Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by a novel human coronavirus. Viral maturation requires a main protease (3CL(pro)) to cleave the virus-encoded polyproteins. We report here that the 3CL(pro) containing additional N- and/or C-terminal segments of the polyprotein sequences undergoes autoprocessing and yields the mature protease in vitro. The dimeric three-dimensional structure of the C145A mutant protease shows that the active site of one protomer binds with the C-terminal six amino acids of the protomer from another asymmetric unit, mimicking the product-bound form and suggesting a possible mechanism for maturation. The P1 pocket of the active site binds the <em>Gln</em> side chain specifically, and the P2 and P4 sites are clustered together to accommodate large hydrophobic side chains. The tagged C145A mutant protein served as a substrate for the wild-type protease, and the N terminus was first digested (55-fold faster) at the <em>Gln</em>(-1)-Ser1 site followed by the C-terminal cleavage at the <em>Gln</em>306-Gly307 site. Analytical ultracentrifuge of the quaternary structures of the tagged and mature proteases reveals the remarkably tighter dimer formation for the mature enzyme (K(d) = 0.35 nm) than for the mutant (C145A) containing 10 extra N-terminal (K(d) = 17.2 nM) or C-terminal amino acids (K(d) = 5.6 nM). The data indicate that immature 3CL(pro) can form dimer enabling it to undergo autoprocessing to yield the mature enzyme, which further serves as a seed for facilitated maturation. Taken together, this study provides insights into the maturation process of the SARS 3CL(pro) from the polyprotein and design of new structure-based inhibitors.

Protein N-terminal acetylation (Nt-acetylation) is an important mediator of protein function, stability, sorting, and localization. Although the responsible enzymes are thought to be fairly well characterized, the lack of identified in vivo substrates, the occurrence of Nt-acetylation substrates displaying yet uncharacterized N-terminal acetyltransferase (NAT) specificities, and emerging evidence of posttranslational Nt-acetylation, necessitate the use of genetic models and quantitative proteomics. NatB, which targets Met-Glu-, Met-Asp-, and Met-Asn-starting protein N termini, is presumed to Nt-acetylate 15% of all yeast and 18% of all human proteins. We here report on the evolutionary traits of NatB from yeast to human and demonstrate that ectopically expressed hNatB in a yNatB-Δ yeast strain partially complements the natB-Δ phenotypes and partially restores the yNatB Nt-acetylome. Overall, combining quantitative N-terminomics with yeast studies and knockdown of hNatB in human cell lines, led to the unambiguous identification of 180 human and 110 yeast NatB substrates. Interestingly, these substrates included Met-Gln- N-termini, which are thus now classified as in vivo NatB substrates. We also demonstrate the requirement of hNatB activity for maintaining the structure and function of actomyosin fibers and for proper cellular migration. In addition, expression of tropomyosin-1 restored the altered focal adhesions and cellular migration defects observed in hNatB-depleted HeLa cells, indicative for the conserved link between NatB, tropomyosin, and actin cable function from yeast to human.

The β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme BACE1 is a prime drug target for Alzheimer disease. However, the function and the physiological substrates of BACE1 remain largely unknown. In this work, we took a quantitative proteomic approach to analyze the secretome of primary neurons after acute BACE1 inhibition, and we identified several novel substrate candidates for BACE1. Many of these molecules are involved in neuronal network formation in the developing nervous system. We selected the adhesion molecules L1 and CHL1, which are crucial for axonal guidance and maintenance of neural circuits, for further validation as BACE1 substrates. Using both genetic BACE1 knock-out and acute pharmacological BACE1 inhibition in mice and cell cultures, we show that L1 and CHL1 are cleaved by BACE1 under physiological conditions. The BACE1 cleavage sites at the membrane-proximal regions of L1 (between Tyr(1086) and Glu(1087)) and CHL1 (between Gln(1061) and Asp(1062)) were determined by mass spectrometry. This work provides molecular insights into the function and the pathways in which BACE1 is involved, and it will help to predict or interpret possible side effects of BACE1 inhibitor drugs in current clinical trials.

