A pathogenic glutamate-to-aspartate substitution (D296E) in the pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit gene PDHA1

Molecular detection and analysis of a novel metalloprotease gene of entomopathogenic Serratia marcescens strains in infected Galleria mellonella

Serratia marcescens strains isolated from entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabditis sp.) were examined for their pathogenicity and establishment in wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae. All the Serratia strains were potently pathogenic to G. mellonella larvae, leading to death within 48 h. The strains were shown to possess a metalloprotease gene encoding for a novel serralysin-like protein. Rapid establishment of the bacteria in infected larvae was confirmed by specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of a DNA fragment encoding for this protein. Detection of the viable Serratia strains in infected larvae was validated using the SYBR Green reverse transcriptase real-time PCR assay targeting the metalloprotease gene. Nucleotide sequences of the metalloprotease gene obtained in our study showed 72 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and 3 insertions compared with the metalloprotease gene of S. marcescens E-15. The metalloprotease gene had 60 synonymous and 8 nonsynonymous substitutions relative to the closest GenBank entry, S. marcescens E-15. A comparison of the amino acid composition of the new serralysin-like protein with that of the serralysin protein of S. marcescens E-15 revealed differences at 11 positions and a new aspartic acid residue. Analysis of the effect of protein variation suggests that a new aspartic acid residue resulting from nonsynonymous nucleotide mutations in the protein structure could have the most significant effect on its biological function. The new metalloprotease gene and (or) its product could have applications in plant agricultural biotechnology.

Phylogeny of bacteria isolated from Rhabditis sp. (Nematoda) and identification of novel entomopathogenic Serratia marcescens strains

Twenty-five bacterial strains isolated from entomopathogenic nematodes were characterized to the genus level by 16S rRNA phylogeny and BLAST analyses. Bacteria strains isolated could be affiliated with seven genera. Microbacterium-like isolates phylogenetically affiliated with M. oxydans while those of Serratia were highly similar to S. marcescens. 16S rRNA sequences of Bacillus isolates matched those of both B. mycoides and B. weihenstephanesis. One isolate each matched Pseudomonas mosselii, Rheinheimera aquimaris, Achromobacter marplatensis, or Staphylococcus hominis. Serratia isolates were examined further for their pathogenicity to Galleria mellonella larvae. All the Serratia isolates exhibited potent pathogenicity toward G. mellonella larvae and possessed a metalloprotease gene encoding for a novel serralysin-like protein. The nucleotide sequence of the metalloprotease gene had 60 synonymous and 8 nonsynonymous substitutions when compared to the closest genBank entry, S. marcescens E-15, with an insertion of a new aspartic acid residue. Tajima's test for equality of evolutionary rate was significant between the metalloprotease gene sequence of S. marcescens strain DOAB 216-82 (this study) and strain E-15. This new insecticidal metalloprotease gene and/or its product could have applications in agricultural biotechnology.

Estrogen modulates metabolic pathway adaptation to available glucose in breast cancer cells

Most cancers use glucose as substrate for aerobic glycolysis in preference to oxidative phosphorylation. However, variable glucose concentrations within the in-vivo tumor microenvironment may necessitate metabolic plasticity. Furthermore, little information exists on a role for estrogen receptors in modulating possible metabolic adaptations in breast cancer cells. Here we find that MCF-7 cells switch between metabolic pathways depending on glucose availability and 17β-estradiol (E(2)) potentiates adaptation. In high glucose conditions E(2) up-regulates glycolysis via enhanced AKT kinase activity and suppresses tricarboxylic acid cycle activity. After a decrease in extracellular glucose, mitochondrial pathways are activated in preference to glycolysis. In this setting, E(2) suppresses glycolysis and rescues cell viability by stimulating the tricarboxylic acid cycle via the up-regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity. E(2) also increases ATP in low glucose-cultured cells, and the novel phosphorylation of PDH by AMP kinase is required for these metabolic compensations. Capitalizing on metabolic vulnerability, knockdown of PDH in the low-glucose state strongly potentiates ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis and reverses the cell survival effects of E(2). We propose that lowering glucose substrate and inhibiting PDH may augment adjuvant therapies for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

The spectrum of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency: clinical, biochemical and genetic features in 371 patients

CONTEXT

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiency is a genetic mitochondrial disorder commonly associated with lactic acidosis, progressive neurological and neuromuscular degeneration and, usually, death during childhood. There has been no recent comprehensive analysis of the natural history and clinical course of this disease.

