scholarly journals Human tastin, a proline-rich cytoplasmic protein, associates with the microtubular cytoskeleton

2002 ◽  
Vol 364 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daita NADANO ◽  
Jun NAKAYAMA ◽  
Shu-ichi MATSUZAWA ◽  
Taka-Aki SATO ◽  
Tsukasa MATSUDA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Molecular Motor ◽  
Intracellular Localization ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dynein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Glutathione S Transferase ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Microtubular Cytoskeleton

Tastin was originally identified as an accessory protein for trophinin, a cell adhesion molecule that potentially mediates the initial attachment of the human embryo to the uterine epithelium. However, no information regarding tastin's function is available to date. The present study is aimed at understanding the role of tastin in mammalian cells. Hence, we examined the intracellular localization of tastin in human cell lines transfected with an expression vector encoding influenza virus haemagglutinin (HA)-tagged tastin. Ectopically expressed HA—tastin was seen as a pattern resembling the fibres that overlap the microtubular cytoskeleton. When HA—tastin-expressing cells were cultured with nocodazole to disrupt microtubule (MT) polymerization, tastin was dispersed to the entire cytoplasm and an MT sedimentation assay showed tastin in the supernatant; however, tastin was sedimented with polymeric MTs in cell lysates not treated with nocodazole. Sedimentation assays using HA—tastin mutants deleted at the N- or C-terminus revealed MT-binding activity associated with the N-terminal basic region of tastin. A yeast two-hybrid screen for tastin-interacting proteins identified Tctex-1, one of the light chains of cytoplasmic dynein, as a tastin-binding protein. Immunoprecipitation and Western-blot analysis confirmed binding of HA-tagged tastin and FLAG (Asp-Tyr-Lys-Asp-Asp-Asp-Asp-Lys epitope)-tagged Tctex-1 in human cells. Furthermore, in vitro assays have demonstrated the binding between a fusion protein, glutathione S-transferase—Tctex-1, and in vitro translated 35S-labelled tastin. As Tctex-1 is a component of a MT-based molecular motor, these results suggest that tastin plays an important role in mammalian cells by associating with the microtubular cytoskeleton.

Discovery of 3-Cinnamamido-N-Substituted Benzamides as Potential Antimalarial Agents

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haicheng Liu ◽  
Yushi Futamura ◽  
Honghai Wu ◽  
Aki Ishiyama ◽  
Taotao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Antimalarial Activity ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Compound Library ◽  
Antimalarial Agents ◽  
Phenotypic Screen ◽  
Ic50 Values ◽  
Substituted Benzamides

Background: Malaria is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases, yet the discovery of antimalarial agents remains profoundly challenging. Very few new antimalarials have been developed in the past 50 years, while the emergence of drug-resistance continues to appear. Objective: This study focuses on the discovery, design, synthesis, and antimalarial evaluation of 3-cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamides. Method: In this study, a screening of our compound library was carried out against the multidrug-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain. Derivatives of the hit were designed, synthesized and tested against P. falciparum 3D7 and the in vivo antimalarial activity of the most active compounds was evaluated using the method of Peters’ 4-day suppressive test. Results: The retrieved hit compound 1 containing a 3-cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamide skeleton showed moderate antimalarial activity (IC50 = 1.20 µM) for the first time. A series of derivatives were then synthesized through a simple four-step workflow, and half of them exhibited slightly better antimalarial effect than the precursor 1 during the subsequent in vitro assays. Additionally, compounds 11, 23, 30 and 31 displayed potent activity with IC50 values of approximately 0.1 µM, and weak cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. However, in vivo antimalarial activity is not effective which might be ascribed to the poor solubility of these compounds. Conclusion: In this study, phenotypic screen of our compound library resulted in the first report of 3-cinnamamide framework with antimalarial activity and 40 derivatives were then designed and synthesized. Subsequent structure-activity studies showed that compounds 11, 23, 30 and 31 exhibited the most potent and selective activity against P. falciparum 3D7 strain with IC50 values around 0.1 µM. Our work herein sets another example of phenotypic screen-based drug discovery, leading to potentially promising candidates of novel antimalarial agents once given further optimization.

