The c-mos proto-oncogene product is a cytostatic factor responsible for meiotic arrest in vertebrate eggs

The c-mos proto-oncogene product, pp39mos, is present in unfertilized Xenopus eggs, and disappears on fertilization. Microinjection of synthetic mos RNA into two-cell embryos induces cleavage arrest at metaphase. By contrast, egg cytosol extracts, when immunodepleted of endogenous pp39mos, lose their cleavage-arresting activity in injected embryos. These results demonstrate that Mos protein is the cytostatic factor CSF, long known as an endogenous meiotic inhibitor in vertebrate eggs.     

Function of c-mos proto-oncogene product in meiotic maturation in Xenopus oocytes

The c-mos proto-oncogene is expressed as a maternal mRNA in oocytes and early embryos of Xenopus laevis, but its translation product pp39mos is detectable only during progesterone-induced oocyte maturation. Microinjection of mos-specific antisense oligonucleotides into oocytes not only prevents expression of pp39mos, but also blocks germinal vesicle breakdown, indicating that it functions during reinitiation of meiotic division.     

Meiotic initiation by the mos protein in Xenopus.

When fully grown Xenopus oocytes are stimulated by progesterone, a period of protein synthesis is necessary for maturation. Synthesis of the mos proto-oncogene product, pp39mos, is necessary for the activation of M-phase promoting factor (MPF) in meiosis I. On the basis that mos is translated de novo on hormonal stimulation of Xenopus oocytes and that injecting mos RNA into oocytes induces their maturation, we have proposed that the mos protein is a candidate initiator of oocyte maturation, needed to trigger the conversion of precursor MPF into its active form. To determine whether mos is the only protein required for initiating maturation, we have produced a soluble, active recombinant mos protein and injected it into Xenopus oocytes. We report here that in the absence of protein synthesis that mos protein efficiently induces germinal vesicle breakdown and the activation of MPF. The oocytes, however, do not proceed into meiosis II. Thus, the mos protein fulfills the requirements of an initiator protein, but the synthesis of one or more additional proteins may be necessary to complete oocyte maturation.     

泛素调节的蛋白质降解--2004年诺贝尔化学奖成果简介

以色列科学家阿龙·切哈诺沃(Aaron Ciechanover)、阿夫拉姆·赫什科(Avram Hershko)和美国科学家欧文·罗斯(Irwin Rose)因发现泛素调节的蛋白质降解被授予2004年诺贝尔化学奖.泛素是一种含76个氨基酸的多肽,存在于除细菌外的许多不同组织和器官中,具有标记待降解蛋白质的作用.被泛素标记的蛋白质在蛋白酶体中被降解.泛素控制的蛋白质降解具有重要的生理意义,它不仅能够清除错误蛋白质,对细胞生长周期、DNA复制以及染色体结构都有重要的调控作用.     

腈基类化合物对半胱氨酸蛋白酶的抑制机理

半胱氨酸蛋白酶是人体自身产生的重要酶类物质,它广泛的参与人体新陈代谢和蛋白的水解。但过量产生的半胱氨酸蛋白酶会导致骨质疏松和乳腺癌。腈基类化合物分子是一种新发现的具有抑制半胱氨酸蛋白酶作用的靶向药物分子,高效且低副作用。但是它的抑制机理一直没有得到解决。本文介绍借助量子力学/分子力学（Q M/M M）的计算研究,解得了此类化合物对于半胱氨酸蛋白酶的抑制机理,并借助分子学软件设计了一种新型药物分子,有助进一步药物研究。     

Substrate recognition strategy for botulinum neurotoxin serotype A

Clostridal neurotoxins (CNTs) are the causative agents of the neuroparalytic diseases botulism and tetanus. CNTs impair neuronal exocytosis through specific proteolysis of essential proteins called SNAREs. SNARE assembly into a low-energy ternary complex is believed to catalyse membrane fusion, precipitating neurotransmitter release; this process is attenuated in response to SNARE proteolysis. Site-specific SNARE hydrolysis is catalysed by the CNT light chains, a unique group of zinc-dependent endopeptidases. The means by which a CNT properly identifies and cleaves its target SNARE has been a subject of much speculation; it is thought to use one or more regions of enzyme-substrate interaction remote from the active site (exosites). Here we report the first structure of a CNT endopeptidase in complex with its target SNARE at a resolution of 2.1 A: botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) protease bound to human SNAP-25. The structure, together with enzyme kinetic data, reveals an array of exosites that determine substrate specificity. Substrate orientation is similar to that of the general zinc-dependent metalloprotease thermolysin. We observe significant structural changes near the toxin's catalytic pocket upon substrate binding, probably serving to render the protease competent for catalysis. The novel structures of the substrate-recognition exosites could be used for designing inhibitors specific to BoNT/A.     