In this multicenter study, 2D spatial mapping of J-coupled resonances at 3T and 4T was performed using short-TE (15 ms) proton echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI). Water-suppressed (WS) data were acquired in 8.5 min with 1-cm(3) spatial resolution from a supraventricular axial slice. Optimized outer volume suppression (OVS) enabled mapping in close proximity to peripheral scalp regions. Constrained spectral fitting in reference to a non-WS (NWS) scan was performed with LCModel using correction for relaxation attenuation and partial-volume effects. The concentrations of total choline (tCho), creatine + phosphocreatine (Cr+PCr), glutamate (Glu), glutamate + glutamine (Glu+Gln), myo-inositol (Ins), NAA, NAA+NAAG, and two macromolecular resonances at 0.9 and 2.0 ppm were mapped with mean Cramer-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) between 6% and 18% and approximately 150-cm(3) sensitive volumes. Aspartate, GABA, glutamine (Gln), glutathione (GSH), phosphoethanolamine (PE), and macromolecules (MMs) at 1.2 ppm were also mapped, although with larger mean CRLBs between 30% and 44%. The CRLBs at 4T were 19% lower on average as compared to 3T, consistent with a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and increased spectral resolution. Metabolite concentrations were in the ranges reported in previous studies. Glu concentration was significantly higher in gray matter (GM) compared to white matter (WM), as anticipated. The short acquisition time makes this methodology suitable for clinical studies.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome encodes several proteins that, in laboratory strains, can take up a stable, transmissible prion form. In each case, this requires the Asn/Gln-rich prion-forming domain (PrD) of the protein to be intact. In order to further understand the evolutionary significance of this unusual property, we have examined four different prion genes and their corresponding PrDs, from a number of naturally occurring strains of S. cerevisiae. In 4 of the 16 strains studied we identified a new allele of the SUP35 gene (SUP35delta19) that contains a 19-amino-acid deletion within the N-terminal PrD, a deletion that eliminates the prion property of Sup35p. In these strains a second prion gene, RNQ1, was found to be highly polymorphic, with eight different RNQ1 alleles detected in the six diploid strains studied. In contrast, for one other prion gene (URE2) and the sequence of the NEW1 gene encoding a PrD, no significant degree of DNA polymorphism was detected. Analysis of the naturally occurring alleles of RNQ1 and SUP35 indicated that the various polymorphisms identified were associated with DNA tandem repeats (6, 12, 33, 42 or 57 bp) within the coding sequences. The expansion and contraction of DNA repeats within the RNQ1 gene may provide an evolutionary mechanism that can ensure rapid change between the [PRION+] and [prion-] states.

XPC polymorphisms may alter DNA repair capacity, thus leading to genetic instability and carcinogenesis. Numerous studies have investigated the associations of XPC Lys939Gln (rs2228001) and Ala499Val (rs2228000) polymorphisms with cancer susceptibility; however, the findings are inconclusive. We searched literature from MEDLINE and EMBASE for eligible publications that assessed the associations between these two polymorphisms and cancer risk. We also assessed genotype-mRNA expression correlation data from HapMap for rs2228001 and rs2228000 in normal cell lines derived from 270 subjects with different ethnicities. The final analysis included 62 published studies of 25,708 cases and 30,432 controls for the Lys939Gln and 34 studies with 14,877 cases and 17,888 controls for the Ala499Val. Overall, Lys939Gln was significantly associated with an increased overall cancer risk (Gln/Gln vs. Lys/Lys: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.07 - 1.25, p < 0.001; recessive model: OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.06 - 1.22, p < 0.001; dominant model: OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01 - 1.11, p = 0.015 and Gln vs. Lys: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03 - 1.10, p < 0.001) and further stratifications showed an increased risk for bladder, lung and colorectal cancer, Asian populations and population-based studies. Likewise, Ala499Val was also significantly associated with an increased overall cancer risk (Val/Val vs. Ala/Ala: OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.07 - 1.36, p = 0.003 and recessive model: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.08 - 1.34, p = 0.001) and further stratification showed an increased risk for breast and bladder cancer, particularly in Asian populations. Interestingly, significantly correlation between XPC genotypes and mRNA expression was found only for Asian populations as well. Despite some limitations, this meta-analysis established some solid statistical evidence for an association between XPC polymorphisms and cancer risk, which warrants further validation in single large studies.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the major pathogens that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreaks in young children in the Asia-Pacific region in recent years. Human scavenger receptor class B 2 (SCARB2) is the main cellular receptor for EV71 on target cells. The requirements of the EV71-SCARB2 interaction have not been fully characterized, and it has not been determined whether SCARB2 serves as an uncoating receptor for EV71. Here we compared the efficiency of the receptor from different species including human, horseshoe bat, mouse, and hamster and demonstrated that the residues between 144 and 151 are critical for SCARB2 binding to viral capsid protein VP1 of EV71 and seven residues from the human receptor could convert murine SCARB2, an otherwise inefficient receptor, to an efficient receptor for EV71 viral infection. We also identified that EV71 binds to SCARB2 via a canyon of VP1 around residue Gln-172. Soluble SCARB2 could convert the EV71 virions from 160 S to 135 S particles, indicating that SCARB2 is an uncoating receptor of the virus. The uncoating efficiency of SCARB2 significantly increased in an acidic environment (pH 5.6). These studies elucidated the viral capsid and receptor determinants of enterovirus 71 infection and revealed a possible target for antiviral interventions.

