Biomedical subjects

P Chavrier

Publications and source records attributed to P Chavrier.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

Hypervariable C-terminal domain of rab proteins acts as a targeting signal.

Mammalian cells express many ras-like low molecular mass GTP-binding proteins (rab proteins) that are highly homologous to the Ypt1 and Sec4 proteins involved in controlling secretion in yeast. Owing to their structural similarity and to their variety, rab proteins have been postulated to act as specific regulators of membrane traffic in exocytosis and endocytosis, and rab5 has been shown to be involved in early endosome fusion in vitro. In agreement with their postulated functions, all rab proteins studied so far have been found in distinct subcompartments along the exocytic or endocytic pathways. To define the region mediating their specific localization, we transiently expressed rab2, rab5 and rab7 hybrid proteins in BHK cells, and determined their intracellular localization by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and subcellular fractionation. Here we present evidence that the highly variable C-terminal domain contains structural elements necessary for the association of rab proteins with their specific target membranes in the endocytic pathway.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

rab5 controls early endosome fusion in vitro.

The small GTP-binding protein rab5 was previously localized on early endosomes and on the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. Using a cell-free assay, we have now tested whether rab5 is involved in controlling an early endocytic fusion event. Fusion could be inhibited by cytosol containing the overexpressed mutant rab5lle133, which does not bind GTP on blots, and by antibodies against rab5, but not against rab2 or rab7. In contrast, fusion was stimulated with cytosol containing overexpressed wild-type rab5. Cytosols containing high levels of rab2 or mutant rab5 with the 9 carboxy-terminal amino acids deleted, which bind GTP on blots, had no effects. Finally, the inhibition mediated by anti-rab5 antibodies could be overcome by complementing the assay with the cytosol containing wild-type rab5, but not with the same cytosol depleted of rab5, nor with cytosol containing the rab5 mutants or rab2. These in vitro findings strongly suggest that rab5 is involved in the process of early endosome fusion.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Localization of low molecular weight GTP binding proteins to exocytic and endocytic compartments.

A set of 11 clones encoding putative GTP binding proteins highly homologous to the yeast YPT1/SEC4 gene products have been isolated from an MDCK cell cDNA library. We localized three of the corresponding proteins in mammalian cells by using affinity-purified antibodies in immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy studies. One, the MDCK homolog of rab2, is associated with a structure having the characteristics of an intermediate compartment between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. The second, rab5, is located at the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane and on early endosomes, while the third, rab7, is found on late endosomes. These findings provide evidence that members of the YPT1/SEC4 subfamily of GTP binding proteins are localized to specific exocytic and endocytic subcompartments in mammalian cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

The segment-specific gene Krox-20 encodes a transcription factor with binding sites in the promoter region of the Hox-1.4 gene.

Krox-20 is a mouse zinc finger gene expressed in a segment-specific manner in the early central nervous system, which makes it a potential developmental control gene. In this report, we show that the Krox-20 protein binds in vitro to two specific DNA sites located upstream from the homeobox containing gene Hox-1.4. The nucleotide sequence recognized by Krox-20 is closely related to the Sp1 target sequence, which is consistent with the similarity existing between the zinc fingers of the two proteins. In co-transfection experiments in cultured cells, Krox-20 dramatically activates transcription from the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter when an oligomer of its binding site is present in cis close to the promoter. Analysis of mutated binding sites demonstrates that the level of activation by Krox-20 correlates with the affinity of the protein for the mutant sequence. These data indicate that Krox-20 constitutes a sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factor. Parallel analysis of the expression of Krox-20 and Hox-1.4 in the neural tube by in situ hybridization revealed no overlap, arguing against direct interactions between these two genes. The possible involvement of Krox-20 in the regulation of the transcription of other homeobox genes is discussed in view of their respective patterns of expression.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Molecular cloning of YPT1/SEC4-related cDNAs from an epithelial cell line.

Molecular analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretion mutants has led to the identification of two Ras-like GTP-binding proteins, Ypt1p and Sec4p, which are essential for transport along the exocytic route. To study the regulation of membrane traffic in epithelial cells, a set of 11 clones encoding proteins similar to the YPT1/SEC4 products were isolated from an MDCK (Madin-Darby canine kidney) cell cDNA library. Four of these proteins, Rab8, -9, -10, and -11, are novel members of this subfamily of Ras-like proteins, and two of them are closely related to Ypt1p and Sec4p. The ratio of the number of clones isolated over the total number screened reveals a high level of complexity for this subfamily of GTP-binding proteins. This diversity supports their proposed function in controlling different steps in membrane traffic.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Segment-specific expression of a zinc-finger gene in the developing nervous system of the mouse.

The process of segmentation, in which repeated homologous structures are generated along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo is a widespread mechanism in animal development. In vertebrates, segmentation is most apparent in the somites and the peripheral nervous system, but the existence of repetitive bulges, termed neuromeres, in the early neural epithelium of vertebrates suggests that the CNS may also be segmented. Consistent with this, cranial ganglia and certain neurons are associated with specific hindbrain neuromeres. Here, we report that Krox-20, a zinc-finger gene, is expressed in two alternate neuromeres in the mouse early hindbrain. This pattern subsequently decays and Krox-20 is transiently expressed in specific hindbrain nuclei. In addition, Krox-20 is expressed in early neural crest cells, and then in the neural crest-derived boundary caps, glial components of the cranial and spinal ganglia. The demonstration that neuromeres are domains of gene expression provides molecular evidence for the segmentation of the CNS.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early promoter DR contains a cis-acting element responsive to the EBV transactivator EB1 and an enhancer with constitutive and inducible activities.

