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T Grundström

Publications and source records attributed to T Grundström.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

SEF1 binding is important for T cell specific enhancers of genes for T cell receptor-CD3 subunits.

A family of proteins, denoted SL3-3 enhancer factor 1 (SEF1), interacts with DNA sequences in the T cell specific enhancer of SL3-3 murine leukemia virus and in the enhancers of several other viruses. A putative SEF1 binding site was also identified in the T cell specific enhancer of the gene encoding the human T cell antigen receptor (TcR) associated CD3-epsilon polypeptide. In this study we show that the identified sequence is a strong SEF1 binding site, and that purified SEF1 proteins bind specifically to the sequence. We report also that the SEF1 binding site is important for T cell specific activation of transcription by the CD3-epsilon enhancer. We show that SEF1 binding sites are present also in the T cell specific enhancers of other subunits of the TcR-CD3 complex, and that SEF1 proteins appear to play a central role in the T cell specific expression of this set of enhancers.

Animals↗

DNA binding of histone H1 is modulated by nucleotides.

Histone H1 acts as a general repressor of transcription in eukaryotes by organizing nucleosomes into inaccessible condensed forms of chromatin. The capability of H1 to bind to DNA with some sequence specificity is likely to be critical in the control of these processes. We show here that ATP and several other nucleotides, including non-hydrolyzable derivatives, can inhibit DNA binding of H1. The results also show that ATP differentially affects binding of H1 to DNA in a fashion enhancing nucleotide sequence specificity of the binding. The study suggests a novel mechanism of modulation of H1 activity that has important implications for the role of H1 as a transcriptional regulator.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mutation of the pseudo-EF-hand of calbindin D9k into a normal EF-hand. Biophysical studies.

The two Ca(2+)-binding sites in calbindin D9k, a protein belonging to the calmodulin superfamily of intracellular proteins, have slightly different structure. The C-terminal site (amino acids 54-65) is a normal EF-hand as in the other proteins of the calmodulin superfamily, while the N-terminal site (amino acids 14-27) contains two additional amino acids, one of which is a proline. We have constructed and studied five mutants of calbindin D9k modified in the N-terminal site. In normal EF-hand structures the first amino acid to coordinate calcium is invariantly an Asp. For this reason Ala15, is exchanged by an Asp in all mutants and the mutants also contain various other changes in this site. The mutants have been characterized by 43Ca, 113Cd and 1H NMR and by the determination of the calcium binding constants using absorption chelators. In two of the mutants (one where Ala14 is deleted, Ala15 is replaced by Asp and Pro20 is replaced by Gly, the other where, in addition, Asn21 is deleted), we find that the structure has changed considerably compared to the wild-type calbindin. The NMR results indicate that the calcium coordination has changed to mainly side-chain carboxyls, from being octahedrally coordinated by mainly back-bone carbonyls, and/or that the coordination number has decreased. The N-terminal site has thus been turned into a normal EF-hand, in which the calcium ion is coordinated by side-chain carboxyls. Furthermore, the calcium binding constants of these two mutant proteins are almost as high as in the wild-type calbindin D9k. That is, the extensive alterations in the N-terminal site have not disrupted the calcium binding ability of the proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Electrostatic contributions to the binding of Ca2+ in calbindin D9k.

A set of accurate experimental data is provided for Ca2+ ion binding to calbindin D9k, a protein in the calmodulin superfamily of intracellular regulatory proteins. The study comprises both the role of protein surface charges and the effects of added electrolyte. The two macroscopic Ca2(+)-binding constants K1 and K2 are determined for the wild-type and eight mutant calbindins in 0, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 M KCl from titrations in the presence of Quin 2 or 5,5'-Br2BAPTA. The mutations involve replacement of surface carboxylates (of Glu17, Asp19, Glu26, and Glu60) with the corresponding amides. It is found that K1K2 may decrease by a factor of up to 2.5 x 10(5) (triple mutant in 0.15 M KCl as compared to the wild-type protein in 0 M KCl). Ca2(+)-binding constants of the individual Ca2+ sites (microscopic binding constants) have also been determined. The positive cooperativity of Ca2+ binding, previously observed at low salt concentration [Linse et al. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 6723-6735], is also present at physiological ionic strength and amounts to 5 kJ.mol-1 at 0.15 M KCl. The electrolyte concentration and some of the mutations are found to affect the cooperativity. 39K NMR studies show that K+ binds weakly to calbindin. Two-dimensional 1H NMR studies show, however, that potassium binding does not change the protein conformation, and the large effect of KCl on the Ca2+ affinity is thus of unspecific nature. Two-dimensional 1H NMR has also been used to assess the structural consequences of the mutations through assignments of the backbone NH and C alpha H resonances of six mutants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

