The structure of a human p110alpha/p85alpha complex elucidates the effects of oncogenic PI3Kalpha mutations

PIK3CA, one of the two most frequently mutated oncogenes in human tumors, codes for p110alpha, the catalytic subunit of a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, isoform alpha (PI3Kalpha, p110alpha/p85). Here, we report a 3.0 angstrom resolution structure of a complex between p110alpha and a polypeptide containing the p110alpha-binding domains of p85alpha, a protein required for its enzymatic activity. The structure shows that many of the mutations occur at residues lying at the interfaces between p110alpha and p85alpha or between the kinase domain of p110alpha and other domains within the catalytic subunit. Disruptions of these interactions are likely to affect the regulation of kinase activity by p85 or the catalytic activity of the enzyme, respectively. In addition to providing new insights about the structure of PI3Kalpha, these results suggest specific mechanisms for the effect of oncogenic mutations in p110alpha and p85alpha.     

黄瓜倍性材料创制及染色体组成的FISH鉴定

【目的】黄瓜（Cucumis sativus L.）遗传基础狭窄,种质资源多样性较为有限,遗传育种研究相对落后。本试验旨在创制整倍体和非整倍体黄瓜种质材料,建立其准确的染色体组成鉴定方法,为进一步选育黄瓜各种染色体系、目标性状的染色体定位及遗传育种研究奠定基础。【方法】以华北生态型黄瓜‘长春密刺’的高代自交系为材料,0.4％秋水仙素溶液处理萌动种子,诱导染色体数目加倍。为获得同源三倍体材料,以诱导获得的同源四倍体为母本,二倍体为父本进行杂交,授粉35-45 d后采收成熟果实进行胚拯救。采用染色体计数,结合形态学、叶片气孔电镜观察,对诱导株及杂交后代的倍性进行鉴定。利用染色体特异的探针进行荧光原位杂交（fluorescence in situ hybridization,FISH）,通过观察特异探针在染色体上杂交信号的数目、强弱及位置,结合黄瓜的染色体形态参数,对诱导株的染色体组成进行鉴定。【结果】对经秋水仙素处理的‘长春密刺’材料进行有丝分裂中期染色体计数观察,结果显示诱导获得8株四倍体（2n=28）,3株非整倍体（2n=16,19,27）材料。将四倍体与二倍体杂交获得了三倍体材料（2n=21）。经荧光原位杂交分析,根据黄瓜着丝粒探针Type III和核糖体45S rDNA两类信号在染色体上的信号特征可以看出,与二倍体相比,三倍体与四倍体上杂交信号为倍性变化关系,进一步验证创制出的整倍性材料为三倍体与四倍体。不同倍性‘长春密刺’植株的形态学特征存在一定差异,四倍体植株的形态指标与二倍体差异显著;三倍体植株与二倍体在形态学上差异不显著;非整倍体植株与二倍体在形态学上差异也不显著,但其长势较二倍体弱,且花期推迟,雌雄花花期不遇,坐果率明显低于二倍体。经叶片气孔电镜观察,‘长春密刺’二倍体、三倍体与四倍体植株叶片气孔的大小与密度均存在差异,随着倍性提高,气孔的长度和宽度增加,而气孔密度则下降,说明形态学筛选和叶片气孔电镜观察可以作为鉴定黄瓜倍性的辅助方法。以上述两类黄瓜重复序列（Type III和45S rDNA）和染色体特异的单拷贝基因Csa006700为探针,对染色体数目为16的一株非整倍体诱导株进行染色体组成鉴定。重复序列的荧光原位杂交结果显示,额外的两条染色体为1号或2号染色体。进一步利用黄瓜2号染色体端部的基因Csa006700探针检测,发现该基因只在其中一对染色体上有信号,由此明确该材料为附加两条1号染色体的四体材料（2n=14+2）。研究表明秋水仙素不仅可直接诱导出同源多倍体,同时可诱导各种非整倍体植株。【结论】利用秋水仙素处理黄瓜萌动种子,诱导染色体倍性的变化,结合染色体特异探针的荧光原位杂交鉴定,可快速创制并筛选出各种染色体组成的特异新种质。     

Proteomic screen finds pSer/pThr-binding domain localizing Plk1 to mitotic substrates

We have developed a proteomic approach for identifying phosphopeptide binding domains that modulate kinase-dependent signaling pathways. An immobilized library of partially degenerate phosphopeptides biased toward a particular protein kinase phosphorylation motif is used to isolate phospho-binding domains that bind to proteins phosphorylated by that kinase. Applying this approach to cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), we identified the polo-box domain (PBD) of the mitotic kinase polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) as a specific phosphoserine (pSer) or phosphothreonine (pThr) binding domain and determined its optimal binding motif. This motif is present in known Plk1 substrates such as Cdc25, and an optimal phosphopeptide containing the motif disrupted PBD-substrate binding and localization of the PBD to centrosomes. This finding reveals how Plk1 can localize to specific sites within cells in response to Cdk phosphorylation at those sites and provides a structural mechanism for targeting the Plk1 kinase domain to its substrates.     

