Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases from Arabidopsis thaliana: Cloning of AtUBP5 and Analysis of Substrate Specificity of AtUBP3, AtUBP4, and AtUBP5 Using Escherichia coli in Vivo and in Vitro Assays

2000 ◽  
Vol 379 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chetana Rao-Naik ◽  
Jennifer S Chandler ◽  
Barbara McArdle ◽  
Judy Callis
2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (20) ◽  
pp. 6998-7008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myung Suk Kim ◽  
Sung-Hun Bae ◽  
Sang Hoon Yun ◽  
Hee Jung Lee ◽  
Sang Chun Ji ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We have found, using a newly developed genetic method, a protein (named Cnu, for oriC-binding nucleoid-associated) that binds to a specific 26-base-pair sequence (named cnb) in the origin of replication of Escherichia coli, oriC. Cnu is composed of 71 amino acids (8.4 kDa) and shows extensive amino acid identity to a group of proteins belonging to the Hha/YmoA family. Cnu was previously discovered as a protein that, like Hha, complexes with H-NS in vitro. Our in vivo and in vitro assays confirm the results and further suggest that the complex formation with H-NS is involved in Cnu/Hha binding to cnb. Unlike the hns mutants, elimination of either the cnu or hha gene did not disturb the growth rate, origin content, and synchrony of DNA replication initiation of the mutants compared to the wild-type cells. However, the cnu hha double mutant was moderately reduced in origin content. The Cnu/Hha complex with H-NS thus could play a role in optimal activity of oriC.


2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacy Alves Braga de Andrade ◽  
Edna Freymüller ◽  
Ulysses Fagundes-Neto

CONTEXT: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains have been associated with persistent diarrhea in several developing countries. In vivo procedures with animal models, in vitro assays with cellular lines and in vitro organ culture with intestinal fragments have been utilized to study these bacteria and their pathogenicity. OBJECTIVE: The present experimental research assessed the pathogenic interactions of three enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains, using the in vitro organ culture, in order to show the adherence to different regions of both, the ileal and the colonic mucosa and demonstrate possible mechanisms that could have the participation in the prolongation of diarrheiogenic process. METHODS: This study used intestinal fragments from terminal ileum and colon that were excised from pediatric patients undergoing intestinal surgeries and from adult patients that underwent to colonoscopic procedures. Each strain was tested with three intestinal fragments for each region. Tissue was fixed for scanning electron microscopic analysis. RESULTS: These bacteria colonized ileal and colonic mucosa in the typical stacked-brick configuration in the ileum and colon. In both regions, the strains were seen over a great amount of mucus and sometimes over the intact epithelium. In some regions, there is a probable evidence of effacement of the microvilli. It was possible to see adhered to the intestinal surface, bacteria fimbrial structures that could be responsible for the adherence process. CONCLUSION: In order to cause diarrhea, enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains adhere to the intestinal mucosa, create a mucoid biofilm on the small bowel surface that could justify the digestive-absorptive abnormalities and consequently, prolonging the diarrhea.


2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (4) ◽  
pp. 1167-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Ekberg ◽  
Pernilla Birgander ◽  
Britt-Marie Sjöberg

ABSTRACT Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the essential production of deoxyribonucleotides in all living cells. In this study we have established a sensitive in vivo assay to study the activity of RNR in aerobic Escherichia coli cells. The method is based on the complementation of a chromosomally encoded nonfunctional RNR with plasmid-encoded RNR. This assay can be used to determine in vivo activity of RNR mutants with activities beyond the detection limits of traditional in vitro assays. E. coli RNR is composed of two homodimeric proteins, R1 and R2. The R2 protein contains a stable tyrosyl radical essential for the catalysis that takes place at the R1 active site. The three-dimensional structures of both proteins, phylogenetic studies, and site-directed mutagenesis experiments show that the radical is transferred from the R2 protein to the active site in the R1 protein via a radical transfer pathway composed of at least nine conserved amino acid residues. Using the new assay we determined the in vivo activity of mutants affecting the radical transfer pathway in RNR and identified some residual radical transfer activity in two mutant R2 constructs (D237N and W48Y) that had previously been classified as negative for enzyme activity. In addition, we show that the R2 mutant Y356W is completely inactive, in sharp contrast to what has previously been observed for the corresponding mutation in the mouse R2 enzyme.


