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Adenovirus vectored vaccines.

Human recombinant adenoviruses (Ad) have been employed to develop experimental vaccines against a number of infectious agents. Ad-vectored vaccines express recombinant proteins, including any post-translational modifications, into functioning replicas of the native proteins capable of eliciting neutralizing antibodies in both abortive and permissive animal models. Human Ad types 4, 5, and 7 were used to construct recombinant viruses that express the respiratory syncytial virus F or G glycoproteins, the hepatitis B surface antigen, and the HIV env or gag genes. The recombinant Ad-HIV viruses are of particular interest and have been examined for their immunogenicity in dogs and chimpanzees. Dogs were immunized intratracheally with Ad-env recombinants (10(9) pfu/dog). Excellent humoral anti-HIV responses, including neutralizing antibodies, were detected in the sera following booster immunization (12-18 weeks after primary immunization) with a second Ad-env recombinant made in a different Ad serotype (heterotypic booster). Chimpanzees were immunized in two ways, orally with lyophilized virus (10(9) to 10(10) pfu/virus) in enteric-coated capsules or intranasally (10(7) pfu/virus). Intranasal immunization was superior to oral immunization with respect to replication of recombinant viruses as well as induction of anti-Ad and anti-HIV antibodies. Administration by both routes resulted in stimulation of cellular immune responses, as measured by antigen proliferation assays. Anti-HIV antibodies were detected in chimpanzee secretions (salivary, nasal, rectal, vaginal) taken from animals following intranasal immunization with a heterotypic recombinant. Intranasal administration effectively primed chimpanzees to produce high-titred (320-640) serum neutralizing antibodies to HIV following boosting with a baculovirus-derived env (gp160) subunit vaccine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

AIDS Vaccines↗

PKC regulation of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter, hENT1.

Regulation of nucleoside transporters is poorly understood. We show that acute stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) causes a rapid increase in S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine-sensitive (human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1, hENT1) nucleoside uptake, in human cultured cells, which is not due to increased metabolism and which can be blocked by PKC inhibitors. Use of isoform-specific inhibitors indicates that PKC delta and/or epsilon (but not alpha, beta or gamma) are responsible for the acute effects. Down-regulation of PKC decreases hENT1-dependent uridine uptake. These are the first data to show rapid PKC delta/epsilon-dependent stimulation of hENT1 transport by a mechanism that may involve activation of transporters at the membrane possibly by post-translational modification of the protein.

Amphetamine↗

Pentamidine: an inhibitor of interleukin-1 that acts via a post-translational event.

Pharmacologic inhibition of cytokines, particularly interleukin-1 (IL-1), potentially has numerous therapeutic applications in inflammatory diseases. We demonstrate that pentamidine, an aromatic diamidine currently used to treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, is a specific and effective inhibitor of cellular IL-1 release from macrophages, and we have shown that this blockage occurs at neither the transcriptional nor the translational level. Pentamidine induced inhibition of IL-1 occurs via an alteration in the post-translational modification of the protein, altering the intracellular and/or membrane cleavage of the 31-kDa pro-IL-1 to the 17-kDa secreted form. In addition, pentamidine exhibited less broad immunosuppressive actions when compared to a corticosteroid, the classical therapeutics utilized for inhibition of cytokine production.

Animals↗

Profilin in Phaseolus vulgaris is encoded by two genes (only one expressed in root nodules) but multiple isoforms are generated in vivo by phosphorylation on tyrosine residues.

Actin-binding proteins such as profilins participate in the restructuration of the actin cytoskeleton in plant cells. Profilins are ubiquitous actin-, polyproline-, and inositol phospholipid-binding proteins, which in plants are encoded by multigene families. By 2D-PAGE and immunoblotting, we detected as much as five profilin isoforms in crude extracts from nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris. However, by immunoprecipitation and gel electrophoresis of in vitro translation products from nodule RNA, only the most basic isoform of those found in nodule extracts, was detected. Furthermore, a bean profilin cDNA probe hybridised to genomic DNA digested with different restriction enzymes, showed either a single or two bands. These data indicate that profilin in P. vulgaris is encoded by only two genes. In root nodules only one gene is expressed, and a single profilin transcript gives rise to multiple profilin isoforms by post-translational modifications of the protein. By in vivo 32P-labelling and immunoprecipitation with both, antiprofilin and antiphosphotyrosine-specific antibodies, we found that profilin is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. Since chemical (TLC) and immunological analyses, as well as plant tyrosine phosphatase (AtPTP1) treatments of profilin indicated that tyrosine residues were phosphorylated, we concluded that tyrosine kinases must exist in plants. This finding will focus research on tyrosine kinases/tyrosine phosphatases that could participate in novel regulatory functions/pathways, involving not only this multifunctional cytoskeletal protein, but other plant proteins.

