scholarly journals Where does axon guidance lead us?

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Stoeckli
Keyword(s):  
Axon Guidance ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Guidance Receptors ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Circuit Formation

During neural circuit formation, axons need to navigate to their target cells in a complex, constantly changing environment. Although we most likely have identified most axon guidance cues and their receptors, we still cannot explain the molecular background of pathfinding for any subpopulation of axons. We lack mechanistic insight into the regulation of interactions between guidance receptors and their ligands. Recent developments in the field of axon guidance suggest that the regulation of surface expression of guidance receptors comprises transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms, such as trafficking of vesicles with specific cargos, protein-protein interactions, and specific proteolysis of guidance receptors. Not only axon guidance molecules but also the regulatory mechanisms that control their spatial and temporal expression are involved in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. Therefore, it is not surprising that genes associated with axon guidance are frequently found in genetic and genomic studies of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Engineering “Antimicrobial Peptides” and Other Peptides to Modulate Protein-Protein Interactions in Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (32) ◽  
pp. 2970-2983
Author(s):  
Samuel J.S. Rubin ◽  
Nir Qvit
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Anticancer Agents ◽  
Cancer Therapeutics ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Peptide Backbone ◽  
Modified Peptides ◽  
Selective Death ◽  
Drug Leads

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of peptides found across a wide array of organisms that play key roles in host defense. AMPs induce selective death in target cells and orchestrate specific or nonspecific immune responses. Many AMPs exhibit native anticancer activity in addition to antibacterial activity, and others have been engineered as antineoplastic agents. We discuss the use of AMPs in the detection and treatment of cancer as well as mechanisms of AMP-induced cell death. We present key examples of cathelicidins and transferrins, which are major AMP families. Further, we discuss the critical roles of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in cancer and how AMPs are well-suited to target PPIs based on their unique drug-like properties not exhibited by small molecules or antibodies. While peptides, including AMPs, can have limited stability and bioavailability, these issues can be overcome by peptide backbone modification or cyclization (e.g., stapling) and by the use of delivery systems such as cellpenetrating peptides (CPPs), respectively. We discuss approaches for optimizing drug properties of peptide and peptidomimetic leads (modified peptides), providing examples of promising techniques that may be applied to AMPs. These molecules represent an exciting resource as anticancer agents with unique therapeutic advantages that can target challenging mechanisms involving PPIs. Indeed, AMPs are suitable drug leads for further development of cancer therapeutics, and many studies to this end are underway.

scholarly journals TRIM22. A Multitasking Antiviral Factor

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1864
Author(s):  
Isabel Pagani ◽  
Guido Poli ◽  
Elisa Vicenzi
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Viral Gene ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Type I ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Viral Genomes ◽  
Dna And Rna

Viral invasion of target cells triggers an immediate intracellular host defense system aimed at preventing further propagation of the virus. Viral genomes or early products of viral replication are sensed by a number of pattern recognition receptors, leading to the synthesis and production of type I interferons (IFNs) that, in turn, activate a cascade of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) with antiviral functions. Among these, several members of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family are antiviral executors. This article will focus, in particular, on TRIM22 as an example of a multitarget antiviral member of the TRIM family. The antiviral activities of TRIM22 against different DNA and RNA viruses, particularly human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and influenza A virus (IAV), will be discussed. TRIM22 restriction of virus replication can involve either direct interaction of TRIM22 E3 ubiquitin ligase activity with viral proteins, or indirect protein–protein interactions resulting in control of viral gene transcription, but also epigenetic effects exerted at the chromatin level.

Perinatal Development of the Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body

2018 ◽  
pp. 244-272
Author(s):  
Shobhana Sivaramakrishnan ◽  
Ashley Brandebura ◽  
Paul Holcomb ◽  
Daniel Heller ◽  
Douglas Kolson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Axon Guidance ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Neural Cells ◽  
Calyx Of Held ◽  
Medial Nucleus ◽  
Target Neuron ◽  
Circuit Formation ◽  
Key Events ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Trapezoid Body

Bushy cells (BC) of the cochlear nucleus mono-innervate their target neuron, the principal cell of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), via the calyx of Held (CH) terminal, which is a typically mammalian structure and perhaps the largest nerve terminal in the brain. CH:MNTB innervation has become an attractive model to study neural circuit formation because it forms quickly, passing through stages of competition in mice within 2–4 days. BCs innervate MNTB neurons by E17, but CHs do not begin to grow for another five days (P3). Progress has been made to identify molecular factors for axon guidance, CH growth, and physiological maturation of synaptic partners, but important details remain to be discovered. We summarize key events in CH formation and highlight unresolved issues in molecular and physiological signaling, roles for non-neural cells, and the nature of competition during the first postnatal week.

