New aspects of podocyte cell biology.
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Cell Differentiation↗
Biomedical subjects
J Reiser
Publications and source records attributed to J Reiser.
Induction of differentiation in cultured rat and human podocytes.
Mature podocytes are highly differentiated cells that are unable to divide in vivo. During glomerulogenesis, podocytes develop from simple cuboidal cells into their adult phenotype, which is characterized by a complex pattern of processes. Cultivation of podocytes under standard conditions leads to dedifferentiation, including the loss of processes and of pp44, a marker of differentiated podocytes. In this study, the cell culture conditions for rat and human podocytes were modified by avoiding repeated subcultivation. This led to profound phenotypic changes in podocytes in vitro. The conversion of cobblestones into arborized cells was directly observed, and a series of intermediate phenotypes was documented. The cells converted within 3 wk from typical cobblestone appearance into individual arborized cells more closely resembling in vivo podocytes. Arborized cells were frequently binucleated and reached a size of up to 500 microns. Both cobblestone and arborized cells originated from podocytes, as evidenced by the expression of a podocyte-specific O-acetylated ganglioside and of the WT-1 protein. In contrast to primary cultures and early passages of cobblestones, a cloned rat podocyte cell line did not express WT-1 and could not be induced to differentiate into arborized cells. This finding indicates a role for WT-1 in maintaining differentiation of adult podocytes. The differentiation of arborized cells led to growth arrest and was reflected by the formation of processes and the expression of pp44 and desmin, which were never detected in cobblestones. It was concluded that partial differentiation of cultured podocytes can be achieved simply by avoiding repeated subcultivation, resulting in an arborized phenotype more closely reflecting in vivo podocytes.
Animals↗
Transduction of nondividing cells using pseudotyped defective high-titer HIV type 1 particles.
The use of Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV)-based vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into target cells is limited by their inability to transduce nondividing cells. To test the capacity of HIV-based vectors to deliver genes into nondividing cells, we have generated replication-defective HIV type 1 (HIV-1) reporter vectors carrying neomycin phosphotransferase or mouse heat stable antigen, replacing the HIV-1 sequences encoding gp160. These vectors also harbor inactive vpr, vpu, and nef coding regions. Pseudotyped HIV-1 particles carrying either the ecotropic or the amphotropic Mo-MLV envelope proteins or the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein were released after single or double transfections of either human 293T or monkey COS-7 cells with titers of up to 10(7) colony-forming units per milliliter. A simple ultrafiltration procedure resulted in an additional 10- to 20-fold concentration of the pseudotyped particles. These vectors along with Mo-MLV-based vectors were used to transduce primary human skin fibroblasts and human peripheral blood CD34+ cells. The HIV-1 vector system was significantly more efficient than its Mo-MLV-based counterpart in transducing human skin fibroblasts arrested at the G0/G1 stage of the cell cycle by density-dependent inhibition of growth. Human CD34+ cells were transduced efficiently using HIV-1 pseudotype particles without prior stimulation with cytokines.
Animals↗
Autoinducer-mediated regulation of rhamnolipid biosurfactant synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a variety of virulence factors, including exotoxin A, elastase, alkaline protease, alginate, phospholipases, and extracellular rhamnolipids. The previously characterized rhlABR gene cluster encodes a regulatory protein (RhlR) and a rhamnosyltransferase (RhlAB), both of which are required for rhamnolipid synthesis. Another gene, rhII, has now been identified downstream of the rhlABR gene cluster. The putative RhlI protein shares significant sequence similarity with bacterial autoinducer synthetases of the LuxI type. A P. aeruginosa rhlI mutant strain carrying a disrupted rhlI gene was unable to produce rhamnolipids and lacked rhamnosyltransferase activity. Rhamnolipid synthesis was restored by introducing a wild-type rhlI gene into such strains or, alternatively, by adding either the cell-free spent supernatant from a P. aeruginosa wild-type strain or synthetic N-acylhomoserine lactones. Half-maximal induction of rhamnolipid synthesis in the rhlI mutant strain required 0.5 microM N-butyrylhomoserine lactone or 10 microM N-(3-oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone. The P. aeruginosa rhlA promoter was active in the heterologous host Pseudomonas putida when both the rhlR and rhlI genes were present or when the rhlR gene alone was supplied together with synthetic N-acylhomoserine lactones. The RhlR-RhlI regulatory system was found to be essential for the production of elastase as well, and cross-communication between the RhlR-RhlI rhamnolipid regulatory system and the LasR-LasI elastase regulatory system was demonstrated.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Production of recombinant proteins in Chinese hamster ovary cells using a protein-free cell culture medium.