OBJECTIVE

We reviewed 371 cases of PDC deficiency, published between 1970 and 2010, that involved defects in subunits E1α and E1β and components E1, E2, E3 and the E3 binding protein of the complex.

DATA SOURCES AND EXTRACTION

English language peer-reviewed publications were identified, primarily by using PubMed and Google Scholar search engines.

RESULTS

Neurodevelopmental delay and hypotonia were the commonest clinical signs of PDC deficiency. Structural brain abnormalities frequently included ventriculomegaly, dysgenesis of the corpus callosum and neuroimaging findings typical of Leigh syndrome. Neither gender nor any clinical or neuroimaging feature differentiated the various biochemical etiologies of the disease. Patients who died were younger, presented clinically earlier and had higher blood lactate levels and lower residual enzyme activities than subjects who were still alive at the time of reporting. Survival bore no relationship to the underlying biochemical or genetic abnormality or to gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the clinical spectrum of PDC deficiency is broad, the dominant clinical phenotype includes presentation during the first year of life; neurological and neuromuscular degeneration; structural lesions revealed by neuroimaging; lactic acidosis and a blood lactate:pyruvate ratio ≤ 20.

The spectrum of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency: clinical, biochemical and genetic features in 371 patients

CONTEXT

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiency is a genetic mitochondrial disorder commonly associated with lactic acidosis, progressive neurological and neuromuscular degeneration and, usually, death during childhood. There has been no recent comprehensive analysis of the natural history and clinical course of this disease.

OBJECTIVE

We reviewed 371 cases of PDC deficiency, published between 1970 and 2010, that involved defects in subunits E1α and E1β and components E1, E2, E3 and the E3 binding protein of the complex.

DATA SOURCES AND EXTRACTION

English language peer-reviewed publications were identified, primarily by using PubMed and Google Scholar search engines.

RESULTS

Neurodevelopmental delay and hypotonia were the commonest clinical signs of PDC deficiency. Structural brain abnormalities frequently included ventriculomegaly, dysgenesis of the corpus callosum and neuroimaging findings typical of Leigh syndrome. Neither gender nor any clinical or neuroimaging feature differentiated the various biochemical etiologies of the disease. Patients who died were younger, presented clinically earlier and had higher blood lactate levels and lower residual enzyme activities than subjects who were still alive at the time of reporting. Survival bore no relationship to the underlying biochemical or genetic abnormality or to gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the clinical spectrum of PDC deficiency is broad, the dominant clinical phenotype includes presentation during the first year of life; neurological and neuromuscular degeneration; structural lesions revealed by neuroimaging; lactic acidosis and a blood lactate:pyruvate ratio ≤20.

Asp295 stabilizes the active-site loop structure of pyruvate dehydrogenase, facilitating phosphorylation of ser292 by pyruvate dehydrogenase-kinase

We have developed an in vitro system for detailed analysis of reversible phosphorylation of the plant mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, comprising recombinant Arabidopsis thalianaα2β2-heterotetrameric pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) plus A. thaliana E1-kinase (AtPDK). Upon addition of MgATP, Ser292, which is located within the active-site loop structure of E1α, is phosphorylated. In addition to Ser292, Asp295 and Gly297 are highly conserved in the E1α active-site loop sequences. Mutation of Asp295 to Ala, Asn, or Leu greatly reduced phosphorylation of Ser292, while mutation of Gly297 had relatively little effect. Quantitative two-hybrid analysis was used to show that mutation of Asp295 did not substantially affect binding of AtPDK to E1α. When using pyruvate as a variable substrate, the Asp295 mutant proteins had modest changes in k_cat, K_m, and k_cat/K_m values. Therefore, we propose that Asp295 plays an important role in stabilizing the active-site loop structure, facilitating transfer of the γ-phosphate from ATP to the Ser residue at regulatory site one of E1α.