scholarly journals In Vivo Display of a Multisubunit Enzyme Complex on Biogenic Magnetic Nanoparticles

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (24) ◽  
pp. 7734-7738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoji Ohuchi ◽  
Dirk Schüler

ABSTRACT Magnetosomes are unique bacterial organelles comprising membrane-enveloped magnetic crystals produced by magnetotactic bacteria. Because of several desirable chemical and physical properties, magnetosomes would be ideal scaffolds on which to display highly complicated biological complexes artificially. As a model experiment for the functional expression of a multisubunit complex on magnetosomes, we examined the display of a chimeric bacterial RNase P enzyme composed of the protein subunit (C5) of Escherichia coli RNase P and the endogenous RNA subunit by expressing a translational fusion of C5 with MamC, a known magnetosome protein, in the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense. As intended, the purified C5 fusion magnetosomes, but not wild-type magnetosomes, showed apparent RNase P activity and the association of a typical bacterial RNase P RNA. Our results demonstrate for the first time that magnetosomes can be employed as scaffolds for the display of multisubunit complexes.

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen M Andres ◽  
Chengqun Huang ◽  
Eric P Ratliff ◽  
Genaro Hernandez ◽  
Pamela Lee ◽  
...  

Autophagy-dependent mitochondrial turnover in response to cellular stress is necessary for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, the mechanisms that govern the selective targeting of damaged mitochondria are poorly understood. Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been shown to be essential for the selective clearance of damaged mitochondria. Parkin is expressed in the heart, yet its function has not been investigated in the context of cardioprotection. We previously reported that autophagy is required for cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IPC). In the present study, we used simulated ischemia in vitro and IPC in hearts (in vivo and ex vivo) to investigate the role of Parkin in mediating cardioprotection. In HL-1 cells, simulated ischemia induced Parkin translocation to mitochondria and mitochondrial elimination. Mitochondrial loss was blunted in Atg5-deficient cells, revealing the requirement for autophagy in mitochondrial elimination. Consistent with previous reports implicating p62/SQSTM1 in mitophagy, we found that downregulation of p62 attenuated mitophagy and exacerbated cell death in HL-1 cardiomyocytes subjected to simulated ischemia. While wild type mice showed p62 translocation to mitochondria after IPC, Parkin knockout mice exhibited attenuated translocation of p62 to mitochondria. Importantly, ablation of Parkin in mice abolished the cardioprotective effects of IPC. These results reveal for the first time the crucial role of Parkin and mitophagy in cardioprotection.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (2) ◽  
pp. 573-585
Author(s):  
Vilius Stribinskis ◽  
Guo-Jian Gao ◽  
Steven R Ellis ◽  
Nancy C Martin

Abstract RPM2 is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear gene that encodes the protein subunit of mitochondrial RNase P and has an unknown function essential for fermentative growth. Cells lacking mitochondrial RNase P cannot respire and accumulate lesions in their mitochondrial DNA. The effects of a new RPM2 allele, rpm2-100, reveal a novel function of RPM2 in mitochondrial biogenesis. Cells with rpm2-100 as their only source of Rpm2p have correctly processed mitochondrial tRNAs but are still respiratory deficient. Mitochondrial mRNA and rRNA levels are reduced in rpm2-100 cells compared to wild type. The general reduction in mRNA is not reflected in a similar reduction in mitochondrial protein synthesis. Incorporation of labeled precursors into mitochondrially encoded Atp6, Atp8, Atp9, and Cytb protein was enhanced in the mutant relative to wild type, while incorporation into Cox1p, Cox2p, Cox3p, and Var1p was reduced. Pulse-chase analysis of mitochondrial translation revealed decreased rates of translation of COX1, COX2, and COX3 mRNAs. This decrease leads to low steady-state levels of Cox1p, Cox2p, and Cox3p, loss of visible spectra of aa3 cytochromes, and low cytochrome c oxidase activity in mutant mitochondria. Thus, RPM2 has a previously unrecognized role in mitochondrial biogenesis, in addition to its role as a subunit of mitochondrial RNase P. Moreover, there is a synthetic lethal interaction between the disruption of this novel respiratory function and the loss of wild-type mtDNA. This synthetic interaction explains why a complete deletion of RPM2 is lethal.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (23) ◽  
pp. 6068-6077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Mei-Feng Shen ◽  
Sandy Chang