Inhibition of serum- and ras-stimulated DNA synthesis by antibodies to phospholipase C

Several immunologically distinct isozymes of inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C (PLC) have been purified from bovine brain. Murine NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were found to express PLC-gamma, but the expression of PLC-beta was barely detectable by radioimmunoassay or protein immunoblot. A mixture of monoclonal antibodies was identified that neutralizes the biological activity of both endogenous and injected purified PLC-gamma. When co-injected with oncogenic Ras protein or PLC-gamma, this mixture of antibodies inhibited the induction of DNA synthesis that characteristically results from the injection of these proteins into quiescent 3T3 cells. However, when oncogenic Ras protein or PLC-gamma was co-injected with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody to Ras, only the DNA synthesis induced by the Ras protein was inhibited--that induced by PLC was unaffected. These results suggest that the Ras protein is an upstream effector of PLC activity in phosphoinositide-specific signal transduction and that PLC-gamma activity is necessary for Ras-mediated induction of DNA synthesis.     

Strand-specific postreplicative processing of mammalian telomeres

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures that stabilize the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. In mammalian cells, abrogation of telomeric repeat binding factor TRF2 or DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity causes end-to-end chromosomal fusion, thus establishing an essential role for these proteins in telomere function. Here we show that TRF2-mediated end-capping occurs after telomere replication. The postreplicative requirement for TRF2 and DNA-PKcs, the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK, is confined to only half of the telomeres, namely, those that were produced by leading-strand DNA synthesis. These results demonstrate a crucial difference in postreplicative processing of telomeres that is linked to their mode of replication.     

Female germ cell aneuploidy and embryo death in mice lacking the meiosis-specific protein SCP3

Aneuploidy (trisomy or monosomy) is the leading genetic cause of pregnancy loss in humans and results from errors in meiotic chromosome segregation. Here, we show that the absence of synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3) promotes aneuploidy in murine oocytes by inducing defective meiotic chromosome segregation. The abnormal oocyte karyotype is inherited by embryos, which die in utero at an early stage of development. In addition, embryo death in SCP3-deficient females increases with advancing maternal age. We found that SCP3 is required for chiasmata formation and for the structural integrity of meiotic chromosomes, suggesting that altered chromosomal structure triggers nondisjunction. SCP3 is thus linked to inherited aneuploidy in female germ cells and provides a model system for studying age-dependent degeneration in oocytes.     

Differential phosphorylation of c-Abl in cell cycle determined by cdc2 kinase and phosphatase activity

The product of the c-abl proto-oncogene (c-Abl) is phosphorylated on three sites during interphase and seven additional sites during mitosis. Two interphase and all mitotic c-Abl sites are phosphorylated by cdc2 kinase isolated from either interphase or mitotic cells, with the mitotic cdc2 having an 11-fold higher activity. Inhibition of phosphatases with okadaic acid in interphase cells leads to the phosphorylation of c-Abl mitotic sites, indicating that those sites are preferentially dephosphorylated during interphase. The differential phosphorylation of c-Abl in the cell cycle is therefore determined by an equilibrium between cdc2 kinase and protein phosphatase activities. Treatment of interphase cells with okadaic acid leads to a rounded morphology similar to that observed during mitosis.     

An integrated genomic analysis of human glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal type of brain cancer. To identify the genetic alterations in GBMs, we sequenced 20,661 protein coding genes, determined the presence of amplifications and deletions using high-density oligonucleotide arrays, and performed gene expression analyses using next-generation sequencing technologies in 22 human tumor samples. This comprehensive analysis led to the discovery of a variety of genes that were not known to be altered in GBMs. Most notably, we found recurrent mutations in the active site of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) in 12% of GBM patients. Mutations in IDH1 occurred in a large fraction of young patients and in most patients with secondary GBMs and were associated with an increase in overall survival. These studies demonstrate the value of unbiased genomic analyses in the characterization of human brain cancer and identify a potentially useful genetic alteration for the classification and targeted therapy of GBMs.     

