Androgen receptor (AR) plays a critical role in the development and progression of prostate cancer, where it is a key therapeutic target. Here we report that, in contrast to estrogen receptor transcription complexes which form within minutes and recycle hourly, the levels of regulatory regions bound by AR complexes rise over a 16 hr period and then slowly decline. AR regulation of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) gene involves both a promoter-proximal sequence as well as an enhancer approximately 4 kb upstream. Recruitment of AR and its essential coactivators at both sites creates a chromosomal loop that allows RNA polymerase II (pol II) to track from the enhancer to the promoter. Phosphorylation of the pol II C-terminal domain is required for pol II tracking but not chromosomal looping. Development of improved hormonal therapies for prostate cancer must take in account the specific spatial and temporal modes of AR-mediated gene regulation.

We have used two-dimensional neutral/alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis to separate the nascent strands of replicating yeast 2 micron plasmid DNA molecules according to extent of replication, away from nonreplicating molecules and parental strands. Analysis of the lengths of nascent strands by sequential hybridization with short probes shows that replication proceeds bidirectionally from a single origin at map position 3700 +/- 100, coincident with the genetically mapped ARS element. The two recombinational isomers of 2 microns plasmid (forms A and B) replicate with equal efficiency. These results suggest that ARS elements may prove to be replication origins for chromosomal DNA.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can modulate diverse signaling pathways, often in a ligand-specific manner. The full range of functionally relevant GPCR conformations is poorly understood. Here, we use NMR spectroscopy to characterize the conformational dynamics of the transmembrane core of the β(2)-adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR), a prototypical GPCR. We labeled β(2)AR with (13)CH(3)ε-methionine and obtained HSQC spectra of unliganded receptor as well as receptor bound to an inverse agonist, an agonist, and a G-protein-mimetic nanobody. These studies provide evidence for conformational states not observed in crystal structures, as well as substantial conformational heterogeneity in agonist- and inverse-agonist-bound preparations. They also show that for β(2)AR, unlike rhodopsin, an agonist alone does not stabilize a fully active conformation, suggesting that the conformational link between the agonist-binding pocket and the G-protein-coupling surface is not rigid. The observed heterogeneity may be important for β(2)AR's ability to engage multiple signaling and regulatory proteins.

Proliferation in the setting of longstanding chronic inflammation appears to predispose to carcinoma in the liver, large bowel, urinary bladder, and gastric mucosa. Focal prostatic atrophy, which is associated with chronic inflammation, is highly proliferative (Ruska et al, Am J Surg Pathol 1998, 22:1073-1077); thus the focus of this study was to more fully characterize the phenotype of the atrophic cells to assess the feasibility of the proposal that they may be targets of neoplastic transformation. The pi-class glutathione S-transferase (GSTP1), a carcinogen-detoxifying enzyme, is not expressed in >90% of prostate carcinomas (CaPs). GSTP1 promoter hypermethylation, which appears to permanently silence transcription, is the most frequently detected genomic alteration in CaP (Lee et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994, 91:11733-11737; >90% of cases). In high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), this alteration is present in at least 70% of cases (Brooks et al, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 1998, 7:531-536). Although normal-appearing prostate secretory cells rarely express GSTP1, they remain capable of expression, inasmuch as GSTP1 promoter hypermethylation is not detected in normal prostate. Fifty-five lesions from paraffin-embedded prostatectomy specimens (n = 42) were stained for GSTP1, using immunohistochemistry. Adjacent sections were stained for p27(Kip1), Ki-67, androgen receptor (AR), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate-specific acid phosphatase (PSAP), Bcl-2, and basal cell-specific cytokeratins (34betaE12). With normal prostate epithelium as the internal standard, staining was scored for each marker in the atrophic epithelium. The lesions showed two cell types, basal cells staining positive for 34betaE12, and atrophic secretory-type cells staining weakly negative for 34betaE12. All lesions showed elevated levels of Bcl-2 in many of the secretory-type cells. All lesions had an elevated staining index for the proliferation marker Ki-67 in the secretory layer and decreased expression of p27(Kip1), a finding reminiscent of high-grade PIN (De Marzo et al, Am J Pathol 1998, 153:911-919). Consistent with partial secretory cell differentiation, the luminal cells showed weak to moderate staining for androgen receptor and the secretory proteins PSA and PSAP. All atrophic lesions showed elevated GSTP1 expression in many of the luminal secretory-type cells. Because all lesions are hyperproliferative, are associated with inflammation, and have the distinct morphological appearance recognized as prostatic atrophy, we suggest the term "proliferative inflammatory atrophy" (PIA). Elevated levels of GSTP1 may reflect its inducible nature in secretory cells, possibly in response to increased electrophile or oxidant stress. Elevated Bcl-2 expression may be responsible for the very low apoptotic rate in PIA and is consistent with the conclusion that PIA is a regenerative lesion. We discuss our proposal to integrate the atrophy and high-grade PIN hypotheses of prostate carcinogenesis by suggesting that atrophy may give rise to carcinoma either directly, as previously postulated, or indirectly by first developing into high-grade PIN.