Crystal structure of a rhomboid family intramembrane protease

Escherichia coli GlpG is an integral membrane protein that belongs to the widespread rhomboid protease family. Rhomboid proteases, like site-2 protease (S2P) and gamma-secretase, are unique in that they cleave the transmembrane domain of other membrane proteins. Here we describe the 2.1 A resolution crystal structure of the GlpG core domain. This structure contains six transmembrane segments. Residues previously shown to be involved in catalysis, including a Ser-His dyad, and several water molecules are found at the protein interior at a depth below the membrane surface. This putative active site is accessible by substrate through a large 'V-shaped' opening that faces laterally towards the lipid, but is blocked by a half-submerged loop structure. These observations indicate that, in intramembrane proteolysis, the scission of peptide bonds takes place within the hydrophobic environment of the membrane bilayer. The crystal structure also suggests a gating mechanism for GlpG that controls substrate access to its hydrophilic active site.     

Regulation of glutamate receptor binding by the cytoskeletal protein fodrin

The erythrocyte cytoskeleton, which consists primarily of a meshwork of spectrin and actin, controls cell shape and the disposition of proteins within the membrane. Proteins similar to spectrin have recently been found in diverse cells and tissues, and it is possible that they mediate the capping of cell-surface receptors, although this has not been demonstrated directly. In neurones, the spectrin-like protein fodrin lines the cortical cytoplasm and may link actin filaments to the membrane. Fodrin has been hypothesized to regulate the number of receptor binding sites on neuronal membranes for the putative neurotransmitter L-glutamate. Micromolar calcium concentrations activate the thiol protease calpain I, induce fodrin degradation and more than double the density of glutamate binding sites; these effects are all blocked by thiol protease inhibitors. We have now used specific antibodies to examine further the role of fodrin proteolysis in regulating glutamate receptors. We report that fodrin antibodies block the fodrin degradation and increase in glutamate binding normally induced by calcium, and so provide direct evidence for control of membrane receptors by a non-erythroid spectrin.     

ClpS is an essential component of the N-end rule pathway in Escherichia coli

The N-end rule states that the half-life of a protein is determined by the nature of its amino-terminal residue. Eukaryotes and prokaryotes use N-terminal destabilizing residues as a signal to target proteins for degradation by the N-end rule pathway. In eukaryotes an E3 ligase, N-recognin, recognizes N-end rule substrates and mediates their ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome. In Escherichia coli, N-end rule substrates are degraded by the AAA + chaperone ClpA in complex with the ClpP peptidase (ClpAP). Little is known of the molecular mechanism by which N-end rule substrates are initially selected for proteolysis. Here we report that the ClpAP-specific adaptor, ClpS, is essential for degradation of N-end rule substrates by ClpAP in bacteria. ClpS binds directly to N-terminal destabilizing residues through its substrate-binding site distal to the ClpS-ClpA interface, and targets these substrates to ClpAP for degradation. Degradation by the N-end rule pathway is more complex than anticipated and several other features are involved, including a net positive charge near the N terminus and an unstructured region between the N-terminal signal and the folded protein substrate. Through interaction with this signal, ClpS converts the ClpAP machine into a protease with exquisitely defined specificity, ideally suited to regulatory proteolysis.     

