Analysis of cDNA for human erythrocyte ankyrin indicates a repeated structure with homology to tissue-differentiation and cell-cycle control proteins

Analysis of complementary DNA for human erythroid ankyrin indicates that the mature protein contains 1,880 amino acids comprising an N-terminal domain binding integral membrane proteins and tubulin, a central domain binding spectrin and vimentin, and an acidic C-terminal 'regulatory' domain containing an alternatively spliced sequence missing from ankyrin variant 2.2. The N-terminal domain is almost entirely composed of 22 tandem 33-amino-acid repeats. Similar repeats are found in yeast and invertebrate proteins involved in cell-cycle control and tissue differentiation.     

Immunoreactive forms of human erythrocyte ankyrin are present in diverse cells and tissues.

Ankyrin is a polypeptide of molecular weight (MW) 200,000 which is tightly bound to the cytoplasmic surface of the human erythrocyte membrane and has been identified as the high-affinity membrane attachment protein for spectrin. This protein has also been shown to be associated with band 3 (ref. 4), the major transmembrane protein which links a cytoplasmic structural protein to an integral membrane protein. A water-soluble, 72,000-MW, proteolytic fragment of ankyrin has been purified which retains the ability to bind to spectrin, and competitively inhibits reassociation of spectrin with membranes. Monospecific antibodies directed against this fragment have been prepared and demonstrated to cross-react only with ankyrin among the erythrocyte membrane proteins. The present study reports the use of these antibodies to develop a radioimmunoassay capable of detecting femtomolar quantities of ankyrin, and demonstrates the presence of small but significant amounts of immunoreactivity in a variety of types of cells and tissues.     

Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase is the cyclosporin A-binding protein cyclophilin

Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) catalyses the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides and has been shown to accelerate the refolding of several proteins in vitro. Its activity has been detected in yeast, insects and Escherichia coli as well as in mammals, and it is though to be essential for protein folding during protein synthesis in the cell. We purified PPIase from pig kidney and found that its amino-acid sequence is identical to that reported for bovine cyclophilin, a protein known to bind the immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporin A (ref. 5). To investigate the functional relationship between PPIase and cyclophilin we examined the effect of cyclosporin A on PPIase activity and found that it was inhibitory. Thus we propose that the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerizing activity of PPIase may be involved in events, such as those occurring early in T-cell activation, that are suppressed by cyclosporin A.     

The membrane attachment protein for spectrin is associated with band 3 in human erythrocyte membranes.

Ankyrin, the membrane attachment protein for human erythrocyte spectrin, is tightly linked in a 1:1 molar ratio with band 3 in detergent extracts of spectrin-depleted membranes. Ankyrin-linked band 3, which represents 10--15% of the total band 3, spans the membrane, and is nearly identical to the major band 3 by peptide analysis. Spectrin binds to solubilised ankyrin-linked band 3, but not to free band 3. A portion of band 3 remains firmly associated with detergent-extracted cytoskeletal proteins. It is concluded that a fraction of band 3 is attached to the erythrocyte cytoskeleton through association with ankyrin, which in turn is bound to spectrin.     

Mimicry of ice structure by surface hydroxyls and water of a beta-helix antifreeze protein

Insect antifreeze proteins (AFP) are much more effective than fish AFPs at depressing solution freezing points by ice-growth inhibition. AFP from the beetle Tenebrio molitor is a small protein (8.4 kDa) composed of tandem 12-residue repeats (TCTxSxxCxxAx). Here we report its 1.4-A resolution crystal structure, showing that this repetitive sequence translates into an exceptionally regular beta-helix. Not only are the 12-amino-acid loops almost identical in the backbone, but also the conserved side chains are positioned in essentially identical orientations, making this AFP perhaps the most regular protein structure yet observed. The protein has almost no hydrophobic core but is stabilized by numerous disulphide and hydrogen bonds. On the conserved side of the protein, threonine-cysteine-threonine motifs are arrayed to form a flat beta-sheet, the putative ice-binding surface. The threonine side chains have exactly the same rotameric conformation and the spacing between OH groups is a near-perfect match to the ice lattice. Together with tightly bound co-planar external water, three ranks of oxygen atoms form a two-dimensional array, mimicking an ice section.     