We studied fibril formation in a family of peptides based on PHF6 (VQIVYK), a short peptide segment found in the microtubule binding region of tau protein. N-Acetylated peptides AcVYK-amide (AcVYK), AcIVYK-amide (AcPHF4), AcQIVYK-amide (AcPHF5), and AcV-QIVYK-amide (AcPHF6) rapidly formed straight filaments in the presence of 0.15 m NaCl, each composed of two laterally aligned protofilaments approximately 5 nm in width. X-ray fiber diffraction showed the omnipresent sharp 4.7-A reflection indicating that the scattering objects are likely elongated along the hydrogen-bonding direction in a cross-beta conformation, and Fourier transform IR suggested the peptide chains were in a parallel (AcVYK, AcPHF6) or antiparallel (AcPHF4, AcPHF5) beta-sheet configuration. The dipeptide N-acetyl-YK-amide (AcYK) formed globular structures approximately 200 nm to 1 microm in diameter. The polymerization rate, as measured by thioflavin S binding, increased with the length of the peptide going from AcYK ->> AcPHF6, and peptides that aggregated most rapidly displayed CD spectra consistent with beta-sheet structure. There was a 3-fold decrease in rate when Val was substituted for Ile or Gln, nearly a 10-fold decrease when Ala was substituted for Tyr, and an increase in polymerization rate when Glu was substituted for Lys. Twisted filaments, composed of four laterally aligned protofilaments (9-19 nm width, approximately 90 nm half-periodicity), were formed by mixing AcPHF6 with AcVYK. Taken together these results suggest that the core of PHF6 is localized at VYK, and the interaction between small amphiphilic segments of tau may initiate nucleation and lead to filaments displaying paired helical filament morphology.

Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) and angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) are secreted proteins that regulate triglyceride (TG) metabolism in part by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Recently, we showed that treatment of wild-type mice with monoclonal antibody (mAb) 14D12, specific for ANGPTL4, recapitulated the Angptl4 knock-out (-/-) mouse phenotype of reduced serum TG levels. In the present study, we mapped the region of mouse ANGPTL4 recognized by mAb 14D12 to amino acids Gln(29)-His(53), which we designate as specific epitope 1 (SE1). The 14D12 mAb prevented binding of ANGPTL4 with LPL, consistent with its ability to neutralize the LPL-inhibitory activity of ANGPTL4. Alignment of all angiopoietin family members revealed that a sequence similar to ANGPTL4 SE1 was present only in ANGPTL3, corresponding to amino acids Glu(32)-His(55). We produced a mouse mAb against this SE1-like region in ANGPTL3. This mAb, designated 5.50.3, inhibited the binding of ANGPTL3 to LPL and neutralized ANGPTL3-mediated inhibition of LPL activity in vitro. Treatment of wild-type as well as hyperlipidemic mice with mAb 5.50.3 resulted in reduced serum TG levels, recapitulating the lipid phenotype found in Angptl3(-/-) mice. These results show that the SE1 region of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 functions as a domain important for binding LPL and inhibiting its activity in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, these results demonstrate that therapeutic antibodies that neutralize ANGPTL4 and ANGPTL3 may be useful for treatment of some forms of hyperlipidemia.

