenoproteinopathies caused by mutations in the, a-B crystallin and selenoprotein N1 genes, (2 hereditary inclusion body myopathies, several of which have been linked to different chromosomal gene loci, but with as yet unidentified protein product, (3 actinopathies marked by mutations in the sarcomeric ACTA1 gene, and (4 myosinopathy marked by a mutation in the MYH-7 gene. While PAM forms 1 and 2 are probably based on impaired extralysosomal protein degradation, resulting in the accumulation of numerous and diverse proteins (in familial types in addition to respective mutant proteins, PAM forms 3 and 4 may represent anabolic or developmental defects because of preservation of sarcomeres outside of the actin and myosin aggregates and dearth or absence of other proteins in these actin or myosin aggregates, respectively. The pathogenetic principles governing protein aggregation within muscle fibers and subsequent structural sarcomeres are still largely unknown in both the putative catabolic and anabolic forms of PAM. Presence of inclusions and their protein composition in other congenital myopathies such as reducing bodies, cylindrical spirals, tubular aggregates and others await clarification. The hitherto described PAMs were first identified by immunohistochemistry of proteins and subsequently by molecular analysis of their genes.
Racemic protein crystallography.
Yeates, Todd O; Kent, Stephen B H
Although natural proteins are chiral and are all of one "handedness," their mirror image forms can be prepared by chemical synthesis. This opens up new opportunities for protein crystallography. A racemic mixture of the enantiomeric forms of a protein molecule can crystallize in ways that natural proteins cannot. Recent experimental data support a theoretical prediction that this should make racemic protein mixtures highly amenable to crystallization. Crystals obtained from racemic mixtures also offer advantages in structure determination strategies. The relevance of these potential advantages is heightened by advances in synthetic methods, which are extending the size limit for proteins that can be prepared by chemical synthesis. Recent ideas and results in the area of racemic protein crystallography are reviewed.
Visualizing changes in circuit activity resulting from denervation and reinnervation using immediate early gene expression.
Temple, Meredith D; Worley, Paul F; Steward, Oswald
We describe a novel strategy to evaluate circuit function after brain injury that takes advantage of experience-dependent immediate early gene (IEG) expression. When normal rats undergo training or are exposed to a novel environment, there is a strong induction of IEG expression in forebrain regions, including the hippocampus. This gene induction identifies the neurons that are engaged during the experience. Here, we demonstrate that experience-dependent IEG induction is diminished after brain injury in young adult rats (120-200 gm), specifically after unilateral lesions of the entorhinal cortex (EC), and then recovers with a time course consistent with reinnervation. In situ hybridization techniques were used to assess the expression of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein Arc at various times after the lesion (4, 8, 12, 16, or 30 d). One group of rats was allowed to explore a complex novel environment for 1 hr; control operated animals remained in their home cage. In unoperated animals, exposure to the novel environment induced Arc mRNA levels in most pyramidal neurons in CA1, in many pyramidal neurons in CA3, and in a small number of dentate granule cells. This characteristic pattern of induction was absent at early time points after unilateral EC lesions (4 and 8 d) but recovered progressively at later time points. The recovery of Arc expression occurred with approximately the same time course as the reinnervation of the dentate gyrus as a result of postlesion sprouting. These results document a novel approach for quantitatively assessing activity-regulated gene expression in polysynaptic circuits after trauma.
Dang, Liuyi; Van Damme, Els J M
Plants have evolved to synthesize a variety of noxious compounds to cope with unfavorable circumstances, among which a large group of toxic proteins that play a critical role in plant defense against predators and microbes. Up to now, a wide range of harmful proteins have been discovered in different plants, including lectins, ribosome-inactivating proteins, protease inhibitors, ureases, arcelins, antimicrobial peptides and pore-forming toxins. To fulfill their role in plant defense, these proteins exhibit various degrees of toxicity towards animals, insects, bacteria or fungi. Numerous studies have been carried out to investigate the toxic effects and mode of action of these plant proteins in order to explore their possible applications. Indeed, because of their biological activities, toxic plant proteins are also considered as potentially useful tools in crop protection and in biomedical applications, such as cancer treatment. Genes encoding toxic plant proteins have been introduced into crop genomes using genetic engineering technology in order to increase the plant's resistance against pathogens and diseases. Despite the availability of ample information on toxic plant proteins, very few publications have attempted to summarize the research progress made during the last decades. This review focuses on the diversity of toxic plant proteins in view of their toxicity as well as their mode of action. Furthermore, an outlook towards the biological role(s) of these proteins and their potential applications is discussed.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael J. Falvo
Full Text Available Protein intake that exceeds the recommended daily allowance is widely accepted for both endurance and power athletes. However, considering the variety of proteins that are available much less is known concerning the benefits of consuming one protein versus another. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze key factors in order to make responsible recommendations to both the general and athletic populations. Evaluation of a protein is fundamental in determining its appropriateness in the human diet. Proteins that are of inferior content and digestibility are important to recognize and restrict or limit in the diet. Similarly, such knowledge will provide an ability to identify proteins that provide the greatest benefit and should be consumed. The various techniques utilized to rate protein will be discussed. Traditionally, sources of dietary protein are seen as either being of animal or vegetable origin. Animal sources provide a complete source of protein (i.e. containing all essential amino acids, whereas vegetable sources generally lack one or more of the essential amino acids. Animal sources of dietary protein, despite providing a complete protein and numerous vitamins and minerals, have some health professionals concerned about the amount of saturated fat common in these foods compared to vegetable sources. The advent of processing techniques has shifted some of this attention and ignited the sports supplement marketplace with derivative products such as whey, casein and soy. Individually, these products vary in quality and applicability to certain populations. The benefits that these particular proteins possess are discussed. In addition, the impact that elevated protein consumption has on health and safety issues (i.e. bone health, renal function are also reviewed
Protein kinesis: The dynamics of protein trafficking and stability
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
The purpose of this conference is to provide a multidisciplinary forum for exchange of state-of-the-art information on protein kinesis. This volume contains abstracts of papers in the following areas: protein folding and modification in the endoplasmic reticulum; protein trafficking; protein translocation and folding; protein degradation; polarity; nuclear trafficking; membrane dynamics; and protein import into organelles.
Protein Electrophoresis/Immunofixation Electrophoresis
... be limited. Home Visit Global Sites Search Help? Protein Electrophoresis Immunofixation Electrophoresis Share this page: Was this page helpful? Also known as: Serum Protein Electrophoresis; Protein ELP; SPE; SPEP; Urine Protein Electrophoresis; ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FEA4 Proteins in gibberellin signaling GID2 F-box protein GID2 Gibberellin-insensitive dwarf protein 2, Prot...ein GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF2 39947 Oryza sativa subsp. japonica Q7XAK4 ...
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
Amarnath Chtterjee; Ashutosh Kumar; Jeetender Chugh; Sudha Srivastava; Neel S Bhavesh; Ramakrishna V Hosur
In the post-genomic era, as more and more genome sequences are becoming known and hectic efforts are underway to decode the information content in them, it is becoming increasingly evident that flexibility in proteins plays a crucial role in many of the biological functions. Many proteins have intrinsic disorder either wholly or in specific regions. It appears that this disorder may be important for regulatory functions of the proteins, on the one hand, and may help in directing the folding process to reach the compact native state, on the other. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has over the last two decades emerged as the sole, most powerful technique to help characterize these disordered protein systems. In this review, we first discuss the significance of disorder in proteins and then describe the recent developments in NMR methods for their characterization. A brief description of the results obtained on several disordered proteins is presented at the end.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Johansson, Kristoffer Enøe
Proteins are the major functional group of molecules in biology. The impact of protein science on medicine and chemical productions is rapidly increasing. However, the greatest potential remains to be realized. The fi eld of protein design has advanced computational modeling from a tool of support...... to a central method that enables new developments. For example, novel enzymes with functions not found in natural proteins have been de novo designed to give enough activity for experimental optimization. This thesis presents the current state-of-the-art within computational design methods together...... with a novel method based on probability theory. With the aim of assembling a complete pipeline for protein design, this work touches upon several aspects of protein design. The presented work is the computational half of a design project where the other half is dedicated to the experimental part...
Widera, Paweł
The process of comparison of computer generated protein structural models is an important element of protein structure prediction. It has many uses including model quality evaluation, selection of the final models from a large set of candidates or optimisation of parameters of energy functions used in template free modelling and refinement. Although many protein comparison methods are available online on numerous web servers, their ability to handle a large scale model comparison is often very limited. Most of the servers offer only a single pairwise structural comparison, and they usually do not provide a model-specific comparison with a fixed alignment between the models. To bridge the gap between the protein and model structure comparison we have developed the Protein Models Comparator (pm-cmp). To be able to deliver the scalability on demand and handle large comparison experiments the pm-cmp was implemented "in the cloud". Protein Models Comparator is a scalable web application for a fast distributed comp...
Mezencio, J M; Rebello, M A
Mayaro virus was grown in BHK-21 cells and purified by centrifugation in a potassium-tartrate gradient (5-50%). The electron microscopy analyses of the purified virus showed an homogeneous population of enveloped particles with 69 +/- 2.3 nm in diameter. Three structural virus proteins were identified and designated p1, p2 and p3. Their average molecular weight were p1, 54 KDa; p2, 50 KDa and p3, 34 KDa. In Mayaro virus infected Aedes albopictus cells and in BHK-21 infected cells we detected six viral proteins, in which three of them are the structural virus proteins and the other three were products from processing of precursors of viral proteins, whose molecular weights are 62 KDa, 64 KDa and 110 KDa. The 34 KDa protein was the first viral protein synthesized at 5 hours post-infection in both cell lines studied.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
J. M. S. Mezencio
Full Text Available Mayaro virus was grown in BHK-21 cells and purified by centrifugation in a potassium-tartrate gradient (5-50%. The electron microscopy analyses of the purified virus showed an homogeneous population of enveloped particles with 69 ñ 2.3 nm in diameter. Three structural virus proteins were identified and designated pl, p2 and p3. Their average molecular weight were p1, 54 KDa; p2, 50 KDa and p3, 34 KDa. In Mayaro virus infected. Aedes albopictus cells and in BHK-21 infected cells we detected six viral proteins, in wich three of them are the structural virus proteins and the other three were products from processing of precursors of viral proteins, whose molecular weights are 62 KDa, 64 KDa and 110 KDa. The 34 KDa protein was the first viral protein sinthesized at 5 hours post-infection in both cell lines studied.
Roy D Sleator
An overwhelming array of structural variants has evolved from a comparatively small number of protein structural domains; which has in turn facilitated an expanse of functional derivatives. Herein, I review the primary mechanisms which have contributed to the vastness of our existing, and expanding, protein repertoires. Protein function prediction strategies, both sequence and structure based, are also discussed and their associated strengths and weaknesses assessed.
Pressure cryocooling protein crystals
Kim, Chae Un; Gruner, Sol M.
Preparation of cryocooled protein crystal is provided by use of helium pressurizing and cryocooling to obtain cryocooled protein crystal allowing collection of high resolution data and by heavier noble gas (krypton or xenon) binding followed by helium pressurizing and cryocooling to obtain cryocooled protein crystal for collection of high resolution data and SAD phasing simultaneously. The helium pressurizing is carried out on crystal coated to prevent dehydration or on crystal grown in aqueous solution in a capillary.
Acanthamoeba castellanii STAT Protein
Anna Kicinska; Jacek Leluk; Wieslawa Jarmuszkiewicz
STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) proteins are one of the important mediators of phosphotyrosine-regulated signaling in metazoan cells. We described the presence of STAT protein in a unicellular, free-living amoebae with a simple life cycle, Acanthamoeba castellanii. A. castellanii is the only, studied to date, Amoebozoan that does not belong to Mycetozoa but possesses STATs. A sequence of the A. castellanii STAT protein includes domains similar to those of the Dictyos...
Moonlighting proteins in cancer.
Min, Kyung-Won; Lee, Seong-Ho; Baek, Seung Joon
Since the 1980s, growing evidence suggested that the cellular localization of proteins determined their activity and biological functions. In a classical view, a protein is characterized by the single cellular compartment where it primarily resides and functions. It is now believed that when proteins appear in different subcellular locations, the cells surpass the expected activity of proteins given the same genomic information to fulfill complex biological behavior. Many proteins are recognized for having the potential to exist in multiple locations in cells. Dysregulation of translocation may cause cancer or contribute to poorer cancer prognosis. Thus, quantitative and comprehensive assessment of dynamic proteins and associated protein movements could be a promising indicator in determining cancer prognosis and efficiency of cancer treatment and therapy. This review will summarize these so-called moonlighting proteins, in terms of a coupled intracellular cancer signaling pathway. Determination of the detailed biological intracellular and extracellular transit and regulatory activity of moonlighting proteins permits a better understanding of cancer and identification of potential means of molecular intervention.
Yeates, Todd O.; Padilla, Jennifer; Colovos, Chris
Novel fusion proteins capable of self-assembling into regular structures, as well as nucleic acids encoding the same, are provided. The subject fusion proteins comprise at least two oligomerization domains rigidly linked together, e.g. through an alpha helical linking group. Also provided are regular structures comprising a plurality of self-assembled fusion proteins of the subject invention, and methods for producing the same. The subject fusion proteins find use in the preparation of a variety of nanostructures, where such structures include: cages, shells, double-layer rings, two-dimensional layers, three-dimensional crystals, filaments, and tubes.
Acanthamoeba castellanii STAT protein.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anna Kicinska
Full Text Available STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription proteins are one of the important mediators of phosphotyrosine-regulated signaling in metazoan cells. We described the presence of STAT protein in a unicellular, free-living amoebae with a simple life cycle, Acanthamoeba castellanii. A. castellanii is the only, studied to date, Amoebozoan that does not belong to Mycetozoa but possesses STATs. A sequence of the A. castellanii STAT protein includes domains similar to those of the Dictyostelium STAT proteins: a coiled coil (characteristic for Dictyostelium STAT coiled coil, a STAT DNA-binding domain and a Src-homology domain. The search for protein sequences homologous to A. castellanii STAT revealed 17 additional sequences from lower eukaryotes. Interestingly, all of these sequences come from Amoebozoa organisms that belong to either Mycetozoa (slime molds or Centramoebida. We showed that there are four separated clades within the slime mold STAT proteins. The A. castellanii STAT protein branches next to a group of STATc proteins from Mycetozoa. We also demonstrate that Amoebozoa form a distinct monophyletic lineage within the STAT protein world that is well separated from the other groups.
Acanthamoeba castellanii STAT protein.
Kicinska, Anna; Leluk, Jacek; Jarmuszkiewicz, Wieslawa
STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) proteins are one of the important mediators of phosphotyrosine-regulated signaling in metazoan cells. We described the presence of STAT protein in a unicellular, free-living amoebae with a simple life cycle, Acanthamoeba castellanii. A. castellanii is the only, studied to date, Amoebozoan that does not belong to Mycetozoa but possesses STATs. A sequence of the A. castellanii STAT protein includes domains similar to those of the Dictyostelium STAT proteins: a coiled coil (characteristic for Dictyostelium STAT coiled coil), a STAT DNA-binding domain and a Src-homology domain. The search for protein sequences homologous to A. castellanii STAT revealed 17 additional sequences from lower eukaryotes. Interestingly, all of these sequences come from Amoebozoa organisms that belong to either Mycetozoa (slime molds) or Centramoebida. We showed that there are four separated clades within the slime mold STAT proteins. The A. castellanii STAT protein branches next to a group of STATc proteins from Mycetozoa. We also demonstrate that Amoebozoa form a distinct monophyletic lineage within the STAT protein world that is well separated from the other groups.
PIC: Protein Interactions Calculator.
Tina, K G; Bhadra, R; Srinivasan, N
Interactions within a protein structure and interactions between proteins in an assembly are essential considerations in understanding molecular basis of stability and functions of proteins and their complexes. There are several weak and strong interactions that render stability to a protein structure or an assembly. Protein Interactions Calculator (PIC) is a server which, given the coordinate set of 3D structure of a protein or an assembly, computes various interactions such as disulphide bonds, interactions between hydrophobic residues, ionic interactions, hydrogen bonds, aromatic-aromatic interactions, aromatic-sulphur interactions and cation-pi interactions within a protein or between proteins in a complex. Interactions are calculated on the basis of standard, published criteria. The identified interactions between residues can be visualized using a RasMol and Jmol interface. The advantage with PIC server is the easy availability of inter-residue interaction calculations in a single site. It also determines the accessible surface area and residue-depth, which is the distance of a residue from the surface of the protein. User can also recognize specific kind of interactions, such as apolar-apolar residue interactions or ionic interactions, that are formed between buried or exposed residues or near the surface or deep inside.
Characterization of Metal Proteins
Unno, Masaki; Ikeda-Saito, Masao
Some metals are essential for life. Most of these metals are associated with biological macromolecule like DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), and more often with proteins: metals bind or interact with them. A number of protein molecules intrinsically contain metals in their structure. Some of these proteins catalyze unique chemical reactions and perform specific physiological functions. In this chapter, we will shed light on the several metalcontaining proteins, termed metalloproteins, and other proteins interacting metals. We will also introduce several key techniques which have been used to characterize these proteins. Characterizing these proteins and to understand the relationships between their structures and functions shall continue to be one of the major avenues to solve the mysteries of life. At first, we introduce what are the protein structures and how these proteins interact with metals. In the next section, we discuss the physiological roles of some representative metals. Next, we show two examples of special metal cofactors those help the biological macromolecules to carry out their functions. Then we describe some functions of metalloproteins. Finally, we introduce some physical methods to characterize metalloproteins.
Dietary proteins and angiogenesis.
Medina, Miguel Ángel; Quesada, Ana R
Both defective and persistent angiogenesis are linked to pathological situations in the adult. Compounds able to modulate angiogenesis have a potential value for the treatment of such pathologies. Several small molecules present in the diet have been shown to have modulatory effects on angiogenesis. This review presents the current state of knowledge on the potential modulatory roles of dietary proteins on angiogenesis. There is currently limited available information on the topic. Milk contains at least three proteins for which modulatory effects on angiogenesis have been previously demonstrated. On the other hand, there is some scarce information on the potential of dietary lectins, edible plant proteins and high protein diets to modulate angiogenesis.
[Alternative scaffold proteins].
Petrovskaia, L E; Shingarova, L N; Dolgikh, D A; Kirpichnikov, M P
Review is devoted to the challenging direction in modem molecular biology and bioengineering - the properties of alternative scaffold proteins (ASP) and methods for obtaining ASP binding molecules. ASP molecules incorporate conservative protein core and hypervariable regions, providing for the binding function. Structural classification of ASP includes several types which differ also in their molecular targets and potential applications. Construction of artificial binding proteins on the ASP basis implies a combinatorial library design with subsequent selection of specific binders with the use of phage display or the modem cell-free systems. Alternative binding proteins on non-immunoglobulin scaffolds find broad applications in different fields ofbiotechnology and molecular medicine.
Ultrafiltration of pegylated proteins
Molek, Jessica R.
There is considerable clinical interest in the use of "second-generation" therapeutics produced by conjugation of a native protein with various polymers including polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG--protein conjugates, so-called PEGylated proteins, can exhibit enhanced stability, half-life, and bioavailability. One of the challenges in the commercial production of PEGylated proteins is the purification required to remove unreacted polymer, native protein, and in many cases PEGylated proteins with nonoptimal degrees of conjugation. The overall objective of this thesis was to examine the use of ultrafiltration for the purification of PEGylated proteins. This included: (1) analysis of size-based separation of PEGylated proteins using conventional ultrafiltration membranes, (2) use of electrically-charged membranes to exploit differences in electrostatic interactions, and (3) examination of the effects of PEGylation on protein fouling. The experimental results were analyzed using appropriate theoretical models, with the underlying physical properties of the PEGylated proteins evaluated using size exclusion chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, and reverse phase chromatography. PEGylated proteins were produced by covalent attachment of activated PEG to a protein via primary amines on the lysine residues. A simple model was developed for the reaction kinetics, which was used to explore the effect of reaction conditions and mode of operation on the distribution of PEGylated products. The effective size of the PEGylated proteins was evaluated using size exclusion chromatography, with appropriate correlations developed for the size in terms of the molecular weight of the native protein and attached PEG. The electrophoretic mobility of the PEGylated proteins were evaluated by capillary electrophoresis with the data in good agreement with a simple model accounting for the increase in protein size and the reduction in the number of protonated amine
Protein oxidation in aquatic foods
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Baron, Caroline P.
The chapter discusses general considerations about protein oxidation and reviews the mechanisms involved in protein oxidation and consequences of protein oxidation on fish proteins. It presents two case studies, the first deals with protein and lipid oxidation in frozen rainbow trout, and the sec......The chapter discusses general considerations about protein oxidation and reviews the mechanisms involved in protein oxidation and consequences of protein oxidation on fish proteins. It presents two case studies, the first deals with protein and lipid oxidation in frozen rainbow trout...... oxidation. The protein carbonyl group measurement is the widely used method for estimating protein oxidation in foods and has been used in fish muscle. The chapter also talks about the impact of protein oxidation on protein functionality, fish muscle texture, and food nutritional value. Protein oxidation...... may not only induce quality losses but may be desirable in some type of foods, such as salted herring....
... of food? Drink an 8-ounce glass of milk, and you'll log 8 grams of protein. Add a cup of yogurt for another 11 ... low-fat options, such as lean meats, skim milk or other foods with high levels of protein. Legumes, for example, can pack about 16 grams ...
Bosker, W.T.E.
Brushes and Proteins Wouter T. E. Bosker Protein adsorption at solid surfaces can be prevented by applying a polymer brush at the surface. A polymer brush consists of polymer chains end-grafted to the surface at such a grafting density that th
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael H. Herbert
Full Text Available Multiple repeats of the ankyrin motif (ANK are ubiquitous throughout the kingdoms of life but are absent from most viruses. The main exception to this is the poxvirus family, and specifically the chordopoxviruses, with ANK repeat proteins present in all but three species from separate genera. The poxviral ANK repeat proteins belong to distinct orthologue groups spread over different species, and align well with the phylogeny of their genera. This distribution throughout the chordopoxviruses indicates these proteins were present in an ancestral vertebrate poxvirus, and have since undergone numerous duplication events. Most poxviral ANK repeat proteins contain an unusual topology of multiple ANK motifs starting at the N-terminus with a C-terminal poxviral homologue of the cellular F-box enabling interaction with the cellular SCF ubiquitin ligase complex. The subtle variations between ANK repeat proteins of individual poxviruses suggest an array of different substrates may be bound by these protein-protein interaction domains and, via the F-box, potentially directed to cellular ubiquitination pathways and possible degradation. Known interaction partners of several of these proteins indicate that the NF-κB coordinated anti-viral response is a key target, whilst some poxviral ANK repeat domains also have an F-box independent affect on viral host-range.
... Emergency Room? What Happens in the Operating Room? Learning About Proteins KidsHealth > For Kids > Learning About Proteins A A A What's in this ... Nutrition & Fitness Center Minerals Vitamins Eating for Sports Learning About Fats MyPlate Food Guide Word! Nutrition Contact ...
Protein Attachment on Nanodiamonds.
Lin, Chung-Lun; Lin, Cheng-Huang; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Su, Meng-Chih
A recent advance in nanotechnology is the scale-up production of small and nonaggregated diamond nanoparticles suitable for biological applications. Using detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) with an average diameter of ∼4 nm as the adsorbents, we have studied the static attachment of three proteins (myoglobin, bovine serum albumin, and insulin) onto the nanoparticles by optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and dynamic light scattering, and electrophoretic zeta potential measurements. Results show that the protein surface coverage is predominantly determined by the competition between protein-protein and protein-ND interactions, giving each protein a unique and characteristic structural configuration in its own complex. Specifically, both myoglobin and bovine serum albumin show a Langmuir-type adsorption behavior, forming 1:1 complexes at saturation, whereas insulin folds into a tightly bound multimer before adsorption. The markedly different adsorption patterns appear to be independent of the protein concentration and are closely related to the affinity of the individual proteins for the NDs. The present study provides a fundamental understanding for the use of NDs as a platform for nanomedical drug delivery.
of each pure polymer, we plan to combine the various polymer solutions in different ratios to tune the composition and physico-chemical properties...protein materials as vehicles for storage and delivery of small molecules. Each protein polymer under concentrations for particle formation ( vida
Sensitizing properties of proteins
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Poulsen, Lars K.; Ladics, Gregory S; McClain, Scott;
The scope of allergy risk is diverse considering the myriad ways in which protein allergenicity is affected by physiochemical characteristics of proteins. The complexity created by the matrices of foods and the variability of the human immune system add additional challenges to understanding...... the relationship between sensitization potential and allergy disease. To address these and other issues, an April 2012 international symposium was held in Prague, Czech Republic, to review and discuss the state-of-the-science of sensitizing properties of protein allergens. The symposium, organized by the Protein...... Allergenicity Technical Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute's Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, featured presentations on current methods, test systems, research trends, and unanswered questions in the field of protein sensitization. A diverse group of over 70 interdisciplinary...
Unconventional protein secretion.
Ding, Yu; Wang, Juan; Wang, Junqi; Stierhof, York-Dieter; Robinson, David G; Jiang, Liwen
It is generally believed that protein secretion or exocytosis is achieved via a conventional ER (endoplasmic reticulum)-Golgi-TGN (trans-Golgi network)-PM (plasma membrane) pathway in the plant endomembrane system. However, such signal peptide (SP)-dependent protein secretion cannot explain the increasing number of SP-lacking proteins which are found outside of the PM in plant cells. The process by which such leaderless secretory proteins (LSPs) gain access to the cell exterior is termed unconventional protein secretion (UPS) and has been well-studied in animal and yeast cells, but largely ignored by the plant community. Here, we review the evidence for UPS in plants especially in regard to the recently discovered EXPO (exocyst-positive-organelle).
Protein Unfolding and Alzheimer's
Cheng, Kelvin
Early interaction events of beta-amyloid (Aβ) proteins with neurons have been associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Knowledge pertaining to the role of lipid molecules, particularly cholesterol, in modulating the single Aβ interactions with neurons at the atomic length and picosecond time resolutions, remains unclear. In our research, we have used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to explore early molecular events including protein insertion kinetics, protein unfolding, and protein-induced membrane disruption of Aβ in lipid domains that mimic the nanoscopic raft and non-raft regions of the neural membrane. In this talk, I will summarize our current work on investigating the role of cholesterol in regulating the Aβ interaction events with membranes at the molecular level. I will also explain how our results will provide new insights into understanding the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease associated with the Aβ proteins.
Manipulating and Visualizing Proteins
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Simon, Horst D.
ProteinShop Gives Researchers a Hands-On Tool for Manipulating, Visualizing Protein Structures. The Human Genome Project and other biological research efforts are creating an avalanche of new data about the chemical makeup and genetic codes of living organisms. But in order to make sense of this raw data, researchers need software tools which let them explore and model data in a more intuitive fashion. With this in mind, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Davis, have developed ProteinShop, a visualization and modeling program which allows researchers to manipulate protein structures with pinpoint control, guided in large part by their own biological and experimental instincts. Biologists have spent the last half century trying to unravel the ''protein folding problem,'' which refers to the way chains of amino acids physically fold themselves into three-dimensional proteins. This final shape, which resembles a crumpled ribbon or piece of origami, is what determines how the protein functions and translates genetic information. Understanding and modeling this geometrically complex formation is no easy matter. ProteinShop takes a given sequence of amino acids and uses visualization guides to help generate predictions about the secondary structures, identifying alpha helices and flat beta strands, and the coil regions that bind them. Once secondary structures are in place, researchers can twist and turn these pre-configurations until they come up with a number of possible tertiary structure conformations. In turn, these are fed into a computationally intensive optimization procedure that tries to find the final, three-dimensional protein structure. Most importantly, ProteinShop allows users to add human knowledge and intuition to the protein structure prediction process, thus bypassing bad configurations that would otherwise be fruitless for optimization. This saves compute cycles and accelerates
Transdermal delivery of proteins.
Kalluri, Haripriya; Banga, Ajay K
Transdermal delivery of peptides and proteins avoids the disadvantages associated with the invasive parenteral route of administration and other alternative routes such as the pulmonary and nasal routes. Since proteins have a large size and are hydrophilic in nature, they cannot permeate passively across the skin due to the stratum corneum which allows the transport of only small lipophilic drug molecules. Enhancement techniques such as chemical enhancers, iontophoresis, microneedles, electroporation, sonophoresis, thermal ablation, laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation and noninvasive jet injectors aid in the delivery of proteins by overcoming the skin barrier in different ways. In this review, these enhancement techniques that can enable the transdermal delivery of proteins are discussed, including a discussion of mechanisms, sterility requirements, and commercial development of products. Combination of enhancement techniques may result in a synergistic effect allowing increased protein delivery and these are also discussed.
Coarse-grain modelling of protein-protein interactions
Baaden, Marc; Marrink, Siewert J.
Here, we review recent advances towards the modelling of protein-protein interactions (PPI) at the coarse-grained (CG) level, a technique that is now widely used to understand protein affinity, aggregation and self-assembly behaviour. PPI models of soluble proteins and membrane proteins are separate
Protein Binding Pocket Dynamics.
Stank, Antonia; Kokh, Daria B; Fuller, Jonathan C; Wade, Rebecca C
The dynamics of protein binding pockets are crucial for their interaction specificity. Structural flexibility allows proteins to adapt to their individual molecular binding partners and facilitates the binding process. This implies the necessity to consider protein internal motion in determining and predicting binding properties and in designing new binders. Although accounting for protein dynamics presents a challenge for computational approaches, it expands the structural and physicochemical space for compound design and thus offers the prospect of improved binding specificity and selectivity. A cavity on the surface or in the interior of a protein that possesses suitable properties for binding a ligand is usually referred to as a binding pocket. The set of amino acid residues around a binding pocket determines its physicochemical characteristics and, together with its shape and location in a protein, defines its functionality. Residues outside the binding site can also have a long-range effect on the properties of the binding pocket. Cavities with similar functionalities are often conserved across protein families. For example, enzyme active sites are usually concave surfaces that present amino acid residues in a suitable configuration for binding low molecular weight compounds. Macromolecular binding pockets, on the other hand, are located on the protein surface and are often shallower. The mobility of proteins allows the opening, closing, and adaptation of binding pockets to regulate binding processes and specific protein functionalities. For example, channels and tunnels can exist permanently or transiently to transport compounds to and from a binding site. The influence of protein flexibility on binding pockets can vary from small changes to an already existent pocket to the formation of a completely new pocket. Here, we review recent developments in computational methods to detect and define binding pockets and to study pocket dynamics. We introduce five
Anchored design of protein-protein interfaces.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Steven M Lewis
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Few existing protein-protein interface design methods allow for extensive backbone rearrangements during the design process. There is also a dichotomy between redesign methods, which take advantage of the native interface, and de novo methods, which produce novel binders. METHODOLOGY: Here, we propose a new method for designing novel protein reagents that combines advantages of redesign and de novo methods and allows for extensive backbone motion. This method requires a bound structure of a target and one of its natural binding partners. A key interaction in this interface, the anchor, is computationally grafted out of the partner and into a surface loop on the design scaffold. The design scaffold's surface is then redesigned with backbone flexibility to create a new binding partner for the target. Careful choice of a scaffold will bring experimentally desirable characteristics into the new complex. The use of an anchor both expedites the design process and ensures that binding proceeds against a known location on the target. The use of surface loops on the scaffold allows for flexible-backbone redesign to properly search conformational space. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: This protocol was implemented within the Rosetta3 software suite. To demonstrate and evaluate this protocol, we have developed a benchmarking set of structures from the PDB with loop-mediated interfaces. This protocol can recover the correct loop-mediated interface in 15 out of 16 tested structures, using only a single residue as an anchor.
PSC: protein surface classification.
Tseng, Yan Yuan; Li, Wen-Hsiung
We recently proposed to classify proteins by their functional surfaces. Using the structural attributes of functional surfaces, we inferred the pairwise relationships of proteins and constructed an expandable database of protein surface classification (PSC). As the functional surface(s) of a protein is the local region where the protein performs its function, our classification may reflect the functional relationships among proteins. Currently, PSC contains a library of 1974 surface types that include 25,857 functional surfaces identified from 24,170 bound structures. The search tool in PSC empowers users to explore related surfaces that share similar local structures and core functions. Each functional surface is characterized by structural attributes, which are geometric, physicochemical or evolutionary features. The attributes have been normalized as descriptors and integrated to produce a profile for each functional surface in PSC. In addition, binding ligands are recorded for comparisons among homologs. PSC allows users to exploit related binding surfaces to reveal the changes in functionally important residues on homologs that have led to functional divergence during evolution. The substitutions at the key residues of a spatial pattern may determine the functional evolution of a protein. In PSC (http://pocket.uchicago.edu/psc/), a pool of changes in residues on similar functional surfaces is provided.
Bacterial Ice Crystal Controlling Proteins
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Janet S. H. Lorv
Full Text Available Across the world, many ice active bacteria utilize ice crystal controlling proteins for aid in freezing tolerance at subzero temperatures. Ice crystal controlling proteins include both antifreeze and ice nucleation proteins. Antifreeze proteins minimize freezing damage by inhibiting growth of large ice crystals, while ice nucleation proteins induce formation of embryonic ice crystals. Although both protein classes have differing functions, these proteins use the same ice binding mechanisms. Rather than direct binding, it is probable that these protein classes create an ice surface prior to ice crystal surface adsorption. Function is differentiated by molecular size of the protein. This paper reviews the similar and different aspects of bacterial antifreeze and ice nucleation proteins, the role of these proteins in freezing tolerance, prevalence of these proteins in psychrophiles, and current mechanisms of protein-ice interactions.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Winter, Pawel; Sterner, Henrik; Sterner, Peter
We provide a unified description of (weighted) alpha shapes, beta shapes and the corresponding simplicialcomplexes. We discuss their applicability to various protein-related problems. We also discuss filtrations of alpha shapes and touch upon related persistence issues.We claim that the full...... potential of alpha-shapes and related geometrical constructs in protein-related problems yet remains to be realized and verified. We suggest parallel algorithms for (weighted) alpha shapes, and we argue that future use of filtrations and kinetic variants for larger proteins will need such implementation....
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Linton, S; Davies, Michael Jonathan; Dean, R T
of redox-active metal ions that could catalyse oxidant formation. As a result of this decrease in antioxidant defences, and increased rate of ROS formation, it is possible that the impact of ROS increases with age. ROS are known to oxidise biological macromolecules, with proteins an important target....... If the argument that the impact of ROS increases with age is true, then proteins would be expected to accumulate oxidised materials with age, and the rate of such accumulation should increase with time, reflecting impaired inefficiency of homeostasis. Here we review the evidence for the accumulation of oxidised......, or modified, extra- and intra-cellular proteins in vivo....
