Molecular cloning, identifi-cation and characteristics of NYD-SP9: Gene coding pro-tein kinase presumably in-volved in spermatogenesis

Using cDNA microarray hybridization from a human testicular cDNA library, one gene exhibiting ten-fold difference at expression level between adult and embryo human testes was cloned and named NYD-SP9, which was believed to be involved in spermatogenesis. Southern blot hybridization results showed that NYD-SP9 expressed highly in testis but low in ovary. Protein motif analysis of this cDNA sequence revealed a cluster of phosphorylation sites, indicating its potential involvement in signal pathways during spermatogenesis. Furthermore, one transmembrane helix was predicted in N-terminal region, indicating that putative NYD-SP6 may be served as a transmembrane protein. The proximity of these potential phosphorylation sites to each other indicates that there may be interaction among these sites to regulate spermatogenesis. These findings suggested that protein kinase NYD-SP9 might play a role in male germ cell differentiation.     

Molecular cloning, identification and characteristics of NYD-SP9: Gene coding protein kinase presumably involved in spermatogenesis

Using cDNA microarray hybridization from a human testicular cDNA library, one gene exhibiting ten-fold difference at expression level between adult and embryo human testes was cloned and named NYD-SP9, which was believed to be involved in spermatogenesis. Southern blot hybridization results showed that NYD-SP9 expressed highly in testis but low in ovary. Protein motif analysis of this cDNA sequence revealed a cluster of phosphorylation sites, indicating its potential involvement in signal pathways during spermatogenesis. Furthermore, one transmembrane helix was predicted in N-terminal region, indicating that putative NYD-SP6 may be served as a transmembrane protein. The proximity of these potential phosphorylation sites to each other indicates that there may be interaction among these sites to regulate spermatogenesis. These findings suggested that protein kinase NYD-SP9 might play a role in male germ cell differentiation.     

Molecular cloning and expression of the major protein kinase C substrate of platelets

In platelets, agonists that stimulate phosphoinositide turnover cause the rapid phosphorylation of a protein of apparent relative molecular mass (Mr) 40-47,000, called P47, by protein kinase C (PKC). Diverse identities have been ascribed to P47 including lipocortin, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 5-phosphomonoesterase, pyruvate dehydrogenase alpha subunit and an actin regulatory protein. We have isolated human P47 clones by immunological screening of a lambda gt11 complementary DNA library from HL-60 cells, a human promyelocytic leukaemia cell line. P47 recombinants thus identified hybridized to a 3.0 kilobase (kb) messenger RNA in mature white blood cell lines; the same mRNA was induced in HL-60 cells during differentiation. A 1,050 base pair (bp) open reading frame that could encode a protein of Mr40,087 was confirmed by comparison with peptide sequences from platelet P47, and by expression of the putative recombinant P47 in E. coli and in vitro. The P47 sequence appears to have been conserved throughout vertebrate evolution, and is not similar to any other known sequence including human lipocortin and the alpha subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase. The P47 protein contains a potential Ca2+-binding 'EF-hand' structure and a region that strongly resembles known PKC phosphorylation sites.     

Protein kinase C phosphorylation of the EGF receptor at a threonine residue close to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane

The receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a 170,000-180,000 molecular weight single-chain glycoprotein of 1,186 amino acids. Its sequence suggests that it has an external EGF-binding domain, formed by the NH2-terminal 621 amino acids, linked to a cytoplasmic region by a single membrane-spanning segment. In the cytoplasmic portion, starting 50 residues from the membrane, there is a 250-residue stretch similar to the catalytic domain of the src gene family of retroviral tyrosine protein kinases, and, indeed, a tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity intrinsic to the receptor is stimulated when EGF is bound. Increased tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins, detected in A431 cells following EGF binding, may be important in the mitogenic signal pathway. Tumour promoters such as 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), counteract this increase, as well as causing loss of a high affinity class of EGF binding sites. The major receptor for TPA has been identified as the serine/threonine-specific Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent diacylglycerol-activated protein kinase, protein kinase C. By substituting for diacylglycerol, TPA stimulates protein kinase C. Protein kinase C phosphorylates purified EGF receptor at specific sites, and this reduces EGF-stimulated tyrosine protein kinase activity. TPA treatment of A431 cells increases serine and threonine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor at the same sites, which suggests that the reduction of EGF receptor kinase activity in TPA-treated cells is a consequence of the receptor's phosphorylation by the kinase. We have attempted to identify these phosphorylation sites and show here that protein kinase C phosphorylates threonine 654 in the human EGF receptor. This threonine is in a very basic sequence nine residues from the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane in the region before the protein kinase domain; it is thus in a position to modulate signalling between this internal domain and the external EGF-binding domain.     

