scholarly journals Site-specific phosphorylation of Huntingtin exon 1 recombinant proteins enabled by the discovery of novel kinases

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anass Chiki ◽  
Jonathan Ricci ◽  
Ramanath Hegde ◽  
Luciano A. Abriata ◽  
Andreas Reif ◽  
...  

AbstractPosttranslational modifications (PTMs) within the first 17 amino acids (Nt17) of exon1 of the Huntingtin protein (Httex1) play important roles in modulating its cellular properties and functions in health and disease. In particular, phosphorylation of threonine and serine residues (T3, S13, and/or S16) has been shown to inhibit Htt aggregation in vitro and inclusion formation in cellular and animal models of Huntington’s disease (HD). In this manuscript, we describe a new and simple methodology for producing milligram quantities of highly pure wild type or mutant Httex1 proteins that are site-specifically phosphorylated at T3 or at both S13 and S16. This advance was enabled by 1) the discovery and validation of novel kinases that efficiently phosphorylate Httex1 at S13 and S16 (TBK1), at T3 (GCK) or T3 and S13 (TNIK and HGK); and, 2) the development of an efficient methodology for producing recombinant native Httex1 proteins using a SUMO-fusion expression and purification strategy. As proof of concept, we demonstrate how this method can be applied to produce Httex1 proteins that are both site- specifically phosphorylated and fluorescently labeled or isotopically labeled. Together, these advances should increase access to these valuable tools and expand the range of methods and experimental approaches that can be used to elucidate the mechanisms by which phosphorylation influences Httex1 structure, aggregation, interactome and function(s) in health and disease.

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (50) ◽  
pp. 25322-25328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Liu ◽  
Xiaopin Ma ◽  
Hisashi Fujioka ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Shengdi Chen ◽  
...  

Loss-of-function mutations in DJ-1 are associated with autosomal recessive early onset Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the underlying pathogenic mechanism remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that DJ-1 localized to the mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM) both in vitro and in vivo. In fact, DJ-1 physically interacts with and is an essential component of the IP3R3-Grp75-VDAC1 complexes at MAM. Loss of DJ-1 disrupted the IP3R3-Grp75-VDAC1 complex and led to reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria association and disturbed function of MAM and mitochondria in vitro. These deficits could be rescued by wild-type DJ-1 but not by the familial PD-associated L166P mutant which had demonstrated reduced interaction with IP3R3-Grp75. Furthermore, DJ-1 ablation disturbed calcium efflux-induced IP3R3 degradation after carbachol treatment and caused IP3R3 accumulation at the MAM in vitro. Importantly, similar deficits in IP3R3-Grp75-VDAC1 complexes and MAM were found in the brain of DJ-1 knockout mice in vivo. The DJ-1 level was reduced in the substantia nigra of sporadic PD patients, which was associated with reduced IP3R3-DJ-1 interaction and ER-mitochondria association. Together, these findings offer insights into the cellular mechanism in the involvement of DJ-1 in the regulation of the integrity and calcium cross-talk between ER and mitochondria and suggests that impaired ER-mitochondria association could contribute to the pathogenesis of PD.


2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 1089-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian T. Tsuji ◽  
Michael J. Rybak ◽  
Kerry L. Lau ◽  
George Sakoulas

ABSTRACT Simulated therapeutic vancomycin exposures were evaluated against agr wild-type and knockout Staphylococcus aureus groups I, II, III, and IV using an in vitro pharmacodynamic model. All agr groups developed intermediate resistance to vancomycin after subtherapeutic exposure. The free unbound fraction of the area under the concentration-time curve (fAUC/MIC) required to suppress resistance was fourfold higher (P < 0.001) in agr dysfunctional strains (112 to 169) than that in parent wild-type strains (28).


2007 ◽  
Vol 98 (10) ◽  
pp. 806-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vandana Dole ◽  
Wolfgang Bergmeier ◽  
Ian Patten ◽  
Junichi Hirahashi ◽  
Tanya Mayadas ◽  
...  

