Identification of overlapping DNA-binding and centromere-targeting domains in the human kinetochore protein CENP-C.

The kinetochore in eukaryotes serves as the chromosomal site of attachment for microtubules of the mitotic spindle and directs the movements necessary for proper chromosome segregation. In mammalian cells, the kinetochore is a highly differentiated trilaminar structure situated at the surface of the centromeric heterochromatin. CENP-C is a basic, DNA-binding protein that localizes to the inner kinetochore plate, the region that abuts the heterochromatin. Microinjection experiments using antibodies specific for CENP-C have demonstrated that this protein is required for the assembly and/or stability of the kinetochore as well as for a timely transition through mitosis. From these observations, it has been suggested that CENP-C is a structural protein that is involved in the organization or the kinetochore. In this report, we wished to identify and map the functional domains of CENP-C. Analysis of CENP-C truncation mutants expressed in vivo demonstrated that CENP-C possesses an autonomous centromere-targeting domain situated at the central region of the CENP-C polypeptide. Similarly, in vitro assays revealed that a region of CENP-C with the ability to bind DNA is also located at the center of the CENP-C molecule, where it overlaps the centromere-targeting domain.

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SUMO proteases SENP3 and SENP5 spatiotemporally regulate the kinase activity of Aurora A

Journal of Cell Science ◽

10.1242/jcs.249771 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bin Yu ◽

Qiaoyu Lin ◽

Chao Huang ◽

Boyan Zhang ◽

Ying Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chromosome Segregation ◽

Mitotic Spindle ◽

Kinase Activity ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Aurora A ◽

Sumo Proteases ◽

Spatiotemporal Control ◽

Early Mitosis

Precise chromosome segregation is mediated by a well-assembled mitotic spindle, which requires balance of the kinase activity of Aurora A (AurA). However, how this kinase activity is regulated remains largely unclear. Here, using in vivo and in vitro assays, we report that conjugation of SUMO2 with AurA at K258 in early mitosis promotes the kinase activity of AurA and facilitates the binding with its activator, Bora. Knockdown of the SUMO proteases SENP3 and SENP5 disrupted the deSUMOylation of AurA, leading to an increased kinase activity and abnormalities in spindle assembly and chromosomes segregation which could be rescued by suppressing the kinase activity of AurA. Collectively, these results demonstrate that SENP3 and SENP5 deSUMOylate AurA to render a spatiotemporal control on its kinase activity in mitosis.

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Discovery of 3-Cinnamamido-N-Substituted Benzamides as Potential Antimalarial Agents

Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/1573406416666200817160708 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Author(s):

Haicheng Liu ◽

Yushi Futamura ◽

Honghai Wu ◽

Aki Ishiyama ◽

Taotao Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mammalian Cells ◽

Antimalarial Activity ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Compound Library ◽

Antimalarial Agents ◽

Phenotypic Screen ◽

Ic50 Values ◽

Substituted Benzamides

Background: Malaria is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases, yet the discovery of antimalarial agents remains profoundly challenging. Very few new antimalarials have been developed in the past 50 years, while the emergence of drug-resistance continues to appear. Objective: This study focuses on the discovery, design, synthesis, and antimalarial evaluation of 3-cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamides. Method: In this study, a screening of our compound library was carried out against the multidrug-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain. Derivatives of the hit were designed, synthesized and tested against P. falciparum 3D7 and the in vivo antimalarial activity of the most active compounds was evaluated using the method of Peters’ 4-day suppressive test. Results: The retrieved hit compound 1 containing a 3-cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamide skeleton showed moderate antimalarial activity (IC50 = 1.20 µM) for the first time. A series of derivatives were then synthesized through a simple four-step workflow, and half of them exhibited slightly better antimalarial effect than the precursor 1 during the subsequent in vitro assays. Additionally, compounds 11, 23, 30 and 31 displayed potent activity with IC50 values of approximately 0.1 µM, and weak cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. However, in vivo antimalarial activity is not effective which might be ascribed to the poor solubility of these compounds. Conclusion: In this study, phenotypic screen of our compound library resulted in the first report of 3-cinnamamide framework with antimalarial activity and 40 derivatives were then designed and synthesized. Subsequent structure-activity studies showed that compounds 11, 23, 30 and 31 exhibited the most potent and selective activity against P. falciparum 3D7 strain with IC50 values around 0.1 µM. Our work herein sets another example of phenotypic screen-based drug discovery, leading to potentially promising candidates of novel antimalarial agents once given further optimization.

