scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of Ancylostoma ceylanicum Kunitz-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor: Evidence for a Role in Hookworm-Associated Growth Delay

2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 2214-2221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Chu ◽  
Richard D. Bungiro ◽  
Maureen Ibanez ◽  
Lisa M. Harrison ◽  
Eva Campodonico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Serine Proteases ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Deficiency Anemia ◽  
Growth Delay ◽  
Ancylostoma Ceylanicum ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Kunitz Type

ABSTRACT Hookworm infection is a major cause of iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition in developing countries. The Ancylostoma ceylanicum Kunitz-type inhibitor (AceKI) is a 7.9-kDa broad-spectrum inhibitor of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pancreatic elastase that has previously been isolated from adult hookworms. Site-directed mutagenesis of the predicted P1 inhibitory reactive site amino acid confirmed the role of Met26 in mediating inhibition of the three target serine proteases. By using reverse transcription-PCR, it was demonstrated that the level of AceKI gene expression increased following activation of third-stage larvae with serum and that the highest level of expression was reached in the adult stage of the parasite. Immunohistochemistry studies performed with polyclonal immunoglobulin G raised against recombinant AceKI showed that the inhibitor localized to the subcuticle of the adult hookworm, suggesting that it has a potential in vivo role in neutralizing intestinal proteases at the surface of the parasite. Immunization with recombinant AceKI was shown to confer partial protection against hookworm-associated growth delay without a measurable effect on anemia. Taken together, the data suggest that AceKI plays a role in the pathogenesis of hookworm-associated malnutrition and growth delay, perhaps through inhibition of nutrient absorption in infected hosts.

Distinct functional contributions of 2 GABP–NRF-2 recognition sites within the context of the human TOMM70 promoter

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 813-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
José R. Blesa ◽  
José Hernández-Yago
Keyword(s):  
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Outer Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Mobility Shift ◽  
A Subunit ◽  
Expression Evidence ◽  
Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assays

TOMM70 is a subunit of the outer mitochondrial membrane translocase that plays a major role as a receptor of hydrophobic preproteins targeted to mitochondria. We have previously reported 2 binding sites for the transcription factor GABP–NRF-2 in the promoter region of the human TOMM70 gene that are important in activating transcription. To assess the functionality and actual role of these sites, chromatin immunoprecipitation, site-directed mutagenesis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were carried out. We conclude that GABP–NRF-2 binds in vivo to the TOMM70 promoter, and that the 2 GABP–NRF-2 binding sites of the promoter have different functional contributions in promoting TOMM70 expression. Evidence is provided that they work in an additive manner as single sites.

scholarly journals Kallikrein 12 Regulates Innate Resistance of Murine Macrophages against Mycobacterium bovis Infection by Modulating Autophagy and Apoptosis

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveed Sabir ◽  
Tariq Hussain ◽  
Yi Liao ◽  
Jie Wang ◽  
Yinjuan Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Serine Proteases ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Murine Macrophages ◽  
Immune Response Regulation ◽  
The Difference

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) complex causing bovine tuberculosis (TB) and imposing a high zoonotic threat to human health. Kallikreins (KLKs) belong to a subgroup of secreted serine proteases. As their role is established in various physiological and pathological processes, it is likely that KLKs expression may mediate a host immune response against the M. bovis infection. In the current study, we report in vivo and in vitro upregulation of KLK12 in the M. bovis infection. To define the role of KLK12 in immune response regulation of murine macrophages, we produced KLK12 knockdown bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) by using siRNA transfection. Interestingly, the knockdown of KLK12 resulted in a significant downregulation of autophagy and apoptosis in M. bovis infected BMDMs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this KLK12 mediated regulation of autophagy and apoptosis involves mTOR/AMPK/TSC2 and BAX/Bcl-2/Cytochrome c/Caspase 3 pathways, respectively. Similarly, inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α were significantly downregulated in KLK12 knockdown macrophages but the difference in IL-10 and IFN-β expression was non-significant. Taken together, these findings suggest that upregulation of KLK12 in M. bovis infected murine macrophages plays a substantial role in the protective immune response regulation by modulating autophagy, apoptosis and pro-inflammatory pathways. To our knowledge, this is the first report on expression and the role of KLK12 in the M. bovis infection and the data may contribute to a new paradigm for diagnosis and treatment of bovine TB.