Abstract Maintenance of mammalian telomeres requires both the enzyme telomerase and shelterin, which protect telomeres from inappropriately activating DNA damage response checkpoints. Dyskeratosis congenita is an inherited BM failure syndrome disorder because of defects in telomere maintenance. We have previously shown that deletion of the shelterin component Pot1b in the setting of telomerase haploinsufficiency results in rapid telomere shortening and fatal BM failure in mice, eliciting phenotypes that strongly resemble human syskeratosis congenita. However, it was unclear why BM failure occurred in the setting of Pot1b deletion. In this study, we show that Pot1b plays an essential role in HSC survival. Deletion of Pot1b results in increased apoptosis, leading to severe depletion of the HSC reserve. BM from Pot1bΔ/Δ mice cannot compete with BM from wild-type mice to provide multilineage reconstitution, indicating that there is an intrinsic requirement for Pot1b the maintenance of HSC function in vivo. Elimination of the p53-dependent apoptotic function increased HSC survival and significantly extended the lifespan of Pot1b-null mice deficient in telomerase function. Our results document for the first time the essential role of a component of the shelterin complex in the maintenance of HSC and progenitor cell survival.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 3429-3436 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Stribinskis ◽  
G J Gao ◽  
P Sulo ◽  
Y L Dang ◽  
N C Martin

Rpm2p is a protein subunit of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast mitochondrial RNase P, an enzyme which removes 5' leader sequences from mitochondrial tRNA precursors. Precursor tRNAs accumulate in strains carrying a disrupted allele of RPM2. The resulting defect in mitochondrial protein synthesis causes petite mutants to form. We report here that alteration in the biogenesis of Rpm1r, the RNase P RNA subunit, is another consequence of disrupting RPM2. High-molecular-weight transcripts accumulate, and no mature Rpm1r is produced. Transcript mapping reveals that the smallest RNA accumulated is extended on both the 5' and 3' ends relative to mature Rpm1r. This intermediate and other longer transcripts which accumulate are also found as low-abundance RNAs in wild-type cells, allowing identification of processing events necessary for conversion of the primary transcript to final products. Our data demonstrate directly that Rpm1r is transcribed with its substrates, tRNA met f and tRNAPro, from a promoter located upstream of the tRNA met f gene and suggest that a portion also originates from a second promoter, located between the tRNA met f gene and RPM1. We tested the possibility that precursors accumulate because the RNase P deficiency prevents the removal of the downstream tRNAPro. Large RPM1 transcripts still accumulate in strains missing this tRNA. Thus, an inability to process cotranscribed tRNAs does not explain the precursor accumulation phenotype. Furthermore, strains with mutant RPM1 genes also accumulate precursor Rpm1r, suggesting that mutations in either gene can lead to similar biogenesis defects. Several models to explain precursor accumulation are presented.


1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 2225-2232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Govoni ◽  
François Canonne-Hergaux ◽  
Cheryl G. Pfeifer ◽  
Sandra L. Marcus ◽  
Scott D. Mills ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mutations at the Nramp1 locus in vivo cause susceptibility to infection by unrelated intracellular microbes.Nramp1 encodes an integral membrane protein abundantly expressed in the endosomal-lysosomal compartment of macrophages and is recruited to the phagosomal membrane following phagocytosis. The mechanism by which Nramp1 affects the biochemical properties of the phagosome to control microbial replication is unknown. To devise an in vitro assay for Nramp1 function, we introduced a wild-typeNramp1G169 cDNA into RAW 264.7 macrophages (which bear a homozygous mutant Nramp1D169 allele and thus are permissive to replication of specific intracellular parasites). Recombinant Nramp1 was expressed in a membranous compartment in RAW264.7 cells and was recruited to the membrane ofSalmonella typhimurium and Yersinia enterocolitica containing phagosomes. Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of RAW264.7 transfectants showed that expression of the recombinant Nramp1 protein abrogated intracellular replication of S. typhimurium. Studies with a replication-defectiveS. typhimurium mutant suggest that this occurs through an enhanced bacteriostatic activity. The effect of Nramp1 expression was specific, since (i) it was not seen in RAW264.7 transfectants overexpressing the closely related Nramp2 protein, and (ii) control RAW264.7 cells, Nramp1, and Nramp2 transfectants could all efficiently kill a temperature-sensitive, replication-defective mutant of S. typhimurium. Finally, increased antibacterial activity of the Nramp1 RAW264.7 transfectants was linked to increased phagosomal acidification, a distinguishing feature of primary macrophages expressing a wild-type Nramp1 allele. Together, these results indicate that transfection of Nramp1 cDNAs in the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line can be used as a direct assay to study both Nramp1 function and mechanism of action as well as to identify structure-function relationships in this protein.


