Selective inhibition of a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1 restores proteostasis

Many biological processes are regulated through the selective dephosphorylation of proteins. Protein serine-threonine phosphatases are assembled from catalytic subunits bound to diverse regulatory subunits that provide substrate specificity and subcellular localization. We describe a small molecule, guanabenz, that bound to a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1, PPP1R15A/GADD34, selectively disrupting the stress-induced dephosphorylation of the α subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α). Without affecting the related PPP1R15B-phosphatase complex and constitutive protein synthesis, guanabenz prolonged eIF2α phosphorylation in human stressed cells, adjusting the protein production rates to levels manageable by available chaperones. This favored protein folding and thereby rescued cells from protein misfolding stress. Thus, regulatory subunits of phosphatases are drug targets, a property used here to restore proteostasis in stressed cells.     

蛋白质磷酸化对肌动球蛋白解离及其乙酰化水平的影响

[目的]研究肌球蛋白重链和肌动蛋白磷酸化对其乙酰化水平、肌动球蛋白解离及ATP酶活性的影响,为通过调控磷酸化水平改善肉品嫩度提供理论依据.[方法]以羊背最长肌为材料制备肌肉匀浆液,采用碱性磷酸酶抑制剂(抑制去磷酸化)和蛋白激酶抑制剂(抑制磷酸化)调控其磷酸化水平,在4℃分别孵育0、0.5、4、12、24、48和72 h...     

ARID4B在牛磺酸调节成肌细胞C2C12蛋白质合成中的作用

肌肉细胞蛋白质合成能力与畜禽产肉量性状有关,试验旨在探究转录因子AT富集区4B(AT-rich interaction domain 4B,ARID4B)对牛磺酸(Taurine,Tau)调节成肌细胞C2C12蛋白质合成的影响.向体外培养C2C12细胞培养液中分别添加0、60、120、180和240μmol·L-1 T...     

Ca2+-induced apoptosis through calcineurin dephosphorylation of BAD

The Ca2+-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin induces apoptosis, but the mechanism is unknown. Calcineurin was found to dephosphorylate BAD, a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, thus enhancing BAD heterodimerization with Bcl-xL and promoting apoptosis. The Ca2+-induced dephosphorylation of BAD correlated with its dissociation from 14-3-3 in the cytosol and translocation to mitochondria where Bcl-xL resides. In hippocampal neurons, L-glutamate, an inducer of Ca2+ influx and calcineurin activation, triggered mitochondrial targeting of BAD and apoptosis, which were both suppressible by coexpression of a dominant-inhibitory mutant of calcineurin or pharmacological inhibitors of this phosphatase. Thus, a Ca2+-inducible mechanism for apoptosis induction operates by regulating BAD phosphorylation and localization in cells.     

Regulation of myosin phosphatase by a specific interaction with cGMP- dependent protein kinase Ialpha

Contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle are regulated by myosin light-chain kinase and myosin phosphatase through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of myosin light chains. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase Ialpha (cGKIalpha) mediates physiologic relaxation of vascular smooth muscle in response to nitric oxide and cGMP. It is shown here that cGKIalpha is targeted to the smooth muscle cell contractile apparatus by a leucine zipper interaction with the myosin-binding subunit (MBS) of myosin phosphatase. Uncoupling of the cGKIalpha-MBS interaction prevents cGMP-dependent dephosphorylation of myosin light chain, demonstrating that this interaction is essential to the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell tone.     

植物磷酸化蛋白质组学的研究进展

蛋白质的磷酸化是一种最重要的蛋白质翻译后修饰方式之一.蛋白质的磷酸化和去磷酸化在生命过程中起着关键的调节作用.当前,磷酸化蛋白质组学的主要研究内容包括鉴定磷酸化蛋白、定位磷酸化位点、定量磷酸化水平,进而揭示磷酸化和去磷酸化在生命过程中所起的生物学功能.在介绍植物磷酸化蛋白组学的研究方法及目前进展的基础上,展望了植物磷酸化蛋白组学的研究前景.     

