scholarly journals Mutation of Two Mycoplasma arthritidis Surface Lipoproteins with Divergent Functions in Cytadherence

2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 5768-5776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Bird ◽  
Kelly Graber ◽  
Allison Knutson ◽  
Leigh R. Washburn

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma arthritidis is a natural pathogen of rats, causing an acute polyarthritis. Previous studies identified two membrane-bound lipoproteins, Maa1 and Maa2, thought to be associated with cytadherence of M. arthritidis strain 158p10p9. We have since confirmed that Maa1 is a major adhesin, although the role of Maa2 has proven more elusive. Both proteins were capable of eliciting protective immunity in rats against challenge with the virulent strain 158p10p9, suggesting that they may be important in pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to better understand the roles of Maa1 and Maa2 in cytadherence in vitro. Insertion mutants were created for both genes by transposon mutagenesis. In vitro adherence of the Maa1 mutant KOMaa1 to rat L2 lung cells was reduced to the level previously reported for a spontaneous low-adherence mutant of 158p10p9 in which Maa1 is truncated and nonfunctional. Surprisingly, adherence of the Maa2 mutant KOMaa2 was approximately fivefold greater than that of the wild type. Complementation of KOMaa1 and KOMaa2 with wild-type alleles of maa1 and maa2, respectively, returned adherence to wild-type levels. This work confirms our earlier observation that Maa1 is a major adhesin for M. arthritidis strain 158p10p9. Maa2, on the other hand, may play a suppressive or modulatory role, possibly serving to release organisms from microcolonies at certain stages of infection.

2000 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Gautreau ◽  
Daniel Louvard ◽  
Monique Arpin

ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins act as linkers between the plasma membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. An interaction between their NH2- and COOH-terminal domains occurs intramolecularly in closed monomers and intermolecularly in head-to-tail oligomers. In vitro, phosphorylation of a conserved threonine residue (T567 in ezrin) in the COOH-terminal domain of ERM proteins disrupts this interaction. Here, we have analyzed the role of this phosphorylation event in vivo, by deriving stable clones producing wild-type, T567A, and T567D ezrin from LLC-PK1 epithelial cells. We found that T567A ezrin was poorly associated with the cytoskeleton, but was able to form oligomers. In contrast, T567D ezrin was associated with the cytoskeleton, but its distribution was shifted from oligomers to monomers at the membrane. Moreover, production of T567D ezrin induced the formation of lamellipodia, membrane ruffles, and tufts of microvilli. Both T567A and T567D ezrin affected the development of multicellular epithelial structures. Collectively, these results suggest that phosphorylation of ERM proteins on this conserved threonine regulates the transition from membrane-bound oligomers to active monomers, which induce and are part of actin-rich membrane projections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 6865
Author(s):  
Eun Seon Lee ◽  
Joung Hun Park ◽  
Seong Dong Wi ◽  
Ho Byoung Chae ◽  
Seol Ki Paeng ◽  
...  

The thioredoxin-h (Trx-h) family of Arabidopsis thaliana comprises cytosolic disulfide reductases. However, the physiological function of Trx-h2, which contains an additional 19 amino acids at its N-terminus, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the molecular function of Trx-h2 both in vitro and in vivo and found that Arabidopsis Trx-h2 overexpression (Trx-h2OE) lines showed significantly longer roots than wild-type plants under cold stress. Therefore, we further investigated the role of Trx-h2 under cold stress. Our results revealed that Trx-h2 functions as an RNA chaperone by melting misfolded and non-functional RNAs, and by facilitating their correct folding into active forms with native conformation. We showed that Trx-h2 binds to and efficiently melts nucleic acids (ssDNA, dsDNA, and RNA), and facilitates the export of mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm under cold stress. Moreover, overexpression of Trx-h2 increased the survival rate of the cold-sensitive E. coli BX04 cells under low temperature. Thus, our data show that Trx-h2 performs function as an RNA chaperone under cold stress, thus increasing plant cold tolerance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1825
Author(s):  
Li Hao ◽  
Aaron J. Marshall ◽  
Lixin Liu