Spatial working memory (WM; i.e., "scratchpad" memory) is constantly updated to guide behavior based on representational knowledge of spatial position. It is maintained by spatially tuned, recurrent excitation within networks of prefrontal cortical (PFC) neurons, evident during delay periods in WM tasks. Stimulation of postsynaptic alpha2A adrenoceptors (alpha2A-ARs) is critical for WM. We report that alpha2A-AR stimulation strengthens WM through inhibition of cAMP, closing Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels and strengthening the functional connectivity of PFC networks. Ultrastructurally, HCN channels and alpha2A-ARs were colocalized in dendritic spines in PFC. In electrophysiological studies, either alpha2A-AR stimulation, cAMP inhibition or HCN channel blockade enhanced spatially tuned delay-related firing of PFC neurons. Conversely, delay-related network firing collapsed under conditions of excessive cAMP. In behavioral studies, either blockade or knockdown of HCN1 channels in PFC improved WM performance. These data reveal a powerful mechanism for rapidly altering the strength of WM networks in PFC.

ARG-ANNOT (Antibiotic Resistance Gene-ANNOTation) is a new bioinformatic tool that was created to detect existing and putative new antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in bacterial genomes. ARG-ANNOT uses a local BLAST program in Bio-Edit software that allows the user to analyze sequences without a Web interface. All AR genetic determinants were collected from published works and online resources; nucleotide and protein sequences were retrieved from the NCBI GenBank database. After building a database that includes 1,689 antibiotic resistance genes, the software was tested in a blind manner using 100 random sequences selected from the database to verify that the sensitivity and specificity were at 100% even when partial sequences were queried. Notably, BLAST analysis results obtained using the rmtF gene sequence (a new aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme gene sequence that is not included in the database) as a query revealed that the tool was able to link this sequence to short sequences (17 to 40 bp) found in other genes of the rmt family with significant E values. Finally, the analysis of 178 Acinetobacter baumannii and 20 Staphylococcus aureus genomes allowed the detection of a significantly higher number of AR genes than the Resfinder gene analyzer and 11 point mutations in target genes known to be associated with AR. The average time for the analysis of a genome was 3.35 ± 0.13 min. We have created a concise database for BLAST using a Bio-Edit interface that can detect AR genetic determinants in bacterial genomes and can rapidly and easily discover putative new AR genetic determinants.