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Phospholipase D1b and D2a generate structurally identical phosphatidic acid species in mammalian cells

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj3600707 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 360 (3) ◽

pp. 707-715 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Trevor R. PETTITT ◽

Mark McDERMOTT ◽

Khalid M. SAQIB ◽

Neil SHIMWELL ◽

Michael J. O. WAKELAM

Keyword(s):

Liquid Chromatography ◽

Phosphatidic Acid ◽

Phospholipase D ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Inducible Promoter ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Intracellular Messenger

Mammalian cells contain different phospholipase D enzymes (PLDs) whose distinct physiological roles are poorly understood and whose products have not been characterized. The development of porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cell lines able to overexpress PLD-1b or −2a under the control of an inducible promoter has enabled us to characterize both the substrate specificity and the phosphatidic acid (PtdOH) product of these enzymes under controlled conditions. Liquid chromatography–MS analysis showed that PLD1b- and PLD2a-transfected PAE cells, as well as COS7 and Rat1 cells, generate similar PtdOH and, in the presence of butan-1-ol, phosphatidylbutanol (PtdBut) profiles, enriched in mono- and di-unsaturated species, in particular 16:0/18:1. Although PtdBut mass increased, the species profile did not change in cells stimulated with ATP or PMA. Overexpression of PLD made little difference to basal or stimulated PtdBut formation, indicating that activity is tightly regulated in vivo and that factors other than just PLD protein levels limit hydrolytic function. In vitro assays using PLD-enriched lysates showed that the enzyme could utilize both phosphatidylcholine and, much less efficiently, phosphatidylethanolamine, with slight selectivity towards mono- and di-unsaturated species. Phosphatidylinositol was not a substrate. Thus PLD1b and PLD2a hydrolyse a structurally similar substrate pool to generate an identical PtdOH product enriched in mono- and di-unsaturated species that we propose to function as the intracellular messenger forms of this lipid.

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Fused protein domains inhibit DNA binding by LexA.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.12.7.3006 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 3006-3014 ◽

Cited By ~ 105

Author(s):

E A Golemis ◽

R Brent

Keyword(s):

Dna Binding ◽

Protein Interactions ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Dimerization Domain ◽

Activation Domains ◽

Dna Binding Domains ◽

Binding Domains ◽

Operator Binding

Many studies of transcription activation employ fusions of activation domains to DNA binding domains derived from the bacterial repressor LexA and the yeast activator GAL4. Such studies often implicitly assume that DNA binding by the chimeric proteins is equivalent to that of the protein donating the DNA binding moiety. To directly investigate this issue, we compared operator binding by a series of LexA-derivative proteins to operator binding by native LexA, by using both in vivo and in vitro assays. We show that operator binding by many proteins such as LexA-Myc, LexA-Fos, and LexA-Bicoid is severely impaired, while binding of other LexA-derivative proteins, such as those that carry bacterially encoded acidic sequences ("acid blobs"), is not. Our results also show that DNA binding by LexA derivatives that contain the LexA carboxy-terminal dimerization domain (amino acids 88 to 202) is considerably stronger than binding by fusions that lack it and that heterologous dimerization motifs cannot substitute for the LexA88-202 function. These results suggest the need to reevaluate some previous studies of activation that employed LexA derivatives and modifications to recent experimental approaches that use LexA and GAL4 derivatives to detect and study protein-protein interactions.

