Periodic paralysis in quarter horses: a sodium channel mutation disseminated by selective breeding.

We recently reported on a linkage study within a Quarter Horse lineage segregating hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), an autosomal dominant condition showing potassium-induced attacks of skeletal muscle paralysis. HYPP co-segregated with the equine adult skeletal muscle sodium channel alpha subunit gene, the same gene that causes human HYPP. We now describe the Phe to Leu mutation in transmembrane domain IVS3 which courses the horse disease. This represents the first application of molecular genetics to an important horse disease, and the data will provide an opportunity for control or eradication of this condition.     

Prediction of the structure of a receptor-protein complex using a binary docking method.

To validate procedures of rational drug design, it is important to develop computational methods that predict binding sites between a protein and a ligand molecule. Many small molecules have been tested using such programs, but examination of protein-protein and peptide-protein interactions has been sparse. We were able to test such applications once the structures of both the maltose-binding protein (MBP) and the ligand-binding domain of the aspartate receptor, which binds MBP, became available. Here we predict the binding site of MBP to its receptor using a 'binary docking' technique in which two MBP octapeptide sequences containing mutations that eliminate maltose chemotaxis are independently docked to the receptor. The peptides in the docked solutions superimpose on their original positions in the structure of MBP and allow the formation of an MBP-receptor complex. The consistency of the computational and biological results supports this approach for predicting protein-protein and peptide-protein interactions.     

Targeted disruption of the mouse transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene results in multifocal inflammatory disease.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is a multifunctional growth factor that has profound regulatory effects on many developmental and physiological processes. Disruption of the TGF-beta 1 gene by homologous recombination in murine embryonic stem cells enables mice to be generated that carry the disrupted allele. Animals homozygous for the mutated TGF-beta 1 allele show no gross developmental abnormalities, but about 20 days after birth they succumb to a wasting syndrome accompanied by a multifocal, mixed inflammatory cell response and tissue necrosis, leading to organ failure and death. TGF-beta 1-deficient mice may be valuable models for human immune and inflammatory disorders, including autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and graft versus host reactions.     

Biotransformation, by Enterobacter agglomerans, of pyrimidine acyclonucleosides to acyclonucleotides.

The ability of Enterobacter agglomerans to transform naturally occurring nucleosides into nucleotides has been utilized to transform newly synthesized pyrimidine acyclonucleosides into the corresponding acyclonucleotides. Unselected bacteria were used as the source of nucleoside phosphotransferase, the phosphate group donor being 4-nitrophenyl phosphate in the presence of Zn2+ ions. Optimal reaction conditions are outlined.     

Clustering of voltage-dependent sodium channels on axons depends on Schwann cell contact.

In myelinated nerves, segregation of voltage-dependent sodium channels to nodes of Ranvier is crucial for saltatory conduction along axons. As sodium channels associate and colocalize with ankyrin at nodes of Ranvier, one possibility is that sodium channels are recruited and immobilized at axonal sites which are specified by the subaxolemmal cytoskeleton, independent of glial cell contact. Alternatively, segregation of channels at distinct sites along the axon may depend on glial cell contact. To resolve this question, we have examined the distribution of sodium channels, ankyrin and spectrin in myelination-competent cocultures of sensory neurons and Schwann cells by immunofluorescence, using sodium channel-, ankyrin- and spectrin-specific antibodies. In the absence of Schwann cells, sodium channels, ankyrin and spectrin are homogeneously distributed on sensory axons. When Schwann cells are introduced into these cultures, the distribution of sodium channels dramatically changes so that channel clusters on axons are abundant, but ankyrin and spectrin remain homogeneously distributed. Addition of latex beads or Schwann cell membranes does not induce channel clustering. Our results suggest that segregation of sodium channels on axons is highly dependent on interactions with active Schwann cells and that continuing axon-glial interactions are necessary to organize and maintain channel distribution during differentiation of myelinated axons.     

Mechanism for the learning deficits in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is one of the most common single-gene disorders that causes learning deficits in humans. Mice carrying a heterozygous null mutation of the Nfl gene (Nfl(+/-) show important features of the learning deficits associated with NF1 (ref. 2). Although neurofibromin has several known properties and functions, including Ras GTPase-activating protein activity, adenylyl cyclase modulation and microtubule binding, it is unclear which of these are essential for learning in mice and humans. Here we show that the learning deficits of Nf1(+/-) mice can be rescued by genetic and pharmacological manipulations that decrease Ras function. We also show that the Nf1(+/-) mice have increased GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid)-mediated inhibition and specific deficits in long-term potentiation, both of which can be reversed by decreasing Ras function. Our results indicate that the learning deficits associated with NF1 may be caused by excessive Ras activity, which leads to impairments in long-term potentiation caused by increased GABA-mediated inhibition. Our findings have implications for the development of treatments for learning deficits associated with NF1.     

The failing heart.

Cardiomyopathies are disorders affecting heart muscle that usually result in inadequate pumping of the heart. They are the most common cause of heart failure and each year kill more than 10,000 people in the United States. In recent years, there have been breakthroughs in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in this group of conditions, with knowledge of the genetic basis for cardiomyopathies perhaps seeing the largest advance, enabling clinicians to devise improved diagnostic strategies and preparing the stage for new therapies.     

A calcium sensor in the sodium channel modulates cardiac excitability.

Sodium channels are principal molecular determinants responsible for myocardial conduction and maintenance of the cardiac rhythm. Calcium ions (Ca2+) have a fundamental role in the coupling of cardiac myocyte excitation and contraction, yet mechanisms whereby intracellular Ca2+ may directly modulate Na channel function have yet to be identified. Here we show that calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitous Ca2+-sensing protein, binds to the carboxy-terminal 'IQ' domain of the human cardiac Na channel (hH1) in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This binding interaction significantly enhances slow inactivation-a channel-gating process linked to life-threatening idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias. Mutations targeted to the IQ domain disrupted CaM binding and eliminated Ca2+/CaM-dependent slow inactivation, whereas the gating effects of Ca2+/CaM were restored by intracellular application of a peptide modelled after the IQ domain. A naturally occurring mutation (A1924T) in the IQ domain altered hH1 function in a manner characteristic of the Brugada arrhythmia syndrome, but at the same time inhibited slow inactivation induced by Ca2+/CaM, yielding a clinically benign (arrhythmia free) phenotype.