Paraoxonase is a high-density-lipoprotein-associated enzyme capable of hydrolysing lipid peroxides. Thus it might protect lipoproteins from oxidation. It has two isoforms, which arise from a glutamine (A isoform) to arginine (B isoform) interchange at position 192. The relevance of this polymorphism to coronary heart disease (CHD) in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients was investigated in case-control study. Of the 434 patients, 171 had confirmed coronary artery disease; the other 263 had no history of such disease. The B allele and AB+BB genotypes were associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Compared with subjects homozygous for the A allele (AA genotype), the odds ratio of CHD for subjects homozygous for the B allele was 2.5 (95% CI 1.2-5.3) and that for those heterozygous for the B allele was 1.6 (95% CI 1.1-2.4), suggesting a codominant effect on cardiovascular risk. When subjected to multivariate analysis, the B allele remained significantly associated with CHD (odds ratio 1.94, p = 0.03). The paraoxonase gene polymorphism is thus an independent cardiovascular risk factor in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. A possible explanation for this finding is that activity of the paraoxonase B isotype does not protect well against lipid oxidation, a major atherogenic pathway.

XRCC1 (X-ray cross-complementing group 1) and ERCC2 (excision repair cross-complementing group 2) are two major DNA repair proteins. Polymorphisms of these two genes have been associated with altered DNA repair capacity and cancer risk. We have described statistically significant interactions between the ERCC2 polymorphisms (Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln) and smoking in lung cancer risk. In this case-control study of 1091 Caucasian lung cancer patients and 1240 controls, we explored the gene-environment interactions between the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism, alone or in combination with the two ERCC2 polymorphisms, and cumulative smoking exposure in the development of lung cancer. The results were analyzed using logistic regression models, adjusting for relevant covariates. Overall, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism (Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg) was 1.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-1.8]. Stratified analyses revealed that the ORs decreased as pack-years increased. For nonsmokers, the adjusted OR was 2.4 (95% CI, 1.2-5.0), whereas for heavy smokers >>/=55 pack-years), the OR decreased to 0.5 (95% CI, 0.3-1.0). When the three polymorphisms were evaluated together, the adjusted ORs of the extreme genotype combinations of variant alleles (individuals with 5 or 6 variant alleles) versus wild genotype (individuals with 0 variant alleles) were 5.2 (95% CI, 1.7-16.6) for nonsmokers and 0.3 (95% CI, 0.1-0.8) for heavy smokers, respectively. Similar gene-smoking interaction associations were found when pack-years of smoking (or smoking duration and smoking intensity) was fitted as a continuous variable. In conclusion, cumulative cigarette smoking plays an important role in altering the direction and magnitude of the associations between the XRCC1 and ERCC2 polymorphisms and lung cancer risk.

Connective tissue in biopsy specimens taken from the lower part of the uterine cervix in 40 pregnant women at various gestational ages was compared to that in similar biopsy specimens from 15 nonpregnant women. The concentrations of collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycans, and hyaluronic acid decreased during pregnancy. At the gestational age of 10 weeks, the collagen concentration was 70%, and at term 30%, of that in the nonpregnant cervix. After delivery, no further decrease was observed. The extractability of collagen increased during pregnancy, as well as during labor. Also, the water concentration increased. An increase in the collagenolytic activity was observed with advancing gestational age. The 2,4-dinitrophenyl-Pro-Gln-Gly-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gin-D-Arg hydrolytic activity (collagenase) and the concentration of leukocyte elastase increased gradually by a factor of 10. The physiologic importance of the collagen was also demonstrated, since the cervical dilatation time during spontaneous labor was long in women with high concentrations of collagen and short in women with low concentrations of collagen.