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CP-31398 Restores DNA-binding Activity to Mutant p53in Vitrobut Does Not Affect p53 Homologs p63 and p73

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1074/jbc.m401854200 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 279 (44) ◽

pp. 45887-45896 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Mark J. Demma ◽

Serena Wong ◽

Eugene Maxwell ◽

Bimalendu Dasmahapatra

Keyword(s):

Dna Binding ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

P53 Protein ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Mutant P53 ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Wild Type ◽

Dna Binding Activity

The p53 protein plays a major role in the maintenance of genome stability in mammalian cells. Mutations of p53 occur in over 50% of all cancers and are indicative of highly aggressive cancers that are hard to treat. Recently, there has been a high degree of interest in therapeutic approaches to restore growth suppression functions to mutant p53. Several compounds have been reported to restore wild type function to mutant p53. One such compound, CP-31398, has been shown effectivein vivo, but questions have arisen to whether it actually affects p53. Here we show that mutant p53, isolated from cells treated with CP-31398, is capable of binding to p53 response elementsin vitro. We also show the compound restores DNA-binding activity to mutant p53 in cells as determined by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. In addition, using purified p53 core domain from two different hotspot mutants (R273H and R249S), we show that CP-31398 can restore DNA-binding activity in a dose-dependent manner. Using a quantitative DNA binding assay, we also show that CP-31398 increases significantly the amount of mutant p53 that binds to cognate DNA (Bmax) and its affinity (Kd) for DNA. The compound, however, does not affect the affinity (Kdvalue) of wild type p53 for DNA and only increasesBmaxslightly. In a similar assay PRIMA1 does not have any effect on p53 core DNA-binding activity. We also show that CP-31398 had no effect on the DNA-binding activity of p53 homologs p63 and p73.

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PP2A-B56 opposes Mps1 phosphorylation of Knl1 and thereby promotes spindle assembly checkpoint silencing

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.201406109 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 206 (7) ◽

pp. 833-842 ◽

Cited By ~ 96

Author(s):

Antonio Espert ◽

Pelin Uluocak ◽

Ricardo Nunes Bastos ◽

Davinderpreet Mangat ◽

Philipp Graab ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chromosome Segregation ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Feedback Loop ◽

Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽

Spindle Assembly ◽

Eukaryotic Cells ◽

Aurora B ◽

Safeguard Mechanism

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors correct attachment of chromosomes to microtubules, an important safeguard mechanism ensuring faithful chromosome segregation in eukaryotic cells. How the SAC signal is turned off once all the chromosomes have successfully attached to the spindle remains an unresolved question. Mps1 phosphorylation of Knl1 results in recruitment of the SAC proteins Bub1, Bub3, and BubR1 to the kinetochore and production of the wait-anaphase signal. SAC silencing is therefore expected to involve a phosphatase opposing Mps1. Here we demonstrate in vivo and in vitro that BubR1-associated PP2A-B56 is a key phosphatase for the removal of the Mps1-mediated Knl1 phosphorylations necessary for Bub1/BubR1 recruitment in mammalian cells. SAC silencing is thus promoted by a negative feedback loop involving the Mps1-dependent recruitment of a phosphatase opposing Mps1. Our findings extend the previously reported role for BubR1-associated PP2A-B56 in opposing Aurora B and suggest that BubR1-bound PP2A-B56 integrates kinetochore surveillance and silencing of the SAC.

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Shortened derivatives from native antimicrobial peptide LyeTx I: In vitro and in vivo biological activity assessment

Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.1177/1535370220966963 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 153537022096696

Author(s):

Leonardo Lima Fuscaldi ◽

Joaquim Teixeira de Avelar Júnior ◽

Daniel Moreira dos Santos ◽

Daiane Boff ◽

Vívian Louise Soares de Oliveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Activity ◽

Antimicrobial Peptide ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Sodium Dodecyl ◽

