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Binding Partners (binding + partner)
Selected AbstractsCharacterization of L-plastin interaction with beta integrin and its regulation by micro-calpain,CYTOSKELETON, Issue 5 2010E. Le Goff Abstract Recent evidences suggest that plastin/fimbrin is more than a simple actin cross-linking molecule. In this context and based on the fact that other members of the same family interact with transmembrane proteins, such as integrins, we have investigated a possible interaction between L-plastin and integrins. By combining coimmunoprecipitation of endogenous proteins and in vitro techniques based on solid phase and solution assays, we demonstrate that L-plastin is an additional binding partner for the ,-chain of integrin and confirmed that both proteins display some colocalization. We then show that L-plastin binds to the cytoplasmic domain of ,1 integrin and to ,1 and ,2 peptides. Using recombinant L-plastin domains, we demonstrate that the integrin-binding sites are not located in NH2 terminal part of L-plastin but rather in the two actin-binding domains. Using pull-down, cross-linking experiments, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we show that the L-plastin/integrin complex is regulated by ,-calpain cleavage and is not directly dissociated by calcium. Indeed, despite the ability of calpain to cleave both proteins, only the cleavage of , integrin hindered the formation of the L-plastin/integrin complex. We discuss these results in the light of the three-dimensional structure of the actin-binding domains of L-plastin. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Palladin is a novel binding partner for Ena/VASP family membersCYTOSKELETON, Issue 1 2004Malika Boukhelifa Abstract Palladin is an actin-associated protein that contains proline-rich motifs within its amino-terminal sequence that are similar to motifs found in zyxin, vinculin, and the Listeria protein ActA. These motifs are known to be potential binding sites for the Vasodilator-Stimulated Phosphoprotein (VASP). Here, we demonstrate that palladin is an additional direct binding partner for VASP, by using co-immunoprecipitation and blot overlay techniques with both endogenous palladin and recombinant myc-tagged palladin. These results show that VASP binds to full-length palladin and also to the amino-terminal half of palladin, where the polyproline motifs are located. Using a synthetic peptide array, two discrete binding sites for VASP were identified within palladin's proline-rich amino-terminal domain. Using double-label immunofluorescence staining of fully-spread and actively-spreading fibroblasts, the extent of co-localization of palladin and VASP was explored. These proteins were found to strongly co-localize along stress fibers, and partially co-localize in focal adhesions, lamellipodia, and focal complexes. These results suggest that the recently described actin-associated protein palladin may play an important role in recruiting VASP to sites of actin filament growth, anchorage, and crosslinking. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 58:17,29, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Binding partners L1 cell adhesion molecule and the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in development and the regenerative response to injury of hippocampal and cortical neuronsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 6 2004Matilda A. Haas Abstract Regeneration of the adult central nervous system may require recapitulation of developmental events and therefore involve the re-expression of developmentally significant proteins. We have investigated whether the L1 cell adhesion molecule, and its binding partner, the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in the neuronal regenerative response to injury. Hippocampal and cortical neurons were cultured in vitro on either an L1 substrate or poly-L-lysine, and ERM and other neuronal proteins were localized immunocytochemically both developmentally and following neurite transection of neurons maintained in long-term culture. Activated ERM was localized to growth cones up to 7 days in vitro but relatively mature cultures (21 days in vitro) were devoid of active ERM proteins. However, ERM proteins were localized to the growth cones of sprouting neuronal processes that formed several hours after neurite transection. In addition, the L1 substrate, relative to poly-L-lysine, resulted in significantly longer regenerative neurites, as well as larger growth cones with more filopodia. Furthermore, neurons derived from the cortex formed significantly longer post-injury neurite sprouts at 6 h post-injury than hippocampal derived neurons grown on both substrates. We have demonstrated that L1 and the ERM proteins are involved in the neuronal response to injury, and that neurons derived from the hippocampus and cortex may have different post-injury regenerative neurite sprouting abilities. [source] UXT interacts with the transcriptional repressor protein EVI1 and suppresses cell transformationFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 15 2007Roger McGilvray The EVI1 transcriptional repressor is critical to the normal development of a variety of tissues and participates in the progression of acute myeloid leukaemias. The repressor domain (Rp) was used to screen an adult human kidney yeast two-hybrid library and a novel binding partner designated ubiquitously expressed transcript (UXT) was isolated. Enforced expression of UXT in Evi1-expressing Rat1 fibroblasts suppresses cell transformation and UXT may therefore be a negative regulator of Evi1 biological activity. The Rp-binding site for UXT was determined and non-UXT-binding Evi1 mutants (Evi1,706,707) were developed which retain the ability to bind the corepressor mCtBP2. Evi1,706,707 transforms Rat1 fibroblasts, showing that the interaction is not essential for Evi1-mediated cell transformation. However, Evi1,706,707 produces an increased proportion of large colonies relative to wild-type, showing that endogenous UXT has an inhibitory effect on Evi1 biological activity. Exogenous UXT still suppresses Evi1,706,707-mediated cell transformation, indicating that it inhibits cell proliferation and/or survival by both Evi1-dependent and Evi1-independent mechanisms. These observations are consistent with the growth-suppressive function