The balance between GMD and OFUT1 regulates Notch signaling pathway activity by modulating Notch stability

The Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in development and physiology. In Drosophila, Notch is activated by its Delta or Serrate ligands, depending in part on the sugar modifications present in its extracellular domain. O-fucosyltransferase-1 (OFUT1) performs the first glycosylation step in this process, O-fucosylating various EGF repeats at the Notch extracellular domain. Besides its O-fucosyltransferase activity, OFUT1 also behaves as a chaperone during Notch synthesis and is able to down regulate Notch by enhancing its endocytosis and degradation. We have reevaluated the roles that O-fucosylation and the synthesis of GDP-fucose play in the regulation of Notch protein stability. Using mutants and the UAS/Gal4 system, we modified in developing tissues the amount of GDP-mannose-deshydratase (GMD), the first enzyme in the synthesis of GDP-fucose. Our results show that GMD activity, and likely the levels of GDP-fucose and O-fucosylation, are essential to stabilize the Notch protein. Notch degradation observed under low GMD expression is absolutely dependent on OFUT1 and this is also observed in Notch Abruptex mutants, which have mutations in some potential O-fucosylated EGF domains. We propose that the GDP-fucose/OFUT1 balance determines the ability of OFUT1 to endocytose and degrade Notch in a manner that is independent of the residues affected by Abruptex mutations in Notch EGF domains.

Mutational analysis for enzyme activity of mouse Gal1,3GalNAc 2,3-sialyltransferase (mST3Gal I).

To determine which amino acid residues are essential for the catalytic activity of mouse Gal1,3GalNAc 2,3-sialyltransferase (mST3Gal I), chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis were employed against tryptophan and cysteine residues located in the predicted catalytic domain. This enzyme was strongly inhibited by N-bromosuccinimide, a specific blocking reagent for tryptophan residues, and the enzyme activity was completely lost at 3 mM, suggesting the involvement of tryptophan residues in the catalytic activity of mST3Gal I. The N-ethylmaleimide, an irreversible reagent for sulfhydryl group, significantly inhibited the enzyme activity. Seven tryptophan and six cysteine residues conserved in the cloned Gal1,3GalNAc 2,3-sialyltransferases were separately substituted into phenylalanine and serine, respectively. The enzymatic activity assay for tryptophan mutants produced in COS cells showed a complete abolishment of the activity in all of the mutants, except that W70F and W97F retained about 60% and 40% activities of wild type, respectively. In the case of cysteine mutants, no enzyme activity was observed like tryptophan mutants, except for C139S. These results suggest that tryptophan and cysteine residues conserved in ST3Gal I are critical for its activity.

Interaction of nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin with wild type and mutated quinolone-resistance-determining region of DNA gyrase A.

The quinolones exert their anti-bacterial activity by binding to DNA gyrase A (GyrA), an essential enzyme in maintenance of DNA topology within bacterial cell. The mutations conferring resistance to quinolones arise within the quinolone-resistance-determining region (QRDR) of GyrA. Therefore, quinolones interaction with wild and mutated GyrA can provide the molecular explanation for resistance. Resistant strains of Salmonella enterica of our hospital have shown mutations in the QRDR of GyrA of serine 83 (to phenylalanine or tyrosine) or aspartic acid 87 (to glycine or tyrosine). In order to understand the association between observed resistance and structural alterations of GyrA with respect to quinolone binding, we have studied the interaction of mutated QRDR of GyrA with nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin by molecular modeling using GLIDE v4. Analysis of interaction parameters like G-score has revealed reduced interaction between nalidixic acid/ciprofloxacin with QRDR of GyrA in all four mutated cases of resistant strains. The mutation of Ser83 to Phe or Tyr shows least binding for nalidixic acid, while Asp87 to Gly or Tyr exhibits minimal binding for ciprofloxacin. The study also highlights the important role of arginines at 21, 91 and His at 45, which form strong hydrogen bonds (at < 3 Å) with quinolones. The hydrophilic OH group of Serine 83, which is in close proximity to the quinolone binding site is replaced by aromatic moieties of Tyr or Phe in mutated GyrA. This replacement leads to steric hindrance for quinolone binding. Therefore, quinolone resistance developed by Salmonella appears to be due to the decreased selectivity and affinity of nalidixic acid/ciprofloxacin to QRDR of GyrA.

CD98 activation increases surface expression and clusteringof beta 1 integrins in MCF-7 cells through FAK/Src- and cytoskeleton-independent mechanisms

CD98, a disulfide-linked 125-kDa heterodimeric type II transmembrane glycoprotein, regulates beta 1 integrin- mediated cell adhesion. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CD98-mediated activation of beta 1 integrin are presently unclear. In this study, the effects of CD98 signaling on the expression and clustering of beta 1 integrin were investigated. Activation of CD98 augmented surface expression of beta 1 integrin on MCF-7 cells. Cross-linking CD98 induced clustering of beta 1 integrins. Inhibition of phosphorylation of focal adhesion kimase (FAK) by PP2, an inhibitor of Src family kinase, reduced cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, but not surface expression and clustering of beta1 integrin on MCF-7 cells. This result was confirmed by over-expression of dominant negative forms of FAK. In addition, phalloidin or cytochalasin D inhibited CD98-mediated induction of cell-ECM adhesion, but not surface expression and clustering of b1 integrins. The inhibitory effects of PP2, cytochalasin D or phalloidin on CD98-stimulated cell adhesion were diminished by pretreatment of cells with Mn2+, which is shown to induce conformational change of integrins. These results provide the first evidence that CD98 activation increases not only beta1 integrin affinity but also its surface expression and clustering and the latter is independent of FAK/Src and cytoskeleton.

Aspectos etiopatogênicos da Doença de Huntington / Etiopathogenic aspects of Huntington's disease

A doença de Huntington (DH) é um distúrbio hereditário autossômico dominante, que está relacionado à expansão das repetições de CAG (citosina-adenina-guanina) no braço curto do cromossomo 4, o que leva à formação de uma proteína mutante associada, principalmente, à destruição neuronal do estriado. Manifesta-se por transtornos motores, cognitivos e neuropsicológicos, evoluindo progressivamente para estado demencial grave. A patogênese da doença ainda apresenta pontos obscuros. No entanto, recentes investigações têm possibilitado maior entendimento de sua origem e evolução, assim como de outras doenças neurodegenerativas

Huntington's disease is a hereditary autosomal dominant disorder which occurs due to the expansion of the repetitions CAG on the short arm of chromosome 4, which leads to the formation of a mutant protein itself associated principally to the destruction of neuronal of the striated tissue. It manifests through motor, cognitive and neuropsychological disorders where it evolves progressively to a serious demential state. The pathogenesis of this disease still presents obscure points although recent investigations made it possible to understand it better in its origin and evolution, the same as with other neurodegenerative diseases