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M J Nicklin

Publications and source records attributed to M J Nicklin.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Purification and characterization of poliovirus polypeptide 3CD, a proteinase and a precursor for RNA polymerase.

A cDNA clone encoding the 3CD proteinase (3CDpro) of poliovirus type 2 (Sabin), the precursor to proteinase 3Cpro and RNA polymerase 3Dpol, was expressed in bacteria by using a T7 expression system. Site-specific mutagenesis of the 3C/3D cleavage site was performed to generate active proteolytic precursors impaired in their ability to process themselves to 3Cpro and 3Dpol. Of these mutations, the exchange of the Thr residue at the P4 position of the 3C/3D cleavage site for a Lys residue (3CDpro T181K) resulted in a mutant polypeptide exhibiting the smallest amount of autoprocessing. This mutant was purified to 86% homogeneity and used for subsequent proteolytic studies. Purified 3CDproM (M designates the cleavage site mutant 3CDpro T181K) was capable of cleaving the P1 capsid precursor, a peptide representing the 2BC cleavage site, and the 2BC precursor polypeptide. Purified 3CDproM demonstrated the same detergent sensitivity in processing experiments with the capsid precursor as was observed by using P1 and crude extracts of poliovirus-infected HeLa cell lysates. Purified 3CDproM did not have any detectable RNA polymerase activity, whereas 3Dpol, separated from 3CDproM by gel filtration in the last step of purification, did. We conclude that 3CDproM can process both structural and nonstructural precursors of the poliovirus polyprotein and that it is active against a synthetic peptide substrate. Moreover, cleavage of 3CD to 3Dpol is needed to activate the 3D RNA polymerase.

3C Viral Proteases↗
PubMed1991

A single site mutation in a truncated Fos protein allows it to interact with the TRE in vitro.

The Fos and Jun proteins, which are components of the transcription factor AP1, associate through the interaction of their so-called leucine zipper domains and bind strongly and specifically to DNA at phorbol ester-responsive elements. Jun also homodimerizes and binds the same element whereas Fos seems to have no specific affinity for DNA. We show that a single amino-acid change in the leucine zipper of Fos is sufficient to allow a truncated Fos protein to homodimerize and thus form a complex with DNA, even in the absence of Jun. This Fos-derived homodimer recognizes the consensus phorbol-ester responsive element specifically, in vitro. We conclude that the structural requirements for specific DNA binding are present in the Fos protein itself, with the exception of its lack of self-affinity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Cleavage of synthetic peptides by purified poliovirus 3C proteinase.

Synthetic peptides, 14-16 residues in length, were used as substrates for purified recombinant poliovirus proteinase 3C. The sequences of the substrates correspond to the sequences of authentic cleavage sites in the poliovirus polyprotein, all of which contain Gln-Gly at the scissile bond. Specificity of cleavages was demonstrated by analysis of 3C digests of synthetic peptides. Relative rate constants for the cleavages were derived by competition experiments. The rate constants roughly correlated with the estimated half-life of the homologous precursor proteins detected in poliovirus-infected cells. The peptide most resistant to cleavage corresponded to the 3C/3D junction, a site known to be cleaved very slowly by 3C in vivo. Substitution of threonine for alanine in P4 position of this peptide, however, resulted in significant cleavage. This observation supports the hypothesis that the residue in P4 position, in addition to the Gln-Gly in P1 and P1', respectively, contributes to substrate recognition. Ac-Gln-Gly-NH2 was not a substrate for 3C.

3C Viral Proteases↗
PubMed1988

Polyprotein processing in picornavirus replication.

The primary translation product of the picornavirus genome is a single large protein which is processed to the mature viral polypeptides by progressive, co- and post-translational cleavages. Replication of the picornaviruses is thus entirely dependent upon the proteolysis of viral precursor proteins. In poliovirus, two virus-encoded proteinases have been identified that catalyze all but the final cleavage of the viral polyprotein. The final processing event, maturation of the virion polypeptide VPO, appears to occur by an unusual autocatalytic serine proteinase-like mechanism. Proteolytic processing of viral precursor proteins is basically similar in all picornaviruses, but recently it has become clear that there are also important differences between these viruses. Understanding of the processing events in picornavirus replication may ultimately lead to the discovery of specific inhibitors of the viral enzymes that could prove clinically useful as anti-viral agents.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1988

Poliovirus proteinase 3C: large-scale expression, purification, and specific cleavage activity on natural and synthetic substrates in vitro.