The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DR promoter controlled the expression of the PstI repeat region IR4. This promoter was activated by the EBV trans-acting factor EB1, mainly at the transcriptional level, and the activation was mediated by the TATA box and two cis-acting regulatory regions, one proximal to the TATA box and one distal to the TATA box. The distal region had enhancer properties. In HeLa cells, it activated transcription from the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase promoter linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene when located in inverted orientation upstream of the thymidine kinase promoter or downstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene coding sequence. This enhancer also activated transcription from the simian virus 40 early upstream regulatory elements. These results indicate that the DR These results indicate that the DR enhancer can constitutively activate heterologous promoters in HeLa cells. However, the DR enhancer was not active in EBV genome-negative B cell lines, but it became active when these cells were infected by EBV and when the expression of the EBV early genes was induced by EB1. This suggests that an EBV early gene product induces the DR enhancer activity. The DR promoter TATA box-proximal cis-acting regulatory element contained EB1-responsive sequences.

Enhancer Elements, Genetic↗

PubMed1989

Structure, chromosome location, and expression of the mouse zinc finger gene Krox-20: multiple gene products and coregulation with the proto-oncogene c-fos.

We have analyzed the structure and the regulation of Krox-20, a mouse zinc finger-encoding gene which is transiently activated following serum stimulation of quiescent fibroblast cells in culture. The gene is localized on chromosome 10, band B5, in the mouse, and the homologous human gene also maps to chromosome 10 (region q21.1 to q22.1). Alternative splicing of the 5'-most intron of the Krox-20 gene gives rise to mRNAs encoding putative zinc finger proteins with different N termini. The first exon contains a sequence element with strong similarity to the c-fos proto-oncogene serum response element (SRE). This element can functionally substitute for the c-fos SRE, and it binds the same nuclear protein. It is probably responsible for the serum induction of Krox-20, possibly in combination with a weaker SRE located in the 5'-flanking region of the gene. Our findings suggest that c-fos, Krox-20, and a number of immediate-early serum response genes are coregulated and that the SRE and its cognate protein are essential components of this regulatory pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

A gene encoding a protein with zinc fingers is activated during G0/G1 transition in cultured cells.

Zinc fingers are DNA-binding domains present in several eukaryotic regulatory proteins. We have identified a mouse gene, Krox-20, encoding a protein with three zinc fingers and whose expression is activated during G0/G1 transition in cultured cells. Serum stimulation of quiescent cells leads to rapid and transient accumulation of Krox-20 mRNA, with kinetics similar to those of the c-fos proto-oncogene. The induction does not require de-novo protein synthesis. In the mouse, Krox-20 is expressed at low levels in tissues which contain rapidly dividing cells. These properties suggest that Krox-20 encodes a transcription control factor, possibly involved in the modulation of cell proliferation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

Characterization of a mouse multigene family that encodes zinc finger structures.

The Drosophila segmentation gene Krüppel encodes multiple tandemly repeated units predicted to form DNA-binding zinc fingers. We have isolated 23 bacteriophages, containing nonoverlapping inserts from a mouse genomic DNA library, on the basis of cross-hybridization under nonstringent conditions to a probe corresponding to the Krüppel finger region. Nucleotide sequence analysis of six phage DNAs indicated that they all contained regions with similarity to Krüppel and potentially encoded zinc finger domains. Within these regions, the level of similarity to Krüppel was particularly high between successive fingers. Northern (RNA) blotting analysis suggested that the mouse sequences belonged to different genes, the expression of some of which was modulated during cell differentiation and development. Hybridization experiments suggested that the similarity between some of the genes extended outside of the finger regions. In conclusion, our data suggest that the mouse genome contains a large family of evolutionarily related genes encoding possible trans-acting factors. These genes are likely to play a regulatory role at the transcriptional level.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1986

Both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded trans-acting factors, EB1 and EB2, are required to activate transcription from an EBV early promoter.

We have identified two Epstein--Barr virus (EBV) transacting factors which are involved in the transcriptional activation of EBV early promoters in latently infected Raji cells. In Raji cells, expression of the factor EB1 encoded by the open reading frame (ORF) BZLF1 is necessary and sufficient to disrupt latency. However, factor EB2 encoded by the ORF BMLF1- BSLF2 does not disrupt latency when expressed alone in Raji cells. Expression of an EBV activatable early promoter depends on the presence of both EB1 and EB2.

Cell Line↗

PubMed1985

Construction and use of cDNA clones for the mapping and identification of Epstein-Barr virus early P3HR-1 mRNAs.

cDNA clones, specific for early Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) RNAs, were constructed from total cytoplasmic RNA of P3HR-1 TK- cells. From 10,000 cDNA clones screened, 22 virus-specific cDNA clones were selected by hybridization with a total EBV DNA. These clones were then precisely mapped on the EBV genome and the corresponding mRNAs were identified by Northern blot hybridizations. Most of them are clearly related to some of the open reading frames described by Baer et al. (Nature [London] 310:207-211, 1984). They represent at least 18 different genes active during the early viral cycle. The transcriptional activity of the virus during the early stage was also studied by dot blot hybridization of total early cDNA probe to EBV genomic fragments. Three main regions showed very strong hybridization with the cDNA probe: BamHI a, M, and L fragments, BamHI K, B, and G fragments, and BamHI B1 fragment (deleted in strain B95-8) and the adjacent right end of the DNA molecule. Seventeen of the cDNA clones were localized in these highly transcribed regions. The five others were dispersed all along the EBV genome.

Animals↗