Segregation of mutant ovalbumins and ovalbumin-globin fusion proteins in Xenopus oocytes. Identification of an ovalbumin signal sequence

Inhibition of Infectious HIV-1 Production by Rerouting the Cellular Furin Inhibitor Serpin B8

Serpins are a superfamily of proteins that regulate a variety of physiological processes by irreversibly inhibiting the enzymatic activity of different serine proteases. For example, Serpin Family B Member 8 (Serpin B8, also known as PI8 and CAP2) binds to and inhibits the proprotein convertase furin. Like many other viral pathogens, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exploits furin for the proteolytic activation of its envelope glycoprotein (Env). Since the furin inhibitor Serpin B8 is expressed in primary target cells of HIV-1 and induced under inflammatory conditions, we hypothesized that it might interfere with HIV-1 Env maturation and decrease infectivity of newly produced virions. Indeed, recombinant Serpin B8 reduced furin-mediated cleavage of an HIV-1 Env reporter substrate in vitro. However, Serpin B8 did not affect Env maturation or reduce HIV-1 particle infectivity when expressed in HIV-1-producing cells. Immunofluorescence imaging, dimerization assays and in silico sequence analyses revealed that Serpin B8 failed to inhibit intracellular furin since both proteins localized to different subcellular compartments. We therefore aimed at rendering Serpin B8 active against HIV-1 by relocalizing it to furin-containing secretory compartments. Indeed, the addition of a heterologous signal peptide conferred potent anti-HIV-1 activity to Serpin B8 and significantly decreased infectivity of newly produced viral particles. Thus, our findings demonstrate that subcellular relocalization of a cellular protease inhibitor can result in efficient inhibition of infectious HIV-1 production. IMPORTANCE Many cellular proteases serve as dependency factors during viral infection and are hijacked by viruses for the maturation of their own (glyco)proteins. Consequently, inhibition of these cellular proteases may represent a means to inhibit the spread of viral infection. For example, several studies have investigated the serine protease furin as a potential therapeutic target since this protease cleaves and activates several viral envelope proteins, including HIV-1 Env. Besides the development of small molecule inhibitors, cell-intrinsic protease inhibitors may also be exploited to advance current antiviral treatment approaches. Here, we show that Serpin B8, an endogenous furin inhibitor, can inhibit HIV-1 Env maturation and efficiently reduce infectious HIV-1 production when rerouted to the secretory pathway. The results of our study not only provide important insights into the biology of Serpins, but also show how protein engineering of an endogenous furin inhibitor can render it active against HIV-1.

Cancer-Related Unconventional Protein Secretion: A New Role of the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Unconventional protein secretion (UPS) is a crucial mechanism controlling the localization of cytosolic proteins lacking signal peptides and is implicated in inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Several previous studies on immune cells have demonstrated the mechanisms of UPS. In cancer, the active secretion of several cytosolic proteins, including PKCδ and nucleolin, has been described. Moreover, we have recently demonstrated that extended synaptotagmin 1, one of the membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum, plays a critical role in UPS in liver cancer cells. Importantly, UPS in cancer cells shows characteristics that are markedly different from those of the previously known UPS, and therefore, we categorize them as cancer-related UPS (CUPS). In this article, we provide an overview of UPS mechanisms and discuss the process that leads to the naming of cancer-specific UPS as CUPS.

Immune Reactions against Gene Gun Vaccines Are Differentially Modulated by Distinct Dendritic Cell Subsets in the Skin

The skin accommodates multiple dendritic cell (DC) subsets with remarkable functional diversity. Immune reactions are initiated and modulated by the triggering of DC by pathogen-associated or endogenous danger signals. In contrast to these processes, the influence of intrinsic features of protein antigens on the strength and type of immune responses is much less understood. Therefore, we investigated the involvement of distinct DC subsets in immune reactions against two structurally different model antigens, E. coli beta-galactosidase (betaGal) and chicken ovalbumin (OVA) under otherwise identical conditions. After epicutaneous administration of the respective DNA vaccines with a gene gun, wild type mice induced robust immune responses against both antigens. However, ablation of langerin+ DC almost abolished IgG1 and cytotoxic T lymphocytes against betaGal but enhanced T cell and antibody responses against OVA. We identified epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) as the subset responsible for the suppression of anti-OVA reactions and found regulatory T cells critically involved in this process. In contrast, reactions against betaGal were not affected by the selective elimination of LC, indicating that this antigen required a different langerin+ DC subset. The opposing findings obtained with OVA and betaGal vaccines were not due to immune-modulating activities of either the plasmid DNA or the antigen gene products, nor did the differential cellular localization, size or dose of the two proteins account for the opposite effects. Thus, skin-borne protein antigens may be differentially handled by distinct DC subsets, and, in this way, intrinsic features of the antigen can participate in immune modulation.

The aggregation-prone intracellular serpin SRP-2 fails to transit the ER in Caenorhabditis elegans

Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusions bodies (FENIB) is a serpinopathy that induces a rare form of presenile dementia. Neuroserpin contains a classical signal peptide and like all extracellular serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) is secreted via the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi pathway. The disease phenotype is due to gain-of-function missense mutations that cause neuroserpin to misfold and aggregate within the ER. In a previous study, nematodes expressing a homologous mutation in the endogenous Caenorhabditis elegans serpin, srp-2, were reported to model the ER proteotoxicity induced by an allele of mutant neuroserpin. Our results suggest that SRP-2 lacks a classical N-terminal signal peptide and is a member of the intracellular serpin family. Using confocal imaging and an ER colocalization marker, we confirmed that GFP-tagged wild-type SRP-2 localized to the cytosol and not the ER. Similarly, the aggregation-prone SRP-2 mutant formed intracellular inclusions that localized to the cytosol. Interestingly, wild-type SRP-2, targeted to the ER by fusion to a cleavable N-terminal signal peptide, failed to be secreted and accumulated within the ER lumen. This ER retention phenotype is typical of other obligate intracellular serpins forced to translocate across the ER membrane. Neuroserpin is a secreted protein that inhibits trypsin-like proteinase. SRP-2 is a cytosolic serpin that inhibits lysosomal cysteine peptidases. We concluded that SRP-2 is neither an ortholog nor a functional homolog of neuroserpin. Furthermore, animals expressing an aggregation-prone mutation in SRP-2 do not model the ER proteotoxicity associated with FENIB.