attributed to UXT in human prostate cancer. Our results show that UXT suppresses cell transformation and might mediate this function by interaction and inhibition of the biological activity of cell proliferation and survival stimulatory factors like Evi1. [source] Cell surface nucleolin on developing muscle is a potential ligand for the axonal receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-,FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 20 2006Daniel E. Alete Reversible tyrosine phosphorylation, catalyzed by receptor tyrosine kinases and receptor tyrosine phosphatases, plays an essential part in cell signaling during axonal development. Receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, has been implicated in the growth, guidance and repair of retinal axons. This phosphatase has also been implicated in motor axon growth and innervation. Insect orthologs of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, are also implicated in the recognition of muscle target cells. A potential extracellular ligand for vertebrate receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, has been previously localized in developing skeletal muscle. The identity of this muscle ligand is currently unknown, but it appears to be unrelated to the heparan sulfate ligands of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-,. In this study, we have used affinity chromatography and tandem MS to identify nucleolin as a binding partner for receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, in skeletal muscle tissue. Nucleolin, both from tissue lysates and in purified form, binds to receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, ectodomains. Its expression pattern also overlaps with that of the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-,-binding partner previously localized in muscle, and nucleolin can also be found in retinal basement membranes. We demonstrate that a significant amount of muscle-associated nucleolin is present on the cell surface of developing myotubes, and that two nucleolin-binding components, lactoferrin and the HB-19 peptide, can block the interaction of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, ectodomains with muscle and retinal basement membranes in tissue sections. These data suggest that muscle cell surface-associated nucleolin represents at least part of the muscle binding site for axonal receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-, and that nucleolin may also be a necessary component of basement membrane binding sites of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-,. [source] Vinexin , regulates the phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor on the cell surfaceGENES TO CELLS, Issue 9 2006Masaru Mitsushima Epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates various cellular events, including proliferation, differentiation, migration and oncogenesis. In this study, we found that exogenous expression of vinexin , enhanced the phosphorylation of 180-kDa proteins in an EGF-dependent manner in Cos-7 cells. Western blot analysis using phospho-specific antibodies against EGFR identified EGFR as a phosphorylated 180-kDa protein. Vinexin , did not stimulate the phosphorylation of EGFR but suppressed the dephosphorylation, resulting in a sustained phosphorylation. Mutational analyses revealed that both the first and third SH3 domains were required for a sustained phosphorylation of EGFR. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of vinexin , reduced the phosphorylation of EGFR on the cell surface in HeLa cells. The sustained phosphorylation of EGFR induced by vinexin , was completely abolished by adding the EGFR-specific inhibitor AG1478 even after EGF stimulation, suggesting that the kinase activity of EGFR is required for the sustained phosphorylation induced by vinexin ,. We also found that E3 ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl is a binding partner of vinexin , through the third SH3 domain. Expression of wild-type vinexin , but not a mutant containing a mutation in the third SH3 domain decreased the cytosolic pool of c-Cbl and increased the amount of membrane-associated c-Cbl. Furthermore, over-expression of c-Cbl suppressed the sustained phosphorylation of EGFR induced by vinexin ,. These results suggest that vinexin , plays a role in maintaining the phosphorylation of EGFR on the plasma membrane through the regulation of c-Cbl. [source] Identification of novel alternatively spliced BRCA1-associated RING domain (BARD1) messenger RNAs in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and in sporadic breast cancer tissuesGENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 9 2007Grazia Lombardi BARD1 (BRCA1-associated RING domain) is the dominant binding partner of BRCA1 in vivo. The BARD1 gene has been reported to be mutated in a subset of breast and ovarian cancer patients and BARD1 germ-line mutations have been identified in breast cancer patients negative for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene alterations. In the present study, we show by RT-PCR and direct sequencing analysis the occurrence of seven novel and one previously identified BARD1 splicing variants in human lymphocytes and breast cancers. Two of the eight variants (BARD1, and BARD1 ,RIN) preserve a correct open reading frame and could encode BARD1 internally deleted proteins, while the remaining six variants display premature stop codons. Characterization of the relative expression of BARD1 FL, BARD1,, and BARD1 ,RIN using quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the mean expression levels of BARD1 FL, BARD1,, and BARD1 ,RIN were significantly higher in tumors than in morphologically normal tissues and lymphocytes. However, we were unable to identify either qualitatively or quantitatively tumor-specific expression patterns of the identified BARD1 splicing variants. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cooperative expression of junctional adhesion molecule-C and -B supports growth and invasion of gliomaGLIA, Issue 5 2010Mirna Tenan Abstract Brain invasion is a biological hallmark of glioma that contributes to its aggressiveness and limits the potential of surgery and irradiation. Deregulated expression of adhesion molecules on glioma cells is thought to contribute to this process. Junctional adhesion molecules (JAMs) include several IgSF members involved in leukocyte trafficking, angiogenesis, and cell polarity. They are expressed mainly by endothelial cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Here, we report JAM-C expression by human gliomas, but not by their normal cellular counterpart. This expression correlates with the expression of genes involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and cell migration. These genes, identified by a transcriptomic approach, include poliovirus receptor and cystein-rich 61, both known to promote glioma invasion, as well as actin filament associated protein, a c-Src binding partner. Gliomas also aberrantly express JAM-B, a high affinity JAM-C ligand. Their interaction activates the c-Src proto-oncogene, a central upstream molecule in the pathways regulating cell migration and invasion. In the tumor microenvironment, this co-expression may thus promote glioma invasion through paracrine stimuli from both tumor cells and endothelial cells. Accordingly, JAM-C/B blocking antibodies impair in vivo glioma growth and invasion, highlighting the potential of JAM-C and JAM-B as new targets for the treatment of human gliomas. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates interleukin-1,-induced IL-8 expression via an effect on the IL-8 promoter in intestinal epithelial cellsIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Kuljit Parhar Summary Several lines of evidence implicate the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the proinflammatory response to bacterial agents and cytokines. Equally, the transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)-,B, is recognized to be a critical determinant of the inflammatory response in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). However, the precise inter-relationship between the activation of p38 MAPK and activation of the transcription factor NF-,B in the intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) system, remains unknown. Here we show that interleukin (IL)-1, activates all three MAPKs in Caco-2 cells. The production of IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) was attenuated by 50% when these cells were preincubated with the p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB 203580. Further investigation of the NF-,B signalling system revealed that the inhibitory effect was independent of the phosphorylation and degradation of I,B,, the binding partner of NF-,B. This effect was also independent of the DNA binding of the p65 Rel A subunit, as well as transactivation, determined by an NF-,B luciferase construct, using both SB 203580 and dominant,negative p38 MAPK. Evaluation of IL-8 and MCP-1 RNA messages by reverse transcription,polymerase chain reaction (RT,PCR) revealed that the inhibitory effect of SB 203580 was associated with a reduction in this parameter. Using an IL-8,luciferase promoter construct, an effect of p38 upon its activation by both pharmacological and dominant,negative p38 construct co-transfection was demonstrated. It is concluded that p38 MAPK influences the expression of chemokines in intestinal epithelial cells, through an effect upon the activation of the chemokine promoter, and does not directly involve the activation of the transcription factor NF-,B. [source] Agonist-induced internalization of histamine H2 receptor and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases are dynamin-dependentJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2008A-Jing Xu Abstract Histamine H2 receptor (H2R) is a member of G protein-coupled receptor family. Agonist stimulation of H2R results in several cellular events including activation of adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C, desensitization of the receptor, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1/2, and receptor endocytosis. In this study, we identified a GTPase dynamin as a binding partner of H2R. Dynamin could associate with H2R both in vitro and in vivo. Functional analyses using dominant-negative form of dynamin (K44E-dynamin) revealed that cAMP production and the following H2R desensitization are independent of dynamin. However, the agonist-induced H2R internalization was inhibited by co-expression of K44E-dynamin. Furthermore, activation of extracellular-signal regulated kinases ERK1/2 in response to dimaprit, an H2R agonist, was attenuated by K44E-dynamin. Although H2R with truncation of 51 amino acids at its carboxy-terminus did not internalize after agonist stimulation, it still activated ERK1/2, but the degree of this activation was less than that of the wild-type receptor. Finally, K44E dynamin did not affect ERK1/2 activation induced by internalization-deficient H2R. These results suggest that the agonist-induced H2R internalization and ERK1/2 activation are partially dynamin-dependent. Furthermore, ERK1/2 activation via H2R is likely dependent of the endocytotic process rather than dynamin itself. [source] Ataxin 10 induces neuritogenesis via interaction with G-protein ,2 subunitJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 7 2006Masaaki Waragai Abstract Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10) is a dominantly inherited disorder caused by an intronic ATTCT pentanucleotide repeat expansion. The ATXN10 gene encodes a novel protein, ataxin 10, known previously as E46L, which is widely expressed in the brain. Ataxin 10 deficiency has been shown recently to cause increased apoptosis in primary cerebellar cultures, thus implicated in SCA10 pathogenesis. The biologic functions of ataxin 10 remain largely unknown. By using yeast-two-hybrid screening of a human brain cDNA library, we identified the G-protein ,2 subunit (G,2) as an ataxin 10 binding partner, and the interaction was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization in mammalian cells in culture. Overexpression of ataxin 10 in PC12 cells induced neurite extension and enhanced neuronal differentiation induced by nerve growth factor (NGF). Moreover, coexpression of ataxin 10 and G,2 potently activated the Ras-MAP kinase-Elk-1 cascade. Dominant negative Ras or inhibitor of MEK-1/2 (U0126) aborted this activation, and blocked morphologic changes, whereas inhibition of TrkA receptor by K252a had no effects. Our data suggest that the ataxin 10-G,2 interaction represents a novel mechanism for inducing neuritogenesis in PC12 cells by activating the Ras-MAP kinase-Elk-1 cascade. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Transcription regulation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PIS1 gene by inositol and the pleiotropic regulator, Ume6pMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Niketa M. Jani Summary In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transcription of most of the phospholipid biosynthetic genes (e.g. INO1, CHO1, CHO2 and OPI3) is repressed by growth in the presence of inositol and choline and derepressed in their absence. This regulation requires the Ino2p and Ino4p activators and the Opi1p repressor. The PIS1 structural gene is required for the synthesis of the essential lipid phosphatidylinositol. Previous reports show that PIS1 expression is uncoupled from inositol/choline regulation, but is regulated by carbon source, hypoxia and zinc. However, in this study we found that the expression of PIS1 is induced twofold by inositol. This regulation did not require Ino2p and Ino4p, although Ino4p was required for full expression. Ino4p is a basic helix-loop-helix protein that requires a binding partner. Curiously, none of the other basic helix-loop-helix proteins affected PIS1 expression. Inositol induction did require another general regulator of phospholipid biosynthesis, Ume6p. Ume6p was found to be a positive regulator of PIS1 gene expression. Ume6p, and several associated factors, were required for inositol-mediated induction and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that Ume6p directly regulates PIS1 expression. Thus, we demonstrate novel regulation of the PIS1 gene by Ume6p. [source] Targeted deletion of the ,-adducin gene (Add3) in mice reveals differences in ,-adducin interactions in erythroid and nonerythroid cells,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Kenneth E. Sahr In red blood cells (RBCs) adducin heterotetramers localize to the spectrin-actin junction of the peripheral membrane skeleton. We previously reported that deletion of ,-adducin results in osmotically fragile, microcytic RBCs and a phenotype of hereditary spherocytosis (HS). Notably, ,-adducin was significantly reduced, while ,-adducin, normally present in limited amounts, was increased ,5-fold, suggesting that ,-adducin requires a heterologous binding partner for stability and function, and that ,-adducin can partially substitute for the absence of ,-adducin. To test these assumptions we generated ,-adducin null mice. ,-adducin null RBCs appear normal on Wright's stained peripheral blood smears and by scanning electron microscopy. All membrane skeleton proteins examined are present in normal amounts, and all hematological parameters measured are normal. Despite a loss of ,70% of ,-adducin in ,-adducin null platelets, no bleeding defect is observed and platelet structure appears normal. Moreover, systemic blood pressure and pulse are normal in ,-adducin null mice. ,- and ,-adducin null mice were intercrossed to generate double null mice. Loss of ,-adducin does not exacerbate the ,-adducin null HS phenotype although the amount ,-adducin is reduced to barely detectable levels. The stability of ,-adducin in the absence of a heterologous binding partner varies considerably in various tissues. The amount of ,-adducin is modestly reduced (,15%) in the kidney, while in the spleen and brain is reduced by ,50% with the loss of a heterologous ,- or ,-adducin binding partner. These results suggest that the structural properties of adducin differ significantly between erythroid and various nonerythroid cell types. Am. J. Hematol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Multiple diverse ligands binding at a single protein site: A matter of pre-existing populationsPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 2 2002Buyong Ma Abstract Here, we comment on the steadily increasing body of data showing that proteins with specificity actually bind ligands of diverse shapes, sizes, and composition. Such a phenomenon is not surprising when one considers that binding is a dynamic process with populations in equilibrium and that the shape of the binding site is strongly influenced by the molecular partner. It derives implicitly from the concept of populations. All proteins, specific and nonspecific, exist in ensembles of substates. If the library of ligands in solution is large enough, favorably matching ligands with altered shapes and sizes can be expected to bind, with a redistribution of the protein populations. Point mutations at spatially distant sites may exert large conformational rearrangements and hinge effects, consistent with mutations away from the binding site leading to population shifts and (cross-)drug resistance. A similar effect is observed in protein superfamilies, in which different sequences with similar topologies display similar large-scale dynamic motions. The hinges are frequently at analogous sites, yet with different substrate specificity. Similar topologies yield similar conformational isomers, although with different distributions of population times, owing to the change in the conditions, that is, the change in the sequences. In turn, different distributions relate to binding of different sizes and shapes. Hence, the binding site shape and size are defined by the ligand. They are not independent entities of fixed proportions and cannot be analyzed independently of the binding partner. Such a proposition derives from viewing proteins as dynamic distributions, presenting to the incoming ligands a range of binding site shapes. It illustrates how presumably specific binding molecules can bind multiple ligands. In terms of drug design, the ability of a single receptor to recognize many dissimilar ligands shows the need to consider more diverse molecules. It provides a rationale for higher affinity inhibitors that are not derived from substrates at their transition states and indicates flexible docking schemes. [source] ELL is an HIF-1, partner that regulates and responds to hypoxia response in PC3 cellsTHE PROSTATE, Issue 7 2010Lingqi Liu Abstract BACKGROUND Eleven,nineteen lysine-rich leukemia (ELL) plays an important role in tumorigenesis and animal development. HIF-1 is a transcriptional factor that functions as a master regulator of O2 homeostasis. Our previous studies showed that a binding partner of ELL, U19/Eaf2, can modulate HIF-1, activity and hypoxia response, suggesting that