Blotting, Western↗

Genetically modified plants and food hypersensitivity diseases: usage and implications of experimental models for risk assessment.

The recent advances in biotechnology in the plant industry have led to increasing crop production and yield that in turn has increased the usage of genetically modified (GM) food in the human food chain. The usage of GM foods for human consumption has raised a number of fundamental questions including the ability of GM foods to elicit potentially harmful immunological responses, including allergic hypersensitivity. To assess the safety of foods derived from GM plants including allergenic potential, the US FDA, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO), and the EU have developed approaches for evaluation assessment. One assessment approach that has been a very active area of research and debate is the development and usage of animal models to assess the potential allergenicity of GM foods. A number of specific animal models employing rodents, pigs, and dogs have been developed for allergenicity assessment. However, validation of these models is needed and consideration of the criteria for an appropriate animal model for the assessment of allergenicity in GM plants is required. We have recently employed a BALB/c mouse model to assess the potential allergenicity of GM plants. We have been able to demonstrate that this model is able to detect differences in antigenicity and identify aspects of protein post-translational modifications that can alter antigenicity. Furthermore, this model has also enabled us to examine the usage of GM plants as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of allergic diseases. This review discusses the current approaches to assess the allergenic potential of GM food and particularly focusing on the usage of animal models to determine the potential allergenicity of GM foods and gives an overview of our recent findings and implications of these studies.

Animals↗

Post-translational modification of nuclear co-repressor receptor-interacting protein 140 by acetylation.

Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) is a versatile co-regulator for nuclear receptors and many transcription factors and contains several autonomous repressive domains. RIP140 can be acetylated, and acetylation affects its biological activity. In this study, a comprehensive proteomic analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy was conducted to identify the in vivo acetylation sites on RIP140 purified from Sf21 insect cells. Eight acetylation sites were found within the amino-terminal and the central regions, including Lys111, Lys158, Lys287, Lys311, Lys482, Lys529, Lys607, and Lys932. Reporter assays were conducted to examine the effects of acetylation on various domains of RIP140. Green fluorescent protein-tagged fusion proteins were used to demonstrate the effect on nuclear translocation of these domains. A general inhibitor of reversible protein deacetylation was used to enrich the acetylated population of RIP140. The amino-terminal region (amino acids (aa) 1-495) was more repressive and accumulated more in the nuclei under hyperacetylated conditions, whereas hyperacetylation reduced the repressive activity and nuclear translocation of the central region (aa 336-1006). The deacetylase inhibitor had no effect on the carboxyl-terminal region (aa 977-1161) where no acetylation sites were found. Hyperacetylation also enhanced the repressive activity of the full-length protein but triggered its export into the cytosol in a small population of cells. This study revealed differential effects of post-translational modification on various domains of RIP140 through acetylation, including its effects on repressive activity and nuclear translocation of the full-length protein and its subdomains.

Acetylation↗

[Peptide synthesis aiming at elucidation and creation of protein functions].