Structural integrity of the antigen is a determinant for the induction of T-helper type-1 immunity in mice by gene gun vaccines against E. coli beta-galactosidase

The type of immune response is critical for successful protection and typically determined by pathogen-associated danger molecules. In contrast, protein antigens are usually regarded as passive target structures. Here, we provide evidence that the structure of the antigen can profoundly influence the type of response that is elicited under else identical conditions. In mice, gene gun vaccines induce predominantly Th2-biased immune reactions against most antigens. One exception is E. coli beta-galactosidase (βGal) that induces a balanced Th1/Th2 response. Because both, the delivered material (plasmid DNA-coated gold particles) as well as the procedure (biolistic delivery to the skin surface) is the same as for other antigens we hypothesized that Th1 induction could be a function of βGal protein expressed in transfected cells. To test this we examined gene gun vaccines encoding structural or functional variants of the antigen. Employing a series of gene gun vaccines encoding individual structural domains of βGal, we found that neither of them induced IgG2a antibodies. Even disruption of the homo-tetramer association of the native protein by deletion of a few N-terminal amino acids was sufficient to abrogate IgG2a production. However, enzymatically inactive βGal with only one point mutation in the catalytic center retained the ability to induce Th1 reactions. Thus, structural but not functional integrity of the antigen must be retained for Th1 induction. βGal is not a Th1 adjuvant in the classical sense because neither were βGal-transgenic ROSA26 mice particularly Th1-biased nor did co-administration of a βGal-encoding plasmid induce IgG2a against other antigens. Despite this, gene gun vaccines elicited Th1 reactions to antigens fused to the open reading frame of βGal. We interpret these findings as evidence that different skin-borne antigens may be differentially handled by the immune system and that the three-dimensional structure of an antigen is an important determinant for this.

Role of the N-terminal amphiphilic region of ovalbumin during heat-induced aggregation and gelation

Ovalbumin (OVA), a major globular protein in egg white, forms semiflexible fibrillar aggregates during heat-induced gelation. The N-terminal amphiphilic region (pN1-22) of OVA is removed after treatment with pepsin at pH 4 to leave a large OVA fragment (pOVA). The conformation and thermal stability of pOVA and OVA are similar, but the rheological strength of the heat-induced gel of pOVA is much lower compared to that of OVA. The aggregation rate of pOVA, which forms spherical aggregates, was lower than that of OVA. These results suggest that the N-terminal amphiphilic region of OVA facilitates the α-to-β conformational transition, which triggers OVA fibril formation. Heat treatment of OVA in the presence of pN1-22 consistently resulted in the formation of straight fibrils. The strength of OVA and collagen gels was increased when prepared in the presence of pN1-22, suggesting that pN1-22 may be used to control the properties of protein gels.

Herpes simplex virus γ34.5 interferes with autophagosome maturation and antigen presentation in dendritic cells

The cellular autophagy response induced by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is countered by the viral γ34.5 protein. γ34.5 modulates autophagy by binding to the host autophagy protein Beclin-1 and through this binding inhibits the formation of autophagosomes in fibroblasts and neurons. In contrast, in this study dendritic cells (DCs) infected with HSV-1 showed an accumulation of autophagosomes and of the long-lived protein p62. No such accumulations were observed in DCs infected with a γ34.5-null virus or a virus lacking the Beclin-binding domain (BBD) of γ34.5. To explore this further, we established stably transduced DC lines to show that γ34.5 expression alone induced autophagosome accumulation yet prevented p62 degradation. In contrast, DCs expressing a BBD-deleted mutant of γ34.5 were unable to modulate autophagy. DCs expressing γ34.5 were less capable of stimulating T-cell activation and proliferation in response to intracellular antigens, demonstrating an immunological consequence of inhibiting autophagy. Taken together, these data show that in DCs, γ34.5 antagonizes the maturation of autophagosomes and T cell activation in a BBD-dependent manner, illustrating a unique interface between HSV and autophagy in antigen-presenting cells.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a highly prevalent pathogen causing widespread morbidity and some mortality. HSV infections are lifelong, and there are no vaccines or antivirals to cure HSV infections. The ability of HSV to modulate host immunity is critical for its virulence. HSV inhibits host autophagy, a pathway with importance in many areas of health and disease. Autophagy is triggered by many microbes, some of which harness autophagy for replication; others evade autophagy or prevent it from occurring. Autophagy is critical for host defense, either by directly degrading the invading pathogen (“xenophagy”) or by facilitating antigen presentation to T cells. In this study, we show that HSV manipulates autophagy through an unsuspected mechanism with a functional consequence of reducing T cell stimulation. These data further our understanding of how HSV evades host immunity to persist for the lifetime of its host, facilitating its spread in the human population.

MAHRP2, an exported protein of Plasmodium falciparum, is an essential component of Maurer's cleft tethers

Upon invasion into erythrocytes, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum must refurbish the host cell. The objective of this study was to elucidate the location and function of MAHRP2 in these processes. Using immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy we showed that the membrane-associated histidine-rich protein-2 (MAHRP2) is exported during this process to novel cylindrical structures in the erythrocyte cytoplasm. We hypothesize that these structures tether organelles known as Maurer's clefts to the erythrocyte skeleton. Live cell imaging of parasite transfectants expressing MAHRP2-GFP revealed both mobile and fixed populations of the tether-like structures. Differential centrifugation allowed the enrichment of these novel structures. MAHRP2 possesses neither a signal peptide nor a PEXEL motif, and sequences required for export were determined using transfectants expressing truncated MAHRP2 fragments. The first 15 amino acids and the histidine-rich N-terminal region are necessary for correct trafficking of MAHRP2 together with a predicted hydrophobic region. Solubilization studies showed that MAHRP2 is membrane associated but not membrane spanning. Several attempts to delete the mahrp2 gene failed, indicating that the protein is essential for parasite survival.