酵母提取物诱导重组大肠杆菌合成HrpNEcc蛋白的研究

 【目的】HrpNEcc蛋白是一种起细胞信号作用的蛋白激发子,通过激活植物遗传系统的多基因表达调控,诱导植物的广谱抗病性、驱虫性和抗逆性,促进植物生长发育,因此在农业生产中具有重要意义。在hrpNEcc重组大肠杆菌高密度发酵廉价诱导剂的筛选工作中,偶然发现不添加任何外源诱导剂的TB培养基对照处理也有HrpNEcc蛋白合成。本研究旨在找出引起对照处理中HrpNEcc蛋白合成的诱导因子,并研究诱导因子的来源和含量对HrpNEcc蛋白合成的影响。【方法】摇瓶发酵培养重组大肠杆菌,离心收集菌体,用考马斯亮蓝染色法测定菌体总蛋白,SDS-PAGE检测目的蛋白条带,并结合Bandscan软件计算出HrpNEcc蛋白含量。【结果】在不添加任何外源诱导剂的情况下,用TB培养基发酵生产重组大肠杆菌E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET30a(+)hrpNEcc,HrpNEcc蛋白最高产量可达301.45 mg?L-1,比在IPTG诱导下,用LB培养基发酵生产的HrpNEcc蛋白产量提高72.43%。进一步研究证实,TB培养基中的酵母提取物（yeast extract）含有某些诱导因子能够诱导hrpNEcc基因表达合成HrpNEcc蛋白,并且hrpNEcc的表达水平随酵母提取物来源和浓度的不同而存在较大差异。【结论】在不添加任何外源诱导剂的情况下,高含量的酵母提取物诱导重组大肠杆菌hrpNEcc表达合成HrpNEcc蛋白,但其诱导机制还有待进一步研究。     

拟南芥DNA_J结构域蛋白的生物信息学分析及其亚细胞定位验证

对拟南芥RSS1蛋白进行了一系列生物信息学分析,结果表明:该蛋白是一C端含有DNA_J结构域的辅助蛋白,其N端含有受体蛋白复合物AP-2结合区DPF/W和FxDxF区,中间区域含有可信度较低的丝氨酸富集区和谷氨酸富集区.该蛋白可能具有ATP结合活性、丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶活性和磷酸酶活性,可调控细胞循环和蛋白的磷酸化和去磷酸化作用.利用洋葱表皮瞬时表达系统验证了RSS1-GFP融合蛋白定位于细胞核中,为进一步研究该蛋白的分子和生物学功能奠定了良好基础.     

陆地棉GhWRKY33的克隆及抗旱功能分析

【目的】通过克隆陆地棉GhWRKY33并研究其抗旱功能,为棉花抗旱机制解析及分子育种奠定基础。【方法】利用同源克隆的方法从陆地棉中棉所10号中克隆GhWRKY33的开放读码框(open reading frame,ORF),并进行生物信息学分析,分析该基因的二级结构、亲疏水性,预测磷酸化位点和启动子区域的顺式作用元件,在NCBI中通过BLASTP检索同源性高的蛋白序列进行序列比对并构建系统发育树;构建35S::GhWRKY33-GFP融合表达载体,通过农杆菌介导注射烟草叶片,观察荧光信号;利用qRT-PCR检测基因的组织表达特异性,以及干旱、ABA、JA、ET处理下的基因表达模式;构建GhWRKY33过表达载体并转化拟南芥,利用20%PEG6000对野生型和T3代转基因拟南芥进行干旱处理,观察处理后野生型和转基因拟南芥的表型,并测定脯氨酸和丙二醛含量等生理生化指标,分析目的基因与干旱响应基因AtP5CS、AtRD29A、AtCOR15A的表达水平。【结果】从陆地棉品种中棉所10号克隆获得GhWRKY33的ORF全长为1 533 bp,编码一个含510个氨基酸残基的蛋白,含有2个WRKY...     