棉铃虫组织蛋白酶B在杆状病毒表达系统中的表达及鉴定

以棉铃虫（Helicoverpa armigera）组织蛋白酶B作外源基因重组构建克隆载体,自重组菌株HCB-DH10Bac、Histag-HCB-DH10Bac中提取穿梭质粒,脂质体法转染草地贪夜蛾卵巢细胞系Sf21细胞,转染液再感染细胞,收集感染3～4d的上清液,提取芽生病毒的DNA,PCR法鉴定外源HCB基因,感染上清进行SDS-PAGE、Western-blotting、蛋白酶活性检测．结果：感染上清中的芽生病毒的DNA作模板扩增出预期的1700bp片段,SDS-PAGE、westem-blotcing检测均在28ku处有明显表达产物,且表达产物有蛋白水解活性．     

Protease nexin-II, a potent antichymotrypsin, shows identity to amyloid beta-protein precursor

Protease nexin-II (PN-II) is a protease inhibitor that forms SDS-resistant inhibitory complexes with the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-binding protein, the gamma-subunit of nerve growth factor, and trypsin. The properties of PN-II indicate that it has a role in the regulation of certain proteases in the extracellular environment. Here we describe more of the amino-acid sequence of PN-II and its identity to the deduced sequence of the amyloid beta-protein precursor (APP). Amyloid beta-protein is present in neuritic plaques and cerebrovascular deposits in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome. A monoclonal antibody against PN-II (designated mAbP2-1) recognized PN-II in immunoblots of serum-free culture medium from human glioblastoma cells and neuroblastoma cells, as well as in homogenates of normal and Alzheimer's disease brains. In addition, mAbP2-1 stained neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease brain. PN-II was a potent inhibitor of chymotrypsin with an inhibition constant Ki of 6 x 10(-10)M. Together, these data demonstrate that PN-II and APP are probably the same protein. The regulation of extracellular proteolysis by PN-II and the deposition of at least parts of the molecule in senile plaques is consistent with previous reports that implicate altered proteolysis in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.     

玉米源活性肽的分离纯化及清除DPPH自由基的活性

以脱脂醇溶蛋白为底物进行酶水解反应,获得了玉米源活性肽组分,经葡聚糖凝胶和离子交换等方法对产物进一步分离纯化.以α-生育酚为阳性对照,研究了活性肽及其分离纯化组分对2,2-二苯基-1-苦基苯肼(DPPH)自由基的清除活性及其浓度的关系.结果表明:活性肽及其分离纯化组分均具有清除DPPH自由基的活性;经CM-纤维素弱阳离子交换层析分离所得组分2对DPPH自由基的清除活性最强,且清除效果与其浓度及作用时间呈正相关,分子量主要集中在400～700.     

Neuropsin cleaves EphB2 in the amygdala to control anxiety

A minority of individuals experiencing traumatic events develop anxiety disorders. The reason for the lack of correspondence between the prevalence of exposure to psychological trauma and the development of anxiety is unknown. Extracellular proteolysis contributes to fear-associated responses by facilitating neuronal plasticity at the neuron-matrix interface. Here we show in mice that the serine protease neuropsin is critical for stress-related plasticity in the amygdala by regulating the dynamics of the EphB2-NMDA-receptor interaction, the expression of Fkbp5 and anxiety-like behaviour. Stress results in neuropsin-dependent cleavage of EphB2 in the amygdala causing dissociation of EphB2 from the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor and promoting membrane turnover of EphB2 receptors. Dynamic EphB2-NR1 interaction enhances NMDA receptor current, induces Fkbp5 gene expression and enhances behavioural signatures of anxiety. On stress, neuropsin-deficient mice do not show EphB2 cleavage and its dissociation from NR1 resulting in a static EphB2-NR1 interaction, attenuated induction of the Fkbp5 gene and low anxiety. The behavioural response to stress can be restored by intra-amygdala injection of neuropsin into neuropsin-deficient mice and disrupted by the injection of either anti-EphB2 antibodies or silencing the Fkbp5 gene in the amygdala of wild-type mice. Our findings establish a novel neuronal pathway linking stress-induced proteolysis of EphB2 in the amygdala to anxiety.     

Ornithine decarboxylase is degraded by the 26S proteasome without ubiquitination.