Comparison of different live vaccine strategies in vivo for delivery of protein antigen or antigen-encoding DNA and mRNA by virulence-attenuated Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes can be used to deliver protein antigens or DNA and mRNA encoding such antigens directly into the cytosol of host cells because of its intracellular lifestyle. In this study, we compare the in vivo efficiencies of activation of antigen-specific CD8 and CD4 T cells when the antigen is secreted by L. monocytogenes or when antigen-encoding plasmid DNA or mRNA is released by self-destructing strains of L. monocytogenes. Infection of mice with self-destructing L. monocytogenes carriers delivering mRNA that encodes a nonsecreted form of ovalbumin (OVA) resulted in a significant OVA-specific CD8 T-cell response. In contrast, infection with L. monocytogenes delivering OVA-encoding DNA failed to generate specific T cells. Secretion of OVA by the carrier bacteria yielded the strongest immune response involving OVA-specific CD8 and CD4 T cells. In addition, we investigated the antigen delivery capacity of a self-destructing, virulence-attenuated L. monocytogenes aroA/B mutant. In contrast to the wild-type strain, this mutant exhibited only marginal liver toxicity when high doses (5 x 10(7) CFU per animal administered intravenously) were used, and it was also able to deliver sufficient amounts of secreted OVA into mice. Therefore, the results presented here could lay the groundwork for a rational combination of L. monocytogenes as an attenuated carrier for the delivery of protein and nucleic acid vaccines in novel vaccination strategies.

Protein trafficking in Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells

Plasmodium falciparum inhabits a niche within the most highly terminally differentiated cell in the human body--the mature red blood cell. Life inside this normally quiescent cell offers the parasite protection from the host's immune system, but provides little in the way of cellular infrastructure. To survive and replicate in the red blood cell, the parasite exports proteins that interact with and dramatically modify the properties of the host red blood cell. As part of this process, the parasite appears to establish a system within the red blood cell cytosol that allows the correct trafficking of parasite proteins to their final cellular destinations. In this review, we examine recent developments in our understanding of the pathways and components involved in the delivery of important parasite-encoded proteins to their final destination in the host red blood cell. These complex processes are not only fundamental to the survival of malaria parasites in vivo, but are also major determinants of the unique pathogenicity of this parasite.

Functional activity of eukaryotic signal sequences in Escherichia coli: the ovalbumin family of serine protease inhibitors

It is widely assumed that the functional activity of signal sequences has been conserved throughout evolution, at least between Gram-negative bacteria and eukaryotes. The ovalbumin family of serine protease inhibitors (serpins) provides a unique tool to test this assumption, since individual members can be secreted (ovalbumin), cytosolic (leukocyte elastase inhibitor, LEI), or targeted to both compartments (plasminogen activator inhibitor 2, PAI-2). The facultative secretion of PAI-2 is mediated by a signal sequence proposed to be inefficient by design. We show here that the same internal domain that promotes an inefficient translocation of murine PAI-2 in mammalian cells is a weak signal sequence in Escherichia coli. In contrast, the ovalbumin signal sequence is much more efficient, whereas the corresponding sequence elements from LEI, maspin and PI-10 are entirely devoid of signal sequence activity in E.coli. Mutations that improve the activity of the PAI-2 signal sequence and that convert the N-terminal regions of maspin and PI-10 into efficient signal sequences have been characterized. Taken together, these results indicate that several structural features contribute to the weak activity of the PAI-2 signal sequence and provide new insights into the plasticity of the "hydrophobic core" of signal sequences. High-level expression of two chimeric proteins containing the PAI-2 signal sequence is toxic, and the reduced viability is accompanied by a rapid decrease in the membrane proton motive force, in ATP levels and in translation. In unc- cells, which lack the F0F1 ATP-synthase, the chimeric proteins retain their toxicity and their expression only affected the proton motive force. Thus, the properties of these toxic signal sequences offer a new tool to dissect the interactions of signal sequences with the protein export machinery.

Secretion of FGF-16 requires an uncleaved bipartite signal sequence

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-16 is one of the rare secreted proteins that do not possess a cleavable signal sequence. Here we describe our examination of the mechanism and structural requirements for the secretion of FGF-16 from COS-1 transfectants. Inhibition of its secretion by brefeldin A and identification of an N-glycan on the secreted form confirmed that FGF-16 is secreted by means of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, as are secreted proteins having a conventional cleavable signal sequence. Deletion of its N terminus abolished secretion of FGF-16. When chimerized with prolactin, however, the N-terminal sequence of FGF-16 was not able to mediate secretion of the chimera. Point mutations that made the N terminus less hydrophobic had little effect on secretion of FGF-16, whereas making the central hydrophobic region less hydrophobic abolished secretion. Within cells, an unsecretable FGF-16 N-terminal deletion mutant was distributed in the perinuclear region and overlapped the distribution of the Golgi apparatus. Mutants with less hydrophobic central regions were distributed evenly throughout the cytosol. Collectively, these results indicate that FGF-16 employs a unique bipartite signal sequence (i.e. both the N-terminal region and central hydrophobic region) that is not cleaved, although it shares the same secretory machinery used by secreted proteins with cleavable signal sequences.

Periplasmic secretion of native ovalbumin without signal cleavage in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli cells carrying wild-type ovalbumin cDNA, some of the recombinant protein was secreted into the periplasmic space. In contrast, a signal-region mutant form of ovalbumin (deletion, Gly1 to Ala39) was not detected in the periplasm despite being synthesized at the same level as the wild-type protein. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses showed that periplasmic ovalbumin assumes a conformation indistinguishable from that of native egg white ovalbumin. We concluded that a process resembling the secretion of ovalbumin process in the oviduct occurs also in bacteria.