High-yield purification of HIV-1 proteinase expressed by a synthetic gene in Escherichia coli.

A rapid and simple purification procedure for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proteinase from a synthetic gene expressed in Escherichia coli has been developed. The synthetic gene was constructed from oligonucleotides containing several restriction enzyme sites in order to allow simple construction of homologous genes. The protein was translated as a precursor which was autocatalytically processed into the mature protein as shown by N-terminal sequence analysis of the purified protein. Immunoblot analysis was used to verify the nature of the expression product and it was found that 2 of 10 anti-peptide antibodies, covering the whole proteinase sequence, were able to react with the enzyme in crude bacterial lysates. These two anti-peptide antibodies represent a continuous sequence partially overlapping the active site. The purification involves two initial precipitation steps followed by cation-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. A high yield and a high specific activity were achieved.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Binding of SL3-3 enhancer factor 1 transcriptional activators to viral and chromosomal enhancer sequences.

Interactions between SL3-3 enhancer factor 1 (SEF1) proteins and the enhancer of the murine leukemia virus SL3-3 were analyzed. SEF1 proteins were found to interact with two different DNA sequences within the DNA repeat region of the enhancer; these two motifs cooperated in enhancing initiation of transcription in T lymphocytes. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we identified nucleotides that are important for the SEF1 binding, and we deduced a sequence, 5'-TTTGCGGTTA/T-3' with highly improved binding of SEF1 proteins. We show that many different SEF1 binding sequences exist in the transcription control regions of different viral and cellular genes. The results indicate a general role of SEF1 proteins in T-cell gene expression.

Animals↗

Helix-loop-helix transcriptional activators bind to a sequence in glucocorticoid response elements of retrovirus enhancers.

A family of nuclear proteins, designated SL3-3 enhancer factors 2 (SEF2), were found to interact with an Ephrussi box-like motif within the glucocorticoid response element in the enhancer of the murine leukemia virus SL3-3. Mutation of the DNA sequence decreased the basal enhancer activity in various cell lines. The important nucleotides for binding of SEF2 are conserved in most type C retroviruses. Various cell types displayed differences both in the sets of SEF2-DNA complexes formed and in their amounts. A cDNA which encoded a protein that interacted specifically with the SEF2-binding sequence was isolated from human thymocytes. The nucleotide sequence specificity of the recombinant protein, expressed in Escherichia coli, corresponded to that of at least one of the nuclear SEF2 proteins. Sequence analysis of the cDNA revealed that it belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix class of DNA-binding proteins. Several mRNA transcripts of different sizes were identified. Molecular analysis of cDNA clones revealed multiple related mRNA species containing alternative coding regions, which are most probably a result of differential splicing.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

SL3-3 enhancer factor 1 transcriptional activators are required for tumor formation by SL3-3 murine leukemia virus.

The transcriptional enhancers of retroviruses that lack an oncogene are important determinants of their oncogenicity. However, no specific cellular transcriptional activator has yet been found to determine the oncogenicity for any of these viruses. The SL3-3 enhancer factor 1 (SEF1) cellular transcriptional activators are expressed preferentially in T lymphocytes. In the SL3-3 murine leukemia virus enhancer, two different sequences can bind SEF1 activators. We show that mutation of the SEF1 binding sites disrupts the disease potential of SL3-3 murine leukemia virus, implying that SEF1 transcriptional activators are required for tumor induction by SL3-3. The SEF1 site mutations did not appear to affect the pathogenicity of SL3-3 by impairment of virus multiplication, but rather by a specific defect in the ability of neoplastic transformation.

