Regulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by second messenger-mediated signal transduction mechanisms

The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system is responsible for providing the bulk of cellular ATP molecules. There is a growing body of information regarding the regulation of this process by a number of second messenger-mediated signal transduction mechanisms, although direct studies aimed at elucidating this regulation are limited. The main second messengers affecting mitochondrial signal transduction are cAMP and calcium. Other second messengers include ceramide and reactive oxygen species as well as nitric oxide and reactive nitrogen species. This review focuses on available data on the regulation of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system by signal transduction mechanisms and is organised according to the second messengers involved, because of their pivotal role in mitochondrial function. Future perspectives for further investigations regarding these mechanisms in the regulation of the oxidative phosphorylation system are formulated. Received 11 December 2005; received after revision 14 January 2006; accepted 6 February 2006     

Molecular and structural effects of inverse agonistic mutations on signaling of the thyrotropin receptor – a basally active GPCR

Several mutations that decrease the basal signaling activity of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) with pathogenic implications are known. Here we study the molecular mechanisms responsible for this phenotype and investigate how basal and further activated receptor conformations are interrelated. In the basally active thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) we combined spatially-distant mutations with opposing effects on basal activity in double-mutations and characterized mutant basal and TSH induced signaling. Mutations lowering basal activity always have a suppressive influence on TSH induced signaling and on constitutively activating mutations (CAMs). Our results suggest that the conformation of a basally ‘silenced’ GPCR might impair its intrinsic capacity for signaling compared to the wild-type. Striking differences in conformation and intramolecular interactions between TSHR models built using the crystal structures of inactive rhodopsin and partially active opsin help illuminate the molecular details underlying mutations decreasing basal activity. G. Kleinau, H. Jaeschke: These two authors contributed equally to this work. Received 31 July 2008; received after revision 12 September 2008; accepted 19 September 2008     

Sumoylation regulates diverse biological processes

Ten years after its discovery, the small ubiquitin-like protein modifier (SUMO) has emerged as a key regulator of proteins. While early studies indicated that sumoylation takes place mainly in the nucleus, an increasing number of non-nuclear substrates have recently been identified, suggesting a wider stage for sumoylation in the cell. Unlike ubiquitylation, which primarily targets a substrate for degradation, sumoylation regulates a substrate’s functions mainly by altering the intracellular localization, protein-protein interactions or other types of post-translational modifications. These changes in turn affect gene expression, genomic and chromosomal stability and integrity, and signal transduction. Sumoylation is counter-balanced by desumoylation, and well-balanced sumoylation is essential for normal cellular behaviors. Loss of the balance has been associated with a number of diseases. This paper reviews recent progress in the study of SUMO pathways, substrates, and cellular functions and highlights important findings that have accelerated advances in this study field and link sumoylation to human diseases. Received 19 March 2007; received after version 16 July 2007; accepted 1 August 2007     

Endocannabinoids in adipocytes during differentiation and their role in glucose uptake

The molecular basis for the control of energy balance by the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) is still unclear. Here, we show that murine 3T3-L1 fibroblasts have the machinery to bind, synthesize and degrade AEA, and that their differentiation into adipocytes increases by approximately twofold the binding efficiency of cannabinoid receptors (CBR), and by approximately twofold and approximately threefold, respectively, the catalytic efficiency of the AEA transporter and AEA hydrolase. In contrast, the activity of the AEA synthetase and the binding efficiency of vanilloid receptor were not affected by the differentiation process. In addition, we demonstrate that AEA increases by approximately twofold insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in differentiated adipocytes, according to a CB1R-dependent mechanism that involves nitric oxide synthase, but not lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase. We also show that AEA binding to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, known to induce differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts into adipocytes, is not involved in the stimulation of glucose uptake. Received 11 October 2006; received after revision 9 November 2006; accepted 28 November 2006 V.Gasperi and F. Fezza equally contributed to the study.     

蛋白激酶与植物渗透胁迫耐受研究进展

蛋白激酶是一类能使其他蛋白质磷酸化的酶.在植物中,蛋白激酶几乎参与植物生命周期中一切生理调节过程.渗透胁迫是植物生长发育过程中常见的非生物胁迫,植物对渗透胁迫耐受的机理一直是研究的重点.本文着眼于植物渗透胁迫反应,详细介绍了分裂原激活蛋白激酶(MAPK)、钙依赖而钙调素不依赖的蛋白激酶(CDPK)、受体蛋白激酶(RPK)、核糖体蛋白激酶、转录调控蛋白激酶等多种蛋白激酶在植物逆境信号识别与转导中的作用,综述其研究进展及前景.分析了当前在植物抗渗透胁迫蛋白激酶研究中存在的问题,进而对解决问题的途径进行了探讨.     

一氧化氮与植物的逆境响应

综述了植物体内一氧化氮(NO)的来源及形成途径(即一氧化氮合酶途径、硝酸还原酶途径、亚硝酸还原酶途径和非酶途径),在生物和非生物胁迫条件下NO与过氧化氢,脱落酸,水杨酸等信号分子之间的相互关系及其信号转导途径等方面的研究进展。     

活性氧与植物细胞程序性死亡

在植物细胞中,线粒体ETC的复合物I和III是ROS产生的主要部位。大量证据表明,ROS可作为一普遍存在的信号分子在胁迫诱导植物PCD过程中起作用,而线粒体处于PCD调控的中心位置。     

信号转导系统中的蛋白质

在信号转导系统中，存在许多重要的蛋白质，G蛋白，Ras蛋白起到分子开关的作用；CKI1和GCR1可能作为细胞分裂素的受体，参与细胞分裂素的信号转导；支架蛋白是本身不具有酶活性的蛋白质，作用类似于分子胶水，将功能相关的蛋白粘合在一起，保证信号转导特异高效；接头蛋白c—Crk参与受体酪氨酸激酶的信号转导；卷须蛋白1，参与信号转导的上游事件，对分生组织进行调控．