scholarly journals Multiple actin-based motor genes in Dictyostelium.

1989 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Titus ◽  
H M Warrick ◽  
J A Spudich
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Myosin Head ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Helical Structure ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Tail Region ◽  
Head Region ◽  
Amino Terminal

Dictyostelium cells, devoid of conventional myosin, display a variety of motile activities, consistent with the presence of other molecular motors. The Dictyostelium genome was probed at low stringency with a gene fragment containing the conserved conventional myosin head domain sequences to identify other actin-based motors that may play a role in the observed motility of these mutant cells. One gene (abmA) has been characterized and encodes a polypeptide of approximately 135 kDa with a head region homologous to other myosin head sequences and a tail region that is not predicted to form either an alpha-helical structure of coiled-coil interactions. Comparisons of the amino acid sequences of the tail regions of abmA, Dictyostelium myosin I, and Acanthamoeba myosins IB and IL reveal an area of sequence similarity in the amino terminal half of the tail that may be a membrane-binding domain. The abmA gene, however, does not contain an unusual Gly, Pro, Ala stretch typical of many of the previously described myosin Is. Two additional genes (abmB and abmC) were identified using this approach and also found to contain sequences that encode proteins with typical conserved myosin head sequences. The abm genes may be part of a large family of actin-based motors that play various roles in diverse aspects of cellular motility.

scholarly journals Characterization of the KLP68D kinesin-like protein in Drosophila: possible roles in axonal transport.

1994 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 1041-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Pesavento ◽  
R J Stewart ◽  
L S Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Axonal Transport ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Motor Domain ◽  
Tail Region ◽  
Anterograde Axonal Transport ◽  
Kinesin Heavy Chain

This paper describes the molecular and biochemical properties of KLP68D, a new kinesin-like motor protein in Drosophila melanogaster. Sequence analysis of a full-length cDNA encoding KLP68D demonstrates that this protein has a domain that shares significant sequence identity with the entire 340-amin acid kinesin heavy chain motor domain. Sequences extending beyond the motor domain predict a region of alpha-helical coiled-coil followed by a globular "tail" region; there is significant sequence similarity between the alpha-helical coiled-coil region of the KLP68D protein and similar regions of the KIF3 protein of mouse and the KRP85 protein of sea urchin. This finding suggests that all three proteins may be members of the same family, and that they all perform related functions. KLP68D protein produced in Escherichia coli is, like kinesin itself, a plus-end directed microtubule motor. In situ hybridization analysis of KLP68D RNA in Drosophila embryos indicates that the KLP68D gene is expressed primarily in the central nervous system and in a subset of the peripheral nervous system during embryogenesis. Thus, KLP68D may be used for anterograde axonal transport and could conceivably move cargoes in fly neurons different than those moved by kinesin heavy chain or other plus-end directed motors.

scholarly journals Salt-stable interaction of the amino-terminal head region of vimentin with the alpha-helical rod domain of cytoplasmic intermediate filament proteins and its relevance to protofilament structure and filament formation and stability

1992 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Traub ◽  
A. Scherbarth ◽  
W. Wiegers ◽  
R.L. Shoeman
Keyword(s):  
Salt Concentration ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
High Salt ◽  
High Salt Concentration ◽  
Filament Formation ◽  
Head Region ◽  
Intermediate Filament Proteins ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Nuclear Lamins ◽  
Limited Digestion

Previous studies have shown that the non-alpha-helical, amino-terminal head region of vimentin is essential for the formation and stability of vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs). In order to specify its target site on companion protein subunits, it was cut off from vimentin at amino acid position 96 with lysine-specific endoproteinase and allowed to react with intact vimentin and other IF proteins. In solution of high salt concentration (500 mM KCl), the isolated polypeptide (vim NT) showed a high affinity for all cytoplasmic IF proteins tested, but not for nuclear lamins. Employing limited digestion of the IF proteins with different proteinases, the binding site was shown to reside in their alpha-helical rod domains. Other polypeptides possessing alpha-helical regions with the potential to form coiled-coil structures like tropomyosin and myosin subfragment 2 did not react with vim NT. The binding to IF proteins was strongly inhibited by phosphorylation of vim NT and totally abolished in the presence of 200 mM arginine hydrochloride, whereas the same concentration of lysine hydrochloride was ineffective. Limited chymotryptic digestion of vim NT produced polypeptides that were unable to react with the alpha-helical region of vimentin at high salt concentration. Consistent with these observations, vim NT strongly inhibited filament formation in vitro from protofilamentous vimentin. A 14-mer oligopeptide comprising the amino acids 3 to 16 of the amino terminus also inhibited filament formation, though to a lesser extent. Conversely, vim NT and, with a lower efficiency, the 14-mer oligopeptide also severely affected the structure of preformed vimentin filaments by unraveling them. Phosphorylated vim NT was considerably less active in this respect. Further digestion of the rod domain of vimentin with chymotrypsin yielded 17.4 and 21 kDa polypeptides, which were tentatively characterized as originating from the carboxy- and amino-terminal half of the rod domain, respectively. Both formed salt-stable complexes with vim NT, the smaller polypeptide with a higher efficiency than the larger one. These results suggest that the staggered, antiparallel arrangement of the two coiled-coils in the protofilaments of IF proteins is, at least in part, determined by the twofold, symmetrical association of the amino-terminal head regions of one coiled-coil rope structure with the carboxy-terminal halves of the alpha-helical rod domains of the other coiled-coil and that similar interactions occur during filament assembly and in the intact filament.