Altered tyrosine 527 phosphorylation and mitotic activation of p60c-src.

The tyrosine kinasee activity of p60c-src, the protein product of the c-src gene, increases during mitosis; this may be important in initiating at least some of the cellular changes that occur during this phase of the cell cycle. Although there is evidence that p60c-src is phosphorylated at several sites during mitosis, phosphorylation in vitro does not increase its kinase activity. We now report that the kinase activity of a p60c-src mutant with residue tyrosine 527 changed to phenylanine does not change during the cell cycle, suggesting that changes in the phosphorylation state of this residue may be responsible for the activation of p60c-src at mitosis. Although changes in phosphorylation at Tyr 527 cannot be detected with the wild-type protein we find that phosphorylation at Tyr 527 of a mutant with reduced kinase activity decreases threefold during mitosis. On the basis of these results we suggest that activation of p60c-src at mitosis results from decreased phosphorylation on Tyr 527, and that p60c-src may be or may activate the kinase that phosphorylates Tyr 527.     

Platelet-derived growth factor-alpha receptor activation is required for human cytomegalovirus infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus that can cause life-threatening disease in the fetus and the immunocompromised host. Upon attachment to the cell, the virus induces robust inflammatory, interferon- and growth-factor-like signalling. The mechanisms facilitating viral entry and gene expression are not clearly understood. Here we show that platelet-derived growth factor-alpha receptor (PDGFR-alpha) is specifically phosphorylated by both laboratory and clinical isolates of HCMV in various human cell types, resulting in activation of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI(3)K) signalling pathway. Upon stimulation by HCMV, tyrosine-phosphorylated PDGFR-alpha associated with the p85 regulatory subunit of PI(3)K and induced protein kinase B (also known as Akt) phosphorylation, similar to the genuine ligand, PDGF-AA. Cells in which PDGFR-alpha was genetically deleted or functionally blocked were non-permissive to HCMV entry, viral gene expression or infectious virus production. Re-introducing human PDGFRA gene into knockout cells restored susceptibility to viral entry and essential viral gene expression. Blockade of receptor function with a humanized PDGFR-alpha blocking antibody (IMC-3G3) or targeted inhibition of its kinase activity with a small molecule (Gleevec) completely inhibited HCMV viral internalization and gene expression in human epithelial, endothelial and fibroblast cells. Viral entry in cells harbouring endogenous PDGFR-alpha was competitively inhibited by pretreatment with PDGF-AA. We further demonstrate that HCMV glycoprotein B directly interacts with PDGFR-alpha, resulting in receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, and that glycoprotein B neutralizing antibodies inhibit HCMV-induced PDGFR-alpha phosphorylation. Taken together, these data indicate that PDGFR-alpha is a critical receptor required for HCMV infection, and thus a target for novel anti-viral therapies.     

水稻BpHi008A基因对褐飞虱取食应答及其编码产物在大肠杆菌中的高效表达

对抗虫相关蛋白BpH i008A进行了生物信息学分析,发现BpH i008A含有一个PKC磷酸化位点、一个CK2磷酸化位点、三个N-myristoylation site位点;另外,BpH i008A蛋白含有一跨膜螺旋,和位于细胞内的N-末端及伸向细胞外的C-末端.Northern分析证明褐飞虱的取食是维持BpHi008A基因的表达的必要条件.以pET28 a为载体构建了非融合表达的重组质粒,并且实现了BpHi008A基因在大肠杆菌菌株BL21(DE3)中的高效表达.     

Ran结合蛋白RanBP1的同源基因M3的克隆与功能分析

以Ｒａｎ结合蛋白ＲａｎＢＰ１的保守区域作为探针,低严谨条件下杂交筛人视网膜ｃＤＮＡ文库,得到阳性克隆Ｍ３,它与鼠ｚｈｘ－１基因高度同源。ＲＨ作图将其定位于８ｑ２４．１￣ｑ２４．３。拼接ＥＳＴ序列并填补缺口,得到Ｍ３ ｃＤＮＡ全长４９３４ｂｐ,与Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ ｂｌｏｔ得到的主要转录本长度一致。此ｃＤＮＡ全序列包括２６２２ｂｐ开放阅读框,编码８７３氨基酸,含有２种翻译调控元件ｕＵＡＧ和ＴＴＡＴＴＴ     

THE蛋白的结构分析与功能预测

调用motif数据库、profile数据库和interproscan数据库,对THE蛋白进行了序列同源性分析和功能位点分析.结果表明,THE蛋白质是一种核蛋白,理论等电点为6.36,分子量为44 859 Dalton.应用多种相关软件对THE蛋白的二级结构和特殊结构进行了初步预测,结果显示:THE蛋白中存在α螺旋、β-折叠片和无规卷曲结构,有两个可形成跨膜结构的片段,不存在卷曲螺旋,无信号肽,也无线粒体定位信号.对THE蛋白进行序列同源性、结构域及功能位点预测,结果显示:THE蛋白与来自大鼠睾丸的Tes13-S、Fos13-L和几种假设蛋白有较高的相似性;THE蛋白存在次黄嘌呤核苷酸脱氢酶、嘌呤核苷酸还原酶结构域及PKC、酰胺化、豆蔻酸连接等功能位点,无糖基化位点.THE蛋白的结构分析与功能预测为该基因的功能研究提供了重要的依据.     