Piezoelectric allostery of protein
Ohnuki, Jun; Sato, Takato; Takano, Mitsunori
Allostery is indispensable for a protein to work, where a locally applied stimulus is transmitted to a distant part of the molecule. While the allostery due to chemical stimuli such as ligand binding has long been studied, the growing interest in mechanobiology prompts the study of the mechanically stimulated allostery, the physical mechanism of which has not been established. By molecular dynamics simulation of a motor protein myosin, we found that a locally applied mechanical stimulus induces electrostatic potential change at distant regions, just like the piezoelectricity. This novel allosteric mechanism, "piezoelectric allostery", should be of particularly high value for mechanosensor/transducer proteins.
Protein crystallography prescreen kit
Segelke, Brent W.; Krupka, Heike I.; Rupp, Bernhard
A kit for prescreening protein concentration for crystallization includes a multiplicity of vials, a multiplicity of pre-selected reagents, and a multiplicity of sample plates. The reagents and a corresponding multiplicity of samples of the protein in solutions of varying concentrations are placed on sample plates. The sample plates containing the reagents and samples are incubated. After incubation the sample plates are examined to determine which of the sample concentrations are too low and which the sample concentrations are too high. The sample concentrations that are optimal for protein crystallization are selected and used.
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available in 30 kDa adipocyte complement-related protein, Adipocyte complement-related 30 kDa protein, Adipocyte, C1q ...and collagen domain-containing protein, Adipose most abundant gene transcript 1 protein, Gelatin-binding protein 9606 Homo sapiens Q15848 9370 9370 Q15848 18054335, 19646806 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FEB6 Photoresponse regulatory proteins HD1 SE1 Zinc finger protein HD1 Protein CONSTANS-like, Prot...ein HEADING DATE 1, Protein PHOTOPERIOD SENSITIVITY 1 39947 Oryza sativa subsp. japonica 4340746 Q9FDX8 21952207, 19246394 #shimamoto ...
New approach for predicting protein-protein interactions
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
@@ Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are of vital importance for virtually all processes of a living cell. The study of these associations of protein molecules could improve people's understanding of diseases and provide basis for therapeutic approaches.
Analysis of correlations between protein complex and protein-protein interaction and mRNA expression
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
CAI Lun; XUE Hong; LU Hongchao; ZHAO Yi; ZHU Xiaopeng; BU Dongbo; LING Lunjiang; CHEN Runsheng
Protein-protein interaction is a physical interaction of two proteins in living cells. In budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, large-scale protein-protein interaction data have been obtained through high-throughput yeast two-hybrid systems (Y2H) and protein complex purification techniques based on mass-spectrometry. Here, we collect 11855 interactions between total 2617 proteins. Through seriate genome-wide mRNA expression data, similarity between two genes could be measured. Protein complex data can also be obtained publicly and can be translated to pair relationship that any two proteins can only exist in the same complex or not. Analysis of protein complex data, protein-protein interaction data and mRNA expression data can elucidate correlations between them. The results show that proteins that have interactions or similar expression patterns have a higher possibility to be in the same protein complex than randomized selected proteins, and proteins which have interactions and similar expression patterns are even more possible to exist in the same protein complex. The work indicates that comprehensive integration and analysis of public large-scale bioinformatical data, such as protein complex data, protein-protein interaction data and mRNA expression data, may help to uncover their relationships and common biological information underlying these data. The strategies described here may help to integrate and analyze other functional genomic and proteomic data, such as gene expression profiling, protein-localization mapping and large-scale phenotypic data, both in yeast and in other organisms.
A Bayesian Estimator of Protein-Protein Association Probabilities
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gilmore, Jason M.; Auberry, Deanna L.; Sharp, Julia L.; White, Amanda M.; Anderson, Kevin K.; Daly, Don S.
The Bayesian Estimator of Protein-Protein Association Probabilities (BEPro3) is a software tool for estimating probabilities of protein-protein association between bait and prey protein pairs using data from multiple-bait, multiple-replicate, protein pull-down LC-MS assay experiments. BEPro3 is open source software that runs on both Windows XP and Mac OS 10.4 or newer versions, and is freely available from http://www.pnl.gov/statistics/BEPro3.
Xanthine oxidase activity regulates human embryonic brain cells growth
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kevorkian G. A.
Full Text Available Aim. Involvement of Xanthine Oxidase (XO; EC220.127.116.11 in cellular proliferation and differentiation has been suggested by the numerous investigations. We have proposed that XO might have undoubtedly important role during the development, maturation as well as the death of human embryos brain cells. Methods. Human abortion material was utilized for the cultivation of brain cells (E90. XO activity was measured by the formation of uric acid in tissue. Cell death was detected by the utility of Trypan Blue dye. Results. Allopurinol suppressed the XO activity in the brain tissue (0.12 ± 0.02; 0.20 ± 0.03 resp., p < 0.05. On day 12th the number of cells in the culture treated with the Allopurinol at the early stage of development was higher in comparison with the Control (2350.1 ± 199.0 vs 2123 ± 96 and higher in comparison with the late period of treatment (1479.6 ± 103.8, p < < 0.05. In all groups, the number of the dead cells was less than in Control, indicating the protective nature of Allopurinol as an inhibitor of XO. Conclusions. Allopurinol initiates cells proliferation in case of the early treatment of the human brain derived cell culture whereas at the late stages it has an opposite effect.
How is AMPK activity regulated in skeletal muscles during exercise?
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jørgensen, Sebastian Beck; Rose, Adam John
discuss the influence of reactive oxygen species produced within the muscle as well as muscle glycogen and TAK1 in regulating AMPK during exercise. Currently, during intensive contraction, activation of alpha2-AMPK seems mainly to rely on AMP accumulating from ATP-hydrolysis whereas calcium signaling may...
Endothelial PI 3-kinase activity regulates lymphocyte diapedesis.
Nakhaei-Nejad, Maryam; Hussain, Amer M; Zhang, Qiu-Xia; Murray, Allan G
Lymphocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation involves a bidirectional series of cues between the endothelial cell (EC) and the leukocyte that culminate in lymphocyte migration into the tissue. Remodeling of the EC F-actin cytoskeleton has been observed after leukocyte adhesion, but the signals to the EC remain poorly defined. We studied the dependence of peripheral blood lymphocyte transendothelial migration (TEM) through an EC monolayer in vitro on EC phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity. Lymphocytes were perfused over cytokine-activated EC using a parallel-plate laminar flow chamber. Inhibition of EC PI 3-kinase activity using LY-294002 or wortmannin decreased lymphocyte TEM (48 +/- 6 or 34 +/- 7%, respectively, vs. control; mean +/- SE; P structure" after intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ligation, whereas this was inhibited by jasplakinolide treatment. A similar fraction of lymphocytes migrated on control or LY-294002-treated EC and localized to interendothelial junctions. However, lymphocytes failed to extend processes below the level of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin on LY-294002-treated EC. Together these observations indicate that EC PI 3-kinase activity and F-actin remodeling are required during lymphocyte diapedesis and identify a PI 3-kinase-dependent step following initial separation of the VE-cadherin barrier.
... Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids . National Academy Press. Washington, DC, 2005. US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Agriculture. ...
Protein Colloidal Aggregation Project
Oliva-Buisson, Yvette J. (Compiler)
To investigate the pathways and kinetics of protein aggregation to allow accurate predictive modeling of the process and evaluation of potential inhibitors to prevalent diseases including cataract formation, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and others.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Fidelis, K; Adzhubej, A; Kryshtafovych, A; Daniluk, P
The phenomenal success of the genome sequencing projects reveals the power of completeness in revolutionizing biological science. Currently it is possible to sequence entire organisms at a time, allowing for a systemic rather than fractional view of their organization and the various genome-encoded functions. There is an international plan to move towards a similar goal in the area of protein structure. This will not be achieved by experiment alone, but rather by a combination of efforts in crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and computational modeling. Only a small fraction of structures are expected to be identified experimentally, the remainder to be modeled. Presently there is no organized infrastructure to critically evaluate and present these data to the biological community. The goal of the Protein Model Database project is to create such infrastructure, including (1) public database of theoretically derived protein structures; (2) reliable annotation of protein model quality, (3) novel structure analysis tools, and (4) access to the highest quality modeling techniques available.
Strasser, Richard
Protein glycosylation is an essential co- and post-translational modification of secretory and membrane proteins in all eukaryotes. The initial steps of N-glycosylation and N-glycan processing are highly conserved between plants, mammals and yeast. In contrast, late N-glycan maturation steps in the Golgi differ significantly in plants giving rise to complex N-glycans with β1,2-linked xylose, core α1,3-linked fucose and Lewis A-type structures. While the essential role of N-glycan modifications on distinct mammalian glycoproteins is already well documented, we have only begun to decipher the biological function of this ubiquitous protein modification in different plant species. In this review, I focus on the biosynthesis and function of different protein N-linked glycans in plants. Special emphasis is given on glycan-mediated quality control processes in the ER and on the biological role of characteristic complex N-glycan structures. PMID:26911286
Interactive protein manipulation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
We describe an interactive visualization and modeling program for the creation of protein structures ''from scratch''. The input to our program is an amino acid sequence -decoded from a gene- and a sequence of predicted secondary structure types for each amino acid-provided by external structure prediction programs. Our program can be used in the set-up phase of a protein structure prediction process; the structures created with it serve as input for a subsequent global internal energy minimization, or another method of protein structure prediction. Our program supports basic visualization methods for protein structures, interactive manipulation based on inverse kinematics, and visualization guides to aid a user in creating ''good'' initial structures.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Eguen, Teinai Ebimienere; Straub, Daniel; Graeff, Moritz;
MicroProteins (miPs) are short, usually single-domain proteins that, in analogy to miRNAs, heterodimerize with their targets and exert a dominant-negative effect. Recent bioinformatic attempts to identify miPs have resulted in a list of potential miPs, many of which lack the defining...... characteristics of a miP. In this opinion article, we clearly state the characteristics of a miP as evidenced by known proteins that fit the definition; we explain why modulatory proteins misrepresented as miPs do not qualify as true miPs. We also discuss the evolutionary history of miPs, and how the miP concept...
Polymers for Protein Conjugation
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Gianfranco Pasut
Full Text Available Polyethylene glycol (PEG at the moment is considered the leading polymer for protein conjugation in view of its unique properties, as well as to its low toxicity in humans, qualities which have been confirmed by its extensive use in clinical practice. Other polymers that are safe, biodegradable and custom-designed have, nevertheless, also been investigated as potential candidates for protein conjugation. This review will focus on natural polymers and synthetic linear polymers that have been used for protein delivery and the results associated with their use. Genetic fusion approaches for the preparation of protein-polypeptide conjugates will be also reviewed and compared with the best known chemical conjugation ones.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Farver, O; Pecht, I
Electron migration between and within proteins is one of the most prevalent forms of biological energy conversion processes. Electron transfer reactions take place between active centers such as transition metal ions or organic cofactors over considerable distances at fast rates and with remarkable...... specificity. The electron transfer is attained through weak electronic interaction between the active sites, so that considerable research efforts are centered on resolving the factors that control the rates of long-distance electron transfer reactions in proteins. These factors include (in addition......-containing proteins. These proteins serve almost exclusively in electron transfer reactions, and as it turns out, their metal coordination sites are endowed with properties uniquely optimized for their function....
Recombinant Collagenlike Proteins
Fertala, Andzej
A group of collagenlike recombinant proteins containing high densities of biologically active sites has been invented. The method used to express these proteins is similar to a method of expressing recombinant procollagens and collagens described in U. S. Patent 5,593,859, "Synthesis of human procollagens and collagens in recombinant DNA systems." Customized collagenous proteins are needed for biomedical applications. In particular, fibrillar collagens are attractive for production of matrices needed for tissue engineering and drug delivery. Prior to this invention, there was no way of producing customized collagenous proteins for these and other applications. Heretofore, collagenous proteins have been produced by use of such biological systems as yeasts, bacteria, and transgenic animals and plants. These products are normal collagens that can also be extracted from such sources as tendons, bones, and hides. These products cannot be made to consist only of biologically active, specific amino acid sequences that may be needed for specific applications. Prior to this invention, it had been established that fibrillar collagens consist of domains that are responsible for such processes as interaction with cells, binding of growth factors, and interaction with a number of structural proteins present in the extracellular matrix. A normal collagen consists of a sequence of domains that can be represented by a corresponding sequence of labels, e.g., D1D2D3D4. A collagenlike protein of the present invention contains regions of collagen II that contain multiples of a single domain (e.g., D1D1D1D1 or D4D4D4D4) chosen for its specific biological activity. By virtue of the multiplicity of the chosen domain, the density of sites having that specific biological activity is greater than it is in a normal collagen. A collagenlike protein according to this invention can thus be made to have properties that are necessary for tissue engineering.
Occupational protein contact dermatitis.
Barbaud, Annick; Poreaux, Claire; Penven, Emmanuelle; Waton, Julie
Occupational contact dermatitis is generally caused by haptens but can also be induced by proteins causing mainly immunological contact urticaria (ICU); chronic hand eczema in the context of protein contact dermatitis (PCD). In a monocentric retrospective study, from our database, only 31 (0.41%) of patients with contact dermatitis had positive skin tests with proteins: 22 had occupational PCD, 3 had non-occupational PCD, 5 occupational ICU and 1 cook had a neutrophilic fixed food eruption (NFFE) due to fish. From these results and analysis of literature, the characteristics of PCD can be summarized as follows. It is a chronic eczematous dermatitis, possibly exacerbated by work, suggestive if associated with inflammatory perionyxix and immediate erythema with pruritis, to be investigated when the patient resumes work after a period of interruption. Prick tests with the suspected protein-containing material are essential, as patch tests have negative results. In case of multisensitisation revealed by prick tests, it is advisable to analyse IgE against recombinant allergens. A history of atopy, found in 56 to 68% of the patients, has to be checked for. Most of the cases are observed among food-handlers but PCD can also be due to non-edible plants, latex, hydrolysed proteins or animal proteins. Occupational exposure to proteins can thus lead to the development of ICU. Reflecting hypersensitivity to very low concentrations of allergens, investigating ICU therefore requires caution and prick tests should be performed with a diluted form of the causative protein-containing product. Causes are food, especially fruit peel, non-edible plants, cosmetic products, latex, animals.
Colorimetric protein assay techniques.
Sapan, C V; Lundblad, R L; Price, N C
There has been an increase in the number of colorimetric assay techniques for the determination of protein concentration over the past 20 years. This has resulted in a perceived increase in sensitivity and accuracy with the advent of new techniques. The present review considers these advances with emphasis on the potential use of such technologies in the assay of biopharmaceuticals. The techniques reviewed include Coomassie Blue G-250 dye binding (the Bradford assay), the Lowry assay, the bicinchoninic acid assay and the biuret assay. It is shown that each assay has advantages and disadvantages relative to sensitivity, ease of performance, acceptance in the literature, accuracy and reproducibility/coefficient of variation/laboratory-to-laboratory variation. A comparison of the use of several assays with the same sample population is presented. It is suggested that the most critical issue in the use of a chromogenic protein assay for the characterization of a biopharmaceutical is the selection of a standard for the calibration of the assay; it is crucial that the standard be representative of the sample. If it is not possible to match the standard with the sample from the perspective of protein composition, then it is preferable to use an assay that is not sensitive to the composition of the protein such as a micro-Kjeldahl technique, quantitative amino acid analysis or the biuret assay. In a complex mixture it might be inappropriate to focus on a general method of protein determination and much more informative to use specific methods relating to the protein(s) of particular interest, using either specific assays or antibody-based methods. The key point is that whatever method is adopted as the 'gold standard' for a given protein, this method needs to be used routinely for calibration.
Protein Nitrogen Determination
Nielsen, S. Suzanne
The protein content of foods can be determined by numerous methods. The Kjeldahl method and the nitrogen combustion (Dumas) method for protein analysis are based on nitrogen determination. Both methods are official for the purposes of nutrition labeling of foods. While the Kjeldahl method has been used widely for over a hundred years, the recent availability of automated instrumentation for the Dumas method in many cases is replacing use of the Kjeldahl method.
Transdermal Delivery of Proteins
Kalluri, Haripriya; Banga, Ajay K.
Transdermal delivery of peptides and proteins avoids the disadvantages associated with the invasive parenteral route of administration and other alternative routes such as the pulmonary and nasal routes. Since proteins have a large size and are hydrophilic in nature, they cannot permeate passively across the skin due to the stratum corneum which allows the transport of only small lipophilic drug molecules. Enhancement techniques such as chemical enhancers, iontophoresis, microneedles, electro...
Multiscale molecular dynamics simulations of membrane remodeling by Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs family proteins
Chun, Chan; Haohua, Wen; Lanyuan, Lu; Jun, Fan
Membrane curvature is no longer thought of as a passive property of the membrane; rather, it is considered as an active, regulated state that serves various purposes in the cell such as between cells and organelle definition. While transport is usually mediated by tiny membrane bubbles known as vesicles or membrane tubules, such communication requires complex interplay between the lipid bilayers and cytosolic proteins such as members of the Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) superfamily of proteins. With rapid developments in novel experimental techniques, membrane remodeling has become a rapidly emerging new field in recent years. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are important tools for obtaining atomistic information regarding the structural and dynamic aspects of biological systems and for understanding the physics-related aspects. The availability of more sophisticated experimental data poses challenges to the theoretical community for developing novel theoretical and computational techniques that can be used to better interpret the experimental results to obtain further functional insights. In this review, we summarize the general mechanisms underlying membrane remodeling controlled or mediated by proteins. While studies combining experiments and molecular dynamics simulations recall existing mechanistic models, concurrently, they extend the role of different BAR domain proteins during membrane remodeling processes. We review these recent findings, focusing on how multiscale molecular dynamics simulations aid in understanding the physical basis of BAR domain proteins, as a representative of membrane-remodeling proteins. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21403182) and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, China (Grant No. CityU 21300014).
Vivo-morpholinos induced transient knockdown of physical activity related proteins.
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David P Ferguson
Full Text Available Physical activity is associated with disease prevention and overall wellbeing. Additionally there has been evidence that physical activity level is a result of genetic influence. However, there has not been a reliable method to silence candidate genes in vivo to determine causal mechanisms of physical activity regulation. Vivo-morpholinos are a potential method to transiently silence specific genes. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the use of Vivo-morpholinos in a mouse model for voluntary physical activity with several sub-objectives. We observed that Vivo-morpholinos achieved between 60-97% knockdown of Drd1-, Vmat2-, and Glut4-protein in skeletal muscle, the delivery moiety of Vivo-morpholinos (scramble did not influence physical activity and that a cocktail of multiple Vivo-morpholinos can be given in a single treatment to achieve protein knockdown of two different targeted proteins in skeletal muscle simultaneously. Knocking down Drd1, Vmat2, or Glut4 protein in skeletal muscle did not affect physical activity. Vivo-morpholinos injected intravenously alone did not significantly knockdown Vmat2-protein expression in the brain (p = 0.28. However, the use of a bradykinin analog to increase blood-brain-barrier permeability in conjunction with the Vivo-morpholinos significantly (p = 0.0001 decreased Vmat2-protein in the brain with a corresponding later over-expression of Vmat2 coincident with a significant (p = 0.0016 increase in physical activity. We conclude that Vivo-morpholinos can be a valuable tool in determining causal gene-phenotype relationships in whole animal models.
Protein phosphorylation and photorespiration.
Hodges, M; Jossier, M; Boex-Fontvieille, E; Tcherkez, G
Photorespiration allows the recycling of carbon atoms of 2-phosphoglycolate produced by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) oxygenase activity, as well as the removal of potentially toxic metabolites. The photorespiratory pathway takes place in the light, encompasses four cellular compartments and interacts with several other metabolic pathways and functions. Therefore, the regulation of this cycle is probably of paramount importance to plant metabolism, however, our current knowledge is poor. To rapidly respond to changing conditions, proteins undergo a number of different post-translational modifications that include acetylation, methylation and ubiquitylation, but protein phosphorylation is probably the most common. The reversible covalent addition of a phosphate group to a specific amino acid residue allows the modulation of protein function, such as activity, subcellular localisation, capacity to interact with other proteins and stability. Recent data indicate that many photorespiratory enzymes can be phosphorylated, and thus it seems that the photorespiratory cycle is, in part, regulated by protein phosphorylation. In this review, the known phosphorylation sites of each Arabidopsis thaliana photorespiratory enzyme and several photorespiratory-associated proteins are described and discussed. A brief account of phosphoproteomic protocols is also given since the published data compiled in this review are the fruit of this approach.
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Jean Dubuisson
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) encodes a single polyprotein,which is processed by cellular and viral proteases to generate 10 polypeptides. The HCV genome also contains an overlapping +1 reading frame that may lead to the synthesis of an additional protein. Until recently,studies of HCV have been hampered by the lack of a productive cell culture system. Since the identification of HCV genome approximately 17 years ago, structural,biochemical and biological information on HCV proteins has mainly been obtained with proteins produced by heterologous expression systems. In addition, some functional studies have also been confirmed with replicon systems or with retroviral particles pseudotyped with HCV envelope glycoproteins. The data that have accumulated on HCV proteins begin to provide a framework for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the major steps of HCV life cycle. Moreover,the knowledge accumulated on HCV proteins is also leading to the development of antiviral drugs among which some are showing promising results in early-phase clinical trials. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the functions and biochemical features of HCV proteins.
Cardiolipin Interactions with Proteins.
Planas-Iglesias, Joan; Dwarakanath, Himal; Mohammadyani, Dariush; Yanamala, Naveena; Kagan, Valerian E; Klein-Seetharaman, Judith
Cardiolipins (CL) represent unique phospholipids of bacteria and eukaryotic mitochondria with four acyl chains and two phosphate groups that have been implicated in numerous functions from energy metabolism to apoptosis. Many proteins are known to interact with CL, and several cocrystal structures of protein-CL complexes exist. In this work, we describe the collection of the first systematic and, to the best of our knowledge, the comprehensive gold standard data set of all known CL-binding proteins. There are 62 proteins in this data set, 21 of which have nonredundant crystal structures with bound CL molecules available. Using binding patch analysis of amino acid frequencies, secondary structures and loop supersecondary structures considering phosphate and acyl chain binding regions together and separately, we gained a detailed understanding of the general structural and dynamic features involved in CL binding to proteins. Exhaustive docking of CL to all known structures of proteins experimentally shown to interact with CL demonstrated the validity of the docking approach, and provides a rich source of information for experimentalists who may wish to validate predictions.
Disease specific protein corona
Rahman, M.; Mahmoudi, M.
It is now well accepted that upon their entrance into the biological environments, the surface of nanomaterials would be covered by various biomacromolecules (e.g., proteins and lipids). The absorption of these biomolecules, so called `protein corona', onto the surface of (nano)biomaterials confers them a new `biological identity'. Although the formation of protein coronas on the surface of nanoparticles has been widely investigated, there are few reports on the effect of various diseases on the biological identity of nanoparticles. As the type of diseases may tremendously changes the composition of the protein source (e.g., human plasma/serum), one can expect that amount and composition of associated proteins in the corona composition may be varied, in disease type manner. Here, we show that corona coated silica and polystyrene nanoparticles (after interaction with in the plasma of the healthy individuals) could induce unfolding of fibrinogen, which promotes release of the inflammatory cytokines. However, no considerable releases of inflammatory cytokines were observed for corona coated graphene sheets. In contrast, the obtained corona coated silica and polystyrene nanoparticles from the hypofibrinogenemia patients could not induce inflammatory cytokine release where graphene sheets do. Therefore, one can expect that disease-specific protein coronas can provide a novel approach for applying nanomedicine to personalized medicine, improving diagnosis and treatment of different diseases tailored to the specific conditions and circumstances.
The effect of protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions on membrane fouling in ultrafiltration
Huisman, I.H.; Prádanos, P.; Hernández, A.
It was studied how protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions influence the filtration performance during the ultrafiltration of protein solutions over polymeric membranes. This was done by measuring flux, streaming potential, and protein transmission during filtration of bovine serum albumin
Similarity measures for protein ensembles
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lindorff-Larsen, Kresten; Ferkinghoff-Borg, Jesper
Analyses of similarities and changes in protein conformation can provide important information regarding protein function and evolution. Many scores, including the commonly used root mean square deviation, have therefore been developed to quantify the similarities of different protein conformatio...
Controllability in protein interaction networks.
Wuchty, Stefan
Recently, the focus of network research shifted to network controllability, prompting us to determine proteins that are important for the control of the underlying interaction webs. In particular, we determined minimum dominating sets of proteins (MDSets) in human and yeast protein interaction networks. Such groups of proteins were defined as optimized subsets where each non-MDSet protein can be reached by an interaction from an MDSet protein. Notably, we found that MDSet proteins were enriched with essential, cancer-related, and virus-targeted genes. Their central position allowed MDSet proteins to connect protein complexes and to have a higher impact on network resilience than hub proteins. As for their involvement in regulatory functions, MDSet proteins were enriched with transcription factors and protein kinases and were significantly involved in bottleneck interactions, regulatory links, phosphorylation events, and genetic interactions.
Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Manninen Anssi H
Full Text Available Abstract It has been suggested that protein hydrolysates providing mainly di- and tripeptides are superior to intact (whole proteins and free amino acids in terms of skeletal muscle protein anabolism. This review provides a critical examination of protein hydrolysate studies conducted in healthy humans with special reference to sports nutrition. The effects of protein hydrolysate ingestion on blood amino acid levels, muscle protein anabolism, body composition, exercise performance and muscle glycogen resynthesis are discussed.
Protein Functionality in Food Systems
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
WANG Panpan
The structure,shape,color,smell and taste of food were decided by protein functionality.The utilization of protein will improve by changing the protein functionality.Protein functionality is also advantage to maintain and utilize the nutrition of food.This paper summarized the nature,classification,factors and prospect of protein functionality.It ccn provide a theoretical basis for application of protein in food industry.
Sarikas, Antonio; Hartmann, Thomas; Pan, Zhen-Qiang
Cullin proteins are molecular scaffolds that have crucial roles in the post-translational modification of cellular proteins involving ubiquitin. The mammalian cullin protein family comprises eight members (CUL1 to CUL7 and PARC), which are characterized by a cullin homology domain. CUL1 to CUL7 assemble multi-subunit Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complexes, the largest family of E3 ligases with more than 200 members. Although CUL7 and PARC are present only in chordates, other members of the cullin protein family are found in Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana and yeast. A cullin protein tethers both a substrate-targeting unit, often through an adaptor protein, and the RING finger component in a CRL. The cullin-organized CRL thus positions a substrate close to the RING-bound E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, which catalyzes the transfer of ubiquitin to the substrate. In addition, conjugation of cullins with the ubiquitin-like molecule Nedd8 modulates activation of the corresponding CRL complex, probably through conformational regulation of the interactions between cullin's carboxy-terminal tail and CRL's RING subunit. Genetic studies in several model organisms have helped to unravel a multitude of physiological functions associated with cullin proteins and their respective CRLs. CRLs target numerous substrates and thus have an impact on a range of biological processes, including cell growth, development, signal transduction, transcriptional control, genomic integrity and tumor suppression. Moreover, mutations in CUL7 and CUL4B genes have been linked to hereditary human diseases.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
J.C.Q. Carvalho
Full Text Available The theoretical explanation of biological concepts, associated with the use of teaching games andmodels, intensify the comprehension and increase students interest, stimulating them to participateactively on the teaching-learning process. The sta of dissemination from Centro de BiotecnologiaMolecular Estrutural (CBME, in partnership with the Centro de Divulgac~ao Cientca e Cultural(CDCC, presents, in this work, a new educational resource denoted: Protein Synthesis Game. Theapproach of the game involves the cytological aspects of protein synthesis, directed to high schoolstudents. Students are presented to day-by-day facts related to the function of a given protein in thehuman body. Such task leads players to the goal of solving out a problem through synthesizing aspecied protein. The game comprises: (1 a board illustrated with the transversal section of animalcell, with its main structures and organelles and sequences of hypothetical genes; (2 cards with thedescription of steps and other structures required for protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells; (3 piecesrepresenting nucleotides, polynucleotides, ribosome, amino acids, and polypeptide chains. In order toplay the game, students take cards that sequentially permit them to acquire the necessary pieces forproduction of the protein described in each objective. Players must move the pieces on the board andsimulate the steps of protein synthesis. The dynamic of the game allows students to easily comprehendprocesses of transcription and translation. This game was presented to dierent groups of high schoolteachers and students. Their judgments have been heard and indicated points to be improved, whichhelped us with the game development. Furthermore, the opinions colleted were always favorable forthe application of this game as a teaching resource in classrooms.
Bioinformatics and moonlighting proteins
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Sergio eHernández
Full Text Available Multitasking or moonlighting is the capability of some proteins to execute two or more biochemical functions. Usually, moonlighting proteins are experimentally revealed by serendipity. For this reason, it would be helpful that Bioinformatics could predict this multifunctionality, especially because of the large amounts of sequences from genome projects. In the present work, we analyse and describe several approaches that use sequences, structures, interactomics and current bioinformatics algorithms and programs to try to overcome this problem. Among these approaches are: a remote homology searches using Psi-Blast, b detection of functional motifs and domains, c analysis of data from protein-protein interaction databases (PPIs, d match the query protein sequence to 3D databases (i.e., algorithms as PISITE, e mutation correlation analysis between amino acids by algorithms as MISTIC. Programs designed to identify functional motif/domains detect mainly the canonical function but usually fail in the detection of the moonlighting one, Pfam and ProDom being the best methods. Remote homology search by Psi-Blast combined with data from interactomics databases (PPIs have the best performance. Structural information and mutation correlation analysis can help us to map the functional sites. Mutation correlation analysis can only be used in very specific situations –it requires the existence of multialigned family protein sequences - but can suggest how the evolutionary process of second function acquisition took place. The multitasking protein database MultitaskProtDB (http://wallace.uab.es/multitask/, previously published by our group, has been used as a benchmark for the all of the analyses.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Smith, Jeremy C [ORNL; Parks, Jerry M [ORNL
Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that is released into the biosphere both by natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Although its reduced, elemental form Hg(0) is relatively non-toxic, other forms such as Hg2+ and, in particular, its methylated form, methylmercury, are toxic, with deleterious effects on both ecosystems and humans. Microorganisms play important roles in the transformation of mercury in the environment. Inorganic Hg2+ can be methylated by certain bacteria and archaea to form methylmercury. Conversely, bacteria also demethylate methylmercury and reduce Hg2+ to relatively inert Hg(0). Transformations and toxicity occur as a result of mercury interacting with various proteins. Clearly, then, understanding the toxic effects of mercury and its cycling in the environment requires characterization of these interactions. Computational approaches are ideally suited to studies of mercury in proteins because they can provide a detailed picture and circumvent issues associated with toxicity. Here we describe computational methods for investigating and characterizing how mercury binds to proteins, how inter- and intra-protein transfer of mercury is orchestrated in biological systems, and how chemical reactions in proteins transform the metal. We describe quantum chemical analyses of aqueous Hg(II), which reveal critical factors that determine ligand binding propensities. We then provide a perspective on how we used chemical reasoning to discover how microorganisms methylate mercury. We also highlight our combined computational and experimental studies of the proteins and enzymes of the mer operon, a suite of genes that confers mercury resistance in many bacteria. Lastly, we place work on mercury in proteins in the context of what is needed for a comprehensive multi-scale model of environmental mercury cycling.
A Novel Approach for Protein-Named Entity Recognition and Protein-Protein Interaction Extraction
Meijing Li; Tsendsuren Munkhdalai; Xiuming Yu; Keun Ho Ryu
Many researchers focus on developing protein-named entity recognition (Protein-NER) or PPI extraction systems. However, the studies about these two topics cannot be merged well; then existing PPI extraction systems' Protein-NER still needs to improve. In this paper, we developed the protein-protein interaction extraction system named PPIMiner based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) and parsing tree. PPIMiner consists of three main models: natural language processing (NLP) model, Protein-NER mod...
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
WU Qi
The adsorption of protein on nanoparticles was studied by using dynamic light scattering to measure the hydrodynamic size of both pure protein and nanoparticles adsorbed with different amounts of protein. The thickness of the adsorbed protein layer increases as protein concentration, but decreases as the initial size of nanoparticles. After properly scaling the thickness with the initial diameter, we are able to fit all experimental data with a single master curve. Our experimental results suggest that the adsorbed proteins form a monolayeron the nanoparticle surface and the adsorbed protein molecules are attached to the particle surface at many points through a possible hydrogen-bonding. Our results also indicate that as protein concentration increases, the overall shape of the adsorbed protein molecule continuously changes from a flat layer on the particle surface to a stretched coil extended into water. During the change, the hydrodynamic volume of the adsorbed protein increases linearly with protein concentration.
Benchtop Detection of Proteins
Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Varaljay, Vanessa
A process, and a benchtop-scale apparatus for implementing the process, have been developed to detect proteins associated with specific microbes in water. The process and apparatus may also be useful for detection of proteins in other, more complex liquids. There may be numerous potential applications, including monitoring lakes and streams for contamination, testing of blood and other bodily fluids in medical laboratories, and testing for microbial contamination of liquids in restaurants and industrial food-processing facilities. A sample can be prepared and analyzed by use of this process and apparatus within minutes, whereas an equivalent analysis performed by use of other processes and equipment can often take hours to days. The process begins with the conjugation of near-infrared-fluorescent dyes to antibodies that are specific to a particular protein. Initially, the research has focused on using near-infrared dyes to detect antigens or associated proteins in solution, which has proven successful vs. microbial cells, and streamlining the technique in use for surface protein detection on microbes would theoretically render similar results. However, it is noted that additional work is needed to transition protein-based techniques to microbial cell detection. Consequently, multiple such dye/antibody pairs could be prepared to enable detection of multiple selected microbial species, using a different dye for each species. When excited by near-infrared light of a suitable wavelength, each dye fluoresces at a unique longer wavelength that differs from those of the other dyes, enabling discrimination among the various species. In initial tests, the dye/antibody pairs are mixed into a solution suspected of containing the selected proteins, causing the binding of the dye/antibody pairs to such suspect proteins that may be present. The solution is then run through a microcentrifuge that includes a membrane that acts as a filter in that it retains the dye/antibody/protein
Purine inhibitors of protein kinases, G proteins and polymerases
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gray, Nathanael S. (Berkeley, CA); Schultz, Peter (Oakland, CA); Kim, Sung-Hou (Moraga, CA); Meijer, Laurent (Roscoff, FR)
The present invention relates to purine analogs that inhibit, inter alia, protein kinases, G-proteins and polymerases. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of using such purine analogs to inhibit protein kinases, G-proteins, polymerases and other cellular processes and to treat cellular proliferative diseases.
Integral UBL domain proteins: a family of proteasome interacting proteins
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hartmann-Petersen, Rasmus; Gordon, Colin
The family of ubiquitin-like (UBL) domain proteins (UDPs) comprises a conserved group of proteins involved in a multitude of different cellular activities. However, recent studies on UBL-domain proteins indicate that these proteins appear to share a common property in their ability to interact wi...
Electrochemical nanomoulding through proteins
Allred, Daniel B.