Alpha Helix ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Control Group

In the continuing search for novel antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides are promising molecules, due to different mechanisms of action compared to classic antibiotics and to their selectivity for interaction with microorganism cells rather than with mammalian cells. Previously, our research group has isolated the antimicrobial peptide LyeTx I from the venom of the spider Lycosa erythrognatha. Here, we proposed to synthesize three novel shortened derivatives from LyeTx I (LyeTx I mn; LyeTx I mnΔK; LyeTx I mnΔKAc) and to evaluate their toxicity and biological activity as potential antimicrobial agents. Peptides were synthetized by Fmoc strategy and circular dichroism analysis was performed, showing that the three novel shortened derivatives may present membranolytic activity, like the original LyeTx I, once they folded as an alpha helix in 2.2.2-trifluorethanol and sodium dodecyl sulfate. In vitro assays revealed that the shortened derivative LyeTx I mnΔK presents the best score between antimicrobial (↓ MIC) and hemolytic (↑ EC50) activities among the synthetized shortened derivatives, and LUHMES cell-based NeuriTox test showed that it is less neurotoxic than the original LyeTx I (EC50 [LyeTx I mnΔK] ⋙ EC50 [LyeTx I]). In vivo data, obtained in a mouse model of septic arthritis induced by Staphylococcus aureus, showed that LyeTx I mnΔK is able to reduce infection, as demonstrated by bacterial recovery assay (∼10-fold reduction) and scintigraphic imaging (less technetium-99m labeled-Ceftizoxime uptake by infectious site). Infection reduction led to inflammatory process and pain decreases, as shown by immune cells recruitment reduction and threshold nociception increment, when compared to positive control group. Therefore, among the three shortened peptide derivatives, LyeTx I mnΔK is the best candidate as antimicrobial agent, due to its smaller amino acid sequence and toxicity, and its greater biological activity.

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Dual Regulation of c-Myc by p300 via Acetylation-Dependent Control of Myc Protein Turnover and Coactivation of Myc-Induced Transcription

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.25.23.10220-10234.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 25 (23) ◽

pp. 10220-10234 ◽

Cited By ~ 113

Author(s):

Francesco Faiola ◽

Xiaohui Liu ◽

Szuying Lo ◽

Songqin Pan ◽

Kangling Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Binding ◽

Cell Fate ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Dual Roles ◽

Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase ◽

Lysine Residues ◽

Human Telomerase

ABSTRACT The c-Myc oncoprotein (Myc) controls cell fate by regulating gene transcription in association with a DNA-binding partner, Max. While Max lacks a transcription regulatory domain, the N terminus of Myc contains a transcription activation domain (TAD) that recruits cofactor complexes containing the histone acetyltransferases (HATs) GCN5 and Tip60. Here, we report a novel functional interaction between Myc TAD and the p300 coactivator-acetyltransferase. We show that p300 associates with Myc in mammalian cells and in vitro through direct interactions with Myc TAD residues 1 to 110 and acetylates Myc in a TAD-dependent manner in vivo at several lysine residues located between the TAD and DNA-binding domain. Moreover, the Myc:Max complex is differentially acetylated by p300 and GCN5 and is not acetylated by Tip60 in vitro, suggesting distinct functions for these acetyltransferases. Whereas p300 and CBP can stabilize Myc independently of acetylation, p300-mediated acetylation results in increased Myc turnover. In addition, p300 functions as a coactivator that is recruited by Myc to the promoter of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene, and p300/CBP stimulates Myc TAD-dependent transcription in a HAT domain-dependent manner. Our results suggest dual roles for p300/CBP in Myc regulation: as a Myc coactivator that stabilizes Myc and as an inducer of Myc instability via direct Myc acetylation.