SummaryWe have previously shown that activated platelets in circulation stimulate release of endothelial Weibel-Palade bodies thus increasing leukocyte rolling in venules. P-selectin on the activated platelets mediates adhesion to leukocytes via PSGL-1 and is rapidly shed into plasma. We were interested in studying the role of PSGL-1 in regulating expression and function of platelet P-selectin. We show here that PSGL-1 is critical for the activation of endothelial cells in venules of mice infused with activated platelets. The interaction of platelet P-selectin with PSGL-1 is also required for P-selectin shedding, as P-selectin was retained significantly longer on the surface of activated platelets infused into PSGL-1-/- compared to wild-type mice. The leukocyte integrin αMβ2 (Mac-1) was not required for P-selectin shedding. In addition to shedding, P-selectin can be downregulated from the platelet surface through internalization and this is the predominant mechanism in the absence of PSGL-1. We demonstrate that leukocyte- neutrophil elastase,known to cleave P-selectin in vitro, is not the major sheddase for P-selectin in vivo. In conclusion, interaction of platelet P-selectin with PSGL-1 is crucial for activation of the endothelium andWeibel-Palade body secretion. The interaction with PSGL-1 also results in rapid shedding of P-selectin thus downregulating the inflammatory potential of the platelet.


2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Consolino ◽  
Franck Duclos ◽  
Jane Lee ◽  
Roger A. Williamson ◽  
Kevin P. Campbell ◽  
...  

α-Sarcoglycan-deficient ( Sgca-null) mice provide potential for elucidating the pathogenesis of limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D (LGMD 2D) as well as for studying the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies. Skeletal muscles of Sgca-null mice demonstrate an early onset of extensive fiber necrosis, degeneration, and regeneration, but the progression of the pathology and the effects on muscle structure and function throughout the life span are not known. Thus the phenotypic accuracy of the Sgca-null mouse as a model of LGMD 2D has not been fully established. To investigate skeletal muscle structure and function in the absence of α-sarcoglycan throughout the life span, we analyzed extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles of male and female Sgca-null and wild-type mice at 3, 6, 12, and 18 mo of age. Maximum isometric forces and powers were measured in vitro at 25°C. Also determined were individual myofiber cross-sectional areas and numbers, water content, and the proportion of the cross section occupied by connective tissue. Muscle masses were 40–100% larger for Sgca-null compared with age- and gender-matched wild-type mice, with the majority of the increased muscle mass for Sgca-null mice attributable to greater connective tissue and water contents. Although the greater mass of muscles in Sgca-null mice was primarily noncontractile material, absolute forces and powers were maintained near control levels at all ages, indicating a successful adaptation to the deficiency in α-sarcoglycan not observed at any age in LGMD 2D patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 328-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Liu ◽  
Weidi Xiao ◽  
Yanan Zhang ◽  
Sandra E. Wiley ◽  
Tao Zuo ◽  
...  

The fundamental importance of the 26S proteasome in health and disease suggests that its function must be finely controlled, and yet our knowledge about proteasome regulation remains limited. Posttranslational modifications, especially phosphorylation, of proteasome subunits have been shown to impact proteasome function through different mechanisms, although the vast majority of proteasome phosphorylation events have not been studied. Here, we have characterized 1 of the most frequently detected proteasome phosphosites, namely Ser361 of Rpn1, a base subunit of the 19S regulatory particle. Using a variety of approaches including CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and quantitative mass spectrometry, we found that loss of Rpn1-S361 phosphorylation reduces proteasome activity, impairs cell proliferation, and causes oxidative stress as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. A screen of the human kinome identified several kinases including PIM1/2/3 that catalyze S361 phosphorylation, while its level is reversibly controlled by the proteasome-resident phosphatase, UBLCP1. Mechanistically, Rpn1-S361 phosphorylation is required for proper assembly of the 26S proteasome, and we have utilized a genetic code expansion system to directly demonstrate that S361-phosphorylated Rpn1 more readily forms a precursor complex with Rpt2, 1 of the first steps of 19S base assembly. These findings have revealed a prevalent and biologically important mechanism governing proteasome formation and function.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasiia N. Klimova ◽  
Steven J. Sandler

