scholarly journals Expression of the Plastid-Located Glutamine Synthetase ofMedicago truncatula. Accumulation of the Precursor in Root Nodules Reveals an in Vivo Control at the Level of Protein Import into Plastids

2003 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 390-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Melo ◽  
Lı́gia M. Lima ◽  
Isabel M. Santos ◽  
Helena G. Carvalho ◽  
Julie V. Cullimore
1973 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 1493-1499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley D. Dunn ◽  
Robert V. Klucas

Glutamine amide–2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase NAD+ oxidoreductase (GOGAT), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate dehydrogenase (GD), and alanine dehydrogenase (AD) were studied in soybean root nodules. GS, GOGAT, and AD were present in bacteroids at levels that could account for ammonium assimilation, but GD activity was quite low. The total activities of GS and GD were higher in the cytosol than in the bacteroids by factors of 20 and 7, respectively, whereas GOGAT was not detected in the cytosol. GS (transferase activity) was inhibited by alanine, CTP, glycine, and tryptophan at 5 mM but was relatively unaffected by asparagine, aspartic acid, CMP, glucosamine, and histidine at 5 mM. GOGAT activity was unaffected by ATP, ADP, 8-hydroxyquinoline, and 1,10-phenanthroline but was inhibited by EDTA, citrate, and parachloromercuribenzoate. GOGAT activity (reductive amination) was also inhibited 97% by preincubation with 10−4 M azaserine for 30 min but GD activity was inhibited only 13%. The apparent Km values for NH4+ by AD was 7.4 × 10−3 M and by GD was 7.3 × 10−2 M while for glutamine by GOGAT it was 9.3 × 10−5 M. Activities and kinetic properties for these enzymes may suggest potential routes of nitrogen assimilation in vivo.


2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 6491-6495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunhee Lee ◽  
Bo-Young Jeon ◽  
Svetoslav Bardarov ◽  
Mei Chen ◽  
Sheldon L. Morris ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We generated four individual glutamine synthetase (GS) mutants (ΔglnA1, ΔglnA2, ΔglnA3, and ΔglnA4) and one triple mutant (ΔglnA1EA2) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to investigate the roles of GS enzymes. Subcutaneous immunization with the ΔglnA1EA2 and ΔglnA1 glutamine auxotrophic mutants conferred protection on C57BL/6 mice against an aerosol challenge with virulent M. tuberculosis, which was comparable to that provided by Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination.


2005 ◽  
Vol 388 (2) ◽  
pp. 509-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. SUNN ◽  
John A. EISMAN ◽  
Edith M. GARDINER ◽  
David A. JANS

Although the key components of the cellular nuclear transport machinery have largely been characterized through extensive efforts in recent years, in vivo measurements of the kinetics of nuclear protein import/export are patently few. The present study applies the approach of FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) to examine the nucleocytoplasmic flux of a novel human VDRB1 (vitamin D receptor B1) isoform in living cells. Through an N-terminal extension containing a consensus nuclear targeting sequence, VDRB1 is capable of localizing in nuclear speckles adjacent to SC-35 (35 kDa splicing component)-containing speckles as well as in the nucleoplasm, dependent on ligand. Investigation of VDRB1 nucleocytoplasmic transport using FRAP indicates for the first time that the VDRB1 has a serum-modulated, active nuclear import mechanism. There is no evidence of an efficient, active export mechanism for VDRB1, probably as a result of nuclear retention. VDRB1 nuclear import in the absence of serum occurred more rapidly and to a greater extent to nuclear speckles compared with import to other nuclear sites. This preferential transport from the cytoplasm to and accumulation within nuclear speckles is consistent with the idea that the latter represent dynamic centres of VDRB1 interaction with other nuclear proteins. The results are consistent with the existence of specialized pathways to target proteins to nuclear subdomains.


