scholarly journals The Carboxy-Terminal Fragment of Nucleolin Interacts with the Nucleocapsid Domain of Retroviral Gag Proteins and Inhibits Virion Assembly

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (23) ◽  
pp. 11027-11039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eran Bacharach ◽  
Jason Gonsky ◽  
Kimona Alin ◽  
Marianna Orlova ◽  
Stephen P. Goff
Keyword(s):  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Gag Protein ◽  
Virion Assembly ◽  
Gag Proteins ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

ABSTRACT A yeast two-hybrid screen for cellular proteins that interact with the murine leukemia virus (MuLV) Gag protein resulted in the identification of nucleolin, a host protein known to function in ribosome assembly. The interacting fusions contained the carboxy-terminal 212 amino acids of nucleolin [Nuc(212)]. The nucleocapsid (NC) portion of Gag was necessary and sufficient to mediate the binding to Nuc(212). The interaction of Gag with Nuc(212) could be demonstrated in vitro and was manifested in vivo by the NC-dependent incorporation of Nuc(212) inside MuLV virions. Overexpression of Nuc(212), but not full-length nucleolin, potently and specifically blocked MuLV virion assembly and/or release. A mutant of MuLV, selected to specifically disrupt the binding to Nuc(212), was found to be severely defective for virion assembly. This mutant harbors a single point mutation in capsid (CA) adjacent to the CA-NC junction, suggesting a role for this region in Moloney MuLV assembly. These experiments demonstrate that selection for proteins that bind assembly domain(s) can yield potent inhibitors of virion assembly. These experiments also raise the possibility that a nucleolin-Gag interaction may be involved in virion assembly.

scholarly journals Sulfated non-anticoagulant heparin derivative modifies intracellular hemoglobin, inhibits cell sickling in vitro, and prolongs survival of sickle cell mice under hypoxia

Haematologica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osheiza Abdulmalik ◽  
Noureldien H. E. Darwish ◽  
Vandhana Muralidharan-Chari ◽  
Maii Abu Taleb ◽  
Shaker A. Mousa
Keyword(s):  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Anticoagulant Activity ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Bleeding Complications ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Repeated Dosing ◽  
Heparin Derivative

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by a single point mutation, resulting in abnormal sickle hemoglobin (HbS). During hypoxia or dehydration, HbS polymerizes to form insoluble aggregates and induces sickling of red blood cells (RBCs). RBC sickling increases adhesiveness of RBCs to alter the rheological properties of the blood and triggers inflammatory responses, leading to hemolysis and vaso-occlusive crisis sequelae. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular weight heparins (LMWH) have been suggested as treatments to relieve coagulation complications in SCD. However, they are associated with bleeding complications after repeated dosing. An alternative sulfated nonanticoagulant heparin derivative (S-NACH) was previously reported to have none to low systemic anticoagulant activity and no bleeding side effects, and it interfered with P-selectindependent binding of sickle cells to endothelial cells, with concomitant decrease in the levels of adhesion biomarkers in SCD mice. S-NACH has been further engineered and structurally enhanced to bind with and modify HbS to directly inhibit sickling, thus employing a multimodal approach. Here, we show that S-NACH can (i) directly engage in Schiff-base reactions with HbS to decrease RBC sickling under both normoxia and hypoxia in vitro, ii) prolong the survival of SCD mice under hypoxia, and (iii) regulate the altered steady state levels of pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines. Thus, our proof of concept in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies demonstrate that the multimodal S-NACH is a highly promising candidate for development into an improved and optimized alternative to LMWHs for the treatment of patients with SCD.

scholarly journals FtsZ-Dependent Elongation of a Coccoid Bacterium

mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana R. Pereira ◽  
Jen Hsin ◽  
Ewa Król ◽  
Andreia C. Tavares ◽  
Pierre Flores ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Spherical Shape ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

