GST Fusion Protein Research Articles

Four-and-a-half LIM domains proteins are novel regulators of the protein kinase D pathway in cardiac myocytes

PKD (protein kinase D) is a serine/threonine kinase implicated in multiple cardiac roles, including the phosphorylation of the class II HDAC5 (histone deacetylase isoform 5) and thereby de-repression of MEF2 (myocyte enhancer factor 2) transcription factor activity. In the present study we identify FHL1 (four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 1) and FHL2 as novel binding partners for PKD in cardiac myocytes. This was confirmed by pull-down assays using recombinant GST-fused proteins and heterologously or endogenously expressed PKD in adult rat ventricular myocytes or NRVMs (neonatal rat ventricular myocytes) respectively, and by co-immunoprecipitation of FHL1 and FHL2 with GFP–PKD1 fusion protein expressed in NRVMs. In vitro kinase assays showed that neither FHL1 nor FHL2 is a PKD1 substrate. Selective knockdown of FHL1 expression in NRVMs significantly inhibited PKD activation and HDAC5 phosphorylation in response to endothelin 1, but not to the α1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine. In contrast, selective knockdown of FHL2 expression caused a significant reduction in PKD activation and HDAC5 phosphorylation in response to both stimuli. Interestingly, neither intervention affected MEF2 activation by endothelin 1 or phenylephrine. We conclude that FHL1 and FHL2 are novel cardiac PKD partners, which differentially facilitate PKD activation and HDAC5 phosphorylation by distinct neurohormonal stimuli, but are unlikely to regulate MEF2-driven transcriptional reprogramming.

Identification of a linear epitope on the haemagglutinin protein of pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza virus using monoclonal antibodies

A novel influenza A/H1N1 virus, emerging from Mexico and the United States in the spring of 2009, caused the pandemic human infection of 2009-2010. The haemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein is the major surface antigen of influenza A virus and plays an important role in viral infection. In this study, three hybridoma cell lines secreting specific monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against the HA protein of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus were generated with the recombinant plasmid pCAGGS-HA as an immunogen. Using Pepscan analysis, the binding sites of these Mabs were identified in a linear region of the HA protein. Further, refined mapping was conducted using truncated peptides expressed as GST-fusion proteins in E. coli. We found that the (250)VPRYA(254) motif was the minimal determinant of the linear epitope that could be recognized by the Mabs. Alignment with sequences from the databases showed that the amino acid residues of this epitope were highly conserved among all pandemic A/H1N1 2009 viruses as well as the classical swine H1N1 viruses isolated to date. These results provide additional insights into the antigenic structure of the HA protein and virus-antibody interactions at the amino acid level, which may assist in the development of specific diagnostic methods for influenza viruses.

Intranuclear Aggregation of Mutant FUS/TLS as a Molecular Pathomechanism of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Dominant mutations in FUS/TLS cause a familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS), where abnormal accumulation of mutant FUS proteins in cytoplasm has been observed as a major pathological change. Many of pathogenic mutations have been shown to deteriorate the nuclear localization signal in FUS and thereby facilitate cytoplasmic mislocalization of mutant proteins. Several other mutations, however, exhibit no effects on the nuclear localization of FUS in cultured cells, and their roles in the pathomechanism of fALS remain obscure. Here, we show that a pathogenic mutation, G156E, significantly increases the propensities for aggregation of FUS in vitro and in vivo. Spontaneous in vitro formation of amyloid-like fibrillar aggregates was observed in mutant but not wild-type FUS, and notably, those fibrils functioned as efficient seeds to trigger the aggregation of wild-type protein. In addition, the G156E mutation did not disturb the nuclear localization of FUS but facilitated the formation of intranuclear inclusions in rat hippocampal neurons with significant cytotoxicity. We thus propose that intranuclear aggregation of FUS triggered by a subset of pathogenic mutations is an alternative pathomechanism of FUS-related fALS diseases.