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is the most rapidly turned over mammalian enzyme. We have shown that its degradation is accelerated by ODC antizyme, an inhibitory protein induced by polyamines. This is a new type of enzyme regulation and may be a model for selective protein degradation. Here we report the identification of the protease responsible for ODC degradation. Using a cell-free degradation system, we demonstrate that immunodepletion of proteasomes from cell extracts causes almost complete loss of ATP- and antizyme-dependent degradation of ODC. In addition, purified 26S proteasome complex, but not the 20S proteasome, catalyses ODC degradation in the absence of ubiquitin. These results strongly suggest that the 26S proteasome, widely viewed as specific for ubiquitin-conjugated proteins, is the main enzyme responsible for ODC degradation. The 26S proteasome may therefore have a second role in ubiquitin-independent proteolysis.     

毕赤酵母YPS1基因的失活对减少重组人血清白蛋白降解的作用

重组人血清白蛋白在毕赤酵母系统的分泌表达产物除了完整的重组人血清白蛋白外,还存在一约45 ku大小的主要降解片段,直接影响了重组人血清白蛋白的产量和后续的纯化研究.为了减少重组人血清白蛋白的降解,采用同源重组的方法,使毕赤酵母中蛋白酶基因YPS1失活,构建获得蛋白酶缺陷型菌株,研究YPS1基因失活后对重组人血清白蛋白降解的影响.结果表明,毕赤酵母YPS1基因的失活有效地减少了重组人血清白蛋白的降解,完整的重组人血清白蛋白在总蛋白中的比例由原来的60%提高到88%,降解片段由原先的40%降低到10%左右.     

Structure and mechanism of the hexameric MecA-ClpC molecular machine

Regulated proteolysis by ATP-dependent proteases is universal in all living cells. Bacterial ClpC, a member of the Clp/Hsp100 family of AAA+ proteins (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) with two nucleotide-binding domains (D1 and D2), requires the adaptor protein MecA for activation and substrate targeting. The activated, hexameric MecA-ClpC molecular machine harnesses the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to unfold specific substrate proteins and translocate the unfolded polypeptide to the ClpP protease for degradation. Here we report three related crystal structures: a heterodimer between MecA and the amino domain of ClpC, a heterododecamer between MecA and D2-deleted ClpC, and a hexameric complex between MecA and full-length ClpC. In conjunction with biochemical analyses, these structures reveal the organizational principles behind the hexameric MecA-ClpC complex, explain the molecular mechanisms for MecA-mediated ClpC activation and provide mechanistic insights into the function of the MecA-ClpC molecular machine. These findings have implications for related Clp/Hsp100 molecular machines.     

Deubiquitination of p53 by HAUSP is an important pathway for p53 stabilization

The p53 tumour suppressor is a short-lived protein that is maintained at low levels in normal cells by Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination and subsequent proteolysis. Stabilization of p53 is crucial for its tumour suppressor function. However, the precise mechanism by which ubiquitinated p53 levels are regulated in vivo is not completely understood. By mass spectrometry of affinity-purified p53-associated factors, we have identified herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP) as a novel p53-interacting protein. HAUSP strongly stabilizes p53 even in the presence of excess Mdm2, and also induces p53-dependent cell growth repression and apoptosis. Significantly, HAUSP has an intrinsic enzymatic activity that specifically deubiquitinates p53 both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, expression of a catalytically inactive point mutant of HAUSP in cells increases the levels of p53 ubiquitination and destabilizes p53. These findings reveal an important mechanism by which p53 can be stabilized by direct deubiquitination and also imply that HAUSP might function as a tumour suppressor in vivo through the stabilization of p53.     

Domains specifying thrombin-receptor interaction.

Platelet activation by the coagulation protease thrombin is central to arterial thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We recently isolated a complementary DNA encoding the platelet thrombin receptor. The extracellular amino-terminal extension of this seven transmembrane domain receptor contains the putative thrombin cleavage site LDPR/S which is critical for receptor activation. By replacing this cleavage site with the cleavage site for enterokinase, we have created a functional enterokinase receptor. This result demonstrates that all information necessary for receptor activation is provided by receptor proteolysis. Nanomolar enterokinase concentrations are required to activate this new receptor, in contrast to the picomolar thrombin concentrations that activate wild-type thrombin receptor. We identified a receptor domain critical for thrombin's remarkable potency at its receptor. This domain resembles the carboxyl tail of the leech anticoagulant hirudin and functions by binding to thrombin's anion-binding exosite. Our studies thus define a model for thrombin-receptor interaction. The utility of this model was demonstrated by the design of novel thrombin inhibitors based on receptor peptides.