Aberrant activation of the androgen receptor (AR) may be one of the mechanisms which contribute to progression of prostatic carcinoma to an androgen-independent stage. We investigated effects of growth factors on stimulation of the AR-mediated gene transcription in human prostatic tumor cell lines. DU-145 cells, which do not contain endogenous AR, were cotransfected with an androgen-inducible chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene and an AR expression vector. The reporter gene (CAT) was driven either by artificial promoters consisting of one or two androgen-responsive elements in front of a TATA box or by the promoter of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene, a naturally occurring androgen-inducible promoter. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), at a concentration of 50 ng/ml, stimulated AR-mediated reporter gene transcription to the same extent as the synthetic androgen methyltrienolone. This growth factor was effective irrespective of the nature of the androgen-inducible promoter. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), at concentrations of 50 ng/ml, activated CAT reporter gene transcription only in experiments in which the artificial promoter with two androgen-responsive elements was used. Insulin-like growth factor-II and basic fibroblast growth factor displayed no effect on AR-mediated gene transcription. None of the growth factors stimulated reporter gene activity in control experiments when added to cells cotransfected with the CAT gene and an empty expression vector. AR activation by IGF-I, KGF, and EGF was completely inhibited by the pure AR antagonist casodex, showing that these effects are AR mediated. Activation of endogenous AR by growth factors was studied in the LNCaP cell line by determination of PSA secretion. IGF-I, at a concentration of 50 ng/ml, increased the PSA level in the supernatant of this cell line 5-fold. Again, the IGF-I effect on PSA secretion was blocked by casodex. Our results provide evidence that IGF-I, KGF, and EGF directly activate the AR in the absence of androgens, which means that the androgen-signaling chain may be activated by growth factors in an androgen-depleted environment. These findings may have implications for endocrine therapy for metastatic prostatic carcinoma.

β-adrenergic receptors (βARs) are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that activate intracellular G proteins upon binding catecholamine agonist ligands such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. Synthetic ligands have been developed that either activate or inhibit βARs for the treatment of asthma, hypertension or cardiac dysfunction. These ligands are classified as either full agonists, partial agonists or antagonists, depending on whether the cellular response is similar to that of the native ligand, reduced or inhibited, respectively. However, the structural basis for these different ligand efficacies is unknown. Here we present four crystal structures of the thermostabilized turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) β(1)-adrenergic receptor (β(1)AR-m23) bound to the full agonists carmoterol and isoprenaline and the partial agonists salbutamol and dobutamine. In each case, agonist binding induces a 1 Å contraction of the catecholamine-binding pocket relative to the antagonist bound receptor. Full agonists can form hydrogen bonds with two conserved serine residues in transmembrane helix 5 (Ser(5.42) and Ser(5.46)), but partial agonists only interact with Ser(5.42) (superscripts refer to Ballesteros-Weinstein numbering). The structures provide an understanding of the pharmacological differences between different ligand classes, illuminating how GPCRs function and providing a solid foundation for the structure-based design of novel ligands with predictable efficacies.

Hormone-driven expression of the ERG oncogene after fusion with TMPRSS2 occurs in 30% to 70% of therapy-naive prostate cancers. Its relevance in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains controversial as ERG is not expressed in some TMPRSS2-ERG androgen-independent xenograft models. However, unlike these models, CRPC patients have an increasing prostate-specific antigen, indicating active androgen receptor signaling. Here, we collected blood every month from 89 patients (54 chemotherapy-naive patients and 35 docetaxel-treated patients) treated in phase I/phase II clinical trials of an orally available, highly specific CYP17 inhibitor, abiraterone acetate, that ablates the synthesis of androgens and estrogens that drive TMPRSS2-ERG fusions. We isolated circulating tumor cells (CTC) by anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule immunomagnetic selection followed by cytokeratin and CD45 immunofluorescence and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. We used multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization to show that CRPC CTCs, metastases, and prostate tissue invariably had the same ERG gene status as therapy-naive tumors (n=31). We then used quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to show that ERG expression was maintained in CRPC. We also observed homogeneity in ERG gene rearrangement status in CTCs (n=48) in contrast to significant heterogeneity of AR copy number gain and PTEN loss, suggesting that rearrangement of ERG may be an earlier event in prostate carcinogenesis. We finally report a significant association between ERG rearrangements in therapy-naive tumors, CRPCs, and CTCs and magnitude of prostate-specific antigen decline (P=0.007) in CRPC patients treated with abiraterone acetate. These data confirm that CTCs are malignant in origin and indicate that hormone-regulated expression of ERG persists in CRPC.