Multiple Regions of Junctin and Triadin Interact with Calsequestrin 1 and 2 in Skeletal Muscle Cells

The release of Ca2+ in skeletal muscle fibers is regulated by several proteins, which are organized in a multi-molecular complex localized at the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (jSR). This complex includes the intracellular Ca2+ channel ryanodine receptor (RyRs) and additional proteins, including triadin, junctin and calsequestrin, which have been shown to form a quaternary complex. In FRAP experiments, we found that, in differentiated myotubes, these proteins display specific dynamic properties suggesting the existence of distinctive protein-protein interactions among j-SR proteins. To better define the molecular bases of protein association in the multi-molecular complex assembled around the RyRs, we performed experiments aimed to identify the specific sequences that mediate the interactions among jSR proteins in the lumen of the SR. We expressed GST fusion proteins covering distinct intraluminal domains of triadin and junctin. The purified GST-fusion proteins were incubated with detergent-solubilized SR vesicle from mouse skeletal muscle and probed for their interaction with distinct SR proteins. Experiments were also performed with recombinant proteins expressed in HEK293 cells. We found that different regions in the intraluminal domain of junctin and triadin can bind calsequestrin-1 and/or calsequestrin-2 and that both proteins appear to bind preferentially calsequestrin-1 rather than calsequestrin-2. In addition, calsequestrin-1 and calsequestrin-2 appeared to display distinct binding affinities for junctin and triadin. The correlation between the in vitro protein-protein interactions and the dynamic properties of jSR proteins will be verified.

Single‐step protease cleavage elution for identification of protein–protein interactions from GST pull‐down and mass spectrometry

The study of protein-protein interactions is a major theme in biological disciplines. Pull-down or affinity-precipitation assays using GST fusion proteins have become one of the most common and valuable approaches to identify novel binding partners for proteins of interest (bait). Non-specific binding of prey proteins to the beads or to GST itself, however, inevitably complicates and impedes subsequent analysis of pull-down results. A variety of measures, each with inherent advantages and limitations, can minimise the extent of the background. This technical brief details and tests a modification of established GST pull-down protocols. By specifically eluting only the bait (minus the GST tag) and the associated non-specific binding proteins with a simple, single-step protease cleavage, a cleaner platform for downstream protein identification with MS is established. We present a proof of concept for this method, as evidenced by a GST pull-down/MS case study of the small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rab31 in which: (i) sensitivity was enhanced, (ii) a reduced level of background was observed, (iii) distinguishability of non-specific contaminant proteins from genuine binders was improved and (iv) a putative new protein-protein interaction was discovered. Our protease cleavage step is readily applicable to all further affinity tag pull-downs.

Mechanisms Underlying CaMKII Regulation of Astrocytic Glutamate Transporters

Excitotoxic calcium signaling, a hallmark of aberrant neuronal activity during cerebral ischemia and brain trauma, induces a loss of CaMKII activity that appears to sensitize neurons to glutamate-induced toxicity. Because CaMKII is present in astrocytes and other glia, we postulate that aberrant CaMKII signaling could compromise neuronal signaling and survival to excitotoxicity by disrupting astrocyte function. In support of this model, inhibition of CaMKII in cortical astrocytic cultures with a peptide (tat-CN21) as well as a small molecule (KN-93) inhibitor significantly reduces glutamate uptake compared to inactive controls, suggesting that glutamate transporters in astrocytes require CaMKII for their basal activity. The two primary excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT) in astrocytes are EAAT 1 and EAAT2. Co-immunoprecipitation from rodent brain and immunocytochemical studies in cortical astrocytes reveal an association and co-localization respectively between EAAT2 and CaMKII. Although additional studies are required to determine if these interactions exist for EAAT1 and CaMKII in cells, in vitro studies using GST-fusion proteins and peptide tiling arrays indicate that purified δCaMKII binds to the N terminal and second intracellular loop of EAAT1, whereas, CaMKII preferentially binds to the N terminus and third intracellular loop of EAAT2. Using P32 incorporation as an index of CaMKII phosphorylation, phosphorylation of immunoprecipitated transporters as well as peptide tiling assays for EAAT2 reveal that astrocytic glutamate transporters are indeed CaMKII substrates. In total, our data support the hypothesis that astrocytic glutamate transporters are regulated by CaMKII binding and/or phosphorylation. Further studies are required to determine if a loss of CaMKII activity that is associated with pathological states, including epilepsy and ischemic stroke, compromises neuronal survival due to reduced glutamate transporter function previously associated with excitotoxicity.

