Intact Catalytic Activity Research Articles

Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus Papain-Like Protease 1 Antagonizes Production of Interferon-β through Its Deubiquitinase Activity.

Coronaviruses (CoVs), such as human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV), murine hepatitis virus (MHV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), encode papain-like (PL) proteases that inhibit Sendai virus- (SeV-) induced interferon (IFN-β) production. Recently, the crystal structure of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) PL1 has been solved, which was similar to that of SARS-CoV PL2pro, which may antagonize host innate immunity. However, very little is known about whether TGEV PL1 can antagonize host innate immune response. Here, we presented evidence that TGEV PL1 encoded by the replicase gene could suppress the IFN-β expression and inhibit the nuclear translocation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). The ability to antagonize IFN-β production was dependent on the intact catalytic activity of PL1. Furthermore, TGEV PL1 exerted deubiquitinase (DUB) activity which strongly inhibited the retinoic acid-induced gene I- (RIG-1-) and stimulator of interferon gene- (STING-) dependent IFN expression. Our data collectively suggest that TGEV PL1 can inhibit the IFN-β expression and interfere with RIG-1- and STING-mediated signaling through a viral DUB activity. Our study has yielded strong evidence for the TGEV PL1 mechanisms that counteract the host innate immunity.

Practical carbocatalysis by graphene oxide nanosheets in aqueous medium towards the synthesis of diversified dibenzo[1,4]diazepine scaffolds

Metal free green protocol in aqueous medium. Use of GO nanosheets as exclusive heterogeneous catalyst. Almost intact catalytic activity upto the 5th run. Mild reaction conditions preserve sensitive structural moeities.

A Novel Role of Salt-Inducible Kinase 1 (SIK1) in the Post-Translational Regulation of Scavenger Receptor Class B Type 1 Activity.

Salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that belongs to the stress- and energy-sensing AMPK family of kinases. SIK1 expression is rapidly induced in Y1 adrenal cells in response to ACTH via the cAMP-PKA signaling cascade, and it has been suggested that an increased level of SIK1 expression inhibits adrenal steroidogenesis by repressing the cAMP-dependent transcription of steroidogenic proteins, CYP11A1 and StAR, by attenuating CREB transcriptional activity. Here we show that SIK1 stimulates adrenal steroidogenesis by modulating the selective HDL-CE transport activity of SR-B1. Overexpression of SIK1 increases cAMP-stimulated and SR-B1-mediated selective HDL-BODIPY-CE uptake in cell lines without impacting SR-B1 protein levels, whereas knockdown of SIK1 attenuated cAMP-stimulated selective HDL-BODIPY-CE uptake. SIK1 forms a complex with SR-B1 by interacting with its cytoplasmic C-terminal domain, and in vitro kinase activity measurements indicate that SIK1 can phosphorylate the C-terminal domain of SR-B1. Among potential phosphorylation sites, SIK1-catalyzed phosphorylation of Ser496 is critical for SIK1 stimulation of the selective CE transport activity of SR-B1. Mutational studies further demonstrated that both the intact catalytic activity of SIK1 and its PKA-catalyzed phosphorylation are essential for SIK1 stimulation of SR-B1 activity. Finally, overexpression of SIK1 caused time-dependent increases in SR-B1-mediated and HDL-supported steroid production in Y1 cells; however, these effects were lost with knockdown of SR-B1. Taken together, these studies establish a role for SIK1 in the positive regulation of selective HDL-CE transport function of SR-B1 and steroidogenesis and suggest a potential mechanism for SIK1 signaling in modulating SR-B1-mediated selective CE uptake and associated steroidogenesis.

DAP-kinase: from functional gene cloning to establishment of its role in apoptosis and cancer.

DAP-kinase is a pro-apoptotic Ca(2+) calmodulin-regulated serine/threonine kinase that participates in a wide array of apoptotic systems initiated by interferon-gamma, TNF-alpha, activated Fas, and detachment from extracellular matrix. It was isolated by an unbiased functional approach to gene cloning aimed at hitting central mediators of the apoptotic process. This 160 Kd protein kinase is localized to actin microfilaments and carries interesting modules such as ankyrin repeats and the death domain. The death promoting effects of DAP-kinase depend on its intact catalytic activity, the correct intracellular localization, and on the presence of the death domain. A few mechanisms restrain the killing effects of the protein in healthy cells. The enzyme's active site is negatively controlled by an adjacent CaM regulatory domain whose effect is relieved by binding to Ca(2+)-activated calmodulin. A second mode of autoinhibition engages the serine-rich C-terminal tail, spanning the last 17 amino acids of the protein. A link between DAP-kinase and cancer has been established. It was found that the mRNA and protein expression is frequently lost in various human cancer cell lines. Analysis of the methylation status of DAP-kinase's 5' UTR in DNA extracted from fresh tumor samples, showed high incidence of hypermethylation in several human carcinomas and B cell malignancies. The anti-tumorigenic effect of DAP-kinase was also studied experimentally in mouse model systems where the re-introduction of DAP-kinase into highly metastatic mouse lung carcinoma cells who had lost the protein, strongly reduced their metastatic capacity. Thus, it appears that loss of DAP-kinase confers a selective advantage to cancer cells and may play a causative role in tumor progression. A few novel kinases sharing high homology in their catalytic domains with DAP-kinase have been recently identified constituting altogether a novel family of death promoting serine/threonine kinases.