The substrate of Greatwall kinase, Arpp19, controls mitosis by inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A

Initiation and maintenance of mitosis require the activation of protein kinase cyclin B-Cdc2 and the inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), which, respectively, phosphorylate and dephosphorylate mitotic substrates. The protein kinase Greatwall (Gwl) is required to maintain mitosis through PP2A inhibition. We describe how Gwl activation results in PP2A inhibition. We identified cyclic adenosine monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein 19 (Arpp19) and α-Endosulfine as two substrates of Gwl that, when phosphorylated by this kinase, associate with and inhibit PP2A, thus promoting mitotic entry. Conversely, in the absence of Gwl activity, Arpp19 and α-Endosulfine are dephosphorylated and lose their capacity to bind and inhibit PP2A. Although both proteins can inhibit PP2A, endogenous Arpp19, but not α-Endosulfine, is responsible for PP2A inhibition at mitotic entry in Xenopus egg extracts.     

Four-jointed is a Golgi kinase that phosphorylates a subset of cadherin domains

The atypical cadherin Fat acts as a receptor for a signaling pathway that regulates growth, gene expression, and planar cell polarity. Genetic studies in Drosophila identified the four-jointed gene as a regulator of Fat signaling. We show that four-jointed encodes a protein kinase that phosphorylates serine or threonine residues within extracellular cadherin domains of Fat and its transmembrane ligand, Dachsous. Four-jointed functions in the Golgi and is the first molecularly defined kinase that phosphorylates protein domains destined to be extracellular. An acidic sequence motif (Asp-Asn-Glu) within Four-jointed was essential for its kinase activity in vitro and for its biological activity in vivo. Our results indicate that Four-jointed regulates Fat signaling by phosphorylating cadherin domains of Fat and Dachsous as they transit through the Golgi.     

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can lower amyloidogenic Abeta42 by inhibiting Rho

A subset of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been shown to preferentially reduce the secretion of the highly amyloidogenic, 42-residue amyloid-beta peptide Abeta42. We found that Rho and its effector, Rho-associated kinase, preferentially regulated the amount of Abeta42 produced in vitro and that only those NSAIDs effective as Rho inhibitors lowered Abeta42. Administration of Y-27632, a selective Rock inhibitor, also preferentially lowered brain levels of Abeta42 in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Thus, the Rho-Rock pathway may regulate amyloid precursor protein processing, and a subset of NSAIDs can reduce Abeta42 through inhibition of Rho activity.     

捻转血矛线虫H11部分功能域基因的原核表达与分析

    生物信息学软件分析表明,捻转血矛线虫(Haemonchus contortus)ZJ株的H11抗原基因含有4个糖基化位点与1个锌结合区,为分析这些功能域在H11天然抗原诱导的免疫保护中的作用,对H11部分基因进行克隆和表达.参照本实验室在GenBank上登录的捻转血矛线虫ZJ株的H11基因序列设计引物,扩增H11开放阅读框670～1710 bp的部分基因序列,命名为HPS(H11 partial sequence).基因片段与表达载体pET-28b分别以NdeⅠ、XhoⅠ酶切后构建重组表达载体pET-28b-HPS,并将其转入大肠杆菌BL21中,提取质粒经PCR和酶切鉴定获得阳性质粒并对其进行测序.结果表明,扩增得到的目的基因片段为 1041 bp,与已发表的ZJ株和国外株参考序列比较,核苷酸同源性分别为100%和98.8%.将重组表达载体用IPTG诱导表达,表达产物利用SDS-PAGE和Western-blotting检测表明,HPS基因在大肠杆菌中成功表达,融合蛋白的分子量约为37.34 kDa,诱导6 h的蛋白表达量可达到58.9%.     

The cellular src gene product regulates junctional cell-to-cell communication

Overexpression of the cellular src gene in NIH 3T3 cells causes reduction of cell-to-cell transmission of molecules in the 400- to 700-dalton range. This down-regulation of gap junctional communication correlates with the activity of the gene product, the protein tyrosine kinase pp60c-src. The down-regulation was enhanced by point mutation of Tyr527 (a site that is phosphorylated in pp60c-src and that inhibits kinase activity) or by substitution of the viral-src for the cellular-src carboxyl-terminal coding region. Mutation of Tyr416 (a site phosphorylated upon Tyr527 mutation) suppresses both the down-regulation of communication by Tyr527 mutation and that by gene overexpression. The regulation of communication by src may be important in the control of embryonic development and cellular growth.     