Plasma and cytoplasmic gelsolins are encoded by a single gene and contain a duplicated actin-binding domain

Gelsolin is representative of a class of actin-modulating proteins found in lower eukaryotes to mammals, which sever actin filaments. Gelsolin found in the cytoplasm of cells is functionally similar to a mammalian plasma protein of similar size, originally called ADF or brevin. Human plasma and rabbit macrophage gelsolins differ by the presence of a 25-amino-acid residue extension on plasma gelsolin which appears to account for the difference in relative molecular mass (Mr) between the proteins as assessed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), 93,000 (93K) and 90K, respectively. Here we report the isolation of full-length human plasma gelsolin complementary DNA clones from a HepG2 library. The inferred amino-acid sequence reveals the presence of a signal peptide, a long tandem repeat that matches the actin-binding domains of gelsolin, a tetrapeptide present in actin and extended regions of identical sequence with rabbit macrophage gelsolin. Southern blot analysis indicates that a single gene in the haploid genome encodes both protein forms.     

Cumulative effect of intragenic amino-acid replacements on the thermostability of a protein

The marginal net stability of a folded protein is thought to depend on a small difference between large, compensating individual forces. Therefore, the net free energy of stabilization of proteins is unexpectedly small (approximately 10 kcal mol-1). The contribution of individual forces such as hydrogen bonds and salt bridges to the stabilization is evaluated as 1-3 kcal mol-1, and several additional forces are thought to be sufficient to account for the extra thermostability of thermophilic proteins. The native conformation of a protein is determined by the total number of interatomic interactions and hence by the amino-acid sequence. If the few amino-acid residues that individually contribute to the stabilization could be implemented concurrently into the sequence, the multiple replacement would enhance the overall stability of the protein molecule. Here we report evidence to support this argument. Thermal inactivation kinetics and proteolytic resistance for mutants of a kanamycin nucleotidyltransferase reveal that a few intragenic amino-acid replacements stabilize the protein cumulatively. Our experiments not only demonstrate the feasibility of elevating the thermostability of a protein but also lead to better understanding of the forces that are responsible for protein stability.     

hASB-8相互作用蛋白的初步研究

hASB-8基因是对肿瘤细胞生长具有明显抑制作用的人类新基因．其编码蛋白属于人ASB蛋白家族中的一个成员,与小鼠中的ASB-8蛋白同源性达96％．保守结构域分析显示hASB-8在N端包含4个Ankyrin repeats,在C端包含了一个SOCS box．利用酵母双杂交技术,筛选了人的胎盘(Placenta)cDNA文库,获得了与KASB-8相互作用的2个蛋白,Elongin C和CDK4 binding protein;并在二倍体酵母体内进行了验证．这些试验提示hASB-8蛋白可能介导肿瘤细胞中靶蛋白和泛素复合体之间的相互作用,并与肿瘤细胞靶蛋白转录调节有关．     

Expression of a polypeptide containing a dipeptide repeat is confined to the insect stage of Trypanosoma brucei

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is transmitted between mammalian hosts by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.). Trypanosomes ingested by the fly undergo a number of changes in the insect midgut during differentiation to procyclic forms. These include the loss of the variant specific glycoprotein (VSG) coat and the appearance of a common set of procyclic surface antigens. In order to investigate genes other than VSG genes which are expressed only at certain stages of the life cycle, the first cDNA specific to procyclic culture form trypanosomes (equivalent to the stage found in the insect midgut) has been characterized. The encoded polypeptide shows several characteristics of membrane proteins, but its most striking feature is the presence of a repetitive amino-acid sequence in which there are 22 tandem repeats of the dipeptide-Glu-Pro-. Related genes are also found in other trypanosome species and in leishmania. This gene shows many similarities to a number of surface antigen genes described in malaria and, more recently, Trypanosoma cruzi. This is the first example of a repetitive sequence in a parasite protein which is present only in the insect vector, and which therefore cannot be implicated in the mammalian host immune response.     

Positive identification of an immigration test-case using human DNA fingerprints

The human genome contains a set of minisatellites, each of which consists of tandem repeats of a DNA segment containing the 'core' sequence, a putative recombination signal in human DNA. Multiallelic variation in the number of tandem repeats occurs at many of these minisatellite loci. Hybridization probes consisting of tandem repeats of the core sequence detect many hypervariable minisatellites simultaneously in human DNA, to produce a DNA fingerprint that is completely individual-specific and shows somatic and germline stability. These DNA fingerprints are derived from a large number of highly informative dispersed autosomal loci and are suitable for linkage analysis in man, and for individual identification in, for example, forensic science and paternity testing. They can also be used to resolve immigration disputes arising from lack of proof of family relationships. To illustrate the potential for positive or inclusive identification, we now describe the DNA fingerprint analysis of an immigration case, the resolution of which would have been very difficult and laborious using currently available single-locus genetic markers.     