Isolation, expression and characterization of carp retinol-binding protein

Vitamin A alcohol and its precursors carotenoids are introduced in the organism with the diet, transported to the liver and from there as retinol to target tissues by a specific carrier, the retinol-binding protein (RBP). RBP, isolated and characterized in many vertebrates, shows very high homology among the species investigated; however, very little is known in fish. In the present work RBP cDNA isolated from a carp liver library was transcribed and translated in vitro and the corresponding protein characterized. Carp RBP amino acid sequence and tertiary structure are highly conserved, but the protein shows two peculiar and unique characteristics: the signal sequence is not processed by the ER signal peptidase and two N-glycosylations are present at the N-terminus portion of the protein. It was also demonstrated that RBP glycosylation is not a feature common to all teleosts. Transfection experiments show that the green fluorescent protein (GFP) can be directed into the secretory pathway by the carp RBP N-terminal region, both in fish and in mammal cells, demonstrating that the sequence, although not processed, is recognized as a secretory signal in different species. Results obtained from different investigators indicated that in fish plasma RBP circulates without interacting with transthyretin (TTR) or other proteins, suggesting that the complex with TTR, whose postulated function is to hamper easy kidney filtration of circulating RBP, has evolved later in the evolutionary scale. This hypothesis is reinforced by the finding that carp RBP, as well as trout and other lower vertebrates in which circulating complex has never been demonstrated, lacks a short C-terminal sequence that seems to be involved in RBP-TTR interaction. In carp, carbohydrates could be involved in the control of protein filtration through the kidney glomeruli. Moreover, experiments of carp RBP expression in Cos-1 cells and in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae show that glycosylation is necessary for protein secretion; in particular, additional in vitro experiments have shown it is involved in protein translocation through ER membranes.

US2, a human cytomegalovirus-encoded type I membrane protein, contains a non-cleavable amino-terminal signal peptide

The human cytomegalovirus US2 gene product targets major histocompatibility class I molecules for degradation in a proteasome-dependent fashion. Degradation requires interaction between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumenal domains of US2 and class I. While ER insertion of US2 is essential for US2 function, US2 lacks a cleavable signal peptide. Radiosequence analysis of glycosylated US2 confirms the presence of the NH(2) terminus predicted on the basis of the amino acid sequence, with no evidence for processing by signal peptidase. Despite the absence of cleavage, the US2 NH(2)-terminal segment constitutes its signal peptide and is sufficient to drive ER translocation of chimeric reporter proteins, again without further cleavage. The putative US2 signal peptide c-region is responsible for the absence of cleavage, despite the presence of a suitable -3,-1 amino acid motif for signal peptidase recognition. In addition, the US2 signal peptide affects the early processing events of the nascent polypeptide, altering the efficiency of ER insertion and subsequent N-linked glycosylation. To our knowledge, US2 is the first example of a membrane protein that does not contain a cleavable signal peptide, yet otherwise behaves like a type I membrane glycoprotein.

Circulating serpin tumor markers SCCA1 and SCCA2 are not actively secreted but reside in the cytosol of squamous carcinoma cells

An elevation in the circulating level of the squamous-cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) can be a poor prognostic indicator in certain types of squamous-cell cancers. Total SCCA in the circulation comprises 2 nearly identical, approximately 45 kDa proteins, SCCA1 and SCCA2. Both proteins are members of the high-molecular weight serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family with SCCA1 paradoxically inhibiting lysosomal cysteine proteinases and SCCA2 inhibiting chymotrypsin-like serine proteinases. Although SCCA1 and SCCA2 are detected in the cytoplasm of normal squamous epithelial cells, neither serpin is detected normally in the serum. Thus, their presence in the circulation at relatively high concentrations suggests that malignant epithelial cells are re-directing serpin activity to the fluid phase via an active secretory process. Because serpins typically inhibit their targets by binding at 1:1 stoichiometry, a change in the distribution pattern of SCCA1 and SCCA2 (i.e., intracellular to extracellular) could indicate the need of tumor cells to neutralize harmful extracellular proteinases. The purpose of our study was to determine experimentally the fate of SCCA1 and SCCA2 in squamous carcinoma cells. Using subcellular fractionation, SCCA-green fluorescent fusion protein expression and confocal microscopy, SCCA1 and SCCA2 were found exclusively in the cytosol and were not associated with nuclei, mitochondria, lysosomes, microtubules, actin or the Golgi. In contrast to previous reports, metabolic labeling and pulse-chase experiments showed that neither non-stimulated nor TNFalpha/PMA-stimulated squamous carcinoma cells appreciably secreted these ov-serpins into the medium. Collectively, these data suggest that the major site of SCCA1 and SCCA2 inhibitory activity remains within the cytosol and that their presence in the sera of patients with advanced squamous-cell carcinomas may be due to their passive release into the circulation.

Fibroblast growth factor 9 secretion is mediated by a non-cleaved amino-terminal signal sequence

Fibroblast growth factors are a family of intercellular signaling molecules with multiple and varied roles in animal development. Most are exported from cells by means of a classical amino-terminal signal sequence that is cleaved from the mature protein during its passage through the secretory pathway. Fibroblast growth factor-9 (Fgf-9) does not contain a recognizable signal sequence, although it is efficiently secreted. In this study, we show that Fgf-9 enters the endoplasmic reticulum and traverses the Golgi complex in a similar manner to other constitutively secreted proteins. Deletion and point mutation analysis has revealed an atypical non-cleaved signal sequence within the amino-terminal region of Fgf-9. Moreover, the first 28 amino acids of Fgf-9 can function as an efficient non-cleaved signal peptide when appended to the amino terminus of green fluorescent protein.