An increasingly recognized resistance mechanism to androgen receptor (AR)-directed therapy in prostate cancer involves epithelial plasticity, in which tumor cells demonstrate low to absent AR expression and often have neuroendocrine features. The etiology and molecular basis for this 'alternative' treatment-resistant cell state remain incompletely understood. Here, by analyzing whole-exome sequencing data of metastatic biopsies from patients, we observed substantial genomic overlap between castration-resistant tumors that were histologically characterized as prostate adenocarcinomas (CRPC-Adeno) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (CRPC-NE); analysis of biopsy samples from the same individuals over time points to a model most consistent with divergent clonal evolution. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed marked epigenetic differences between CRPC-NE tumors and CRPC-Adeno, and also designated samples of CRPC-Adeno with clinical features of AR independence as CRPC-NE, suggesting that epigenetic modifiers may play a role in the induction and/or maintenance of this treatment-resistant state. This study supports the emergence of an alternative, 'AR-indifferent' cell state through divergent clonal evolution as a mechanism of treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer.

Autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism (AR-JP) is caused by mutations in the parkin gene. Parkin protein is characterized by a ubiquitin-like domain at its NH(2)-terminus and two RING finger motifs and an IBR (in between RING fingers) at its COOH terminus (RING-IBR-RING). Here, we show that Parkin is a RING-type E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase which binds to E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, including UbcH7 and UbcH8, through its RING-IBR-RING motif. Moreover, we found that unfolded protein stress induces up-regulation of both the mRNA and protein level of Parkin. Furthermore, overexpression of Parkin, but not a set of mutants without the E3 activity, specifically suppressed unfolded protein stress-induced cell death. These findings demonstrate that Parkin is an E3 enzyme and suggest that it is involved in the ubiquitination pathway for misfolded proteins derived from endoplasmic reticulum and contributes to protection from neurotoxicity induced by unfolded protein stresses.

The expression level of the androgen receptor (AR) gene in androgen-dependent and -independent prostate cancer was determined by using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assay. Eight benign prostate hyperplasias, 33 untreated and 13 hormone-refractory locally recurrent carcinomas, as well as 10 prostate cancer xenografts, were analyzed. All hormone-refractory tumors expressed AR and showed, on average, 6-fold higher expression than androgen-dependent tumors or benign prostate hyperplasias (P < 0.001). Four of 13 (31%) hormone-refractory tumors contained AR gene amplification detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Androgen-independent tumors with gene amplification expressed, on average, a 2-fold higher level of AR than the refractory tumors without the gene amplification. Two xenografts (LuCaP 35 and 69) showed amplification and high-level expression of the AR gene. These xenografts are the first prostate cancer model systems containing the gene amplification. The findings demonstrate that AR is highly expressed in androgen-independent prostate cancer, suggesting that the AR signaling pathway is important in the progression of prostate cancer during endocrine treatment. The two xenografts with the AR gene amplification will enable studies evaluating the functional significance of the amplification and development of new treatment strategies based on high-level expression of AR.

Androgens control spermatogenesis, but germ cells themselves do not express a functional androgen receptor (AR). Androgen regulation is thought to be mediated by Sertoli and peritubular myoid cells, but their relative roles and the mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Using Cre/loxP technology, we have generated mice with a ubiquitous knockout of the AR as well as mice with a selective AR knockout in Sertoli cells (SC) only. Mice with a floxed exon 2 of the AR gene were crossed with mice expressing Cre recombinase ubiquitously or selectively in SC (under control of the anti-Müllerian hormone gene promoter). AR knockout males displayed a complete androgen insensitivity phenotype. Testes were located abdominally, and germ cell development was severely disrupted. In contrast, SC AR knockout males showed normal testis descent and development of the male urogenital tract. Expression of the homeobox gene Pem, which is androgen-regulated in SC, was severely decreased. Testis weight was reduced to 28% of that in WT littermates. Stereological analysis indicated that the number of SC was unchanged, whereas numbers of spermatocytes, round spermatids, and elongated spermatids were reduced to 64%, 3%, and 0% respectively of WT. These changes were associated with increased germ cell apoptosis and grossly reduced expression of genes specific for late spermatocyte or spermatid development. It is concluded that cell-autonomous action of the AR in SC is an absolute requirement for androgen maintenance of complete spermatogenesis, and that spermatocyte/spermatid development/survival critically depends on androgens.