Giardia gene predicts a 183 kDa nucleotide-binding head-stalk protein

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (7) ◽  
pp. 2683-2692
Author(s):  
J. Marshall ◽  
D.V. Holberton
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Nucleotide Binding ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Predicted Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Amino Terminal

Previously described extended proteins from the cytoskeleton of Giardia lamblia (beta-giardin, median body protein) have been found to be segmented coiled coils with regular structural repeat patterns in their amino acid sequences. Screening a lambda ZAPII library derived from Giardia genomic DNA with an antibody directed against a 34 × 10(3) M(r) giardin isoform selected a gene encoding a much larger polypeptide chain (HPSR2), the sequence of which was determined by chromosome walking the open reading frame. The complete gene has been cloned and expressed as a recombinant protein of 183 × 10(3) M(r). The predicted amino acid sequence of the protein has identifiable features suggesting that it might be a motor protein with an amino-terminal hydrolytic domain attached to a long coiled coil stalk. The presumed head domain is 211 residues and contains a P-loop sequence conserved in purine nucleotide-binding proteins. The remaining 1409 amino acids mainly make up a region of heptad repeats such as in myosin or the kinesin stalk, ending in a small (67 amino acids) carboxy-terminal domain. Fourier analysis of the predicted stalk shows the presence of a strong physical repeat created by regular heptad phase changes dividing the coil into segments of 25 residues. This structure most closely resembles the smaller microtubule-associated median body protein which has segments of 24 residues.

Comparative Genetic Variability in HIV-1 Subtype C vpu Gene in Early Age Groups of Infants

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-76
Author(s):  
Uma Sharma ◽  
Poonam Gupta ◽  
Sunil Gupta ◽  
S. Venkatesh ◽  
Mohammad Husain
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Subtype C ◽  
Tail Region ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Hiv 1

Objective:Identifying the genetic variability in vertically transmitted viruses in early infancy is important to understand the disease progression. Being important in HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, vpu gene, isolated from young infants was investigated to understand the viral characteristics.Method:Blood samples were obtained from 80 HIV-1 positive infants, categorized in two age groups; acute (<6 months) and early (>6-18 months). A total of 77 PCR positive samples, amplified for vpu gene, were sequenced and analyzed.Results:73 isolates belonged to subtype C. Analysis of heterogeneity of amino acid sequences in infant groups showed that in the sequences of acute age group both insertions and deletions were present while in the early age group only deletions were present. In the acute age group, a deletion of 3 residues (RAE) in the first alfa helix in one sequence and insertions of 1-2 residues (DM, GH, G and H) in the second alfa helix in 4 sequences were observed. In the early age group, deletion of 2 residues (VN) in the cytoplasmic tail region in 2 sequences was observed. Length of the amino terminal was observed to be gradually increasing with the increasing age of the infants. Protein Variation Effect Analyzer software showed that deleterious mutations were more in the acute than the early age group. Entropy analysis revealed that heterogeneity of the residues was comparatively higher in the sequences of acute than the early age group.Conclusion:Mutations observed in the helixes may affect the conformation and lose the ability to degrade CD4 receptors. Heterogeneity was decreasing with the increasing ages of the infants, indicating positive selection for robust virion survival.