ELL may also influence HIF-1, pathway and hypoxia response. METHODS Co-localization and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to test the interaction between ELL and HIF-1,. PC3 cells with stable ELL knockdown and PC3 cells with stable ELL overexpression, along with their controls, were established using lentiviral expression system. Western blot and real-time PCR were performed to test the effect of ELL on HIF-1, protein and its down-stream gene transcription. To elucidate potential effect of hypoxia on ELL, cell growth and colony formation assays were performed using PC3 subline with stable ELL overexpression. RESULTS ELL is associated with HIF-1, in transfected cells. In PC3 prostate cancer cells, ELL inhibited HIF-1, protein level and down-stream gene expression. As expected, ELL inhibited cell growth and colony formation under normoxia. Interestingly, the inhibition was alleviated under hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that ELL and HIF-1, are binding partners and can modulate the functions of each other in hypoxia. Prostate 70: 797,805, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Mammalian fertilization: the strange case of sperm protein 56BIOESSAYS, Issue 2 2009Paul M. Wassarman During mammalian fertilization sperm bind to the egg's zona pellucida (ZP) after undergoing capacitation. Capacitated mouse sperm bind to mZP3 (one of three ZP glycoproteins), undergo the acrosome reaction, penetrate the ZP, and fuse with egg plasma membrane. Sperm protein 56 (sp56), a member of the C3/C4 superfamily of binding proteins, was identified nearly 20 years ago as a binding partner for mZP3 by photoaffinity cross-linking of acrosome-intact sperm. However, subsequent research revealed that sp56 is a component of the sperm's acrosomal matrix and, for sperm with an intact acrosome, should be unavailable for binding to mZP3. Recently, this dilemma was resolved when it was recognized that some acrosomal matrix (AM) proteins, including sp56, are released to the sperm surface during capacitation. This may explain why uncapacitated mammalian sperm are unable to bind to the unfertilized egg ZP. [source] Galectin-1 supports the survival of CD45RA(,) primary myeloma cells in vitroBRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Saeid Abroun Summary The survival and proliferation of human myeloma cells are considered to be heavily dependent on the microenvironment of bone marrow (BM). This study confirmed that galectin-1 (Gal-1) and SDF-1, were produced by bone marrow mononuclear cells of myeloma patients. The addition of Gal-1 and SDF-1, to a serum-free synthetic medium, maintained the viability of primary myeloma cells for 2 weeks similar to that before culture. While Gal-1 reduced the viable cell number in CD45RA(+) B cell lines, it maintained the viability of CD45(,) U266 and CD45RA(,)RO(+) ILKM3 myeloma cell lines in the synthetic medium. This was confirmed with the transfection of the PTPRC (CD45) RA, -RB, or -RO gene into CD45(,) U266 cells. The combination of Gal-1 and SDF-1, significantly induced phosphorylation of Akt and IkB, while the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was significantly reduced in CD45RA(+) U266 and Raji cells but not CD45(,) or CD45RA(,) U266 cells. Furthermore, we confirmed that Gal-1 bound to CD45RA in CD45RA(+) Raji cells, and also physically interacted with ,1-integrin by immunoprecipitation followed by Western blotting and confocal microscopy. The results suggest that Gal-1 has two different actions depending on its binding partner, and supports the survival of CD45RA(,) myeloma cells. [source] A Targeted Releasable Affinity Probe (TRAP) for In Vivo PhotocrosslinkingCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 9 2009Ping Yan Dr. Abstract A protein TRAP: The in vivo photocrosslinking of TRAP after its intracellular targeting to a binding sequence on the bait protein stabilizes protein interactions. Because the crosslinker is releasable, simple mass spectrometry can be used to identify the protein binding sites after purification. Protein crosslinking, especially coupled to mass-spectrometric identification, is increasingly used to determine protein binding partners and protein,protein interfaces for isolated protein complexes. The modification of crosslinkers to permit their targeted use in living cells is of considerable importance for studying protein-interaction networks, which are commonly modulated through weak interactions that are formed transiently to permit rapid cellular response to environmental changes. We have therefore synthesized a targeted and releasable affinity probe (TRAP) consisting of a biarsenical fluorescein linked to benzophenone that binds to a tetracysteine sequence in a protein engineered for specific labeling. Here, the utility of TRAP for capturing protein binding partners upon photoactivation of the benzophenone moiety has been demonstrated in living bacteria and mammalian cells. In addition, ligand exchange of the arsenic,sulfur bonds between TRAP and the tetracysteine sequence to added dithiols results in fluorophore transfer to the crosslinked binding partner. In isolated protein complexes, this release from the original binding site permits the identification of the proximal binding interface through mass spectrometric fragmentation and computational sequence identification. [source] Natural Occurring Polyphenols as Template for Drug Design.CHEMICAL BIOLOGY & DRUG DESIGN, Issue 1 2009Focus on Serine Proteases Several major physio-pathological processes, including cancer, inflammatory states and thrombosis, are all strongly dependent upon the fine regulation of proteolytic enzyme activities, and dramatic are the consequences of unbalanced equilibria between enzymes and their cognate inhibitors. In this perspective, the discovery of small-molecule ligands able to modulate catalytic activities has a massive therapeutic potential and is a stimulating goal. Numerous recent experimental evidences revealed that proteolytic enzymes can be opportunely targeted, reporting on small ligands capable of binding to these biological macromolecules with drug-like potencies, and primarily with comparable (or even higher) efficiency with respect to their endogenous binding partner. In particular, natural occurring polyphenols and their derivatives recently disclosed these intriguing abilities, making