The recent development of molecular biology has been elucidating outlines of the cross-talk of biomolecules. The understanding of the function of these biomolecules from the viewpoint of chemistry is now demanded not only for the understanding of biological systems but also for the creation of novel functional molecules. Here two topics are described about peptide synthesis aiming at the elucidation and the creation of protein functions. The first topic is the development of approaches for the synthesis of Tyr (SO3H)-containing peptides. Tyrosine sulfation is one of the most popular protein post-translational modifications. Synthetic peptides are of great help for the elucidation of the biological significance of tyrosine sulfation. We have developed two approaches for the efficient synthesis of tyrosine sulfate [Tyr (SO3H)]-containing peptides. The first approach employs a dimethylformamide-sulfur trioxide (DMF-SO3) complex as a sulfating agent and safety-catch protecting groups for the selective sulfation of tyrosine in the presence of serine. The second approach employs the direct introduction of Tyr(SO3H) into the peptide chain in the form of Fmoc-Tyr(SO3Na) followed by deprotection at 4 degrees C in trifluoroacetic acid. These approaches were successfully applied for the synthesis of cholecystokinin (CCK)-related peptides. The second topic deals with new approaches for the creation of artificial proteins through assembling alpha-helical peptides via selective disulfide or thioether formation. Approaches to assemble individual peptide segments on a peptide template were also developed. Four peptides corresponding to the transmembrane segments of the sodium channel (S4 in repeat I-IV) were assembled on a peptide template to give a protein having ion channel activity with rectification.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

In silico determination of intracellular glycosylation and phosphorylation sites in human selectins: implications for biological function.

Post-translational modifications provide the proteins with the possibility to perform functions in addition to those determined by their primary sequence. However, analysis of multifunctional protein structures in the environment of cells and body fluids is made especially difficult by the presence of other interacting proteins. Bioinformatics tools are therefore helpful to predict protein multifunctionality through the identification of serine and threonine residues wherein the hydroxyl group is likely to become modified by phosphorylation or glycosylation. Moreover, serines and threonines where both modifications are likely to occur can also be predicted (YinYang sites), to suggest further functional versatility. Structural modifications of hydroxyl groups of P-, E-, and L-selectins have been predicted and possible functions resulting from such modifications are proposed. Functional changes of the three selectins are based on the assumption that transitory and reversible protein modifications by phosphate and O-GlcNAc cause specific conformational changes and generate binding sites for other proteins. The computer-assisted prediction of glycosylation and phosphorylation sites in selectins should be helpful to assess the contribution of dynamic protein modifications in selectin-mediated inflammatory responses and cell-cell adhesion processes that are difficult to determine experimentally.

Algorithms↗

Emerging drugs for head and neck cancer.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a devastating disease with poor outcomes in advanced stages. For patients with locally advanced disease, a multi-modality approach with chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been used. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, including improvements in radiation therapy, surgical techniques, chemotherapy and prevention strategies, survival rates for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer are poor. Several cytotoxic drugs with significant activities as single agents and/or combination regimens have shown high response rates, but over the past several years, significant improvement in survival has not been achieved. New drugs, including those that target the epidermal growth factor receptor, the p53 gene, RAS protein post-translational modification, the proteosome, vascular endothelial growth factor, cyclooxygenase-2 and other molecular pathways, are promising agents in the management of head and neck cancer. Their potential is being tested in various settings, including chemoprevention, recurrent and metastatic disease and combination with radiation therapy and/or cytotoxic agents.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

ProteoformDB: A Built-In Application to Generate Proteoform Database.

Proteins play essential functions through their complex regulations on cell-type-specific expression, localization, and molecular complexes. Protein complexity is further enhanced by proteoforms, which are the diverse molecular forms that each gene can produce through genomic alterations, transcriptional variations, translational regulations, and protein modifications. Profiling of proteoforms is a promising method for gaining a deeper understanding of the role of proteins in biological pathways and disease mechanisms. Here, we developed ProteoformDB, an application tool for generating proteoform databases, and we cataloged a total of over one million unique single-site human proteoforms. We showed that ProteoformDB can serve as a valuable resource to document the experimentally identified proteoforms in a database, supporting protein characterization in quantitative proteomics for both total protein abundances and modified protein forms.

Humans↗

Probing viruses with mass spectrometry.