THE ROLE OF NEUTROPHIL SERINE PROTEASES IN LEUKOCYTE MIGRATION IN VIVO

Shock ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
C. M. Moser ◽  
D. E. Jenne ◽  
H. Pfister ◽  
M. Ollert ◽  
F. Krombach
Keyword(s):  
Serine Proteases ◽  
Leukocyte Migration

scholarly journals Interleukin-10 and Antigen-Presenting Cells Actively Suppress Th1 Cells in BALB/c Mice Infected with the Filarial Parasite Brugia pahangi

1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1599-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Osborne ◽  
Eileen Devaney
Keyword(s):  
Interleukin 10 ◽  
Interleukin 4 ◽  
Th1 Cells ◽  
Spleen Cells ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Antigen Presenting ◽  
Th1 Cytokines

ABSTRACT Infection with the third-stage larvae (L3) of the filarial nematodeBrugia results in a Th2-biased immune response in mice and humans. Previously we have shown that the production of interleukin 4 (IL-4) is critical for down-regulating polyclonal Th1 responses in L3-infected mice. However, the in vitro neutralization of IL-4 did not fully recover the defective polyclonal Th1 responses, nor did it result in the production of any antigen (Ag)-specific Th1 cytokines, suggesting that perhaps infection with L3 does not result in priming of Th1 cells in vivo. In this study, we analyzed the role of IL-10 and Ag-presenting cells (APCs) in the spleen as additional factors controlling the Th2 bias in infected mice. Our data show that IL-10 and APCs also contribute to the suppression of mitogen-driven Th1 responses of spleen cells from infected mice. In addition, the neutralization of IL-10 or the replacement of the resident APC population from spleen cell cultures resulted in the production of Ag-specific Th1 cytokines. Irradiated spleen cells from either L3-infected or uninfected mice were able to restore Ag-specific Th1 responses in vitro. Therefore, it appears that Brugia-reactive Th1 cells are primed following infection with L3, but are actively suppressed in vivo by a mechanism that involves IL-10 and the resident APC population, but not IL-4. These results indicate that a complex interplay of cytokines and cell populations underscores the Th2-polarized response in L3-infected mice.

scholarly journals Role of the Dinitrogenase Reductase Arginine 101 Residue in Dinitrogenase Reductase ADP-Ribosyltransferase Binding, NAD Binding, and Cleavage

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (1) ◽  
pp. 250-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Ma ◽  
Paul W. Ludden
Keyword(s):  
Rhodospirillum Rubrum ◽  
Nitrogenase Activity ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Adp Ribosylation ◽  
Dinitrogenase Reductase ◽  
Adp Ribosyltransferase

ABSTRACT Dinitrogenase reductase is posttranslationally regulated by dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyltransferase (DRAT) via ADP-ribosylation of the arginine 101 residue in some bacteria.Rhodospirillum rubrum strains in which the arginine 101 of dinitrogenase reductase was replaced by tyrosine, phenylalanine, or leucine were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis of thenifH gene. The strain containing the R101F form of dinitrogenase reductase retains 91%, the strain containing the R101Y form retains 72%, and the strain containing the R101L form retains only 28% of in vivo nitrogenase activity of the strain containing the dinitrogenase reductase with arginine at position 101. In vivo acetylene reduction assays, immunoblotting with anti-dinitrogenase reductase antibody, and [adenylate-32P]NAD labeling experiments showed that no switch-off of nitrogenase activity occurred in any of the three mutants and no ADP-ribosylation of altered dinitrogenase reductases occurred either in vivo or in vitro. Altered dinitrogenase reductases from strains UR629 (R101Y) and UR630 (R101F) were purified to homogeneity. The R101F and R101Y forms of dinitrogenase reductase were able to form a complex with DRAT that could be chemically cross-linked by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide. The R101F form of dinitrogenase reductase and DRAT together were not able to cleave NAD. This suggests that arginine 101 is not critical for the binding of DRAT to dinitrogenase reductase but that the availability of arginine 101 is important for NAD cleavage. Both DRAT and dinitrogenase reductase can be labeled by [carbonyl-14C]NAD individually upon UV irradiation, but most 14C label is incorporated into DRAT when both proteins are present. The ability of R101F dinitrogenase reductase to be labeled by [carbonyl-14C]NAD suggested that Arg 101 is not absolutely required for NAD binding.

