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Biomedical subjects

J A Cromlish

Publications and source records attributed to J A Cromlish.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Post-translational processing of beta-secretase (beta-amyloid-converting enzyme) and its ectodomain shedding. The pro- and transmembrane/cytosolic domains affect its cellular activity and amyloid-beta production.

Processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) by beta- and gamma-secretases generates the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta, a major factor in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. Following the recent identification of the beta-secretase beta-amyloid-converting enzyme (BACE), we herein investigate its zymogen processing, molecular properties, and cellular trafficking. Our data show that among the proprotein convertase family members, furin is the major converting enzyme of pro-BACE into BACE within the trans-Golgi network of HK293 cells. While we demonstrate that the 24-amino acid prosegment is required for the efficient exit of pro-BACE from the endoplasmic reticulum, it may not play a strong inhibitory role since we observe that pro-BACE can produce significant quantities of the Swedish mutant betaAPP(sw) beta-secretase product C99. BACE is palmitoylated at three Cys residues within its transmembrane/cytosolic tail and is sulfated at mature N-glycosylated moieties. Data with three different antibodies show that a small fraction of membrane-bound BACE is shed into the medium and that the extent of ectodomain shedding is palmitoylation-dependent. Overexpression of full-length BACE causes a significant increase in the production of C99 and a decrease in the alpha-secretase product APPsalpha. Although there is little increase in the generation of Abeta by full-length BACE, overexpression of either a soluble form of BACE (equivalent to the shed form) or one lacking the prosegment leads to enhanced Abeta levels. These findings suggest that the shedding of BACE may play a role in the amyloidogenic processing of betaAPP.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1997

p28 Bap31, a Bcl-2/Bcl-XL- and procaspase-8-associated protein in the endoplasmic reticulum.

We have identified a human Bcl-2-interacting protein, p28 Bap31. It is a 28-kD (p28) polytopic integral protein of the endoplasmic reticulum whose COOH-terminal cytosolic region contains overlapping predicted leucine zipper and weak death effector homology domains, flanked on either side by identical caspase recognition sites. In cotransfected 293T cells, p28 is part of a complex that includes Bcl-2/Bcl-XL and procaspase-8 (pro-FLICE). Bax, a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, does not associate with the complex; however, it prevents Bcl-2 from doing so. In the absence (but not presence) of elevated Bcl-2 levels, apoptotic signaling by adenovirus E1A oncoproteins promote cleavage of p28 at the two caspase recognition sites. Purified caspase-8 (FLICE/MACH/Mch5) and caspase-1(ICE), but not caspase-3 (CPP32/apopain/ Yama), efficiently catalyze this reaction in vitro. The resulting NH2-terminal p20 fragment induces apoptosis when expressed ectopically in otherwise normal cells. Taken together, the results suggest that p28 Bap31 is part of a complex in the endoplasmic reticulum that mechanically bridges an apoptosis-initiating caspase, like procaspase-8, with the anti-apoptotic regulator Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL. This raises the possibility that the p28 complex contributes to the regulation of procaspase-8 or a related caspase in response to E1A, dependent on the status of the Bcl-2 setpoint within the complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma: possible roles for HBx.

The hepatitis B virus-encoded protein, HBx, may contribute to carcinogenesis by perturbing cell growth and differentiation. There is some evidence indicating that HBx represses the nuclear import of the tumour repressor p53 and p53-dependent trans-activation and that HBx activates members of the basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) family.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in okadaic acid-treated neurons potentiates neurofilament fragmentation and stimulates phosphorylation of Ser2 in the low-molecular-mass neurofilament subunit.

The activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cultures increased phosphorylation of the low-molecular-mass neurofilament subunit (NFL) at a site previously identified as Ser55 but had no effect on neurofilament integrity. When PKA was activated in DRG cultures treated with 20-250 nM okadaic acid, neurofilament fragmentation was enhanced, and there was a corresponding increase in phosphorylation of NFL at a novel site. This site was also phosphorylated by PKA in vitro and was determined to be Ser2 by mass spectrometric analysis of the purified chymotryptic phosphopeptide. The PKA sites in NFL were dephosphorylated by the purified catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase-2A but not that of protein phosphatase-1, and phosphoserine-2 was a better substrate than phosphoserine-55. The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Ser2 and Ser55 in NFL may therefore be involved in the modulation of neurofilament dynamics through the antagonistic effects of PKA and protein phosphatase-2A.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Direct interaction of the hepatitis B virus HBx protein with p53 leads to inhibition by HBx of p53 response element-directed transactivation.

Hepatitis B virus is a major risk factor in human hepatocellular carcinomas. We have used protein affinity chromatography to show that the 17-kDa hepatitis B virus gene product, HBx, binds directly to the human tumor suppressor gene product, p53. Interaction of HBx with p53 did not prevent p53 from specifically binding DNA. Instead, HBx enhanced p53's oligomerization state on a DNA oligonucleotide containing a p53 response element. Optimal binding of HBx to p53 required intact p53, but weaker binding to both the N-terminal activation domain of p53 and a protein fragment containing the C-terminal DNA-binding and oligomerization domains of p53 was observed. In transient transfection experiments with human Calu-6 cells, HBx inhibited transactivation by p53 of a reporter gene containing a p53 response element. Also, HBx inhibited p53-stimulated transcription in vitro even when added to the reaction mixture after the formation of the preinitiation complex. Interaction of HBx with p53 did not prevent the activation domain of p53 from binding two general initiation factors, the TATA-box binding protein subunit of TFIID and the p62 subunit of TFIIH. To explain these results, we propose that localization of HBx to a promoter by interaction with DNA-bound p53 enables a repression domain in HBx to directly contact the basal transcription machinery and thereby repress transcription.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

The 17 kDa HBx protein encoded by hepatitis B virus interacts with the activation domains of Oct-1, and functions as a coactivator in the activation and repression of a human U6 promoter.

The hepatitis B virus 17 kDa x gene product expressed in bacteria transactivates a human U6 promoter three- to eightfold in an ATP-independent manner in HeLa cell NTP-depleted extracts containing preassembled transcription preinitiation complexes. However, if added prior to assembly, HBx squelches the promoter. Both the HBx dependent "squelching" of U6 transcription observed in transient transfection analysis, and the transactivation observed in vitro is dependent on the presence of an upstream octamer element. HBx is incorporated via protein-protein interactions into DNA complexes containing the activation domains of Oct-1, and into a stable U6 preinitiation complex. This is consistent with a role as a coactivator interacting with the basal transcription machinery. We propose that the HBx dependent transactivation and repression of U6 transcription occurs by changes in the transcription factor limiting initiation, and propose that HBx may have a dual role in the regulation of transcription in vivo.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

The novel purification of functional RNA polymerase III VAI transcription preinitiation complexes.

A novel purification scheme employing high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration chromatography on a 4000 A methacrylate-based polymer and preparative gel mobility shift fractionation on 2% agarose gels with continuous elution allowed for a 10(5) fold enrichment in RNA polymerase III transcription preinitiation complexes from NTP-depleted HeLa whole cell extracts. Purified preinitiation complexes from the TATA-less Class III (Internal Control Region) adenovirus VAI gene contain the TATA-Box binding protein (TBP) by the criterion of comigration on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels with the 43 kd TBP present in a purified B-TFIID fraction, and by Western blot analysis. Purified VAI preinitiation complex preparations lacking RNA polymerase III consistently contain a number of additional polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 17, 20, 29, 32, 39, 55, 105, 120, and 140 kDa which appear to be specific components, since they are not detected in the corresponding fractions isolated using a VAI gene B-block mutant promoter.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1990

Syntheses of argininal semicarbazone containing peptides and their applications in the affinity chromatography of serine proteinases.