Proteinase 3C of poliovirus type 2 (Sabin) was expressed at 4% total protein in Escherichia coli. The protein was soluble and could be purified by a simple scheme. It was weakly active on the capsid precursor P1 (expressed in vitro), which contains two cleavage sites. The products of processing P1 were 1ABC and 1D (VP1). The activity was insensitive to Triton X-100. Crude extracts of cells infected with poliovirus type 1 (Mahoney) gave strong processing and yielded 1AB (VP0), 1C (VP3), and 1D in the same assay system but were sensitive to detergent. 3C from cell extracts that was separated from its precursors resembled the recombinant proteinase in its activity. Recombinant 3C cleaved the peptide dansyl-Glu-Glu-Glu-Ala-Met-Glu-Gln-Gly-Ile-Thr-Asn-Lys-NH2 at the Gln-Gly bond. We conclude that 3C is merely the core of the Gln-Gly-cleaving activity which processes P1 in vivo and that there is probably a hydrophobic contact between a larger 3C precursor and its P1 substrate which allows the second processing reaction: 1ABC, 1D----1AB, 1C, 1D.

3C Viral Proteases↗
PubMed1988

A segment of the 5' nontranslated region of encephalomyocarditis virus RNA directs internal entry of ribosomes during in vitro translation.

Picornavirus RNAs are uncapped messengers and have unusually long 5' nontranslated regions (5'NTRs) which contain many noninitiating AUG triplets. The translational efficiency of different picornavirus RNAs varies between different cell-free extracts and even in the same extract, such as micrococcal nuclease-treated rabbit reticulocyte lysates. The effect of the poliovirus 5'NTR on in vitro translation was compared with that of the 5'NTR of encephalomyocarditis virus by the use of synthetic mRNAs, micrococcal nuclease-treated HeLa cell extracts, and rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Artificial mono- and dicistronic mRNAs synthesized with T7 RNA polymerase were used to investigate whether the 5'NTR of encephalomyocarditis virus RNA contains a potential internal ribosomal entry site. The sequence between nucleotides 260 and 484 in the 5'NTR of encephalomyocarditis RNA was found to play a critical role in the efficient translation in both mono- and dicistronic mRNAs. Our data suggest that an internal ribosomal entry site resides in this region.

Cell-Free System↗
PubMed1987

Implications of the picornavirus capsid structure for polyprotein processing.

Mature picornaviral proteins are derived by progressive, posttranslational cleavage of a precursor polyprotein. These cleavages play a role in the control of virus functions. Although the processed termini are separated by as much as 75 A in the native virus capsid, the fold and arrangement of polypeptide chains in a protomer before proteolysis are likely to be similar to that found in the mature virus. The three-dimensional structures of rhinovirus and Mengo virus suggest that the cleavage sites within the protomeric precursor are in structurally flexible regions. The final proteolytic processing event, maturation of the virion peptide VP0 (also called peptide 1AB) appears to occur by an unusual autocatalytic serine protease-type mechanism possibly involving viral RNA basic groups that would serve as proton-abstractors during the cleavage reaction.

Capsid↗
PubMed1987

Poliovirus polypeptide precursors: expression in vitro and processing by exogenous 3C and 2A proteinases.