蛋白质磷酸化调控羊肉肌原纤维蛋白的功能

【目的】通过激活蛋白激酶的活性提高羊肉肌原纤维蛋白的磷酸化水平,分析磷酸化水平的提高对羊肉肌原纤维蛋白降解程度、收缩功能的影响,进一步揭示蛋白质磷酸化对羊肉肌肉嫩化的作用机理。【方法】通过添加蛋白激酶A激活剂Forskolin、蛋白激酶C激活剂佛波酯（PMA）,提高蛋白激酶的活性,改变羊肉肌原纤维蛋白的磷酸化水平。比较激活剂处理组与空白对照组肌原纤维小片化指数（MFI）、条带降解程度、肌节长度等指标的差异,确定蛋白质磷酸化水平对羊肉肌肉收缩和肌肉降解的影响。【结果】将羊肉样品在蛋白激酶溶液中培养24 h,在培养结束后1、2和4 h,PMA处理组（PKC激活组）的蛋白激酶活性显著高于空白对照组（P＜0.05）,而在培养后1和4 h,Forskolin处理组（PKA激活组）的蛋白激酶活性显著高于空白对照组（P＜0.05）。PMA处理组和Forskolin处理组的最高蛋白激酶活性出现在培养后1 h。Forskolin和PMA通过提高激酶活性显著提高肌联蛋白（Titin）、肌球蛋白结合蛋白C（Myosin binding protein C）、原肌球蛋白（Tropomyosin）、肌球蛋白轻链2（Myosin light chain 2）等蛋白质的磷酸化水平,肌球蛋白重链、肌动蛋白质的磷酸化水平没有显著变化,Forskolin组和PMA组的蛋白质降解程度及肌节长度均低于对照组。【结论】肌原纤维蛋白磷酸化水平提高不利于羊肉肌原纤维蛋白的降解。另一方面,磷酸化水平可能通过对肌球蛋白轻链2的作用增强羊肉肌肉的收缩作用力,通过促进相邻原肌球蛋白的相互作用促进肌细丝收缩,影响肉的僵直进程和嫩化进程。     

A68: a major subunit of paired helical filaments and derivatized forms of normal Tau

Putative Alzheimer disease (AD)-specific proteins (A68) were purified to homogeneity and shown to be major subunits of one form of paired helical filaments (PHFs). The amino acid sequence and immunological data indicate that the backbone of A68 is indistinguishable from that of the protein tau (tau), but A68 could be distinguished from normal human tau by the degree to which A68 was phosphorylated and by the specific residues in A68 that served as phosphate acceptors. The larger apparent relative molecular mass (Mr) of A68, compared to normal human tau, was attributed to abnormal phosphorylation of A68 because enzymatic dephosphorylation of A68 reduced its Mr to close to that of normal tau. Moreover, the LysSerProVal motif in normal human tau appeared to be an abnormal phosphorylation site in A68 because the Ser in this motif was a phosphate acceptor site in A68, but not in normal human tau. Thus, the major subunits of a class of PHFs are A68 proteins and the excessive or inappropriate phosphorylation of normal tau may change its apparent Mr, thus transforming tau into A68.     