Scavenging Systems for Reactive Carbonyls in the CyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. PCC 6803

To elucidate the scavenging systems of sugar- and lipid-derived reactive carbonyls (RCs) in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (S. 6803), we selected proteins from S. 6803 based on amino-acid (AA) sequence similarities with proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, and characterized the properties of the GST-fusion proteins expressed. Slr0942 catalyzed the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) reaction scavenging mainly sugar-derived RCs, methylglyoxal (MG). Slr1192 is the medium-chain dehydrogenase/redutase (MDR). It catalyzed the AKR reaction scavenging several lipid-derived RCs, acrolein, propionaldehyde, and crotonaldehyde. Slr0315 is a short-chain dehydrogenase/redutase (SDR), and it catalyzed only the reduction of MG in the AKR reaction. Slr0381 catalyzed the conversion of hemithioacetal to S-lactoylglutahione (SLG) in the glyoxalase (GLX) 1 reaction. Sll1019 catalyzed the conversion of SLG to glutathione and lactate in the GLX2 reaction. GLX1 and GLX2 compose the glyoxalase system, which scavenges MG. These enzymes contribute to scavenging sugar- and lipid-derived RCs as scavenging systems.

A novel role for syndecan-3 in angiogenesis

Syndecan-3 is one of the four members of the syndecan family of heparan sulphate proteoglycans and has been shown to interact with numerous growth factors via its heparan sulphate chains. The extracellular core proteins of syndecan-1,-2 and -4 all possess adhesion regulatory motifs and we hypothesized that syndecan-3 may also possess such characteristics. Here we show that a bacterially expressed GST fusion protein consisting of the entire mature syndecan-3 ectodomain has anti-angiogenic properties and acts via modulating endothelial cell migration. This work identifies syndecan-3 as a possible therapeutic target for anti-angiogenic therapy.

Delineation of Domains Within the Cannabinoid CB1 and Dopamine D2 Receptors That Mediate the Formation of the Heterodimer Complex

Both the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1) and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) are G protein-coupled receptors that are linked to inhibitory Gαi/o protein, whereby activation of the receptor leads to the inhibition of cAMP production. Moreover, previous findings have shown evidence of cross-talk between the dopamine and endocannabinoid systems. In this report, we confirm the interaction of CB1 and D2R with co-immunoprecipitation experiments using human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK-293T) cells co-expressing both receptors. We also generated GST and His-tagged fusion proteins of the D2R and CB1 and conducted affinity purification assays and in vitro binding experiments to show that the CB1-D2R complex can be formed by a direct protein-protein interaction. This interaction is mediated by the carboxyl terminus of the CB1 receptor and the third intracellular loop of the D2 receptor. Co-transfection of an inhibitory mini-gene resulted in decreased levels of the CB1-D2R complex. Using a cAMP biosensor, we show that activation of D2R or CB1 alone in HEK-293T cells co-expressing both receptors leads to an inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation. However, co-activation of both receptors resulted in a loss of this inhibition on cAMP accumulation. Our findings characterize the physical interaction between CB1 and D2R as well as demonstrate the potential functional outcome of the receptor complex.

Distinct Roles Of PD-1 Itsm and ITIM In Regulating Interactions With SHP-2, ZAP-70 and Lck, and PD-1-Mediated Inhibitory Function