Some transcription factors contain stretches of polyglutamine encoded by repeats of the trinucleotide CAG. Expansion of the CAG repeat in the androgen receptor (AR) has been correlated with the incidence and severity of X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy's disease). In order to understand the relationship of this mutation to AR function, we constructed ARs that varied in the position and size of the polyglutamine tract, and assayed for the abilities of these mutant receptors to bind androgen and to activate transcription of several different AR-responsive reporter genes. Elimination of the tract in both human and rat AR resulted in elevated transcriptional activation activity, strongly suggesting that the presence of the polyglutamine tract is inhibitory to transactivation. Progressive expansion of the CAG repeat in human AR caused a linear decrease of transactivation function. Importantly, expansion of the tract did not completely eliminate AR activity. We postulate that this residual AR activity may be sufficient for development of male primary and secondary sex characteristics, but may fall below a threshold level of activity necessary for normal maintenance of motor neuron function. This functional abnormality may be representative of other genetic diseases that are associated with CAG expansion mutations in open reading frames, such as spinocerebellar ataxia type I and Huntington's disease.

During the past 10 years, preclinical studies implicating sustained androgen receptor (AR) signalling as the primary driver of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) have led to the development of novel agents targeting the AR pathway that are now in widespread clinical use. These drugs prolong the survival of patients with late-stage prostate cancer but are not curative. In this Review, we highlight emerging mechanisms of acquired resistance to these contemporary therapies, which fall into the three broad categories of restored AR signalling, AR bypass signalling and complete AR independence. This diverse range of resistance mechanisms presents new challenges for long-term disease control, which may be addressable through early use of combination therapies guided by recent insights from genomic landscape studies of CRPC.

Acid resistance (AR) in Escherichia coli is defined as the ability to withstand an acid challenge of pH 2.5 or less and is a trait generally restricted to stationary-phase cells. Earlier reports described three AR systems in E. coli. In the present study, the genetics and control of these three systems have been more clearly defined. Expression of the first AR system (designated the oxidative or glucose-repressed AR system) was previously shown to require the alternative sigma factor RpoS. Consistent with glucose repression, this system also proved to be dependent in many situations on the cyclic AMP receptor protein. The second AR system required the addition of arginine during pH 2.5 acid challenge, the structural gene for arginine decarboxylase (adiA), and the regulator cysB, confirming earlier reports. The third AR system required glutamate for protection at pH 2.5, one of two genes encoding glutamate decarboxylase (gadA or gadB), and the gene encoding the putative glutamate:gamma-aminobutyric acid antiporter (gadC). Only one of the two glutamate decarboxylases was needed for protection at pH 2.5. However, survival at pH 2 required both glutamate decarboxylase isozymes. Stationary phase and acid pH regulation of the gad genes proved separable. Stationary-phase induction of gadA and gadB required the alternative sigma factor sigmaS encoded by rpoS. However, acid induction of these enzymes, which was demonstrated to occur in exponential- and stationary-phase cells, proved to be sigmaS independent. Neither gad gene required the presence of volatile fatty acids for induction. The data also indicate that AR via the amino acid decarboxylase systems requires more than an inducible decarboxylase and antiporter. Another surprising finding was that the sigmaS-dependent oxidative system, originally thought to be acid induced, actually proved to be induced following entry into stationary phase regardless of the pH. However, an inhibitor produced at pH 8 somehow interferes with the activity of this system, giving the illusion of acid induction. The results also revealed that the AR system affording the most effective protection at pH 2 in complex medium (either Luria-Bertani broth or brain heart infusion broth plus 0.4% glucose) is the glutamate-dependent GAD system. Thus, E. coli possesses three overlapping acid survival systems whose various levels of control and differing requirements for activity ensure that at least one system will be available to protect the stationary-phase cell under naturally occurring acidic environments.

BACKGROUND

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73)-dependent adenosine generation has been implicated in tissue protection during acute injury. Once generated, adenosine can activate cell-surface adenosine receptors (A1 AR, A2A AR, A2B AR, A3 AR). In the present study, we define the contribution of adenosine to cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning.