scholarly journals Structure and function of human Vps20 and Snf7 proteins

2004 ◽  
Vol 377 (3) ◽  
pp. 693-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy W. PECK ◽  
Emma T. BOWDEN ◽  
Peter D. BURBELO
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Osmotic Shock ◽  
Multivesicular Body ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
Endosomal Membrane ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Vacuolar Protein ◽  
And Function

Snf7p (sucrose non-fermenting) and Vps20p (vacuolar protein-sorting) are small coil-coiled proteins involved in yeast MVB (multivesicular body) structure, formation and function. In the present study, we report the identification of three human homologues of yeast Snf7p, designated hSnf7-1, hSnf7-2 and hSnf7-3, and a single human Vps20p homologue, designated hVps20, that may have similar roles in humans. Immunofluorescence studies showed that hSnf7-1 and hSnf7-3 localized in large vesicular structures that also co-localized with late endosomal/lysosomal structures induced by overexpressing an ATPase-defective Vps4-A mutant. In contrast, overexpressed hVps20 showed a typical endosomal membrane-staining pattern, and co-expression of hVps20 with Snf7-1 dispersed the large Snf7-staining vesicles. Interestingly, overexpression of both hSnf7 and hVps20 proteins induced a post-endosomal defect in cholesterol sorting. To explore possible protein–protein interactions involving hSnf7 proteins, we used information from yeast genomic studies showing that yeast Snf7p can interact with proteins involved in MVB function. Using a glutathione S-transferase-capture approach with several mammalian homologues of such yeast Snf7p-interacting proteins, we found that all three hSnf7s interacted with mouse AIP1 [ALG-2 (apoptosis-linked gene 2) interacting protein 1], a mammalian Bro1p [BCK1 (bypass of C kinase)-like resistance to osmotic shock]-containing protein involved in cellular vacuolization and apoptosis. Whereas mapping experiments showed that the N-terminus of AIP1 containing both a Bro1 and an α-helical domain were required for interaction with hSnf7-1, Snf7-1 did not interact with another human Bro1-containing molecule, rhophilin-2. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the in vivo interaction of hSnf7-1 and AIP1. Additional immunofluorescence experiments showed that hSnf7-1 recruited cytosolic AIP1 to the Snf7-induced vacuolar-like structures. Together these results suggest that mammalian Vps20, AIP1 and Snf7 proteins, like their yeast counterparts, play roles in MVB function.

scholarly journals Conservation of coevolving protein interfaces bridges prokaryote–eukaryote homologies in the twilight zone

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (52) ◽  
pp. 15018-15023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Rodriguez-Rivas ◽  
Simone Marsili ◽  
David Juan ◽  
Alfonso Valencia
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Twilight Zone ◽  
Sequence Information ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Sequence Alignments ◽  
Multiple Sequence ◽  
Protein Interfaces ◽  
Recent Developments

Protein–protein interactions are fundamental for the proper functioning of the cell. As a result, protein interaction surfaces are subject to strong evolutionary constraints. Recent developments have shown that residue coevolution provides accurate predictions of heterodimeric protein interfaces from sequence information. So far these approaches have been limited to the analysis of families of prokaryotic complexes for which large multiple sequence alignments of homologous sequences can be compiled. We explore the hypothesis that coevolution points to structurally conserved contacts at protein–protein interfaces, which can be reliably projected to homologous complexes with distantly related sequences. We introduce a domain-centered protocol to study the interplay between residue coevolution and structural conservation of protein–protein interfaces. We show that sequence-based coevolutionary analysis systematically identifies residue contacts at prokaryotic interfaces that are structurally conserved at the interface of their eukaryotic counterparts. In turn, this allows the prediction of conserved contacts at eukaryotic protein–protein interfaces with high confidence using solely mutational patterns extracted from prokaryotic genomes. Even in the context of high divergence in sequence (the twilight zone), where standard homology modeling of protein complexes is unreliable, our approach provides sequence-based accurate information about specific details of protein interactions at the residue level. Selected examples of the application of prokaryotic coevolutionary analysis to the prediction of eukaryotic interfaces further illustrate the potential of this approach.

scholarly journals GPR37 Surface Expression Enhancement via N-Terminal Truncation or Protein−Protein Interactions

Biochemistry ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (43) ◽  
pp. 10286-10297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill H. Dunham ◽  
Rebecca C. Meyer ◽  
Erin L. Garcia ◽  
Randy A. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions

scholarly journals Low HLA-C expression at cell surfaces correlates with increased turnover of heavy chain mRNA.