The continued improvements in performance of modern electronic devices are directly related to the manufacturing of smaller, denser features on surfaces. Electrochemical fabrication has played a large role in continuing this trend due to its low cost and ease of scaleability toward ever smaller dimensions. This work introduces the concept of using proteins, essentially monodisperse complex polymers whose three-dimensional structures are fixed by their encoded amino acid sequences, as "moulds" around which nanostructures can be built by electrochemical fabrication. Bacterial cell-surface layer proteins, or "S-layer" proteins, from two organisms---Deinococcus radiodurans and Sporosarcina ureae---were used as the "moulds" for electrochemical fabrication. The proteins are easily purified as micron-sized sheets of periodic molecular complexes with 18-nm hexagonal and 13-nm square unit cell lattices, respectively. Direct imaging by transmission electron microscopy on ultrathin noble metal films without sample preparation eliminates potential artifacts to the high surface energy substrates necessary for high nucleation densities. Characterization involved imaging, electron diffraction, spectroscopy, and three-dimensional reconstruction. The S-layer protein of D. radiodurans was further subjected to an atomic force microscope based assay to determine the integrity of its structure and long-range order and was found to be useful for fabrication from around pH 3 to 12.
Protein Dynamics in Enzymology
Brooks, , III
Enzymes carry-out the chemical activity essential for living processes by providing particular structural arrangements of chemically functional moieties through the structure of their constituent proteins. They are suggested to be optimized through evolution to specifically bind the transition state for the chemical processes they participate in, thereby enhancing the rate of these chemical events by 6-12 orders of magnitude. However, proteins are malleable and fluctuating many-body systems and may also utilize coupling between motional processes with catalysis to regulate or promote these processes. Our studies are aimed at exploring the hypothesis that motions of the protein couple distant regions of the molecule to assist catalytic processes. We demonstrate, through the use of molecular simulations, that strongly coupled motions occur in regions of protein molecules distant in sequence and space from each other, and the enzyme's active site, when the protein is in a reactant state. Further, we find that the presence of this coupling disappears in complexes no longer reactive-competent, i.e., for product configurations and mutant sequences. The implications of these findings and aspects of evolutionary relationships and mutational studies which support the coupling hypothesis will be discussed in the context of our work on dihydrofolate reductase.
Prabhu, Ninad V.; Sharp, Kim A.
Heat capacity (Cp) is one of several major thermodynamic quantities commonly measured in proteins. With more than half a dozen definitions, it is the hardest of these quantities to understand in physical terms, but the richest in insight. There are many ramifications of observed Cp changes: The sign distinguishes apolar from polar solvation. It imparts a temperature (T) dependence to entropy and enthalpy that may change their signs and which of them dominate. Protein unfolding usually has a positive ΔCp, producing a maximum in stability and sometimes cold denaturation. There are two heat capacity contributions, from hydration and protein-protein interactions; which dominates in folding and binding is an open question. Theoretical work to date has dealt mostly with the hydration term and can account, at least semiquantitatively, for the major Cp-related features: the positive and negative Cp of hydration for apolar and polar groups, respectively; the convergence of apolar group hydration entropy at T ≈ 112°C; the decrease in apolar hydration Cp with increasing T; and the T-maximum in protein stability and cold denaturation.
As the most abundant protein in the circulatory system albumin contributes 80% to colloid osmotic blood pressure. Albumin is also chiefly responsible for the maintenance of blood pH. It is located in every tissue and bodily secretion, with extracellular protein comprising 60% of total albumin. Perhaps the most outstanding property of albumin is its ability to bind reversibly to an incredible variety of ligands. It is widely accepted in the pharmaceutical industry that the overall distribution, metabolism, and efficiency of many drugs are rendered ineffective because of their unusually high affinity for this abundant protein. An understanding of the chemistry of the various classes of pharmaceutical interactions with albumin can suggest new approaches to drug therapy and design. Principal Investigator: Dan Carter/New Century Pharmaceuticals
Ng, Albert H.
To incorporate protein polarization effects within a protein combinatorial optimization framework, we decompose the polarizable force field AMOEBA into low order terms. Including terms up to the third-order provides a fair approximation to the full energy while maintaining tractability. We represent the polarizable packing problem for protein G as a hypergraph and solve for optimal rotamers with the FASTER combinatorial optimization algorithm. These approximate energy models can be improved to high accuracy [root mean square deviation (rmsd) < 1 kJ mol -1] via ridge regression. The resulting trained approximations are used to efficiently identify new, low-energy solutions. The approach is general and should allow combinatorial optimization of other many-body problems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011 Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Discovery of binding proteins for a protein target using protein-protein docking-based virtual screening.
Zhang, Changsheng; Tang, Bo; Wang, Qian; Lai, Luhua
Target structure-based virtual screening, which employs protein-small molecule docking to identify potential ligands, has been widely used in small-molecule drug discovery. In the present study, we used a protein-protein docking program to identify proteins that bind to a specific target protein. In the testing phase, an all-to-all protein-protein docking run on a large dataset was performed. The three-dimensional rigid docking program SDOCK was used to examine protein-protein docking on all protein pairs in the dataset. Both the binding affinity and features of the binding energy landscape were considered in the scoring function in order to distinguish positive binding pairs from negative binding pairs. Thus, the lowest docking score, the average Z-score, and convergency of the low-score solutions were incorporated in the analysis. The hybrid scoring function was optimized in the all-to-all docking test. The docking method and the hybrid scoring function were then used to screen for proteins that bind to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), which is a well-known therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. A protein library containing 677 proteins was used for the screen. Proteins with scores among the top 20% were further examined. Sixteen proteins from the top-ranking 67 proteins were selected for experimental study. Two of these proteins showed significant binding to TNFα in an in vitro binding study. The results of the present study demonstrate the power and potential application of protein-protein docking for the discovery of novel binding proteins for specific protein targets.
The representation of protein complexes in the Protein Ontology (PRO
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Smith Barry
Full Text Available Abstract Background Representing species-specific proteins and protein complexes in ontologies that are both human- and machine-readable facilitates the retrieval, analysis, and interpretation of genome-scale data sets. Although existing protin-centric informatics resources provide the biomedical research community with well-curated compendia of protein sequence and structure, these resources lack formal ontological representations of the relationships among the proteins themselves. The Protein Ontology (PRO Consortium is filling this informatics resource gap by developing ontological representations and relationships among proteins and their variants and modified forms. Because proteins are often functional only as members of stable protein complexes, the PRO Consortium, in collaboration with existing protein and pathway databases, has launched a new initiative to implement logical and consistent representation of protein complexes. Description We describe here how the PRO Consortium is meeting the challenge of representing species-specific protein complexes, how protein complex representation in PRO supports annotation of protein complexes and comparative biology, and how PRO is being integrated into existing community bioinformatics resources. The PRO resource is accessible at http://pir.georgetown.edu/pro/. Conclusion PRO is a unique database resource for species-specific protein complexes. PRO facilitates robust annotation of variations in composition and function contexts for protein complexes within and between species.
Stress proteins in CNS inflammation
Noort, J.M. van
Stress proteins or heat shock proteins (HSPs) are ubiquitous cellular components that have long been known to act as molecular chaperones. By assisting proper folding and transport of proteins, and by assisting in the degradation of aberrant proteins, they play key roles in cellular metabolism. The
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA3 Atg1 kinase complex ATG1 APG1, AUT3, CVT10 Serine/threonine-protein kinase ATG1 Autophagy prot...ein 3, Autophagy-related protein 1, Cytoplasm to vacuole targeting protein 10 559292 Sacchar
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FEA3 AREB pathway: Signaling proteins SRK2E OST1, SNRK2.6 Serine/threonine-protein kinase SRK2E Prot...ein OPEN STOMATA 1, SNF1-related kinase 2.6, Serine/threonine-protein kinase OST1 3702 Arabidopsis thaliana 829541 Q940H6 3UC4, 3ZUT, 3ZUU, 3UDB 19805022 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FEA3 AREB pathway: Signaling proteins AZF1 OZAKGYO, ZF1 At5g67450, Cys2/His2-type zinc finger prot...ein 1, Zinc finger protein OZAKGYO, Zinc-finger protein 1 3702 Arabidopsis thaliana 836881 Q9SSW1 21852415 ...
Ubiquitin domain proteins in disease
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Klausen, Louise Kjær; Schulze, Andrea; Seeger, Michael;
The human genome encodes several ubiquitin-like (UBL) domain proteins (UDPs). Members of this protein family are involved in a variety of cellular functions and many are connected to the ubiquitin proteasome system, an essential pathway for protein degradation in eukaryotic cells. Despite...... and cancer. Publication history: Republished from Current BioData's Targeted Proteins database (TPdb; http://www.targetedproteinsdb.com)....
The Formation of Protein Structure
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bohr, Jakob; Bohr, Henrik; Brunak, Søren
Dynamically induced curvature owing to long-range excitations along the backbones of protein molecules with non-linear elastic properties may control the folding of proteins.......Dynamically induced curvature owing to long-range excitations along the backbones of protein molecules with non-linear elastic properties may control the folding of proteins....
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBB5 RNA silencing TNRC6A CAGH26, KIAA1460, TNRC6 TNRC6A Trinucleotide repeat-containing gene 6A protein... CAG repeat protein 26, EMSY interactor protein, GW182 autoantigen, Glycine-tryptophan protein of 182 kDa 9606 Homo sapiens Q8NDV7 27327 27327 19398495 ...
Cold gelation of globular proteins
Alting, A.C.
Keywords : globular proteins, whey protein, ovalbumin, cold gelation, disulfide bonds, texture, gel hardnessProtein gelation in food products is important to obtain desirable sensory and textural properties. Cold gelation is a novel method to produce protein-based gels. It is a two step process in w
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA7 claudin-zona occluden TJP3 ZO3 TJP3 Tight junction protein ZO-3 Tight junction protein 3, Zona occlude...ns protein 3, Zonula occludens protein 3 9606 Homo sapiens O95049 27134 3KFV 27134 O95049 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA7 claudin-zona occluden TJP2 X104, ZO2 TJP2 Tight junction protein ZO-2 Tight ju...nction protein 2, Zona occludens protein 2, Zonula occludens protein 2 9606 Homo sapiens Q9UDY2 9414 3E17, 2OSG 9414 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA7 claudin-zona occluden Tjp1 Zo1 Tight junction protein ZO-1 Tight junction protein 1, Zona occlude...ns protein 1, Zonula occludens protein 1 10090 Mus musculus 21872 P39447 2RRM P39447 21431884 ...
A simple dependence between protein evolution rate and the number of protein-protein interactions
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Hirsh Aaron E
Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been shown for an evolutionarily distant genomic comparison that the number of protein-protein interactions a protein has correlates negatively with their rates of evolution. However, the generality of this observation has recently been challenged. Here we examine the problem using protein-protein interaction data from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and genome sequences from two other yeast species. Results In contrast to a previous study that used an incomplete set of protein-protein interactions, we observed a highly significant correlation between number of interactions and evolutionary distance to either Candida albicans or Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This study differs from the previous one in that it includes all known protein interactions from S. cerevisiae, and a larger set of protein evolutionary rates. In both evolutionary comparisons, a simple monotonic relationship was found across the entire range of the number of protein-protein interactions. In agreement with our earlier findings, this relationship cannot be explained by the fact that proteins with many interactions tend to be important to yeast. The generality of these correlations in other kingdoms of life unfortunately cannot be addressed at this time, due to the incompleteness of protein-protein interaction data from organisms other than S. cerevisiae. Conclusions Protein-protein interactions tend to slow the rate at which proteins evolve. This may be due to structural constraints that must be met to maintain interactions, but more work is needed to definitively establish the mechanism(s behind the correlations we have observed.
The Development and Characterization of Protein-Based Stationary Phases for Studying Drug-Protein and Protein-Protein Interactions
Sanghvi, Mitesh; Moaddel, Ruin; Wainer, Irving W.
Protein-based liquid chromatography stationary phases are used in bioaffinity chromatography for studying drug-protein interactions, the determination of binding affinities, competitive and allosteric interactions, as well as for studying protein-protein interactions. This review addresses the development and characterization of protein-based stationary phase, and the application of these phases using frontal and zonal chromatography techniques. The approach will be illustrated using immobili...
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
and statistical analysis of the resulting molecular trajectories (as everybody else!). However, recently I started assigning a particular sound frequency to each amino acid in the protein, and by setting the amplitude of each frequency according to the movement amplitude we can "hear" whenever two aminoacids...
Protein Requirements during Aging
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Glenda Courtney-Martin
Full Text Available Protein recommendations for elderly, both men and women, are based on nitrogen balance studies. They are set at 0.66 and 0.8 g/kg/day as the estimated average requirement (EAR and recommended dietary allowance (RDA, respectively, similar to young adults. This recommendation is based on single linear regression of available nitrogen balance data obtained at test protein intakes close to or below zero balance. Using the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO method, we estimated the protein requirement in young adults and in both elderly men and women to be 0.9 and 1.2 g/kg/day as the EAR and RDA, respectively. This suggests that there is no difference in requirement on a gender basis or on a per kg body weight basis between younger and older adults. The requirement estimates however are ~40% higher than the current protein recommendations on a body weight basis. They are also 40% higher than our estimates in young men when calculated on the basis of fat free mass. Thus, current recommendations may need to be re-assessed. Potential rationale for this difference includes a decreased sensitivity to dietary amino acids and increased insulin resistance in the elderly compared with younger individuals.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Headlam, Henrietta A; Davies, Michael Jonathan
Exposure of proteins to radicals in the presence of O2 gives both side-chain oxidation and backbone fragmentation. These processes can be interrelated, with initial side-chain oxidation giving rise to backbone damage via transfer reactions. We have shown previously that alkoxyl radicals formed on...
Protein oxidation and peroxidation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Davies, Michael Jonathan
to the residues targeted and their spatial location. Modification can result in increased side-chain hydrophilicity, side-chain and backbone fragmentation, aggregation via covalent cross-linking or hydrophobic interactions, protein unfolding and altered conformation, altered interactions with biological partners...
Cellulose binding domain proteins
Shoseyov, Oded; Shpiegl, Itai; Goldstein, Marc; Doi, Roy
A cellulose binding domain (CBD) having a high affinity for crystalline cellulose and chitin is disclosed, along with methods for the molecular cloning and recombinant production thereof. Fusion products comprising the CBD and a second protein are likewise described. A wide range of applications are contemplated for both the CBD and the fusion products, including drug delivery, affinity separations, and diagnostic techniques.
Shewry, Peter R
A wide range of plants are grown for their edible tubers, but five species together account for almost 90 % of the total world production. These are potato (Solanum tuberosum), cassava (Manihot esculenta), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), yams (Dioscorea spp.) and taro (Colocasia, Cyrtosperma and Xanthosoma spp.). All of these, except cassava, contain groups of storage proteins, but these differ in the biological properties and evolutionary relationships. Thus, patatin from potato exhibits activity as an acylhydrolase and esterase, sporamin from sweet potato is an inhibitor of trypsin, and dioscorin from yam is a carbonic anhydrase. Both sporamin and dioscorin also exhibit antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. Taro differs from the other three crops in that it contains two major types of storage protein: a trypsin inhibitor related to sporamin and a mannose-binding lectin. These characteristics indicate that tuber storage proteins have evolved independently in different species, which contrasts with the highly conserved families of storage proteins present in seeds. Furthermore, all exhibit biological activities which could contribute to resistance to pests, pathogens or abiotic stresses, indicating that they may have dual roles in the tubers.
Activated PTHLH Coupling Feedback Phosphoinositide to G-Protein Receptor Signal-Induced Cell Adhesion Network in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Systems-Theoretic Analysis
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Lin Wang
Full Text Available Studies were done on analysis of biological processes in the same high expression (fold change ≥2 activated PTHLH feedback-mediated cell adhesion gene ontology (GO network of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC compared with the corresponding low expression activated GO network of no-tumor hepatitis/cirrhotic tissues (HBV or HCV infection. Activated PTHLH feedback-mediated cell adhesion network consisted of anaphase-promoting complex-dependent proteasomal ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolism, cell adhesion, cell differentiation, cell-cell signaling, G-protein-coupled receptor protein signaling pathway, intracellular transport, metabolism, phosphoinositide-mediated signaling, positive regulation of transcription, regulation of cyclin-dependent protein kinase activity, regulation of transcription, signal transduction, transcription, and transport in HCC. We proposed activated PTHLH coupling feedback phosphoinositide to G-protein receptor signal-induced cell adhesion network. Our hypothesis was verified by the different activated PTHLH feedback-mediated cell adhesion GO network of HCC compared with the corresponding inhibited GO network of no-tumor hepatitis/cirrhotic tissues, or the same compared with the corresponding inhibited GO network of HCC. Activated PTHLH coupling feedback phosphoinositide to G-protein receptor signal-induced cell adhesion network included BUB1B, GNG10, PTHR2, GNAZ, RFC4, UBE2C, NRXN3, BAP1, PVRL2, TROAP, and VCAN in HCC from GEO dataset using gene regulatory network inference method and our programming.
Differential gene expression in the rat hippocampus during learning of an operant conditioning task.
Rapanelli, M; Frick, L R; Zanutto, B S
Changes in transcription levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding (CREB), Synapsin I, Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CamKII), activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), c-jun and c-fos have been associated to several learning paradigms in different brain areas. In this study, we measured mRNA expression in the hippocampus by real time (RT)-PCR mRNA levels of BDNF, CREB, Synapsin I, CamKII, Arc, c-jun and c-fos, during learning and operant conditioning task. Experimental groups were as follows: control (C, the animals never left the bioterium), when the animals reached 50-65% of the expected response (Incompletely Trained, IT), when animals reached 100% of the expected response with a latency time lower than 5 s (Trained, Tr), Box Control of Incompletely Trained (BCIT), animals spent the same time as the IT in the operant conditioning box and Box Control of Trained (BCTr) animals spent the same time as the Tr in the operant conditioning box. All rats were killed at the same time by cervical dislocation 15 min after training and hippocampi were removed and processed. We found increments of mRNA levels of most genes (BDNF, CREB, Synapsin I, Arc, c-jun and c-fos) in IT and Tr groups compared to their box controls, but increments in Tr were smaller compared with IT. These results describe a differential gene expression in the rat hippocampus when the animals are learning and when animals have already learned. Taking together the results presented herein with the known functions of these genes, we propose a link between changes in gene expression in the hippocampus and different degrees of cellular activation and plasticity during learning of an operant conditioning task.
In neurons, activity-dependent association of dendritically transported mRNA transcripts with the transacting factor CBF-A is mediated by A2RE/RTS elements.
Raju, Chandrasekhar S; Fukuda, Nanaho; López-Iglesias, Carmen; Göritz, Christian; Visa, Neus; Percipalle, Piergiorgio
In neurons certain mRNA transcripts are transported to synapses through mechanisms that are not fully understood. Here we report that the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein CBF-A (CArG Box binding Factor A) facilitates dendritic transport and localization of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIα) mRNAs. We discovered that, in the adult mouse brain, CBF-A has a broad distribution. In the nucleus, CBF-A was found at active transcription sites and interchromosomal spaces and close to nuclear pores. In the cytoplasm, CBF-A localized to dendrites as well as pre- and postsynaptic sites. CBF-A was found in synaptosomal fractions, associated with Arc, BDNF, and CaMKIIα mRNAs. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated a direct interaction mediated via their hnRNP A2 response element (A2RE)/RNA trafficking sequence (RTS) elements located in the 3' untranslated regions. In situ hybridization and microscopy on live hippocampal neurons showed that CBF-A is in dynamic granules containing Arc, BDNF, and CaMKIIα mRNAs. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) postsynaptic receptor stimulation led to CBF-A accumulation in dendrites; increased Arc, BDNF, and CaMKIIα mRNA levels; and increased amounts of transcripts coprecipitating with CBF-A. Finally, CBF-A gene knockdown led to decreased mRNA levels. We propose that CBF-A cotranscriptionally binds RTSs in Arc, BDNF, and CaMKIIα mRNAs and follows the transcripts from genes to dendrites, promoting activity-dependent nuclear sorting of transport-competent mRNAs.
Psychiatric gene discoveries shape evidence on ADHD's biology
Thapar, A; Martin, J; Mick, E; Arias Vásquez, A; Langley, K; Scherer, S W; Schachar, R; Crosbie, J; Williams, N; Franke, B; Elia, J; Glessner, J; Hakonarson, H; Owen, M J; Faraone, S V; O'Donovan, M C; Holmans, P
A strong motivation for undertaking psychiatric gene discovery studies is to provide novel insights into unknown biology. Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly heritable, and large, rare copy number variants (CNVs) contribute to risk, little is known about its pathogenesis and it remains commonly misunderstood. We assembled and pooled five ADHD and control CNV data sets from the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America, Northern Europe and Canada. Our aim was to test for enrichment of neurodevelopmental gene sets, implicated by recent exome-sequencing studies of (a) schizophrenia and (b) autism as a means of testing the hypothesis that common pathogenic mechanisms underlie ADHD and these other neurodevelopmental disorders. We also undertook hypothesis-free testing of all biological pathways. We observed significant enrichment of individual genes previously found to harbour schizophrenia de novo non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs; P=5.4 × 10−4) and targets of the Fragile X mental retardation protein (P=0.0018). No enrichment was observed for activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (P=0.23) or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (P=0.74) post-synaptic signalling gene sets previously implicated in schizophrenia. Enrichment of ADHD CNV hits for genes impacted by autism de novo SNVs (P=0.019 for non-synonymous SNV genes) did not survive Bonferroni correction. Hypothesis-free testing yielded several highly significantly enriched biological pathways, including ion channel pathways. Enrichment findings were robust to multiple testing corrections and to sensitivity analyses that excluded the most significant sample. The findings reveal that CNVs in ADHD converge on biologically meaningful gene clusters, including ones now established as conferring risk of other neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:26573769
Relation of addiction genes to hypothalamic gene changes subserving genesis and gratification of a classic instinct, sodium appetite.
Liedtke, Wolfgang B; McKinley, Michael J; Walker, Lesley L; Zhang, Hao; Pfenning, Andreas R; Drago, John; Hochendoner, Sarah J; Hilton, Donald L; Lawrence, Andrew J; Denton, Derek A
Sodium appetite is an instinct that involves avid specific intention. It is elicited by sodium deficiency, stress-evoked adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and reproduction. Genome-wide microarrays in sodium-deficient mice or after ACTH infusion showed up-regulation of hypothalamic genes, including dopamine- and cAMP-regulated neuronal phosphoprotein 32 kDa (DARPP-32), dopamine receptors-1 and -2, α-2C- adrenoceptor, and striatally enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP). Both DARPP-32 and neural plasticity regulator activity-regulated cytoskeleton associated protein (ARC) were up-regulated in lateral hypothalamic orexinergic neurons by sodium deficiency. Administration of dopamine D1 (SCH23390) and D2 receptor (raclopride) antagonists reduced gratification of sodium appetite triggered by sodium deficiency. SCH23390 was specific, having no effect on osmotic-induced water drinking, whereas raclopride also reduced water intake. D1 receptor KO mice had normal sodium appetite, indicating compensatory regulation. Appetite was insensitive to SCH23390, confirming the absence of off-target effects. Bilateral microinjection of SCH23390 (100 nM in 200 nL) into rats' lateral hypothalamus greatly reduced sodium appetite. Gene set enrichment analysis in hypothalami of mice with sodium appetite showed significant enrichment of gene sets previously linked to addiction (opiates and cocaine). This finding of concerted gene regulation was attenuated on gratification with perplexingly rapid kinetics of only 10 min, anteceding significant absorption of salt from the gut. Salt appetite and hedonic liking of salt taste have evolved over >100 million y (e.g., being present in Metatheria). Drugs causing pleasure and addiction are comparatively recent and likely reflect usurping of evolutionary ancient systems with high survival value by the gratification of contemporary hedonic indulgences. Our findings outline a molecular logic for instinctive behavior encoded by the brain with
Predicting where small molecules bind at protein-protein interfaces.
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Peter Walter
Full Text Available Small molecules that bind at protein-protein interfaces may either block or stabilize protein-protein interactions in cells. Thus, some of these binding interfaces may turn into prospective targets for drug design. Here, we collected 175 pairs of protein-protein (PP complexes and protein-ligand (PL complexes with known three-dimensional structures for which (1 one protein from the PP complex shares at least 40% sequence identity with the protein from the PL complex, and (2 the interface regions of these proteins overlap at least partially with each other. We found that those residues of the interfaces that may bind the other protein as well as the small molecule are evolutionary more conserved on average, have a higher tendency of being located in pockets and expose a smaller fraction of their surface area to the solvent than the remaining protein-protein interface region. Based on these findings we derived a statistical classifier that predicts patches at binding interfaces that have a higher tendency to bind small molecules. We applied this new prediction method to more than 10,000 interfaces from the protein data bank. For several complexes related to apoptosis the predicted binding patches were in direct contact to co-crystallized small molecules.
Interaction between plate make and protein in protein crystallisation screening.
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Gordon J King
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Protein crystallisation screening involves the parallel testing of large numbers of candidate conditions with the aim of identifying conditions suitable as a starting point for the production of diffraction quality crystals. Generally, condition screening is performed in 96-well plates. While previous studies have examined the effects of protein construct, protein purity, or crystallisation condition ingredients on protein crystallisation, few have examined the effect of the crystallisation plate. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We performed a statistically rigorous examination of protein crystallisation, and evaluated interactions between crystallisation success and plate row/column, different plates of same make, different plate makes and different proteins. From our analysis of protein crystallisation, we found a significant interaction between plate make and the specific protein being crystallised. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Protein crystal structure determination is the principal method for determining protein structure but is limited by the need to produce crystals of the protein under study. Many important proteins are difficult to crystallize, so that identification of factors that assist crystallisation could open up the structure determination of these more challenging targets. Our findings suggest that protein crystallisation success may be improved by matching a protein with its optimal plate make.
An evaluation of in vitro protein-protein interaction techniques: assessing contaminating background proteins.
Howell, Jenika M; Winstone, Tara L; Coorssen, Jens R; Turner, Raymond J
Determination of protein-protein interactions is an important component in assigning function and discerning the biological relevance of proteins within a broader cellular context. In vitro protein-protein interaction methodologies, including affinity chromatography, coimmunoprecipitation, and newer approaches such as protein chip arrays, hold much promise in the detection of protein interactions, particularly in well-characterized organisms with sequenced genomes. However, each of these approaches attracts certain background proteins that can thwart detection and identification of true interactors. In addition, recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli are also extensively used to assess protein-protein interactions, and background proteins in these isolates can thus contaminate interaction studies. Rigorous validation of a true interaction thus requires not only that an interaction be found by alternate techniques, but more importantly that researchers be aware of and control for matrix/support dependence. Here, we evaluate these methods for proteins interacting with DmsD (an E. coli redox enzyme maturation protein chaperone), in vitro, using E. coli subcellular fractions as prey sources. We compare and contrast the various in vitro interaction methods to identify some of the background proteins and protein profiles that are inherent to each of the methods in an E. coli system.
Exploring NMR ensembles of calcium binding proteins: Perspectives to design inhibitors of protein-protein interactions
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Craescu Constantin T
Full Text Available Abstract Background Disrupting protein-protein interactions by small organic molecules is nowadays a promising strategy employed to block protein targets involved in different pathologies. However, structural changes occurring at the binding interfaces make difficult drug discovery processes using structure-based drug design/virtual screening approaches. Here we focused on two homologous calcium binding proteins, calmodulin and human centrin 2, involved in different cellular functions via protein-protein interactions, and known to undergo important conformational changes upon ligand binding. Results In order to find suitable protein conformations of calmodulin and centrin for further structure-based drug design/virtual screening, we performed in silico structural/energetic analysis and molecular docking of terphenyl (a mimicking alpha-helical molecule known to inhibit protein-protein interactions of calmodulin into X-ray and NMR ensembles of calmodulin and centrin. We employed several scoring methods in order to find the best protein conformations. Our results show that docking on NMR structures of calmodulin and centrin can be very helpful to take into account conformational changes occurring at protein-protein interfaces. Conclusions NMR structures of protein-protein complexes nowadays available could efficiently be exploited for further structure-based drug design/virtual screening processes employed to design small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.
Bayesian Estimator of Protein-Protein Association Probabilities
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
The Bayesian Estimator of Protein-Protein Association Probabilities (BEPro3) is a software tool for estimating probabilities of protein-protein association between bait and prey protein pairs using data from multiple-bait, multiple-replicate, protein LC-MS/MS affinity isolation experiments. BEPro3 is public domain software, has been tested on Windows XP and version 10.4 or newer of the Mac OS 10.4, and is freely available. A user guide, example dataset with analysis and additional documentation are included with the BEPro3 download.
High quality protein microarray using in situ protein purification
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Fleischmann Robert D
Full Text Available Abstract Background In the postgenomic era, high throughput protein expression and protein microarray technologies have progressed markedly permitting screening of therapeutic reagents and discovery of novel protein functions. Hexa-histidine is one of the most commonly used fusion tags for protein expression due to its small size and convenient purification via immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC. This purification process has been adapted to the protein microarray format, but the quality of in situ His-tagged protein purification on slides has not been systematically evaluated. We established methods to determine the level of purification of such proteins on metal chelate-modified slide surfaces. Optimized in situ purification of His-tagged recombinant proteins has the potential to become the new gold standard for cost-effective generation of high-quality and high-density protein microarrays. Results Two slide surfaces were examined, chelated Cu2+ slides suspended on a polyethylene glycol (PEG coating and chelated Ni2+ slides immobilized on a support without PEG coating. Using PEG-coated chelated Cu2+ slides, consistently higher purities of recombinant proteins were measured. An optimized wash buffer (PBST composed of 10 mM phosphate buffer, 2.7 mM KCl, 140 mM NaCl and 0.05% Tween 20, pH 7.4, further improved protein purity levels. Using Escherichia coli cell lysates expressing 90 recombinant Streptococcus pneumoniae proteins, 73 proteins were successfully immobilized, and 66 proteins were in situ purified with greater than 90% purity. We identified several antigens among the in situ-purified proteins via assays with anti-S. pneumoniae rabbit antibodies and a human patient antiserum, as a demonstration project of large scale microarray-based immunoproteomics profiling. The methodology is compatible with higher throughput formats of in vivo protein expression, eliminates the need for resin-based purification and circumvents
Metabolism of minor isoforms of prion proteins: Cytosolic prion protein and transmembrane prion protein
Song, Zhiqi; Zhao, Deming; Yang, Lifeng
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease is triggered by the conversion from cellular prion protein to pathogenic prion protein. Growing evidence has concentrated on prion protein configuration changes and their correlation with prion disease transmissibility and pathogenicity. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that several cytosolic forms of prion protein with specific topological structure can destroy intracellular stability and contribute to prion protein pathogenicit...
Dairy Proteins and Energy Balance
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bendtsen, Line Quist
High protein diets affect energy balance beneficially through decreased hunger, enhanced satiety and increased energy expenditure. Dairy products are a major source of protein. Dairy proteins are comprised of two classes, casein (80%) and whey proteins (20%), which are both of high quality......, but casein is absorbed slowly and whey is absorbed rapidly. The present PhD study investigated the effects of total dairy proteins, whey, and casein, on energy balance and the mechanisms behind any differences in the effects of the specific proteins. The results do not support the hypothesis that dairy...... proteins, whey or casein are more beneficial than other protein sources in the regulation of energy balance, and suggest that dairy proteins, whey or casein seem to play only a minor role, if any, in the prevention and treatment of obesity....
The quality of microparticulated protein.
Erdman, J W
The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of microparticulation upon the quality of microparticulated protein products and to confirm that microparticulation does not result in changes in protein structure or quality different from those that occur with cooking. Two products were tested: microparticulated egg white and skim milk proteins and microparticulated whey protein concentrate. Three approaches were used to monitor for changes in amino acid and protein value: amino acid analysis, protein efficiency ratio (PER) bioassay, and both one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Evaluation of the results of these tests indicates that no significant differences were found when comparing the premix before and after microparticulation. Significant differences also did not occur when the premix was cooked using conventional methods. Collectively, the data provide strong evidence that the protein microparticulation process used to prepare microparticulated protein products (e.g., Simplesse) does not alter the quality or nutritional value of protein in the final products.
Coevolution study of mitochondria respiratory chain proteins:Toward the understanding of protein-protein interaction
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Ming Yang; Yan Ge; Jiayan Wu; Jingfa Xiao; Jun Yu
Coevolution can be seen as the interdependency between evolutionary histories. In the context of protein evolution, functional correlation proteins are ever-present coordinated evolutionary characters without disruption of organismal integrity. As to complex system, there are two forms of protein-protein interactions in vivo, which refer to inter-complex interaction and intra-complex interaction. In this paper, we studied the difference of coevolution characters between inter-complex interaction and intra-complex interaction using "Mirror tree" method on the respiratory chain (RC) proteins. We divided the correlation coefficients of every pairwise RC proteins into two groups corresponding to the binary protein-protein interaction in intra-complex and the binary protein-protein interaction in inter-complex, respectively. A dramatical discrepancy is detected between the coevolution characters of the two sets of protein interactions (Wilcoxon test, p-value = 4.4 x 10-6). Our finding reveals some critical information on coevolutionary study and assists the mechanical investigation of protein-protein interaction.Furthermore, the results also provide some unique clue for supramolecular organization of protein complexes in the mitochondrial inner membrane. More detailed binding sites map and genome information of nuclear encoded RC proteins will be extraordinary valuable for the further mitochondria dynamics study.
An ER-resident membrane protein complex regulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit composition at the synapse
Almedom, Ruta B; Liewald, Jana F; Hernando, Guillermina; Schultheis, Christian; Rayes, Diego; Pan, Jie; Schedletzky, Thorsten; Hutter, Harald; Bouzat, Cecilia; Gottschalk, Alexander
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are homo- or heteropentameric ligand-gated ion channels mediating excitatory neurotransmission and muscle activation. Regulation of nAChR subunit assembly and transfer of correctly assembled pentamers to the cell surface is only partially understood. Here, we characterize an ER transmembrane (TM) protein complex that influences nAChR cell-surface expression and functional properties in Caenorhabditis elegans muscle. Loss of either type I TM protein, NRA-2 or NRA-4 (nicotinic receptor associated), affects two different types of muscle nAChRs and causes in vivo resistance to cholinergic agonists. Sensitivity to subtype-specific agonists of these nAChRs is altered differently, as demonstrated by whole-cell voltage-clamp of dissected adult muscle, when applying exogenous agonists or after photo-evoked, channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) mediated acetylcholine (ACh) release, as well as in single-channel recordings in cultured embryonic muscle. These data suggest that nAChRs desensitize faster in nra-2 mutants. Cell-surface expression of different subunits of the 'levamisole-sensitive' nAChR (L-AChR) is differentially affected in the absence of NRA-2 or NRA-4, suggesting that they control nAChR subunit composition or allow only certain receptor assemblies to leave the ER. PMID:19609303
Mapping the human protein interactome
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Daniel Figeys
Interactions are the essence of all biomolecules because they cannot fulfill their roles without interacting with other molecules. Hence, mapping the interactions of biomolecules can be useful for understanding their roles and functions. Furthermore, the development of molecular based systems biology requires an understanding of the biomolecular interactions. In recent years, the mapping of protein-protein interactions in different species has been reported, but few reports have focused on the large-scale mapping of protein-protein interactions in human. Here, we review the developments in protein interaction mapping and we discuss issues and strategies for the mapping of the human protein interactome.