Programmed death (PD)-1 plays a prominent role in the induction and maintenance of peripheral tolerance. The biochemical mechanisms via which PD-1 mediates its inhibitory function remain poorly understood. The cytoplamsic tail of PD-1 contains two structural motifs, an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) and an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch motif (ITSM). It has been reported that SHP-2 tyrosine phosphatase constitutively interacts with PD-1 ITSM and is involved in PD-1-mediated inhibitory function. We sought to identify the nature of PD-1: SHP-2 interaction and to determine whether other TCR-proximal signaling molecules might interact with PD-1 cytoplasmic tail. SHP-2 has two SH2 domains (N-SH2 and C-SH2) and one PTP domain. To identify the region of SHP-2 that interacts with PD-1 we generated five different GST-fusion proteins in which GST was fused with either SHP-2 full length (FL), SHP-2-N-SH2, SHP-2-C-SH2, SHP-2-ΔN-SH2 (lacking the N-terminus SH2 domain) or SHP-2-PTP. Pull down assays with each GST-fusion protein using lysates from naive and activated primary human T cells revealed that PD-1 interacted with GST-SHP-2 fusion protein only after T cell activation along with simultaneous PD-1 ligation. This interaction was mediated selectively via the SH2 domains of SHP-2, indicating that PD-1 requires prior tyrosine phosphorylation in order to undergo interaction with SHP-2. To identify the mechanism of PD-1 tyrosine phosphorylation governing PD-1: SHP-2 interaction, we used COS cells to express PD-1 along with either empty vector, the TCR proximal tyrosine kinase Fyn, or a kinase inactive mutant of Fyn, followed by pull down with each SHP-2-GST fusion protein. No interaction between PD-1 and SHP-2-GST fusion proteins was detected in lysates from COS cells expressing empty vector or kinase inactive Fyn mutant. In contrast, in the presence of active Fyn, PD-1 underwent tyrosine phosphorylation and was able to interact with GST fusion proteins of SHP-2-FL, SHP-2-N-SH2, SHP-2-C-SH2 and SHP-2-ΔN-SH2 but not SHP-2-PTP, providing evidence that PD-1: SHP-2 interaction requires tyrosine phosphorylation of PD-1 by Src family kinases for subsequent SH2-mediated recruitment of SHP-2. To determine the structural and functional role of each individual tyrosine in the ITIM and the ITSM of PD-1 cytoplasmic tail in PD-1: SHP-2 interaction in vivo, we used Jurkat T cells to express cDNA of either PD-1 wild type, PD-1 with the ITIM tyrosine mutated to phenylalanine (PD-1.Y223F), PD-1 with the ITSM tyrosine mutated to phenylalanine (PD-1.Y248F) or PD-1 with both ITIM and ITSM tyrosines mutated to phenylalanine (PD-1.Y223F/Y248F). After activation, PD-1 wild type underwent tyrosine phosphorylation and developed a robust interaction with SHP-2. PD-1.Y223F retained the ability to undergo interaction with SHP-2 after activation, whereas PD-1.Y248F and PD-1.Y223F/Y248F were unable to interact with SHP-2. We examined whether the PD-1 cytopasmic phosphotyrosines might interact with other SH2 domain containing proteins with critical role in T cell activation. We determined that after T cell activation, PD-1 displayed interaction with ZAP-70 and with activated Lck as determined by PD-1 immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblot with antibodies specific for ZAP-70 and for the activation-specific phospho-LckY394. These interactions remained unaffected in T cells expressing PD-1.Y223F but were abrogated in T cells expressing PD-1.Y248F or PD-1.Y223F/Y248F indicating a mandatory role of phosphorylated ITSM but not ITIM for these associations. However, despite their distinct ability to mediate interactions of PD-1 with SHP-2, Lck and ZAP-70, both phosphorylated ITSM and ITIM had a mandatory role in the inhibitory effect of PD-1 on T cell activation. In T cells expressing either PD-1.Y223F or PD-1.Y248F, PD-1-mediated inhibition of IL-2 production was diminished by 50%, but was almost abrogated in T cells expressing the double mutant PD-1.Y223F/Y248F. Our results indicate that the cytoplasmic tail of PD-1 requires tyrosine phosphorylation in order to mediate phosphorylation-dependent interactions and inhibition on T cell activation. Although phosphorylation-dependent interactions of PD-1 with SHP-2, ZAP-70 and Lck involve Y248 in the ITSM, yet unidentified interactions of Y223 in the ITIM are mandatory for PD-1-mediated inhibitory function on T cell activation. Disclosures:Freeman:Boehringer-Ingelheim: Patents & Royalties; Bristol-Myers-Squibb/Medarex: Patents & Royalties; Roche/Genentech: Patents & Royalties; Merck: Patents & Royalties; EMD-Serrono: Patents & Royalties; Amplimmune: Patents & Royalties; CoStim Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties; Costim Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Efficient expression of truncated recombinant cadmium-metallothionein gene of a ciliate, Tetrahymena tropicalis lahorensis in Escherichia coli