Animals↗

Functional properties of calbindin D9K mutants with exchanged Ca2+ binding sites.

We have constructed three different engineered proteins based on calbindin D9K by either exchanging the two calcium binding sites within the protein or making the amino acid sequence of the two calcium binding sites identical. The individual calcium binding sites of the engineered proteins retain most of their ion binding characteristics as well as the basal structure of their Ca2+ ligand sphere in the new environment. Even the protein with its sites interchanged, a mutation involving 30 amino acids out of a total of 75, still binds calcium with an affinity as high as that of many natural EF-hand proteins.

Binding Sites↗

Biophysical studies of engineered mutant proteins based on calbindin D9k modified in the pseudo EF-hand.

The genes for four mutant proteins from calbindin D9k, all with mutations in the N-terminal Ca2+-binding domain (pseudo EF-hand) have been synthesized and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purification scheme has been modified to minimize the formation of deamidated proteins. The set of modifications in the pseudo EF-hand is an attempt to turn this site into a structure resembling an archetypal EF-hand, with its characteristic 113Cd-NMR shift (-80 to -110 ppm) and high calcium-binding constants, whereas the C-terminal Ca2(+)-binding site (EF-hand) is kept intact in all mutant proteins. The mutant proteins studied here all have pseudo EF-hands with a lower calcium-binding constant and a higher calcium off-rate to the pseudo EF-hand than the wild-type protein. From the results obtained it is obvious that proline 20 in the pseudo EF-hand, which has been deleted or replaced by glycine in three of the mutants, has a stabilizing effect on calcium binding to that site. Furthermore, the modifications in the pseudo EF-hand seem to have only a local effect, leaving the tertiary structure of the protein and the calcium-binding properties of the unmodified site virtually unchanged.

Alanine↗

Purification of active human plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 from Escherichia coli. Comparison with natural and recombinant forms purified from eucaryotic cells.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) inhibits both tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and, therefore, is an important regulator of plasminogen activation. We have developed eucaryotic and procaryotic expression systems for PAI-1 and characterized the recombinant glycosylated and non-glycosylated products, together with a non-recombinant natural control, produced in the histosarcoma cell line HT 1080. For eucaryotic expression, the PAI-1 cDNA was stably transfected into chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO cells), while procaryotic expression in Escherichia coli was examined after inserting the DNA sequence encoding the mature PAI-1 protein into an inducible expression vector. Recombinant PAI-1 from CHO cells was purified approximately 50-fold in two steps and was indistinguishable from natural PAI-1. Between 3% and 4% of total cellular protein in the procaryotic expression system consisted of PAI-1, from which it was purified approximately 30-fold, with yields of between 15% and 20%. This PAI-1 formed 1:1 complexes with uPA and also with the single- and two-chain forms of tPA. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the procaryote-produced PAI-1 had an inhibitory activity towards all three forms of PA that resembled that of natural PAI-1 with association rate constants of approximately 10(7) M-1 s-1. In contrast to PAI-1 from eucaryotic cells, the PAI-1 from E. coli had an inherent activity equal to that of guanidine/HCl-activated natural PAI-1. The activity could not be increased by treatment with denaturants suggesting that the latent form of PAI-1 was absent. However, at 37 degrees C the procaryote-produced PAI-1 lost activity at the same rate as natural PAI-1, with approximately 50% of the activity remaining after 3 h. This activity could be partially restored by treatment with 4 M guanidine/HCl. E. coli-derived PAI-1, added to human plasma and fractionated by Sephacryl S-200 chromatography, eluted in two peaks that were similar to those obtained with guanidine-activated PAI-1 from eucaryotic cells, suggesting that it bound to the PAI-1-binding protein (vitronectin).

Animals↗

Mutant analysis of protein interactions with a nuclear factor I binding site in the SL3-3 virus enhancer.

Nuclear factor I (NFI) is shown to be of importance for the activity of the enhancer element of a T-cell leukemogenic murine retrovirus, SL3-3, and for the regulation of this element by glucocorticoid. Each nucleotide of the binding site of the NFI proteins was mutated, and the effects of the mutations were quantitated with an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Mutations in the inverted repeat of the binding site have symmetric effects which strongly support the notion that NFI proteins preferentially bind to dyad symmetry sites. Such binding sites were shown to be more than 100 fold stronger than the corresponding single binding sites. We find dyad symmetry sequences which are much stronger NFI binding sites than NFI sites identified in different genes and also stronger than previously proposed consensus binding sequences for NFI.