Hydrogels Constructed from Engineered Proteins.
Li, Hongbin; Kong, Na; Laver, Bryce; Liu, Junqiu
Due to their various potential biomedical applications, hydrogels based on engineered proteins have attracted considerable interest. Benefitting from significant progress in recombinant DNA technology and protein engineering/design techniques, the field of protein hydrogels has made amazing progress. The latest progress of hydrogels constructed from engineered recombinant proteins are presented, mainly focused on biorecognition-driven physical hydrogels as well as chemically crosslinked hydrogels. The various bio-recognition based physical crosslinking strategies are discussed, as well as chemical crosslinking chemistries used to engineer protein hydrogels, and protein hydrogels' various biomedical applications. The future perspectives of this fast evolving field of biomaterials are also discussed.
Competitive Protein Adsorption - Multilayer Adsorption and Surface Induced Protein Aggregation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Holmberg, Maria; Hou, Xiaolin
In this study, competitive adsorption of albumin and IgG (immunoglobulin G) from human serum solutions and protein mixtures onto polymer surfaces is studied by means of radioactive labeling. By using two different radiolabels (125I and 131I), albumin and IgG adsorption to polymer surfaces...... is monitored simultaneously and the influence from the presence of other human serum proteins on albumin and IgG adsorption, as well as their mutual influence during adsorption processes, is investigated. Exploring protein adsorption by combining analysis of competitive adsorption from complex solutions...... of high concentration with investigation of single protein adsorption and interdependent adsorption between two specific proteins enables us to map protein adsorption sequences during competitive protein adsorption. Our study shows that proteins can adsorb in a multilayer fashion onto the polymer surfaces...
Inferring protein-protein interaction complexes from immunoprecipitation data
Kutzera, J.; Hoefsloot, H.C.J.; Malovannaya, A.; Smit, A.B.; Van Mechelen, I.; Smilde, A.K.
BACKGROUND: Protein inverted question markprotein interactions in cells are widely explored using small inverted question markscale experiments. However, the search for protein complexes and their interactions in data from high throughput experiments such as immunoprecipitation is still a challenge.
Mousan, Grace; Kamat, Deepak
Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is a common condition encountered in children with incidence estimated as 2% to 7.5% in the first year of life. Formula and breast-fed babies can present with symptoms of CMPA. It is important to accurately diagnose CMPA to avoid the consequences of either under- or overdiagnosis. CMPA is classically categorized into immunoglobulin E (IgE)- or non-IgE-mediated reaction that vary in clinical manifestations, diagnostic evaluation, and prognosis. The most commonly involved systems in patients with CMPA are gastrointestinal, skin, and respiratory. Evaluation of CMPA starts with good data gathering followed by testing if indicated. Treatment is simply by avoidance of cow's milk protein (CMP) in the child's or mother's diet, if exclusively breast-feeding. This article reviews the definition, epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, evaluation, management, and prognosis of CMPA and provides an overview of different options for formulas and their indication in the treatment of CMPA.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Zeuthen, Thomas
. In the K(+)/Cl(-) and the Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporters, water is entirely cotransported, while water transport in glucose uniporters and Na(+)-coupled transporters of nutrients and neurotransmitters takes place by both osmosis and cotransport. The molecular mechanism behind cotransport of water......Transport through lipids and aquaporins is osmotic and entirely driven by the difference in osmotic pressure. Water transport in cotransporters and uniporters is different: Water can be cotransported, energized by coupling to the substrate flux by a mechanism closely associated with protein...... is not clear. It is associated with the substrate movements in aqueous pathways within the protein; a conventional unstirred layer mechanism can be ruled out, due to high rates of diffusion in the cytoplasm. The physiological roles of the various modes of water transport are reviewed in relation to epithelial...
Protein Functionalized Nanodiamond Arrays
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Liu YL
Full Text Available Abstract Various nanoscale elements are currently being explored for bio-applications, such as in bio-images, bio-detection, and bio-sensors. Among them, nanodiamonds possess remarkable features such as low bio-cytotoxicity, good optical property in fluorescent and Raman spectra, and good photostability for bio-applications. In this work, we devise techniques to position functionalized nanodiamonds on self-assembled monolayer (SAMs arrays adsorbed on silicon and ITO substrates surface using electron beam lithography techniques. The nanodiamond arrays were functionalized with lysozyme to target a certain biomolecule or protein specifically. The optical properties of the nanodiamond-protein complex arrays were characterized by a high throughput confocal microscope. The synthesized nanodiamond-lysozyme complex arrays were found to still retain their functionality in interacting with E. coli.
Neurocognitive derivation of protein surface property from protein aggregate parameters
Mishra, Hrishikesh; Lahiri, Tapobrata
Current work targeted to predicate parametric relationship between aggregate and individual property of a protein. In this approach, we considered individual property of a protein as its Surface Roughness Index (SRI) which was shown to have potential to classify SCOP protein families. The bulk property was however considered as Intensity Level based Multi-fractal Dimension (ILMFD) of ordinary microscopic images of heat denatured protein aggregates which was known to have potential to serve as...
Purine inhibitors of protein kinases, G proteins and polymerases
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gray, Nathanael S.; Schultz, Peter; Kim, Sung-Hou; Meijer, Laurent
The present invention relates to 2-N-substituted 6-(4-methoxybenzylamino)-9-isopropylpurines that inhibit, inter alia, protein kinases, G-proteins and polymerases. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of using such 2-N-substituted 6-(4-methoxybenzylamino)-9-isopropylpurines to inhibit protein kinases, G-proteins, polymerases and other cellular processes and to treat cellular proliferative diseases.
Protein-protein fusion catalyzed by sortase A.
Levary, David A; Parthasarathy, Ranganath; Boder, Eric T; Ackerman, Margaret E
Chimeric proteins boast widespread use in areas ranging from cell biology to drug delivery. Post-translational protein fusion using the bacterial transpeptidase sortase A provides an attractive alternative when traditional gene fusion fails. We describe use of this enzyme for in vitro protein ligation and report the successful fusion of 10 pairs of protein domains with preserved functionality--demonstrating the robust and facile nature of this reaction.
Protein-protein fusion catalyzed by sortase A.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David A Levary
Full Text Available Chimeric proteins boast widespread use in areas ranging from cell biology to drug delivery. Post-translational protein fusion using the bacterial transpeptidase sortase A provides an attractive alternative when traditional gene fusion fails. We describe use of this enzyme for in vitro protein ligation and report the successful fusion of 10 pairs of protein domains with preserved functionality--demonstrating the robust and facile nature of this reaction.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ignjatović-Micić Dragana
Full Text Available Quality protein maize (QPM contains the opaque-2 gene along with numerous modifiers for kernel hardness. Therefore, QPM is maize with high nutritive value of endosperm protein, with substantially higher content of two essential amino acids - lysine and tryptophan, and with good agronomical performances. Although QPM was developed primarily for utilization in the regions where, because of poverty, maize is the main staple food, it has many advantages for production and consumption in other parts of the world, too. QPM can be used for production of conventional and new animal feed, as well as for human nurture. As the rate of animal weight gain is doubled with QPM and portion viability is better, a part of normal maize production could be available for other purposes, such as, for example, ethanol production. Thus, breeding QPM is set as a challenge to produce high quality protein maize with high yield and other important agronomical traits, especially with today's food and feed demands and significance of energy crisis.
Process for protein PEGylation.
Pfister, David; Morbidelli, Massimo
PEGylation is a versatile drug delivery technique that presents a particularly wide range of conjugation chemistry and polymer structure. The conjugated protein can be tuned to specifically meet the needs of the desired application. In the area of drug delivery this typically means to increase the persistency in the human body without affecting the activity profile of the original protein. On the other hand, because of the high costs associated with the production of therapeutic proteins, subsequent operations imposed by PEGylation must be optimized to minimize the costs inherent to the additional steps. The closest attention has to be given to the PEGylation reaction engineering and to the subsequent purification processes. This review article focuses on these two aspects and critically reviews the current state of the art with a clear focus on the development of industrial scale processes which can meet the market requirements in terms of quality and costs. The possibility of using continuous processes, with integration between the reaction and the separation steps is also illustrated.
Hydrolyzed Proteins in Allergy.
Salvatore, Silvia; Vandenplas, Yvan
Hydrolyzed proteins are used worldwide in the therapeutic management of infants with allergic manifestations and have long been proposed as a dietetic measure to prevent allergy in at risk infants. The degree and method of hydrolysis, protein source and non-nitrogen components characterize different hydrolyzed formulas (HFs) and may determine clinical efficacy, tolerance and nutritional effects. Cow's milk (CM)-based HFs are classified as extensively (eHF) or partially HF (pHF) based on the percentage of small peptides. One whey pHF has been shown to reduce atopic dermatitis in high-risk infants who are not exclusively breastfed. More studies are needed to determine the benefit of these formulas in the prevention of CM allergy (CMA) and in the general population. eHFs represent up to now the treatment of choice for most infants with CMA. However, new developments, such as an extensively hydrolyzed rice protein-based formula, could become alternative options if safety and nutritional and therapeutic efficacy are confirmed as this type of formula is less expensive. In some countries, an extensive soy hydrolysate is available.
Neutron protein crystallography
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Niimura, Nobuo [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment
X-ray diffraction of single crystal has enriched the knowledge of various biological molecules such as proteins, DNA, t-RNA, viruses, etc. It is difficult to make structural analysis of hydrogen atoms in a protein using X-ray crystallography, whereas neutron diffraction seems usable to directly determine the location of those hydrogen atoms. Here, neutron diffraction method was applied to structural analysis of hen egg-white lysozyme. Since the crystal size of a protein to analyze is generally small (5 mm{sup 3} at most), the neutron beam at the sample position in monochromator system was set to less than 5 x 5 mm{sup 2} and beam divergence to 0.4 degree or less. Neutron imaging plate with {sup 6}Li or Gd mixed with photostimulated luminescence material was used and about 2500 Bragg reflections were recorded in one crystal setting. A total of 38278 reflections for 2.0 A resolution were collected in less than 10 days. Thus, stereo views of Trp-111 omit map around the indol ring of Trp-111 was presented and the three-dimensional arrangement of 696H and 264D atoms in the lysozyme molecules was determined using the omit map. (M.N.)
A Bayesian Framework for Combining Protein and Network Topology Information for Predicting Protein-Protein Interactions.
Birlutiu, Adriana; d'Alché-Buc, Florence; Heskes, Tom
Computational methods for predicting protein-protein interactions are important tools that can complement high-throughput technologies and guide biologists in designing new laboratory experiments. The proteins and the interactions between them can be described by a network which is characterized by several topological properties. Information about proteins and interactions between them, in combination with knowledge about topological properties of the network, can be used for developing computational methods that can accurately predict unknown protein-protein interactions. This paper presents a supervised learning framework based on Bayesian inference for combining two types of information: i) network topology information, and ii) information related to proteins and the interactions between them. The motivation of our model is that by combining these two types of information one can achieve a better accuracy in predicting protein-protein interactions, than by using models constructed from these two types of information independently.
Metabolism of minor isoforms of prion proteins Cytosolic prion protein and transmembrane prion protein*
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Zhiqi Song; Deming Zhao; Lifeng Yang
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease is triggered by the conversion from cellular prion protein to pathogenic prion protein. Growing evidence has concentrated on prion protein configuration changes and their correlation with prion disease transmissibility and pathoge-nicity. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that several cytosolic forms of prion protein with spe-cific topological structure can destroy intracellular stability and contribute to prion protein pathoge-nicity. In this study, the latest molecular chaperone system associated with endoplasmic reticu-lum-associated protein degradation, the endoplasmic reticulum resident protein quality-control system and the ubiquitination proteasome system, is outlined. The molecular chaperone system directly correlates with the prion protein degradation pathway. Understanding the molecular me-chanisms wil help provide a fascinating avenue for further investigations on prion disease treatment and prion protein-induced neurodegenerative diseases.
Predicting disease-related proteins based on clique backbone in protein-protein interaction network.
Yang, Lei; Zhao, Xudong; Tang, Xianglong
Network biology integrates different kinds of data, including physical or functional networks and disease gene sets, to interpret human disease. A clique (maximal complete subgraph) in a protein-protein interaction network is a topological module and possesses inherently biological significance. A disease-related clique possibly associates with complex diseases. Fully identifying disease components in a clique is conductive to uncovering disease mechanisms. This paper proposes an approach of predicting disease proteins based on cliques in a protein-protein interaction network. To tolerate false positive and negative interactions in protein networks, extending cliques and scoring predicted disease proteins with gene ontology terms are introduced to the clique-based method. Precisions of predicted disease proteins are verified by disease phenotypes and steadily keep to more than 95%. The predicted disease proteins associated with cliques can partly complement mapping between genotype and phenotype, and provide clues for understanding the pathogenesis of serious diseases.
Protein engineering techniques gateways to synthetic protein universe
Poluri, Krishna Mohan
This brief provides a broad overview of protein-engineering research, offering a glimpse of the most common experimental methods. It also presents various computational programs with applications that are widely used in directed evolution, computational and de novo protein design. Further, it sheds light on the advantages and pitfalls of existing methodologies and future perspectives of protein engineering techniques.
Ontology integration to identify protein complex in protein interaction networks
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yang Zhihao
Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein complexes can be identified from the protein interaction networks derived from experimental data sets. However, these analyses are challenging because of the presence of unreliable interactions and the complex connectivity of the network. The integration of protein-protein interactions with the data from other sources can be leveraged for improving the effectiveness of protein complexes detection algorithms. Methods We have developed novel semantic similarity method, which use Gene Ontology (GO annotations to measure the reliability of protein-protein interactions. The protein interaction networks can be converted into a weighted graph representation by assigning the reliability values to each interaction as a weight. Following the approach of that of the previously proposed clustering algorithm IPCA which expands clusters starting from seeded vertices, we present a clustering algorithm OIIP based on the new weighted Protein-Protein interaction networks for identifying protein complexes. Results The algorithm OIIP is applied to the protein interaction network of Sacchromyces cerevisiae and identifies many well known complexes. Experimental results show that the algorithm OIIP has higher F-measure and accuracy compared to other competing approaches.
Multiscale modeling of proteins.
Tozzini, Valentina
The activity within a living cell is based on a complex network of interactions among biomolecules, exchanging information and energy through biochemical processes. These events occur on different scales, from the nano- to the macroscale, spanning about 10 orders of magnitude in the space domain and 15 orders of magnitude in the time domain. Consequently, many different modeling techniques, each proper for a particular time or space scale, are commonly used. In addition, a single process often spans more than a single time or space scale. Thus, the necessity arises for combining the modeling techniques in multiscale approaches. In this Account, I first review the different modeling methods for bio-systems, from quantum mechanics to the coarse-grained and continuum-like descriptions, passing through the atomistic force field simulations. Special attention is devoted to their combination in different possible multiscale approaches and to the questions and problems related to their coherent matching in the space and time domains. These aspects are often considered secondary, but in fact, they have primary relevance when the aim is the coherent and complete description of bioprocesses. Subsequently, applications are illustrated by means of two paradigmatic examples: (i) the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family and (ii) the proteins involved in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication cycle. The GFPs are currently one of the most frequently used markers for monitoring protein trafficking within living cells; nanobiotechnology and cell biology strongly rely on their use in fluorescence microscopy techniques. A detailed knowledge of the actions of the virus-specific enzymes of HIV (specifically HIV protease and integrase) is necessary to study novel therapeutic strategies against this disease. Thus, the insight accumulated over years of intense study is an excellent framework for this Account. The foremost relevance of these two biomolecular systems was
Chemical Protein Modification through Cysteine.
Gunnoo, Smita B; Madder, Annemieke
The modification of proteins with non-protein entities is important for a wealth of applications, and methods for chemically modifying proteins attract considerable attention. Generally, modification is desired at a single site to maintain homogeneity and to minimise loss of function. Though protein modification can be achieved by targeting some natural amino acid side chains, this often leads to ill-defined and randomly modified proteins. Amongst the natural amino acids, cysteine combines advantageous properties contributing to its suitability for site-selective modification, including a unique nucleophilicity, and a low natural abundance--both allowing chemo- and regioselectivity. Native cysteine residues can be targeted, or Cys can be introduced at a desired site in a protein by means of reliable genetic engineering techniques. This review on chemical protein modification through cysteine should appeal to those interested in modifying proteins for a range of applications.
Protein Linked to Atopic Dermatitis
... Research Matters NIH Research Matters January 14, 2013 Protein Linked to Atopic Dermatitis Normal skin from a ... in mice suggests that lack of a certain protein may trigger atopic dermatitis, the most common type ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available feron stimulator, Mediator of IRF3 activation, Stimulator of interferon genes protein 9606 Homo sapiens Q86WV6 340061 ... ...MPA1 TLR signaling molecules TMEM173 ERIS, MITA, STING Transmembrane protein 173 Endoplasmic reticulum inter
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA3 Atg1 kinase complex TOR1 DRR1 Serine/threonine-protein kinase TOR1 Dominant rapamycin... resistance protein 1, Phosphatidylinositol kinase homolog TOR1, Target of rapamycin kinase 1 559292
Functional aspects of protein flexibility
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Teilum, Kaare; Olsen, Johan G; Kragelund, Birthe B
Proteins are dynamic entities, and they possess an inherent flexibility that allows them to function through molecular interactions within the cell, among cells and even between organisms. Appreciation of the non-static nature of proteins is emerging, but to describe and incorporate...... this into an intuitive perception of protein function is challenging. Flexibility is of overwhelming importance for protein function, and the changes in protein structure during interactions with binding partners can be dramatic. The present review addresses protein flexibility, focusing on protein-ligand interactions....... The thermodynamics involved are reviewed, and examples of structure-function studies involving experimentally determined flexibility descriptions are presented. While much remains to be understood about protein flexibility, it is clear that it is encoded within their amino acid sequence and should be viewed...
Controlling allosteric networks in proteins
Dokholyan, Nikolay
We present a novel methodology based on graph theory and discrete molecular dynamics simulations for delineating allosteric pathways in proteins. We use this methodology to uncover the structural mechanisms responsible for coupling of distal sites on proteins and utilize it for allosteric modulation of proteins. We will present examples where inference of allosteric networks and its rewiring allows us to ``rescue'' cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a protein associated with fatal genetic disease cystic fibrosis. We also use our methodology to control protein function allosterically. We design a novel protein domain that can be inserted into identified allosteric site of target protein. Using a drug that binds to our domain, we alter the function of the target protein. We successfully tested this methodology in vitro, in living cells and in zebrafish. We further demonstrate transferability of our allosteric modulation methodology to other systems and extend it to become ligh-activatable.
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA6 transport vesicle formation SEC12 SED2 Guanine nucleotide-exchange factor SEC12 Protein... transport protein SEC12 559292 Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain ATCC 204508 / S288c) 855760 P11655 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available MPA1 TLR signaling molecules MAVS IPS1, KIAA1271, VISA VISA_(gene) Mitochondrial an...tiviral-signaling protein CARD adapter inducing interferon beta, Interferon beta promoter stimulator protein 1, Putative NF-kappa
Microtubules, Tubulins and Associated Proteins.
Raxworthy, Michael J.
Reviews much of what is known about microtubules, which are biopolymers consisting predominantly of subunits of the globular protein, tubulin. Describes the functions of microtubules, their structure and assembly, microtube associated proteins, and microtubule-disrupting agents. (TW)
Protein Misfolding and Human Disease
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Gregersen, Niels; Bross, Peter Gerd; Vang, Søren
phenylketonuria, Parkinson's disease, α-1-antitrypsin deficiency, familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus, and short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Despite the differences, an emerging paradigm suggests that the cellular effects of protein misfolding provide a common framework that may contribute......Protein misfolding is a common event in living cells. In young and healthy cells, the misfolded protein load is disposed of by protein quality control (PQC) systems. In aging cells and in cells from certain individuals with genetic diseases, the load may overwhelm the PQC capacity, resulting...... in accumulation of misfolded proteins. Dependent on the properties of the protein and the efficiency of the PQC systems, the accumulated protein may be degraded or assembled into toxic oligomers and aggregates. To illustrate this concept, we discuss a number of very different protein misfolding diseases including...
Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YJL199C, YJL199C [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available d in closely related Saccharomyces species; protein detected in large-scale protein-protein interaction studies...cies; protein detected in large-scale protein-protein interaction studies Rows with this prey as prey (4) Ro...n; not conserved in closely related Saccharomyces species; protein detected in large-scale protein-protein interaction studies... species; protein detected in large-scale protein-protein interaction studies Rows with this prey as prey Ro
Similarity measures for protein ensembles
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lindorff-Larsen, Kresten; Ferkinghoff-Borg, Jesper
Analyses of similarities and changes in protein conformation can provide important information regarding protein function and evolution. Many scores, including the commonly used root mean square deviation, have therefore been developed to quantify the similarities of different protein conformations...... a synthetic example from molecular dynamics simulations. We then apply the algorithms to revisit the problem of ensemble averaging during structure determination of proteins, and find that an ensemble refinement method is able to recover the correct distribution of conformations better than standard single...
Purification of Tetrahymena cytoskeletal proteins.
Honts, Jerry E
Like all eukaryotic cells, Tetrahymena thermophila contains a rich array of cytoskeletal proteins, some familiar and some novel. A detailed analysis of the structure, function, and interactions of these proteins requires procedures for purifying the individual protein components. Procedures for the purification of actin and tubulin from Tetrahymena are reviewed, followed by a description of a procedure that yields proteins from the epiplasmic layer and associated structures, including the tetrins. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for future advances are assessed.
Protein loss during nuclear isolation
Cryomicrodissection makes possible the measurement of the entire in vivo protein content of the amphibian oocyte nucleus and provides a heretofore missing baseline for estimating protein loss during nuclear isolation by other methods. When oocyte nuclei are isolated into an aqueous medium, they lose 95% of their protein with a half-time of 250 s. This result implies an even more rapid loss of protein from aqueously isolated nuclei of ordinary-size cells.
Understanding Protein-Protein Interactions Using Local Structural Features
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Planas-Iglesias, Joan; Bonet, Jaume; García-García, Javier;
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a relevant role among the different functions of a cell. Identifying the PPI network of a given organism (interactome) is useful to shed light on the key molecular mechanisms within a biological system. In this work, we show the role of structural features...... (loops and domains) to comprehend the molecular mechanisms of PPIs. A paradox in protein-protein binding is to explain how the unbound proteins of a binary complex recognize each other among a large population within a cell and how they find their best docking interface in a short timescale. We use...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available tion factor complex helicase XPB subunit Basic transcription factor 2 89 kDa subunit, DNA excision repair prot...ein ERCC-3, DNA repair protein complementing XP-B cells, TFIIH basal transcription factor complex 89 kDa s...ubunit, Xeroderma pigmentosum group B-complementing protein 9606 Homo sapiens P19447 2071 2071 P19447 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA4 REST-TBP TBP GTF2D1, TF2D, TFIID TATA_binding_protein TATA-box-binding protein... TATA sequence-binding protein, TATA-binding factor, TATA-box factor, Transcription initiation factor TFIID
Hydrophobic patches on protein surfaces
Lijnzaad, P.
Hydrophobicity is a prime determinant of the structure and function of proteins. It is the driving force behind the folding of soluble proteins, and when exposed on the surface, it is frequently involved in recognition and binding of ligands and other proteins. The energetic cost of exposing hydroph
Validation of protein carbonyl measurement
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Augustyniak, Edyta; Adam, Aisha; Wojdyla, Katarzyna;
Protein carbonyls are widely analysed as a measure of protein oxidation. Several different methods exist for their determination. A previous study had described orders of magnitude variance that existed when protein carbonyls were analysed in a single laboratory by ELISA using different commercial...
Structuring high-protein foods
Purwanti, N.
Increased protein consumption gives rise to various health benefits. High-protein intake can lead to muscle development, body weight control and suppression of sarcopenia progression. However, increasing the protein content in food products leads to textural changes over time. These changes result i
The Proteins API: accessing key integrated protein and genome information.
Nightingale, Andrew; Antunes, Ricardo; Alpi, Emanuele; Bursteinas, Borisas; Gonzales, Leonardo; Liu, Wudong; Luo, Jie; Qi, Guoying; Turner, Edd; Martin, Maria
The Proteins API provides searching and programmatic access to protein and associated genomics data such as curated protein sequence positional annotations from UniProtKB, as well as mapped variation and proteomics data from large scale data sources (LSS). Using the coordinates service, researchers are able to retrieve the genomic sequence coordinates for proteins in UniProtKB. This, the LSS genomics and proteomics data for UniProt proteins is programmatically only available through this service. A Swagger UI has been implemented to provide documentation, an interface for users, with little or no programming experience, to 'talk' to the services to quickly and easily formulate queries with the services and obtain dynamically generated source code for popular programming languages, such as Java, Perl, Python and Ruby. Search results are returned as standard JSON, XML or GFF data objects. The Proteins API is a scalable, reliable, fast, easy to use RESTful services that provides a broad protein information resource for users to ask questions based upon their field of expertise and allowing them to gain an integrated overview of protein annotations available to aid their knowledge gain on proteins in biological processes. The Proteins API is available at (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/proteins/api/doc).
Protein stress and stress proteins: implications in aging and disease
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
C Sőti; Péter Csermely
Environmantal stress induces damage that activates an adaptive response in any organism. The cellular stress response is based on the induction of cytoprotective proteins, the so called stress or heat shock proteins. The stress response as well as stress proteins are ubiquitous, highly conserved mechanism, and genes, respectively, already present in prokaryotes. Chaperones protect the proteome against conformational damage, promoting the function of protein networks. Protein damage takes place during aging and in several degenerative diseases, and presents a threat to overload the cellular defense mechanisms. The preservation of a robust stress response and protein disposal is indispensable for health and longevity. This review summarizes the present knowledge of protein damage, turnover, and the stress response in aging and degenerative diseases.
Protein subcellular localization assays using split fluorescent proteins
Waldo, Geoffrey S.; Cabantous, Stephanie
The invention provides protein subcellular localization assays using split fluorescent protein systems. The assays are conducted in living cells, do not require fixation and washing steps inherent in existing immunostaining and related techniques, and permit rapid, non-invasive, direct visualization of protein localization in living cells. The split fluorescent protein systems used in the practice of the invention generally comprise two or more self-complementing fragments of a fluorescent protein, such as GFP, wherein one or more of the fragments correspond to one or more beta-strand microdomains and are used to "tag" proteins of interest, and a complementary "assay" fragment of the fluorescent protein. Either or both of the fragments may be functionalized with a subcellular targeting sequence enabling it to be expressed in or directed to a particular subcellular compartment (i.e., the nucleus).
Flowering Buds of Globular Proteins: Transpiring Simplicity of Protein Organization
Berezovsky, Igor N.
Structural and functional complexity of proteins is dramatically reduced to a simple linear picture when the laws of polymer physics are considered. A basic unit of the protein structure is a nearly standard closed loop of 25–35 amino acid residues, and every globular protein is built of consecutively connected closed loops. The physical necessity of the closed loops had been apparently imposed on the early stages of protein evolution. Indeed, the most frequent prototype sequence motifs in prokaryotic proteins have the same sequence size, and their high match representatives are found as closed loops in crystallized proteins. Thus, the linear organization of the closed loop elements is a quintessence of protein evolution, structure and folding. PMID:18629251
Protein enriched pasta: structure and digestibility of its protein network.
Laleg, Karima; Barron, Cécile; Santé-Lhoutellier, Véronique; Walrand, Stéphane; Micard, Valérie
Wheat (W) pasta was enriched in 6% gluten (G), 35% faba (F) or 5% egg (E) to increase its protein content (13% to 17%). The impact of the enrichment on the multiscale structure of the pasta and on in vitro protein digestibility was studied. Increasing the protein content (W- vs. G-pasta) strengthened pasta structure at molecular and macroscopic scales but reduced its protein digestibility by 3% by forming a higher covalently linked protein network. Greater changes in the macroscopic and molecular structure of the pasta were obtained by varying the nature of protein used for enrichment. Proteins in G- and E-pasta were highly covalently linked (28-32%) resulting in a strong pasta structure. Conversely, F-protein (98% SDS-soluble) altered the pasta structure by diluting gluten and formed a weak protein network (18% covalent link). As a result, protein digestibility in F-pasta was significantly higher (46%) than in E- (44%) and G-pasta (39%). The effect of low (55 °C, LT) vs. very high temperature (90 °C, VHT) drying on the protein network structure and digestibility was shown to cause greater molecular changes than pasta formulation. Whatever the pasta, a general strengthening of its structure, a 33% to 47% increase in covalently linked proteins and a higher β-sheet structure were observed. However, these structural differences were evened out after the pasta was cooked, resulting in identical protein digestibility in LT and VHT pasta. Even after VHT drying, F-pasta had the best amino acid profile with the highest protein digestibility, proof of its nutritional interest.
CPL:Detecting Protein Complexes by Propagating Labels on Protein-Protein Interaction Network
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
代启国; 郭茂祖; 刘晓燕; 滕志霞; 王春宇
Proteins usually bind together to form complexes, which play an important role in cellular activities. Many graph clustering methods have been proposed to identify protein complexes by finding dense regions in protein-protein interaction networks. We present a novel framework (CPL) that detects protein complexes by propagating labels through interactions in a network, in which labels denote complex identifiers. With proper propagation in CPL, proteins in the same complex will be assigned with the same labels. CPL does not make any strong assumptions about the topological structures of the complexes, as in previous methods. The CPL algorithm is tested on several publicly available yeast protein-protein interaction networks and compared with several state-of-the-art methods. The results suggest that CPL performs better than the existing methods. An analysis of the functional homogeneity based on a gene ontology analysis shows that the detected complexes of CPL are highly biologically relevant.
To Gate, or Not to Gate: Regulatory Mechanisms for Intercellular Protein Transport and Virus Movement in Plants
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Shoko Ueki; Vitaly Citovsky
Cell-to-cell signal transduction is vital for orchestrating the whole-body physiology of multi-cellular organisms,and many endogenous macromolecules,proteins,and nucleic acids function as such transported signals.In plants,many of these molecules are transported through plasmodesmata (Pd),the cell wall-spanning channel structures that interconnect plant cells.Furthermore,Pd also act as conduits for cell-to-cell movement of most plant viruses that have evolved to pirate these channels to spread the infection.Pd transport is presumed to be highly selective,and only a limited repertoire of molecules is transported through these channels.Recent studies have begun to unravel mechanisms that actively regulate the opening of the Pd channel to allow traffic.This macromolecular transport between cells comprises two consecutive steps:intracellular targeting to Pd and translocation through the channel to the adjacent cell.Here,we review the current knowledge of molecular species that are transported though Pd and the mechanisms that control this traffic.Generally,Pd traffic can occur by passive diffusion through the trans-Pd cytoplasm or through the membrane/lumen of the trans-Pd ER,or by active transport that includes protein-protein interactions.It is this latter mode of Pd transport that is involved in intercellular traffic of most signal molecules and is regulated by distinct and sometimes interdependent mechanisms,which represent the focus of this article.
[Protein nutrition and physical activity].
Navarro, M P
The relationship between physical exercise and diet in order to optimize performance is getting growing interest. This review examines protein needs and protein intakes as well as the role of protein in the body and the metabolic changes occurring at the synthesis and catabolic levels during exercise. Protein synthesis in muscle or liver, amino acids oxidation, glucose production via gluconeogenesis from amino acids, etc., are modified, and consequently plasma and urinary nitrogen metabolites are affected. A brief comment on the advantages, disadvantages and forms of different protein supplements for sportsmen is given.
[Protein phosphatases: structure and function].
Bulanova, E G; Budagian, V M
The process of protein and enzyme systems phosphorylation is necessary for cell growth, differentiation and preparation for division and mitosis. The conformation changes of protein as a result of phosphorylation lead to increased enzyme activity and enhanced affinity to substrates. A large group of enzymes--protein kinases--is responsible for phosphorylation process in cell, which are divided into tyrosine- and serine-threonine-kinases depending on their ability to phosphorylate appropriate amino acid residues. In this review has been considered the functional importance and structure of protein phosphatases--enzymes, which are functional antagonists of protein kinases.
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA3 Atg8 conjugation sysytem Map1lc3b Map1alc3, Map1lc3 MAP1LC3B Microtubule-associated protein...s 1A/1B light chain 3B Autophagy-related protein LC3 B, Autophagy-related ubiquitin-like modifi...er LC3 B, MAP1 light chain 3-like protein 2, MAP1A/MAP1B light chain 3 B, Microtubule-associated protein 1 l
ING proteins in cellular senescence.
Menéndez, Camino; Abad, María; Gómez-Cabello, Daniel; Moreno, Alberto; Palmero, Ignacio
Cellular senescence is an effective anti-tumor barrier that acts by restraining the uncontrolled proliferation of cells carrying potentially oncogenic alterations. ING proteins are putative tumor suppressor proteins functionally linked to the p53 pathway and to chromatin regulation. ING proteins exert their tumor-protective action through different types of responses. Here, we review the evidence on the participation of ING proteins, mainly ING1 and ING2, in the implementation of the senescent response. The currently available data support an important role of ING proteins as regulators of senescence, in connection with the p53 pathway and chromatin organization.
Protein nanotechnology: what is it?
Gerrard, Juliet A
Protein nanotechnology is an emerging field that is still defining itself. It embraces the intersection of protein science, which exists naturally at the nanoscale, and the burgeoning field of nanotechnology. In this opening chapter, a select review is given of some of the exciting nanostructures that have already been created using proteins, and the sorts of applications that protein engineers are reaching towards in the nanotechnology space. This provides an introduction to the rest of the volume, which provides inspirational case studies, along with tips and tools to manipulate proteins into new forms and architectures, beyond Nature's original intentions.
The biobehavioral and neuroimmune impact of low-dose ionizing radiation
York, Jason M; Blevins, Neil A; Meling, Daryl D; Peterlin, Molly B; Gridley, Daila S; Cengel, Keith A; Freund, Gregory G
In the clinical setting, repeated exposures (10–30) to low-doses of ionizing radiation (≤ 200 cGy), as seen in radiotherapy for cancer, causes fatigue. Almost nothing is known, however, about the fatigue inducing effects of a single exposure to environmental low-dose ionizing radiation that might occur during high-altitude commercial air flight, a nuclear reactor accident or a solar particle event (SPE). To investigate the short-term impact of low-dose ionizing radiation on mouse biobehaviors and neuroimmunity, male CD-1 mice were whole body irradiated with 50 cGy or 200 cGy of gamma or proton radiation. Gamma radiation was found to reduce spontaneous locomotor activity by 35% and 36%, respectively, 6 h post irradiation. In contrast, the motivated behavior of social exploration was un-impacted by gamma radiation. Examination of pro-inflammatory cytokine gene transcripts in the brain demonstrated that gamma radiation increased hippocampal TNF-α expression as early as 4 h post-irradiation. This was coupled to subsequent increases in IL-1RA (8 h and 12 h post irradiation) in the cortex and hippocampus and reductions in activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) (24 h post irradiation) in the cortex. Finally, restraint stress was a significant modulator of the neuroimmune response to radiation blocking the ability of 200 cGy gamma radiation from impairing locomotor activity and altering the brain-based inflammatory response to irradiation. Taken together, these findings indicate that low-dose ionizing radiation rapidly activates the neuroimmune system potentially causing early onset fatigue-like symptoms in mice. PMID:21958477
Membrane anchor R9AP potentiates GTPase-accelerating protein activity of RGS11 x Gbeta5 complex and accelerates inactivation of the mGluR6-G(o) signaling.