Truncated recombinant metallothionein GST-fusion protein has been successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The previously identified novel Cd-inducible metallothionein (TMCd1) gene from the locally isolated ciliate, Tetrahymena tropicalis lahorensis, was inserted into a pET-41a vector, in frame with a sequence encoding an N-terminal glutathione-S-transferase (GST) tail. Truncated recombinant GST fusion protein has been purified by affinity column chromatography using glutathione sepharose. After enzymatic cleavage of GST tail with enterokinase, the truncated TMCd1 MT shows molecular weight of 11.5kDa, corresponding to the expected value. This is the first successful report of expression of cadmium metallothionein gene of a ciliate, T. t. lahorensis, reported from this part of the world, in E. coli. This study will further help in characterization of metallothionein protein of this ciliate.

Molecular cloning and characterisation of metallothionein type 2a gene from Jatropha curcas L., a promising biofuel plant

In the present study, we have cloned a gene encoding JcMT2a protein from Jatropha curcas L., a promising biofuel tree species. Full length sequence of JcMT2a gene was isolated using RACE PCR. Heterologous expression of JcMT2a in Escherichia coli and its purification has shown distinct bands corresponding to the GST and GST-fused JcMT2a protein. Significant tolerance was observed in E. coli cells expressing recombinant GST-JcMT2a for zinc, copper and cadmium metals compared to cells expressing GST alone. JcMT2a also restored Cu and Cd tolerance in the metal sensitive yeast mutants. Quantitative real time PCR showed a significant increase in JcMT2a transcripts with Cu and Cd in the leaf compared to root tissue. Our Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis clearly demonstrates that J. curcas L. could be a potential candidate for phytoremediation to clean heavy metals from the environment, in addition to its non-edible oil seed yields for biodiesel production.

Employment of colorimetric enzyme assay for monitoring expression and solubility of GST fusion proteins targeted to inclusion bodies

High levels of recombinant protein expression can lead to the formation of insoluble inclusion bodies. These complex aggregates are commonly solubilized in strong denaturants, such as 6–8M urea, although, if possible, solubilization under milder conditions could facilitate subsequent refolding and purification of bioactive proteins. Commercially available GST-tag assays are designed for quantitative measurement of GST activity under native conditions. GST fusion proteins accumulated in inclusion bodies are considered to be undetectable by such assays. In this work, solubilization of recombinantly produced proteins was performed in 4M urea. The activity of rGST was assayed in 2M urea and it was shown that rGST preserves 85% of its activity under such denaturing conditions. A colorimetric GST activity assay with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was examined for use in rapid detection of expression targeted to inclusion bodies and for the identification of inclusion body proteins which can be solubilized in low concentrations of chaotropic agents. Applicability of the assay was evaluated by tracking protein expression of two GST-fused allergens of biopharmaceutical value in E. coli, GST-Der p 2 and GST-Mus a 5, both targeted to inclusion bodies.

Characterization of SHP-1 protein tyrosine phosphatase transcripts, protein isoforms and phosphatase activity in epithelial cancer cells

We identified 7 SHP-1 (PTPN6) transcripts using epithelial cancer-derived cell lines. Four were shown to utilize the epithelial promoter 1 to transcribe a full-length, a partial (exon 3) or complete (exons 3 & 4) deletion of the N-SH2 domain, and also a non-coding transcript having a stop codon caused by a frame shift due to intron 2 retention. Three additional transcripts were shown to utilize the hematopoietic promoter 2 to transcribe a full-length, a partial (exon 3) deletion of the N-SH2 domain and a non-coding transcript with intron 2 retention. We show that endogenous proteins corresponding to the open-reading-frame (ORF) transcripts are produced. Using GST-fusion proteins we show that each product of the ORF SHP-1 transcripts has phosphatase activity and isoforms with an N-SH2 deletion have increased phosphatase activity and novel protein–protein interactions. This study is the first to document utilization of promoter 2 by SHP-1 transcripts and a noncoding transcript in human epithelial cells.

