Regulation of p34CDC28 tyrosine phosphorylation is not required for entry into mitosis in S. cerevisiae.

Progression from G2 to M phase in eukaryotes requires activation of a protein kinase composed of p34cdc2/CDC28 associated with G1-specific cyclins. In some organisms the activation of the kinase at the G2/M boundary is due to dephosphorylation of a highly conserved tyrosine residue at position 15 (Y15) of the cdc2 protein. Here we report that in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, p34CDC28 also undergoes cell-cycle regulated dephosphorylation on an equivalent tyrosine residue (Y19). However, in contrast to previous observations in S. pombe, Xenopus and mammalian cells, dephosphorylation of Y19 is not required for the activation of the CDC28/cyclin kinase. Furthermore, mutation of this tyrosine residue does not affect dependence of mitosis on DNA synthesis nor does it abolish G2 arrest induced by DNA damage. Our data imply that regulated phosphorylation of this tyrosine residue is not the 'universal' means by which the onset of mitosis is determined. We propose that there are other unidentified controls that regulate entry into mitosis.     

Activation in vitro of sequence-specific DNA binding by a human regulatory factor

The human heat-shock factor (HSF) regulates heat-shock genes in response to elevated temperature. When human cells are heated to 43 degrees C, HSF is modified post-translationally from a form that does not bind DNA to a form that binds to a specific sequence (the heat-shock element, HSE) found upstream of heat-shock genes. To investigate the transduction of the heat signal to HSF, and more generally, how mammalian cells respond at the molecular level to environmental stimuli, we have developed a cell-free system that exhibits heat-induced activation of human HSF in vitro. Comparison of HSF activation in vitro and in intact cells suggests that the response of human cells to heat shock involves at least two steps. First, an ATP-independent, heat-induced alteration of HSF allows it to bind the HSE; the temperature at which activation occurs in vitro implies that a human factor directly senses temperature. Second, HSF is phosphorylated. It is possible that similar multi-step activation mechanisms play a role in the response of eukaryotic cells to a variety of environmental stimuli, and that these mechanisms evolved to increase the range and flexibility of the response.     

Role of genomic instability and p53 in AID-induced c-myc-Igh translocations

Chromosomal translocations involving the immunoglobulin switch region are a hallmark feature of B-cell malignancies. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism by which primary B cells acquire or guard against these lesions. Here we find that translocations between c-myc and the IgH locus (Igh) are induced in primary B cells within hours of expression of the catalytically active form of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), an enzyme that deaminates cytosine to produce uracil in DNA. Translocation also requires uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG), which removes uracil from DNA to create abasic sites that are then processed to double-strand breaks. The pathway that mediates aberrant joining of c-myc and Igh differs from intrachromosomal repair during immunoglobulin class switch recombination in that it does not require histone H2AX, p53 binding protein 1 (53BP1) or the non-homologous end-joining protein Ku80. In addition, translocations are inhibited by the tumour suppressors ATM, Nbs1, p19 (Arf) and p53, which is consistent with activation of DNA damage- and oncogenic stress-induced checkpoints during physiological class switching. Finally, we demonstrate that accumulation of AID-dependent, IgH-associated chromosomal lesions is not sufficient to enhance c-myc-Igh translocations. Our findings reveal a pathway for surveillance and protection against AID-dependent DNA damage, leading to chromosomal translocations.     

Argos inhibits epidermal growth factor receptor signalling by ligand sequestration

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has critical functions in development and in many human cancers. During development, the spatial extent of EGFR signalling is regulated by feedback loops comprising both well-understood activators and less well-characterized inhibitors. In Drosophila melanogaster the secreted protein Argos functions as the only known extracellular inhibitor of EGFR, with clearly identified roles in multiple stages of development. Argos is only expressed when the Drosophila EGFR (DER) is activated at high levels, and downregulates further DER signalling. Although there is ample genetic evidence that Argos inhibits DER activation, the biochemical mechanism has not been established. Here we show that Argos inhibits DER signalling without interacting directly with the receptor, but instead by sequestering the DER-activating ligand Spitz. Argos binds tightly to the EGF motif of Spitz and forms a 1:1 (Spitz:Argos) complex that does not bind DER in vitro or at the cell surface. Our results provide an insight into the mechanism of Argos function, and suggest new strategies for EGFR inhibitor design.     

高浓度c—Myc羧基端的体外自身二聚体化活性

将编码人c-myc羧基端bHLH／LZ结构域的92个氨基酸的cDNA片段（c-myc-c92）对框插入pGEX－2T原核表达载体中,使之与谷胱甘肽转移酶（GST）编码基因融合,并将重质粒导入大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中,由IPTG诱导融合基因高效表达,并用Glutathione Sepharose4B亲和柱纯化融合蛋白GST－c-Myc-c92,凝胶阻滞（EMSA）分析显示该纯化蛋白能与CACGTG序列特异结合,并且只有高浓度的GST－c-Myc-c92才能与探针结合,结果表明在体上情况下高浓度c-Myc羟基端能自身二聚体化,此发现丰富了Myc-Max-Mad的调控网络,并为进一步研究c-myc的功能和调控提供了一定的线索。     

Selection of single-stranded DNA molecules that bind and inhibit human thrombin.

Aptamers are double-stranded DNA or single-stranded RNA molecules that bind specific molecular targets. Large randomly generated populations can be enriched in aptamers by in vitro selection and polymerase chain reaction. But so far single-stranded DNA has not been investigated for aptamer properties, nor has a target protein been considered that does not interact physiologically with nucleic acid. Here we describe the isolation of single-stranded DNA aptamers to the protease thrombin of the blood coagulation cascade and report binding affinities in the range 25-200 nM. Sequence data from 32 thrombin aptamers, selected from a pool of DNA containing 60 nucleotides of random sequence, displayed a highly conserved 14-17-base region. Several of these aptamers at nanomolar concentrations inhibited thrombin-catalysed fibrin-clot formation in vitro using either purified fibrinogen or human plasma.     

大豆ASR蛋白富含组氨酸结构域在结合金属离子中的作用

利用固相亲和层析实验结果表明,GmASR蛋白及其含组氨酸结构域A1~A5短肽可与金属离子Cu2+和Cd2+结合；采用Cu-抗坏血酸体系检测了GmASR蛋白及A1~A5清除羟基自由基的能力，证明GmASR蛋白及A1~A5短肽中组氨酸数目与清除羟基自由基能力呈正相关；GmASR蛋白及A1~A5可保护DNA分子免受Cu2+造成的氧化损伤.CD实验和SDS-PAGE实验结果发现，GmASR蛋白及A1~A5短肽与Cu2+结合后将引起可逆性聚集及沉淀.可见GmASR蛋白通过组氨酸结合过多的金属离子，维持细胞内离子平衡，是保护植物免受重金属毒害的重要机制之一.