2008 ◽  
Vol 416 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Alder ◽  
Iris Holdermann ◽  
Peter Beyer ◽  
Salim Al-Babili

Recent studies with the high-tillering mutants in rice (Oryza sativa), the max (more axillary growth) mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana and the rms (ramosus) mutants in pea (Pisum sativum) have indicated the presence of a novel plant hormone that inhibits branching in an auxin-dependent manner. The synthesis of this inhibitor is initiated by the two CCDs [carotenoid-cleaving (di)oxygenases] OsCCD7/OsCCD8b, MAX3/MAX4 and RMS5/RMS1 in rice, Arabidopsis and pea respectively. MAX3 and MAX4 are thought to catalyse the successive cleavage of a carotenoid substrate yielding an apocarotenoid that, possibly after further modification, inhibits the outgrowth of axillary buds. To elucidate the substrate specificity of OsCCD8b, MAX4 and RMS1, we investigated their activities in vitro using naturally accumulated carotenoids and synthetic apocarotenoid substrates, and in vivo using carotenoid-accumulating Escherichia coli strains. The results obtained suggest that these enzymes are highly specific, converting the C27 compounds β-apo-10′-carotenal and its alcohol into β-apo-13-carotenone in vitro. Our data suggest that the second cleavage step in the biosynthesis of the plant branching inhibitor is conserved in monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (9) ◽  
pp. 3299-3307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinshi Zhao ◽  
John S. Parkinson

ABSTRACT During chemotactic signaling by Escherichia coli, autophosphorylation of the histidine kinase CheA is coupled to chemoreceptor control by the CheW protein, which interacts with the C-terminal P5 domain of CheA. To identify P5 determinants important for CheW binding and receptor coupling control, we isolated and characterized a series of P5 missense mutants. The mutants fell into four phenotypic groups on the basis of in vivo behavioral and protein stability tests and in vitro assays with purified mutant proteins. Group 1 mutants exhibited autophosphorylation and receptor-coupling defects, and their CheA proteins were subject to relatively rapid degradation in vivo. Group 1 mutations were located at hydrophobic residues in P5 subdomain 2 and most likely caused folding defects. Group 2 mutants made stable CheA proteins with normal autophosphorylation ability but with defects in CheW binding and in receptor-mediated activation of CheA autophosphorylation. Their mutations affected residues in P5 subdomain 1 near the interface with the CheA dimerization (P3) and ATP-binding (P4) domains. Mutant proteins of group 3 were normal in all tests yet could not support chemotaxis, suggesting that P5 has one or more important but still unknown signaling functions. Group 4 mutant proteins were specifically defective in receptor-mediated deactivation control. The group 4 mutations were located in P5 subdomain 1 at the P3/P3′ interface. We conclude that P5 subdomain 1 is important for CheW binding and for receptor coupling control and that these processes may require substantial motions of the P5 domain relative to the neighboring P3 and P4 domains of CheA.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 4381-4392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Evans Trueblood ◽  
Victor L. Boyartchuk ◽  
Elizabeth A. Picologlou ◽  
David Rozema ◽  
C. Dale Poulter ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Many proteins that contain a carboxyl-terminal CaaX sequence motif, including Ras and yeast a-factor, undergo a series of sequential posttranslational processing steps. Following the initial prenylation of the cysteine, the three C-terminal amino acids are proteolytically removed, and the newly formed prenylcysteine is carboxymethylated. The specific amino acids that comprise the CaaX sequence influence whether the protein can be prenylated and proteolyzed. In this study, we evaluated processing of a-factor variants with all possible single amino acid substitutions at either the a1, the a2, or the X position of the a-factor Ca1a2X sequence, CVIA. The substrate specificity of the two known yeast CaaX proteases, Afc1p and Rce1p, was investigated in vivo. Both Afc1p and Rce1p were able to proteolyze a-factor with A, V, L, I, C, or M at the a1 position, V, L, I, C, or M at the a2 position, or any amino acid at the X position that was acceptable for prenylation of the cysteine. Eight additional a-factor variants with a1 substitutions were proteolyzed by Rce1p but not by Afc1p. In contrast, Afc1p was able to proteolyze additional a-factor variants that Rce1p may not be able to proteolyze. In vitro assays indicated that farnesylation was compromised or undetectable for 11 a-factor variants that produced no detectable halo in the wild-type AFC1 RCE1 strain. The isolation of mutations in RCE1 that improved proteolysis of a-factor-CAMQ, indicated that amino acid substitutions E139K, F189L, and Q201R in Rce1p affected its substrate specificity.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (6) ◽  
pp. 1603-1606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Germer ◽  
Andrea Muffler ◽  
Regine Hengge-Aronis