Bam32 (B cell adaptor molecule of 32 kDa) functions in the immune responses of various leukocytes. However, the role of neutrophil Bam32 in inflammation is entirely unknown. Here, we determined the role of Bam32 in chemokine CXCL2-induced neutrophil chemotaxis in three mouse models of neutrophil recruitment. By using intravital microscopy in the mouse cremaster muscle, we found that transmigrated neutrophil number, neutrophil chemotaxis velocity, and total neutrophil chemotaxis distance were increased in Bam32−/− mice when compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In CXCL2-induced mouse peritonitis, the total emigrated neutrophils were increased in Bam32−/− mice at 2 but not 4 h. The CXCL2-induced chemotaxis distance and migration velocity of isolated Bam32−/− neutrophils in vitro were increased. We examined the activation of small GTPases Rac1, Rac2, and Rap1; the levels of phospho-Akt2 and total Akt2; and their crosstalk with Bam32 in neutrophils. The deficiency of Bam32 suppressed Rap1 activation without changing the activation of Rac1 and Rac2. The pharmacological inhibition of Rap1 by geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitor (GGTI298) increased WT neutrophil chemotaxis. In addition, the deficiency of Bam32, as well as the inhibition of Rap1 activation, increased the levels of CXCL2-induced Akt1/2 phosphorylation at Thr308/309 in neutrophils. The inhibition of Akt by SH-5 attenuated CXCL2-induced adhesion and emigration in Bam32−/− mice. Together, our results reveal that Bam32 has a suppressive role in chemokine-induced neutrophil chemotaxis by regulating Rap1 activation and that this role of Bam32 in chemokine-induced neutrophil recruitment relies on the activation of PI3K effector Akt.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (3) ◽  
pp. H337-H345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Gotha ◽  
Sang Yup Lim ◽  
Azriel B. Osherov ◽  
Rafael Wolff ◽  
Beiping Qiang ◽  
...  

Perlecan is a proteoglycan composed of a 470-kDa core protein linked to three heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycan chains. The intact proteoglycan inhibits the smooth muscle cell (SMC) response to vascular injury. Hspg2Δ3/Δ3 (MΔ3/Δ3) mice produce a mutant perlecan lacking the HS side chains. The objective of this study was to determine differences between these two types of perlecan in modifying SMC activities to the arterial injury response, in order to define the specific role of the HS side chains. In vitro proliferative and migratory activities were compared in SMC isolated from MΔ3/Δ3 and wild-type mice. Proliferation of MΔ3/Δ3 SMC was 1.5× greater than in wild type ( P < 0.001), increased by addition of growth factors, and showed a 42% greater migratory response than wild-type cells to PDGF-BB ( P < 0.001). In MΔ3/Δ3 SMC adhesion to fibronectin, and collagen types I and IV was significantly greater than wild type. Addition of DRL-12582, an inducer of perlecan expression, decreased proliferation and migratory response to PDGF-BB stimulation in wild-type SMC compared with MΔ3/Δ3. In an in vivo carotid artery wire injury model, the medial thickness, medial area/lumen ratio, and macrophage infiltration were significantly increased in the MΔ3/Δ3 mice, indicating a prominent role of the HS side chain in limiting vascular injury response. Mutant perlecan that lacks HS side chains had a marked reduction in the inhibition of in vitro SMC function and the in vivo arterial response to injury, indicating the critical role of HS side chains in perlecan function in the vessel wall.