1995 ◽  
Vol 181 (6) ◽  
pp. 2085-2095 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A McCutcheon ◽  
J Gumperz ◽  
K D Smith ◽  
C T Lutz ◽  
P Parham
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Stop Codon ◽  
Mrna Level ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Cell Surface Expression ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Peptide Binding Groove ◽  
Beta 2 Microglobulin

In comparison with HLA-A and -B, the protein products of the HLA-C locus are poorly characterized, in part because of their low level of expression at the cell surface. Here, we examine how protein-protein interactions during assembly and regulation of the mRNA level affect cell surface expression of HLA-C. We find that intrinsic properties of the HLA-C heavy chain proteins do not correlate with low cell surface expression: HLA-C heavy chains associate and dissociate with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) at rates comparable to those found for HLA-A and -B, and increased competition for beta 2m does not alter the surface expression of HLA-C. From studies of chimeric genes spliced from the HLA-B7 and -Cw3 genes, we find that chimeric proteins containing the B7 peptide-binding groove can have low cell surface expression, suggesting that inefficiency in binding peptides is not the cause of low cell surface expression for HLA-C. The surface levels of HLA-A, -B, or -C in cells transfected with cDNA can be similar, implicating noncoding regions of HLA-C heavy chain genes in the regulation of surface expression. We find that HLA-C mRNA is expressed at lower levels than HLA-B mRNA and that this difference results from faster degradation of the HLA-C message. Experiments examining chimeric B7/Cw3 and B7/Cw6 genes suggest that a region determining low expression of HLA-C is to be found between the 3' end of exon 3 and a site in the 3' untranslated region, approximately 600 bases downstream of the translation stop codon.

scholarly journals Multiple Functions of Draxin/Netrin-1 Signaling in the Development of Neural Circuits in the Spinal Cord and the Brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giasuddin Ahmed ◽  
Yohei Shinmyo
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Axon Guidance ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Deleted In Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Guidance Cue ◽  
Thalamocortical Projections ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Circuit Formation ◽  
The Brain

Axon guidance proteins play key roles in the formation of neural circuits during development. We previously identified an axon guidance cue, named draxin, that has no homology with other axon guidance proteins. Draxin is essential for the development of various neural circuits including the spinal cord commissure, corpus callosum, and thalamocortical projections. Draxin has been shown to not only control axon guidance through netrin-1 receptors, deleted in colorectal cancer (Dcc), and neogenin (Neo1) but also modulate netrin-1-mediated axon guidance and fasciculation. In this review, we summarize the multifaceted functions of draxin and netrin-1 signaling in neural circuit formation in the central nervous system. Furthermore, because recent studies suggest that the distributions and functions of axon guidance cues are highly regulated by glycoproteins such as Dystroglycan and Heparan sulfate proteoglycans, we discuss a possible function of glycoproteins in draxin/netrin-1-mediated axon guidance.

Rh50 Glycoprotein Gene and Rhnull Disease: A Silent Splice Donor Is trans to a Gly279→Glu Missense Mutation in the Conserved Transmembrane Segment

Blood ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 1776-1784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Han Huang ◽  
Zhi Liu ◽  
Guangjie Cheng ◽  
Ying Chen
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Integral Membrane Protein ◽  
Gene Organization ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Transmembrane Segment ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
American Society ◽  
Gt Element

Abstract Rhnull disease includes the amorph and regulator types that are thought to result from homozygous mutations at theRH30 and RH50 loci, respectively. Here we report an unusual regulator Rhnull where two G→A nucleotide (nt) transitions occurred in trans, targeting different regions of the two copies of Rh50 gene. The nt 836 G→A mutation was a missense change located in exon 6; it converted Gly into Glu at position 279, a central amino acid of the transmembrane segment 9 (TM9). While cDNA analysis showed expression of the 836A(Glu279) allele only, genomic studies showed the presence of both 836A(Glu279) and 836G(Gly279) alleles. A detailed analysis of gene organization led to the identification in the Rh50(836G) allele of a defective donor splice site, caused by a G→A mutation in the invariant GT element of intron 1. This is the first known example of such mutations that has apparently abolished the functional splicing of a pre-mRNA encoding a multipass integral membrane protein. With a silent phenotypic copy intrans, the negatively charged Glu279 residue may disrupt TM9 and impair the interaction of the missense protein with Rh30 polypeptides. To evaluate the significance of the mutation, we took a comparative genomic approach and identified Rh50 homologues in different species. We found that Gly279 is a conserved residue and its adjacent amino acid sequence is identical fromCaenorhabditis elegans to human. These findings provide new insight into the diversity of Rhnull disease and suggest that the C-terminal region of Rh50 may also participate in protein-protein interactions involving Rh complex formation. © 1998 by The American Society of Hematology.

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