Open Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Roche ◽  
S. Holbert ◽  
Y. Le Vern ◽  
C. Rossignol ◽  
A. Rossignol ◽  
...  

Poultry are the main source of human infection by Salmonella . As infected poultry are asymptomatic, identifying infected poultry farms is difficult, thus controlling animal infections is of primary importance. As cell tropism is known to govern disease, our aim was therefore to identify infected host–cell types in the organs of chicks known to be involved in Salmonella infection and investigate the role of the three known invasion factors in this process (T3SS-1, Rck and PagN). Chicks were inoculated with wild-type or isogenic fluorescent Salmonella Typhimurium mutants via the intracoelomic route. Our results show that liver, spleen, gall bladder and aortic vessels could be foci of infection, and that phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells, including immune, epithelial and endothelial cells, are invaded in vivo in each organ. Moreover, a mutant defective for the T3SS-1, Rck and PagN remained able to colonize organs like the wild-type strain and invaded non-phagocytic cells in each organ studied. As the infection of the gall bladder had not previously been described in chicks, invasion of gall bladder cells was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and infection was shown to last several weeks after inoculation. Altogether, for the first time these findings provide insights into cell tropism of Salmonella in relevant organs involved in Salmonella infection in chicks and also demonstrate that the known invasion factors are not required for entry into these cell types.


Author(s):  
Lisa Stigler ◽  
Anja Köhler ◽  
Marianne Koller ◽  
Laura Job ◽  
Benjamin Escher ◽  
...  

AbstractThe biologically stable and highly toxic organophosphorus nerve agent (OP) VX poses a major health threat. Standard medical therapy, consisting of reactivators and competitive muscarinic receptor antagonists, is insufficient. Recently, two engineered mutants of the Brevundimonas diminuta phosphotriesterase (PTE) with enhanced catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM = 21 to 38 × 106 M−1 min−1) towards VX and a preferential hydrolysis of the more toxic P(−) enantiomer were described: PTE-C23(R152E)-PAS(100)-10-2-C3(I106A/C59V/C227V/E71K)-PAS(200) (PTE-2), a single-chain bispecific enzyme with a PAS linker and tag having enlarged substrate spectrum, and 10-2-C3(C59V/C227V)-PAS(200) (PTE-3), a stabilized homodimeric enzyme with a double PASylation tag (PAS-tag) to reduce plasma clearance. To assess in vivo efficacy, these engineered enzymes were tested in an anesthetized rat model post-VX exposure (~ 2LD50) in comparison with the recombinant wild-type PTE (PTE-1), dosed at 1.0 mg kg−1 i.v.: PTE-2 dosed at 1.3 mg kg−1 i.v. (PTE-2.1) and 2.6 mg kg−1 i.v. (PTE-2.2) and PTE-3 at 1.4 mg kg−1 i.v. Injection of the mutants PTE-2.2 and PTE-3, 5 min after s.c. VX exposure, ensured survival and prevented severe signs of a cholinergic crisis. Inhibition of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) could not be prevented. However, medulla oblongata and diaphragm AChE activity was partially preserved. All animals treated with the wild-type enzyme, PTE-1, showed severe cholinergic signs and died during the observation period of 180 min. PTE-2.1 resulted in the survival of all animals, yet accompanied by severe signs of OP poisoning. This study demonstrates for the first time efficient detoxification in vivo achieved with low doses of heterodimeric PTE-2 as well as PTE-3 and indicates the suitability of these engineered enzymes for the development of highly effective catalytic scavengers directed against VX.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahma Hassan-Abdi ◽  
Alexandre Brenet ◽  
Mohamed Bennis ◽  
Constantin Yanicostas ◽  
Nadia Soussi-Yanicostas