scholarly journals C-Terminal Deletions Can Suppress Temperature-Sensitive Mutations and Change Dominance in the Phage Mu Repressor

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi L Vogel ◽  
Vincent Geuskens ◽  
Lucie Desmet ◽  
N Patrick Higgins ◽  
Ariane Toussaint
Keyword(s):  
Binding Activity ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Heat Stable ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Acid Domain ◽  
Mutant Forms ◽  
Amino Acid Domain

Abstract Mutations in an N-terminal 70-amino acid domain of bacteriophage Mu's repressor cause temperature-sensitive DNA-binding activity. Surprisingly, amber mutations can conditionally correct the heat-sensitive defect in three mutant forms of the repressor gene, cts25 (D43-G), cts62 (R47-Q and cts71 (M28-I), and in the appropriate bacterial host produce a heat-stable Sts phenotype (for survival of temperature shifts). Sts repressor mutants are heat sensitive when in supE or supF hosts and heat resistant when in Sup° hosts. Mutants with an Sts phenotype have amber mutations at one of three codons, Q179, Q187, or Q190. The Sts phenotype relates to the repressor size: in Sup° hosts sts repressors are shorter by seven, 10, or 18 amino acids compared to repressors in supE or supF hosts. The truncated form of the sts62-1 repressor, which lacks 18 residues (Q179–V196), binds Mu operator DNA more stably at 42° in vitro compared to its full-length counterpart (cts62 repressor). In addition to influencing temperature sensitivity, the C-terminus appears to control the susceptibility to in vivo Clp proteolysis by influencing the multimeric structure of repressor.

Phospholipase D1b and D2a generate structurally identical phosphatidic acid species in mammalian cells

2001 ◽  
Vol 360 (3) ◽  
pp. 707-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor R. PETTITT ◽  
Mark McDERMOTT ◽  
Khalid M. SAQIB ◽  
Neil SHIMWELL ◽  
Michael J. O. WAKELAM
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Phosphatidic Acid ◽  
Phospholipase D ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Inducible Promoter ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Intracellular Messenger

Mammalian cells contain different phospholipase D enzymes (PLDs) whose distinct physiological roles are poorly understood and whose products have not been characterized. The development of porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cell lines able to overexpress PLD-1b or −2a under the control of an inducible promoter has enabled us to characterize both the substrate specificity and the phosphatidic acid (PtdOH) product of these enzymes under controlled conditions. Liquid chromatography–MS analysis showed that PLD1b- and PLD2a-transfected PAE cells, as well as COS7 and Rat1 cells, generate similar PtdOH and, in the presence of butan-1-ol, phosphatidylbutanol (PtdBut) profiles, enriched in mono- and di-unsaturated species, in particular 16:0/18:1. Although PtdBut mass increased, the species profile did not change in cells stimulated with ATP or PMA. Overexpression of PLD made little difference to basal or stimulated PtdBut formation, indicating that activity is tightly regulated in vivo and that factors other than just PLD protein levels limit hydrolytic function. In vitro assays using PLD-enriched lysates showed that the enzyme could utilize both phosphatidylcholine and, much less efficiently, phosphatidylethanolamine, with slight selectivity towards mono- and di-unsaturated species. Phosphatidylinositol was not a substrate. Thus PLD1b and PLD2a hydrolyse a structurally similar substrate pool to generate an identical PtdOH product enriched in mono- and di-unsaturated species that we propose to function as the intracellular messenger forms of this lipid.

scholarly journals The Potential of Intrinsically Magnetic Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 3159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fransiscus Kerans ◽  
Lisa Lungaro ◽  
Asim Azfer ◽  
Donald Salter
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Magnetic Nanoparticles ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Cell Tracking ◽  
Magnetic Domain ◽  
Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide ◽  
In Vitro Assays