ABSTRACT The ςS- and ς70-associated forms of RNA polymerase core enzyme (E) of Escherichia coli have very similar promoter recognition specificities in vitro. Nevertheless, the in vivo expression of many stress response genes is strongly dependent on ςS. Based on in vitro assays, it has recently been proposed that the disaccharide trehalose specifically stimulates the formation and activity of EςS and thereby contributes to promoter selectivity (S. Kusano and A. Ishihama, J. Bacteriol. 179:3649–3654, 1997). However, we demonstrate here that a trehalose-free otsA mutant exhibits growth phase-related and osmotic induction of various ςS-dependent genes which is indistinguishable from that of an otherwise isogenic wild-type strain and that stationary-phase cells do not accumulate trehalose (even though the trehalose-synthesizing enzymes are induced). We conclude that in vivo trehalose does not play a role in the expression of ςS-dependent genes and therefore also not in sigma factor selectivity at the promoters of these genes.


1979 ◽  
Vol 41 (03) ◽  
pp. 576-582
Author(s):  
A R Pomeroy

SummaryThe limitations of currently used in vitro assays of heparin have demonstrated the need for an in vivo method suitable for routine use.The in vivo method which is described in this paper uses, for each heparin preparation, four groups of five mice which are injected intravenously with heparin according to a “2 and 2 dose assay” procedure. The method is relatively rapid, requiring 3 to 4 hours to test five heparin preparations against a standard preparation of heparin. Levels of accuracy and precision acceptable for the requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia are obtained by combining the results of 3 to 4 assays of a heparin preparation.The similarity of results obtained the in vivo method and the in vitro method of the British Pharmacopoeia for heparin preparations of lung and mucosal origin validates this in vivo method and, conversely, demonstrates that the in vitro method of the British Pharmacopoeia gives a reliable estimation of the in vivo activity of heparin.


1975 ◽  
Vol 33 (03) ◽  
pp. 617-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S Kingdon ◽  
R. L Lundblad ◽  
J. J Veltkamp ◽  
D. L Aronson

SummaryFactor IX concentrates manufactured from human plasma and intended for therapeutic infusion in man have been suspected for some time of being potentially thrombogenic. In the current studies, assays were carried out in vitro and in vivo for potentially thrombogenic materials. It was possible to rank the various materials tested according to the amount of thrombogenic material detected. For concentrates not containing heparin, there was substantial agreement between the in vivo and in vitro assays, with a coefficient of correlation of 0.77. There was no correlation between the assays for thrombogenicity and the antithrombin III content. We conclude that many presently available concentrates of Factor IX contain substantial amounts of potentially thrombogenic enzymes, and that this fact must be considered in arriving at the decision whether or not to use them therapeutically.


Author(s):  
Ирина Владимировна Акулина ◽  
Светлана Ивановна Павлова ◽  
Ирина Семеновна Степаненко ◽  
Назира Сунагатовна Карамова ◽  
Александр Владиславович Сергеев ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

Проведено токсикологическое исследование соединений с антибактериальными свойствами из группы терпенов ментанового ряда в условиях in vitro и in vivo: лимонена (B34), его производного (+)-1,2-оксида лимонена (B60) и серосодержащего монотерпенового соединения 2-(1’-гидрокси-4’-изопренил-1’-метилциклогексил-2’-тио)метилэтаноата (B65). В условиях in vitro (культура опухолевых клеток HeLa) изучаемые монотерпены в диапазоне концентраций 2 – 200 мкг/мл обладали цитотоксичностью. Ингибирующая концентрация (ИК50) для B34 составила 231 (167 – 295) мкг/мл, для B60 – 181 (105 – 257) мкг/мл, ИК50 B65 – 229 (150 – 308) мкг/мл. Исследование генотоксичности показало, что B34 и B65 в диапазоне концентраций 50 – 1000 мкг/мл не индуцируют SOS мутагенез в клетках Escherichia coli PQ37, тогда как B60 в концентрациях 500 и 1000 мкг/мл проявляет генотоксичность. In vivo в остром эксперименте на беспородных мышах установлена низкая токсичность B34 и его производных при различных путях введения. Наименьший показатель острой токсичности имеет B65, в связи с чем дополнительно на крысах проведено изучение его хронической токсичности. Ежедневное внутрижелудочное введение B65 в разовых дозах, составляющих 1/10 и 1/20 ЛД50 (1000 мг/кг и 500 мг/кг), в течение 1 мес не вызывало гибели животных, значимых нарушений общего состояния, изменения динамики массы тела, морфопатологических изменений. Внутрижелудочное введение B65 крысам в высокой токсической дозе 2000 мг/кг (1/5 ЛД50) в течение месяца вызывает патоморфологические изменения структуры печени.


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