Molecular biology of the human enolase gene family: nerve (gamma), muscle (beta) and general (alpha) isoforms

Induction of Reversible Cysteine-Targeted Protein Oxidation by an Endogenous Electrophile 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2

We have previously shown that a prostaglandin D(2) metabolite, 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ(2)), is the potent inducer of intracellular oxidative stress on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells [Kondo, M., Oya-Ito, T., Kumagai, T., Osawa, T., and Uchida, K. (2001) Cyclopentenone prostaglandins as potential inducers of intracellular oxidative stress. J. Biol. Chem. 276, 12076-12083.]. In the present study, to investigate the correlation between the redox regulation and the 15d-PGJ(2)-induced oxidative stress and to establish the cellular mechanism for protection against the endogenous electrophile, we analyzed S-oxidized proteins using biotinylated cysteine as a molecular probe. In addition, the reversible regulation of protein function by S-oxidation/thiolation was characterized in vitro. When human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to 15d-PGJ(2), followed by treatment with biotinylated cysteine, 26 proteins, including glycolytic enzymes, cytoskeletal proteins, redox enzymes, and stress proteins, were identified as substrates for reversible cysteine-targeted oxidation. To investigate the regulatory mechanism of protein function by S-oxidation/thiolation, the binding of a low molecular weight thiol (glutathione) to a glycolytic enzyme alpha-enolase was characterized. Treatment of alpha-enolase with the thiol oxidant diamide in the presence of glutathione in vitro resulted in the binding of glutathione to the protein and concomitant loss of the enzymatic activity, whereas the glutathiolation and inactivation of alpha-enolase were fully reversed by dithiothreitol. Mass spectrometric analysis of the tryptic fragments from native and oxidized alpha-enolase identified two cysteine residues, Cys-118 and Cys-388, as the S-oxidation sites, which may play a role in the regulation of the biological activities of the protein and may be regulated by a reversible S-oxidation/thiolation reaction. These results suggest that cysteine-targeted oxidation/thiolation plays a critical role in the regulation of protein function under conditions of electrophile-induced oxidative stress.

Association of antiretinal antibodies and cystoid macular edema in patients with retinitis pigmentosa

PURPOSE

To report the association of antiretinal antibodies in patients with bilateral cystoid macular edema and retinitis pigmentosa.

METHODS

In a prospective study, 30 consecutive patients with bilateral cystoid macular edema and retinitis pigmentosa were tested for antiretinal antibodies. As control subjects, 30 consecutive patients with retinitis pigmentosa who did not have cystoid macular edema and 50 normal subjects without retinitis pigmentosa or cystoid macular edema were tested for antiretinal antibodies. Laboratory personnel performing the antiretinal antibody testing were masked regarding the diagnosis of each patient.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven (90%) of 30 patients with retinitis pigmentosa with cystoid macular edema had antiretinal protein antibody activity, compared with three (6%) of 50 normal controls (P < .001) and only four (13%) of 30 control patients with retinitis pigmentosa (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a significant association between cystoid macular edema and the presence of circulating antiretinal antibodies in patients who presented with retinitis pigmentosa and cystoid macular edema. This study suggests that patients with retinitis pigmentosa with cystoid macular edema may have an autoimmune process that is contributing to the formation of cystoid macular edema in retinitis pigmentosa, but to date, there is no direct evidence that the cystoid macular edema is caused by the antiretinal antibodies.

Non-neuronal enolase is an endothelial hypoxic stress protein

The hypoxia-associated proteins (HAPs) are five cell-associated stress proteins (M(r) 34, 36, 39, 47, and 57) up-regulated in cultured vascular endothelial cells (EC) exposed to hypoxia. While hypoxic exposure of other cell types induces heat shock and glucose-regulated proteins, EC preferentially up-regulate HAPs. In order to identify the 47-kDa HAP, protein from hypoxic bovine EC lysates was isolated, digested with trypsin, and sequenced. Significant identity was found with enolase, a glycolytic enzyme. Western analyses confirmed that non-neuronal enolase (NNE) is up-regulated in hypoxic EC. Western analysis of subcellular fractions localized NNE primarily to the cytoplasm and confirmed that it was up-regulated 2.3-fold by hypoxia. Interestingly, NNE also appeared in the nuclear fraction of EC but was unchanged by hypoxia. Northern analyses revealed that NNE mRNA hypoxic up-regulation began at 1-2 h, peaked at 18 h, persisted for 48 h, and returned to base line after return to 21% O2 for 24 h. Hypoxia maximally up-regulated NNE mRNA levels 3.4-fold. While hypoxic up-regulation of NNE may have a protective effect by augmenting anaerobic metabolism, we speculate that enolase may contribute to EC hypoxia tolerance through one or more of its nonglycolytic functions.

Genomic organization of a mouse glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (Gapd-s) expressed in post-meiotic spermatogenic cells

The Gapd-s gene encodes an isoform of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme expressed only in post-meiotic spermatogenic cells. Two clones containing the Gapd-s gene were isolated from a mouse genomic library. Sequencing and restriction enzyme analysis demonstrated that this single-copy gene contains 11 exons and spans 9596 base pairs. The locations of Gapd-s exons and introns are conserved when compared to the corresponding portions of the chicken and human somatic Gapd genes. The promoter region contains no TATA box, although there is a potential SP1 recognition site within exon 1. Like other TATA-less genes, primer extension analysis reveals some heterogeneity in the site of transcription initiation with Gapd-s transcripts initiating from three discrete sites. Northern analysis demonstrated that a 1.5-kb Gapd-s mRNA is expressed in the testis in at least three mammalian orders, indicating that the Gapd-s gene appeared early in mammalian evolution. Using GAPD-deficient bacteria, mouse GAPD-S was shown to be capable of functioning as a glycolytic enzyme. Since GAPD has been proposed to be a key enzyme regulating glycolysis in spermatogenic cells, GAPD-S may represent a potential target for toxicological or contraceptive agents affecting fertility by interfering with glycolysis.

Molecular structure of the human muscle-specific enolase gene (ENO3)

The single human gene for muscle-specific enolase was isolated and its structure was characterized, from which the mature mRNA transcript and encoded protein were also deduced. The gene contains 12 exons, spans approx. 6 kb and encodes a protein of 433 residues. The gene structure is similar to that found for the rat neuron-specific enolase gene, and the deduced protein aligns precisely with other enolase sequences, including the sequence of the only published crystallized enolase, yeast eno-1. The 5' boundary of the gene includes a 5' non-coding exon and is characterized by an upstream TATA-like box and CpG-rich region. This region contains potential recognition motifs for general transcriptional regulation involving Sp1, activator protein 1 and 2, CCAAT box transcription factor/nuclear factor I and cyclic AMP, and for muscle-specific transcriptional regulation involving a CC(A + T-rich)6GG box, M-CAT-box CAATCCT and two myocyte-specific enhancer-binding factor 1 boxes.