The magnetization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) has the potential to aid tissue engineering approaches by allowing tracking, targeting, and local retention of cells at the site of tissue damage. Commonly used methods for magnetizing cells include optimizing uptake and retention of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). These appear to have minimal detrimental effects on the use of MSC function as assessed by in vitro assays. The cellular content of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) will, however, decrease with cell proliferation and the longer-term effects on MSC function are not entirely clear. An alternative approach to magnetizing MSCs involves genetic modification by transfection with one or more genes derived from Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1, a magnetotactic bacterium that synthesizes single-magnetic domain crystals which are incorporated into magnetosomes. MSCs with either or mms6 and mmsF genes are followed by bio-assimilated synthesis of intracytoplasmic magnetic nanoparticles which can be imaged by magnetic resonance (MR) and which have no deleterious effects on MSC proliferation, migration, or differentiation. The stable transfection of magnetosome-associated genes in MSCs promotes assimilation of magnetic nanoparticle synthesis into mammalian cells with the potential to allow MR-based cell tracking and, through external or internal magnetic targeting approaches, enhanced site-specific retention of cells for tissue engineering.

scholarly journals Discovery and Optimisation of Bacterial Nitroreductases for Use in Anti-Cancer Gene Therapy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gareth Adrian Prosser
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
Alkylating Agents ◽  
Dna Lesions ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Anti Cancer

<p>Nitroaromatic prodrugs are biologically inert compounds that are attractive candidates for anti-cancer therapy by virtue of their ability to be converted to potent DNA alkylating agents by nitroreductase (NTR) enzymes. In gene-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (GDEPT), NTR-encoding therapeutic transgenes are delivered specifically to tumour cells, whereupon their expression confers host cell sensitivity to subsequent systemic administration of a nitroaromatic prodrug. The most well studied NTR-GDEPT system involves reduction of the aziridinyl dinitrobenzamide prodrug CB1954 by the Escherichia coli NTR NfsB. However, low affinity of this enzyme for CB1954 has so far limited the clinical efficacy of this GDEPT combination. The research described in this thesis has primarily sought to address this limitation through identification and optimisation of novel NTR enzymes with improved nitroaromatic prodrug reductase activity. Efficient assessment of NTR activity from large libraries of candidate enzymes requires a rapid and reliable screening system. An E. coli-based assay was developed to permit indirect assessment of relative rates of prodrug reduction by over-expressed NTRs via measurement of SOS response induction resulting from reduced prodrug-induced DNA damage. Using this assay in concert with other in vitro and in vivo tests, more than 50 native bacterial NTRs of diverse sequence and origin were assessed for their ability to reduce a panel of clinically attractive nitroaromatic prodrugs. Significantly, a number of NTRs were identified, particularly in the family of enzymes homologous to the native E. coli NTR NfsA, which displayed substantially improved activity over NfsB with CB1954 and other nitroaromatic prodrugs as substrates. This work also examined the roles of E. coli DNA damage repair pathways in processing of adducts induced by various nitroaromatic prodrugs. Of particular interest, nucleotide excision repair was found to be important in the processing of DNA lesions caused by 4-, but not 2-nitro group reduction products of CB1954, which suggests that there are some parallels in the mechanisms of CB1954 adduct repair in E. coli and mammalian cells. Finally, a lead NTR candidate, YcnD from Bacillus subtilis, was selected for further activity improvement through site-directed mutagenesis of active site residues. Using SOS screening, a double-site mutant was identified with 2.5-fold improved activity over the wildtype enzyme in metabolism of the novel dinitrobenzamide mustard prodrug PR-104A. In conclusion, novel NTRs with substantially improved nitroaromatic prodrug reducing activity over previously documented enzymes were identified and characterised. These results hold significance not only for the field of NTR-GDEPT, but also for other biotechnological applications in which NTRs are becoming increasingly significant, including developmental studies, antibiotic discovery and bioremediation. Furthermore, the in vitro assays developed in this study have potential utility in the discovery and evolution of other GDEPT-relevant enzymes whose prodrug metabolism is associated with genotoxicity.</p>

scholarly journals Discovery and Optimisation of Bacterial Nitroreductases for Use in Anti-Cancer Gene Therapy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gareth Adrian Prosser
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
Alkylating Agents ◽  
Dna Lesions ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Anti Cancer