Diversity of Primary Structures of the Carboxy-terminal Regions of Mammalian Fibrinogen Aα-Chains

1993 ◽  
Vol 69 (04) ◽  
pp. 351-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Murakawa ◽  
Takashi Okamura ◽  
Takumi Kamura ◽  
Tsunefumi Shibuya ◽  
Mine Harada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Rhesus Monkey ◽  
Syrian Hamster ◽  
Tandem Repeats ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Rgd Sequence

SummaryThe partial amino acid sequences of fibrinogen Aα-chains from five mammalian species have been inferred by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From the genomic DNA of the rhesus monkey, pig, dog, mouse and Syrian hamster, the DNA fragments coding for α-C domains in the Aα-chains were amplified and sequenced. In all species examined, four cysteine residues were always conserved at the homologous positions. The carboxy- and amino-terminal portions of the α-C domains showed a considerable homology among the species. However, the sizes of the middle portions, which corresponded to the internal repeat structures, showed an apparent variability because of several insertions and/or deletions. In the rhesus monkey, pig, mouse and Syrian hamster, 13 amino acid tandem repeats fundamentally similar to those in humans and the rat were identified. In the dog, however, tandem repeats were found to consist of 18 amino acids, suggesting an independent multiplication of the canine repeats. The sites of the α-chain cross-linking acceptor and α2-plasmin inhibitor cross-linking donor were not always evolutionally conserved. The arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence was not found in the amplified region of either the rhesus monkey or the pig. In the canine α-C domain, two RGD sequences were identified at the homologous positions to both rat and human RGD S. In the Syrian hamster, a single RGD sequence was found at the same position to that of the rat. Triplication of the RGD sequences was seen in the murine fibrinogen α-C domain around the homologous site to the rat RGDS sequence. These findings are of some interest from the point of view of structure-function and evolutionary relationships in the mammalian fibrinogen Aα-chains.

scholarly journals The git5 Gβ and git11 Gγ Form an Atypical Gβγ Dimer Acting in the Fission Yeast Glucose/cAMP Pathway

Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 157 (3) ◽  
pp. 1159-1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Landry ◽  
Charles S Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Fission Yeast ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Glucose Repression ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Carboxy Terminus ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Camp Pathway ◽  
Coiled Coil Domain ◽  
Mutational Activation ◽  
Two Hybrid

AbstractFission yeast adenylate cyclase, like mammalian adenylate cyclases, is regulated by a heterotrimeric G protein. The gpa2 Gα and git5 Gβ are both required for glucose-triggered cAMP signaling. The git5 Gβ is a unique member of the Gβ family in that it lacks an amino-terminal coiled-coil domain shown to be essential for mammalian Gβ folding and interaction with Gγ subunits. Using a git5 bait in a two-hybrid screen, we identified the git11 Gγ gene. Co-immunoprecipitation studies confirm the composition of this Gβγ dimer. Cells deleted for git11 are defective in glucose repression of both fbp1 transcription and sexual development, resembling cells lacking either the gpa2 Gα or the git5 Gβ. Overexpression of the gpa2 Gα partially suppresses loss of either the git5 Gβ or the git11 Gγ, while mutational activation of the Gα fully suppresses loss of either Gβ or Gγ. Deletion of gpa2 (Gα), git5 (Gβ), or git11 (Gγ) confer quantitatively distinct effects on fbp1 repression, indicating that the gpa2 Gα subunit remains partially active in the absence of the Gβγ dimer and that the git5 Gβ subunit remains partially active in the absence of the git11 Gγ subunit. The addition of the CAAX box from the git11 Gγ to the carboxy-terminus of the git5 Gβ partially suppresses the loss of the Gγ. Thus the Gγ in this system is presumably required for localization of the Gβγ dimer but not for folding of the Gβ subunit. In mammalian cells, the essential roles of the Gβ amino-terminal coiled-coil domains and Gγ partners in Gβ folding may therefore reflect a mechanism used by cells that express multiple forms of both Gβ and Gγ subunits to regulate the composition and activity of its G proteins.

scholarly journals Revealing biophysical properties of KfrA-type proteins as a novel class of cytoskeletal, coiled-coil plasmid-encoded proteins

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Adamczyk ◽  
E. Lewicka ◽  
R. Szatkowska ◽  
H. Nieznanska ◽  
J. Ludwiczak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Host Range ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Broad Host Range ◽  
Biophysical Properties ◽  
Dna Binding Sites ◽  
In Silico Studies ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background DNA binding KfrA-type proteins of broad-host-range bacterial plasmids belonging to IncP-1 and IncU incompatibility groups are characterized by globular N-terminal head domains and long alpha-helical coiled-coil tails. They have been shown to act as transcriptional auto-regulators. Results This study was focused on two members of the growing family of KfrA-type proteins encoded by the broad-host-range plasmids, R751 of IncP-1β and RA3 of IncU groups. Comparative in vitro and in silico studies on KfrAR751 and KfrARA3 confirmed their similar biophysical properties despite low conservation of the amino acid sequences. They form a wide range of oligomeric forms in vitro and, in the presence of their cognate DNA binding sites, they polymerize into the higher order filaments visualized as “threads” by negative staining electron microscopy. The studies revealed also temperature-dependent changes in the coiled-coil segment of KfrA proteins that is involved in the stabilization of dimers required for DNA interactions. Conclusion KfrAR751 and KfrARA3 are structural homologues. We postulate that KfrA type proteins have moonlighting activity. They not only act as transcriptional auto-regulators but form cytoskeletal structures, which might facilitate plasmid DNA delivery and positioning in the cells before cell division, involving thermal energy.