The growth-factor prototrophic Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) SSF3 cell line was previously adapted for growth in serum-free media. Here we present a newly designed medium which allows these cells to grow in the absence of any exogenously added growth factors. To investigate the capacity of CHO SSF3 cells for the efficient production of recombinant proteins in protein-free media, expression plasmids containing either a human single chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)-encoding cDNA or a humanized immunoglobulin G (IgG) kappa light chain cDNA were introduced by transfection. The tryptophan synthase (trpB) gene of Escherichia coli was used as a dominantly acting selection marker allowing the cells to survive in a medium containing indole in place of tryptophan. Some of the clones obtained exhibited a stable uPA expression over a period of several months under selective conditions and the yields were up to 74 mg of uPA/l in a bioreactor and the productivity was around 40 mg/day per 10(9) cells. The yields of IgG light chains were up to 118 mg/l and the productivity was in the order of 56 mg/day per 10(9) cells in a bioreactor. These results demonstrate the potential of CHO SSF3 cells for the efficient production of recombinant proteins under protein-free conditions.
Animals↗
Production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants in Heterologous Hosts.
The high-level production of rhamnolipid biosurfactants is a unique feature of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and is strictly regulated in response to environmental conditions. The final step in rhamnolipid biosynthesis is catalyzed by the rhlAB genes encoding a rhamnosyltransferase. The expression of the cloned rhlAB genes was studied in heterologous hosts, either under the control of the rhlR and rhlI rhamnolipid regulatory elements or under the control of the tac promoter. A recombinant P. fluorescens strain harboring multiple plasmid-encoded copies of the rhamnolipid gene cluster produced rhamnolipids (0.25 g liter(sup-1)) when grown under nitrogen-limiting conditions. The highest yields (0.6 g liter(sup-1)) and productivities (24 mg liter(sup-1) h(sup-1)) were obtained in a recombinant Pseudomonas putida strain, KT2442, harboring promoterless rhlAB genes fused to the tac promoter on a plasmid. Active rhamnosyltransferase was synthesized, but no rhamnolipids were produced, by recombinant Escherichia coli upon induction of rhlAB gene expression.
Journal Article↗
Aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Gene cloning, sequence analysis, expression, and purification of the recombinant enzyme.
A cDNA clone encoding a ligninolytic aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase (AAD; EC 1.1.1.91) from the white-rot basidiomycete fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was isolated and characterized. The nucleotide sequence obtained reveals an open reading frame encoding a protein of 385 amino acids. Substantial homology (49.3% identity and 67.3% similarity, respectively) was observed between AAD and an open reading frame sequence present on chromosome III of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A Southern blot analysis showed the presence of multiple AAD gene-related sequences in P. chrysosporium and in other white-rot fungi including Bjerkandera adusta and Fomes lignosus. Northern blot analyses are in line with the view that the levels and appearance of AAD mRNA correlate with the level and appearance of AAD activity and that, under conditions of nitrogen limitation, the AAD mRNA levels are higher than in carbon limited cultures. This is consistent with the regulation of the enzyme by carbon or nitrogen limitation being at the level of transcription. Moreover, the appearance of AAD-specific transcripts correlates with the appearance of lignin peroxidase-specific transcripts in the same cultures. This co-appearance is in line with the proposed synergistic interaction of the two enzymes in lignin biodegradation, which suggests a similar regulation. The AAD encoding cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli to yield high levels of active enzyme, and the recombinant enzyme was purified by using metal chelate affinity chromatography.
Agaricales↗
Isolation, characterization, and expression in Escherichia coli of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa rhlAB genes encoding a rhamnosyltransferase involved in rhamnolipid biosurfactant synthesis.