Mass spectrometry offers a new perspective on the solution and gas-phase properties of viruses. Its broad application to local and global viral structure provides unique insights into many biological processes, including viral-antibody binding, protein-protein interactions and protein dynamics. Mass measuring viral proteins is now routine and since viruses are typically well characterized, in that the capsid proteins and DNA (or RNA) sequences are known, identifying a virus based on the mass of the protein and enzymatic digestion fragments is relatively straightforward. Using mass spectrometry, this paper describes the identification of viral protein post-translational modifications such as myristoylation, phosphorylation and disulfide bridging. Furthermore, complementary data obtained with mass spectrometry and x-ray crystallography demonstrate that viruses are highly dynamic particles whose viral capsid's mobility could, until recently, be inferred only from inherently static spectroscopic methods. Lastly, mass spectrometry has been applied on a global scale via the mass measurement of entire intact viruses. Given the general utility of mass spectrometry, its continuing development should further its application to viral dynamics, structure, function and identification.

Animals↗

Characterization of rat NCA/CD9 cell surface antigen and its expression by normal and malignant neural cells.

As part of investigations on ethylnitrosourea (EtNU)-induced neuro-oncogenesis in the rat, we have produced monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) specific for neural cell surface antigens (NCAs) by immunization with cells of the clonal tumorigenic neural rat cell line BT4Ca. Mabs designated as anti-NCA (alpha NCA1, alpha NCA2, alpha NCA3, alpha NCA4, and alpha NCA5) recognize proteins of 25 kDa and 23 kDa, as shown by immunoprecipitation and Western blot. The predominant 25-kDa protein was purified from BT4Ca cells by immunoaffinity chromatography with immobilized Mab alpha NCA1 and identified by N-terminal sequencing as the rat homologue of the CD9 antigen. Identification of proline as N-terminal amino acid of the purified protein suggests post-translational modification of CD9 in the rat central nervous system. The NCA/CD9 protein was localized in distinct regions of fetal and adult rat brain by immunofluorescence staining of frozen sections. Flow cytometric analyses of isolated fetal rat brain cells (FBC) showed that the proportion and number of NCA/CD9-expressing cells increased during prenatal development. Immunoreactivity of approximately 40% of brain cells isolated 13 days post conception (p.c.) indicated that NCA/CD9 is expressed by neuronal precursors at this stage of development. In primary cultures of rat FBC isolated 18 days p.c., the NCA/CD9 antigen was expressed by all premature and mature astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, and microglial cells, but not by E-N-CAM-expressing neuronal progenitor cells and neurons. Furthermore, eight out of ten EtNU-induced malignant neural rat cell lines as well as EtNU-induced tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system exhibited intermediate or strong immunoreactivity with Mab alpha NCA1. Expression of the NCA/CD9 protein is, therefore, characteristic of both normal glial precursor cells and their malignant counterparts in the rat.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Expression of Hsp72 in lymphocytes in patients with febrile convulsion.

The pathophysiology of febrile convulsion, the most common childhood neurologic disease, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated what role a heat shock protein plays in this disease. We enrolled eight boys and two girls with febrile convulsion and 10 age-matched healthy controls. We did a biosynthetic evaluation of both groups by separating lymphocytes and measuring the expression of heat shock protein 72 before and after heat shock treatment. Before the treatment, both groups were found to have small amounts of constitutive heat shock protein 72. Afterwards, its expression increased in both groups, and no statistical difference was found between the increases in the two groups. In addition, there was no obvious difference in the susceptibility to produce heat shock proteins. However, the febrile convulsion group was found to have a significant decrease in phosphorylation of heat shock protein 72. These results suggest the possible involvement of post-translational modification of heat shock proteins, most likely phosphorylation, in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsion.

Case-Control Studies↗

The murine complement receptor gene family. Analysis of mCRY gene products and their homology to human CR1.

The mouse genome contains two sets of gene sequences which are highly homologous to the gene encoding the human C3b/C4b receptor (CR1). These genes, termed murine CRY (mCRY) and murine CRX (mCRX) reside on murine chromosomes 1 and 8, respectively. Analysis of cDNA isolated by using these sequences as probes indicates that there are two related but distinct mRNA which are expressed in a wide variety of murine tissues including spleen, liver, lung, and brain. Both of these transcripts encode proteins which should contain a signal sequence for membrane insertion, a transmembrane/cytoplasmic tail region for membrane anchoring, and five extracellular domains made up of 60 amino acid consensus repeat sequences. The difference between the two is the presence of an additional exon of 129 bp immediately 3' of the signal sequence. This additional exon does not encode a 60 amino acid repeat. The sizes of the mature proteins predicted from the cDNA sequences are 43,998 Mr and 48,680 Mr; however, antisera raised against carboxy-terminal sequences detects a 70,000 Mr protein from murine fibroblasts suggesting a high degree of post-translational modification of the mature protein. A comparison of these murine gene sequences with a partial human CR1 sequence suggests that the human CR1 gene evolved by direct duplication of the ancestral coding sequences contained within these murine genes including those sequences important for membrane anchoring and cytoplasmic protein attachment.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Post-translational modifications in mitotic yeast cells.