Many alphaviruses cause more severe disease in young animals than in older animals. The age-dependent resistance to severe disease is determined primarily by maturation of the host, but strains of virus can be selected that overcome the increased resistance of mature animals. Sindbis virus (SV) strain AR339 causes fatal encephalitis in newborn mice and nonfatal encephalitis in weanling mice, whereas NSV, a neuroadapted strain of SV, causes fatal encephalitis in weanling as well as newborn mice. We have previously shown that the E2 glycoprotein of NSV contained His-55, whereas AR339 E2 had Gln-55 (S. Lustig, A. C. Jackson, C. S. Hahn, D. E. Griffin, E. G. Strauss, and J. H. Strauss, J. Virol. 62:2329-2336, 1988) and that SV with E2 containing Gly-172 was more virulent for newborn mice than SV with E2 containing Arg-172 (P. C. Tucker and D. E. Griffin, J. Virol. 65:1551-1557, 1991). Here we tested the virulence for both newborn and older mice of SV containing a number of different amino acids at E2 position 55 (His, Gln, Lys, Arg, Glu, Gly) in combination with both Gly-172 and Arg-172. All the viruses were virulent for newborn mice, but the residues at both 55 and 172 influenced the virulence of the virus, and there were differences in virulence observed among the various viruses. However, only viruses with His-55 were fully virulent for 14-day-old mice, and this virulence was independent of the residue at position 172. Virus with Lys-55 was virulent for 7-day-old mice, although slightly attenuated relative to His-55. Viruses with His-55 grew more rapidly and to higher titer in the brains of 7- and 14-day-old mice, in N18 neuroblastoma cells, and in BHK cells. Our data suggest that His-55 is important for neurovirulence in older mice and acts by increasing the efficiency of virus replication.

In order to define the contributions of the mechanisms for carbapenem resistance in clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we investigated the presence of OprD, the expressions of the MexAB-OprM and MexEF-OprN systems, and the production of the beta-lactamases for 44 clinical strains. All of the carbapenem-resistant isolates showed the loss of or decreased levels of OprD. Three strains overexpressed the MexAB-OprM efflux system by carrying mutations in mexR. These three strains had the amino acid substitution in MexR protein, Arg (CGG) ->> Gln (CAG), at the position of amino acid 70. None of the isolates, however, expressed the MexEF-OprN efflux system. For the characterization of beta-lactamases, at least 13 isolates were the depressed mutants, and 12 strains produced secondary beta-lactamases. Based on the above resistance mechanisms, the MICs of carbapenem for the isolates were analyzed. The MICs of carbapenem were mostly determined by the expression of OprD. The MICs of meropenem were two- to four-fold increased for the isolates which overexpressed MexAB-OprM in the background of OprD loss. However, the elevated MICs of meropenem for some individual isolates could not be explained. These findings suggested that other resistance mechanisms would play a role in meropenem resistance in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa.

The full primary structure of the very potent opioid peptide dynorphin, from porcine pituitary, has been determined. It is (H)Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-Arg-Arg-Ile-Arg-Pro-Lys-Leu-Lys-Trp-Asp-Asn-Gln(OH). The synthetic peptide with this sequence behaves identically to natural dynorphin in a number of ways, and it has the same potency in the guinea pig ileum myenteric plexus--longitudinal muscle bioassay. The potency is accounted for by the first 13 residues.