Transposon Tn5-GM-induced mutant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which are unable to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactants and lack rhamnosyltransferase activity have been isolated. The DNA regions flanking the transposon were cloned and used as specific probes for the isolation of the corresponding wild-type genes from a P. aeruginosa wild-type cosmid gene library. Single cosmid clones capable of restoring rhamnolipid synthesis in the mutant strains were isolated and further subcloned and sequenced, resulting in the identification of two genes (rhlAB) which are organized as an operon upstream of the previously identified rhlR regulatory gene. The RhlA protein (32.5 kDa) harbors a putative signal sequence, suggesting that this protein is located in the periplasm, while the RhlB protein (47 kDa) contains at least two putative membrane-spanning domains. The expression of the rhlAB genes was found to be enhanced 20-fold during the stationary phase of growth under conditions of nitrogen limitation, as measured by using rhlA::lacZ fusions. Moreover, the transcriptional activation of the rhlAB genes appears to depend on a functional RhlR regulatory protein. The sequence upstream of the rhlA promoter contains two inverted repeats which define putative binding sites for the RhlR regulator. The controlled expression of the rhlAB genes in Escherichia coli led to the formation of active rhamnosyltransferase. This provides direct evidence for the fact that the rhamnosyltransferase encoding genes have been identified.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Establishment of genetic linkage by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction: application to the lignin peroxidase gene family of Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
Determining linkage is problematic for genes lacking easily identifiable phenotypes and for organisms without well-defined genetic recombination systems. Phanerochaete chrysosporium with its lignin peroxidase (LiP) gene family typifies these difficulties. We describe an experimental approach whereby the segregation of specific alleles is directly monitored during sexual fruiting. The method establishes linkage relationships among genes for which there are no mutations, and it is applicable to a wide range of genes, gene families and organisms. Using this approach, five P. chrysosporium linkage groups were identified. Ten LiP genes were distributed among three of these groups. One co-segregating group contained eight closely linked LiP genes. Another LiP gene was linked to a cellobiohydrolase gene cluster. These genetic linkages were consistent with physical mapping by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Based on the identification of allelic relationships, a uniform nomenclature for LiP genes is also described.
Alleles↗
Cloning and heterologous expression of a gene encoding an alkane-induced extracellular protein involved in alkane assimilation from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa PG201 produces a 16-kDa extracellular protein in media containing n-hexadecane as a carbon source but not in media containing glycerol or glucose. This protein was purified, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined. The amino acid composition of the protein was found to be very similar to that of the so-called protein-like activator for n-alkane oxidation (PA) from P. aeruginosa S7B1. This extracellular protein was previously characterized (K. Hisatsuka, T. Nakahara, Y. Minoda, and K. Yamada, Agric. Biol. Chem. 41:445-450, 1977) and found to stimulate the growth of P. aeruginosa on n-hexadecane and to possess emulsifying activity. To study the role(s) of the PA protein and to make it accessible for possible future applications, we have cloned the PA-encoding (pra) gene and determined its nucleotide sequence. This analysis revealed a protein-coding region of 162 amino acids, with the first 25 residues being reminiscent of those of a typical bacterial signal sequence. The pra gene was inactivated by insertional mutagenesis, and the resulting strain was found to lack extracellular PA protein and to be retarded in its growth in n-hexadecane-containing media. These results are consistent with the growth stimulatory role of the PA protein. The pra gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, and substantial amounts of the recombinant protein were found in the extracellular growth medium. The recombinant protein was purified by metal chelate affinity chromatography. The ability to produce secreted PA protein by E. coli provides a simple and safe means to analyze its function(s) in alkane assimilation in the future.
Alkanes↗
Molecular analysis of the Trichosporon cutaneum DSM 70698 argA gene and its use for DNA-mediated transformations.