Identification of a linear B-Cell epitope on avian reovirus protein sigmaC

SigmaC (σC) protein, which mediates virus attachment to target cells, is the most variable proteins of avian reovirus (ARV). It is responsible for inducing protective antibody immune responses in animals. To understand the antigenic determinants of σC protein, a set of partially overlapping and consecutive peptides spanning σC were expressed and then screened with the monoclonal antibody (mAb) 2B5 directed against σC. The mAb 2B5 recognized peptides with the σC motif 45ELLHRSISDISTTV58. Further identification of the displayed B-cell epitope was conducted with a set of truncated peptides expressed as GST fusion proteins. The Western blot and ELISA results indicated that 45ELLHRSISDI54 was the minimal determinant of the linear B-cell epitope. Using sequences analysis, we found that this epitope was not a common motif shared among the other members of the ARV and DRV groups. Furthermore, cross reactivity analysis showed that the associated coding motif of other ARV and DRV groups was not recognized by 2B5. These data suggested that 45ELLHRSISDI54 was a type-specific linear B-cell epitope of avian reovirus. The results in this study may have potential applications in the development of diagnostic techniques and epitope-based marker vaccines against ARV, which is prevalent in China.

Actin Monomers Activate Inverted Formin 2 by Competing with Its Autoinhibitory Interaction

INF2 is an unusual formin protein in that it accelerates both actin polymerization and depolymerization, the latter through an actin filament-severing activity. Similar to other formins, INF2 possesses a dimeric formin homology 2 (FH2) domain that binds filament barbed ends and is critical for polymerization and depolymerization activities. In addition, INF2 binds actin monomers through its diaphanous autoregulatory domain (DAD) that resembles a Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein homology 2 (WH2) sequence C-terminal to the FH2 that participates in both polymerization and depolymerization. INF2-DAD is also predicted to participate in an autoinhibitory interaction with the N-terminal diaphanous inhibitory domain (DID). In this work, we show that actin monomer binding to the DAD of INF2 competes with the DID/DAD interaction, thereby activating actin polymerization. INF2 is autoinhibited in cells because mutation of a key DID residue results in constitutive INF2 activity. In contrast, purified full-length INF2 is constitutively active in biochemical actin polymerization assays containing only INF2 and actin monomers. Addition of proteins that compete with INF2-DAD for actin binding (profilin or the WH2 from Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein) decrease full-length INF2 activity while not significantly decreasing activity of an INF2 construct lacking the DID sequence. Profilin-mediated INF2 inhibition is relieved by an anti-N-terminal antibody for INF2 that blocks the DID/DAD interaction. These results suggest that free actin monomers can serve as INF2 activators by competing with the DID/DAD interaction. We also find that, in contrast to past results, the DID-containing N terminus of INF2 does not directly bind the Rho GTPase Cdc42.

Production of Recombinant Melittin by Auto-Induction in<i> Escherichia coli</i>

Melittin is a novel peptide of biological activity isolated from bee venom. It has potential application value in medicine and agriculture. Here we encoded melittin gene with the EK recognition sequence in the N-terminus into expression vector pGEX-2T.The expressed fusion protein, which is about 29KDa, identified by Western Blot. To facilitate large-scale production of recombinant GST-fusion protein, we optimized different expression conditions to increase the overall production of the fusion protein. The production of the protein had increased about 10-fold when we used an auto-inducing medium. The GST fusion protein showed an equivalent activity with the natural melittin after digested by EK and can inhibited the proliferations of several human cancer lines. The expression system described in this study provides a feasible way for producing melittin in further studies.