The structural and functional integrity of cytoplasmic organelles is maintained by intracellular mechanisms that sort and target newly synthesized proteins to their appropriate cellular locations. In melanocytic cells, melanin pigment is synthesized in specialized organelles, melanosomes. A family of melanocyte-specific proteins, known as tyrosinase-related proteins that regulate melanin pigment synthesis, is localized to the melanosomal membrane. The human brown locus protein, tyrosinase-related protein-1 or gp75, is the most abundant glycoprotein in melanocytic cells, and is a prototype for melanosomal membrane proteins. To investigate the signals that allow intracellular retention and sorting of glycoprotein (gp)75, we constructed protein chimeras containing the amino-terminal extracellular domain of the T lymphocyte surface protein CD8, and transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of gp75. In fibroblast transfectants, chimeric CD8 molecules containing the 36-amino acid cytoplasmic domain of gp75 were retained in cytoplasmic organelles. Signals in the gp75 cytoplasmic tail alone, were sufficient for intracellular retention and targeting of the chimeric proteins to the endosomal/lysosomal compartment. Analysis of subcellular localization of carboxy-terminal deletion mutants of gp75 and the CD8/gp75 chimeras showed that deletion of up amino acids from the gp75 carboxyl terminus did not affect intracellular retention and sorting, whereas both gp75 and CD8/gp75 mutants lacking the carboxyl-terminal 27 amino acids were transported to the cell surface. This region contains the amino acid sequence, asn-gln-pro-leu-leu-thr, and this hexapeptide is conserved among other melanosomal proteins. Further evidence showed that this hexapeptide sequence is necessary for intracellular sorting of gp75 in melanocytic cells, and suggested that a signal for sorting melanosomal proteins along the endosomal/lysosomal pathway lies within this sequence. These data provide evidence for common signals for intracellular sorting of melanosomal and lysosomal proteins, and support the notion that lysosomes and melanosomes share a common endosomal pathway of biogenesis.

Novel fluorogenic substrates for human immunodeficiency viral protease have been developed based on the principle of fluorescence energy transfer. Starting from a p24/p15 cleavage site-derived hexapeptide substrate. Ac-Thr-Ile-Nle-Nle-Gln-Arg-NH2, incorporation of 2-aminobenzoic acid in place of the acetyl group as the donor and p-NO2-Phe at the P1' position as acceptor gave the intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic substrate. Cleavage of the substrate by HIV protease released the fluorescent N-terminal tripeptide from its close apposition to the quenching nitrobenzyl group, resulting in enhanced fluorescence. An automated assay based on 96-well microtiter plates and a fluorometric plate reader have been developed, which allow high throughput of compounds in the search for HIV protease inhibitors.

Seventy-four peptide amides of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (Mec) of the type Boc-Xaa-Yaa-Arg-NH-Mec were newly synthesized and tested to find specific substrates for blood-clotting proteases and trypsin. The Xaa and Yaa residues of these substrates have been replaced by 12 and 15 different amino acids, respectively. Among these peptides, the followings were found to be most sensitive substrates for individual enzymes: Boc-Asp(OBzl)-Pro-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 160 s-1, Km = 11 microM, kcat/Km = 15,000,000 M-1 s-1) for human alpha-thrombin, Z-less than Glu-Gly-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 19 s-1, Km = 59 microM, kcat/Km = 320,000 M-1 s-1) for bovine factor Xa, Boc-Gln-Gly-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 5.8 s-1, Km = 140 microM, kcat/Km = 42,000) for bovine factor XIIa, Boc-Asp(OBzl)-Ala-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 9.2 s-1, Km = 120 microM, kcat/Km = 77,000 M-1 s-1) for bovine activated protein C, and Boc-Gly-Phe-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 29 s-1, Km = 230 microM, kcat/Km = 130,000 M-1 s-1) for bovine plasma kallikrein. Moreover, Boc-Glu(OBzl)-Ala-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 46 s-1, Km = 370 microM, kcat/Km = 120,000 M-1 s-1) was newly found as a good substrate for human factor XIa. Bovine trypsin effectively hydrolyzed peptide-NH-Mec substrates containing Ala and Pro at the P2 site. The most reactive substrate was Boc-Gln-Ala-Arg-NH-Mec (kcat = 120 s-1, Km = 6.0 microM, kcat/Km = 20,000,000 M-1 s-1).