Export of parasite proteins to the erythrocyte cytoplasm: secretory machinery and traffic signals

To the malaria parasite, the prospect of setting up residence within a human erythrocyte represents a formidable challenge. The mature human erythrocyte is essentially a bag of haemoglobin with no internal organelles and no protein synthesis machinery. The parasite needs, therefore, to assemble all the essential amenities--foundations, plumbing and furnishings--from scratch. The parasite remodels its adopted home by exporting proteins to the erythrocyte membrane. To reach their final destinations, the exported proteins must cross the parasite plasma membrane, the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and the erythrocyte cytosol. To further understand this unusual and complex trafficking pathway, we have searched for proteins that may form part of the trafficking machinery of the infected erythrocyte. We have identified an ER-located, calcium-binding homologue of reticulocalbin (PfERC) that co-localizes with the ER molecular chaperone, PfGRP. We have also identified a homologue of the GTP-binding protein, Sar1p, a small GTPase that, in other eukaryotic cells, is thought to play a crucial role in trafficking proteins between the ER and the Golgi. PfSar1p is located in discrete structures near the periphery of the parasite cytoplasm that may represent specialized export compartments. PfSar1p is exported to structures outside the parasite in the erythrocyte cytoplasm. The malaria parasite appears to be capable of elaborating components of the 'classical' vesicle mediated trafficking machinery outside the boundaries of its own plasma membrane.

A hydrophobic region locating at the center of fibroblast growth factor-9 is crucial for its secretion

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-9 is a glycosylated neurotrophic polypeptide highly expressed in brain. The mechanism for its secretion from expressing cells is unclear, because its primary structure lacks a cleavable signal sequence. We, therefore, investigated the mechanism and structural requirements for secretion of FGF-9. As with other secreted proteins, in vitro translation of FGF-9 was inhibited by signal recognition particle, which binds to the signal sequence. When translated in vitro, full-length FGF-9 was translocated into microsomes, glycosylated, and protected from trypsin digestion. By using various FGF-9 deletion mutants, we found that two hydrophobic domains, located at the N terminus and at the center of the FGF-9 primary structure, were crucial for translocation. Examination of various point mutants revealed that local hydrophobicity of the central hydrophobic domain, but not the N terminus, was crucial for translocation. Analogous results were obtained with respect to FGF-9 secretion from transfectant cells. Upon deletion of the complete sequence preceding it, the previously uncleavable hydrophobic domain appeared to serve as a cleavable signal sequence. Our results suggest that nascent FGF-9 polypeptides translocate into endoplasmic reticulum without peptide cleavage via a co-translational pathway in which both the N terminus and the central hydrophobic domain are important; thereafter, FGF-9 is glycosylated and secreted.

Expression, purification, and inhibitory properties of human proteinase inhibitor

In a previous report, the cDNA for human proteinase inhibitor 8 (PI8) was first identified, isolated, and subcloned into a mammalian expression vector and expressed in baby hamster kidney cells. Initial studies indicated that PI8 was able to inhibit the amidolytic activity of trypsin and form an SDS-stable approximately 67-kDa complex with human thrombin [Sprecher, C. A., et al. (1995) J. Biol Chem. 270, 29854-29861]. In the present study, we have expressed recombinant PI8 in the methylotropic yeast Pichia pastoris, purified the inhibitor to homogeneity, and investigated its ability to inhibit a variety of proteinases. PI8 inhibited the amidolytic activities of porcine trypsin, human thrombin, human coagulation factor Xa, and the Bacillus subtilis dibasic endoproteinase subtilisin A through different mechanisms but failed to inhibit the Staphylococcus aureus endoproteinase Glu-C. PI8 inhibited trypsin in a purely competitive manner, with an equilibrium inhibition constant (Ki) of less than 3.8 nM. The interaction between PI8 and thrombin occurred with a second-order association rate constant (kassoc) of 1.0 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 and a Ki of 350 pM. A slow-binding kinetics approach was used to determine the kinetic constants for the interactions of PI8 with factor Xa and subtilisin A. PI8 inhibited factor Xa via a two-step mechanism with a kassoc of 7.5 x 10(4) M-1 s-1 and an overall Ki of 272 pM. PI8 was a potent inhibitor of subtilisin A via a single-step mechanism with a kassoc of 1.16 x 10(6) M-1 s-1 and an overall Ki of 8.4 pM. The interaction between PI8 and subtilisin A may be of physiological significance, since subtilisin A is an evolutionary precursor to the intracellular mammalian dibasic processing endoproteinases.

Aminopeptidase B from the rat testis is a bifunctional enzyme structurally related to leukotriene-A4 hydrolase

An aminopeptidase B (Ap-B) was previously purified to homogeneity from rat testis extracts and characterized. In the present work, by using oligonucleotides selected on the basis of partial amino acid microsequences of pure Ap-B and PCR techniques, the nucleotide sequence of a 2.2-kb cDNA was obtained. The deduced amino acid sequence corresponds to a 648-residue protein (72.3 kDa) containing the canonical "HEXXHX18E" signature, which allowed its classification as a member of the M1 family of metallopeptidases. It exhibits 33% identity and 48% similarity with leukotriene-A4 hydrolase, a relation further supported by the capacity of Ap-B to hydrolyze leukotriene A4. Both enzymes also were closely related to a partially sequenced protein from Dictyostelium discoideum, which might constitute the putative common ancestor of either aminopeptidase or epoxide hydrolase, or both. Ap-B and its mRNA were detected in the germ line and in the Sertoli and peritubular cells of the seminiferous tubules. Because the enzyme was found in the medium conditioned by spermatocytes and spermatids and in the acrosome during spermatozoa formation, together these observations suggested an involvement of this exometallopeptidase in the secretory pathway. It is concluded that this ubiquitous enzyme may be involved in multiple processing mechanisms.