<p>Nitroaromatic prodrugs are biologically inert compounds that are attractive candidates for anti-cancer therapy by virtue of their ability to be converted to potent DNA alkylating agents by nitroreductase (NTR) enzymes. In gene-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (GDEPT), NTR-encoding therapeutic transgenes are delivered specifically to tumour cells, whereupon their expression confers host cell sensitivity to subsequent systemic administration of a nitroaromatic prodrug. The most well studied NTR-GDEPT system involves reduction of the aziridinyl dinitrobenzamide prodrug CB1954 by the Escherichia coli NTR NfsB. However, low affinity of this enzyme for CB1954 has so far limited the clinical efficacy of this GDEPT combination. The research described in this thesis has primarily sought to address this limitation through identification and optimisation of novel NTR enzymes with improved nitroaromatic prodrug reductase activity. Efficient assessment of NTR activity from large libraries of candidate enzymes requires a rapid and reliable screening system. An E. coli-based assay was developed to permit indirect assessment of relative rates of prodrug reduction by over-expressed NTRs via measurement of SOS response induction resulting from reduced prodrug-induced DNA damage. Using this assay in concert with other in vitro and in vivo tests, more than 50 native bacterial NTRs of diverse sequence and origin were assessed for their ability to reduce a panel of clinically attractive nitroaromatic prodrugs. Significantly, a number of NTRs were identified, particularly in the family of enzymes homologous to the native E. coli NTR NfsA, which displayed substantially improved activity over NfsB with CB1954 and other nitroaromatic prodrugs as substrates. This work also examined the roles of E. coli DNA damage repair pathways in processing of adducts induced by various nitroaromatic prodrugs. Of particular interest, nucleotide excision repair was found to be important in the processing of DNA lesions caused by 4-, but not 2-nitro group reduction products of CB1954, which suggests that there are some parallels in the mechanisms of CB1954 adduct repair in E. coli and mammalian cells. Finally, a lead NTR candidate, YcnD from Bacillus subtilis, was selected for further activity improvement through site-directed mutagenesis of active site residues. Using SOS screening, a double-site mutant was identified with 2.5-fold improved activity over the wildtype enzyme in metabolism of the novel dinitrobenzamide mustard prodrug PR-104A. In conclusion, novel NTRs with substantially improved nitroaromatic prodrug reducing activity over previously documented enzymes were identified and characterised. These results hold significance not only for the field of NTR-GDEPT, but also for other biotechnological applications in which NTRs are becoming increasingly significant, including developmental studies, antibiotic discovery and bioremediation. Furthermore, the in vitro assays developed in this study have potential utility in the discovery and evolution of other GDEPT-relevant enzymes whose prodrug metabolism is associated with genotoxicity.</p>

scholarly journals CP-31398 Restores DNA-binding Activity to Mutant p53in Vitrobut Does Not Affect p53 Homologs p63 and p73

2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (44) ◽  
pp. 45887-45896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Demma ◽  
Serena Wong ◽  
Eugene Maxwell ◽  
Bimalendu Dasmahapatra
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
P53 Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Mutant P53 ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

The p53 protein plays a major role in the maintenance of genome stability in mammalian cells. Mutations of p53 occur in over 50% of all cancers and are indicative of highly aggressive cancers that are hard to treat. Recently, there has been a high degree of interest in therapeutic approaches to restore growth suppression functions to mutant p53. Several compounds have been reported to restore wild type function to mutant p53. One such compound, CP-31398, has been shown effectivein vivo, but questions have arisen to whether it actually affects p53. Here we show that mutant p53, isolated from cells treated with CP-31398, is capable of binding to p53 response elementsin vitro. We also show the compound restores DNA-binding activity to mutant p53 in cells as determined by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. In addition, using purified p53 core domain from two different hotspot mutants (R273H and R249S), we show that CP-31398 can restore DNA-binding activity in a dose-dependent manner. Using a quantitative DNA binding assay, we also show that CP-31398 increases significantly the amount of mutant p53 that binds to cognate DNA (Bmax) and its affinity (Kd) for DNA. The compound, however, does not affect the affinity (Kdvalue) of wild type p53 for DNA and only increasesBmaxslightly. In a similar assay PRIMA1 does not have any effect on p53 core DNA-binding activity. We also show that CP-31398 had no effect on the DNA-binding activity of p53 homologs p63 and p73.