Trypanosoma cruzi has a complex mucin gene family of 500 members with hypervariable regions expressed preferentially in vertebrate associated stages of the parasite. In this work, a novel mucin-type gene family is reported, composed of two groups of genes organized in independent tandems and having very short open reading frames. The structures of deduced proteins share the N and C termini but differ in central regions. One group has repeats with the consensus Lys-Asn-Thr(7)-Ser-Thr(3)-Ser(Ser/Lys)-Ala-Pro and the other a Thr-rich sequence of the type Asp-Gln-Thr(17-20)-Asn-Ala-Pro-Ala-Lys-Asp-Thr(5-7)-Asn-Ala-Pro-Ala-L ys. In both cases, expected mature core proteins are around 7 kDa. Both groups, named L and S, respectively, differ in the structure of genomic loci and mRNA, with differential blocks in the 3'-untranslated region. The highest mRNA level for S and L groups are in the epimastigote stage but they show distinct developmentally regulated patterns. Transcripts are short lived and their steady-state abundance is regulated post-transcriptionally with increased mRNA stability in insect stage epimastigote. AU-rich sequences, similar to ARE motives known to cause mRNA instability in higher eukaryotes, are present in the 3'-untranslated region of the transcripts. In transfection experiments this sequence is shown to be functional for the L group destabilizing its mRNA in a stage-specific manner. Furthermore, an effect of this AU-rich region on translation efficiency is shown. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a functional ARE sequence-dependent post-transcriptional regulation mechanism is reported in a lower eukaryote.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease 1 (APE1) is the primary enzyme in mammals for the repair of abasic sites in DNA, as well as a variety of 3' damages that arise upon oxidation or as products of enzymatic processing. If left unrepaired, APE1 substrates can promote mutagenic and cytotoxic outcomes. We describe herein a dominant-negative form of APE1 that lacks detectable nuclease activity and binds substrate DNA with a 13-fold higher affinity than the wild-type protein. This mutant form of APE1, termed ED, possesses two amino acid substitutions at active site residues Glu(96) (changed to Gln) and Asp(210) (changed to Asn). In vitro biochemical assays reveal that ED impedes wild-type APE1 AP site incision function, presumably by binding AP-DNA and blocking normal lesion processing. Moreover, tetracycline-regulated (tet-on) expression of ED in Chinese hamster ovary cells enhances the cytotoxic effects of the laboratory DNA-damaging agents, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 5.4-fold) and hydrogen peroxide (1.5-fold). This MMS-induced, ED-dependent cell killing coincides with a hyperaccumulation of AP sites, implying that excessive DNA damage is the cause of cell death. Because an objective of the study was to identify a protein reagent that could be used in targeted gene therapy protocols, the effects of ED on cellular sensitivity to a number of chemotherapeutic compounds was tested. We show herein that ED expression sensitizes Chinese hamster ovary cells to the killing effects of the alkylating agent 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (also known as carmustine) and the chain terminating nucleoside analogue dideoxycytidine (also known as zalcitabine), but not to the radiomimetic bleomycin, the nucleoside analogue beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (also known as cytarabine), the topoisomerase inhibitors camptothecin and etoposide, or the cross-linking agents mitomycin C and cisplatin. Transient expression of ED in the human cancer cell line NCI-H1299 enhanced cellular sensitivity to MMS, 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, and dideoxycytidine, demonstrating the potential usefulness of this strategy in the treatment of human tumors.

13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments have previously shown that glutamatergic neurotransmitter flux (Vcycle(Glu/Gln)) changes proportionately with neuronal glucose oxidation (CMRglc(ox)N) in the nonactivated cortex of anesthetized rats. Positron Emission Tomography measurements of glucose and oxygen uptake during sensory stimulation had shown that the incremental glucose utilization is greater than oxygen leading to the suggestion that the energy required for stimulated neuronal activity arises from nonoxidative glucose metabolism. In this study, the authors used spatially localized 1H-observed, 13C-edited NMR spectroscopy during an infusion of [1,6-13C2]glucose to assess the relationship between changes in Vcycle(Glu/Gln) and glucose utilization (CMRglc(ox)N and CMRglc(nonox)) during the intense cortical activity associated with bicuculline-induced seizures. Metabolic fluxes were determined by model-based analysis of the 13C-enrichment time courses of glutamate-C4 and glutamine-C4 (CMRglc(ox)N, Vcycle(Glu/Gln)) and lactate-C3 (CMRglc(nonox)). The exchange rate between alpha-ketoglutarate and glutamate was found to be significantly faster than TCA cycle flux both for control (41 micromol.g(-1).min(-1); 95% CI, 5 to 109 micromol.g(-1).min(-1)) and during seizures (21 micromol.g(-1).min(-1); 95% CI, 4.4 to 51.8 micromol.g(-1).min(-1)). During seizures, total glucose utilization (CMRglc(ox+nonox)) increased substantially (466% between 0 and 6 minutes; 277% between 6 and 55 minutes). Glucose oxidation (CMRglc(ox)N) also increased (214%; from 0.26 +/- 0.02 to 0.57 +/- 0.07 micromol.g(-1).min(-1)) but to a lesser degree, resulting in a large increase in cortical lactate concentration. Vcycle(Glu/Gln) increased 233% (from 0.22 +/- 0.04 to 0.52 +/- 0.07 micromol.g(-1).min(-1)), which was similar to the increase in glucose oxidation. The value of Vcycle(Glu/Gln) and CMRglc(ox)N obtained here lie on the line predicted in a previous study. These results indicate that neuronal glucose oxidation and not total glucose utilization is coupled to the glutamate/glutamine cycle during intense cortical activation.