Major histocompatibility complex class I presentation of ovalbumin peptide 257-264 from exogenous sources: protein context influences the degree of TAP-independent presentation

Peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6 mice process antigens from bacteria or coated on polystyrene beads for presentation by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. To investigate this antigen processing pathway, peritoneal macrophages from homozygous TAP1-/- mice, which lack the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) and are defective in presenting endogenous antigens on MHC class I, were used. TAP1-/- or C57BL/6 macrophages were co-incubated with either bacteria or polystyrene beads containing the 257-264 epitope from ovalbumin [OVA(257-264)], which binds the mouse class I molecule Kb. The source of the OVA(257-264) epitope was either the Crl-OVA(257-264) (Crl-OVA) fusion protein, the maltose binding protein (MBP)-Crl-OVA fusion protein, native OVA or bacterial recombinant OVA (rOVA); Crl-OVA, MBP-Crl-OVA and rOVA were each expressed in bacteria, and Crl-OVA and MBP-Crl-OVA purified from bacterial lysates and native egg OVA were coated onto polystyrene beads. The data reveal that peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6 and TAP1-/- mice can process bacteria expressing Crl-OVA, MBP-Crl-OVA and rOVA as well as beads coated with native OVA, purified Crl-OVA, and purified MBP-Crl-OVA and present OVA(257-264) for recognition by OVA(257-264)/Kb-specific T hybridoma cells, albeit with different relative processing efficiencies. The processing efficiency of TAP1-/- macrophages co-incubated with bacteria or beads containing Crl-OVA or MBP-Crl-OVA was reduced approximately three to five times compared to C57BL/6 macrophages, but OVA(257-264) was presented 100 times less efficiently when the source of OVA(257-264) was full-length OVA. Chloroquine inhibition studies showed a differential requirement for acidic compartments in C57BL/6 versus TAP1-/- macrophages, which also depended upon the source of the OVA (257-264) epitope (Crl-OVA versus full-length OVA). These data suggest that TAP1-/- and C57BL/6 macrophages may process Crl-OVA and full-length OVA in different cellular compartments and that the protein context of the OVA(257-264) epitope influences the extent of TAP-independent processing for MHC class I presentation.

Expression of biologically active procorticotrophin-releasing hormone (proCRH) in stably transfected CHO-K1 cells: characterization of nuclear proCRH

Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a 41 amino acid neuropeptide which is cleaved at a pair of dibasic amino acids from a larger precursor molecule (pre-proCRH) by the action of endopeptidases. In cells possessing a regulated secretory pathway, sorting of proneuropeptides and prohormones occurs within the trans-Golgi network, where they are finally packaged into secretory vesicles to be released in response to an external stimulus. Such cells also possess a constitutive secretory pathway, and neuropeptides are also translocated into this subcellular compartment. We have recently established stably transfected CHO-K1 cells expressing the rat pre-proCRH cDNA, and shown that proCRH was localized within the secretory pathway and the nucleus of transfected cells. Both the cytoplasmic and nuclear species of IR-CRH displayed an apparent molecular weight approximately 19 kDa, consistent with the size of the uncleaved CRH precursor molecule. In this paper, we further characterized the bitopological, i.e. nuclear and cytoplasmic localization of proCRH within transfected CHO-K1 cells. Immunoreactive nuclear CRH was not extractable using detergents (Triton X-100 and CHAPS), 10 mM salt washes or RNase digestion but could be abolished by digestion with DNase I. These results therefore suggest that nuclear proCRH is in close association with DNA/chromatin. Treatment of transfected cells with inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis for up to 24 h had no effect upon immunoreactive nuclear CRH, indicating that it is very stable with a long half life. Brefeldin A treatment had no effect upon the nuclear translocation of newly synthesized proCRH, suggesting that late stages of the secretory pathway (i.e. post rough endoplasmic reticulum compartments) of the transfected cells do not play a role in proCRH nuclear transport. We also demonstrate that proCRH synthesized within stably transfected CHO-K1 cells is capable of stimulating ACTH release from primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells, therefore showing for the first time that the intact precursor is also biologically active and could act as an ACTH secretagogue in-vivo.

Production and purification of Japanese quail ovalbumin as fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase in Escherichia coli

A plasmid encoding a fusion protein interlinked by thrombin recognition sequence between glutathione S-transferase and Japanese quail ovalbumin (without 40 amino acid residues from the 5'-end of the ORF) has been constructed, employing the expression system pGEX-2T. The deglycosylated fusion protein (64 kDa) was purified by affinity chromatography on glutathione agarose beads, analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunochemically detected with antiserum raised against Japanese quail ovalbumin and tested for its stability.

Plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 2 (PAI-2) is a spontaneously polymerising SERPIN. Biochemical characterisation of the recombinant intracellular and extracellular forms

Plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 2 (PAI-2) is a specific inhibitor of plasminogen activators (PA) that exists in an intracellular, low-molecular-mass form and a secreted, high-molecular-mass form that varies with respect to glycosylation. Here we have developed expression systems for both forms of PAI-2 and biochemically characterised the purified proteins. In order to obtain efficient secretion, we constructed an artificial signal sequence and fused it to the coding region of PAI-2. With this construct, more than 90% of PAI-2 was secreted as a glycosylated, 60-kDa molecular-mass form, but the level of expression was low and unstable. To obtain higher expression of secreted PAI-2, a novel expression vector based on the Semliki-forest-virus replicon was used. Secreted PAI-2 was purified to homogeneity and N-terminal sequence analysis showed that the artificial signal peptide was correctly removed. The intracellular, non-glycosylated form of PAI-2 was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Both the secreted and the intracellular forms of PAI-2 were found to inhibit plasminogen activators by forming SDS-resistant complexes and the second-order rate constants were similar for both forms, ranging over 2.4-2.7 x 10(6) M-1s-1 for urokinase-type PA, 2.5-2.7 x 10(5) M-1s-1 for two-chain tissue-type PA and 0.8-1.2 x 10(4) M-1s-1 for single-chain tissue-type PA. None of the purified PAI-2 forms bound to vitronectin. Circular-dichroism spectral analysis revealed that PAI-2 has a CD spectrum that resembles ovalbumin more than PA-inhibitor type 1, confirming the greater similarity between these two members of the serine-protease inhibitor family. Similar to what has been described for the Z-form of alpha 1-antitrypsin, purified PAI-2 was found to spontaneously form polymers during incubation at room temperature. Attempts to convert PAI-2 to a stable locked conformation resembling the conformation of latent PAI-1 by treatment with diluted guanidinium chloride were unsuccessful. Instead, this treatment enhanced the formation of PAI-2 polymers, possibly by the loop-sheet polymerisation mechanism described for alpha 1-antitrypsin.