scholarly journals cdk1- and cdk2-Mediated Phosphorylation of MyoD Ser200 in Growing C2 Myoblasts: Role in Modulating MyoD Half-Life and Myogenic Activity

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 3167-3176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Kitzmann ◽  
Marie Vandromme ◽  
Valerie Schaeffer ◽  
Gilles Carnac ◽  
Jean-Claude Labbé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Half Life ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Cyclin B ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Box ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Phosphopeptide Mapping

ABSTRACT We have examined the role of protein phosphorylation in the modulation of the key muscle-specific transcription factor MyoD. We show that MyoD is highly phosphorylated in growing myoblasts and undergoes substantial dephosphorylation during differentiation. MyoD can be efficiently phosphorylated in vitro by either purified cdk1-cyclin B or cdk1 and cdk2 immunoprecipitated from proliferative myoblasts. Comparative two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide mapping combined with site-directed mutagenesis revealed that cdk1 and cdk2 phosphorylate MyoD on serine 200 in proliferative myoblasts. In addition, when the seven proline-directed sites in MyoD were individually mutated, only substitution of serine 200 to a nonphosphorylatable alanine (MyoD-Ala200) abolished the slower-migrating hyperphosphorylated form of MyoD, seen either in vitro after phosphorylation by cdk1-cyclin B or in vivo following overexpression in 10T1/2 cells. The MyoD-Ala200 mutant displayed activity threefold higher than that of wild-type MyoD in transactivation of an E-box-dependent reporter gene and promoted markedly enhanced myogenic conversion and fusion of 10T1/2 fibroblasts into muscle cells. In addition, the half-life of MyoD-Ala200 protein was longer than that of wild-type MyoD, substantiating a role of Ser200 phosphorylation in regulating MyoD turnover in proliferative myoblasts. Taken together, our data show that direct phosphorylation of MyoD Ser200 by cdk1 and cdk2 plays an integral role in compromising MyoD activity during myoblast proliferation.

scholarly journals Mu-class glutathione transferase from Xenopus laevis: molecular cloning, expression and site-directed mutagenesis

2002 ◽  
Vol 365 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella De LUCA ◽  
Bartolo FAVALORO ◽  
Stefania ANGELUCCI ◽  
Paolo SACCHETTA ◽  
Carmine Di ILIO
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Glutathione Transferase ◽  
Structural Instability ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Calculated Molecular Mass

A cDNA encoding a Mu-class glutathione transferase (XlGSTM1-1) has been isolated from a Xenopus laevis liver library, and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. XlGSTM1-1 is composed of 219 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 25359Da. Unlike many mammalian Mu-class GSTs, XlGSTM1-1 has a narrow spectrum of substrate specificity and it is also less effective in conjugating 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. A notable structural feature of XlGSTM1-1 is the presence of the Cys-139 residue in place of the Glu-139, as well as the absence of the Cys-114 residue, present in other Mu-class GSTs, which is replaced by Ala. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments indicate that Cys-139 is not involved in the catalytic mechanism of XlGSTM1-1 but may be in part responsible for its structural instability, and experiments in vivo confirmed the role of this residue in stability. Evidence indicating that Arg-107 is essential for the 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene conjugation capacity of XlGSTM1-1 is also presented.

scholarly journals Dietary Iron Content Mediates Hookworm Pathogenesis In Vivo

2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Held ◽  
Richard D. Bungiro ◽  
Lisa M. Harrison ◽  
Iqbal Hamza ◽  
Michael Cappello
Keyword(s):  
Severe Disease ◽  
Host Susceptibility ◽  
Deficiency Anemia ◽  
Growth Delay ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Dietary Iron ◽  
Hookworm Infection ◽  
High Iron ◽  
Iron Restriction