RESULTS

On the basis of observations of CD73 induction by ischemic preconditioning, we found that inhibition or targeted gene deletion of cd73 abolished infarct size-limiting effects. Moreover, 5'-nucleotidase treatment reconstituted cd73-/- mice and attenuated infarct sizes in wild-type mice. Transcriptional profiling of adenosine receptors suggested a contribution of A2B AR because it was selectively induced by ischemic preconditioning. Specifically, in situ ischemic preconditioning conferred cardioprotection in A1 AR-/-, A2A AR-/-, or A3 AR-/- mice but not in A2B AR-/- mice or in wild-type mice after inhibition of the A2B AR. Moreover, A2B AR agonist treatment significantly reduced infarct sizes after ischemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, pharmacological and genetic evidence demonstrate the importance of CD73-dependent adenosine generation and signaling through A2B AR for cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning and suggests 5'-nucleotidase or A2B AR agonists as therapy for myocardial ischemia.

Mutations in parkin, a ubiquitin ligase, cause early-onset familial Parkinson's disease (AR-JP). How parkin suppresses parkinsonism remains unknown. Parkin was recently shown to promote the clearance of impaired mitochondria by autophagy, termed mitophagy. Here, we show that parkin promotes mitophagy by catalyzing mitochondrial ubiquitination, which in turn recruits ubiquitin-binding autophagic components, HDAC6 and p62, leading to mitochondrial clearance. During the process, juxtanuclear mitochondrial aggregates resembling a protein aggregate-induced aggresome are formed. The formation of these "mito-aggresome" structures requires microtubule motor-dependent transport and is essential for efficient mitophagy. Importantly, we show that AR-JP-causing parkin mutations are defective in supporting mitophagy due to distinct defects at recognition, transportation, or ubiquitination of impaired mitochondria, thereby implicating mitophagy defects in the development of parkinsonism. Our results show that impaired mitochondria and protein aggregates are processed by common ubiquitin-selective autophagy machinery connected to the aggresomal pathway, thus identifying a mechanistic basis for the prevalence of these toxic entities in Parkinson's disease.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a key regulator of prostate growth and the principal drug target for the treatment of prostate cancer. Previous studies have mapped AR targets and identified some candidates which may contribute to cancer progression, but did not characterize AR biology in an integrated manner. In this study, we took an interdisciplinary approach, integrating detailed genomic studies with metabolomic profiling and identify an anabolic transcriptional network involving AR as the core regulator. Restricting flux through anabolic pathways is an attractive approach to deprive tumours of the building blocks needed to sustain tumour growth. Therefore, we searched for targets of the AR that may contribute to these anabolic processes and could be amenable to therapeutic intervention by virtue of differential expression in prostate tumours. This highlighted calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2, which we show is overexpressed in prostate cancer and regulates cancer cell growth via its unexpected role as a hormone-dependent modulator of anabolic metabolism. In conclusion, it is possible to progress from transcriptional studies to a promising therapeutic target by taking an unbiased interdisciplinary approach.

Heptahelical receptors that interact with heterotrimeric G proteins represent the largest family of proteins involved in signal transduction across biological membranes. Although these receptors generally were believed to be monomeric entities, a growing body of evidence suggests that they may form functionally relevant dimers. However, a definitive demonstration of the existence of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) dimers at the surface of living cells is still lacking. Here, using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), as a protein-protein interaction assay in whole cells, we unambiguously demonstrate that the human beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR) forms constitutive homodimers when expressed in HEK-293 cells. Receptor stimulation with the hydrophilic agonist isoproterenol led to an increase in the transfer of energy between beta(2)AR molecules genetically fused to the BRET donor (Renilla luciferase) and acceptor (green fluorescent protein), respectively, indicating that the agonist interacts with receptor dimers at the cell surface. Inhibition of receptor internalization did not prevent agonist-promoted BRET, demonstrating that it did not result from clustering of receptors within endosomes. The notion that receptor dimers exist at the cell surface was confirmed further by the observation that BS3, a cell-impermeable cross-linking agent, increased BRET between beta(2)AR molecules. The selectivity of the constitutive interaction was documented by demonstrating that no BRET occurred between the beta(2)AR and two other unrelated GPCR. In contrast, the well characterized agonist-dependent interaction between the beta(2)AR and the regulatory protein beta-arrestin could be monitored by BRET. Taken together, the data demonstrate that GPCR exist as functional dimers in vivo and that BRET-based assays can be used to study both constitutive and hormone-promoted selective protein-protein interactions.