Masuho, Ikuo; Celver, Jeremy; Kovoor, Abraham; Martemyanov, Kirill A
The R7 subfamily of RGS proteins critically regulates neuronal G protein-signaling pathways that are essential for vision, nociception, motor coordination, and reward processing. A member of the R7 RGS family, RGS11, is a GTPase-accelerating protein specifically expressed in retinal ON-bipolar cells where it forms complexes with the atypical G protein beta subunit, Gbeta(5), and transmembrane protein R9AP. Association with R9AP has been shown to be critical for the proteolytic stability of the complex in the retina. In this study we report that R9AP can in addition stimulate the GTPase-accelerating protein activity of the RGS11 x Gbeta(5) complex at Galpha(o). Single turnover GTPase assays reveal that R9AP co-localizes RGS11 x Gbeta(5) and Galpha(o) on the membrane and allosterically potentiates the GTPase-accelerating function of RGS11 x Gbeta(5). Reconstitution of mGluR6-Galpha(o) signaling in Xenopus oocytes indicates that RGS11 x Gbeta(5)-mediated GTPase acceleration in this system requires co-expression of R9AP. The results provide new insight into the regulation of mGluR6-Galpha(o) signaling by the RGS11 x Gbeta(5) x R9AP complex and establish R9AP as a general GTPase-accelerating protein activity regulator of R7 RGS complexes.
Protein-protein interaction network-based detection of functionally similar proteins within species.
Song, Baoxing; Wang, Fen; Guo, Yang; Sang, Qing; Liu, Min; Li, Dengyun; Fang, Wei; Zhang, Deli
Although functionally similar proteins across species have been widely studied, functionally similar proteins within species showing low sequence similarity have not been examined in detail. Identification of these proteins is of significant importance for understanding biological functions, evolution of protein families, progression of co-evolution, and convergent evolution and others which cannot be obtained by detection of functionally similar proteins across species. Here, we explored a method of detecting functionally similar proteins within species based on graph theory. After denoting protein-protein interaction networks using graphs, we split the graphs into subgraphs using the 1-hop method. Proteins with functional similarities in a species were detected using a method of modified shortest path to compare these subgraphs and to find the eligible optimal results. Using seven protein-protein interaction networks and this method, some functionally similar proteins with low sequence similarity that cannot detected by sequence alignment were identified. By analyzing the results, we found that, sometimes, it is difficult to separate homologous from convergent evolution. Evaluation of the performance of our method by gene ontology term overlap showed that the precision of our method was excellent.
High throughput protein-protein interaction data: clues for the architecture of protein complexes
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Pang Chi
Full Text Available Abstract Background High-throughput techniques are becoming widely used to study protein-protein interactions and protein complexes on a proteome-wide scale. Here we have explored the potential of these techniques to accurately determine the constituent proteins of complexes and their architecture within the complex. Results Two-dimensional representations of the 19S and 20S proteasome, mediator, and SAGA complexes were generated and overlaid with high quality pairwise interaction data, core-module-attachment classifications from affinity purifications of complexes and predicted domain-domain interactions. Pairwise interaction data could accurately determine the members of each complex, but was unexpectedly poor at deciphering the topology of proteins in complexes. Core and module data from affinity purification studies were less useful for accurately defining the member proteins of these complexes. However, these data gave strong information on the spatial proximity of many proteins. Predicted domain-domain interactions provided some insight into the topology of proteins within complexes, but was affected by a lack of available structural data for the co-activator complexes and the presence of shared domains in paralogous proteins. Conclusion The constituent proteins of complexes are likely to be determined with accuracy by combining data from high-throughput techniques. The topology of some proteins in the complexes will be able to be clearly inferred. We finally suggest strategies that can be employed to use high throughput interaction data to define the membership and understand the architecture of proteins in novel complexes.
Human cancer protein-protein interaction network: a structural perspective.
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Gozde Kar
Full Text Available Protein-protein interaction networks provide a global picture of cellular function and biological processes. Some proteins act as hub proteins, highly connected to others, whereas some others have few interactions. The dysfunction of some interactions causes many diseases, including cancer. Proteins interact through their interfaces. Therefore, studying the interface properties of cancer-related proteins will help explain their role in the interaction networks. Similar or overlapping binding sites should be used repeatedly in single interface hub proteins, making them promiscuous. Alternatively, multi-interface hub proteins make use of several distinct binding sites to bind to different partners. We propose a methodology to integrate protein interfaces into cancer interaction networks (ciSPIN, cancer structural protein interface network. The interactions in the human protein interaction network are replaced by interfaces, coming from either known or predicted complexes. We provide a detailed analysis of cancer related human protein-protein interfaces and the topological properties of the cancer network. The results reveal that cancer-related proteins have smaller, more planar, more charged and less hydrophobic binding sites than non-cancer proteins, which may indicate low affinity and high specificity of the cancer-related interactions. We also classified the genes in ciSPIN according to phenotypes. Within phenotypes, for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and leukemia, interface properties were found to be discriminating from non-cancer interfaces with an accuracy of 71%, 67%, 61%, respectively. In addition, cancer-related proteins tend to interact with their partners through distinct interfaces, corresponding mostly to multi-interface hubs, which comprise 56% of cancer-related proteins, and constituting the nodes with higher essentiality in the network (76%. We illustrate the interface related affinity properties of two cancer-related hub
Mathematical methods for protein science
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hart, W.; Istrail, S.; Atkins, J. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Understanding the structure and function of proteins is a fundamental endeavor in molecular biology. Currently, over 100,000 protein sequences have been determined by experimental methods. The three dimensional structure of the protein determines its function, but there are currently less than 4,000 structures known to atomic resolution. Accordingly, techniques to predict protein structure from sequence have an important role in aiding the understanding of the Genome and the effects of mutations in genetic disease. The authors describe current efforts at Sandia to better understand the structure of proteins through rigorous mathematical analyses of simple lattice models. The efforts have focused on two aspects of protein science: mathematical structure prediction, and inverse protein folding.
Pentatricopeptide repeat proteins in plants.
Barkan, Alice; Small, Ian
Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins constitute one of the largest protein families in land plants, with more than 400 members in most species. Over the past decade, much has been learned about the molecular functions of these proteins, where they act in the cell, and what physiological roles they play during plant growth and development. A typical PPR protein is targeted to mitochondria or chloroplasts, binds one or several organellar transcripts, and influences their expression by altering RNA sequence, turnover, processing, or translation. Their combined action has profound effects on organelle biogenesis and function and, consequently, on photosynthesis, respiration, plant development, and environmental responses. Recent breakthroughs in understanding how PPR proteins recognize RNA sequences through modular base-specific contacts will help match proteins to potential binding sites and provide a pathway toward designing synthetic RNA-binding proteins aimed at desired targets.
Rat myocardial protein degradation.
Steer, J H; Hopkins, B E
1. Myocardial protein degradation rates were determined by following tyrosine release from rat isolated left hemi-atria in vitro. 2. After two 20 min preincubations the rate of tyrosine release from hemi-atria was constant for 4 h. 3. Skeletal muscle protein degradation was determined by following tyrosine release from rat isolated hemi-diaphragm (Fulks, Li & Goldberg, 1975). 4. Insulin (10(-7) M) inhibited tyrosine release from hemi-atria and hemi-diaphragm to a similar extent. A 48 h fast increased tyrosine release rate from hemi-diaphragm and decreased tyrosine release rate from hemi-atria. Hemi-diaphragm tyrosine release was inhibited by 15 mmol/l D-glucose but a variety of concentrations of D-glucose (0, 5, 15 mmol/l) had no effect on tyrosine release from hemi-atria. Five times the normal plasma levels of the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine had no effect on tyrosine release from either hemi-atria or hemi-diaphragm.
Introduction to protein crystallization.
McPherson, Alexander; Gavira, Jose A
Protein crystallization was discovered by chance about 150 years ago and was developed in the late 19th century as a powerful purification tool and as a demonstration of chemical purity. The crystallization of proteins, nucleic acids and large biological complexes, such as viruses, depends on the creation of a solution that is supersaturated in the macromolecule but exhibits conditions that do not significantly perturb its natural state. Supersaturation is produced through the addition of mild precipitating agents such as neutral salts or polymers, and by the manipulation of various parameters that include temperature, ionic strength and pH. Also important in the crystallization process are factors that can affect the structural state of the macromolecule, such as metal ions, inhibitors, cofactors or other conventional small molecules. A variety of approaches have been developed that combine the spectrum of factors that effect and promote crystallization, and among the most widely used are vapor diffusion, dialysis, batch and liquid-liquid diffusion. Successes in macromolecular crystallization have multiplied rapidly in recent years owing to the advent of practical, easy-to-use screening kits and the application of laboratory robotics. A brief review will be given here of the most popular methods, some guiding principles and an overview of current technologies.
Bioactive proteins from pipefishes
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
E. Rethna Priya; S. Ravichandran; R. Ezhilmathi
Objective: To screen antimicrobial potence of some pipefish species collected from Tuticorin coastal environment.Methods:Antimicrobial activity of pipefishes in methanol extract was investigated against 10 bacterial and 10 fungal human pathogenic strains.Results:Among the tested strains, in Centriscus scutatus, pipefish showed maximum zone of inhibition against Vibrio cholerae (8 mm) and minimum in the sample of Hippichthys cyanospilos against Klebseilla pneumoniae (2 mm). In positive control, maximum zone of inhibition was recorded in Vibrio cholerae (9 mm) and minimum in Klebseilla pneumoniae, and Salmonella paratyphi (5 mm). Chemical investigation indicated the presence of peptides as evidenced by ninhydrin positive spots on thin layer chromatography and presence of peptide. In SDS PAGE, in Centriscus scutatus, four bands were detected in the gel that represented the presence of proteins in the range nearly 25.8-75 kDa. In Hippichthys cyanospilos, five bands were detected in the gel that represented the presence of proteins in the range nearly 20.5-78 kDa. The result of FT-IR spectrum revealed that the pipe fishes extracts compriseed to have peptide derivatives as their predominant chemical groups.Conclusions:It can be conclude that this present investigation suggests the tested pipe fishes will be a potential source of natural bioactive compounds.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bachovchin, W.W.; Unkefer, C.J.
Advances in magnetic resonance and vibrational spectroscopy make it possible to derive detailed structural information about biomolecular structures in solution. These techniques are critically dependent on the availability of labeled compounds. For example, NMR techniques used today to derive peptide and protein structures require uniformity {sup 13}C-and {sup 15}N-labeled samples that are derived biosynthetically from (U-6-{sup 13}C) glucose. These experiments are possible now because, during the 1970s, the National Stable Isotope Resource developed algal methods for producing (U-6-{sup 13}C) glucose. If NMR techniques are to be used to study larger proteins, we will need sophisticated labelling patterns in amino acids that employ a combination of {sup 2}H, {sup 13}C, and {sup 15}N labeling. The availability of these specifically labeled amino acids requires a renewed investment in new methods for chemical synthesis of labeled amino acids. The development of new magnetic resonance or vibrational techniques to elucidate biomolecular structure will be seriously impeded if we do not see rapid progress in labeling technology. Investment in labeling chemistry is as important as investment in the development of advanced spectroscopic tools.
Protein Chemical Shift Prediction
Larsen, Anders S
The protein chemical shifts holds a large amount of information about the 3-dimensional structure of the protein. A number of chemical shift predictors based on the relationship between structures resolved with X-ray crystallography and the corresponding experimental chemical shifts have been developed. These empirical predictors are very accurate on X-ray structures but tends to be insensitive to small structural changes. To overcome this limitation it has been suggested to make chemical shift predictors based on quantum mechanical(QM) calculations. In this thesis the development of the QM derived chemical shift predictor Procs14 is presented. Procs14 is based on 2.35 million density functional theory(DFT) calculations on tripeptides and contains corrections for hydrogen bonding, ring current and the effect of the previous and following residue. Procs14 is capable at performing predictions for the 13CA, 13CB, 13CO, 15NH, 1HN and 1HA backbone atoms. In order to benchmark Procs14, a number of QM NMR calculatio...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nicola Franscini
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Prions are known to cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE after accumulation in the central nervous system. There is increasing evidence that prions are also present in body fluids and that prion infection by blood transmission is possible. The low concentration of the proteinaceous agent in body fluids and its long incubation time complicate epidemiologic analysis and estimation of spreading and thus the risk of human infection. This situation is particularly unsatisfactory for food and pharmaceutical industries, given the lack of sensitive tools for monitoring the infectious agent. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have developed an adsorption matrix, Alicon PrioTrap, which binds with high affinity and specificity to prion proteins. Thus we were able to identify prion protein (PrP(C--the precursor of prions (PrP(Sc--in milk from humans, cows, sheep, and goats. The absolute amount of PrP(C differs between the species (from microg/l range in sheep to ng/l range in human milk. PrP(C is also found in homogenised and pasteurised off-the-shelf milk, and even ultrahigh temperature treatment only partially diminishes endogenous PrP(C concentration. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In view of a recent study showing evidence of prion replication occurring in the mammary gland of scrapie infected sheep suffering from mastitis, the appearance of PrP(C in milk implies the possibility that milk of TSE-infected animals serves as source for PrP(Sc.
Zeuthen, Thomas
Transport through lipids and aquaporins is osmotic and entirely driven by the difference in osmotic pressure. Water transport in cotransporters and uniporters is different: Water can be cotransported, energized by coupling to the substrate flux by a mechanism closely associated with protein. In the K(+)/Cl(-) and the Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporters, water is entirely cotransported, while water transport in glucose uniporters and Na(+)-coupled transporters of nutrients and neurotransmitters takes place by both osmosis and cotransport. The molecular mechanism behind cotransport of water is not clear. It is associated with the substrate movements in aqueous pathways within the protein; a conventional unstirred layer mechanism can be ruled out, due to high rates of diffusion in the cytoplasm. The physiological roles of the various modes of water transport are reviewed in relation to epithelial transport. Epithelial water transport is energized by the movements of ions, but how the coupling takes place is uncertain. All epithelia can transport water uphill against an osmotic gradient, which is hard to explain by simple osmosis. Furthermore, genetic removal of aquaporins has not given support to osmosis as the exclusive mode of transport. Water cotransport can explain the coupling between ion and water transport, a major fraction of transepithelial water transport and uphill water transport. Aquaporins enhance water transport by utilizing osmotic gradients and cause the osmolarity of the transportate to approach isotonicity.
An intravascular protein osmometer.
Henson, J W; Brace, R A
Our purpose was to develop an intravascular osmometer for measuring the colloid (i.e., protein) osmotic pressure (COP) of circulating blood. A semipermeable hollow fiber from a Cordis Dow artificial kidney (C-DAK 4000) was attached to polyethylene tubing on one end, filled with saline, and sealed at the other end. This was small enough to be inserted into the vasculature of research animals. Protein osmotic pressure plus hydrostatic pressure was measured by a Statham pressure transducer attached to the hollow fiber. Simultaneously, a second catheter and transducer was used to measure hydrostatic pressure, which was subtracted from the pressure measured from the fiber with an on-line computer. The system was documented by a variety of tests. The colloid osmotic pressure vs. albumin concentration curve determined with the fiber is identical to the curve determined by standard membrane osmometry. The time constant for 2- and 8-cm fibers was 2.6 +/- 0.6 and 1.5 +/- 0.5 (+/- SD) min, respectively. The reflection coefficient (+/- SD) of the fiber for NaCl is 0.042 +/- 0.019 (n = 38); COP measured at varying temperatures (absolute scale) changed linearly as expected from COP = nCRT (i.e., van't Hoff's law). Finally, hollow-fiber osmometers were inserted into femoral veins of dogs and sheep, and blood COP was continuously recorded during osmotic manipulations. In conclusion, we attempted to develop and document a simple method for continuous measurement of intravascular colloid osmotic pressure.
Protein-protein interaction based on pairwise similarity
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Zaki Nazar
Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein-protein interaction (PPI is essential to most biological processes. Abnormal interactions may have implications in a number of neurological syndromes. Given that the association and dissociation of protein molecules is crucial, computational tools capable of effectively identifying PPI are desirable. In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective method to detect PPI based on pairwise similarity and using only the primary structure of the protein. The PPI based on Pairwise Similarity (PPI-PS method consists of a representation of each protein sequence by a vector of pairwise similarities against large subsequences of amino acids created by a shifting window which passes over concatenated protein training sequences. Each coordinate of this vector is typically the E-value of the Smith-Waterman score. These vectors are then used to compute the kernel matrix which will be exploited in conjunction with support vector machines. Results To assess the ability of the proposed method to recognize the difference between "interacted" and "non-interacted" proteins pairs, we applied it on different datasets from the available yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae protein interaction. The proposed method achieved reasonable improvement over the existing state-of-the-art methods for PPI prediction. Conclusion Pairwise similarity score provides a relevant measure of similarity between protein sequences. This similarity incorporates biological knowledge about proteins and it is extremely powerful when combined with support vector machine to predict PPI.
General introduction: recombinant protein production and purification of insoluble proteins.
Ferrer-Miralles, Neus; Saccardo, Paolo; Corchero, José Luis; Xu, Zhikun; García-Fruitós, Elena
Proteins are synthesized in heterologous systems because of the impossibility to obtain satisfactory yields from natural sources. The production of soluble and functional recombinant proteins is among the main goals in the biotechnological field. In this context, it is important to point out that under stress conditions, protein folding machinery is saturated and this promotes protein misfolding and, consequently, protein aggregation. Thus, the selection of the optimal expression organism and the most appropriate growth conditions to minimize the formation of insoluble proteins should be done according to the protein characteristics and downstream requirements. Escherichia coli is the most popular recombinant protein expression system despite the great development achieved so far by eukaryotic expression systems. Besides, other prokaryotic expression systems, such as lactic acid bacteria and psychrophilic bacteria, are gaining interest in this field. However, it is worth mentioning that prokaryotic expression system poses, in many cases, severe restrictions for a successful heterologous protein production. Thus, eukaryotic systems such as mammalian cells, insect cells, yeast, filamentous fungus, and microalgae are an interesting alternative for the production of these difficult-to-express proteins.
Bioinformatic Prediction of WSSV-Host Protein-Protein Interaction
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Zheng Sun
Full Text Available WSSV is one of the most dangerous pathogens in shrimp aquaculture. However, the molecular mechanism of how WSSV interacts with shrimp is still not very clear. In the present study, bioinformatic approaches were used to predict interactions between proteins from WSSV and shrimp. The genome data of WSSV (NC_003225.1 and the constructed transcriptome data of F. chinensis were used to screen potentially interacting proteins by searching in protein interaction databases, including STRING, Reactome, and DIP. Forty-four pairs of proteins were suggested to have interactions between WSSV and the shrimp. Gene ontology analysis revealed that 6 pairs of these interacting proteins were classified into "extracellular region" or "receptor complex" GO-terms. KEGG pathway analysis showed that they were involved in the "ECM-receptor interaction pathway." In the 6 pairs of interacting proteins, an envelope protein called "collagen-like protein" (WSSV-CLP encoded by an early virus gene "wsv001" in WSSV interacted with 6 deduced proteins from the shrimp, including three integrin alpha (ITGA, two integrin beta (ITGB, and one syndecan (SDC. Sequence analysis on WSSV-CLP, ITGA, ITGB, and SDC revealed that they possessed the sequence features for protein-protein interactions. This study might provide new insights into the interaction mechanisms between WSSV and shrimp.
Protein-protein interaction network of celiac disease
Zamanian Azodi, Mona; Peyvandi, Hassan; Rostami-Nejad, Mohammad; Safaei, Akram; Rostami, Kamran; Vafaee, Reza; Heidari, Mohammadhossein; Hosseini, Mostafa; Zali, Mohammad Reza
Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the Protein-Protein Interaction Network of Celiac Disease. Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease with susceptibility of individuals to gluten of wheat, rye and barley. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and involved pathway may lead to the development of drug target discovery. The protein interaction network is one of the supportive fields to discover the pathogenesis biomarkers for celiac disease. Material and methods: In the present study, we collected the articles that focused on the proteomic data in celiac disease. According to the gene expression investigations of these articles, 31 candidate proteins were selected for this study. The networks of related differentially expressed protein were explored using Cytoscape 3.3 and the PPI analysis methods such as MCODE and ClueGO. Results: According to the network analysis Ubiquitin C, Heat shock protein 90kDa alpha (cytosolic and Grp94); class A, B and 1 member, Heat shock 70kDa protein, and protein 5 (glucose-regulated protein, 78kDa), T-complex, Chaperon in containing TCP1; subunit 7 (beta) and subunit 4 (delta) and subunit 2 (beta), have been introduced as hub-bottlnecks proteins. HSP90AA1, MKKS, EZR, HSPA14, APOB and CAD have been determined as seed proteins. Conclusion: Chaperons have a bold presentation in curtail area in network therefore these key proteins beside the other hub-bottlneck proteins may be a suitable candidates biomarker panel for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment processes in celiac disease. PMID:27895852
HENKENS, CMA; VANDERMEER, J; HILLEGE, JL; BOM, VJJ; HALIE, MR; van der Schaaf, W
We investigated 103 first-degree relatives of 13 unrelated protein C or protein S deficient patients to assess the role of additional thrombotic risk factors and of protein C and protein S levels in the clinical expression of hereditary protein C and protein S deficiency. Fifty-seven relatives were
Protein-water dynamics in antifreeze protein III activity
Xu, Yao; Bäumer, Alexander; Meister, Konrad; Bischak, Connor G.; DeVries, Arthur L.; Leitner, David M.; Havenith, Martina
We combine Terahertz absorption spectroscopy (THz) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism for the antifreeze activity of one class of antifreeze protein, antifreeze protein type III (AFP-III) with a focus on the collective water hydrogen bond dynamics near the protein. After summarizing our previous work on AFPs, we present a new investigation of the effects of cosolutes on protein antifreeze activity by adding sodium citrate to the protein solution of AFP-III. Our results reveal that for AFP-III, unlike some other AFPs, the addition of the osmolyte sodium citrate does not affect the hydrogen bond dynamics at the protein surface significantly, as indicated by concentration dependent THz measurements. The present data, in combination with our previous THz measurements and molecular simulations, confirm that while long-range solvent perturbation is a necessary condition for the antifreeze activity of AFP-III, the local binding affinity determines the size of the hysteresis.
Expanding coordination chemistry from protein to protein assembly.
Sanghamitra, Nusrat J M; Ueno, Takafumi
Bioinorganic chemistry is of growing importance in the fields of nanomaterial science and biotechnology. Coordination of metals by biological systems is a crucial step in intricate enzymatic reactions such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and biomineralization. Although such systems employ protein assemblies as molecular scaffolds, the important roles of protein assemblies in coordination chemistry have not been systematically investigated and characterized. Many researchers are joining the field of bioinorganic chemistry to investigate the inorganic chemistry of protein assemblies. This area is emerging as an important next-generation research field in bioinorganic chemistry. This article reviews recent progress in rational design of protein assemblies in coordination chemistry for integration of catalytic reactions using metal complexes, preparation of mineral biomimetics, and mechanistic investigations of biomineralization processes with protein assemblies. The unique chemical properties of protein assemblies in the form of cages, tubes, and crystals are described in this review.
Neurocognitive derivation of protein surface property from protein aggregate parameters
Mishra, Hrishikesh; Lahiri, Tapobrata
Current work targeted to predicate parametric relationship between aggregate and individual property of a protein. In this approach, we considered individual property of a protein as its Surface Roughness Index (SRI) which was shown to have potential to classify SCOP protein families. The bulk property was however considered as Intensity Level based Multi-fractal Dimension (ILMFD) of ordinary microscopic images of heat denatured protein aggregates which was known to have potential to serve as protein marker. The protocol used multiple ILMFD inputs obtained for a protein to produce a set of mapped outputs as possible SRI candidates. The outputs were further clustered and largest cluster centre after normalization was found to be a close approximation of expected SRI that was calculated from known PDB structure. The outcome showed that faster derivation of individual protein's surface property might be possible using its bulk form, heat denatured aggregates. PMID:21572883
Mitochondrial nucleoid interacting proteins support mitochondrial protein synthesis.
He, J; Cooper, H M; Reyes, A; Di Re, M; Sembongi, H; Litwin, T R; Gao, J; Neuman, K C; Fearnley, I M; Spinazzola, A; Walker, J E; Holt, I J
Mitochondrial ribosomes and translation factors co-purify with mitochondrial nucleoids of human cells, based on affinity protein purification of tagged mitochondrial DNA binding proteins. Among the most frequently identified proteins were ATAD3 and prohibitin, which have been identified previously as nucleoid components, using a variety of methods. Both proteins are demonstrated to be required for mitochondrial protein synthesis in human cultured cells, and the major binding partner of ATAD3 is the mitochondrial ribosome. Altered ATAD3 expression also perturbs mtDNA maintenance and replication. These findings suggest an intimate association between nucleoids and the machinery of protein synthesis in mitochondria. ATAD3 and prohibitin are tightly associated with the mitochondrial membranes and so we propose that they support nucleic acid complexes at the inner membrane of the mitochondrion.
Enhanced protein production by engineered zinc finger proteins.
Reik, Andreas; Zhou, Yuanyue; Collingwood, Trevor N; Warfe, Lyndon; Bartsevich, Victor; Kong, Yanhong; Henning, Karla A; Fallentine, Barrett K; Zhang, Lei; Zhong, Xiaohong; Jouvenot, Yann; Jamieson, Andrew C; Rebar, Edward J; Case, Casey C; Korman, Alan; Li, Xiao-Yong; Black, Amelia; King, David J; Gregory, Philip D
Increasing the yield of therapeutic proteins from mammalian production cell lines reduces costs and decreases the time to market. To this end, we engineered a zinc finger protein transcription factor (ZFP TF) that binds a DNA sequence within the promoter driving transgene expression. This ZFP TF enabled >100% increase in protein yield from CHO cells in transient, stable, and fermentor production run settings. Expression vectors engineered to carry up to 10 ZFP binding sites further enhanced ZFP-mediated increases in protein production up to approximately 500%. The multimerized ZFP binding sites function independently of the promoter, and therefore across vector platforms. CHO cell lines stably expressing ZFP TFs demonstrated growth characteristics similar to parental cell lines. ZFP TF expression and gains in protein production were stable over >30 generations in the absence of antibiotic selection. Our results demonstrate that ZFP TFs can rapidly and stably increase protein production in mammalian cells.
Proteins interacting with cloning scars: a source of false positive protein-protein interactions.
Banks, Charles A S; Boanca, Gina; Lee, Zachary T; Florens, Laurence; Washburn, Michael P
A common approach for exploring the interactome, the network of protein-protein interactions in cells, uses a commercially available ORF library to express affinity tagged bait proteins; these can be expressed in cells and endogenous cellular proteins that copurify with the bait can be identified as putative interacting proteins using mass spectrometry. Control experiments can be used to limit false-positive results, but in many cases, there are still a surprising number of prey proteins that appear to copurify specifically with the bait. Here, we have identified one source of false-positive interactions in such studies. We have found that a combination of: 1) the variable sequence of the C-terminus of the bait with 2) a C-terminal valine "cloning scar" present in a commercially available ORF library, can in some cases create a peptide motif that results in the aberrant co-purification of endogenous cellular proteins. Control experiments may not identify false positives resulting from such artificial motifs, as aberrant binding depends on sequences that vary from one bait to another. It is possible that such cryptic protein binding might occur in other systems using affinity tagged proteins; this study highlights the importance of conducting careful follow-up studies where novel protein-protein interactions are suspected.
Information assessment on predicting protein-protein interactions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gerstein Mark
Full Text Available Abstract Background Identifying protein-protein interactions is fundamental for understanding the molecular machinery of the cell. Proteome-wide studies of protein-protein interactions are of significant value, but the high-throughput experimental technologies suffer from high rates of both false positive and false negative predictions. In addition to high-throughput experimental data, many diverse types of genomic data can help predict protein-protein interactions, such as mRNA expression, localization, essentiality, and functional annotation. Evaluations of the information contributions from different evidences help to establish more parsimonious models with comparable or better prediction accuracy, and to obtain biological insights of the relationships between protein-protein interactions and other genomic information. Results Our assessment is based on the genomic features used in a Bayesian network approach to predict protein-protein interactions genome-wide in yeast. In the special case, when one does not have any missing information about any of the features, our analysis shows that there is a larger information contribution from the functional-classification than from expression correlations or essentiality. We also show that in this case alternative models, such as logistic regression and random forest, may be more effective than Bayesian networks for predicting interactions. Conclusions In the restricted problem posed by the complete-information subset, we identified that the MIPS and Gene Ontology (GO functional similarity datasets as the dominating information contributors for predicting the protein-protein interactions under the framework proposed by Jansen et al. Random forests based on the MIPS and GO information alone can give highly accurate classifications. In this particular subset of complete information, adding other genomic data does little for improving predictions. We also found that the data discretizations used in the
Proteins, exons and molecular evolution.
Holland, S K; Blake, C C
The discovery of the eukaryotic gene structure has prompted research into the potential relationship between protein structure and function and the corresponding exon/intron patterns. The exon shuffling hypothesis put forward by Gilbert and Blake suggests the encodement of structural and functional protein elements by exons which can recombine to create novel proteins. This provides an explanation for the relatively rapid evolution of proteins from a few primordial molecules. As the number of gene and protein structures increases, evidence of exon shuffling is becoming more apparent and examples are presented both from modern multi-domain proteins and ancient proteins. Recent work into the chemical properties and catalytic functions of RNA have led to hypotheses based upon the early existence of RNA. These theories suggest that the split gene structure originated in the primordial soup as a result of random RNA synthesis. Stable regions of RNA, or exons, were utilised as primitive enzymes. In response to selective pressures for information storage, the activity was directly transferred from the RNA enzymes or ribozymes, to proteins. These short polypeptides fused together to create larger proteins with a wide range of functions. Recent research into RNA processing and exon size, discussed in this review, provides a clearer insight into the evolutionary development of the gene and protein structure.
Protein Adaptations in Archaeal Extremophiles
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christopher J. Reed
Full Text Available Extremophiles, especially those in Archaea, have a myriad of adaptations that keep their cellular proteins stable and active under the extreme conditions in which they live. Rather than having one basic set of adaptations that works for all environments, Archaea have evolved separate protein features that are customized for each environment. We categorized the Archaea into three general groups to describe what is known about their protein adaptations: thermophilic, psychrophilic, and halophilic. Thermophilic proteins tend to have a prominent hydrophobic core and increased electrostatic interactions to maintain activity at high temperatures. Psychrophilic proteins have a reduced hydrophobic core and a less charged protein surface to maintain flexibility and activity under cold temperatures. Halophilic proteins are characterized by increased negative surface charge due to increased acidic amino acid content and peptide insertions, which compensates for the extreme ionic conditions. While acidophiles, alkaliphiles, and piezophiles are their own class of Archaea, their protein adaptations toward pH and pressure are less discernible. By understanding the protein adaptations used by archaeal extremophiles, we hope to be able to engineer and utilize proteins for industrial, environmental, and biotechnological applications where function in extreme conditions is required for activity.
Protein stability, flexibility and function
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Teilum, Kaare; Olsen, Johan G; Kragelund, Birthe B
Proteins rely on flexibility to respond to environmental changes, ligand binding and chemical modifications. Potentially, a perturbation that changes the flexibility of a protein may interfere with its function. Millions of mutations have been performed on thousands of proteins in quests for a de......Proteins rely on flexibility to respond to environmental changes, ligand binding and chemical modifications. Potentially, a perturbation that changes the flexibility of a protein may interfere with its function. Millions of mutations have been performed on thousands of proteins in quests...... for a delineation of the molecular details of their function. Several of these mutations interfered with the binding of a specific ligand with a concomitant effect on the stability of the protein scaffold. It has been ambiguous and not straightforward to recognize if any relationships exist between the stability...... of a protein and the affinity for its ligand. In this review, we present examples of proteins where changes in stability results in changes in affinity and of proteins where stability and affinity are uncorrelated. We discuss the possibility for a relationship between stability and binding. From the data...
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Risør, Michael Wulff
, underlining the importance of understanding this relationship. The monomeric C-36 peptide was investigated by liquid-state NMR spectroscopy and found to be intrinsically disordered with minor propensities towards β-sheet structure. The plasticity of such a peptide makes it suitable for a whole range......, is a general hallmark. They also include the α1-antitrypsin deficiency, where disease-causing mutations in the serine protease inhibitor, α1-antitrypsin (α1AT), leads to accumulation of the aberrant protein in the liver of these patients. The native metastable structure of α1AT constitutes a molecular trap...... of this mechanism were investigated through a series of interaction experiments. Despite a very buried location in the native structure, evidence here suggest that the C-terminal tail is labile under slightly destabilizing conditions, providing new detail to this matter. A small infectious polymer unit was also...
Exploring the repeat protein universe through computational protein design.
Brunette, T J; Parmeggiani, Fabio; Huang, Po-Ssu; Bhabha, Gira; Ekiert, Damian C; Tsutakawa, Susan E; Hura, Greg L; Tainer, John A; Baker, David
A central question in protein evolution is the extent to which naturally occurring proteins sample the space of folded structures accessible to the polypeptide chain. Repeat proteins composed of multiple tandem copies of a modular structure unit are widespread in nature and have critical roles in molecular recognition, signalling, and other essential biological processes. Naturally occurring repeat proteins have been re-engineered for molecular recognition and modular scaffolding applications. Here we use computational protein design to investigate the space of folded structures that can be generated by tandem repeating a simple helix-loop-helix-loop structural motif. Eighty-three designs with sequences unrelated to known repeat proteins were experimentally characterized. Of these, 53 are monomeric and stable at 95 °C, and 43 have solution X-ray scattering spectra consistent with the design models. Crystal structures of 15 designs spanning a broad range of curvatures are in close agreement with the design models with root mean square deviations ranging from 0.7 to 2.5 Å. Our results show that existing repeat proteins occupy only a small fraction of the possible repeat protein sequence and structure space and that it is possible to design novel repeat proteins with precisely specified geometries, opening up a wide array of new possibilities for biomolecular engineering.
Hydration of proteins: excess partial volumes of water and proteins.