A型口蹄疫病毒结构蛋白VP1的表达·纯化及活性检测李

[目的]表达口蹄疫病毒结构蛋白VP1,并对其进行纯化和相关活性的检测。[方法]以A型口蹄疫病毒结构蛋白VP1重组质粒pGEM-VP1为模板,用特异性表达引物扩增其编码区,经酶切后与pGEX-4T-1、pPROExHTb等原核表达载体相连,转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）pLysS表达菌株,经IPTG诱导表达,以实现VP1蛋白的表达,SDS-PAGE鉴定融合蛋白的表达并对2种载体重组菌进行超声裂解,取上清和沉淀电泳,用金属螯合亲合层析法对His-VP1进行纯化。[结果]SDS-PAGE电泳分析显示pPRO-VP1诱导后目的条带为33ku,与预期结果相符;目的蛋白纯化后,在电泳图片上显示较为清晰的单一条带;His-VP1可与A型口蹄疫病毒豚鼠灭活阳性血清发生特异性的反应。[结论]表达及纯化了具有高特异性的A型口蹄疫病毒结构蛋白VP1,为深入研究结构蛋白VP1在口蹄疫病毒致病机制中的作用奠定了基础。     

Coactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases affects the response of tumor cells to targeted therapies

Targeted therapies that inhibit receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and the downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway have shown promising anticancer activity, but their efficacy in the brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other solid tumors has been modest. We hypothesized that multiple RTKs are coactivated in these tumors and that redundant inputs drive and maintain downstream signaling, thereby limiting the efficacy of therapies targeting single RTKs. Tumor cell lines, xenotransplants, and primary tumors indeed show multiple concomitantly activated RTKs. Combinations of RTK inhibitors and/or RNA interference, but not single agents, decreased signaling, cell survival, and anchorage-independent growth even in glioma cells deficient in PTEN, a frequently inactivated inhibitor of PI3K. Thus, effective GBM therapy may require combined regimens targeting multiple RTKs.     

Beta-arrestin 2: a receptor-regulated MAPK scaffold for the activation of JNK3

beta-Arrestins, originally discovered in the context of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) desensitization, also function in internalization and signaling of these receptors. We identified c-Jun amino-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) as a binding partner of beta-arrestin 2 using a yeast two-hybrid screen and by coimmunoprecipitation from mouse brain extracts or cotransfected COS-7 cells. The upstream JNK activators apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase 4 were also found in complex with beta-arrestin 2. Cellular transfection of beta-arrestin 2 caused cytosolic retention of JNK3 and enhanced JNK3 phosphorylation stimulated by ASK1. Moreover, stimulation of the angiotensin II type 1A receptor activated JNK3 and triggered the colocalization of beta-arrestin 2 and active JNK3 to intracellular vesicles. Thus, beta-arrestin 2 acts as a scaffold protein, which brings the spatial distribution and activity of this MAPK module under the control of a GPCR.     

Protein kinase inhibitors: insights into drug design from structure

Protein kinases are targets for treatment of a number of diseases. This review focuses on kinase inhibitors that are in the clinic or in clinical trials and for which structural information is available. Structures have informed drug design and have illuminated the mechanism of inhibition. We review progress with the receptor tyrosine kinases (growth factor receptors EGFR, VEGFR, and FGFR) and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases (Bcr-Abl), where advances have been made with cancer therapeutic agents such as Herceptin and Gleevec. Among the serine-threonine kinases, p38, Rho-kinase, cyclin-dependent kinases, and Chk1 have been targeted with productive results for inflammation and cancer. Structures have provided insights into targeting the inactive or active form of the kinase, for targeting the global constellation of residues at the ATP site or less conserved additional pockets or single residues, and into targeting noncatalytic domains.     

Function of WW domains as phosphoserine- or phosphothreonine-binding modules

Protein-interacting modules help determine the specificity of signal transduction events, and protein phosphorylation can modulate the assembly of such modules into specific signaling complexes. Although phosphotyrosine-binding modules have been well-characterized, phosphoserine- or phosphothreonine-binding modules have not been described. WW domains are small protein modules found in various proteins that participate in cell signaling or regulation. WW domains of the essential mitotic prolyl isomerase Pin1 and the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4 bound to phosphoproteins, including physiological substrates of enzymes, in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The Pin1 WW domain functioned as a phosphoserine- or phosphothreonine-binding module, with properties similar to those of SRC homology 2 domains. Phosphoserine- or phosphothreonine-binding activity was required for Pin1 to interact with its substrates in vitro and to perform its essential function in vivo.