Extracellular ligand binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) modulates G protein and β-arrestin signaling by changing the conformational states of the cytoplasmic region of the receptor. Using site-specific (19)F-NMR (fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance) labels in the β(2)-adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR) in complexes with various ligands, we observed that the cytoplasmic ends of helices VI and VII adopt two major conformational states. Changes in the NMR signals reveal that agonist binding primarily shifts the equilibrium toward the G protein-specific active state of helix VI. In contrast, β-arrestin-biased ligands predominantly impact the conformational states of helix VII. The selective effects of different ligands on the conformational equilibria involving helices VI and VII provide insights into the long-range structural plasticity of β(2)AR in partial and biased agonist signaling.

We determined the nucleotide sequence of DNA segments containing functional centromeres (CEN3 and CEN11) isolated from yeast chromosomes III and XI. The two centromere regions differ in primary nucleotide sequence, but contain structural features in common. Both centromere regions contain an extremely A + T-rich core segment 87-88 bp in length, flanked by two short sequences (14 bp and 11 bp) that are identical in both DNAs. These elements plus one additional 10 bp region of perfect homology are positioned in an almost identical spatial arrangement within the two centromere regions. Significant homologies are also observed among the sequences flanking the high A + T region and various satellite DNA sequences from higher eucaryotes, although no repeated sequences occur near the yeast centromeres. Centromere activity in vivo is maintained on relatively small DNA fragments (627 bp for CEN3 and 858 bp for CEN11), as assayed by mitotic stabilization of autonomously replicating ars plasmids in yeast.

Cellular responses to many hormones and neurotransmitters wane rapidly despite continuous exposure of cells to these stimuli. This phenomenon, termed desensitization, has been particularly well studied for the stimulation of cAMP levels by plasma membrane beta-adrenergic receptors (beta AR). The molecular mechanisms underlying rapid beta AR desensitization do not appear to require internalization of the receptors, but rather an alteration in the functioning of beta AR themselves that uncouples the receptors from the stimulatory G protein Gs. This uncoupling phenomenon involves phosphorylation of beta AR by at least two kinases, PKA and the beta AR kinase (beta ARK), which are activated under different desensitizing conditions. Receptor phosphorylation by the two kinases leads to desensitization of the receptor response via distinct biochemical mechanisms, and additional cytosolic factors appear to be involved in the case of beta ARK. Numerous experimental approaches have been used recently to elucidate the molecular details of this ubiquitous biological process.

Heart failure is a syndrome characterized initially by left ventricular dysfunction that triggers countermeasures aimed to restore cardiac output. These responses are compensatory at first but eventually become part of the disease process itself leading to further worsening cardiac function. Among these responses is the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) that provides inotropic support to the failing heart increasing stroke volume, and peripheral vasoconstriction to maintain mean arterial perfusion pressure, but eventually accelerates disease progression affecting survival. Activation of SNS has been attributed to withdrawal of normal restraining influences and enhancement of excitatory inputs including changes in: 1) peripheral baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflexes; 2) chemical mediators that control sympathetic outflow; and 3) central integratory sites. The interface between the sympathetic fibers and the cardiovascular system is formed by the adrenergic receptors (ARs). Dysregulation of cardiac beta(1)-AR signaling and transduction are key features of heart failure progression. In contrast, cardiac beta(2)-ARs and alpha(1)-ARs may function in a compensatory fashion to maintain cardiac inotropy. Adrenergic receptor polymorphisms may have an impact on the adaptive mechanisms, susceptibilities, and pharmacological responses of SNS. The beta-AR blockers and the inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis form the mainstay of current medical management of chronic heart failure. Conversely, central sympatholytics have proved harmful, whereas sympathomimetic inotropes are still used in selected patients with hemodynamic instability. This review summarizes the changes in SNS in heart failure and examines how modulation of SNS activity may affect morbidity and mortality from this syndrome.