Myosin subfragment-1 is sufficient to move actin filaments in vitro

The rotating crossbridge model for muscle contraction proposes that force is produced by a change in angle of the crossbridge between the overlapping thick and thin filaments. Myosin, the major component of the thick filament, is comprised of two heavy chains and two pairs of light chains. Together they form two globular heads, which give rise to the crossbridge in muscle, and a coiled-coil rod, which forms the shaft of the thick filament. The isolated head fragment, subfragment-1 (S1), contains the ATPase and actin-binding activities of myosin (Fig. 1). Although S1 seems to have the requisite enzymatic activity, direct evidence that S1 is sufficient to drive actin movement has been lacking. It has long been recognized that in vitro movement assays are an important approach for identifying the elements in muscle responsible for force generation. Hynes et al. showed that beads coated with heavy meromyosin (HMM), a soluble proteolytic fragment of myosin consisting of a part of the rod and the two heads, can move on Nitella actin filaments. Using the myosin-coated surface assay of Kron and Spudich, Harada et al. showed that single-headed myosin filaments bound to glass support movement of actin at nearly the same speed as intact myosin filaments. These studies show that the terminal portion of the rod and the two-headed nature of myosin are not required for movement. To restrict the region responsible for movement further, we have modified the myosin-coated surface assay by replacing the glass surface with a nitrocellulose film. Here we report that myosin filaments, soluble myosin, HMM or S1, when bound to a nitrocellulose film, support actin sliding movement (Fig. 2). That S1 is sufficient to cause sliding movement of actin filaments in vitro gives strong support to models of contraction that place the site of active movement in muscle within the myosin head.     

HIV F/3' orf encodes a phosphorylated GTP-binding protein resembling an oncogene product

Apart from the retroviral gag, pol and env the HIV genome contains the F (3' orf) gene which encodes a polypeptide of 206 amino acids which is myristylated at the N-terminal and whose function is unknown. We have expressed the F gene in Escherichia coli and from a recombinant vaccinia virus, VVTGfHIV. The F-protein produced in VVTGfHIV-infected mammalian cells is myristilated, and is phosphorylated by protein kinase C at a residue close to the N-terminus like pp60-src (ref. 5). Purified bacterial F-protein also shows the GTPase, autophosphorylation and GTP-binding activities reported for the ras gene product. Furthermore, we show that expression of F in a CD4+ cell line down-regulates the CD4(T4) antigen. These results suggest that F is important in the pathophysiology of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).     

Micromolar concentrations of Zn2+ antagonize NMDA and GABA responses of hippocampal neurons

NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors serve as modulators of synaptic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) with both short-term and long-lasting effects. Divalent cations are pivotal in determining this behaviour in that Mg2+ blocks the ion channel in a voltage-dependent manner, and Ca2+ permeates NMDA channels. Zn2+ could also modulate neuronal excitability because it is present at high concentrations in brain, especially the synaptic vesicles of mossy fibers in the hippocampus and is released with neuronal activity. Both proconvulsant and depressant actions of Zn2+ have been reported. We have found that zinc is a potent non-competitive antagonist of NMDA responses on cultured hippocampal neurons. Unlike Mg2+, the effect of Zn2+ is not voltage-sensitive between -40 and +60 mV, suggesting that Zn2+ and Mg2+ act at distinct sites. In addition, we have found that Zn2+ antagonizes responses to the inhibitory transmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). Our results provide evidence for an additional metal-binding site on the NMDA receptor channel, and suggest that Zn2+ may regulate both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the hippocampus.     

Millisecond X-ray diffraction and the first electron density map from Laue photographs of a protein crystal

Attempts to use X-ray crystallography to extract three-dimensional information on transient phenomena in crystals have been hampered primarily by long data collection times. Here we report on the first difference Fourier map obtained from Laue diffraction photographs of a protein crystal, glycogen phosphorylase b. Data collection time was 3 s using the high-intensity white X-radiation generated on the wiggler magnet of the Daresbury Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS), but data acquisition in the millisecond-submillisecond range is possible. The method presented here uses a simple difference technique and was designed to analyse structural changes relative to a known starting structure. The combination of this approach with cine techniques allows the recording of three-dimensional motion pictures at atomic resolution and opens up new areas in structural biology and chemistry.     