Unusual routes of protein secretion: the easy way out

Increasing numbers of polypeptides are being discovered that lack a cleavable hydrophobic signal sequence and are released from cells without passing through the classical secretory pathway. This article reviews the current knowledge of these alternative secretion pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and discusses whether the mechanisms described in bacteria and yeast can be used as paradigms to explain unusual secretory phenomena in animal cells.

The ovalbumin family of serpin proteins

A protein family, the 'Ov-serpins' has been identified by comparing amino acid sequence, protein characteristics and gene organization. The Ov-serpins would not be recognized as a family based on sequence identity alone. This example suggests that combinations of characteristics may need to be examined to identify family groupings within the serpin superfamily.

Cloning, expression during development, and evidence for release of a trophic factor for ciliary ganglion neurons

Ciliary ganglion (CG) neurons undergo a period of cell death during development that may be regulated by the limited availability of trophic factor produced by their target tissues. We have previously reported the purification of a ciliary neurotrophic factor from adult chick sciatic nerve that we called growth promoting activity (GPA). Here we demonstrate that GPA can be purified and cloned from embryonic day 15 (E15) chick eyes, which contain all the target tissues of the CG. Our studies show the following: GPA mRNA is induced in embryonic chick eyes during the period of CG neuron cell death; GPA mRNA is expressed specifically in the layer of the eye that contains the targets of the CG and in primary cultures of smooth muscle cells isolated from the choroid layer of the eye; and biologically active GPA is released from cells transfected with a GPA cDNA.

A plant serpin gene. Structure, organization and expression of the gene encoding barley protein Z4

A 3133-bp nucleotide sequence of the gene Paz1 on chromosome 4 of barley, encoding endosperm protein Z4, has been determined. The sequence includes 1079 bp 5' upstream and 523 bp 3' downstream of the coding region. The 1079-bp 5' upstream region of the gene shows little similarity to 5' regions of other sequences genes expressed in the developing cereal endosperm. The coding sequence is interrupted by one 334-bp-long intron (bases 1497-1830). The deduced amino acid sequence, which was corroborated by peptide sequences, consists of 399 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 43,128 Da. This sequence confirms protein Z4 to be a member of the serpin superfamily of proteins. The similarity with other members of the family expressed as amino acids in identical positions is in the order of 25-30% and pronounced in the carboxy-terminal half of the molecule. Sequence residues assumed to form clusters stabilizing the tertiary structure are highly conserved. Protein Z4 is synthesized in the developing endosperm without a signal peptide and protein Z4 mRNA was evenly distributed among the free and membrane-bound polyribosomes of the endosperm cell. An internal hydrophobic region of 21 amino acids (residues 36-56) may serve as a signal for targeting the polypeptide into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. The gene for protein Z4 could not be detected in the barley variety Maskin and some of its descendants. The 'high-lysine' allees, lys1 (Hiproly barley) and lys3a (Bomi mutant 1508) on chromosome 7, enhance and repress, respectively, the expression of the protein Z4 gene. Also, 1554 bp of another 8-kbp fragment of the barley genome Paz psi, similar to the protein-Z4-coding region, have been determined. Small insertions and deletions and the presence of an internal stop codon identify this fragment as part of a pseudogene related to the protein Z4 gene.

crumbs encodes an EGF-like protein expressed on apical membranes of Drosophila epithelial cells and required for organization of epithelia

We describe the molecular characterization of the Drosophila gene crumbs, which encodes an integral membrane protein with 30 EGF-like repeats in the extracellular part and exhibits a striking expression pattern. The protein is exclusively localized on the apical membranes of epithelial cells and concentrated at the borders between cells. Mutations in crumbs lead to severe disruptions in the organization of ectodermally derived epithelia and in some cases to cell death in these tissues. The structure and the expression pattern of the protein and the phenotype of mutations indicate a function of crumbs during the development of epithelia, possibly for the establishment and/or maintenance of cell polarity.

A novel secretory pathway for interleukin-1 beta, a protein lacking a signal sequence

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is a major soluble mediator of inflammation. Two human IL-1 genes, alpha and beta, have been isolated, which encode polypeptides with only 20-30% amino acid sequence homology. Unlike most secreted proteins, the two cytokines do not have a signal sequence, an unexpected finding in view of their biological role. Here we show that IL-1 beta is actively secreted by activated human monocytes via a pathway of secretion different from the classical endoplasmic reticulum--Golgi route. Drugs which block the intracellular transport of IL-6, of tumour necrosis factor alpha and of other secretory proteins do not inhibit secretion of IL-1 beta. Secretion of IL-1 beta is blocked by methylamine, low temperature or serum free medium, and is increased by raising the culture temperature to 42 degrees C or by the presence of calcium ionophores, brefeldin A, monensin, dinitrophenol or carbonyl cyanide chlorophenylhydrazone. IL-1 beta is contained in part within intracellular vesicles which protect it from protease digestion. In U937 cells large amounts of IL-1 beta are made but none is secreted. In these cells IL-1 beta is not found in the vesicular fraction, and all the protein is accessible to protease digestion. This suggests that intracellular vesicles that contain IL-1 beta are part of the protein secretory pathway. We conclude that IL-1 beta is released by activated monocytes via a novel mechanism of secretion which may involve translocation of intracellular membranes and is increased by stress conditions.

A novel pathway for secretory proteins?

In eukaryotes, most proteins which are transported to the extracellular space, into mitochondria or into chloroplasts are synthesized as precursor polypeptides containing cleavable N-terminal signal or targeting sequences. We have searched the literature for proteins that are exported from the cytosol without being proteolytically processed. Some of these proteins contain uncleaved signal or targeting sequences. However, among secretory proteins there is a class that does not possess hydrophobic signal sequences and appears to leave the cell by a secretory pathway clearly distinct from the classical route through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.