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli PriA and PriC recognize abandoned replication forks and direct reloading of the DnaB replicative helicase onto the lagging-strand template coated with single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB). Both PriA and PriC have been shown by biochemical and structural studies to physically interact with the C terminus of SSB. In vitro, these interactions trigger remodeling of the SSB on ssDNA. priA341(R697A) and priC351(R155A) negated the SSB remodeling reaction in vitro. Plasmid-carried priC351(R155A) did not complement priC303::kan, and priA341(R697A) has not yet been tested for complementation. Here, we further studied the SSB-binding pockets of PriA and PriC by placing priA341(R697A), priA344(R697E), priA345(Q701E), and priC351(R155A) on the chromosome and characterizing the mutant strains. All three priA mutants behaved like the wild type. In a ΔpriB strain, the mutations caused modest increases in SOS expression, cell size, and defects in nucleoid partitioning (Par−). Overproduction of SSB partially suppressed these phenotypes for priA341(R697A) and priA344(R697E). The priC351(R155A) mutant behaved as expected: there was no phenotype in a single mutant, and there were severe growth defects when this mutation was combined with ΔpriB. Analysis of the priBC mutant revealed two populations of cells: those with wild-type phenotypes and those that were extremely filamentous and Par− and had high SOS expression. We conclude that in vivo, priC351(R155A) identified an essential residue and function for PriC, that PriA R697 and Q701 are important only in the absence of PriB, and that this region of the protein may have a complicated relationship with SSB. IMPORTANCE Escherichia coli PriA and PriC recruit the replication machinery to a collapsed replication fork after it is repaired and needs to be restarted. In vitro studies suggest that the C terminus of SSB interacts with certain residues in PriA and PriC to recruit those proteins to the repaired fork, where they help remodel it for restart. Here, we placed those mutations on the chromosome and tested the effect of mutating these residues in vivo. The priC mutation completely abolished function. The priA mutations had no effect by themselves. They did, however, display modest phenotypes in a priB-null strain. These phenotypes were partially suppressed by SSB overproduction. These studies give us further insight into the reactions needed for replication restart.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 226-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian G. Gentry ◽  
Quang Phan ◽  
Ellie D. Hall ◽  
Julie M. Breitenbach ◽  
Katherine Z. Borysko ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection can cause severe illnesses, including encephalopathy and mental retardation, in immunocompromised and immunologically immature patients. Current pharmacotherapies for treating systemic HCMV infections include ganciclovir, cidofovir, and foscarnet. However, long-term administration of these agents can result in serious adverse effects (myelosuppression and/or nephrotoxicity) and the development of viral strains with reduced susceptibility to drugs. The deoxyribosylindole (indole) nucleosides demonstrate a 20-fold greater activityin vitro(the drug concentration at which 50% of the number of plaques was reduced with the presence of drug compared to the number in the absence of drug [EC50] = 0.34 μM) than ganciclovir (EC50= 7.4 μM) without any observed increase in cytotoxicity. Based on structural similarity to the benzimidazole nucleosides, we hypothesize that the indole nucleosides target the HCMV terminase, an enzyme responsible for packaging viral DNA into capsids and cleaving the DNA into genome-length units. To test this hypothesis, an indole nucleoside-resistant HCMV strain was isolated, the open reading frames of the genes that encode the viral terminase were sequenced, and a G766C mutation in exon 1 ofUL89was identified; this mutation resulted in an E256Q change in the amino acid sequence of the corresponding protein. An HCMV wild-type strain, engineered with this mutation to confirm resistance, demonstrated an 18-fold decrease in susceptibility to the indole nucleosides (EC50= 3.1 ± 0.7 μM) compared to that of wild-type virus (EC50= 0.17 ± 0.04 μM). Interestingly, this mutation did not confer resistance to the benzimidazole nucleosides (EC50for wild-type HCMV = 0.25 ± 0.04 μM, EC50for HCMV pUL89 E256Q = 0.23 ± 0.04 μM). We conclude, therefore, that the G766C mutation that results in the E256Q substitution is unique for indole nucleoside resistance and distinct from previously discovered substitutions that confer both indole and benzimidazole nucleoside resistance (D344E and A355T).