T-cell receptors of human suppressor cells

Cells which can suppress the immune response to an antigen (TS cells) appear to be essential for regulation of the immune system. But the characterization of the TS lineage has not been extensive and many are sceptical of studies using uncloned or hybrid T-cell lines. The nature of the antigen receptor on these cells is unclear. T cells of the helper or cytotoxic lineages appear to recognize their targets using the T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta-CD3 complex. TCR beta-gene rearrangements are also found in some murine and human suppressor cell lines but others have been shown not to rearrange or express the beta-chain or alpha-chain genes. We previously established TS clones derived from lepromatous leprosy patients which carry the CD8 antigen and recognize antigen in the context of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in vitro. We here report the characterization of additional MHC-restricted TS clones which rearrange TCR beta genes, express messenger RNA for the alpha and beta chains of the TCR and express clonally unique CD3-associated TCR alpha beta structures on their cell surface but do not express the gamma chain of the gamma delta TCR on the cell surface. We conclude that antigen recognition by at least some human CD8+ suppressor cells is likely to be mediated by TCR alpha beta heterodimers.     

AIDS virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in lung disorders

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is implicated in the development of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). HIV infection leads to the generation of HIV-specific thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes in humans and apes. We describe an experimental system permitting the quantitative and systematic analysis of HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Functional, HIV-specific CTL are obtained by broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) from the lungs of seropositive patients with lymphocytic alveolitis. These alveolar CTL: (1) recognize and kill HIV-infected alveolar macrophages in vitro under autologous, but not heterologous, conditions; (2) correspond to standard CTL as they express the CD3 and CD8 surface markers, but not the CD4 marker; and (3) are restricted by class I HLA transplantation antigens in their cytotoxic activities. We propose the hypothesis that interactions between HIV-specific CTL and infected macrophages induce major inflammatory reactions in seropositive patients.     

Ligand binding to the beta-adrenergic receptor involves its rhodopsin-like core

Recently the genes for several hormone receptors that interact with guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) have been cloned, including the hamster beta 2-adrenergic receptor (beta 2AR), a human beta AR, the turkey erythrocyte beta AR and the porcine muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (MAR). All these receptors share some amino-acid homology with rhodopsin, particularly in 7 hydrophobic stretches of residues that are believed to represent transmembrane helices. To determine whether differences in ligand specificity result from the divergence in the sequences of the hydrophilic regions of these receptors, we have expressed in mammalian cells genes for the wild-type hamster and human beta AR proteins, and a series of deletion mutant genes of the hamster beta 2AR. The pharmacology of the expressed receptors indicates that most of the hydrophilic residues are not directly involved in the binding of agonists or antagonists to the receptor. In addition, we have identified a mutant receptor that has high agonist affinity but does not couple to adenylate cyclase.     

The role of clonal selection and somatic mutation in autoimmunity

Polyclonal activation has been proposed as the reason that autoantibodies are produced during autoimmune disease. This model denies a role for specific antigen selection of B cells and predicts instead a multiclonal population of unmutated or randomly mutated autoantibodies. We have found that the genetic features and clonal composition of spontaneously derived immunoglobulin G (IgG) antiself-IgG (rheumatoid factor (RF] autoantibodies derived from the autoimmune MRL/lpr mouse strain are inconsistent with both the predictions of this model and the actual outcome of experimental polyclonal activation. Instead we have found that MRL/lpr RFs are oligoclonal or even monoclonal in origin. They harbour numerous somatic mutations which are distributed in a way that suggests immunoglobulin-receptor-dependent selection of these mutations. In this sense, the MRL/lpr RFs resemble antibodies elicited by exogenous antigens after secondary immunization. The parallels suggest that, like secondary immune responses, antigen stimulation is important in the generation of MRL/lpr RFs.     

Expression and function of CD4 in a murine T-cell hybridoma

The CD4 (T4) antigen was originally described as a phenotypic marker specific for helper T cells, and has recently been shown to be the receptor for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Functional studies using monoclonal antibodies directed at CD4 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules led to the suggestion that CD4 binds to the MHC class II molecules expressed on stimulator cells, enhancing T-cell responsiveness by increasing the avidity of T cell-stimulator cell interaction and/or by transmitting a positive intracellular signal. But recent evidence that antibodies to CD4 inhibit T-cell responsiveness in the absence of any putative ligand for CD4 has been interpreted as suggesting that antibody-mediated inhibition may involve the transmission of a negative signal via the CD4 molecule instead. We have infected a murine T-cell hybridoma that produces interleukin 2 (IL-2) in response to human class II HLA-DR antigens with a retroviral vector containing CD4 cDNA. The resulting CD4-expressing hybridoma cell lines produce 6- to 20-fold more IL-2 in response to HLA-DR antigens than control cell lines. Furthermore, when antigen levels are suboptimal, the response of the cell lines is entirely CD4-dependent. The data presented here clearly demonstrate that CD4 can enhance T-cell responsiveness and may be crucial in the response to suboptimal levels of antigen.