Sirotkin, Vladimir A; Komissarov, Igor A; Khadiullina, Aigul V
High precision densitometry was applied to study the hydration of proteins. The hydration process was analyzed by the simultaneous monitoring of the excess partial volumes of water and the proteins in the entire range of water content. Five unrelated proteins (lysozyme, chymotrypsinogen A, ovalbumin, human serum albumin, and β-lactoglobulin) were used as models. The obtained data were compared with the excess partial enthalpies of water and the proteins. It was shown that the excess partial quantities are very sensitive to the changes in the state of water and proteins. At the lowest water weight fractions (w(1)), the changes of the excess functions can mainly be attributed to water addition. A transition from the glassy to the flexible state of the proteins is accompanied by significant changes in the excess partial quantities of water and the proteins. This transition appears at a water weight fraction of 0.06 when charged groups of proteins are covered. Excess partial quantities reach their fully hydrated values at w(1) > 0.5 when coverage of both polar and weakly interacting surface elements is complete. At the highest water contents, water addition has no significant effect on the excess quantities. At w(1) > 0.5, changes in the excess functions can solely be attributed to changes in the state of the proteins.
Versatile protein tagging in cells with split fluorescent protein
Kamiyama, Daichi; Sekine, Sayaka; Barsi-Rhyne, Benjamin; Hu, Jeffrey; Chen, Baohui; Gilbert, Luke A.; Ishikawa, Hiroaki; Leonetti, Manuel D.; Marshall, Wallace F.; Weissman, Jonathan S.; Huang, Bo
In addition to the popular method of fluorescent protein fusion, live cell protein imaging has now seen more and more application of epitope tags. The small size of these tags may reduce functional perturbation and enable signal amplification. To address their background issue, we adapt self-complementing split fluorescent proteins as epitope tags for live cell protein labelling. The two tags, GFP11 and sfCherry11 are derived from the eleventh β-strand of super-folder GFP and sfCherry, respec...
Noninvasive imaging of protein-protein interactions in living animals
Luker, Gary D.; Sharma, Vijay; Pica, Christina M.; Dahlheimer, Julie L.; Li, Wei; Ochesky, Joseph; Ryan, Christine E.; Piwnica-Worms, Helen; Piwnica-Worms, David
Protein-protein interactions control transcription, cell division, and cell proliferation as well as mediate signal transduction, oncogenic transformation, and regulation of cell death. Although a variety of methods have been used to investigate protein interactions in vitro and in cultured cells, none can analyze these interactions in intact, living animals. To enable noninvasive molecular imaging of protein-protein interactions in vivo by positron-emission tomography and fluorescence imaging, we engineered a fusion reporter gene comprising a mutant herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase and green fluorescent protein for readout of a tetracycline-inducible, two-hybrid system in vivo. By using micro-positron-emission tomography, interactions between p53 tumor suppressor and the large T antigen of simian virus 40 were visualized in tumor xenografts of HeLa cells stably transfected with the imaging constructs. Imaging protein-binding partners in vivo will enable functional proteomics in whole animals and provide a tool for screening compounds targeted to specific protein-protein interactions in living animals.
High throughput recombinant protein production of fungal secreted proteins
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Vala, Andrea Lages Lino; Roth, Doris; Grell, Morten Nedergaard
a high-throughput protein production system with a special focus on fungal secreted proteins. We use a ligation independent cloning to clone target genes into expression vectors for E. coli and P. pastoris and a small scale test expression to identify constructs producing soluble protein. Expressed...... interaction), between fungi of the order Entomophthorales and aphids (pathogenic interaction), and in the mycoparasitic interaction between the oomycetes Pythium oligandrum and P. ultimum. In general, the high-throughput protein production system can lead to a better understanding of fungal/host interactions...
Protein Hormones and Immunity‡
Kelley, Keith W.; Weigent, Douglas A.; Kooijman, Ron
A number of observations and discoveries over the past 20 years support the concept of important physiological interactions between the endocrine and immune systems. The best known pathway for transmission of information from the immune system to the neuroendocrine system is humoral in the form of cytokines, although neural transmission via the afferent vagus is well documented also. In the other direction, efferent signals from the nervous system to the immune system are conveyed by both the neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous systems. Communication is possible because the nervous and immune systems share a common biochemical language involving shared ligands and receptors, including neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, growth factors, neuroendocrine hormones and cytokines. This means that the brain functions as an immune-regulating organ participating in immune responses. A great deal of evidence has accumulated and confirmed that hormones secreted by the neuroendocrine system play an important role in communication and regulation of the cells of the immune system. Among protein hormones, this has been most clearly documented for prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), but significant influences on immunity by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) have also been demonstrated. Here we review evidence obtained during the past 20 years to clearly demonstrate that neuroendocrine protein hormones influence immunity and that immune processes affect the neuroendocrine system. New findings highlight a previously undiscovered route of communication between the immune and endocrine systems that is now known to occur at the cellular level. This communication system is activated when inflammatory processes induced by proinflammatory cytokines antagonize the function of a variety of hormones, which then causes endocrine resistance in both the periphery and brain. Homeostasis during inflammation is achieved by a balance between cytokines and
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 210308 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ike protein Stanieria cyanosphaera PCC 7437 MSEPKAEAKRILETKDNLANVLPTAPEQQKPVSSAQALKERLDWGEPAFTIADARDRDSFNTERILGAVPIDSEETLGRLMNSLSTRRELYIYGDNDEQAQSAVEQFVSAGFENVSRLQGGLAGWKAISGPTEGRVA ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 159465487 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available 84 predicted protein Chlamydomonas reinhardtii MPPIHLLRLLFASALLFATWHVSRADDIASQASITTSDNIPQMKYFFLNEVTGATQLTDPGNTPYEDEQTGELYWLAEDGVTRLAQDPNRLRFAWIETYSPEAKRSFYFNQVTRESTWERPADLAWRRLRAEE ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 255083394 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available predicted protein Micromonas sp. RCC299 MKVLRKVKGKSRILIFVAVVALLSLALRKLKQDTKKHREILPWHQGGYEDHHGDLDGGFVPDRGVLGAVGAMRGGGGRDVGGESTSTSKVLDDGGVRDAPGGNRNIDDISHLVDDDDEDVLGVKDEAFAGMRDSREKASR ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 118077 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ical protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 9432 MNPNRVVIDTNVFISALLNPLGTPKKVINITVSQFTILQSEATYQELATRISKKKFDKYLEKDDRLDFLSSLRNRSLFVDISHETRVCSDLDDNKFLELAVSGMAQYIITGDNALLILNTYQGIPIITPAEFLVIF ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 118035 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ical protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7941 MNPNRVVIDTNVFISALLNPLGTPKKVINITVSQFTILQSEATYQELATRISKKKFDKYLEKDDRLDFLSSLRNRSLFVDISHETRVCSDLDDNKFLELAVSGMAQYIITGDKDLLILNTYQGIPIITPAEFLVIF ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 118042 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available tical protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 9809 MNPNRVVIDTNVFISALLNPLGTPKKVINIAVSQFTILQSEATYQELATRISKKKFDKYLEKDDRLDFLSSLRNRSLFVDISHETRVCSDLDDNKFLELAVSGMAQYIITGDKDLLILNTYQGIPIITPAEFLAIF ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 226491436 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available rized protein LOC100275991 Zea mays MSATLCFMGVARESLSLDAPVAAPKLGRERRSALASANSGPQCWRWRRGLAMRCQTGSTAAPFLRTEEAPAAASGARNAQAGFTIVMKFDGSSLASVERMREVAGLILSAGERTRLPLDRTEGKIHTTADRVRRKMAITEPI ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 308804025 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available unnamed protein product Ostreococcus tauri MACAGRGVLRLGALEGGSDVVFAATVRRDLNGTLAPLRGQREDVAIVVGDDAARLETNAARVTQSLRTRRAHAHVTPASGLGESSSSSSSTDFRTPSPRGPPPSCVVWSLSTLPCRSFRRDTCACASACASASA ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 308812394 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available unnamed protein product Ostreococcus tauri MGRHHTEYERAPPTRRVNARTWDDITQSTTPGCPAPRNIPRRPHPRASVTPPSHVDASTPRPNARTSARARGRERERERERASARSGGRSRAWRCKRGRGRGGGDRDRAHLFHRRRRRANERAIEANVEARCRC ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 255083122 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available predicted protein Micromonas sp. RCC299 MYASPALHRAVAFPKATKPAEASKAGRVATRAAAPEDKPAAAARPTGRRSFSVATLAAVVAAASAPDAALAFGSGIPGYDINEKARDAQRKAINDELAEQRELARKEKERRRLLKEAEEAEECARNPESCPAPAES ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 15227263 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available 93 putative protein kinase Arabidopsis thaliana MKLVLEGVDSFETLRVVGTFNCIDPDYVGSKRVTKKADVYAFEVILMELITGRKANYETLSVDEQNLVMWLRPKIKISTFLNLVDGTIATDKETIKRIKKIAKLAEYCTSQEVESRPLRASRTKSGNEVTSED ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 77417 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ntaining protein Acaryochloris marina MBIC11017 MRALLDTHTFLWWNTNDAQLSAAARQFIENSDHILLLSVVSVWEIVIKYKLGKLPLPESPEIYIPKRLEYYQFQILPVHLPHVLRIAHLAPHHNDSFDRLLIAQSQMEKLAIITVDKKIQQYSVEIIW ...
Vegetarian Choices in the Protein Foods Group
... choices Print Share Vegetarian choices in the Protein Foods Group Vegetarians get enough protein from this group as ... selected are adequate. Protein sources from the Protein Foods Group for vegetarians include eggs (for ovo-vegetarians), beans ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 159470013 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available KHMSEHGVLTEPYVVTFEASKDDCCLIMASDGVWDVMDGQEAVNRVMEVASEGKTAAQAAKMLVEEAVELGVKSPCGEADNTSAIVVFFA ... ...66 predicted protein Chlamydomonas reinhardtii MPHGARSAAGLAHAVCRLPQPQEGFSGTVNLKDAAHEDGYLQVVTGPWQGYELSVTRALGH
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 176329 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available etical protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 9432 MNNQVIRTDKAPAPVGPYNQAIAAPGPFLFVAGQIPLDPVTGEIVSGEISAQTEQVMANLEGILTAAGANWSNVVKTTVFLSDLANFGAMNQVYARYFPPETAPARACVEVARLPKDVLVEIECIAALA ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 426260 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available aining protein Nostoc sp. PCC 7524 MKAAEYLSSAAKSVNEIPGITEATILEYFATLNAGEFLATAALFAEDGVMYPPFESGIVGPDAIANYLQQEAQDIKADTHQGIVEPLDNQHIQVQVTGKAQTSWCSVNVLWIFILNQHKEIIDAKIKLLASPQELLALRRE ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 409390 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available protein Oscillatoria sp. PCC 6506 MESLNGFIALIGGILIGLSATLLLAFNGRIAGISGIVNGAIAFSKQEVWRWIFIVGMLLGGVIYEYGLAPQPTPTPALTPWAMTIGGFLVGFGTRMGGGCTSGHGVCGLGRLSMRSLVAVLTFMITAILTVFVVRHVLQLSI ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 426188 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available protein Microcoleus sp. PCC 7113 MTIAEDKSTTTPSATGVDWTIEGIDESVVWRYFQTMNAADYEGTAALFAPTGALHPPFEEPIEGKEAIATYLKAEAKGMQLFPREGIAEALEEDQIQIQVKGKVQTSLFGVNVAWIFILNPEREILYAQIKLLASPQELLNLRR ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 187027 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available domain protein Stanieria cyanosphaera PCC 7437 MRSQFITSIVFISAFIVLTLAGVKPVKTQLKQNSLQGCTTVYSFPVGGNLISKESESQINVREEPTVSAKVSDFGNQGEPIYVTQVFENNADGYCWYKVSFQSGAKGWVRGDFVSIFLASLAEAPLCSL ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 159472102 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available 4474 predicted protein, partial Chlamydomonas reinhardtii PPSPAPPSPEPGSPPPSPAPPSPQPPSPAPPSPEPGSPPPSPAPPSPKPPSPAPPSPEQPGSPPPSPPPPRPQPPSPAPPSPEPGSPPPSPAPPSPQPPSPAPPSPEPGSPPPSPAPTQP ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 301492 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available g protein Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 MPTPTYPKASLIIRERGLPKREVLLSPDRQWTIGRQLDCSIRLTDAYVSRLHAVINAFLFRGQPLYFIRDAHSRNGTFLNGFPLQHSTLLHHEDVIGVGTTLLVFYYPDMFREISLDECPELTKGSTDSLPWRS ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 15238919 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ve protein Arabidopsis thaliana MAGGIGKCSKIRHIVKLRQMLRQWRNKARMSSVRRSVPSDVPSGHVAVYVGRSCRRFVVLATYLNHPILMNLLVKAEEEFGFANQGPLVIPCEESVFEESIRFITRSSRFTCTDDLKKNRHGGIRSKLDLLMESRPLLHGVSEKAIIW ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 129527 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ing protein Oscillatoriales cyanobacterium JSC-12 MLLIDTSVWISVFRDRTGQVRQKLETLIDARDIFLTRFTQLKLLQGSLNEKEWTLLSTYLETQDYVEPVGNSWRAAARIYYDLRRRGLTVRSPIDCCIAQAALENDLLLIHNDRDFETIAQVRSLQHFRFQP ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 518319094 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available hypothetical protein Calothrix sp. PCC 7103 MKSGYPKNNNAYIELLKGFPPRPITSHEEFVATQKVIDSLIDKKGQLTRDEQDYLNILGTIVYEYEEKQVKIPDIYGIDLLKALLSELNLSTKDLIPIFKTESHVSNVLNGKIDLTVEDISKLANFFKISPAAFVKK
Protein (Viridiplantae): 224138986 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available icted protein Populus trichocarpa MALDIKTFETIIPSCFLSFTIPNPVLPTHLLRVAVLDSSIQFTESPQIATLLVSQTREPDWIFSTESGHLQLLLSSPEISQLILIGNNRINGSDSSLLTYHKRDNTQYVKSLENSLKPLFFALSPKVSVKDGIFDCSVLDDALIHLH ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 16889 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available mily protein Acaryochloris marina MBIC11017 MVDGQAAHLGTGWTFPIGVNTQGNLRFSAHAIRNIEESIAIVLGTKLGERVYRPEFGSRLSELTFAPMNTQTLLLIRLYVTEALQRWEPRIVLDGVYTEPDPIEGRVDITLEYHPKQTHDYRSLVYPFYLTPIT ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 159485290 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available predicted protein Chlamydomonas reinhardtii MADAGPASGAMAAGVAAAPAVAGETVVGARAGPSGSGGVAGVDMADAGPASGAMAAGVAAAAAV...AGETVVGARAGPSGSGGVAGVDMADAGPASGAMAAGVAAAAAVAGETVVGARAGPSGSGGVAGVDMADAGPAGGAMAAATVAMLGAAAVASAWLLTACSPEGSGPGPS
Protein (Viridiplantae): 159474930 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available 5155 predicted protein Chlamydomonas reinhardtii MGYVCSSVRFGGLLCNTKCGSRIPATSAPCKGAWCQPPVHTATARWTVATIHMMIPVAMHEAWAVTASLTTERYHQPPVDANGSQGNATKLQRPKLDVVPRLTRYTLSPQEWPPLCGPVKASGSSQVPLPFHN ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 159468866 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available predicted protein Chlamydomonas reinhardtii MVVSAAWRRPTGGGRCRLLAAVLLGAVVVMAAHGGPLGASAQEEKLGGTDAAVQFGAAPPSPAPPSPSYPPSPAPPSPSYPPSPAPPS...PSYPPSPAPPSPSYPPSPAPPSPSYPPSPAPPSPAAHRPGAAHLLPVSAERKPCFKVFAWRKTLLYVQSEDRFTYNEAQEFCSD
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 24305 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ing protein Anabaena sp. 90 MNKLIFLDTNILGMVTNPKSSNSNCQECKEWLDELPLKSYQIILPEIADYEVRRELLRAGKTKGIKRLDQLKQAITYLPITTATMLLAAQFWAEIRNTGKPTADPKSLDGDVILAAQAKIEELNGDQVIVATTNVKHLSLFVDAREWQMIN ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 224129758 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available predicted protein Populus trichocarpa MAKEMPAMKRALCEWMIVEEFPSWFKADNEWKAELCRLCNLESTEDLELGWRDMVNKFELVWKGEPRKKYKKPRPKVRVGLPKKICQYFDDRIGREENEVIVVLGSRGDSFCLALRFLNSNWVQKPGKHNQGQQQKLK ...
Protein (Viridiplantae): 255073899 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available cted protein Micromonas sp. RCC299 MTQGSRVIFCDREPLAIHCALSSAQLNGLEVHSVEDISKSSQGVAGAVLDWASPLHTLAQSADVVLGADCLYDPATAAMLAKTCKHVLGEDGVVVICEPELERAKGTYSKFLEAAKMLGAASAEILPHPDSDEPRSILLRVSWKSL ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 60937 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available cal protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 9443 MSNETVTYSLEAVLTRIEGKIDSLEKRLDEKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLEKRIDERFDKIEDRLTKVEIGQAELKGEIKALDERVSTKIEGLTARVAYQEFTNRGILIALVVAILGGAAKLFGFFPNP ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 60897 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available cal protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 9717 MSNETVTYSLEAVLTRIEGKIDSLEKRLDEKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLEKRIDERFDKIEDRLTKVEIGQAELKGEIKALDERVSTKIEGLTARVAYQEFTNRGILIALVVAILGGAAKLFGFFPNP ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 60829 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available cal protein Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 9806 MSNETVTYSLEAVLTRIEGKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLEKRIDEKIDSLENRIDERFDKVEDRLTKVEIGQAELKGDIKALDEKINGLTARVAYQEFTNRGILIALVVAILGGAAKLFGFFPNP ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 444805 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available pothetical protein Arthrospira maxima CS-328 MNSNHKILAVTRPNKPPEPSSESPTTNTQEHSRSTGTVKHIPSRTVKPSKPIKHKPKVAVKLPQADNSEGEVFVVGDHILVRAPWGLWARAEIKTFYQSSPDTVMAHFIPKEERTNWTWMGGLIRSDLLKRANPDS ...
Protein (Cyanobacteria): 448175 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ining protein Cyanothece sp. PCC 7424 MKKAQLVLTFFFSFLLAVFVSFNLVVDSAMAFSGPVSESCIDLELSGSILSANCETANGYYEKASINLDEVIGNLDGMLSWDSQNFSQTCEDISLEKRYSITFPILMATCQEAIGGENYMATEVYLDDHIFNVNGTLFYN ...
Determinants of cell-to-cell variability in protein kinase signaling.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matthias Jeschke
Full Text Available Cells reliably sense environmental changes despite internal and external fluctuations, but the mechanisms underlying robustness remain unclear. We analyzed how fluctuations in signaling protein concentrations give rise to cell-to-cell variability in protein kinase signaling using analytical theory and numerical simulations. We characterized the dose-response behavior of signaling cascades by calculating the stimulus level at which a pathway responds ('pathway sensitivity' and the maximal activation level upon strong stimulation. Minimal kinase cascades with gradual dose-response behavior show strong variability, because the pathway sensitivity and the maximal activation level cannot be simultaneously invariant. Negative feedback regulation resolves this trade-off and coordinately reduces fluctuations in the pathway sensitivity and maximal activation. Feedbacks acting at different levels in the cascade control different aspects of the dose-response curve, thereby synergistically reducing the variability. We also investigated more complex, ultrasensitive signaling cascades capable of switch-like decision making, and found that these can be inherently robust to protein concentration fluctuations. We describe how the cell-to-cell variability of ultrasensitive signaling systems can be actively regulated, e.g., by altering the expression of phosphatase(s or by feedback/feedforward loops. Our calculations reveal that slow transcriptional negative feedback loops allow for variability suppression while maintaining switch-like decision making. Taken together, we describe design principles of signaling cascades that promote robustness. Our results may explain why certain signaling cascades like the yeast pheromone pathway show switch-like decision making with little cell-to-cell variability.
Role of Dietary Soy Protein in Obesity
Manuel T. Velasquez, Sam J. Bhathena
Soy protein is an important component of soybeans and provides an abundant source of dietary protein. Among the dietary proteins, soy protein is considered a complete protein in that it contains ample amounts of all the essential amino acids plus several other macronutrients with a nutritional value roughly equivalent to that of animal protein of high biological value. Soy protein is unique among the plant-based proteins because it is associated with isoflavones, a group of compounds with a v...
Phase retrieval in protein crystallography.
Liu, Zhong Chuan; Xu, Rui; Dong, Yu Hui
Solution of the phase problem is central to crystallographic structure determination. An oversampling method is proposed, based on the hybrid input-output algorithm (HIO) [Fienup (1982). Appl. Opt. 21, 2758-2769], to retrieve the phases of reflections in crystallography. This method can extend low-resolution structures to higher resolution for structure determination of proteins without additional sample preparation. The method requires an envelope of the protein which divides a unit cell into the density region where the proteins are located and the non-density region occupied by solvents. After a few hundred to a few thousand iterations, the correct phases and density maps are recovered. The method has been used successfully in several cases to retrieve the phases from the experimental X-ray diffraction data and the envelopes of proteins constructed from structure files downloaded from the Protein Data Bank. It is hoped that this method will greatly facilitate the ab initio structure determination of proteins.
Validation of protein carbonyl measurement
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Augustyniak, Edyta; Adam, Aisha; Wojdyla, Katarzyna
Protein carbonyls are widely analysed as a measure of protein oxidation. Several different methods exist for their determination. A previous study had described orders of magnitude variance that existed when protein carbonyls were analysed in a single laboratory by ELISA using different commercial...... kits. We have further explored the potential causes of variance in carbonyl analysis in a ring study. A soluble protein fraction was prepared from rat liver and exposed to 0, 5 and 15min of UV irradiation. Lyophilised preparations were distributed to six different laboratories that routinely undertook...... protein carbonyl analysis across Europe. ELISA and Western blotting techniques detected an increase in protein carbonyl formation between 0 and 5min of UV irradiation irrespective of method used. After irradiation for 15min, less oxidation was detected by half of the laboratories than after 5min...
Posttranslational protein modification in Archaea.
Eichler, Jerry; Adams, Michael W W
One of the first hurdles to be negotiated in the postgenomic era involves the description of the entire protein content of the cell, the proteome. Such efforts are presently complicated by the various posttranslational modifications that proteins can experience, including glycosylation, lipid attachment, phosphorylation, methylation, disulfide bond formation, and proteolytic cleavage. Whereas these and other posttranslational protein modifications have been well characterized in Eucarya and Bacteria, posttranslational modification in Archaea has received far less attention. Although archaeal proteins can undergo posttranslational modifications reminiscent of what their eucaryal and bacterial counterparts experience, examination of archaeal posttranslational modification often reveals aspects not previously observed in the other two domains of life. In some cases, posttranslational modification allows a protein to survive the extreme conditions often encountered by Archaea. The various posttranslational modifications experienced by archaeal proteins, the molecular steps leading to these modifications, and the role played by posttranslational modification in Archaea form the focus of this review.
Protein microarrays for systems biology
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Lina Yang; Shujuan Guo; Yang Li; Shumin Zhou; Shengce Tao
Systems biology holds the key for understanding biological systems on a system level. It eventually holds the key for the treatment and cure of complex diseases such as cancer,diabetes, obesity, mental disorders, and many others. The '-omics' technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomics,proteomics, and metabonomics, are among the major driving forces of systems biology. Featured as highthroughput, miniaturized, and capable of parallel analysis,protein microarrays have already become an important technology platform for systems biology, In this review, we will focus on the system level or global analysis of biological systems using protein microarrays. Four major types of protein microarrays will be discussed: proteome microarrays, antibody microarrays, reverse-phase protein arrays,and lectin microarrays. We will also discuss the challenges and future directions of protein microarray technologies and their applications for systems biology. We strongly believe that protein microarrays will soon become an indispensable and invaluable tool for systems biology.
Monitoring protein stability in vivo
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ignatova Zoya
Full Text Available Abstract Reduced protein stability in vivo is a prerequisite to aggregation. While this is merely a nuisance factor in recombinant protein production, it holds a serious impact for man. This review focuses on specific approaches to selectively determine the solubility and/or stability of a target protein within the complex cellular environment using different detection techniques. Noninvasive techniques mapping folding/misfolding events on a fast time scale can be used to unravel the complexity and dynamics of the protein aggregation process and factors altering protein solubility in vivo. The development of approaches to screen for folding and solubility in vivo should facilitate the identification of potential components that improve protein solubility and/or modulate misfolding and aggregation and may provide a therapeutic benefit.
Monitoring protein stability in vivo.
Ignatova, Zoya
Reduced protein stability in vivo is a prerequisite to aggregation. While this is merely a nuisance factor in recombinant protein production, it holds a serious impact for man. This review focuses on specific approaches to selectively determine the solubility and/or stability of a target protein within the complex cellular environment using different detection techniques. Noninvasive techniques mapping folding/misfolding events on a fast time scale can be used to unravel the complexity and dynamics of the protein aggregation process and factors altering protein solubility in vivo. The development of approaches to screen for folding and solubility in vivo should facilitate the identification of potential components that improve protein solubility and/or modulate misfolding and aggregation and may provide a therapeutic benefit.
Theoretical studies of protein-protein and protein-DNA binding rates
Alsallaq, Ramzi A.
Proteins are folded chains of amino acids. Some of the amino acids (e.g. Lys, Arg, His, Asp, and Glu) carry charges under physiological conditions. Proteins almost always function through binding to other proteins or ligands, for example barnase is a ribonuclease protein, found in the bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaceus. Barnase degrades RNA by hydrolysis. For the bacterium to inhibit the potentially lethal action of Barnase within its own cell it co-produces another protein called barstar which binds quickly, and tightly, to barnase. The biological function of this binding is to block the active site of barnase. The speeds (rates) at which proteins associate are vital to many biological processes. They span a wide range (from less than 103 to 108 M-1s-1 ). Rates greater than ˜ 106 M -1s-1 are typically found to be manifestations of enhancements by long-range electrostatic interactions between the associating proteins. A different paradigm appears in the case of protein binding to DNA. The rate in this case is enhanced through attractive surface potential that effectively reduces the dimensionality of the available search space for the diffusing protein. This thesis presents computational and theoretical models on the rate of association of ligands/proteins to other proteins or DNA. For protein-protein association we present a general strategy for computing protein-protein rates of association. The main achievements of this strategy is the ability to obtain a stringent reaction criteria based on the landscape of short-range interactions between the associating proteins, and the ability to compute the effect of the electrostatic interactions on the rates of association accurately using the best known solvers for Poisson-Boltzmann equation presently available. For protein-DNA association we present a mathematical model for proteins targeting specific sites on a circular DNA topology. The main achievements are the realization that a linear DNA with reflecting ends
ALCALA, JR; Gratton, E; PRENDERGAST, FG
The fluorescence lifetime value of tryptophan residues varies by more than a factor of 100 in different proteins and is determined by several factors, which include solvent exposure and interactions with other elements of the protein matrix. Because of the variety of different elements that can alter the lifetime value and the sensitivity to the particular environment of the tryptophan residue, it is likely that non-unique lifetime values result in protein systems. The emission decay of most ...
Protein mixtures: interactions and gelation
Ersch, C.
Gelation is a ubiquitous process in the preparation of foods. As most foods are multi constituent mixtures, understanding gelation in mixtures is an important goal in food science. Here we presented a systematic investigation on the influence of molecular interactions on the gelation in protein mixtures. Gelatin gels with added globular protein and globular protein gels with added gelatin were analyzed for their gel microstructure and rheological properties. Mixed gels with altered microstruc...
Posttranslational Protein Modification in Archaea
Eichler, Jerry; Adams, Michael W. W.
One of the first hurdles to be negotiated in the postgenomic era involves the description of the entire protein content of the cell, the proteome. Such efforts are presently complicated by the various posttranslational modifications that proteins can experience, including glycosylation, lipid attachment, phosphorylation, methylation, disulfide bond formation, and proteolytic cleavage. Whereas these and other posttranslational protein modifications have been well characterized in Eucarya and B...
Vegetable proteins and milk puddings
In recent years, interest in animal free foods has increased tremendously due to factors like BSE crisis, rise of nutritionally dependent illnesses, like diabetes type II, cardiovascular and digestive diseases, along with ethic orientations of denying animal intakes of any kind. The use of proteins from leguminous seeds as an alternative to the animal proteins in dairy desserts was studied. Lupin, pea and soya protein isolates were used in combination with k- carrageenan, gellan a...
Developing algorithms for predicting protein-protein interactions of homology modeled proteins.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Martin, Shawn Bryan; Sale, Kenneth L.; Faulon, Jean-Loup Michel; Roe, Diana C.
The goal of this project was to examine the protein-protein docking problem, especially as it relates to homology-based structures, identify the key bottlenecks in current software tools, and evaluate and prototype new algorithms that may be developed to improve these bottlenecks. This report describes the current challenges in the protein-protein docking problem: correctly predicting the binding site for the protein-protein interaction and correctly placing the sidechains. Two different and complementary approaches are taken that can help with the protein-protein docking problem. The first approach is to predict interaction sites prior to docking, and uses bioinformatics studies of protein-protein interactions to predict theses interaction site. The second approach is to improve validation of predicted complexes after docking, and uses an improved scoring function for evaluating proposed docked poses, incorporating a solvation term. This scoring function demonstrates significant improvement over current state-of-the art functions. Initial studies on both these approaches are promising, and argue for full development of these algorithms.
Novel protein-protein interaction family proteins involved in chloroplast movement response.
Kodama, Yutaka; Suetsugu, Noriyuki; Wada, Masamitsu
To optimize photosynthetic activity, chloroplasts change their intracellular location in response to ambient light conditions; chloroplasts move toward low intensity light to maximize light capture, and away from high intensity light to avoid photodamage. Although several proteins have been reported to be involved in the chloroplast photorelocation movement response, any physical interaction among them was not found so far. We recently found a physical interaction between two plant-specific coiled-coil proteins, WEB1 (Weak Chloroplast Movement under Blue Light 1) and PMI2 (Plastid Movement Impaired 2), that were identified to regulate chloroplast movement velocity. Since the both coiled-coil regions of WEB1 and PMI2 were classified into an uncharacterized protein family having DUF827 (DUF: Domain of Unknown Function) domain, it was the first report that DUF827 proteins could mediate protein-protein interaction. In this mini-review article, we discuss regarding molecular function of WEB1 and PMI2, and also define a novel protein family composed of WEB1, PMI2 and WEB1/PMI2-like proteins for protein-protein interaction in land plants.
Protein function prediction using neighbor relativity in protein-protein interaction network.
Moosavi, Sobhan; Rahgozar, Masoud; Rahimi, Amir
There is a large gap between the number of discovered proteins and the number of functionally annotated ones. Due to the high cost of determining protein function by wet-lab research, function prediction has become a major task for computational biology and bioinformatics. Some researches utilize the proteins interaction information to predict function for un-annotated proteins. In this paper, we propose a novel approach called "Neighbor Relativity Coefficient" (NRC) based on interaction network topology which estimates the functional similarity between two proteins. NRC is calculated for each pair of proteins based on their graph-based features including distance, common neighbors and the number of paths between them. In order to ascribe function to an un-annotated protein, NRC estimates a weight for each neighbor to transfer its annotation to the unknown protein. Finally, the unknown protein will be annotated by the top score transferred functions. We also investigate the effect of using different coefficients for various types of functions. The proposed method has been evaluated on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Homo sapiens interaction networks. The performance analysis demonstrates that NRC yields better results in comparison with previous protein function prediction approaches that utilize interaction network.
Recovery of protein from green leaves
Tamayo Tenorio, Angelica; Gieteling, Jarno; Jong, De Govardus A.H.; Boom, Remko M.; Goot, Van Der Atze J.
Plant leaves are a major potential source of novel food proteins. Till now, leaf protein extraction methods mainly focus on the extraction of soluble proteins, like rubisco protein, leaving more than half of all protein unextracted. Here, we report on the total protein extraction from sugar beet
Protein-stabilized magnetic fluids
Soenen, S. J. H.; Hodenius, M.; Schmitz-Rode, T.; De Cuyper, M.
The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and egg yolk phosvitin on magnetic fluid particles was investigated. Incubation mixtures were prepared by mixing an alkaline suspension of tetramethylammonium-coated magnetite cores with protein solutions at various protein/Fe 3O 4 ratios, followed by dialysis against a 5 mM TES buffer (pH 7.0), after which separation of bound and non-bound protein by high-gradient magnetophoresis was executed. Both the kinetic profiles as well as the isotherms of adsorption strongly differed for both proteins. In case of the spherical BSA, initially, abundant adsorption occurred, then it decreased and—at high protein concentrations—it slowly raised again. In contrast, with the highly phosphorylated phosvitin, binding slowly started and the extent of protein adsorption remained unchanged both as a function of time and phosvitin concentration. Competition binding studies, using binary protein mixtures composed of equal weight amounts of BSA and phosvitin, showed that binding of the latter protein is 'unrealistically' high. Based on the geometry of the two proteins, putative pictures on their orientation on the particle's surface in the various experimental conditions were deduced.
Recombinant protein expression in Nicotiana.
Matoba, Nobuyuki; Davis, Keith R; Palmer, Kenneth E
Recombinant protein pharmaceuticals are now widely used in treatment of chronic diseases, and several recombinant protein subunit vaccines are approved for human and veterinary use. With growing demand for complex protein pharmaceuticals, such as monoclonal antibodies, manufacturing capacity is becoming limited. There is increasing need for safe, scalable, and economical alternatives to mammalian cell culture-based manufacturing systems, which require substantial capital investment for new manufacturing facilities. Since a seminal paper reporting immunoglobulin expression in transgenic plants was published in 1989, there have been many technological advances in plant expression systems to the present time where production of proteins in leaf tissues of nonfood crops such as Nicotiana species is considered a viable alternative. In particular, transient expression systems derived from recombinant plant viral vectors offer opportunities for rapid expression screening, construct optimization, and expression scale-up. Extraction of recombinant proteins from Nicotiana leaf tissues can be achieved by collection of secreted protein fractions, or from a total protein extract after grinding the leaves with buffer. After separation from solids, the major purification challenge is contamination with elements of the photosynthetic complex, which can be solved by application of a variety of facile and proven strategies. In conclusion, the technologies required for safe, efficient, scalable manufacture of recombinant proteins in Nicotiana leaf tissues have matured to the point where several products have already been tested in phase I clinical trials and will soon be followed by a rich pipeline of recombinant vaccines, microbicides, and therapeutic proteins.
Protein leverage and energy intake.
Gosby, A K; Conigrave, A D; Raubenheimer, D; Simpson, S J
Increased energy intakes are contributing to overweight and obesity. Growing evidence supports the role of protein appetite in driving excess intake when dietary protein is diluted (the protein leverage hypothesis). Understanding the interactions between dietary macronutrient balance and nutrient-specific appetite systems will be required for designing dietary interventions that work with, rather than against, basic regulatory physiology. Data were collected from 38 published experimental trials measuring ad libitum intake in subjects confined to menus differing in macronutrient composition. Collectively, these trials encompassed considerable variation in percent protein (spanning 8-54% of total energy), carbohydrate (1.6-72%) and fat (11-66%). The data provide an opportunity to describe the individual and interactive effects of dietary protein, carbohydrate and fat on the control of total energy intake. Percent dietary protein was negatively associated with total energy intake (F = 6.9, P protein. The analysis strongly supports a role for protein leverage in lean, overweight and obese humans. A better appreciation of the targets and regulatory priorities for protein, carbohydrate and fat intake will inform the design of effective and health-promoting weight loss diets, food labelling policies, food production systems and regulatory frameworks.