High amphiphilicity is a hallmark of interfacial helices in membrane proteins and membrane-active peptides, such as toxins and antimicrobial peptides. Although there is general agreement that amphiphilicity is important for membrane-interface binding, an unanswered question is its importance relative to simple hydrophobicity-driven partitioning. We have examined this fundamental question using measurements of the interfacial partitioning of a family of 17-residue amidated-acetylated peptides into both neutral and anionic lipid vesicles. Composed only of Ala, Leu, and Gln residues, the amino acid sequences of the peptides were varied to change peptide amphiphilicity without changing total hydrophobicity. We found that peptide helicity in water and interface increased linearly with hydrophobic moment, as did the favorable peptide partitioning free energy. This observation provides simple tools for designing amphipathic helical peptides. Finally, our results show that helical amphiphilicity is far more important for interfacial binding than simple hydrophobicity.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by polyglutamine expansion in the protein huntingtin (htt). Pathogenesis in HD appears to involve the formation of ubiquitinated neuronal intranuclear inclusions containing N-terminal mutated htt, abnormal protein interactions, and the aggregate sequestration of a variety of proteins (noticeably, transcription factors). To identify novel htt-interacting proteins in a simple model system, we used a yeast two-hybrid screen with a Caenorhabditis elegans activation domain library. We found a predicted WW domain protein (ZK1127.9) that interacts with N-terminal fragments of htt in two-hybrid tests. A human homologue of ZK1127.9 is CA150, a transcriptional coactivator with a N-terminal insertion that contains an imperfect (Gln-Ala)(38) tract encoded by a polymorphic repeat DNA. CA150 interacted in vitro with full-length htt from lymphoblastoid cells. The expression of CA150, measured immunohistochemically, was markedly increased in human HD brain tissue compared with normal age-matched human brain tissue, and CA150 showed aggregate formation with partial colocalization to ubiquitin-positive aggregates. In 432 HD patients, the CA150 repeat length explains a small, but statistically significant, amount of the variability in the onset age. Our data suggest that abnormal expression of CA150, mediated by interaction with polyglutamine-expanded htt, may alter transcription and have a role in HD pathogenesis.

The entire mitochondrial genome was sequenced in a prostriate tick, Ixodes hexagonus, and a metastriate tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Both genomes encode 22 tRNAs, 13 proteins, and two ribosomal RNAs. Prostriate ticks are basal members of Ixodidae and have the same gene order as Limulus polyphemus. In contrast, in R. sanguineus, a block of genes encoding NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1), tRNA(Leu)(UUR), tRNA(Leu)(CUN), 16S rDNA, tRNA(Val), 12S rDNA, the control region, and the tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Gln) have translocated to a position between the tRNA(Glu) and tRNA(Phe) genes. The tRNA(Cys) gene has translocated between the control region and the tRNA(Met) gene, and the tRNA(Leu)(CUN) gene has translocated between the tRNA(Ser)(UCN) gene and the control region. Furthermore, the control region is duplicated, and both copies undergo concerted evolution. Primers that flank these rearrangements confirm that this gene order is conserved in all metastriate ticks examined. Correspondence analysis of amino acid and codon use in the two ticks and in nine other arthropod mitochondrial genomes indicate a strong bias in R. sanguineus towards amino acids encoded by AT-rich codons.