The propeptide of preprosomatostatin mediates intracellular transport and secretion of alpha-globin from mammalian cells

We have investigated the role of the somatostatin propeptide in mediating intracellular transport and sorting to the regulated secretory pathway. Using a retroviral expression vector, two fusion proteins were expressed in rat pituitary (GH3) cells: a control protein consisting of the beta-lactamase signal peptide fused to chimpanzee alpha-globin (142 amino acids); and a chimera of the somatostatin signal peptide and proregion (82 amino acids) fused to alpha-globin. Control globin was translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum as determined by accurate cleavage of its signal peptide; however, alpha-globin was not secreted but was rapidly and quantitatively degraded intracellularly with a t 1/2 of 4-5 min. Globin degradation was insensitive to chloroquine, a drug which inhibits lysosomal proteases, but was inhibited at 16 degrees C suggesting proteolysis occurred during transport to the cis-Golgi apparatus. In contrast to the control globin, approximately 30% of the somatostatin propeptide-globin fusion protein was transported to the distal elements of the Golgi apparatus where it was endoproteolytically processed. Processing of the chimera occurred in an acidic intracellular compartment since cleavage was inhibited by 25 microM chloroquine. 60% of the transported chimera was cleaved at the Arg-Lys processing site in native prosomatostatin yielding "mature" alpha-globin. Most significantly, approximately 50% of processed alpha-globin was sorted to the regulated pathway and secreted in response to 8-Br-cAMP. We conclude that the somatostatin propeptide mediated transport of alpha-globin from the endoplasmic reticulum to the trans-Golgi network by protecting molecules from degradation and in addition, facilitated packaging of alpha-globin into vesicles whose secretion was stimulated by cAMP.

Human interleukin 1 beta is not secreted from hamster fibroblasts when expressed constitutively from a transfected cDNA

To understand the secretion and processing of interleukin-1 (IL-1), a Chinese hamster fibroblast cell line (R1610) was transfected with a human IL-1 beta cDNA under the control of the SV40 early promoter and linked to the gene for neomycin resistance. After selecting for transfected cells resistant to G418, two clones were found to constitutively express the IL-1 beta 31-kD precursor which was almost exclusively located in the cytosol. Pulse-chase experiments failed to show any secretion of IL-1 and very little IL-1 activity was detectable in cell supernatants. Furthermore, surface membrane IL-1 activity could not be detected, although low levels of activity could be released upon brief trypsin treatment. Therefore, unlike monocytes, these fibroblast cells lack the mechanism for secreting and processing of IL-1 beta.

Reaction of tobacco smoke aldehydes with human hemoglobin

Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, isobutyraldehyde, and acrolein, all of which are constituents of tobacco smoke, were reacted in 5 mM concentration with the purified major fraction of normal adult human hemoglobin (hemoglobin Ao) in 1 mM concentration. A cigarette smoke condensate, diluted to contain 5 mM total aldehydes, was also reacted with 1 mM hemoglobin Ao. Cationic exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that the products formed from simple aliphatic aldehydes, with the exception of formaldehyde, were analogues of those formed from acetaldehyde, earlier shown by us to be imidazolidinone derivatives, that is, cyclic addition products of the N-terminal aminoamide function of alpha and beta chains. Formaldehyde and acrolein produced a heterogeneous mixture of derivatives including cross-linked hemoglobin dimers. The greater proportion of modified hemoglobins produced by condensate aldehydes resembled those formed from acetaldehyde, the most abundant aldehyde in the condensate. A smaller fraction consisted of cross-linked hemoglobin dimers, presumably due to the action of formaldehyde. Mass spectrometric and HPLC analyses of the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones precipitated from the condensate documented the presence of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, furfural, and methylfurfural. The toxicity of aldehydes is briefly discussed in the context of the findings of this study.

The role of topogenic sequences in the movement of proteins through membranes

Recent advances have led to considerable convergence in ideas of the way topogenic sequences act to translocate proteins across various intracellular membranes (Table 2). Whereas co-translational translocation and processing were previously considered the norm at the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, several instances of post-translational translocation into endoplasmic reticulum microsomes in vitro have now been described. However, it must be noted that post-translational translocation in vitro is much less efficient than when endoplasmic reticulum membranes are present during translation, and it is possible that in the intact cell translocation occurs during translation. Movement of proteins into chloroplasts and mitochondria occurs after translation. When translocation is post-translational, proteins may perhaps traverse the membrane as folded domains, and the conformational effects of topogenic sequences on these domains may be as envisaged in Wickner's 'membrane-trigger hypothesis'. Both signal and transit sequences possess amphipathic structures which are capable of interacting with phospholipid bilayers, and these interactions may disturb the bilayer sufficiently to allow entry of the following domains of protein. There is increasing evidence that GTP is required to bind ribosomes and their associated nascent chains to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Precisely how the cell's energy is applied to achieve translocation is not clear, but one possibility at the endoplasmic reticulum is that a GTP-hydrolysing transducing mechanism may exist to couple signal sequence receptor binding to movement of the nascent chain across the membrane. Electrochemical gradients are required for protein movement to the mitochondrial inner membrane and across the bacterial inner membrane. Cytoplasmic factors such as SRP, the secA gene product or a 40 kDa protein (for mitochondrial precursors) may act by binding to topogenic sequences and preventing precursor proteins as they are translated from folding into forms which cannot be translocated. Specificity in the cell may be achieved both by targetting interactions between these cytoplasmic factors and their receptors located in target membranes, and also by specific binding of the topogenic sequences to specific proteins integrated into the target membranes. Possible candidates for the latter are the protein of microsomal membranes that reacts with a photoreactive signal peptide to give a 45 kDa complex (Fig. 1), the secY gene product of the bacterial inner membrane, and receptors on the outer membranes of chloroplasts and mitochondria. Whether these aid translocation as well as recognition is not clear.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)