Computational protein design: a review
Coluzza, Ivan
Proteins are one of the most versatile modular assembling systems in nature. Experimentally, more than 110 000 protein structures have been identified and more are deposited every day in the Protein Data Bank. Such an enormous structural variety is to a first approximation controlled by the sequence of amino acids along the peptide chain of each protein. Understanding how the structural and functional properties of the target can be encoded in this sequence is the main objective of protein design. Unfortunately, rational protein design remains one of the major challenges across the disciplines of biology, physics and chemistry. The implications of solving this problem are enormous and branch into materials science, drug design, evolution and even cryptography. For instance, in the field of drug design an effective computational method to design protein-based ligands for biological targets such as viruses, bacteria or tumour cells, could give a significant boost to the development of new therapies with reduced side effects. In materials science, self-assembly is a highly desired property and soon artificial proteins could represent a new class of designable self-assembling materials. The scope of this review is to describe the state of the art in computational protein design methods and give the reader an outline of what developments could be expected in the near future.
[Protein toxins of Staphylococcus aureus].
Shamsutdinov, A F; Tiurin, Iu A
Main scientific-research studies regarding protein bacterial toxins of the most widespread bacteria that belong to Staphylococcus spp. genus and in particular the most pathogenic species for humans--Staphylococcus aureus, are analyzed. Structural and biological properties of protein toxins that have received the name of staphylococcus pyrogenic toxins (PTSAg) are presented. Data regarding genetic regulation of secretion and synthesis of these toxins and 3 main regulatory genetic systems (agr--accessory gene regulator, xpr--extracellular protein regulator, sar--staphylococcal accessory regulator) that coordinate synthesis of the most important protein toxins and enzymes for virulence of S. aureus, are presented.
Pathogen mimicry of host protein-protein interfaces modulates immunity.
Guven-Maiorov, Emine; Tsai, Chung-Jung; Nussinov, Ruth
Signaling pathways shape and transmit the cell's reaction to its changing environment; however, pathogens can circumvent this response by manipulating host signaling. To subvert host defense, they beat it at its own game: they hijack host pathways by mimicking the binding surfaces of host-encoded proteins. For this, it is not necessary to achieve global protein homology; imitating merely the interaction surface is sufficient. Different protein folds often interact via similar protein-protein interface architectures. This similarity in binding surfaces permits the pathogenic protein to compete with a host target protein. Thus, rather than binding a host-encoded partner, the host protein hub binds the pathogenic surrogate. The outcome can be dire: rewiring or repurposing the host pathways, shifting the cell signaling landscape and consequently the immune response. They can also cause persistent infections as well as cancer by modulating key signaling pathways, such as those involving Ras. Mapping the rewired host-pathogen 'superorganism' interaction network - along with its structural details - is critical for in-depth understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and developing efficient therapeutics. Here, we overview the role of molecular mimicry in pathogen host evasion as well as types of molecular mimicry mechanisms that emerged during evolution.
Detecting protein-protein interactions in living cells
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Gottschalk, Marie; Bach, Anders; Hansen, Jakob Lerche
to the endogenous C-terminal peptide of the NMDA receptor, as evaluated by a cell-free protein-protein interaction assay. However, it is important to address both membrane permeability and effect in living cells. Therefore a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay was established, where the C...
Protein-protein interaction networks in the spinocerebellar ataxias
David C Rubinsztein
A large yeast two-hybrid study investigating whether the proteins mutated in different forms of spinocerebellar ataxia have interacting protein partners in common suggests that some forms do share common pathways, and will provide a valuable resource for future work on these diseases.
Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) reagents: | Office of Cancer Genomics
The CTD2 Center at Emory University has a library of genes used to study protein-protein interactions in mammalian cells. These genes are cloned in different mammalian expression vectors. A list of available cancer-associated genes can be accessed below.
Protein-Protein Interaction Reagents | Office of Cancer Genomics
The CTD2 Center at Emory University has a library of genes used to study protein-protein interactions in mammalian cells. These genes are cloned in different mammalian expression vectors. A list of available cancer-associated genes can be accessed below. Emory_CTD^2_PPI_Reagents.xlsx Contact: Haian Fu
Hydration of proteins: excess partial enthalpies of water and proteins.
Sirotkin, Vladimir A; Khadiullina, Aigul V
Isothermal batch calorimetry was applied to study the hydration of proteins. The hydration process was analyzed by the simultaneous monitoring of the excess partial enthalpies of water and the proteins in the entire range of water content. Four unrelated proteins (lysozyme, chymotrypsinogen A, human serum albumin, and β-lactoglobulin) were used as models. The excess partial quantities are very sensitive to the changes in the state of water and proteins. At the lowest water weight fractions (w(1)), the changes of the excess thermochemical functions can mainly be attributed to water addition. A transition from the glassy to the flexible state of the proteins is accompanied by significant changes in the excess partial quantities of water and the proteins. This transition appears at a water weight fraction of 0.06 when charged groups of proteins are covered. Excess partial quantities reach their fully hydrated values at w(1) > 0.5 when coverage of both polar and weakly interacting surface elements is complete. At the highest water contents, water addition has no significant effect on the excess thermochemical quantities. At w(1) > 0.5, changes in the excess functions can solely be attributed to changes in the state of the proteins.
Mapping Protein-Protein Interactions by Quantitative Proteomics
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Dengjel, Joern; Kratchmarova, Irina; Blagoev, Blagoy
spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics in combination with affinity purification protocols has become the method of choice to map and track the dynamic changes in protein-protein interactions, including the ones occurring during cellular signaling events. Different quantitative MS strategies have been used...
Website on Protein Interaction and Protein Structure Related Work
Samanta, Manoj; Liang, Shoudan; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)
In today's world, three seemingly diverse fields - computer information technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology are joining forces to enlarge our scientific knowledge and solve complex technological problems. Our group is dedicated to conduct theoretical research exploring the challenges in this area. The major areas of research include: 1) Yeast Protein Interactions; 2) Protein Structures; and 3) Current Transport through Small Molecules.
Protein folding and the organization of the protein topology universe
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lindorff-Larsen,, Kresten; Røgen, Peter; Paci, Emanuele
of protein folds that is based on the topological features of the polypeptide backbone, rather than the conventional view that depends on the arrangement of different types of secondary-structure elements. By linking the folding process to the organization of the protein structure universe, we propose...
Characterization of protein-protein interactions by isothermal titration calorimetry.
Velazquez-Campoy, Adrian; Leavitt, Stephanie A; Freire, Ernesto
The analysis of protein-protein interactions has attracted the attention of many researchers from both a fundamental point of view and a practical point of view. From a fundamental point of view, the development of an understanding of the signaling events triggered by the interaction of two or more proteins provides key information to elucidate the functioning of many cell processes. From a practical point of view, understanding protein-protein interactions at a quantitative level provides the foundation for the development of antagonists or agonists of those interactions. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) is the only technique with the capability of measuring not only binding affinity but the enthalpic and entropic components that define affinity. Over the years, isothermal titration calorimeters have evolved in sensitivity and accuracy. Today, TA Instruments and MicroCal market instruments with the performance required to evaluate protein-protein interactions. In this methods paper, we describe general procedures to analyze heterodimeric (porcine pancreatic trypsin binding to soybean trypsin inhibitor) and homodimeric (bovine pancreatic α-chymotrypsin) protein associations by ITC.
Protein linguistics - a grammar for modular protein assembly?
Gimona, Mario
The correspondence between biology and linguistics at the level of sequence and lexical inventories, and of structure and syntax, has fuelled attempts to describe genome structure by the rules of formal linguistics. But how can we define protein linguistic rules? And how could compositional semantics improve our understanding of protein organization and functional plasticity?
Protein stability: a crystallographer's perspective
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Deller, Marc C., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Stanford University, Shriram Center, 443 Via Ortega, Room 097, MC5082, Stanford, CA 94305-4125 (United States); Kong, Leopold [National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Building 8, Room 1A03, 8 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814 (United States); Rupp, Bernhard [k.-k. Hofkristallamt, 91 Audrey Place, Vista, CA 92084 (United States); Medical University of Innsbruck, Schöpfstrasse 41, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)
An understanding of protein stability is essential for optimizing the expression, purification and crystallization of proteins. In this review, discussion will focus on factors affecting protein stability on a somewhat practical level, particularly from the view of a protein crystallographer. Protein stability is a topic of major interest for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and food industries, in addition to being a daily consideration for academic researchers studying proteins. An understanding of protein stability is essential for optimizing the expression, purification, formulation, storage and structural studies of proteins. In this review, discussion will focus on factors affecting protein stability, on a somewhat practical level, particularly from the view of a protein crystallographer. The differences between protein conformational stability and protein compositional stability will be discussed, along with a brief introduction to key methods useful for analyzing protein stability. Finally, tactics for addressing protein-stability issues during protein expression, purification and crystallization will be discussed.
Information-driven structural modelling of protein-protein interactions.
Rodrigues, João P G L M; Karaca, Ezgi; Bonvin, Alexandre M J J
Protein-protein docking aims at predicting the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex starting from the free forms of the individual partners. As assessed in the CAPRI community-wide experiment, the most successful docking algorithms combine pure laws of physics with information derived from various experimental or bioinformatics sources. Of these so-called "information-driven" approaches, HADDOCK stands out as one of the most successful representatives. In this chapter, we briefly summarize which experimental information can be used to drive the docking prediction in HADDOCK, and then focus on the docking protocol itself. We discuss and illustrate with a tutorial example a "classical" protein-protein docking prediction, as well as more recent developments for modelling multi-body systems and large conformational changes.
Protein-protein interaction predictions using text mining methods.
Papanikolaou, Nikolas; Pavlopoulos, Georgios A; Theodosiou, Theodosios; Iliopoulos, Ioannis
It is beyond any doubt that proteins and their interactions play an essential role in most complex biological processes. The understanding of their function individually, but also in the form of protein complexes is of a great importance. Nowadays, despite the plethora of various high-throughput experimental approaches for detecting protein-protein interactions, many computational methods aiming to predict new interactions have appeared and gained interest. In this review, we focus on text-mining based computational methodologies, aiming to extract information for proteins and their interactions from public repositories such as literature and various biological databases. We discuss their strengths, their weaknesses and how they complement existing experimental techniques by simultaneously commenting on the biological databases which hold such information and the benchmark datasets that can be used for evaluating new tools.
Understanding protein evolution: from protein physics to Darwinian selection.
Zeldovich, Konstantin B; Shakhnovich, Eugene I
Efforts in whole-genome sequencing and structural proteomics start to provide a global view of the protein universe, the set of existing protein structures and sequences. However, approaches based on the selection of individual sequences have not been entirely successful at the quantitative description of the distribution of structures and sequences in the protein universe because evolutionary pressure acts on the entire organism, rather than on a particular molecule. In parallel to this line of study, studies in population genetics and phenomenological molecular evolution established a mathematical framework to describe the changes in genome sequences in populations of organisms over time. Here, we review both microscopic (physics-based) and macroscopic (organism-level) models of protein-sequence evolution and demonstrate that bridging the two scales provides the most complete description of the protein universe starting from clearly defined, testable, and physiologically relevant assumptions.
Composition of Overlapping Protein-Protein and Protein-Ligand Interfaces.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ruzianisra Mohamed
Full Text Available Protein-protein interactions (PPIs play a major role in many biological processes and they represent an important class of targets for therapeutic intervention. However, targeting PPIs is challenging because often no convenient natural substrates are available as starting point for small-molecule design. Here, we explored the characteristics of protein interfaces in five non-redundant datasets of 174 protein-protein (PP complexes, and 161 protein-ligand (PL complexes from the ABC database, 436 PP complexes, and 196 PL complexes from the PIBASE database and a dataset of 89 PL complexes from the Timbal database. In all cases, the small molecule ligands must bind at the respective PP interface. We observed similar amino acid frequencies in all three datasets. Remarkably, also the characteristics of PP contacts and overlapping PL contacts are highly similar.
Multiplex protein profiling of bronchoalveolar lavage in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Willems Stijn
Full Text Available Context: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP are diffuse parenchymal lung diseases characterized by a mixture of inflammation and fibrosis, leading to lung destruction and finally death. AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare different pathophysiological mechanisms, such as angiogenesis, coagulation, fibrosis, tissue repair, inflammation, epithelial damage, oxidative stress, and matrix remodeling, in both disorders using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL. Methods: At diagnosis, patients underwent bronchoscopy with BAL and were divided into three groups: Control ( n = 10, HP ( n = 11, and IPF ( n = 11, based on multidisciplinary approach (clinical examination, radiology, and histology: Multiplex searchlight technology was used to analyze 25 proteins representative for different pathophysiological processes: Eotaxin, basic fibroblast growth factor (FGFb, fibronectin, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF, interleukine (IL-8, IL-12p40, IL-17, IL-23, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC, myeloperoxidase (MPO, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-8, MMP-9, active plasminogen activating inhibitor 1 (PAI-1, pulmonary activation regulated chemokine (PARC, placental growth factor (PlGF, protein-C, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE, regulated on activation normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES, surfactant protein-C (SP-C, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1, tissue factor, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF. Results: All patients suffered from decreased pulmonary function and abnormal BAL cell differential compared with control. Protein levels were increased in both IPF and HP for MMP-8 ( P = 0.022, MMP-9 ( P = 0.0020, MCP-1 ( P = 0.0006, MDC ( P = 0.0048, IL-8 ( P = 0.013, MPO ( P = 0.019, and protein-C ( P = 0.0087, whereas VEGF was decreased ( P = 0.0003 compared with
Text Mining for Protein Docking.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Varsha D Badal
Full Text Available The rapidly growing amount of publicly available information from biomedical research is readily accessible on the Internet, providing a powerful resource for predictive biomolecular modeling. The accumulated data on experimentally determined structures transformed structure prediction of proteins and protein complexes. Instead of exploring the enormous search space, predictive tools can simply proceed to the solution based on similarity to the existing, previously determined structures. A similar major paradigm shift is emerging due to the rapidly expanding amount of information, other than experimentally determined structures, which still can be used as constraints in biomolecular structure prediction. Automated text mining has been widely used in recreating protein interaction networks, as well as in detecting small ligand binding sites on protein structures. Combining and expanding these two well-developed areas of research, we applied the text mining to structural modeling of protein-protein complexes (protein docking. Protein docking can be significantly improved when constraints on the docking mode are available. We developed a procedure that retrieves published abstracts on a specific protein-protein interaction and extracts information relevant to docking. The procedure was assessed on protein complexes from Dockground (http://dockground.compbio.ku.edu. The results show that correct information on binding residues can be extracted for about half of the complexes. The amount of irrelevant information was reduced by conceptual analysis of a subset of the retrieved abstracts, based on the bag-of-words (features approach. Support Vector Machine models were trained and validated on the subset. The remaining abstracts were filtered by the best-performing models, which decreased the irrelevant information for ~ 25% complexes in the dataset. The extracted constraints were incorporated in the docking protocol and tested on the Dockground unbound
Protein-protein interactions within late pre-40S ribosomes.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Melody G Campbell
Full Text Available Ribosome assembly in eukaryotic organisms requires more than 200 assembly factors to facilitate and coordinate rRNA transcription, processing, and folding with the binding of the ribosomal proteins. Many of these assembly factors bind and dissociate at defined times giving rise to discrete assembly intermediates, some of which have been partially characterized with regards to their protein and RNA composition. Here, we have analyzed the protein-protein interactions between the seven assembly factors bound to late cytoplasmic pre-40S ribosomes using recombinant proteins in binding assays. Our data show that these factors form two modules: one comprising Enp1 and the export adaptor Ltv1 near the beak structure, and the second comprising the kinase Rio2, the nuclease Nob1, and a regulatory RNA binding protein Dim2/Pno1 on the front of the head. The GTPase-like Tsr1 and the universally conserved methylase Dim1 are also peripherally connected to this second module. Additionally, in an effort to further define the locations for these essential proteins, we have analyzed the interactions between these assembly factors and six ribosomal proteins: Rps0, Rps3, Rps5, Rps14, Rps15 and Rps29. Together, these results and previous RNA-protein crosslinking data allow us to propose a model for the binding sites of these seven assembly factors. Furthermore, our data show that the essential kinase Rio2 is located at the center of the pre-ribosomal particle and interacts, directly or indirectly, with every other assembly factor, as well as three ribosomal proteins required for cytoplasmic 40S maturation. These data suggest that Rio2 could play a central role in regulating cytoplasmic maturation steps.
Porcine prion protein amyloid.
Hammarström, Per; Nyström, Sofie
Mammalian prions are composed of misfolded aggregated prion protein (PrP) with amyloid-like features. Prions are zoonotic disease agents that infect a wide variety of mammalian species including humans. Mammals and by-products thereof which are frequently encountered in daily life are most important for human health. It is established that bovine prions (BSE) can infect humans while there is no such evidence for any other prion susceptible species in the human food chain (sheep, goat, elk, deer) and largely prion resistant species (pig) or susceptible and resistant pets (cat and dogs, respectively). PrPs from these species have been characterized using biochemistry, biophysics and neurobiology. Recently we studied PrPs from several mammals in vitro and found evidence for generic amyloidogenicity as well as cross-seeding fibril formation activity of all PrPs on the human PrP sequence regardless if the original species was resistant or susceptible to prion disease. Porcine PrP amyloidogenicity was among the studied. Experimentally inoculated pigs as well as transgenic mouse lines overexpressing porcine PrP have, in the past, been used to investigate the possibility of prion transmission in pigs. The pig is a species with extraordinarily wide use within human daily life with over a billion pigs harvested for human consumption each year. Here we discuss the possibility that the largely prion disease resistant pig can be a clinically silent carrier of replicating prions.
Genome-wide protein-protein interactions and protein function exploration in cyanobacteria.
Lv, Qi; Ma, Weimin; Liu, Hui; Li, Jiang; Wang, Huan; Lu, Fang; Zhao, Chen; Shi, Tieliu
Genome-wide network analysis is well implemented to study proteins of unknown function. Here, we effectively explored protein functions and the biological mechanism based on inferred high confident protein-protein interaction (PPI) network in cyanobacteria. We integrated data from seven different sources and predicted 1,997 PPIs, which were evaluated by experiments in molecular mechanism, text mining of literatures in proved direct/indirect evidences, and "interologs" in conservation. Combined the predicted PPIs with known PPIs, we obtained 4,715 no-redundant PPIs (involving 3,231 proteins covering over 90% of genome) to generate the PPI network. Based on the PPI network, terms in Gene ontology (GO) were assigned to function-unknown proteins. Functional modules were identified by dissecting the PPI network into sub-networks and analyzing pathway enrichment, with which we investigated novel function of underlying proteins in protein complexes and pathways. Examples of photosynthesis and DNA repair indicate that the network approach is a powerful tool in protein function analysis. Overall, this systems biology approach provides a new insight into posterior functional analysis of PPIs in cyanobacteria.
Assessing protein-protein interactions based on the semantic similarity of interacting proteins.
Cui, Guangyu; Kim, Byungmin; Alguwaizani, Saud; Han, Kyungsook
The Gene Ontology (GO) has been used in estimating the semantic similarity of proteins since it has the largest and reliable vocabulary of gene products and characteristics. We developed a new method which can assess Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) using the branching factor and information content of the common ancestor of interacting proteins in the GO hierarchy. We performed a comparative evaluation of the measure with other GO-based similarity measures and evaluation results showed that our method outperformed others in most GO domains.
Modelling of proteins in membranes
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sperotto, Maria Maddalena; May, S.; Baumgaertner, A.
This review describes some recent theories and simulations of mesoscopic and microscopic models of lipid membranes with embedded or attached proteins. We summarize results supporting our understanding of phenomena for which the activities of proteins in membranes are expected to be significantly...
Protein and amino acid nutrition
Dairy cow protein and amino acid nutrition have a significant role in sustainable dairying. Protein, amino acids, and nitrogen are inextricably linked through effects in the rumen, metabolism of the cow, and environmental nutrient management. Feeding systems have been making progress toward emphasiz...
Small Molecules Target Carcinogenic Proteins
Gradinaru, Claudiu
An ingenious cellular mechanism of effecting protein localization is prenylation: the covalent attachment of a hydrophobic prenyl group to a protein that facilitates protein association with cell membranes. Fluorescence microscopy was used to investigate whether the oncogenic Stat3 protein can undergo artificial prenylation via high-affinity prenylated small-molecule binding agents and thus be rendered inactive by localization at the plasma membrane instead of nucleus. The measurements were performed on a home-built instrument capable of recording simultaneously several optical parameters (lifetime, polarization, color, etc) and with single-molecule sensitivity. A pH-invariant fluorescein derivative with double moiety was designed to bridge a prenyl group and a small peptide that binds Stat3 with high affinity. Confocal fluorescence images show effective localization of the ligand to the membrane of liposomes. Stat3 predominantly localizes at the membrane only in the presence of the prenylated ligand. Single-molecule FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) between donor-labeled prenylated agents and acceptor-labeled, surface tethered Stat3 protein is used to determine the dynamic heterogeneity of the protein-ligand interaction and follow individual binding-unbinding events in real time. The data indicates that molecules can effect protein localization, validating a therapeutic design that influences protein activity via induced localization.
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available ABP-280 homolog, Actin-binding-like protein, Beta-filamin, Filamin homolog 1, Filamin-3, Thyroid autoantige...n, Truncated actin-binding protein 9606 Homo sapiens O75369 2317 2EED, 3FER, 2DIA, 2DLG, 2EE6, 2WA5, 2EE9, 2
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available MPA6 SREBBP1c SREBF1 BHLHD1, SREBP1 Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 Cla...ss D basic helix-loop-helix protein 1, Sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 9606 Homo sapiens P36956 6720 1AM9 6720 P36956 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBB5 RNA silencing EIF2C1 AGO1 EIF2C1 Protein argonaute-1 Eukaryotic translation in...itiation factor 2C 1, Putative RNA-binding protein Q99 9606 Homo sapiens Q9UL18 26523 1SI3, 1SI2 26523 Q9UL18 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA3 PtdIns 3-kinase complex ATG14 APG14, CVT12 Autophagy-related protein 14 Cytopl...asm to vacuole targeting protein 12 559292 Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain ATCC 204508 / S288c) 852425 P38270 22013444 ...
Targeting Protein Prenylation in Progeria
Young, Stephen G.; Yang, Shao H.; Davies, Brandon S. J.; Jung, Hea-Jin; Fong, Loren G.
A clinical trial of a protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor (lonafarnib) for the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) was recently completed. Here, we discuss the mutation that causes HGPS, the rationale for inhibiting protein farnesyltransferase, the potential limitations of this therapeutic approach, and new potential strategies for treating the disease. PMID:23390246
Targeting Protein Prenylation in Progeria
Young, Stephen G.; Yang, Shao H.; Davies, Brandon S.J.; Jung, Hea-Jin; Fong, Loren G.
A clinical trial of a protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor (lonafarnib) for the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) was recently completed. Here, we discuss the mutation that causes HGPS, the rationale for inhibiting protein farnesyltransferase, the potential limitations of this therapeutic approach, and new potential strategies for treating the disease.
Protein-ECE MEtallopincer Hybrids
Kruithof, C.A.
Modification of proteins with metal complexes is a promising and a relatively new field which conceals many challenges and potential applications. The field is a balance of contributions from the biological (protein engineering, bioconjugation) and chemical sciences (organic, inorganic and organomet
Separating proteins with activated carbon.
Stone, Matthew T; Kozlov, Mikhail
Activated carbon is applied to separate proteins based on differences in their size and effective charge. Three guidelines are suggested for the efficient separation of proteins with activated carbon. (1) Activated carbon can be used to efficiently remove smaller proteinaceous impurities from larger proteins. (2) Smaller proteinaceous impurities are most efficiently removed at a solution pH close to the impurity's isoelectric point, where they have a minimal effective charge. (3) The most efficient recovery of a small protein from activated carbon occurs at a solution pH further away from the protein's isoelectric point, where it is strongly charged. Studies measuring the binding capacities of individual polymers and proteins were used to develop these three guidelines, and they were then applied to the separation of several different protein mixtures. The ability of activated carbon to separate proteins was demonstrated to be broadly applicable with three different types of activated carbon by both static treatment and by flowing through a packed column of activated carbon.
Protein palmitoylation in protozoan parasites.
Corvi, Maria Martha; Berthiaume, Luc Gerard; De Napoli, Maximiliano Gabriel
Palmitoylation plays an important role in the regulation of the localization and function of the modified protein. Although many aspects of protein palmitoylation have been identified in mammalian and yeast cells, little information is available of this modification in protozoan parasites. Protein palmitoylation has been described for a few set of proteins in E.tenella, P. falciparum, T. gondii, G. lamblia and T. cruzi. Interestingly, in all these parasites palmitoylated proteins appears to be involved in vital processes such as invasion and motility. In addition, most of these parasites contain in their genomes genes that encode for putative palmitoyl-acyl transferases, the enzymes catalyzing the palmitoylation reaction. Although protein palmitoylation could be playing key roles in invasion and motility in a variety of parasites, little is known about this important reversible modification of proteins that typically plays a role in membrane tethering. As such, this review will focus on the main features of protein palmitoylation as well as provide an overview of the state of knowledge of this modification in protozoan parasites.
"Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory are proposing to use a super- computer originally developed to simulate elementary particles in high- energy physics to help determine the structures and functions of proteins, including, for example, the 30,000 or so proteins encoded by the human genome" (1 page)
Protein folding and wring resonances
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bohr, Jakob; Bohr, Henrik; Brunak, Søren
that protein folding takes place when the amplitude of a wring excitation becomes so large that it is energetically favorable to bend the protein backbone. The condition under which such structural transformations can occur is found, and it is shown that both cold and hot denaturation (the unfolding...
Prions: Beyond a Single Protein.
Das, Alvin S; Zou, Wen-Quan
Since the term protein was first coined in 1838 and protein was discovered to be the essential component of fibrin and albumin, all cellular proteins were presumed to play beneficial roles in plants and mammals. However, in 1967, Griffith proposed that proteins could be infectious pathogens and postulated their involvement in scrapie, a universally fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in goats and sheep. Nevertheless, this novel hypothesis had not been evidenced until 1982, when Prusiner and coworkers purified infectious particles from scrapie-infected hamster brains and demonstrated that they consisted of a specific protein that he called a "prion." Unprecedentedly, the infectious prion pathogen is actually derived from its endogenous cellular form in the central nervous system. Unlike other infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, prions do not contain genetic materials such as DNA or RNA. The unique traits and genetic information of prions are believed to be encoded within the conformational structure and posttranslational modifications of the proteins. Remarkably, prion-like behavior has been recently observed in other cellular proteins-not only in pathogenic roles but also serving physiological functions. The significance of these fascinating developments in prion biology is far beyond the scope of a single cellular protein and its related disease.
Illustrating Chromatography with Colorful Proteins
Lefebvre, Brian G.; Farrell, Stephanie; Dominiak, Richard S.
Advances in biology are prompting new discoveries in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology, and chemical industries. This paper presents a detailed description of an anion exchange chromatography experiment using a pair of colorful proteins and summarizes the effect of operating parameters on protein separation. This experiment…
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA5 VSOP(voltage sensor-only protein1) HVCN1 VSOP, VSX1 Voltage-gated hydrogen cha...nnel 1 Hydrogen voltage-gated channel 1, Voltage sensor domain-only protein 7719 Ciona intestinalis 778897 Q1JV40 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA5 VSOP(voltage sensor-only protein1) HVCN1 VSOP Voltage-gated hydrogen channel 1... Hydrogen voltage-gated channel 1, Voltage sensor domain-only protein 9606 Homo sapiens Q96D96 84329 3A2A 18583477, 19285483 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBB5 RNA silencing TARBP2 TRBP TARBP2 RISC-loading complex subunit TARBP2 TAR RNA-binding protein... 2, Trans-activation-responsive RNA-binding protein 9606 Homo sapiens Q15633 6895 3ADL 2CPN 3LLH 6895 21080422 ...
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available FBA5 VSP(voltage-sensor containing phosphatase) ptenb pten Novel protein similar to...og B (Mutated in multiple advanced cancers 1), Phosphatase and tensin-like protein B short splice variant 7955 Danio rerio Q7ZZ56 ...
Simple rheology of mixed proteins
Mixing different proteins to form strong gel networks for food applications may create synergistic increases in viscoelasticity that cannot be achieved with a single protein. In this study, small amplitude oscillatory shear analyses were used to investigate the rheology of calcium caseinate (CC), e...
Teaching computers to fold proteins
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Winther, Ole; Krogh, Anders Stærmose
A new general algorithm for optimization of potential functions for protein folding is introduced. It is based upon gradient optimization of the thermodynamic stability of native folds of a training set of proteins with known structure. The iterative update rule contains two thermodynamic average...
Twin-Arginine Protein Translocation
Goosens, Vivianne J; van Dijl, Jan Maarten
Twin-arginine protein translocation systems (Tat) translocate fully folded and co-factor-containing proteins across biological membranes. In this review, we focus on the Tat pathway of Gram-positive bacteria. The minimal Tat pathway is composed of two components, namely a TatA and TatC pair, which a
Update on protein structure prediction
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hubbard, T; Tramontano, A; Barton, G
Computational tools for protein structure prediction are of great interest to molecular, structural and theoretical biologists due to a rapidly increasing number of protein sequences with no known structure. In October 1995, a workshop was held at IRBM to predict as much as possible about a numbe...
Protein Crystal Growth in Microgravity
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
毕汝昌; 桂璐璐; 师珂; 王耀萍; 陈世芝; 韩青; 胡永林; 沈福苓; 牛秀田; 华子谦; 卢光莹; 张健; 李松林; 龚为民; 牛立文; 黄其辰
Protein crystal growth is quite important for the determination of protein structureswhich are essential to the understanding of life at molecular level as well as to the development of molecu-lar biotechnology.The microgravity environment of space is an ideal place to study the complicated pro-tein crystallization and to grow good-quality protein crystals.A number of crystal-growth experiments of10 different proteins were carried out in August,1992 on the Chinese re-entry satellite FSW-2 in spaceusing a tube crystallization equipment made in China.A total of 25 samples from 6 proteins producedcrystals,and the effects of microgravity on protein crystal growth were observed,especially for an acidicphospholipase A2 and henegg-white lysozyme which gave better crystals in space than earth-grown crys-tals in ground control experiments.The results have shown that the microgravity in space favors the im-provement of the size,perfection,morphology and internal order of the grown protein crytals.
Characterization of carrot arabinogalactan proteins
Immerzeel, P.
Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are highly glycosylated proteins. Besides galactose and arabinose the carbohydrate part of AGPs contains other neutral sugars and uronic acids. AGPs are widely distributed in the plant kingdom, probably occurring in all tissues of every plant. Yariv phenylglycoside is
Lifescience Database Archive (English)
Full Text Available MPA1 TLR signaling molecules Nlrp3 Cias1, Mmig1, Nalp3, Pypaf1 NACHT, LRR and PYD d...n-associated-inducible protein 1, PYRIN-containing APAF1-like protein 1 10090 Mus musculus 216799 Q8R4B8 Q8R4B8 20007575 ...
Targeting protein prenylation in progeria.
Young, Stephen G; Yang, Shao H; Davies, Brandon S J; Jung, Hea-Jin; Fong, Loren G
A clinical trial of a protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor (lonafarnib) for the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) was recently completed. Here, we discuss the mutation that causes HGPS, the rationale for inhibiting protein farnesyltransferase, the potential limitations of this therapeutic approach, and new potential strategies for treating the disease.
Dual targeting of peroxisomal proteins
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Julia eAst
Full Text Available Cellular compartmentalization into organelles serves to separate biological processes within the environment of a single cell. While some metabolic reactions are specific to a single organelle, others occur in more than one cellular compartment. Specific targeting of proteins to compartments inside of eukaryotic cells is mediated by defined sequence motifs. To achieve multiple targeting to different compartments cells use a variety of strategies. Here, we focus on mechanisms leading to dual targeting of peroxisomal proteins. In many instances, isoforms of peroxisomal proteins with distinct intracellular localization are encoded by separate genes. But also single genes can give rise to differentially localized proteins. Different isoforms can be generated by use of alternative transcriptional start sites, by differential splicing or ribosomal read-through of stop codons. In all these cases different peptide variants are produced, of which only one carries a peroxisomal targeting signal. Alternatively, peroxisomal proteins contain additional signals that compete for intracellular targeting. Dual localization of proteins residing in both the cytoplasm and in peroxisomes may also result from use of inefficient targeting signals. The recent observation that some bona fide cytoplasmic enzymes were also found in peroxisomes indicates that dual targeting of proteins to both the cytoplasm and the peroxisome might be more widespread. Although current knowledge of proteins exhibiting only partial peroxisomal targeting is far from being complete, we speculate that the metabolic capacity of peroxisomes might be larger than previously assumed.
Direct electrochemistry of redox proteins.
Heering, H.A.
The goal of the project was to obtain more detailed insight in interactions between redox proteins and solid electrodes and the mechanisms of electron transfer. In addition to this, the influence of the protein environment on the redox properties of the active site and the possible influence of the
Soy protein modification: A review
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Barać Miroljub B.
Full Text Available Soy protein products such as flour, concentrates and isolates are used in food formulation because of their functionality, nutritional value and low cost. To obtain their optimal nutritive and functional properties as well as desirable flavor different treatments are used. Soybean proteins can be modified by physical, chemical and enzymatic treatments. Different thermal treatments are most commonly used, while the most appropriate way of modifying soy proteins from the standpoint of safety is their limited proteolysis. These treatments cause physical and chemical changes that affect their functional properties. This review discusses three principal methods used for modification of soy protein products, their effects on dominant soy protein properties and some biologically active compounds.
Structural Genomics of Protein Phosphatases
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Almo,S.; Bonanno, J.; Sauder, J.; Emtage, S.; Dilorenzo, T.; Malashkevich, V.; Wasserman, S.; Swaminathan, S.; Eswaramoorthy, S.; et al
The New York SGX Research Center for Structural Genomics (NYSGXRC) of the NIGMS Protein Structure Initiative (PSI) has applied its high-throughput X-ray crystallographic structure determination platform to systematic studies of all human protein phosphatases and protein phosphatases from biomedically-relevant pathogens. To date, the NYSGXRC has determined structures of 21 distinct protein phosphatases: 14 from human, 2 from mouse, 2 from the pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, 1 from Trypanosoma brucei, the parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness, and 2 from the principal mosquito vector of malaria in Africa, Anopheles gambiae. These structures provide insights into both normal and pathophysiologic processes, including transcriptional regulation, regulation of major signaling pathways, neural development, and type 1 diabetes. In conjunction with the contributions of other international structural genomics consortia, these efforts promise to provide an unprecedented database and materials repository for structure-guided experimental and computational discovery of inhibitors for all classes of protein phosphatases.