磷酸化水平对肌红蛋白稳定性的影响

【目的】肌红蛋白是影响肉色最主要的色素物质,主要存在于肌浆中,其绝对含量和3种肌红蛋白(氧合肌红蛋白、脱氧肌红蛋白、高铁肌红蛋白)间的相对含量决定了肉色。已有研究表明蛋白质的磷酸化可能会通过对糖酵解代谢途径以及肌红蛋白的调控进而负向调控肉色的稳定性,本研究旨在探究磷酸化对肌红蛋白稳定性的影响,进而为通过调控磷酸化水平提高肉色稳定性提供理论依据。【方法】用连二亚硫酸钠还原骨骼肌肌红蛋白纯品,再经超滤除去连二亚硫酸钠。随后采用碱性磷酸酶(AP)体外孵育催化肌红蛋白的去磷酸化反应,采用SDS-PAGE凝胶电泳和Pro-Q与Ruby染色的方法测定肌红蛋白磷酸化水平的变化,测定孵育体系pH的变化,紫外分光光度计测定孵育过程中3种肌红蛋白相对含量的变化,圆二色谱测定孵育过程中肌红蛋白的二级结构变化。【结果】磷酸化水平的测定结果表明,碱性磷酸酶处理组(去磷酸化处理)中肌红蛋白的磷酸化水平在孵育6 h时显著低于对照组(P0.05),表明碱性磷酸酶可以在体外孵育过程中催化肌红蛋白发生去磷酸化反应,降低肌红蛋白的磷酸化水平。3种肌红蛋白相对含量的测定结果表明,从孵育2 h起,碱性磷酸酶处理组中氧合肌红蛋白的相对含量显著高于对照组,高铁肌红蛋白的相对含量显著低于对照组。即与对照组相比,碱性磷酸酶处理组中肌红蛋白的自动氧化速率低,氧化还原稳定性高(P0.05)。pH的测定结果表明,碱性磷酸酶处理组和对照组孵育体系的pH差异不显著(P0.05),即添加碱性磷酸酶进行孵育没有改变孵育体系的pH。二级结构的测定结果表明,肌红蛋白的二级结构以α-螺旋为主。从孵育0 min到6 h,碱性磷酸酶处理组中肌红蛋白的α-螺旋和β-折叠的含量基本不变,而对照中肌红蛋白的α-螺旋含量增加,β-折叠的含量减少,表明碱性磷酸酶处理组中肌红蛋白二级结构的稳定性高于对照组。【结论】肌红蛋白发生磷酸化修饰后,可能会通过改变肌红蛋白的二级结构,降低肌红蛋白二级结构的稳定性,增加肌红蛋白的自动氧化速率,进而加速高铁肌红蛋白的积累,不利于肉色稳定性,这可能是蛋白质磷酸化负向调控肉色稳定性的原因之一。     

A stochastic single-molecule event triggers phenotype switching of a bacterial cell

By monitoring fluorescently labeled lactose permease with single-molecule sensitivity, we investigated the molecular mechanism of how an Escherichia coli cell with the lac operon switches from one phenotype to another. At intermediate inducer concentrations, a population of genetically identical cells exhibits two phenotypes: induced cells with highly fluorescent membranes and uninduced cells with a small number of membrane-bound permeases. We found that this basal-level expression results from partial dissociation of the tetrameric lactose repressor from one of its operators on looped DNA. In contrast, infrequent events of complete dissociation of the repressor from DNA result in large bursts of permease expression that trigger induction of the lac operon. Hence, a stochastic single-molecule event determines a cell's phenotype.     

Endogenous substrate for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in adrenocortical polyadenylated messenger ribonucleoproteins

An endogenous polysomal cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase specifically phosphorylates a 150,000-dalton peptide bound to an adrenocortical polyadenylated messenger ribonucleoprotein complex. There is a possibility that this protein is a physiological substrate of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and that the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of this substrate may be important in the translation control of adrenal polyadenylated messenger RNA.     

Cost-benefit tradeoffs in engineered lac operons

Cells must balance the cost and benefit of protein expression to optimize organismal fitness. The lac operon of the bacterium Escherichia coli has been a model for quantifying the physiological impact of costly protein production and for elucidating the resulting regulatory mechanisms. We report quantitative fitness measurements in 27 redesigned operons that suggested that protein production is not the primary origin of fitness costs. Instead, we discovered that the lac permease activity, which relates linearly to cost, is the major physiological burden to the cell. These findings explain control points in the lac operon that minimize the cost of lac permease activity, not protein expression. Characterizing similar relationships in other systems will be important to map the impact of cost/benefit tradeoffs on cell physiology and regulation.     

A 49-kilodalton phosphoprotein in the Drosophila photoreceptor is an arrestin homolog

The gene encoding the 49-kilodalton protein that undergoes light-induced phosphorylation in the Drosophila photoreceptor has been isolated and characterized. The encoded protein has 401 amino acid residues and a molecular mass of 44,972 daltons, and it shares approximately 42 percent amino acid sequence identity with arrestin (S-antigen), which has been proposed to quench the light-induced cascade of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate hydrolysis in vertebrate photoreceptors. Unlike the 49-kilodalton protein, however, arrestin, which appears to bind to phosphorylated rhodopsin, has not itself been reported to undergo phosphorylation. In vitro, Ca2+ was the only agent found that would stimulate the phosphorylation of the 49-kilodalton protein. The phosphorylation of this arrestin-like protein in vivo may therefore be triggered by a Ca2+ signal that is likely to be regulated by light-activated phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C.