2016 ◽  
Vol 397 (11) ◽  
pp. 1097-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian P. Straub ◽  
Sebastian B. Stiller ◽  
Nils Wiedemann ◽  
Nikolaus Pfanner

Abstract Mitochondria contain elaborate machineries for the import of precursor proteins from the cytosol. The translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM) performs the initial import of precursor proteins and transfers the precursors to downstream translocases, including the presequence translocase and the carrier translocase of the inner membrane, the mitochondrial import and assembly machinery of the intermembrane space, and the sorting and assembly machinery of the outer membrane. Although the protein translocases can function as separate entities in vitro, recent studies revealed a close and dynamic cooperation of the protein import machineries to facilitate efficient transfer of precursor proteins in vivo. In addition, protein translocases were found to transiently interact with distinct machineries that function in the respiratory chain or in the maintenance of mitochondrial membrane architecture. Mitochondrial protein import is embedded in a regulatory network that ensures protein biogenesis, membrane dynamics, bioenergetic activity and quality control.


2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 630-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutaka Ogawa ◽  
Yoichi Miyamoto ◽  
Munehiro Asally ◽  
Masahiro Oka ◽  
Yoshinari Yasuda ◽  
...  

Npap60 (Nup50) is a nucleoporin that binds directly to importin α. In humans, there are two Npap60 isoforms: the long (Npap60L) and short (Npap60S) forms. In this study, we provide both in vitro and in vivo evidence that Npap60L and Npap60S function differently in nuclear protein import. In vitro binding assays revealed that Npap60S stabilizes the binding of importin α to classical NLS-cargo, whereas Npap60L promotes the release of NLS-cargo from importin α. In vivo time-lapse experiments showed that when the Npap60 protein level is controlled, allowing CAS to efficiently promote the dissociation of the Npap60/importin α complex, Npap60S and Npap60L suppress and accelerate the nuclear import of NLS-cargo, respectively. These results demonstrate that Npap60L and Npap60S have opposing functions and suggest that Npap60L and Npap60S levels must be carefully controlled for efficient nuclear import of classical NLS-cargo in humans. This study provides novel evidence that nucleoporin expression levels regulate nuclear import efficiency.


2011 ◽  
Vol 436 (2) ◽  
pp. e1-e2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Aronsson ◽  
Paul Jarvis

Pre-protein import into chloroplasts is facilitated by multiprotein translocon complexes in the envelope membranes. Major components of the TOC (translocon at the outer envelope membrane of chloroplasts) complex are the receptor proteins Toc33 and Toc159. These two receptors are related GTPases, and they are predicted to engage in homodimerization and/or heterodimerization. Although such dimerization has been studied extensively, its exact function in vivo remains elusive. In this issue of the Biochemical Journal, Oreb et al. present evidence that homodimerization of Toc33 prevents nucleotide exchange, thereby locking the receptor in the GDP-loaded state and preventing further activity. Pre-protein arrival is proposed to release this lock, through disruption of the dimer and subsequent nucleotide exchange. The Toc33-bound pre-protein is then able to progress to downstream steps in the translocation mechanism, with GTP hydrolysis defining another important control point as well as preparing the receptor for the next pre-protein client. These new results are discussed in the context of previous findings pertaining to TOC receptor dimerization and function.


2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (1) ◽  
pp. E215-E221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Verdier ◽  
Yves Boirie ◽  
Sebastien Van Drieesche ◽  
Michelle Mignon ◽  
Rene-Jean Begue ◽  
...  

Glutamine synthetase, a key enzyme in the production of glutamine, is known to be induced by glucocorticoids and preserved in skeletal muscle during aging, but the effect of other steroids, such as sex steroids (progesterone, estradiol), is unknown in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine whether progesterone or estradiol plays a role in the regulation of glutamine synthetase (GS) with aging. The effects of glucocorticoids and sex steroids on muscle GS activity and mRNA expression were measured in adult (6–8 mo; n = 7 in each group) and aged (26 mo; n= 10 in each group) female Wistar rats after adrenalectomy (ADX), ovariectomy (OV), or both (ADXOV) and were compared with those in sham-operated (Sham) control rats. In tibialis anterior muscle, ADX noticeably decreased both GS activity and expression irrespective of age (50–60%; P < 0.05), whereas OV had no effect at either age. Progesterone and estradiol replacement had no effect on the recovery of muscle GS response in either ADX or OV rats, regardless of age. In contrast, heart GS activity was decreased by ADX in aged animals only. These results suggest that the reproductive endocrine status of female rats does not affect muscle GS activity either in muscle or in heart, in young or aged animals, and that the heart GS response to steroids may be differently regulated in aged rats.


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