scholarly journals Reversal of Mefloquine and Quinine Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum with NP30

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 2393-2396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Ciach ◽  
Kathleen Zong ◽  
Kevin C. Kain ◽  
Ian Crandall
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Drug Efflux ◽  
P Glycoprotein

ABSTRACT Quinoline resistance in malaria is frequently compared with P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance (mdr) in mammalian cells. We have previously reported that nonylphenolethoxylates, such as NP30, are potential Plasmodium falciparum P-glycoprotein substrates and drug efflux inhibitors. We used in vitro assays to compare the ability of verapamil and NP30 to sensitize two parasite isolates to four quinolines: chloroquine (CQ), mefloquine (MF), quinine (QN), and quinidine (QD). NP30 was able to sensitize (reversal, >80%) P. falciparum to MF, QN, QD, and, to a lesser extent, CQ. The presence of 2 μM verapamil had no effect on mefloquine resistance; however, the presence of verapamil modulated the activities of QN and QD in a manner parallel to that observed for CQ. Genetic analysis of putative quinoline resistance genes did not suggest an association between known point mutations in pfcrt and pfmdr1 and NP30 sensitization activity. We conclude that the sensitization action of NP30 is distinct both phenotypically and genotypically from that of verapamil.

scholarly journals Identification of overlapping DNA-binding and centromere-targeting domains in the human kinetochore protein CENP-C.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 3576-3586 ◽  
Author(s):  
C H Yang ◽  
J Tomkiel ◽  
H Saitoh ◽  
D H Johnson ◽  
W C Earnshaw
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Centromeric Heterochromatin ◽  
Structural Protein ◽  
Chromosomal Site

The kinetochore in eukaryotes serves as the chromosomal site of attachment for microtubules of the mitotic spindle and directs the movements necessary for proper chromosome segregation. In mammalian cells, the kinetochore is a highly differentiated trilaminar structure situated at the surface of the centromeric heterochromatin. CENP-C is a basic, DNA-binding protein that localizes to the inner kinetochore plate, the region that abuts the heterochromatin. Microinjection experiments using antibodies specific for CENP-C have demonstrated that this protein is required for the assembly and/or stability of the kinetochore as well as for a timely transition through mitosis. From these observations, it has been suggested that CENP-C is a structural protein that is involved in the organization or the kinetochore. In this report, we wished to identify and map the functional domains of CENP-C. Analysis of CENP-C truncation mutants expressed in vivo demonstrated that CENP-C possesses an autonomous centromere-targeting domain situated at the central region of the CENP-C polypeptide. Similarly, in vitro assays revealed that a region of CENP-C with the ability to bind DNA is also located at the center of the CENP-C molecule, where it overlaps the centromere-targeting domain.

scholarly journals Conventional Kinesin Mediates Microtubule-Microtubule Interactions In Vivo

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 907-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Straube ◽  
Gerd Hause ◽  
Gero Fink ◽  
Gero Steinberg
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Cross Bridges ◽  
Conventional Kinesin ◽  
Motor Head

Conventional kinesin is a ubiquitous organelle transporter that moves cargo toward the plus-ends of microtubules. In addition, several in vitro studies indicated a role of conventional kinesin in cross-bridging and sliding microtubules, but in vivo evidence for such a role is missing. In this study, we show that conventional kinesin mediates microtubule-microtubule interactions in the model fungus Ustilago maydis. Live cell imaging and ultrastructural analysis of various mutants in Kin1 revealed that this kinesin-1 motor is required for efficient microtubule bundling and participates in microtubule bending in vivo. High levels of Kin1 led to increased microtubule bending, whereas a rigor-mutation in the motor head suppressed all microtubule motility and promoted strong microtubule bundling, indicating that kinesin can form cross-bridges between microtubules in living cells. This effect required a conserved region in the C terminus of Kin1, which was shown to bind microtubules in vitro. In addition, a fusion protein of yellow fluorescent protein and the Kin1tail localized to microtubule bundles, further supporting the idea that a conserved microtubule binding activity in the tail of conventional kinesins mediates microtubule-microtubule interactions in vivo.

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