Leucine Zipper-like Domain Regulates the Autophosphorylation and the Transforming Activity of P130 gag-fps

P130 gag-fps , the product of Fujinami sarcoma virus, has a leucine zipper (LZ) motif located in 729-756 amino acid residues. To explore the role of LZ-like domain in the transformation by P130 gag-fps , we made a deletion (ΔFpsLZ/SH2) and a site-directed substitution mutation (L746P). Deletion mutant did not transform the 3Y1 cells and the resulting protein did not show kinase activity. Substitution of Leu746 with Pro (L746P) reduced the transforming activity by 6-fold. Although the L746P mutant retained intact catalytic activity in vitro, it did not phosphorylate cellular proteins in vivo. We concluded that LZ-like domain might mediate the trans-activation of P130 gag-fps tyrosine kinase by autophosphorylation, which is prerequisite for the transforming activity.

The C-terminus of lipoprotein lipase is essential for biological function but contains no domain for glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring.

In this study we present evidence that the C-terminus of lipoprotein lipase contains no glycosylphosphatidylinositol addition signal and is therefore not a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein. Furthermore, we present additional evidence that the C-terminus of lipoprotein lipase is essential for biological function. Flow cytometric analysis and enzyme-activity monitoring experiments revealed no pool of lipoprotein lipase releasable by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase present on the membrane of COS cells transfected with the human lipoprotein lipase gene while, in contrast, a heparin-releasable pool could be demonstrated. [14C]Ethanolamine, a constituent of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, was not incorporated into lipoprotein lipase during metabolic labeling. C-terminal deletion mutants were constructed and expressed in COS cells to investigate the presence of glycosylphosphatidylinositol addition signal on the C-terminus of human lipoprotein lipase (LPL). The specific activities of the mutants M442 [des-(Leu443-Gly448)-LPL] and M437 [des-(Cys438-Gly448)-LPL] were 78% and 59%, respectively, less than the wild type, while the M432 mutant [des-(Ala433-Gly449)-LPL] was catalytically inactive. Determination of the stability of the mutants revealed a decreased stability of the M437, compared with wild-type, whereas M442 showed the same stability. Flow cytometric analysis showed sustained membrane expression for all mutants including the inactive M432 mutant. These results suggest that the C-terminus of lipoprotein lipase is essential for maintaining intact catalytic activity but is not involved in any posttranslational proteolytic processing, including cleavage of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol addition signal. We therefore conclude that membrane-binding of the lipase is not mediated by such anchoring.

Identification of a mutant human topoisomerase I with intact catalytic activity and resistance to 9-nitro-camptothecin.

Human U-937 myeloid leukemia cells were selected for resistance to increasing concentrations of the camptothecin derivative, 9-nitro-20(S)camptothecin (9-NC). The isolated single cell clone, designated U-937/CR, was approximately 20-fold resistant to 9-NC. Analysis of topoisomerase I (topo I) gene expression in U-937/CR cells demonstrated similar mRNA levels as compared with U-937 cells. Immunoblotting with an anti-topo I serum revealed reactive proteins at 100, 75, and 67 kDa which were expressed at the same level in the parental and 9-NC-resistant clones. These cell lines also demonstrated similar levels of topo I catalytic activity as determined by assaying nuclear extracts for relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA. In contrast, catalytic assays performed in the presence of 9-NC demonstrated that topo I activity from U-937/CR cells was approximately 10-fold more resistant than that from U-937 cells. Nucleotide sequencing of topo I cDNAs revealed the substitution of phenylalanine (TTC) at residue 361 in U-937 cells with serine (TCC) in the 9-NC-resistant clone. Expression and partial purification of the mutant topo I protein in Escherichia coli demonstrated resistance of this enzyme to 9-NC in catalytic assays. Taken together, these findings identify a novel mutation in topo I which confers resistance to 9-NC and support the involvement of this region in the interaction between topo I and 9-NC.

Structure-function relationships of lipoprotein lipase: mutation analysis and mutagenesis of the loop region

The molecular models of two microbial lipases and human pancreatic lipase (PL) have suggested the existence of common structural motifs including a buried active site shielded by an amphipathic surface loop. In an effort to explore the role of residues comprising the loop of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), we have used site-directed mutagenesis to generate three new LPL variants. In variant LPLM1 we deleted 18 amino acids leaving a loop of only 4 residues which resulted in an LPL protein inactive against triolein substrates. In contrast, two other LPL variants with only partial deletions, involving the apical section of the loop [LPLM2 (-8 amino acids) and LPLM3 (-2 amino acids)] manifested normal lipolytic activity. These findings indicate a critical requirement for the maintenance of charge and periodicity in the proximal and distal segments of the LPL loop in normal catalytic function. This is further highlighted by the detection of a mutation in the proximal section of the loop in a patient with LPL deficiency at position 225 which results in a substitution of threonine for isoleucine. The intact catalytic activity of the partial deletion variants (LPLM2 and LPLM3) further suggests that the apical residues of the loop contribute minimally to the functional motifs of the active site. We support this postulate by showing that the conserved glycine in the apical turn section (G229) can be substituted by glutamine, lysine, proline, or threonine without significantly affecting catalytic activity.