scholarly journals UDP-glucose dehydrogenases of maize: a role in cell wall pentose biosynthesis

2005 ◽  
Vol 391 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kärkönen ◽  
Alain Murigneux ◽  
Jean-Pierre Martinant ◽  
Elodie Pepey ◽  
Christophe Tatout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Glucose Dehydrogenase ◽  
Soya Bean ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Cell Wall Polysaccharide ◽  
Polysaccharide Biosynthesis ◽  
Polysaccharide Synthesis ◽  
Ethanol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Adh Activity

UDPGDH (UDP-D-glucose dehydrogenase) oxidizes UDP-Glc (UDP-D-glucose) to UDP-GlcA (UDP-D-glucuronate), the precursor of UDP-D-xylose and UDP-L-arabinose, major cell wall polysaccharide precursors. Maize (Zea mays L.) has at least two putative UDPGDH genes (A and B), according to sequence similarity to a soya bean UDPGDH gene. The predicted maize amino acid sequences have 95% similarity to that of soya bean. Maize mutants with a Mu-element insertion in UDPGDH-A or UDPGDH-B were isolated (udpgdh-A1 and udpgdh-B1 respectively) and studied for changes in wall polysaccharide biosynthesis. The udpgdh-A1 and udpgdh-B1 homozygotes showed no visible phenotype but exhibited 90 and 60–70% less UDPGDH activity respectively than wild-types in a radiochemical assay with 30 μM UDP-glucose. Ethanol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity varied independently of UDPGDH activity, supporting the hypothesis that ADH and UDPGDH activities are due to different enzymes in maize. When extracts from wild-types and udpgdh-A1 homozygotes were assayed with increasing concentrations of UDP-Glc, at least two isoforms of UDPGDH were detected, having Km values of approx. 380 and 950 μM for UDP-Glc. Leaf and stem non-cellulosic polysaccharides had lower Ara/Gal and Xyl/Gal ratios in udpgdh-A1 homozygotes than in wild-types, whereas udpgdh-B1 homozygotes exhibited more variability among individual plants, suggesting that UDPGDH-A activity has a more important role than UDPGDH-B in UDP-GlcA synthesis. The fact that mutation of a UDPGDH gene interferes with polysaccharide synthesis suggests a greater importance for the sugar nucleotide oxidation pathway than for the myo-inositol pathway in UDP-GlcA biosynthesis during post-germinative growth of maize.

Conserved DNA binding and self-association domains of the Drosophila zeste protein

1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 598-608
Author(s):  
J D Chen ◽  
C S Chan ◽  
V Pirrotta
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Helical Structure ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Drosophila Virilis ◽  
Predicted Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Dna Binding Domain

The zeste gene product is involved in two types of genetic effects dependent on chromosome pairing: transvection and the zeste-white interaction. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence with that of the Drosophila virilis gene shows that several blocks of amino acid sequence have been very highly conserved. One of these regions corresponds to the DNA binding domain. Site-directed mutations in this region indicate that a sequence resembling that of the homeodomain DNA recognition helix is essential for DNA binding activity. The integrity of an amphipathic helical region is also essential for binding activity and is likely to be responsible for dimerization of the DNA binding domain. Another very strongly conserved domain of zeste is the C-terminal region, predicted to form a long helical structure with two sets of heptad repeats that constitute two long hydrophobic ridges at opposite ends and on opposite faces of the helix. We show that this domain is responsible for the extensive aggregation properties of zeste that are required for its role in transvection phenomena. A model is proposed according to which the hydrophobic ridges induce the formation of open-ended coiled-coil structures holding together many hundreds of zeste molecules and possibly anchoring these complexes to other nuclear structures.

scholarly journals The N-Terminal Region of the Human Autophagy Protein ATG16L1 Contains a Domain That Folds into a Helical Structure Consistent with Formation of a Coiled-Coil

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e76237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Parkhouse ◽  
Ima-Obong Ebong ◽  
Carol V. Robinson ◽  
Tom P. Monie
Keyword(s):  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Helical Structure ◽  
Terminal Region
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