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Functional cooperation of Dam1, Ipl1, and the inner centromere protein (INCENP)–related protein Sli15 during chromosome segregation

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.200105029 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 155 (5) ◽

pp. 763-774 ◽

Cited By ~ 121

Author(s):

Jung-seog Kang ◽

Iain M. Cheeseman ◽

George Kallstrom ◽

Soundarapandian Velmurugan ◽

Georjana Barnes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Chromosome Segregation ◽

Mitotic Spindle ◽

Kinase Activity ◽

Related Protein ◽

Centromeric Dna ◽

Centromere Protein ◽

Kinetochore Function

We have shown previously that Ipl1 and Sli15 are required for chromosome segregation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sli15 associates directly with the Ipl1 protein kinase and these two proteins colocalize to the mitotic spindle. We show here that Sli15 stimulates the in vitro, and likely in vivo, kinase activity of Ipl1, and Sli15 facilitates the association of Ipl1 with the mitotic spindle. The Ipl1-binding and -stimulating activities of Sli15 both reside within a region containing homology to the metazoan inner centromere protein (INCENP). Ipl1 and Sli15 also bind to Dam1, a microtubule-binding protein required for mitotic spindle integrity and kinetochore function. Sli15 and Dam1 are most likely physiological targets of Ipl1 since Ipl1 can phosphorylate both proteins efficiently in vitro, and the in vivo phosphorylation of both proteins is reduced in ipl1 mutants. Some dam1 mutations exacerbate the phenotype of ipl1 and sli15 mutants, thus providing evidence that Dam1 interactions with Ipl1–Sli15 are functionally important in vivo. Similar to Dam1, Ipl1 and Sli15 each bind to microtubules directly in vitro, and they are associated with yeast centromeric DNA in vivo. Given their dual association with microtubules and kinetochores, Ipl1, Sli15, and Dam1 may play crucial roles in regulating chromosome–spindle interactions or in the movement of kinetochores along microtubules.

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Basal phosphorylation of the PEST domain in the I(kappa)B(beta) regulates its functional interaction with the c-rel proto-oncogene product.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.16.11.5974 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. 5974-5984 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Z L Chu ◽

T A McKinsey ◽

L Liu ◽

X Qi ◽

D W Ballard

Keyword(s):

Dna Binding ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Peptide Mapping ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Phosphoryl Group ◽

I Kappa B Alpha ◽

Dna Binding Activity ◽

Antigenic Properties

The product of the c-rel proto-oncogene (c-Rel) belongs to the NF-kappaB/Rel family of polypeptides and has been implicated in the transcriptional control of cell proliferation and immune function. In human T lymphocytes, c-Rel is sequestered in the cytoplasmic compartment by constitutively phosphorylated inhibitors, including I(kappa)B(alpha) and I(kappa)B(beta). Studies with bacterially expressed forms of these inhibitory proteins revealed that unphosphorylated I(kappa)B(alpha) but not I(kappa)B(beta) assembles with c-Rel and inhibits its DNA binding activity. Furthermore, latent I(kappa)B(beta)-c-Rel complexes derived from mammalian cells were sensitive to phosphatase treatment, whereas I(kappa)B(alpha)-c-Rel complexes were resistant. We have identified a constitutive protein kinase in unstimulated T cells that associates with and phosphorylates I(kappa)B(beta) in vitro. The substrate specificity, electrophoretic mobility, and antigenic properties of this I(kappa)B(beta)-associated kinase (BAK) suggest identity with casein kinase II (CKII), an enzyme known to mediate basal phosphorylation of I(kappa)B(alpha). Phosphorylation of recombinant I(kappa)B(beta) by either BAK or CKII restored the capacity of this inhibitor to antagonize the DNA binding activity of c-Rel. Peptide mapping and mutational analyses localized the bulk of the basal phosphorylation sites in I(kappa)B(beta) to the C-terminal PEST domain, which contains two potential acceptors for CKII-mediated phosphoryl group transfer (Ser-313 and Ser-315). Point mutations introduced into the full-length inhibitor at Ser-313 and Ser-315 led to a significant reduction in the phosphorylation of I(kappa)B(beta) and severely impaired its c-Rel inhibitory function in vivo. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest that basal phosphorylation of the PEST domain of I(kappa)B(beta) at consensus CKII sites is required for the efficient formation of latent I(kappa)B(beta)-c-Rel complexes.

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