ABSTRACT A mechanistic understanding of the determination and maintenance of the simplest bacterial cell shape, a sphere, remains elusive compared with that of more complex shapes. Cocci seem to lack a dedicated elongation machinery, and a spherical shape has been considered an evolutionary dead-end morphology, as a transition from a spherical to a rod-like shape has never been observed in bacteria. Here we show that a Staphylococcus aureus mutant (M5) expressing the ftsZ G193D allele exhibits elongated cells. Molecular dynamics simulations and in vitro studies indicate that FtsZ G193D filaments are more twisted and shorter than wild-type filaments. In vivo , M5 cell wall deposition is initiated asymmetrically, only on one side of the cell, and progresses into a helical pattern rather than into a constricting ring as in wild-type cells. This helical pattern of wall insertion leads to elongation, as in rod-shaped cells. Thus, structural flexibility of FtsZ filaments can result in an FtsZ-dependent mechanism for generating elongated cells from cocci. IMPORTANCE The mechanisms by which bacteria generate and maintain even the simplest cell shape remain an elusive but fundamental question in microbiology. In the absence of examples of coccus-to-rod transitions, the spherical shape has been suggested to be an evolutionary dead end in morphogenesis. We describe the first observation of the generation of elongated cells from truly spherical cocci, occurring in a Staphylococcus aureus mutant containing a single point mutation in its genome, in the gene encoding the bacterial tubulin homologue FtsZ. We demonstrate that FtsZ-dependent cell elongation is possible, even in the absence of dedicated elongation machinery.

scholarly journals Neoplastic transformation induced by an activated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (pp56lck).

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 540-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Marth ◽  
J A Cooper ◽  
C S King ◽  
S F Ziegler ◽  
D A Tinker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Cell Transformation ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Tyrosine Residue ◽  
Protein Tyrosine ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

The lck proto-oncogene encodes a lymphocyte-specific member of the src family of protein tyrosine kinases. Here we demonstrate that pp56lck is phosphorylated in vivo at a carboxy-terminal tyrosine residue (Tyr-505) analogous to Tyr-527 of pp60c-src. Substitution of phenylalanine for tyrosine at this position resulted in increased phosphorylation of a second tyrosine residue (Tyr-394) and was associated with an increase in apparent kinase activity. In addition, this single point mutation unmasked the oncogenic potential of pp56lck in NIH 3T3 cell transformation assays. Viewed in the context of similar results obtained with pp60c-src, it is likely that the enzymatic activity and transforming ability of all src-family protein tyrosine kinases can be regulated by carboxy-terminal tyrosine phosphorylation. We further demonstrate that overexpression of pp56lck in the murine T-cell lymphoma LSTRA as a result of a retroviral insertion event produces a kinase protein that despite wild-type primary structure is nevertheless hypophosphorylated at Tyr-505. Thus, control of normal growth in this lymphoid cell line may have been abrogated through acquisition of a posttranslationally activated version of pp56lck.

scholarly journals Robotic QM/MM-driven maturation of antibody combining sites

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. e1501695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan V. Smirnov ◽  
Andrey V. Golovin ◽  
Spyros D. Chatziefthimiou ◽  
Anastasiya V. Stepanova ◽  
Yingjie Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
In Vitro Selection ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Combinatorial Libraries ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Maturation Function

In vitro selection of antibodies from large repertoires of immunoglobulin (Ig) combining sites using combinatorial libraries is a powerful tool, with great potential for generating in vivo scavengers for toxins. However, addition of a maturation function is necessary to enable these selected antibodies to more closely mimic the full mammalian immune response. We approached this goal using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations to achieve maturation in silico. We preselected A17, an Ig template, from a naïve library for its ability to disarm a toxic pesticide related to organophosphorus nerve agents. Virtual screening of 167,538 robotically generated mutants identified an optimum single point mutation, which experimentally boosted wild-type Ig scavenger performance by 170-fold. We validated the QM/MM predictions via kinetic analysis and crystal structures of mutant apo-A17 and covalently modified Ig, thereby identifying the displacement of one water molecule by an arginine as delivering this catalysis.