Ubiquitin Interacts with the Tollip C2 and CUE Domains and Inhibits Binding of Tollip to Phosphoinositides

A large number of cellular signaling processes are directed through internalization, via endocytosis, of polyubiquitinated cargo proteins. Tollip is an adaptor protein that facilitates endosomal cargo sorting for lysosomal degradation. Tollip preferentially binds phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P) via its C2 domain, an association that may be required for endosomal membrane targeting. Here, we show that Tollip binds ubiquitin through its C2 and CUE domains and that its association with the C2 domain inhibits PtdIns(3)P binding. NMR analysis demonstrates that the C2 and CUE domains bind to overlapping sites on ubiquitin, suggesting that two ubiquitin molecules associate with Tollip simultaneously. Hydrodynamic studies reveal that ubiquitin forms heterodimers with the CUE domain, indicating that the association disrupts the dimeric state of the CUE domain. We propose that, in the absence of polyubiquitinated cargo, the dual binding of ubiquitin partitions Tollip into membrane-bound and membrane-free states, a function that contributes to the engagement of Tollip in both membrane trafficking and cytosolic pathways.

Self-Catalyzed Immobilization of GST-Fusion Proteins for Genome-Encoded Biochips

With the surge of proteomic information that has become available in recent years from genome sequencing projects, selective and robust technologies for making protein biochips have become increasingly desirable. Herein, we describe the development of small-molecule SNAr electrophiles (smSNAREs), a new class of capture probes that enables a selective, single-step immobilization for protein biochips. This enzymology-driven approach rides on the binding and catalytic mechanism of SjGST. We have designed and synthesized mechanism-based substrate analogs 3, 4, and 5 as electrophilic precursors for conjugation of glutathione S-transferase (GST) or any of its fusion proteins. Upon evaluating the conjugation of these probes to glutathione in the presence of SjGST via UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) and LC-MS techniques, we found that 3, 4, and 5 were transferable to GSH. Through the anchoring of alkyne 5 as a smSNARE probe on glass surface, we demonstrate the single-step, self-catalyzed immobilization of SjGST. Fluorescence imaging quantitatively revealed an 18-fold increase in selective binding of SjGST over random orientations (due to nonspecific binding) of the protein. Binding between GST and smSNARE surface is robust and does not reverse upon adding up to 100 mM GSH. Further, a 6-fold increase in resolution for the smSNARE surface probe was observed over commonly employed commercially available GSH-epoxy surfaces. Detailed control experiments revealed insights into the reversibility of binding and catalysis of GSH to form conjugation products with 5 in the presence of the enzyme. As an application of this protein capture technology, we printed alkaloid biosynthesis enzyme, isonitrile synthase (IsnA), to result in a biochip. Because proteins bearing a GST-fusion purification tag are commonly created through the pGEX expression system, these findings show broad potential applicability to genome-wide studies and proteomic platforms.

Two Distinct Calmodulin Binding Sites in the Third Intracellular Loop and Carboxyl Tail of Angiotensin II (AT1A) Receptor

In this study, we present data that support the presence of two distinct calmodulin binding sites within the angiotensin II receptor (AT1A), at juxtamembrane regions of the N-terminus of the third intracellular loop (i3, amino acids 214–231) and carboxyl tail of the receptor (ct, 302–317). We used bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays to document interactions of calmodulin with the AT1A holo-receptor and GST-fusion protein pull-downs to demonstrate that i3 and ct interact with calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent fashion. The former is a 1–12 motif and the latter belongs to 1-5-10 calmodulin binding motif. The apparent Kd of calmodulin for i3 is 177.0±9.1 nM, and for ct is 79.4±7.9 nM as assessed by dansyl-calmodulin fluorescence. Replacement of the tryptophan (W219) for alanine in i3, and phenylalanine (F309 or F313) for alanine in ct reduced their binding affinities for calmodulin, as predicted by computer docking simulations. Exogenously applied calmodulin attenuated interactions between G protein βγ subunits and i3 and ct, somewhat more so for ct than i3. Mutations W219A, F309A, and F313A did not alter Gβγ binding, but reduced the ability of calmodulin to compete with Gβγ, suggesting that calmodulin and Gβγ have overlapping, but not identical, binding requirements for i3 and ct. Calmodulin interference with the Gβγ binding to i3 and ct regions of the AT1A receptor strongly suggests that calmodulin plays critical roles in regulating Gβγ-dependent signaling of the receptor.