The genome sequence and structure of rice chromosome 1

The rice species Oryza sativa is considered to be a model plant because of its small genome size, extensive genetic map, relative ease of transformation and synteny with other cereal crops. Here we report the essentially complete sequence of chromosome 1, the longest chromosome in the rice genome. We summarize characteristics of the chromosome structure and the biological insight gained from the sequence. The analysis of 43.3 megabases (Mb) of non-overlapping sequence reveals 6,756 protein coding genes, of which 3,161 show homology to proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana, another model plant. About 30% (2,073) of the genes have been functionally categorized. Rice chromosome 1 is (G + C)-rich, especially in its coding regions, and is characterized by several gene families that are dispersed or arranged in tandem repeats. Comparison with a draft sequence indicates the importance of a high-quality finished sequence.     

A protein-folding reaction under kinetic control.

Synthesis of alpha-lytic protease is as a precursor containing a 166 amino-acid pro region transiently required for the correct folding of the protease domain. By omitting the pro region in an in vitro refolding reaction we trapped an inactive, but folding competent state (I) having an expanded radius yet native-like secondary structure. The I state is stable for weeks at physiological pH in the absence of denaturant, but rapidly folds to the active, native state on addition of the pro region as a separate polypeptide chain. The mechanism of action of the pro region is distinct from that of the chaperonins: rather than reducing the rate of off-pathway reactions, the pro region accelerates the rate-limiting step on the folding pathway by more than 10(7). Because both the I and native states are stable under identical conditions with no detectable interconversion, the folding of alpha-lytic protease must be under kinetic and not thermodynamic control.     

Fitness reduction associated with the deletion of a satellite DNA array

Satellite DNA refers to a class of tandem repeats of very simple sequences, usually A + T or G + C rich, which form a satellite band on a CsCl gradient. Their ubiquity and abundance in higher eukaryotes have led to speculation about their functions. It has often been suggested that satellite DNAs are merely innocuous genetic parasites or comprise 'junk' DNA. The recent identification of an array of satellite DNA repeats as the Responder (Rsp) locus of Drosophila melanogaster provides a new perspective on these elements. Rsp is in the centromeric heterochromatin of most natural second chromosomes. It causes spermatids bearing it to degenerate after meiosis when the homologous second chromosome is a Segregation Distorter (SD) chromosome. That is, SD targets the Rsp locus on its homologue for destruction during spermatogenesis, causing meiotic drive. Why then does the Rsp locus, a large array of satellite repeats, exist at all? One plausible explanation is that its existence contributes to the fitness of flies bearing it, compensating for the loss through meiotic drive. A direct demonstration of the usefulness of any family of satellite DNA is to compare the fitnesses of individuals with and without it. Previously, such an experiment has been difficult because the absence of a characteristic phenotype has precluded an efficient selection of deletion mutations. In this report we attempt to demonstrate a fitness reduction associated with the deletion of Rsp satellite DNA as well as the life stages at which such a reduction occurs.     

Ankyrin binding to (Na+ + K+)ATPase and implications for the organization of membrane domains in polarized cells

The interaction between membrane proteins and cytoplasmic structural proteins is thought to be one mechanism for maintaining the spatial order of proteins within functional domains on the plasma membrane. Such interactions have been characterized extensively in the human erythrocyte, where a dense, cytoplasmic matrix of proteins comprised mainly of spectrin and actin, is attached through a linker protein, ankyrin, to the anion transporter (Band 3). In several nonerythroid cell types, including neurons, exocrine cells and polarized epithelial cells homologues of ankyrin and spectrin (fodrin) are localized in specific membrane domains. Although these results suggest a functional linkage between ankyrin and fodrin and integral membrane proteins in the maintenance of membrane domains in nonerythroid cells, there has been little direct evidence of specific molecular interactions. Using a direct biological and chemical approach, we show here that ankyrin binds to the ubiquitous (Na+ + K+)ATPase, which has an asymmetrical distribution in polarized cells.