them promising templates for drug design and development. In this review, we compared the inhibitory capacities of a set of monomeric polyphenols toward serine proteases activity, and finally summarized the data with an emphasis on the derivation of a pharmacophore model. [source] Actin on DNA,An ancient and dynamic relationship,CYTOSKELETON, Issue 8 2010Kari-Pekka Skarp Abstract In the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells the coordinated assembly of actin filaments drives essential cell biological processes, such as cell migration. The discovery of prokaryotic actin homologues, as well as the appreciation of the existence of nuclear actin, have expanded the scope by which the actin family is utilized in different cell types. In bacteria, actin has been implicated in DNA movement tasks, while the connection with the RNA polymerase machinery appears to exist in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Within the nucleus, actin has further been shown to play a role in chromatin remodeling and RNA processing, possibly acting to link these to transcription, thereby facilitating the gene expression process. The molecular mechanism by which actin exerts these newly discovered functions is still unclear, because while polymer formation seems to be required in bacteria, these species lack conventional actin-binding proteins to regulate the process. Furthermore, although the nucleus contains a plethora of actin-regulating factors, the polymerization status of actin within this compartment still remains unclear. General theme, however, seems to be actin's ability to interact with numerous binding partners. A common feature to the novel modes of actin utilization is the connection between actin and DNA, and here we aim to review the recent literature to explore how this connection is exploited in different contexts. [source] A FERM domain in a class XIV myosin interacts with actin and tubulin and localizes to the cytoskeleton, phagosomes, and nucleus in Tetrahymena thermophila,CYTOSKELETON, Issue 2 2010Michael Gotesman Abstract Previous studies have shown that Myo1(myosin class XIV) localizes to the cytoskeleton and is involved in amitosis of the macronucleus and trafficking of phagosomes. Myo1 contains a FERM domain that could be a site for interaction between Myo1 and the cytoskeleton. Here, we explore the function of FERM by investigating its cytoskeleton binding partners and involvement in localization of Myo1. Alignment of Myo1 FERM with a talin actin-binding sequence, a MAP-2 tubulin-binding sequence, the radixin FERM dimerization motif, and the SV40 nuclear localization sequence (NLS) revealed putative actin- and tubulin-binding sequences, a putative FERM dimerization motif, and NLS-like sequences in both the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of Myo1 FERM. Alignment of Myo1 with an ERM C-terminal motif revealed a similar sequence in the Myo1 motor domain. GFP-FERM and two truncated FERM domains were separately expressed in Tetrahymena. GFP-FERM contained the entire Myo1 FERM. Truncated Myo1 FERM domains contained either the N-terminal or the C-terminal region of FERM and one putative sequence for actin-binding, one for tubulin-binding, a putative dimerization motif, and a NLS-like sequence. Actin antibody coprecipitated GFP-fusion polypeptides and tubulin from lysate of cells expressing GFP-fusions. Cosedimentation assays performed with either whole cell extracts or anti-actin immunoprecipitation pellets revealed that F-actin (independent of ATP) and microtubules cosedimented with GFP-fusion polypeptides. GFP-FERM localized to the cytoskeleton, phagosomes, and nucleus. Truncated GFP-FERM domains localized to phagosomes but not to the cytoskeleton or nucleus. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Native nonmuscle myosin II stability and light chain binding in Drosophila melanogasterCYTOSKELETON, Issue 10 2006Josef D. Franke Abstract Native nonmuscle myosin IIs play essential roles in cellular and developmental processes throughout phylogeny. Individual motor molecules consist of a heterohexameric complex of three polypeptides which, when properly assembled, are capable of force generation. Here, we more completely characterize the properties, relationships and associations that each subunit has with one another in Drosophila melanogaster. All three native nonmuscle myosin II polypeptide subunits are expressed in close to constant stoichiometry to each other throughout development. We find that the stability of two subunits, the heavy chain and the regulatory light chain, depend on one another whereas the stability of the third subunit, the essential light chain, does not depend on either the heavy chain or regulatory light chain. We demonstrate that heavy chain aggregates, which form when regulatory light chain is lacking, associate with the essential light chain in vivo,thus showing that regulatory light chain association is required for heavy chain solubility. By immunodepletion we find that the majority of both light chains are associated with the nonmuscle myosin II heavy chain but pools of free light chain and/or light chain bound to other proteins are present. We identify four myosins (myosin II, myosin V, myosin VI and myosin VIIA) and a microtubule-associated protein (asp/Abnormal spindle) as binding partners for the essential light chain (but not the regulatory light chain) through mass spectrometry and co-precipitation. Using an in silico approach we identify six previously uncharacterized genes that contain IQ-motifs and may be essential light chain binding partners. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Polysialic acid controls NCAM-induced differentiation of neuronal precursors into calretinin-positive olfactory bulb interneuronsDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 9 2008Iris Röckle Abstract Understanding the mechanisms that regulate neurogenesis is a prerequisite for brain repair approaches based on neuronal precursor cells. One important regulator of postnatal neurogenesis is polysialic acid (polySia), a post-translational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM. In the present study, we investigated the role of polySia in differentiation of neuronal precursors isolated from the subventricular zone of early postnatal mice. Removal of polySia promoted neurite induction and selectively enhanced maturation into a calretinin-positive phenotype. Expression of calbindin and Pax6, indicative for other lineages of olfactory bulb interneurons, were not affected. A decrease in the number of TUNEL-positive cells indicated that cell survival was slightly improved by removing polySia. Time lapse imaging revealed the absence of chain migration and low cell motility, in the presence and absence of polySia. The changes in survival and differentiation, therefore, could be dissected from the well-known function of polySia as a promoter of precursor migration. The differentiation response was mimicked by exposure of cells to soluble or substrate-bound NCAM and prevented by the C3d-peptide, a synthetic ligand blocking NCAM interactions. Moreover, a higher degree of differentiation was observed in cultures from polysialyltransferase-depleted mice and after NCAM exposure of precursors from NCAM-knockout mice demonstrating that the NCAM function is mediated via heterophilic binding partners. In conclusion, these data reveal that polySia controls instructive NCAM signals, which direct the differentiation of subventricular zone-derived precursors towards the calretinin-positive phenotype of olfactory bulb interneurons. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008 [source] Mass spectrometrical analysis of the mitochondrial carrier Aralar1 from mouse hippocampusELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 11 2010Seok Heo Abstract Aralar1 is a mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier and a key component of the malate,aspartate NADH shuttle system. An analytical approach to obtain high sequence coverage is important to predict conformation, identify splice variants and binding partners or generate specific antibodies. Moreover, a method allowing determination of Aralar1 from brain samples is a prerequisite for evaluating a biological role. Sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation was applied to enrich native membrane protein fractions and these were run on blue-native PAGE, followed by multidimensional gel electrophoresis. Spots from the third-dimensional gel electrophoresis were in-gel digested with trypsin, chymotrypsin and subtilisin. Subsequently, peptides were analyzed by nano-ESI-LC-MS/MS using collision-induced dissociation and electron transfer dissociation modes. ModiroÔ v1.1 along with Mascot v2.2 software was used for data handling. Aralar1 could be clearly separated, unambiguously identified and characterized from protein extracts of mouse hippocampus by the use of the multidimensional gel electrophoretic steps. The combined sequence coverage of Aralar1 from trypsin, chymotrypsin and subtilisin digestions was 99.85%. The results provide the basis for future studies of Aralar1 at the protein chemical rather than at the immunochemical level in the brain and thus challenge and enable determination of Aralar1 levels required for understanding biological functions in health and disease. [source] The crystal structure of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, a mammalian homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg8GENES TO CELLS, Issue 7 2004Kenji Sugawara Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), a mammalian homologue of yeast Atg8, plays an essential role in autophagy, which is involved in the bulk degradation of cytoplasmic components by the lysosomal system. Here, we report the crystal structure of LC3 at 2.05 Å resolution with an R-factor of 21.8% and a free R-factor of 24.9%. The structure of LC3, which is similar to those of Golgi-associated ATPase enhancer of 16 kDa (GATE-16) and GABAA receptor-associated protein (GABARAP), contains a ubiquitin core with two , helices, ,1 and ,2, attached at its N-terminus. Some common and distinct features are observed among these proteins, including the conservation of residues required to form an interaction among ,1, ,2 and the ubiquitin core. However, the electrostatic potential surfaces of these helices differ, implicating particular roles to select specific binding partners. Hydrophobic patches on the ubiquitin core of LC3, GABARAP and GATE-16 are well conserved and are similar to the E1 binding surface of ubiquitin and NEDD8. Therefore, we propose that the hydrophobic patch is a binding surface for mammalian Atg7 similar to a ubiquitin-like conjugation system. We also propose the functional implications of the ubiquitin fold as a recognition module of target proteins. [source] The Versatility of Helicobacter pylori CagA Effector Protein Functions: The Master Key HypothesisHELICOBACTER, Issue 3 2010Steffen Backert Abstract Several bacterial pathogens inject virulence proteins into host target cells that are substrates of eukaryotic tyrosine kinases. One of the key examples is the Helicobacter pylori CagA effector protein which is translocated by a type-IV secretion system. Injected CagA becomes tyrosine-phosphorylated on EPIYA sequence motifs by Src and Abl family kinases. CagA then binds to and activates/inactivates multiple signaling proteins in a phosphorylation-dependent and phosphorylation-independent manner. A recent proteomic screen systematically identified eukaryotic binding partners of the EPIYA phosphorylation sites of CagA and similar sites in other bacterial effectors by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Individual phosphorylation sites recruited a surprisingly high number of interaction partners suggesting that each phosphorylation site can interfere with many downstream pathways. We now count 20 reported cellular binding partners of CagA, which represents the highest quantitiy among all yet known virulence-associated effector proteins in the microbial world. This complexity generates a highly remarkable and puzzling scenario. In addition, the first crystal structure of CagA provided us with new information on the function of this important virulence determinant. Here we review the recent advances in characterizing the multiple binding signaling activities of CagA. Injected CagA can act as a ,master key' that evolved the ability to highjack multiple host cell signalling cascades, which include the induction of membrane dynamics, actin-cytoskeletal rearrangements and the disruption of cell-to-cell junctions as well as proliferative, pro-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic nuclear responses. The discovery