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1609-1620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Caracino ◽  
Cheryl Jones ◽  
Mark Compton ◽  
Charles L. Saxe

Scar/WAVE proteins, members of the conserved Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) family, promote actin polymerization by activating the Arp2/3 complex. A number of proteins, including a complex containing Nap1, PIR121, Abi1/2, and HSPC300, interact with Scar/WAVE, though the role of this complex in regulating Scar function remains unclear. Here we identify a short N-terminal region of Dictyostelium Scar that is necessary and sufficient for interaction with HSPC300 and Abi in vitro. Cells expressing Scar lacking this N-terminal region show abnormalities in F-actin distribution, cell morphology, movement, and cytokinesis. This is true even in the presence of wild-type Scar. The data suggest that the first 96 amino acids of Scar are necessary for participation in a large-molecular-weight protein complex, and that this Scar-containing complex is responsible for the proper localization and regulation of Scar. The presence of mis-regulated or unregulated Scar has significant deleterious effects on cells and may explain the need to keep Scar activity tightly controlled in vivo either by assembly in a complex or by rapid degradation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Jefferis

Whilst the amino acid sequence of a protein is determined by its gene sequence, the final structure and function are determined by posttranslational modifications (PTMs), including quality control (QC) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and during passage through the Golgi apparatus. These processes are species and cell specific and challenge the biopharmaceutical industry when developing a production platform for the generation of recombinant biologic therapeutics. Proteins and glycoproteins are also subject to chemical modifications (CMs) bothin vivoandin vitro. The individual is naturally tolerant to molecular forms of self-molecules but nonself variants can provoke an immune response with the generation of anti-drug antibodies (ADA); aggregated forms can exhibit enhanced immunogenicity and QC procedures are developed to avoid or remove them. Monoclonal antibody therapeutics (mAbs) are a special case because their purpose is to bind the target, with the formation of immune complexes (ICs), a particular form of aggregate. Such ICs may be removed by phagocytic cells that have antigen presenting capacity. These considerations may frustrate the possibility of ameliorating the immunogenicity of mAbs by rigorous exclusion of aggregates from drug product. Alternate strategies for inducing immunosuppression or tolerance are discussed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélia E. Lewis ◽  
Marte Rusten ◽  
Erling A. Hoivik ◽  
Elisabeth L. Vikse ◽  
Magnus L. Hansson ◽  
...  

Abstract The nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1) is critical for development and function of steroidogenic tissues. Posttranslational modifications are known to influence the transcriptional capacity of SF1, and it was previously demonstrated that serine 203 is phosphorylated. In this paper we report that serine 203 is phosphorylated by a cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7)-mediated process. As part of the CDK-activating kinase complex, CDK7 is a component of the basal transcription factor TFIIH, and phosphorylation of SF1 as well as SF1-dependent transcription was clearly reduced in cells carrying a mutation that renders the CDK-activating kinase complex unable to interact with the TFIIH core. Coimmunoprecipitation analyses revealed that SF1 and CDK7 reside in the same complex, and kinase assays demonstrated that immunoprecipitated CDK7 and purified TFIIH phosphorylate SF1 in vitro. The CDK inhibitor roscovitine blocked phosphorylation of SF1, and an inactive form of CDK7 repressed the phosphorylation level and the transactivation capacity of SF1. Structural studies have identified phosphoinositides as potential ligands for SF1. Interestingly, we found that mutations designed to block phospholipid binding dramatically decreased the level of SF1 phosphorylation. Together our results suggest a connection between ligand occupation and phosphorylation and association with the basic transcriptional machinery, indicating an intricate regulation of SF1 transactivation.


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