Genomic clones capable of complementing a previously isolated arginine auxotrophic mutant strain of the filamentous yeast Trichosporon cutaneum DSM 70698 have been identified by DNA-mediated transformation, and a complementing 4,082-bp subfragment was sequenced. This analysis revealed an intact gene (arg4) showing a high degree of homology with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CPA2 gene encoding the large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (CPS-A). The inferred amino acid sequence of the T. cutaneum argA-encoded protein contains 1,168 residues showing 62% identity with the sequence of the S. cerevisiae CPA2 protein, and the comparison of the two sequences uncovered a putative intron sequence of 81 nucleotides close to the 5' end of the coding region of the T. cutaneum argA gene. The presence of this intron was confirmed by nuclease protection studies and by direct DNA sequence analysis of a cDNA fragment which had been obtained by PCR amplification. The T. cutaneum intron shares the general characteristics of introns found in yeasts and filamentous fungi. A major transcript of around 4 kb was found in Northern (RNA) blots. The T. cutaneum argA coding region was expressed in Escherichia coli under the control of the regulatable tac promoter. A roughly 130-kDa protein which was found to cross-react with an anti-rat CPS antibody in Western blots (immunoblots) was observed. Two putative ATP-binding domains were identified, one in the amino-terminal half of the argA-encoded protein and the other in the carboxy-terminal half. These domains are highly conserved among the known CPS-A sequences from S. cerevisiae, E. coli, and the rat. From these results we conclude that the T. cutaneum argA gene encodes the large subunit of CPS. This is the first gene to be identified and analyzed in the T. cutaneum DSM 70698 strain.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Isolation and characterization of a regulatory gene affecting rhamnolipid biosurfactant synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
A mutant strain (65E12) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that is unable to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactants and lacks rhamnosyltransferase activity was genetically complemented by using a P. aeruginosa PG201 wild-type gene library. A single complementing cosmid was isolated on the basis of surface tension measurements of subcultures of the transconjugants by using a sib selection strategy. The subcloning of the complementing cosmid clone yielded a 2-kb fragment capable of restoring rhamnolipid biosynthesis, rhamnosyltransferase activity, and utilization of hexadecane as a C source in mutant 65E12. The nucleotide sequence of the complementing 2-kb fragment was determined, and a single open reading frame (rhlR) of 723 bp specifying a putative 28-kDa protein (RhlR) was identified. Sequence homologies between the RhlR protein and some regulatory proteins such as LasR of P. aeruginosa, LuxR of Vibrio fischeri, RhiR of Rhizobium leguminosarum, and the putative activator 28-kDa UvrC of Escherichia coli suggest that the RhlR protein is a transcriptional activator. A putative target promoter which is regulated by the RhlR protein has been identified 2.5 kb upstream of the rhlR gene. Multiple plasmid-based rhlR gene copies had a stimulating effect on the growth of the P. aeruginosa wild-type strain in hexadecane-containing minimal medium, on rhamnolipid production, and on the production of pyocyanin chromophores. Disruption of the P. aeruginosa wild-type rhlR locus led to rhamnolipid-deficient mutant strains, thus confirming directly that this gene is necessary for rhamnolipid biosynthesis. Additionally, such PG201::'rhlR' mutant strains lacked elastase activity, indicating that the RhlR protein is a pleiotropic regulator.
Alkanes↗
Methods to investigate the expression of lignin peroxidase genes by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
Two methods allowing the analysis of expression of specific lignin peroxidase (LPO) genes from white rot fungi are presented. In the first method, degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from amino acid sequence motifs held in common among all members of the LPO gene family are used to prime the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of LPO-related nucleotide sequences from cDNA prepared by using RNA from ligninolytic cultures. The PCR products are cloned and analyzed by restriction cleavage and DNA sequencing. This method was applied to the analysis of transcripts from carbon-limited cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium BKM-F-1767, revealing two major classes of PCR products. One class showed DNA sequences with a high degree of similarity to the previously described CLG4 cDNA sequence (H. A. De Boer, Y. Zhang, C. Collins, and C. A. Reddy, Gene 60:93-102, 1987), whereas the other harbored DNA sequences with similarities to the L18 cDNA sequence previously described for P. chrysosporium OGC101 (T. G. Ritch, Jr., V. J. Nipper, L. Akileswaran, A. J. Smith, D. G. Pribnow, and M. H. Gold, Gene 107:119-126, 1991). The second method is based on nuclease protection assays involving isoenzyme-specific RNA probes. By using this method, the L18-related gene of P. chrysosporium BKM-F-1767 was found to be expressed under conditions of carbon and of nitrogen limitation, although the transcript levels were found to be higher in carbon-limited cultures. Furthermore, it was found that omission of veratryl alcohol addition to the culture did not affect the levels of the L18-related transcripts in carbon-limited cultures.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Factors affecting homologous overexpression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase gene.