抑癌基因p27在肿瘤细胞MCF7中的表达

抑癌基因p27是一个细胞周期依赖性激酶抑制子CKI(CDK inhibitor),对细胞周期起着负调控的作用,将p27基因克隆到表达载体pcDNA,转染到肿瘤细胞MCF7中,筛选到稳定表达株．p27基因的过量表达确实对肿瘤细胞的生长产生了抑制作用,并且引发了部分肿瘤细胞的凋亡．     

Loss of mouse fibroblast cell response to phorbol esters restored by microinjected protein kinase C

The phorbol esters in addition to being among the most potent mouse skin tumour promoters profoundly affect many different biological systems. It is postulated that they act through activation of protein kinase C, but substantial heterogeneity in their pharmacological and binding behaviour in some systems has caused concern about whether this is their only target. Evidence linking protein kinase C activation with biological responses to the phorbol esters includes similarity in structure-activity relations for binding and response; in vitro phosphorylation of specific proteins by protein kinase C at the same sites at which phorbol ester treatment induces phosphorylation in intact cells; and correlation in certain cell types between down regulation of protein kinase C on chronic phorbol ester treatment and loss of cellular responsiveness to the phorbol ester. Here we report that microinjection of purified protein kinase C into Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts pretreated with the phorbol ester phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) restores the mitogenic response of the cells to PDBu, directly establishing the involvement of protein kinase C in this response.     

MAP2 kinase and 70K S6 kinase lie on distinct signalling pathways.

Activation of protein synthesis is required for quiescent cells to transit the cell cycle, and seems to be mediated in part by phosphorylation of the 40S ribosomal protein, S6. A mitogen-activated S6 kinase of relative molecular mass 70,000 (70K) has been isolated from mouse fibroblasts as well as from avian, rat and rabbit tissues. Comparison of complementary DNA sequences shows that this enzyme is distinct from S6 kinase II (92K) found in Xenopus eggs and fibroblasts. Both kinases are activated by serine/threonine phosphorylation, suggesting that at least one serine/threonine kinase links receptor tyrosine kinases with S6 kinases. A candidate for this link is MAP2 kinase, which is rapidly activated by tyrosine/threonine phosphorylation following mitogenic stimulation. Incubation of MAP2 kinase from insulin-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with phosphatase-inactivated S6 kinase II from Xenopus leads to partial reactivation and phosphorylation of the enzyme. These and other findings have led to the suggestion that MAP2 kinase also activates the 70K S6 kinase. Here we refute this idea by showing that the two kinases lie on distinct signalling pathways.     

一个与人类待定肿瘤抑制基因同源的水稻基因的分离

从水稻基因文库中筛选到一个与人类待定肿瘤抑制基因QM同源的基因,命名为OSQM2．该基因片断长为3．1kb,编码一个具有184个氨基酸的高度碱性的蛋白质,与其他已知QM基因相比,该基因具有一个非常特殊的启动子,包含许多在植物中已发现的与抗逆有关的顺式作用因子,如：“G盒”,“DRE盒”,“MYC盒”等,故而该基因有可能是一个新的受环境胁迫因子诱导的基因,Southern杂交表明它以单拷贝形式存在于基因组中。     

降解多环芳烃的鞘氨醇单胞菌ahdA1c基因的生物信息学分析

ahd A1c基因是鞘氨醇单胞菌降解多环芳烃中的关键基因。为了解鞘氨醇单胞菌ahd A1c基因基本特性,运用生物信息学方法预测分析其氨基酸理化性质、同源性、蛋白二三级结构、KEGG通路等。结果表明,ahd A1c基因编码区全长1 263 bp,编码420个氨基酸,与xylk基因、bph A1c基因的同源性均在90%以上;同源性较高;ahd A1c蛋白具有亲水性和稳定性,有31个磷酸化位点,2个保守区域,有跨膜区,无规则卷曲是二三级结构中最主要结构元件;KEGG分析表明ahd A1c蛋白编码水杨酸羟化酶。为进一步研究多环芳烃的降解机理奠定了基础。