We have recently shown that secretion of invertase is not inhibited in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during mitosis, but continues, as during interphase. This is in contrast with the mammalian cell, where membrane traffic stops at the onset of prometaphase. Here we extend our findings by showing that the bulk of the cell surface glycoproteins and mannans, as well as the yeast pheromone alpha-factor, traverse the secretory pathway during mitosis. We show that the mitotic cells are able to carry out several types of post-translational modification of secretory proteins. (a) The secretory protein invertase was oligomerized and extensively glycosylated, (b) the N-glycan cores of bulk-cell surface mannans were extended with outer chains, (c) some N-glycans were phosphorylated, (d) the protein-bound O-glycans were extended up to tetramannosides, (e) prepro-ka-factor was proteolytically processed to alpha-factor molecules. We conclude that the secretory pathway in yeast remains fully functional throughout the cell cycle.

Cell Cycle↗

Glycosylation of Eag1 (Kv10.1) potassium channels: intracellular trafficking and functional consequences.

N-Linked glycosylation is a common post-translational modification of membrane proteins. Here we report that mature Eag1 potassium channels carry sugar moieties linked to asparagines at positions 388 and 406. Asn-388 seems to undergo only core glycosylation, but complex sugars are bound to Asn-406. Correct complex glycosylation is required for proper trafficking of Eag1 to the plasma membrane but is also crucial for the correct function of channels already inserted in the membrane.

Animals↗

Phosphopeptide/phosphoprotein mapping by electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry.

Of methods for dissociation of multiply charged peptide and protein ions, electron capture dissociation (ECD) has the advantages of cleaving between a high proportion of amino acids, without loss of such posttranslational modifications as glycosylation and carboxylation. Here this capability is successfully extended to phosphorylation, for which collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) can cause extensive loss of H3PO4 and HPO3. As shown here, these losses are minimal in ECD spectra, an advantage for measuring the degree of phosphorylation. For phosphorylated peptides, ECD and CAD spectra give complementary backbone cleavages for identifying modification sites. For a 24-kDa heterogeneous phosphoprotein, bovine beta-casein, activated ion ECD cleaved 87 of 208 backbone bonds that identified a phosphorylation site at Ser-15, and localized three more among Ser-17,-18, -19, and -22 and Thr-24, and the last among four other sites. This is the first direct site-specific characterization of this key post-translational modification on a protein without its prior degradation, such as proteolysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

gamma-Glutamylamine derivatives in isolated rat hepatocyte proteins.

Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were found to contain a 3-fold higher level of putrescine than perfused liver. The bulk of this diamine was recovered in the acid-insoluble fraction of the cell. In order to determine the nature of the amine binding, the levels of gamma-glutamylamine derivatives were measured. The method used involves exhaustive proteolytic digestion of the acid-insoluble fraction of hepatocytes, followed by ion-exchange chromatography. For N1-(gamma-glutamyl)putrescine, a combined ion-exchange chromatographic and reverse-phase h.p.l.c. procedure was adopted. This allowed for the direct detection of less than 50 pmol of this derivative in enzymic hydrolysates. Several of the gamma-glutamylamines reported previously [Beninati, Piacentini, Argento-Ceru', Russo-Caia & Autuori (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 841, 120-126] in the whole organ were found in the isolated liver cells. The elevated level of N1-(gamma-glutamyl)putrescine and the absence of bis-(gamma-glutamyl)spermine was noteworthy. The results suggest that, in rat hepatocytes, both polyamine-dependent post-translational modification of some proteins and cross-linking between proteins involving the glutamine and lysine residues occurs.

Animals↗