2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (24) ◽  
pp. 8565-8574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Greenberg ◽  
Paul Schedl

ABSTRACT The Drosophila melanogaster GAGA factor (encoded by the Trithorax-like [Trl] gene) is required for correct chromatin architecture at diverse chromosomal sites. The Trl gene encodes two alternatively spliced isoforms of the GAGA factor (GAGA-519 and GAGA-581) that are identical except for the length and sequence of the C-terminal glutamine-rich (Q) domain. In vitro and tissue culture experiments failed to find any functional difference between the two isoforms. We made a set of transgenes that constitutively express cDNAs coding for either of the isoforms with the goal of elucidating their roles in vivo. Phenotypic analysis of the transgenes in Trl mutant background led us to the conclusion that GAGA-519 and GAGA-581 perform different, albeit largely overlapping, functions. We also expressed a fusion protein with LacZ disrupting the Q domain of GAGA-519. This LacZ fusion protein compensated for the loss of wild-type GAGA factor to a surprisingly large extent. This suggests that the Q domain either is not required for the essential functions performed by the GAGA protein or is exclusively used for tetramer formation. These results are inconsistent with a major role of the Q domain in chromatin remodeling or transcriptional activation. We also found that GAGA-LacZ was able to associate with sites not normally occupied by the GAGA factor, pointing to a role of the Q domain in binding site choice in vivo.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul White ◽  
Samuel F. Haysom ◽  
Matthew G. Iadanza ◽  
Anna J. Higgins ◽  
Jonathan M. Machin ◽  
...  

AbstractThe folding of β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in Gram-negative bacteria is catalysed by the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM). How lateral opening in the β-barrel of the major subunit BamA assists in OMP folding, and the contribution of membrane disruption to BAM catalysis remain unresolved. Here, we use an anti-BamA monoclonal antibody fragment (Fab1) and two disulphide-crosslinked BAM variants (lid-locked (LL), and POTRA-5-locked (P5L)) to dissect these roles. Despite being lethal in vivo, we show that all complexes catalyse folding in vitro, albeit less efficiently than wild-type BAM. CryoEM reveals that while Fab1 and BAM-P5L trap an open-barrel state, BAM-LL contains a mixture of closed and contorted, partially-open structures. Finally, all three complexes globally destabilise the lipid bilayer, while BamA does not, revealing that the BAM lipoproteins are required for this function. Together the results provide insights into the role of BAM structure and lipid dynamics in OMP folding.


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.


2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 4985-4995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo G. Torres ◽  
James B. Kaper

ABSTRACT Adherence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) to the intestinal epithelium is essential for initiation of infection. Intimin is the only factor demonstrated to play a role in intestinal colonization by EHEC O157:H7. Other attempts to identify additional adhesion factors in vitro have been unsuccessful, suggesting that expression of these factors is under tight regulation. We sought to identify genes involved in the control of adherence of EHEC O157:H7 to cultured epithelial cells. A total of 5,000 independent transposon insertion mutants were screened for their ability to adhere to HeLa cells, and 7 mutants were isolated with a markedly enhanced adherence. The mutants adhered at levels 113 to 170% that of the wild-type strain, and analysis of the protein profiles of these mutants revealed several proteins differentially expressed under in vitro culture conditions. We determined the sequence of the differentially expressed proteins and further investigated the function of OmpA, whose expression was increased in a mutant with an insertionally inactivated tcdA gene. An isogenic ompA mutant showed reduced adherence compared to the parent strain. Disruption of the ompA gene in the tdcA mutant strain abolished the hyperadherent phenotype, and anti-OmpA serum inhibited adhesion of wild-type and tdcA mutant strains to HeLa cells. Enhanced adhesion mediated by OmpA was also observed with Caco-2 cells, and anti-OmpA serum blocked adherence to HeLa cells of other EHEC O157:H7 strains. Our results indicate that multiple elements control adherence and OmpA acts as an adhesin in EHEC O157:H7.


1984 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 386-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda J. Reha-Krantz ◽  
Sükran Parmaksizoglu

The effect of temperature on genetically well-defined mutational pathways was examined in the bacteriophage T4. The mutational site was a T4 rII ochre mutant which could revert to rII+ via a transversion or to the amber convertant via a transition. Temperature did not strongly affect any of the pathways examined in a wild-type background; however, increased temperature reduced the mutational activity of a mutator DNA polymerase mutant. Possible models to explain the role of temperature in mutagenesis are discussed as well as the significance of low temperatures for in vitro mutagenesis reactions.Key words: bacteriophage T4, mutator, transition, transversion, temperature effects.


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