that different pathogens use this common strategy to subvert host cell functions suggests that more examples will emerge soon. [source] Glyconanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization, and Ligand PresentationADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 17 2010Xin Wang Abstract Glyconanomaterials, nanomaterials carrying surface-tethered carbohydrate ligands, have emerged and demonstrated increasing potential in biomedical imaging, therapeutics, and diagnostics. These materials combine the unique properties of nanometer-scale objects with the ability to present multiple copies of carbohydrate ligands, greatly enhancing the weak affinity of individual ligands to their binding partners. Critical to the performance of glyconanomaterials is the proper display of carbohydrate ligands, taking into consideration of the coupling chemistry, the type and length of the spacer linkage, and the ligand density. This article provides an overview of the coupling chemistry for attaching carbohydrate ligands to nanomaterials, and discusses the need for thorough characterization of glyconanomaterials, especially quantitative analyses of the ligand density and binding affinities. Using glyconanoparticles synthesized by a versatile photocoupling chemistry, methods for determining the ligand density by colorimetry and the binding affinity with lectins by a fluorescence competition assay are determined. The results show that the multivalent presentation of carbohydrate ligands significantly enhances the binding affinity by several orders of magnitude in comparison to the free ligands in solution. The effect is sizeable even at low surface ligand density. The type and length of the spacer linkage also affect the binding affinity, with the longer linkage promoting the association of bound ligands with the corresponding lectins. [source] Cadherin-8 and N-cadherin differentially regulate pre- and postsynaptic development of the hippocampal mossy fiber pathwayHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 4 2008Iddil H. Bekirov Abstract Cells sort into regions and groups in part by their selective surface expression of particular classic cadherins during development. In the nervous system, cadherin-based sorting can define axon tracts, restrict axonal and dendritic arbors to particular regions or layers, and may encode certain aspects of synapse specificity. The underlying model has been that afferents and their targets hold in common the expression of a particular cadherin, thereby providing a recognition code of homophilic cadherin binding. However, most neurons express multiple cadherins, and it is not clear whether multiple cadherins all act similarly in shaping neural circuitry. Here we asked how two such cadherins, cadherin-8 and N-cadherin, influence the guidance and differentiation of hippocampal mossy fibers. Using organotypic hippocampal cultures, we find that cadherin-8 regulates mossy fiber fasciculation and targeting, but has little effect on CA3 dendrites. In contrast, N-cadherin regulates mossy fiber fasciculation, but has little impact on axonal growth and targeting. However, N-cadherin is essential for CA3 dendrite arborization. Both cadherins are required for formation of proper numbers of presynaptic terminals. Mechanistically, such differential actions of these two cadherins could, in theory, reflect coupling to distinct intracellular binding partners. However, we find that both cadherins bind ,-catenin in dentate gyrus (DG). This suggests that cadherins may engage different intracellular signaling cascades downstream of ,-catenin, coopt different extracellular binding partners, or target distinct subcellular domains. Together our findings demonstrate that cadherin-8 and N-cadherin are critical for generating the mossy fiber pathway, but that each contributes differentially to afferent and target differentiation, thereby complementing one another in the assembly of a synaptic circuit. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Complex Nature of Protein PhosphatasesIUBMB LIFE, Issue 6 2002Alistair T. R. Sim Abstract Protein phosphatases are integrally associated with the regulation of cellular signaling. The mechanisms underlying the specific regulatory roles are likely to be unique to each cell system. Nevertheless, analysis of phosphatase regulation in a number of systems has identified phosphatase targeting through association with a wide range of binding partners to be a fundamental mechanism of regulation. Using protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) as an example, this snapshot summarizes these fundamental mechanisms of protein phosphatase regulation. [source] Biglycan binds to ,- and ,-sarcoglycan and regulates their expression during development,JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Michael S. Rafii The dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC), which links the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix, is essential for muscle cell survival, and is defective in a wide range of muscular dystrophies. The DAPC contains two transmembrane subcomplexes,the dystroglycans and the sarcoglycans. Although several extracellular binding partners have been identified for the dystroglycans, none have been described for the sarcoglycan subcomplex. Here we show that the small leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteoglycan biglycan binds to ,- and ,-sarcoglycan as judged by ligand blot overlay and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Our studies with biglycan-decorin chimeras show that ,- and ,-sarcoglycan bind to distinct sites on the polypeptide core of biglycan. Both biglycan proteoglycan as well as biglycan polypeptide lacking glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains are components of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex isolated from adult skeletal muscle membranes. Finally, our immunohistochemical and biochemical studies with biglycan null mice show that the expression of ,- and ,-sarcoglycan is selectively reduced in muscle from young (P14-P21) animals, while levels in adult muscle (,P35) are unchanged. We conclude that biglycan is a ligand for two members of the sarcoglycan complex and regulates their expression at discrete developmental ages. J. Cell. Physiol. 209: 439,447, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||