Eight argininal semicarbazone containing peptides prepared by liquid phase synthesis were all found to be reversible inhibitors of model serine proteinases including trypsin and plasma kallikrein (PK). Among the peptides tested, those having a Lys residue at position P2 displayed the maximum binding potency towards PK. One of the peptides, Leu-enkephalin-argininal semicarbazone, a comparatively weak inhibitor, was chosen in order to develop an affinity-based purification protocol for PK. The affinity column was prepared by covalent attachment of the NH2-terminal moiety of the peptidyl semicarbazone to a solid-phase matrix bearing a spacer group. For efficient binding of PK, it was found necessary to optimize parameters like the concentration of inhibitor linked to the solid matrix, the ionic strength of the buffer used, the temperature and the pH. The majority of the bound enzyme could be recovered following elution with guanidine hydrochloride or benzamidine hydrochloride in a high salt buffer at pH 6.0. The usefulness of the affinity procedure towards the purification of other serine proteinases is also discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Human transcription factor IIIC (TFIIIC). Purification, polypeptide structure, and the involvement of thiol groups in specific DNA binding.

Human transcription factor IIIC (TFIIIC) is an initiation factor required for the in vitro transcription of 5 S RNA, tRNA, and adenovirus viral-associated (VA) RNA genes by RNA polymerase III. A TFIIIC activity which complemented purified TFIIIB and RNA polymerase III fractions for VA transcription was highly purified from cultured HeLa cells. This activity copurified through all chromatographic procedures, including B-block oligodeoxynucleotide affinity chromatography, with the two forms of TFIIIC detected by gel mobility shift assays with the VA gene (Hoeffler, W.K., Kovelman, R., and Roeder, R.G. (1988) Cell 53, 907-920). Both specific binding activity to the VAI gene and TFIIIC transcription activity were inhibited by the alkylating agents diisopropyl fluorophosphate, N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), and N-ethylmaleimide, and to a lesser extent by N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone, whereas neither activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. These data suggest further that the DNA binding and transcription assays scored the same protein(s). TPCK and N-ethylmaleimide inactivated TFIIIC solely through thiol group modification, since prior modification with the reversible thiol reagent 2,2'-dithiopyridine prevented permanent inactivation. The involvement of reduced thiol groups in the specific binding of TFIIIC to the VAI gene was further indicated by an increase in TFIIIC binding activity upon addition of dithiothreitol. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that a Mr = 126,000 polypeptide both eluted from a B-block oligodeoxynucleotide affinity column with the DNA binding and transcription activities of TFIIIC and was specifically cross-linked by UV to a 5-bromo-2-deoxynucleotide-substituted B-block oligodeoxynucleotide. The near identity of the TFIIIC molecular weight determined by gel filtration on SOTA Phase GF 200 (Mr = 140,000) suggests that TFIIIC in solution (in the presence of 0.3 M NaCl at pH 7.0) consists of a single polypeptide which is fairly globular in nature.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1989

Cloning and structure of a yeast gene encoding a general transcription initiation factor TFIID that binds to the TATA box.

The TATA sequence-binding factor TFIID plays a central role both in promoter activation by RNA polymerase II and other common initiation factors, and in promoter regulation by gene-specific factors. The sequence of yeast TFIID, which seems to be encoded by a single gene, contains interesting structural motifs that are possibly involved in these functions, and is similar to sequences of bacterial sigma factors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Purification of a yeast TATA box-binding protein that exhibits human transcription factor IID activity.

By a series of conventional chromatographic procedures we have purified from whole-cell extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast transcription factor IID (TFIID), which functionally substitutes for human TFIID in a complementation assay comprised of the adenovirus type 2 major late promoter and HeLa cell-derived RNA polymerase II, transcription factors IIA, IIB, and IIE. Similar to its human counterpart, yeast TFIID also exhibited specific binding to the adenovirus type 2 major late promoter TATA element, as shown by both DNase I footprinting and gel mobility shift assays. NaDodSO4/PAGE analyses showed that a 27-kDa polypeptide coeluted with TFIID complementing activity through each chromatographic step. In agreement with this result and also suggesting that the native protein is a monomer, gel-filtration experiments indicated a molecular mass of 28 kDa for TFIID under nondenaturing conditions. That the 27-kDa polypeptide represented TFIID was further demonstrated by the ability of an HPLC-purified protein to bind specifically after renaturation to the adenovirus type 2 major late promoter TATA sequence.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1988

Phosphorylation of serum response factor, a factor that binds to the serum response element of the c-FOS enhancer.