Neoplastic transformation induced by an activated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (pp56lck)

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 540-550
Author(s):  
J D Marth ◽  
J A Cooper ◽  
C S King ◽  
S F Ziegler ◽  
D A Tinker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Cell Transformation ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Tyrosine Residue ◽  
Protein Tyrosine ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

The lck proto-oncogene encodes a lymphocyte-specific member of the src family of protein tyrosine kinases. Here we demonstrate that pp56lck is phosphorylated in vivo at a carboxy-terminal tyrosine residue (Tyr-505) analogous to Tyr-527 of pp60c-src. Substitution of phenylalanine for tyrosine at this position resulted in increased phosphorylation of a second tyrosine residue (Tyr-394) and was associated with an increase in apparent kinase activity. In addition, this single point mutation unmasked the oncogenic potential of pp56lck in NIH 3T3 cell transformation assays. Viewed in the context of similar results obtained with pp60c-src, it is likely that the enzymatic activity and transforming ability of all src-family protein tyrosine kinases can be regulated by carboxy-terminal tyrosine phosphorylation. We further demonstrate that overexpression of pp56lck in the murine T-cell lymphoma LSTRA as a result of a retroviral insertion event produces a kinase protein that despite wild-type primary structure is nevertheless hypophosphorylated at Tyr-505. Thus, control of normal growth in this lymphoid cell line may have been abrogated through acquisition of a posttranslationally activated version of pp56lck.

Structural determinants of virion assembly and release in the C-terminus of the M-PMV capsid protein

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene V. Buckmaster ◽  
Kaneil K. Zadrozny ◽  
Barbie K. Ganser-Pornillos ◽  
Owen Pornillos ◽  
Stephen P. Goff
Keyword(s):  
Capsid Protein ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Particle Assembly ◽  
Gag Protein ◽  
Virion Assembly ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Hiv 1

The transition from an immature to a fully infectious mature retrovirus particle is associated with molecular switches that trigger dramatic conformational changes in the structure of the Gag proteins. A dominant maturation switch that stabilizes the immature capsid lattice is located downstream of the capsid (CA) protein in many retroviral Gags. The HIV-1 Gag contains a stretch of five amino acid residues termed the ‘clasp motif’, important for the organization of the hexameric subunits that provide stability to the overall immature HIV-1 shell. Sequence alignment of the CA C-terminal domains (CTDs) of the HIV-1 and Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus (M-PMV) highlighted a spacer-like domain in M-PMV that may provide comparable function. The importance of the sequences spanning the CA-NC cleavage has been demonstrated by mutagenesis, but the specific requirements for the clasp motif in several steps of M-PMV particle assembly and maturation have not been determined in detail. In the present study we report an examination of the role of the clasp motif in the M-PMV life cycle. We generated a series of M-PMV Gag mutants and assayed for assembly of the recombinant protein in vitro , and for the assembly, maturation, release, genomic RNA packaging, and infectivity of the mutant virus in vivo . The mutants revealed major defects in virion assembly and release in 293T and HeLa cells, and even larger defects in infectivity. Our data identifies the clasp motif as a fundamental contributor to CA-CTD interactions necessary for efficient viral infection. Importance The C-terminal domain of the capsid protein of many retroviruses has been shown to be critical for virion assembly and maturation, but the functions of this region of M-PMV are uncertain. We show that a short ‘clasp’ motif in the capsid domain of the M-PMV Gag protein plays a key role in M-PMV virion assembly, genome packaging, and infectivity.

scholarly journals Cooperative Binding of Heat Shock Factor to the Yeast HSP82 Promoter In Vivo and In Vitro

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1627-1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander M. Erkine ◽  
Serena F. Magrogan ◽  
Edward A. Sekinger ◽  
David S. Gross
Keyword(s):  
Heat Shock ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Heat Shock Factor ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Heat Shock Element ◽  
Cooperative Interactions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Order Of Magnitude