Protein science research in China
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Ming Sun; Rui-Ming Xu
@@ Proteins are major executors of life processes, carrying out essential and nonessential functions inside and outside of the cell, in species ranging from simple unicellular organisms to mammals. Thus, not surpris-ingly, studies of structure and function of proteins span the entire spectrum of molecular biology and modern biomedical sciences in general. Due to historical rea-sons, protein science research in China was isolated and limited in scope until late 1970s. In the last two decades,China has seen an outburst of research activities,government initiatives, and aggregation of human talents in protein science research. This article provides an overview of major initiatives in research funding, invest-ment in infrastructures, and research forces for protein science research in China.
Sarkar, Sohini; Hazra, Partha; Mandal, Pankaj
Recent literatures reported blue-green emission from amyloid fibril as exclusive signature of fibril formation. This unusual visible luminescence is regularly used to monitor fibril growth. Blue-green emission has also been observed in crystalline protein and in solution. However, the origin of this emission is not known exactly. Our spectroscopic study of serum proteins reveals that the blue-green emission is a property of protein monomer. Evidences suggest that semiconductor-like band structure of proteins with the optical band-gap in the visible region is possibly the origin of this phenomenon. We show here that the band structure of proteins is primarily the result of electron delocalization through the peptide chain, rather than through the hydrogen bond network in secondary structure.
Walter, Nils G; Batey, Robert T
This book assembles chapters from experts in the Biophysics of RNA to provide a broadly accessible snapshot of the current status of this rapidly expanding field. The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to the discoverers of RNA interference, highlighting just one example of a large number of non-protein coding RNAs. Because non-protein coding RNAs outnumber protein coding genes in mammals and other higher eukaryotes, it is now thought that the complexity of organisms is correlated with the fraction of their genome that encodes non-protein coding RNAs. Essential biological processes as diverse as cell differentiation, suppression of infecting viruses and parasitic transposons, higher-level organization of eukaryotic chromosomes, and gene expression itself are found to largely be directed by non-protein coding RNAs. The biophysical study of these RNAs employs X-ray crystallography, NMR, ensemble and single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, optical tweezers, cryo-electron microscopy, and ot...
An improved Bradford protein assay for collagen proteins.
López, J M; Imperial, S; Valderrama, R; Navarro, S
A modification of the protein determination method of Bradford adapted for collagen-rich samples is described. The use of Coomassie-based protein determination methods is limited by the great variation in colour yield obtained for different proteins. This is especially important in samples containing significant amounts of collagen where direct application of the methods of Lowry and Bradford results in underestimated values. Addition of small amounts of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) (0.0035%) to the diluted solutions of Coomassie Brilliant Blue G used as dye reagent in the Bradford colorimetric assay caused a 4-fold increase in the colour response of three collagen proteins (Col I, III and IV) and a decrease in absorbance for various non-collagen proteins. The presence of SDS in the reagent did not result in a significant metachromatic shift of the collagen-dye complexes. This simple modification in the preparation of the reagent for the Bradford assay allows similar response curves to be obtained for collagen and non-collagen proteins, making the modified assay of potential use for protein determination in collagen-rich samples such as pancreatic extracts.
Dynamic fluctuations of protein-carbohydrate interactions promote protein aggregation.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vladimir Voynov
Full Text Available Protein-carbohydrate interactions are important for glycoprotein structure and function. Antibodies of the IgG class, with increasing significance as therapeutics, are glycosylated at a conserved site in the constant Fc region. We hypothesized that disruption of protein-carbohydrate interactions in the glycosylated domain of antibodies leads to the exposure of aggregation-prone motifs. Aggregation is one of the main problems in protein-based therapeutics because of immunogenicity concerns and decreased efficacy. To explore the significance of intramolecular interactions between aromatic amino acids and carbohydrates in the IgG glycosylated domain, we utilized computer simulations, fluorescence analysis, and site-directed mutagenesis. We find that the surface exposure of one aromatic amino acid increases due to dynamic fluctuations. Moreover, protein-carbohydrate interactions decrease upon stress, while protein-protein and carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions increase. Substitution of the carbohydrate-interacting aromatic amino acids with non-aromatic residues leads to a significantly lower stability than wild type, and to compromised binding to Fc receptors. Our results support a mechanism for antibody aggregation via decreased protein-carbohydrate interactions, leading to the exposure of aggregation-prone regions, and to aggregation.
Protein kinase A regulates molecular chaperone transcription and protein aggregation.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yue Zhang
Full Text Available Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1 regulates one of the major pathways of protein quality control and is essential for deterrence of protein-folding disorders, particularly in neuronal cells. However, HSF1 activity declines with age, a change that may open the door to progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's disease. We have investigated mechanisms of HSF1 regulation that may become compromised with age. HSF1 binds stably to the catalytic domain of protein kinase A (PKAcα and becomes phosphorylated on at least one regulatory serine residue (S320. We show here that PKA is essential for effective transcription of HSP genes by HSF1. PKA triggers a cascade involving HSF1 binding to the histone acetylase p300 and positive translation elongation factor 1 (p-TEFb and phosphorylation of the c-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, a key mechanism in the downstream steps of HSF1-mediated transcription. This cascade appears to play a key role in protein quality control in neuronal cells expressing aggregation-prone proteins with long poly-glutamine (poly-Q tracts. Such proteins formed inclusion bodies that could be resolved by HSF1 activation during heat shock. Resolution of the inclusions was inhibited by knockdown of HSF1, PKAcα, or the pTEFb component CDK9, indicating a key role for the HSF1-PKA cascade in protein quality control.
Analysis of protein folds using protein contact networks
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
Pankaj Barah; Somdatta Sinha
Proteins are important biomolecules, which perform diverse structural and functional roles in living systems. Starting from a linear chain of amino acids, proteins fold to different secondary structures, which then fold through short- and long-range interactions to give rise to the final three-dimensional shapes useful to carry out the biophysical and biochemical functions. Proteins are defined as having a common `fold' if they have major secondary structural elements with same topological connections. It is known that folding mechanisms are largely determined by a protein's topology rather than its interatomic interactions. The native state protein structures can, thus, be modelled, using a graph-theoretical approach, as coarse-grained networks of amino acid residues as `nodes' and the inter-residue interactions/contacts as `links'. Using the network representation of protein structures and their 2D contact maps, we have identified the conserved contact patterns (groups of contacts) representing two typical folds – the EF-hand and the ubiquitin-like folds. Our results suggest that this direct and computationally simple methodology can be used to infer about the presence of specific folds from the protein's contact map alone.
Sedzik, Jan; Jastrzebski, Jan Pawel; Grandis, Marina
Human P0 is the main myelin glycoprotein of the peripheral nervous system. It can bind six different glycans, all linked to Asn(93) , the unique glycosylation site. Other myelin glycoproteins, also with a single glycosylation site (PMP22 at Asn(36) , MOG at Asn(31) ), bind only one glycan. The MAG has 10 glycosylation sites; the glycoprotein OMgp has 11 glycosylation sites. Aside from P0, no comprehensive data are available on other myelin glycoproteins. Here we review and analyze all published data on the physicochemical structure of the glycans linked to P0, PMP22, MOG, and MAG. Most data concern bovine P0, whose glycan moieties have an MW ranging from 1,294.56 Da (GP3) to 2,279.94 Da (GP5). The pI of glycosylated P0 protein varies from pH 9.32 to 9.46. The most charged glycan is MS2 containing three sulfate groups and one glucuronic acid; whereas the least charged one is the BA2 residue. All glycans contain one fucose and one galactose. The most mannose rich are the glycans MS2 and GP4, each of them has four mannoses; OPPE1 contains five N-acetylglucosamines and one sulfated glucuronic acid; GP4 contains one sialic acid. Furthermore, human P0 variants causing both gain and loss of glycosylation have been described and cause peripheral neuropathies with variable clinical severity. In particular, the substitution T(95) →M is a very common in Europe and is associated with a late-onset axonal neuropathy. Although peripheral myelin is made up largely of glycoproteins, mutations altering glycosylation have been described only in P0. This attractive avenue of research requires further study.
Targeting protein-protein interactions for parasite control.
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Christina M Taylor
Full Text Available Finding new drug targets for pathogenic infections would be of great utility for humanity, as there is a large need to develop new drugs to fight infections due to the developing resistance and side effects of current treatments. Current drug targets for pathogen infections involve only a single protein. However, proteins rarely act in isolation, and the majority of biological processes occur via interactions with other proteins, so protein-protein interactions (PPIs offer a realm of unexplored potential drug targets and are thought to be the next-generation of drug targets. Parasitic worms were chosen for this study because they have deleterious effects on human health, livestock, and plants, costing society billions of dollars annually and many sequenced genomes are available. In this study, we present a computational approach that utilizes whole genomes of 6 parasitic and 1 free-living worm species and 2 hosts. The species were placed in orthologous groups, then binned in species-specific orthologous groups. Proteins that are essential and conserved among species that span a phyla are of greatest value, as they provide foundations for developing broad-control strategies. Two PPI databases were used to find PPIs within the species specific bins. PPIs with unique helminth proteins and helminth proteins with unique features relative to the host, such as indels, were prioritized as drug targets. The PPIs were scored based on RNAi phenotype and homology to the PDB (Protein DataBank. EST data for the various life stages, GO annotation, and druggability were also taken into consideration. Several PPIs emerged from this study as potential drug targets. A few interactions were supported by co-localization of expression in M. incognita (plant parasite and B. malayi (H. sapiens parasite, which have extremely different modes of parasitism. As more genomes of pathogens are sequenced and PPI databases expanded, this methodology will become increasingly
Interface-resolved network of protein-protein interactions.
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Margaret E Johnson
Full Text Available We define an interface-interaction network (IIN to capture the specificity and competition between protein-protein interactions (PPI. This new type of network represents interactions between individual interfaces used in functional protein binding and thereby contains the detail necessary to describe the competition and cooperation between any pair of binding partners. Here we establish a general framework for the construction of IINs that merges computational structure-based interface assignment with careful curation of available literature. To complement limited structural data, the inclusion of biochemical data is critical for achieving the accuracy and completeness necessary to analyze the specificity and competition between the protein interactions. Firstly, this procedure provides a means to clarify the information content of existing data on purported protein interactions and to remove indirect and spurious interactions. Secondly, the IIN we have constructed here for proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME exhibits distinctive topological properties. In contrast to PPI networks with their global and relatively dense connectivity, the fragmentation of the IIN into distinctive network modules suggests that different functional pressures act on the evolution of its topology. Large modules in the IIN are formed by interfaces sharing specificity for certain domain types, such as SH3 domains distributed across different proteins. The shared and distinct specificity of an interface is necessary for effective negative and positive design of highly selective binding targets. Lastly, the organization of detailed structural data in a network format allows one to identify pathways of specific binding interactions and thereby predict effects of mutations at specific surfaces on a protein and of specific binding inhibitors, as we explore in several examples. Overall, the endocytosis IIN is remarkably complex and rich in features masked
Structural model of the dimeric Parkinson's protein LRRK2 reveals a compact architecture involving distant interdomain contacts
Guaitoli, Giambattista; Raimondi, Francesco; Gilsbach, Bernd K.; Gómez-Llorente, Yacob; Deyaert, Egon; Renzi, Fabiana; Li, Xianting; Schaffner, Adam; Jagtap, Pravin Kumar Ankush; Boldt, Karsten; von Zweydorf, Felix; Gotthardt, Katja; Lorimer, Donald D.; Yue, Zhenyu; Burgin, Alex; Janjic, Nebojsa; Sattler, Michael; Versées, Wim; Ueffing, Marius; Ubarretxena-Belandia, Iban; Kortholt, Arjan; Gloeckner, Christian Johannes
Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a large, multidomain protein containing two catalytic domains: a Ras of complex proteins (Roc) G-domain and a kinase domain. Mutations associated with familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) have been identified in both catalytic domains, as well as in several of its multiple putative regulatory domains. Several of these mutations have been linked to increased kinase activity. Despite the role of LRRK2 in the pathogenesis of PD, little is known about its overall architecture and how PD-linked mutations alter its function and enzymatic activities. Here, we have modeled the 3D structure of dimeric, full-length LRRK2 by combining domain-based homology models with multiple experimental constraints provided by chemical cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry, negative-stain EM, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Our model reveals dimeric LRRK2 has a compact overall architecture with a tight, multidomain organization. Close contacts between the N-terminal ankyrin and C-terminal WD40 domains, and their proximity—together with the LRR domain—to the kinase domain suggest an intramolecular mechanism for LRRK2 kinase activity regulation. Overall, our studies provide, to our knowledge, the first structural framework for understanding the role of the different domains of full-length LRRK2 in the pathogenesis of PD. PMID:27357661
Automatic Extraction of Protein Interaction in Literature
Liu, Peilei; Wang, Ting
Protein-protein interaction extraction is the key precondition of the construction of protein knowledge network, and it is very important for the research in the biomedicine. This paper extracted directional protein-protein interaction from the biological text, using the SVM-based method. Experiments were evaluated on the LLL05 corpus with good results. The results show that dependency features are import for the protein-protein interaction extraction and features related to the interaction w...
Replication of adenovirus DNA-protein complex with purified proteins.
Ikeda, J E; Enomoto, T.; Hurwitz, J
A protein fraction isolated from the cytosol of adenovirus-infected HeLa cells, which contained DNA polymerase alpha, catalyzed adenoviral DNA replication in the presence of adenovirus DNA binding protein, eukaryotic DNA polymerase beta, ATP, all four dNTPs, and MgCl2. DNA replication started at either end of exogenously added adenoviral DNA and was totally dependent on the presence of terminal 55,000-dalton proteins on the DNA template. The replicaton of adenovirus DNA in the system was sens...
Protein domain organisation: adding order
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Kummerfeld Sarah K
Full Text Available Abstract Background Domains are the building blocks of proteins. During evolution, they have been duplicated, fused and recombined, to produce proteins with novel structures and functions. Structural and genome-scale studies have shown that pairs or groups of domains observed together in a protein are almost always found in only one N to C terminal order and are the result of a single recombination event that has been propagated by duplication of the multi-domain unit. Previous studies of domain organisation have used graph theory to represent the co-occurrence of domains within proteins. We build on this approach by adding directionality to the graphs and connecting nodes based on their relative order in the protein. Most of the time, the linear order of domains is conserved. However, using the directed graph representation we have identified non-linear features of domain organization that are over-represented in genomes. Recognising these patterns and unravelling how they have arisen may allow us to understand the functional relationships between domains and understand how the protein repertoire has evolved. Results We identify groups of domains that are not linearly conserved, but instead have been shuffled during evolution so that they occur in multiple different orders. We consider 192 genomes across all three kingdoms of life and use domain and protein annotation to understand their functional significance. To identify these features and assess their statistical significance, we represent the linear order of domains in proteins as a directed graph and apply graph theoretical methods. We describe two higher-order patterns of domain organisation: clusters and bi-directionally associated domain pairs and explore their functional importance and phylogenetic conservation. Conclusion Taking into account the order of domains, we have derived a novel picture of global protein organization. We found that all genomes have a higher than expected
Multipolar representation of protein structure
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Bourne Philip E
Full Text Available Abstract Background That the structure determines the function of proteins is a central paradigm in biology. However, protein functions are more directly related to cooperative effects at the residue and multi-residue scales. As such, current representations based on atomic coordinates can be considered inadequate. Bridging the gap between atomic-level structure and overall protein-level functionality requires parameterizations of the protein structure (and other physicochemical properties in a quasi-continuous range, from a simple collection of unrelated amino acids coordinates to the highly synergistic organization of the whole protein entity, from a microscopic view in which each atom is completely resolved to a "macroscopic" description such as the one encoded in the three-dimensional protein shape. Results Here we propose such a parameterization and study its relationship to the standard Euclidian description based on amino acid representative coordinates. The representation uses multipoles associated with residue Cα coordinates as shape descriptors. We demonstrate that the multipoles can be used for the quantitative description of the protein shape and for the comparison of protein structures at various levels of detail. Specifically, we construct a (dissimilarity measure in multipolar configuration space, and show how such a function can be used for the comparison of a pair of proteins. We then test the parameterization on a benchmark set of the protein kinase-like superfamily. We prove that, when the biologically relevant portions of the proteins are retained, it can robustly discriminate between the various families in the set in a way not possible through sequence or conventional structural representations alone. We then compare our representation with the Cartesian coordinate description and show that, as expected, the correlation with that representation increases as the level of detail, measured by the highest rank of multipoles
Widely predicting specific protein functions based on protein-protein interaction data and gene expression profile
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
GAO Lei; LI Xia; GUO Zheng; ZHU MingZhu; LI YanHui; RAO ShaoQi
GESTs (gene expression similarity and taxonomy similarity), a gene functional prediction approach previously proposed by us, is based on gene expression similarity and concept similarity of functional classes defined in Gene Ontology (GO). In this paper, we extend this method to protein-protein interaction data by introducing several methods to filter the neighbors in protein interaction networks for a protein of unknown function(s). Unlike other conventional methods, the proposed approach automatically selects the most appropriate functional classes as specific as possible during the learning process, and calls on genes annotated to nearby classes to support the predictions to some small-sized specific classes in GO. Based on the yeast protein-protein interaction information from MIPS and a dataset of gene expression profiles, we assess the performances of our approach for predicting protein functions to "biology process" by three measures particularly designed for functional classes organized in GO. Results show that our method is powerful for widely predicting gene functions with very specific functional terms. Based on the GO database published in December 2004, we predict some proteins whose functions were unknown at that time, and some of the predictions have been confirmed by the new SGD annotation data published in April, 2006.
In silico identification of essential proteins in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis based on protein-protein interaction networks
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Folador, Edson Luiz; de Carvalho, Paulo Vinícius Sanches Daltro; Silva, Wanderson Marques;
and decreased production of meat, wool, and milk. Current diagnosis or treatment protocols are not fully effective and, thus, require further research of Cp pathogenesis. RESULTS: Here, we mapped known protein-protein interactions (PPI) from various species to nine Cp strains to reconstruct parts...
Widely predicting specific protein functions based on protein-protein interaction data and gene expression profile
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
GESTs (gene expression similarity and taxonomy similarity), a gene functional prediction approach previously proposed by us, is based on gene expression similarity and concept similarity of functional classes defined in Gene Ontology (GO). In this paper, we extend this method to protein-protein interac-tion data by introducing several methods to filter the neighbors in protein interaction networks for a protein of unknown function(s). Unlike other conventional methods, the proposed approach automati-cally selects the most appropriate functional classes as specific as possible during the learning proc-ess, and calls on genes annotated to nearby classes to support the predictions to some small-sized specific classes in GO. Based on the yeast protein-protein interaction information from MIPS and a dataset of gene expression profiles, we assess the performances of our approach for predicting protein functions to "biology process" by three measures particularly designed for functional classes organ-ized in GO. Results show that our method is powerful for widely predicting gene functions with very specific functional terms. Based on the GO database published in December 2004, we predict some proteins whose functions were unknown at that time, and some of the predictions have been confirmed by the new SGD annotation data published in April, 2006.
Dairy proteins and soy proteins in infant foods nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors.
Maubois, J-L; Lorient, D
Protein content of any source is classically determined through the analysis of its nitrogen content done for more 100 years by the Kjeldahl method, and the obtained result is multiplied by a number named nitrogen conversion factor (NCF). The value of NCF is related to the amino acid composition of the protein source and to the eventual presence of side groups covalently bound to some amino acids of the protein chain. Consequently, the value of NCF cannot be identical for all sources of food proteins. The aim of this paper is to review the available knowledge on the two allowed protein sources for infant food formulas, milk and soybean, in order to bring the right scientific basis which should be used for the revision of both European legislation and Codex Standard for Infant Formulas.
Photoaffinity Labeling of Plasma Proteins
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Masaki Otagiri
Full Text Available Photoaffinity labeling is a powerful technique for identifying a target protein. A high degree of labeling specificity can be achieved with this method in comparison to chemical labeling. Human serum albumin (HSA and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP are two plasma proteins that bind a variety of endogenous and exogenous substances. The ligand binding mechanism of these two proteins is complex. Fatty acids, which are known to be transported in plasma by HSA, cause conformational changes and participate in allosteric ligand binding to HSA. HSA undergoes an N-B transition, a conformational change at alkaline pH, that has been reported to result in increased ligand binding. Attempts have been made to investigate the impact of fatty acids and the N-B transition on ligand binding in HSA using ketoprofen and flunitrazepam as photolabeling agents. Meanwhile, plasma AGP is a mixture of genetic variants of the protein. The photolabeling of AGP with flunitrazepam has been utilized to shed light on the topology of the protein ligand binding site. Furthermore, a review of photoaffinity labeling performed on other major plasma proteins will also be discussed. Using a photoreactive natural ligand as a photolabeling agent to identify target protein in the plasma would reduce non-specific labeling.
Bone morphogenetic proteins: Periodontal regeneration
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Subramaniam M Rao
Full Text Available Periodontitis is an infectious inflammatory disease that results in attachment loss and bone loss. Regeneration of the periodontal tissues entails de novo formation of cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. Several different approaches are currently being explored to achieve complete, reliable, and reproducible regeneration of periodontal tissues. The therapeutic management of new bone formation is one of the key issues in successful periodontal regeneration. Bone morphogenetic proteins form a unique group of proteins within the transforming growth factor superfamily of genes and have a vital role in the regulation in the bone induction and maintenance. The activity of bone morphogenetic proteins was first identified in the 1960s, but the proteins responsible for bone induction were unknown until the purification and cloning of human bone morphogenetic proteins in the 1980s, because of their osteoinductive potential. Bone morphogenetic proteins have gained a lot of interest as therapeutic agents for treating periodontal defects. A systematic search for data related to the use of bone morphogenetic proteins for the regeneration of periodontal defects was performed to recognize studies on animals and human (PUBMED, MEDLINE, COCHRANE, and Google search. All the studies included showed noticeable regeneration of periodontal tissues with the use of BMP.
Succination of proteins in diabetes.
Frizzell, Norma; Lima, Maria; Baynes, John W
Cysteine is arguably the most reactive amino acid in protein. A wide range of cysteine derivatives is formed in vivo, resulting from oxidation, nitrosation, alkylation and acylation reactions. This review describes succination of proteins, an irreversible chemical modification of cysteine by the Krebs cycle intermediate, fumarate, yielding S-(2-succinyl)cysteine (2SC). Intracellular fumarate concentration and succination of proteins are increased by hyperpolarization of the inner mitochondrial membrane and develop in concert with mitochondrial and oxidative stress in diabetes. Increased succination of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase explains the loss in specific activity of this enzyme in muscle of streptozotocin-diabetic rats and increased succination of adiponectin may explain the decreased secretion of adiponectin from adipose tissue in type 2 diabetes. In addition to GAPDH and adiponectin, other succinated proteins identified in adipocytes include cytoskeletal proteins (tubulin, actin) and chaperone proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Succination of adipocyte protein in vitro is inhibited by uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation and by inhibitors of ER stress. 2SC serves as a biomarker of mitochondrial stress and recent studies suggest that succination is the mechanistic link between mitochondrial and ER stress in diabetes.
The prion protein binds thiamine.
Perez-Pineiro, Rolando; Bjorndahl, Trent C; Berjanskii, Mark V; Hau, David; Li, Li; Huang, Alan; Lee, Rose; Gibbs, Ebrima; Ladner, Carol; Dong, Ying Wei; Abera, Ashenafi; Cashman, Neil R; Wishart, David S
Although highly conserved throughout evolution, the exact biological function of the prion protein is still unclear. In an effort to identify the potential biological functions of the prion protein we conducted a small-molecule screening assay using the Syrian hamster prion protein [shPrP(90-232)]. The screen was performed using a library of 149 water-soluble metabolites that are known to pass through the blood-brain barrier. Using a combination of 1D NMR, fluorescence quenching and surface plasmon resonance we identified thiamine (vitamin B1) as a specific prion ligand with a binding constant of ~60 μM. Subsequent studies showed that this interaction is evolutionarily conserved, with similar binding constants being seen for mouse, hamster and human prions. Various protein construct lengths, both with and without the unstructured N-terminal region in the presence and absence of copper, were examined. This indicates that the N-terminus has no influence on the protein's ability to interact with thiamine. In addition to thiamine, the more biologically abundant forms of vitamin B1 (thiamine monophosphate and thiamine diphosphate) were also found to bind the prion protein with similar affinity. Heteronuclear NMR experiments were used to determine thiamine's interaction site, which is located between helix 1 and the preceding loop. These data, in conjunction with computer-aided docking and molecular dynamics, were used to model the thiamine-binding pharmacophore and a comparison with other thiamine binding proteins was performed to reveal the common features of interaction.
Arabinogalactan proteins in plants
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Ewa Szczuka
Full Text Available AGPs (arabinogalactan-proteins are the major constituent of arabic gum and have been used as emulsifiers and stabilizing agents. They are also one of the most abundant and heterogeneous class forming a large family of proteoglycans that sculpt the surface not only of plant but also of all eukaryotic cells. Undoubtedly, AGPs appear in numerous biological processes, playing diverse functions. Despite their abundance in nature and industrial utility, the in vivofunction(s of AGPs still remains unclear or even unknown. AGPs are commonly distributed in different plant organs and probably participate in all aspects of plant growth and development including reproduction (e.g. they are present in the stigma including stigma exudates, and in transmitting tissues in styles, pollen grains, and pollen tubes. The functions and evident involvement of AGPs in sexual plant reproduction in a few plant species as Actinidia deliciosa (A.Chev. C.F.Liang & A.R.Ferguson, Amaranthus hypochondriacus L., Catharanthus roseus (L. G.Don, Lolium perenneL. and Larix deciduaMill. are known from literature. The localization of two kinds of AGP epitopes, recognized by the JIM8 and JIM13 mAbs, in anatomically different ovules revealed some differences in spatial localization of these epitopes in ovules of monocots Galanthus nivalis L. and Galtonia candicans (Baker Decne. and dicots like Oenothera species and Sinapis albaL. A detailed study of the localization of AGPs in egg cells, zygotes, including the zygote division stage, and in two-celled proembryos in Nicotiana tabacumL. prompts consideration of the necessity of their presence in the very early steps of ontogenesis. The selective labeling obtained with AGP mAbs JIM8, JIM13, MAC207, and LM2 during Arabidopsis thaliana(L. Heynh. development suggests that some AGPs can be regarded as molecular markers for gametophytic cell differentiation. Moreover, the results show evident differences in the distribution of specific AGP
Assigning protein functions by comparative genome analysis protein phylogenetic profiles
Pellegrini, Matteo; Marcotte, Edward M.; Thompson, Michael J.; Eisenberg, David; Grothe, Robert; Yeates, Todd O.
A computational method system, and computer program are provided for inferring functional links from genome sequences. One method is based on the observation that some pairs of proteins A' and B' have homologs in another organism fused into a single protein chain AB. A trans-genome comparison of sequences can reveal these AB sequences, which are Rosetta Stone sequences because they decipher an interaction between A' and B. Another method compares the genomic sequence of two or more organisms to create a phylogenetic profile for each protein indicating its presence or absence across all the genomes. The profile provides information regarding functional links between different families of proteins. In yet another method a combination of the above two methods is used to predict functional links.
Systematic analysis of human protein complexes identifies chromosome segregation proteins.
Hutchins, James R A; Toyoda, Yusuke; Hegemann, Björn; Poser, Ina; Hériché, Jean-Karim; Sykora, Martina M; Augsburg, Martina; Hudecz, Otto; Buschhorn, Bettina A; Bulkescher, Jutta; Conrad, Christian; Comartin, David; Schleiffer, Alexander; Sarov, Mihail; Pozniakovsky, Andrei; Slabicki, Mikolaj Michal; Schloissnig, Siegfried; Steinmacher, Ines; Leuschner, Marit; Ssykor, Andrea; Lawo, Steffen; Pelletier, Laurence; Stark, Holger; Nasmyth, Kim; Ellenberg, Jan; Durbin, Richard; Buchholz, Frank; Mechtler, Karl; Hyman, Anthony A; Peters, Jan-Michael
Chromosome segregation and cell division are essential, highly ordered processes that depend on numerous protein complexes. Results from recent RNA interference screens indicate that the identity and composition of these protein complexes is incompletely understood. Using gene tagging on bacterial artificial chromosomes, protein localization, and tandem-affinity purification-mass spectrometry, the MitoCheck consortium has analyzed about 100 human protein complexes, many of which had not or had only incompletely been characterized. This work has led to the discovery of previously unknown, evolutionarily conserved subunits of the anaphase-promoting complex and the gamma-tubulin ring complex--large complexes that are essential for spindle assembly and chromosome segregation. The approaches we describe here are generally applicable to high-throughput follow-up analyses of phenotypic screens in mammalian cells.
Thermodynamic competition between membrane protein oligomeric states
Kahraman, Osman; Haselwandter, Christoph A.
Self-assembly of protein monomers into distinct membrane protein oligomers provides a general mechanism for diversity in the molecular architectures, and resulting biological functions, of membrane proteins. We develop a general physical framework describing the thermodynamic competition between different oligomeric states of membrane proteins. Using the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance as a model system, we show how the dominant oligomeric states of membrane proteins emerge from the interplay of protein concentration in the cell membrane, protein-induced lipid bilayer deformations, and direct monomer-monomer interactions. Our results suggest general physical mechanisms and principles underlying regulation of protein function via control of membrane protein oligomeric state.
Thermodynamic competition between membrane protein oligomeric states
Kahraman, Osman
Self-assembly of protein monomers into distinct membrane protein oligomers provides a general mechanism for diversity in the molecular architectures, and resulting biological functions, of membrane proteins. We develop a general physical framework describing the thermodynamic competition between different oligomeric states of membrane proteins. Using the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance as a model system, we show how the dominant oligomeric states of membrane proteins emerge from the interplay of protein concentration in the cell membrane, protein-induced lipid bilayer deformations, and direct monomer-monomer interactions. Our results suggest general physical mechanisms and principles underlying regulation of protein function via control of membrane protein oligomeric state.
Is there a body protein reserve?
Garrow, J S
Evidence from experimentally protein-depleted dogs and adult human volunteers shows that about 20-25% of total body protein can be lost without fatality. Muscle protein is used to protect visceral proteins. In obese adults 15% of body protein (together with a large amount of fat) can be lost without ill effects. Experience with malnourished children shows that rapid repletion of protein is not practicable or therapeutically helpful. Protein stores in the body undoubtedly exist, and are mobilized whenever the capacity for protein synthesis is inadequate to cover the rate of protein catabolism. It is not necessarily helpful, in such situations, to give more amino acids intravenously.
Optical methods in the study of protein-protein interactions.
Masi, Alessio; Cicchi, Riccardo; Carloni, Adolfo; Pavone, Francesco Saverio; Arcangeli, Annarosa
Förster (or Fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a physical process in which energy is transferred nonradiatively from an excited fluorophore, serving as a donor, to another chromophore (acceptor). Among the techniques related to fluorescence microscopy, FRET is unique in providing signals sensitive to intra- and intermolecular distances in the 1-10 nm range. Because of its potency, FRET is increasingly used to visualize and quantify the dynamics of protein-protein interaction in living cells, with high spatio-temporal resolution. Here we describe the physical bases of FRET, detailing the principal methods applied: (1) measurement of signal intensity and (2) analysis of fluorescence lifetime (FLIM). Although several technical complications must be carefully considered, both methods can be applied fruitfully to specific fields. For example, FRET based on intensity detection is more suitable to follow biological phenomena at a finely tuned spatial and temporal scale. Furthermore, a specific fluorescence signal occurring close to the plasma membrane (advantage of the discovery and use of spontaneously fluorescent proteins, like the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Until now, FRET has been widely used to analyze the structural characteristics of several proteins, including integrins and ion channels. More recently, this method has been applied to clarify the interaction dynamics of these classes of membrane proteins with cytosolic signaling proteins. We report two examples in which the interaction dynamics between integrins and ion channels have been studied with FRET methods. Using fluorescent antibodies and applying FRET-FLIM, the direct interaction of beta1 integrin with the receptor for Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF-R) has been proved in living endothelial cells. A different approach, based on TIRFM measurement of the FRET intensity of fluorescently labeled recombinant proteins, suggests that a direct interaction also occurs between integrins and the
Periplasmic binding proteins: a versatile superfamily for protein engineering.
Dwyer, Mary A; Hellinga, Homme W
The diversity of biological function, ligand binding, conformational changes and structural adaptability of the periplasmic binding protein superfamily have been exploited to engineer biosensors, allosteric control elements, biologically active receptors and enzymes using a combination of techniques, including computational design. Extensively redesigned periplasmic binding proteins have been re-introduced into bacteria to function in synthetic signal transduction pathways that respond to extracellular ligands and as biologically active enzymes.
Adhesives from modified soy protein
Sun, Susan; Wang, Donghai; Zhong, Zhikai; Yang, Guang
The, present invention provides useful adhesive compositions having similar adhesive properties to conventional UF and PPF resins. The compositions generally include a protein portion and modifying ingredient portion selected from the group consisting of carboxyl-containing compounds, aldehyde-containing compounds, epoxy group-containing compounds, and mixtures thereof. The composition is preferably prepared at a pH level at or near the isoelectric point of the protein. In other preferred forms, the adhesive composition includes a protein portion and a carboxyl-containing group portion.
Psoriasin: a novel chemotactic protein
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jinquan, T; Vorum, H; Larsen, C G;
calcium-binding protein (psoriasin, molecular mass 11,457 Da, pI 6.77) belonging to the S1OO family that is highly upregulated in psoriatic keratinocytes and whose expression patterns implied a role in the inflammatory response. Here we report that human psoriasin is a potent and selective chemotactic...... inflammatory protein for CD4+ T lymphocytes and neutrophils at concentrations of about 10(-11) M. Psoriasin is not structurally related to the alpha or the beta chemokine subfamilies or to lymphotactin, a member of a newly described class of chemokines. Thus, we have observed a chemotactic protein outside...
Protein requirement in critical illness.
Hoffer, Leonard John
How much protein do critically ill patients require? For the many decades that nutritional support has been used there was a broad consensus that critically ill patients need much more protein than required for normal health. Now, however, some clinical investigators recommend limiting all macronutrient provision during the early phase of critical illness. How did these conflicting recommendations emerge? Which of them is correct? This review explains the longstanding recommendation for generous protein provision in critical illness, analyzes the clinical trials now being claimed to refute it, and concludes with suggestions for clinical investigation and practice.
Protein dynamics: hydration and cavities
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K. Heremans
Full Text Available The temperature-pressure behavior of proteins seems to be unique among the biological macromolecules. Thermodynamic as well as kinetic data show the typical elliptical stability diagram. This may be extended by assuming that the unfolded state gives rise to volume and enthalpy-driven liquid-liquid transitions. A molecular interpretation follows from the temperature and the pressure dependence of the hydration and cavities. We suggest that positron annihilation spectroscopy can provide additional quantitative evidence for the contributions of cavities to the dynamics of proteins. Only mature amyloid fibrils that form from unfolded proteins are very resistant to pressure treatment.