Serum and growth factor regulation of c-FOS protooncogene transcription is mediated by the serum response element. A factor, serum response factor, binding to this element has already been identified. We demonstrate that serum response factor is phosphorylated in vivo on serine residues and that phosphatase treatment of this factor in vitro abolishes its DNA-binding activity. These results show phosphorylation of serum response factor to be required for its DNA-binding activity. The importance of serum response factor phosphorylation for the regulation of c-FOS expression is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Human pituitary tryptase: molecular forms, NH2-terminal sequence, immunocytochemical localization, and specificity with prohormone and fluorogenic substrates.

A human pituitary-derived serine protease, immunologically identical to human lung tryptase (Smith, T. J., Hougland, M.W., and Johnson, D.A. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 11046-11051), was found immunohistochemically to be associated with mast cells present in pituitary connective tissue. Western blotting combined with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated the presence of multiple forms: a major Mr 36,300 form and three minor forms with Mr 32,400, 33,400, and 34,600. Two major forms with Mr 35,600 and 34,100 were detected by affinity labeling with 125I-D-Tyr-Glu-Phe-Lys-Arg-CH2Cl. Treatment of the pituitary tryptase preparation with N-glycosidase F indicated that some of the molecular weight heterogeneity results from N-linked glycosylation. The multiple molecular weight forms appear to have the same NH2-terminal sequence: Ile-Val-Gly-Gly-Gln-Glu-Ala-Pro. Pituitary tryptase has an apparent Mr = 110,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 in the presence of 0.3 M NaCl, indicating that the enzyme may be a tetramer of Mr = 32,400-36,300 subunits. However, this quaternary structure was not stable to gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Human pituitary tryptase was so reactive toward synthetic tripeptide coumarin-containing substrates containing a pair of basic amino acids at the site of cleavage such as benzyloxylcarbonyl-L-Ala-L-Lys-L-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7-amide (k cat/Km = 2.38 X 10(8) M-1 s-1) that Briggs-Haldane kinetics may apply. The reversible inhibitor NaCl at a concentration of 1 M decreased the k cat/Km for benzyloxylcarbonyl-L-Ala-L-Lys-L-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7-amide to 6.53 X 10(6) M-1 s-1, which reflected a 100-fold increase in apparent Km. Based on active site titration with fluorescein mono-p-guanidinobenzoate hydrochloride, NaCl had no effect on the number of accessible active sites. Substrate specificity studies with prohormones indicated that pituitary tryptase has a preference for cleaving COOH-terminal to arginine or lysine residues which are preceded by a proline residue 4 or 6 residues NH2-terminal to the site of cleavage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Selective cleavage of human ACTH, beta-lipotropin, and the N-terminal glycopeptide at pairs of basic residues by IRCM-serine protease 1. Subcellular localization in small and large vesicles.