ABSTRACT Hookworm infection is associated with growth delay and iron deficiency anemia in developing countries. A series of experiments were designed in order to test the hypothesis that host dietary iron restriction mediates susceptibility to hookworm infection using the hamster model of Ancylostoma ceylanicum. Animals were maintained on diets containing either 10 ppm iron (iron restricted) or 200 ppm iron (standard/high iron), followed by infection with A. ceylanicum third-stage larvae. Infected animals fed the standard diet exhibited statistically significant growth delay and reduced blood hemoglobin levels compared to uninfected controls on day 20 postinfection. In contrast, no statistically significant differences in weight or hemoglobin concentration were observed between infected and uninfected animals fed the iron-restricted diet. Moreover, iron-restricted animals were observed to have reduced intestinal worm burdens on day 10 and day 20 postinfection compared to those of animals maintained on the standard/high-iron diet. In a subsequent study, animals equilibrated on diets containing a range of iron levels (10 ppm, 40 ppm, 100 ppm, or 200 ppm) were infected with A. ceylanicum and followed for evidence of hookworm disease. Infected animals from the intermediate-dietary iron (40- and 100-ppm) groups exhibited greater weight loss and anemia than those in the low (10-ppm)- or high (200-ppm)-iron diet groups. Mortality was also significantly higher in the intermediate-dietary-iron groups. These data suggest that severe dietary iron restriction impairs hookworm development in vivo but that moderate iron restriction enhances host susceptibility to severe disease.

scholarly journals Message of nexin 1, a serine protease inhibitor, is accumulated in the follicular papilla during anagen of the hair cycle

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (12) ◽  
pp. 3867-3874 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.W. Yu ◽  
T. Yang ◽  
T. Sonoda ◽  
K. Gaffney ◽  
P.J. Jensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protease Inhibitor ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Serine Proteases ◽  
Mesenchymal Cells ◽  
Hair Cycle ◽  
Potent Protease Inhibitor ◽  
Arbitrarily Primed Pcr

A group of specialized mesenchymal cells located at the root of the mammalian hair follicle, known as the follicular or dermal papillary cells, are involved in regulating the hair cycle, during which keratinocytes of the lower follicle undergo proliferation, degeneration and regrowth. Using the arbitrarily primed-PCR approach, we have identified a 1.3 kb messenger RNA that is present in large quantities in cultured rat follicular papillary cells, but not in skin fibroblasts. This mRNA encodes nexin 1, a potent protease inhibitor that can inactivate several growth-modulating serine proteases including thrombin, urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator. In situ hybridization showed that nexin 1 message is accumulated in the follicular papilla cells of anagen follicles, but is undetectable in keratinocytes or other skin mesenchymal cells. In addition, nexin 1 message level varies widely among several immortalized rat vibrissa papillary cell lines, and these levels correlate well with the reported abilities of these cell lines to support in vivo follicular reconstitution. These results suggest a possible role of nexin 1 in regulating hair follicular growth.

Spatial regulation of Drosophila snake protease activity in the generation of dorsal-ventral polarity

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (12) ◽  
pp. 4127-4135 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.L. Smith ◽  
H. Giordano ◽  
M. Schwartz ◽  
R. DeLotto
Keyword(s):  
Serine Proteases ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Positional Information ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Drosophila Embryo ◽  
Perivitelline Space ◽  
Zymogen Activation

Positional information along the dorsal-ventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is acquired through a signal transduction pathway which employs a extracellular protease cascade. The sequential activation of serine protease zymogens results in the ventrally localized production of a ligand in the perivitelline space of the embryo. Snake is one of several serine proteases which function in generating the ventralizing signal. Here, we investigate the biochemical properties of Snake in vivo and in vitro using recombinant forms of the protease. Wild-type Snake zymogen completely rescues embryos from snake null females when microinjected into the perivitelline space. Biochemical evidence for a covalently associated two-chain form of the activated protease is presented. The contribution of the activation peptide region to zymogen activation was addressed using site-directed mutagenesis. The phenotypic rescue properties of an autoactivated form of Snake reveal that the covalently associated proenzyme polypeptide chain suppresses a dominant effect associated with the activated catalytic chain alone. Recombinant active catalytic chain was produced and found to be short lived as a recombinant protein. These results suggest a model in which the proenzyme polypeptide both stabilizes and targets the Snake catalytic chain to a ventrally localized activation complex within the perivitelline space.

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