AbstractMicroglial cells, the resident macrophages of the brain, are important players in the pathological process of numerous neurodegenerative disorders, including tauopathies, a heterogeneous class of diseases characterized by intraneuronal Tau aggregates. However, microglia response in Tau pathologies remains poorly understood. Here we exploit a genetic zebrafish model of tauopathy, combined with live microglia imaging, to investigate the behaviour of microglia in vivo in the disease context. Results show that while microglia were almost immobile and displayed long and highly dynamic branches in a wild-type context, in presence of diseased neurons cells became highly mobile and displayed morphological changes, with highly mobile cell bodies together with fewer and shorter processes. We also imaged, for the first time to our knowledge, the phagocytosis of apoptotic tauopathic neurons by microglia in vivo and observed that microglia engulfed about as twice materials as in controls. Finally, genetic ablation of microglia in zebrafish tauopathy model significantly increased Tau hyperphosphorylation, suggesting that microglia provide neuroprotection to diseased neurons. Our findings demonstrate for the first time the dynamics of microglia in contact with tauopathic neurons in vivo and open perspectives for the real-time study of microglia in many neuronal diseases.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1591-1600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohei Matsunaga ◽  
Hyundoo Hwang ◽  
Barbara Franke ◽  
Rhys Williams ◽  
McKenna Penley ◽  
...  

Muscle sarcomeres contain giant polypeptides composed of multiple immunoglobulin and fibronectin domains and one or two protein kinase domains. Although binding partners for a number of this family’s kinase domains have been identified, the catalytic necessity of these kinase domains remains unknown. In addition, various members of this kinase family are suspected pseudokinases with no or little activity. Here we address catalytic necessity for the first time, using the prototypic invertebrate representative twitchin (UNC-22) from Caenorhabditis elegans. In in vitro experiments, change of a conserved lysine (K) that is involved in ATP coordination to alanine (A) resulted in elimination of kinase activity without affecting the overall structure of the kinase domain. The same mutation, unc-22(sf21), was generated in the endogenous twitchin gene. The unc-22(sf21) worms have well-organized sarcomeres. However, unc-22(sf21) mutants move faster than wild-type worms and, by optogenetic experiments, contract more. Wild-type nematodes exhibited greater competitive fitness than unc-22(sf21) mutants. Thus the catalytic activity of twitchin kinase has a role in vivo, where it inhibits muscle activity and is likely maintained by selection.


1994 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Holtzman ◽  
K F Wertman ◽  
D G Drubin

An in vivo strategy to identify amino acids of actin required for functional interactions with actin-binding proteins was developed. This approach is based on the assumption that an actin mutation that specifically impairs the interaction with an actin-binding protein will cause a phenotype similar to a null mutation in the gene that encodes the actin-binding protein. 21 actin mutations were analyzed in budding yeast, and specific regions of actin subdomain 1 were implicated in the interaction with fimbrin, an actin filament-bundling protein. Mutations in this actin subdomain were shown to be, like a null allele of the yeast fimbrin gene (SAC6), lethal in combination with null mutations in the ABP1 and SLA2 genes, and viable in combination with a null mutation in the SLA1 gene. Biochemical experiments with act1-120 actin (E99A, E100A) verified a defect in the fimbrin-actin interaction. Genetic interactions between mutant alleles of the yeast actin gene and null alleles of the SAC6, ABP1, SLA1, and SLA2 genes also demonstrated that the effects of the 21 actin mutations are diverse and allowed four out of seven pseudo-wild-type actin alleles to be distinguished from the wild-type gene for the first time, providing evidence for functional redundancy between different surfaces of actin.


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