Animals↗

Proline isomerism leads to multiple folded conformations of calbindin D9k: direct evidence from two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy.

A complete analysis of calbindin D9k by two-dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has established the existence of two conformations for the folded protein in solution. Well-resolved major and minor resonances in a ratio of 3:1 are observed throughout the 1H NMR spectrum. Two-dimensional exchange experiments show that the major and minor species are related by an equilibrium process. Analysis of short proton-proton distances along the peptide backbone, identified by two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, provides unambiguous evidence that the two forms of the folded protein differ only in the isomerization state of the peptide bond between Gly-42 and Pro-43. Cis-trans isomerism of Pro-43 is thereby directly identified as the cause of multiple conformations for the folded protein in solution. In addition, when Pro-43 is mutated to a glycine residue there is no indication of multiple conformations. These results provide evidence for the possibility of conformational heterogeneity in the native state of globular proteins.

Calbindins↗

Selective proton labelling of amino acids in deuterated bovine calbindin D9K. A way to simplify 1H-NMR spectra.

A technique for proton labelling of selected amino acids in deuterated calbindin D9K, heterologously expressed in E. coli, was developed in order to simplify and obtain higher resolution in 1H-NMR spectra. The spectra from two double-labelling experiments, Val plus Ser and Val plus Leu, when compared to the uniformly protonated protein showed a dramatically simpler pattern with low background signals and gave considerably sharper resonances due to reduced relaxation rates in the deuterated proteins. The selective proton labelling technique will enable detailed and rapid analysis of interesting domains of proteins and will also make the analysis of larger proteins feasible.

Amino Acids↗

Kinetics of calcium binding to calbindin mutants.

The kinetics of calcium dissociation from wild-type bovine calbindin D9k (the smallest protein known with a pair of EF-hand calcium-binding sites) and five mutants with single amino-acid substitutions and/or deletions has been studied by stopped-flow fluorescence methods, using the calcium chelator Quin 2. The modifications are confined to the N-terminal half of the molecule, at or near the first calcium-binding site (I). Substitutions and deletions of amino acids in the calcium-binding loop of site I primarily affect the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from this site with only minor effects on the dynamic properties of the C-terminal calcium-binding site (II). This finding corroborates and extends previous kinetic results obtained from 43Ca-NMR studies on the same set of mutants. By contrast, removal of the hydrogen bond between Tyr-13 and Glu-35, an interaction linking the two alpha-helices flanking site I, through replacement of Tyr-13 with Phe, has no observable effect on the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from the protein. Comparison of this kinetic data with binding-constant data, previously obtained in our laboratories, shows that the decrease in Ca2+-affinity of site I, observed in most mutants, is predominantly due to an increased off-rate from this site. At low ionic strengths the second-order rate constants for Ca2+-binding to both Ca2+ sites of calbindin D9k are calculated to be of the order of 10(9) M-1 s-1 for all proteins studied. At higher ionic strengths (0.1 M KCl) the rates of Ca2+ dissociation from both sites are increased by a factor of three or more, suggesting a transition state which is ionic in nature.

Amino Acids↗

The role of protein surface charges in ion binding.

Protein engineering is a means of probing the role of electrostatic interactions in protein functions; this elegant technique has been applied to the elucidation of electrostatic effects in enzyme catalysis. Here we show how the use of mutant proteins allows the determination of the contributions of individual charges to the free energy of ion binding to proteins. We have investigated the importance of three negatively charged side chains in the binding of Ca2+ to bovine calbindin D9K (ref.2): these are clustered around the calcium sites but are not directly involved as ligands. Each of these charges is found to contribute approximately 7 kJ mol-1 to the free energy of binding of two Ca2+ ions and to affect the cooperativity of Ca2+ binding. The influence of surface charges on ion binding to proteins may be more common than generally supposed and could have important consequences for protein function.

Calbindins↗