We present a study of the cleavage specificity of IRCM-serine protease 1 from frozen porcine pituitary neurointermediate lobes using polypeptide substrates representing different segments of human pro-opiomelanocortin. Using 125I-labeled ACTH(11-24) and a 125I-labeled model beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) peptide, the preference of this protease for cleavage C-terminal to the pairs of basic residues Lys-Arg and Lys-Lys was clearly seen. This study was extended to larger unlabeled natural human polypeptides including ACTH(1-39), beta-LPH(1-89), and the N-terminal glycopeptide (1-76), which are known to serve as substrates for further cleavage in vivo. In these substrates IRCM-serine protease 1 cleaved C-terminal to all pairs of basic residues known to be cleaved in vivo. In addition, the enzyme cleaved between two pairs of basic amino acids found in NT(1-76) which are also known to be cleaved in vivo. Many potential "tryptic-like" cleavage sites were not cleaved by the enzyme. However, IRCM-serine protease 1 cleaved C-terminal to Phe-Arg in the three melanocyte-stimulating hormone sequences of pro-opiomelanocortin. In order to better understand the physiological role of IRCM-serine protease 1, differential centrifugation was used to study the subcellular distribution of the enzyme from porcine pituitary anterior lobe homogenates. We present evidence that the active enzyme form, isolated from the subcellular fractions, possesses a similar molecular architecture as the enzyme isolated from frozen tissue (Mr 38,000 catalytic domain linked via disulfide bridge(s) to another polypeptide chain(s) to form an Mr 88,000 monomeric structure). The majority of IRCM-serine protease activity is found to be associated with small vesicles (150,000 X g for 5 h) of as yet undetermined nature. In addition, a latent activity was found to be associated with a 27,000 X g (15 min) pellet containing the majority of mature secretory granules. If IRCM-serine protease 1 participates in prohormone maturation in vivo, we propose a model in which this protease is present in an enzymatically active form in small vesicles, possibly within clathrin-coated structures (prosecretory granules) which are then transformed to mature secretory granules by a process which would also inactivate most of the enzyme.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1986

A novel serine protease (IRCM-serine protease 1) from porcine neurointermediate and anterior pituitary lobes. Isolation, polypeptide chain structure, inhibitor sensitivity, and substrate specificity with fluorogenic peptide substrates.

A novel serine protease, which we have called IRCM-serine protease 1, was purified from both porcine neurointermediate and anterior pituitary lobes. The enzyme was inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor, pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, benzamidine, phenylmethyl-sulfonyl fluoride, and thiol reagents including HgCl2, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and was resistant to lima bean trypsin inhibitor, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, and C1-esterase inhibitor. IRCM-serine protease 1 displayed "trypsin-like" specificity toward a number of tripeptide coumarin-containing substrates, with kcat/km values ranging from 10(4) to 10(6) M-1 S-1. The best substrate was benzyloxycarbonyl-L-Ala-L-Lys-L-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7-amide with a kcat/Km value of 2.27 X 10(6) M-1 S-1. IRCM-serine protease 1, Mr = 169,000-190,000 determined by gradient gel electrophoresis and gel filtration, respectively, appears to be a homologous dimer. The monomeric subunits of the enzyme are composed of an Mr = 38,000 polypeptide chain which is modifiable by 125I-D-Tyr-Glu-Phe-Lys-Arg-CH2Cl, disulfide-linked to another polypeptide resulting in a subunit molecular weight of 88,000.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Homologous IRCM-serine protease 1 from pituitary, heart atrium and ventricle: a common pro-hormone maturation enzyme?

IRCM-Serine Protease 1 (IRCM-SP1) has recently been isolated and characterized from porcine pituitary anterior and neurointermediate lobes (Cromlish et al., 1986a, J. Biol. Chem. 261:10850-10858; Cromlish et al., 1986b, J. Biol. Chem. 261:10859-10870). This pituitary serine protease was shown to selectively cleave human pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides at both pairs of basic residues and C-terminal to specific Arg residues, all known to be cleaved in vivo. Here, a similar enzyme was isolated from rat heart atria and ventricles. Rat IRCM-SP1 was shown to be highly specific for the same cleavage sites in POMC, as the porcine pituitary homologue. Furthermore, the rat and the porcine enzymes cleave rat pro-Atrial Natriuretic Factor (pro-ANF 1-126) to yield ANF 103-126, 102-126 and 99-126 in that order of preference. This suggests that in vitro the cleavage sites preferred in pro-ANF resemble those found in brain and hypothalamus. The enzyme is nine times more abundant in atria versus ventricles/mg protein. It is concluded that IRCM-SP1, could well represent a common pro-hormone maturation enzyme for POMC and Pro-ANF and possibly many other pro-hormones.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