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (14DM) gene was overexpressed in S. cerevisiae using promoter sequences of the highly expressed S. cerevisiae glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (TDH3) gene. To investigate factors affecting 14DM overproduction, the levels of 14DM-specific RNAs, apoprotein, and heme protein, respectively, were determined and the 14DM-specific RNA levels compared with the RNA levels originating from the endogenous TDH gene(s). The quantitative measurements revealed that the 14DM steady-state RNA levels reached were some three- to five-fold below the theoretically expected values. With a view towards further improving expression of the 14DM gene, the spacing between the TDH3 promoter and the AUG was adjusted precisely and to rule out possible toxic effects exerted by the 14DM protein, the TDH3 promoter was placed under galactose regulation by introducing an UASG segment. Furthermore, the effects of the gene copy number on 14DM overproduction were investigated. From the analysis of the improved expression constructs five conclusions could be reached: (1) expression from the native 14DM gene is comparable to the expression driven by the TDH3 promoter-14DM fusion construct on single copy plasmid vectors; (2) expression from the TDH3 promoter-14DM construct on single-copy vectors is nearly as efficient as expression from the corresponding endogenous TDH3 gene; (3) the gene copy number has an effect on the relative expression levels of the TDH3 promoter-14DM constructs; (4) the steady-state amounts of protein produced are very nearly proportional to gene dosage; and (5) protein toxicity does not have a major impact on 14DM production. The maximum yield of 14DM was in the order of 7% of the total yeast protein and the maximum production of functional 14DM heme protein appears to be limited by the availability of heme.
Base Sequence↗
Phenol hydroxylase from Trichosporon cutaneum: gene cloning, sequence analysis, and functional expression in Escherichia coli.
A cDNA clone encoding phenol hydroxylase from the soil yeast Trichosporon cutaneum was isolated and characterized. The clone was identified by hybridization screening of a bacteriophage lambda ZAP-based cDNA library with an oligonucleotide probe which corresponded to the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme. The cDNA encodes a protein consisting of 664 amino acids. Amino acid sequences of a number of peptides obtained by Edman degradation of various cleavage products of the purified enzyme were identified in the cDNA-derived sequence. The phenol hydroxylase cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli to yield high levels of active enzyme. The E. coli-derived phenol hydroxylase is very similar to the T. cutaneum enzyme with respect to the range of substrates acted upon, inhibition by excess phenol, and the order of magnitude of kinetic parameters in the overall reaction. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of phenol hydroxylase gene-related sequences in a number of T. cutaneum and Trichosporon beigelii strains and in Cryptococcus elinovii but not in Trichosporon pullulans, Trichosporon penicillatum, or Candida tropicalis.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Purification and properties of an aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
An intracellular aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase (previously referred to as aryl-aldehyde reductase) was purified from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The enzyme reduced veratraldehyde to veratryl alcohol using NADPH as a cofactor. Other aromatic benzaldehydes were also reduced, but not aromatic ketones. Methoxy-substituted rings were better substrates than hydroxylated ones. The enzyme was also able to reduce a dimeric aldehyde (4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde). The highest reduction rate was measured when 3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde was used as a substrate. On SDS/PAGE the purified enzyme showed one major band with a molecular mass of 47 kDa, whereas gel filtration suggested a molecular mass of 280 kDa. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the gel purified 47-kDa protein were able to immunoprecipitate the aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase indicating that its activity possibly resides entirely in this protein fragment. The pI of the enzyme was 5.2 and it was most active at pH 6.1. The aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase was partially inhibited by typical oxidoreductase inhibitors.
Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
Genetic transformation of auxotrophic mutants of the filamentous yeast Trichosporon cutaneum using homologous and heterologous marker genes.
A transformation system for the filamentous yeast Trichosporon cutaneum based on auxotrophic markers is presented and techniques for the induction, isolation and characterization of mutants are described. A number of auxotrophic mutants were isolated and characterized by using biosynthetic precursors and/or inhibitors. A mutant unable to grow in the presence of ornithine could be complemented successfully by spheroplast transformation experiments using the cloned Aspergillus nidulans ornithine transcarbamoylase gene (argB gene) as selection marker with an efficiency of 5-100 transformants per microgram of DNA. In these transformants the heterologous argB gene was present in multiple tandem copies and the transforming DNA was found to remain stable after more than 50 generations in non-selective media. The same mutant could be complemented by a T. cutaneum cosmid gene library and a complementary cosmid was subsequently isolated from this library by a sib-selection strategy. This cosmid transformed T. cutaneum spheroblasts with an efficiency of 50-200 colonies per microgram of DNA. Southern blot analyses were consistent with the view that the transforming sequences became stably integrated into the host genome at the homologous site.
Arginine↗
Erythroderma, palmoplantar keratoderma and profound failure to thrive in an infant.
The case is reported of a female infant, who at the age of 3 months developed severe erythroderma, marked hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles and subsequently extreme growth failure and intermittent diarrhoea. Her course was complicated by life-threatening infections but detailed investigation revealed no recognized underlying metabolic or immune abnormality.
Dermatitis, Exfoliative↗