Plasmids have been constructed to generate substrates for the study of proteinases 2A and 3C of poliovirus. They contain the P1 (capsomer precursor) region of the poliovirus genome or P1 and part of P2 (a nonstructural precursor), which can be transcribed and translated in vitro. A transcript containing the entire 5' nontranslated region and the P1 region of the viral RNA gave poor translation in a reticulocyte translation system. Truncation of the 5' nontranslated region to its 3'-most segment gave acceptably good yields of radiolabeled P1. P1 was specifically processed to yield capsomer proteins by enzymes supplied in a postmitochondrial supernatant from poliovirus-infected cells. Thus, proteinase 3C can be supplied exogenously (in trans) and effect processing. This system may be used to provide P1 for the assay of proteinase 3C. Precursors that lacked either the 1A or 1D regions were poor substrates for proteinase 3C--observations that demonstrated a stringent structural requirement in processing by 3C. The translation product of a transcript encoding P1 and part of P2 was rapidly cleaved at the P1-P2 site in the absence of infected-cell extract. A transcript that contained a mutated 2A region gave a stable P1-P2 precursor that could be processed specifically by exogenous proteinase from infected-cell fractions. Processing of P1 appeared to require cleavage of the P1-P2 bond. These results support our previous data that 2A is the second polioviral proteinase and also provides a means of assaying proteinase 2A in vitro.

3C Viral Proteases↗
PubMed1987

Poliovirus proteinase 2A induces cleavage of eucaryotic initiation factor 4F polypeptide p220.

Poliovirus infection of HeLa cells induces rapid shutoff of host protein synthesis, whereas translation of poliovirus RNA is not inhibited. It is presumed that shutoff is the result of proteolytic cleavage of component p220 of eucaryotic initiation factor 4F. To study whether poliovirus proteinase 2A is involved in this cleavage, we translated synthetic RNAs that contained the coding region for poliovirus-specific polypeptides P1 and 2A in vitro and assayed for cleavage of p220. We report here that cleavage of p220 occurred in all cases when active proteinase 2A was translated and that disruption of the coding sequence of 2A by linker insertion or deletion prevented processing of p220 in vitro. Activity of 2A was determined by its ability to cleave at the P1-P2 site of a segment of the poliovirus polyprotein. We also constructed a plasmid in which the 3'-most 500 nucleotides of the nontranslated region of encephalomyocarditis virus were linked to the coding sequence for poliovirus polypeptide 2A. Translation of the RNA transcript of this clone was very efficient and yielded a fusion protein that included 2A; this polypeptide also induced cleavage of p220. In vitro translation in the presence of antibodies against 2A specifically inhibited processing of p220, whereas incubation of in vitro translation products with antibodies against 2A after translation was completed did not prevent proteolysis of p220.

Carrier Proteins↗
PubMed1986

A second virus-encoded proteinase involved in proteolytic processing of poliovirus polyprotein.

The poliovirus polyprotein is cleaved at three different amino acid pairs. Viral polypeptide 3C is responsible for processing at the most common pair (glutamineglycine). We have found that a cDNA fragment encoding parts of the capsid protein region (P1) and the nonstructural protein region (P2), and including the P1-P2 processing site (tyrosine-glycine), can be expressed in E. coli. The translation product was correctly processed. Disruption of the coding sequence of 2A, a nonstructural polypeptide mapping carboxy-terminal to the tyrosine-glycine cleavage site, by linker mutagenesis or deletion, prevented processing. Deletion of the adjacent polypeptide 2B had no such effect. Antibodies against 2A specifically inhibited processing at the 3C'-3D' processing site (tyrosine-glycine) in vitro. We conclude that poliovirus encodes the second proteinase 2A, which processes the polyprotein at tyrosine-glycine cleavage sites.

Capsid↗
PubMed1985

The proteolytic activities of chymopapain, papain, and papaya proteinase III.

The three proteinases present in papaya latex: papain (EC 3.4.22.2) chymopapain and papaya proteinase III (EC 3.4.22.6), were standardized by active-site titration, and compared in proteolytic activity against azocasein, serum albumin and cartilage proteoglycan. The activities were all of the same order, although there were differences in pH dependence. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the early products of digestion of albumin and phosphorylase a showed very similar patterns for the three papaya proteinases. Kinetic parameters for hydrolysis of benzyloxycarbonyl-phenylalanyl-arginyl-7(4-methyl)coumarylamide were determined for the three enzymes. Values for kcat/Km varied only within a factor of 2, but the individual constants were much higher for papain than for chymopapain and papaya proteinase III. In contrast to the results obtained with the synthetic substrate, the kinetic parameters for the initial hydrolysis of succinyl-albumin were very similar for the three papaya proteinases. This was consistent with their similar proteolytic activities in other assays.

Albumins↗