ABSTRACT Previous work has shown that heat shock factor (HSF) plays a central role in remodeling the chromatin structure of the yeastHSP82 promoter via constitutive interactions with its high-affinity binding site, heat shock element 1 (HSE1). The HSF-HSE1 interaction is also critical for stimulating both basal (noninduced) and induced transcription. By contrast, the function of the adjacent, inducibly occupied HSE2 and -3 is unknown. In this study, we examined the consequences of mutations in HSE1, HSE2, and HSE3 on HSF binding and transactivation. We provide evidence that in vivo, HSF binds to these three sites cooperatively. This cooperativity is seen both before and after heat shock, is required for full inducibility, and can be recapitulated in vitro on both linear and supercoiled templates. Quantitative in vitro footprinting reveals that occupancy of HSE2 and -3 by Saccharomyces cerevisiae HSF (ScHSF) is enhanced ∼100-fold through cooperative interactions with the HSF-HSE1 complex. HSE1 point mutants, whose basal transcription is virtually abolished, are functionally compensated by cooperative interactions with HSE2 and -3 following heat shock, resulting in robust inducibility. Using a competition binding assay, we show that the affinity of recombinant HSF for the full-length HSP82promoter is reduced nearly an order of magnitude by a single-point mutation within HSE1, paralleling the effect of these mutations on noninduced transcript levels. We propose that the remodeled chromatin phenotype previously shown for HSE1 point mutants (and lost in HSE1 deletion mutants) stems from the retention of productive, cooperative interactions between HSF and its target binding sites.

scholarly journals Sickling Cells, Cyclic Nucleotides, and Protein Kinases: The Pathophysiology of Urogenital Disorders in Sickle Cell Anemia

Anemia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Angelo Claudino ◽  
Kleber Yotsumoto Fertrin
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinases ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Sickle Cell Anemia ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotides ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Tract Infections

Sickle cell anemia is one of the best studied inherited diseases, and despite being caused by a single point mutation in theHBBgene, multiple pleiotropic effects of the abnormal hemoglobin S production range from vaso-occlusive crisis, stroke, and pulmonary hypertension to osteonecrosis and leg ulcers. Urogenital function is not spared, and although priapism is most frequently remembered, other related clinical manifestations have been described, such as nocturia, enuresis, increased frequence of lower urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, hypogonadism, and testicular infarction. Studies on sickle cell vaso-occlusion and priapism using bothin vitroandin vivomodels have shed light on the pathogenesis of some of these events. The authors review what is known about the deleterious effects of sickling on the genitourinary tract and how the role of cyclic nucleotides signaling and protein kinases may help understand the pathophysiology underlying these manifestations and develop novel therapies in the setting of urogenital disorders in sickle cell disease.

scholarly journals Binding of Murine Leukemia Virus Gag Polyproteins to KIF4, a Microtubule-Based Motor Protein

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 6898-6901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wankee Kim ◽  
Yao Tang ◽  
Yasushi Okada ◽  
Ted A. Torrey ◽  
Sisir K. Chattopadhyay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Motor Protein ◽  
Cellular Protein ◽  
Gag Proteins ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Murine Leukemia

ABSTRACT A cDNA clone encoding a cellular protein that interacts with murine leukemia virus (MuLV) Gag proteins was isolated from a T-cell lymphoma library. The sequence of the clone is identical to the C terminus of a cellular protein, KIF4, a microtubule-associated motor protein that belongs to the kinesin superfamily. KIF4-MuLV Gag associations have been detected in vitro and in vivo in mammalian cells. We suggest that KIF4 could be involved in Gag polyprotein translocation from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane.

scholarly journals The Glycosylated Gag Protein of a Murine Leukemia Virus Inhibits the Antiretroviral Function of APOBEC3

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (20) ◽  
pp. 10933-10936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Kolokithas ◽  
Kyle Rosenke ◽  
Frank Malik ◽  
Duncan Hendrick ◽  
Lukas Swanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Gag Protein ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Vif Protein ◽  
Retroviral Infections ◽  
Murine Leukemia

ABSTRACT APOBEC proteins have evolved as innate defenses against retroviral infections. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encodes the Vif protein to evade human APOBEC3G; however, mouse retroviruses do not encode a Vif homologue, and it has not been understood how they evade mouse APOBEC3. We report here a murine leukemia virus (MuLV) that utilizes its glycosylated Gag protein (gGag) to evade APOBEC3. gGag is critical for infection of in vitro cell lines in the presence of APOBEC3. Furthermore, a gGag-deficient virus restricted for replication in wild-type mice replicates efficiently in APOBEC3 knockout mice, implying a novel role of gGag in circumventing the action of APOBEC3 in vivo.

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