Identification and structure of the nerve growth factor binding site on TrkA.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is involved in the development and maintenance of the nervous system and has been implicated as a possible therapeutic target molecule in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease. NGF binds with high affinity to the extracellular region of a tyrosine kinase receptor, TrkA, which comprises three leucine-rich motifs (LRMs), flanked by two cysteine-rich clusters, followed by two immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) domains. We have expressed the second Ig-like domain as a recombinant protein in E. coli and demonstrate that NGF binds to this domain with similar affinity to the native receptor. This domain (TrkAIg(2)) has the ability to sequester NGF in vitro, preventing NGF-induced neurite outgrowth, and in vivo, inhibiting NGF-induced plasma extravasation. We also present the three-dimensional structure of the TrkAIg(2) domain in a new crystal form, refined to 2.0 A resolution.

gamma-Interferon decreases the level of 26 S proteasomes and changes the pattern of phosphorylation.

In mammalian cells proteasomes can be activated by two different types of regulatory complexes which bind to the ends of the proteasome cylinder. Addition of two 19 S (PA700; ATPase) complexes forms the 26 S proteasome, which is responsible for ATP-dependent non-lysosomal degradation of intracellular proteins, whereas 11 S complexes (PA28; REG) have been implicated in antigen processing. The PA28 complex is upregulated in response to gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) as are three non-essential subunits of the 20 S proteasome. In the present study we have investigated the effects of gamma-IFN on the level of different proteasome complexes and on the phosphorylation of proteasome subunits. After treatment of cells with gamma-IFN, the level of 26 S proteasomes decreased and there was a concomitant increase in PA28-proteasome complexes. However, no free 19 S regulatory complexes were detected. The majority of the gamma-IFN-inducible proteasome subunits LMP2 and LMP7 were present in PA28-proteasome complexes, but these subunits were also found in 26 S proteasomes. The level of phosphorylation of both 20 S and 26 S proteasome subunits was found to decrease after gamma-IFN treatment of cells. The C8 alpha subunit showed more than a 50% decrease in phosphorylation, and the phosphorylation of C9 was only barely detectable after gamma-IFN treatment. These results suggest that association of regulatory components to 20 S proteasomes is regulated, and that phosphorylation of proteasome alpha subunits may be one mode of regulation.

Association of immunoproteasomes with the endoplasmic reticulum.

Proteasomes are complex multisubunit proteases which play a critical role in intracellular proteolysis. Immunoproteasomes, which contain three gamma-interferon-inducible subunits, are a subset of proteasomes which have a specialized function in antigen processing for presentation by the MHC class I pathway. Two of the gamma-interferon inducible subunits, LMP2 and LMP7, are encoded within the MHC class II region adjacent to the two TAP (transporter associated with antigen presentation) genes. We have investigated the localization of immunoproteasomes using monoclonal antibodies to LMP2 and LMP7. Immunoproteasomes were strongly enriched around the endoplasmic reticulum as judged by double-immunofluorescence experiments with anti-calreticulin antibodies, but were also present in the nucleus and throughout the cytosol. In contrast, proteasome subunit C2, which is present in all proteasomes, was found to be evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm and in the nucleus, as was the delta subunit, which is replaced by LMP2 in immunoproteasomes. gamma-Interferon increased the level of immunoproteasomes, but had no effect on their distribution. Our results provide the first direct evidence that immunoproteasomes are strongly enriched at the endoplasmic reticulum, where they may be located close to the TAP transporter to provide efficient transport of peptides into the lumen of the endoplasmic recticulum for association with MHC class I molecules.

Characterization of peptidyl boronic acid inhibitors of mammalian 20 S and 26 S proteasomes and their inhibition of proteasomes in cultured cells.

Proteasomes are large multisubunit proteinases which have several distinct catalytic sites. In this study a series of di- and tri-peptidyl boronic acids have been tested on the chymotrypsin-like activity of purified mammalian 20 S and 26 S proteasomes assayed with succinyl-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-amidomethylcoumarin (suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC) as substrate. The inhibition of 20 S proteasomes is competitive but only slowly reversible. The K(i) values for the best inhibitors were in the range 10-100 nM with suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC as substrate, but the compounds tested were much less effective on other proteasome activities measured with other substrates. Free boronic acid inhibitors exhibited equivalent potency to their pinacol esters. Both benzoyl (Bz)-Phe-boroLeu and benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz)-Leu-Leu-boroLeu pinacol ester inhibited 20 S and 26 S proteasomes with non-ideal behaviour, differences in inhibition of the two forms of proteasomes becoming apparent at high inhibitor concentrations (above 3xK(i)). Both of these compounds were also potent inhibitors of 20 S and 26 S proteasomes in cultured cells. However, gel filtration of cell extracts prepared from cells treated with radiolabelled phenacetyl-Leu-Leu-boroLeu showed that only 20 S proteasomes were strongly labelled, demonstrating differences in the characteristics of inhibition of 20 S and 26 S proteasomes. The usefulness of peptidyl boronic acid inhibitors for investigations of proteasome-mediated protein degradation was confirmed by the observation that Bz-Phe-boroLeu and Cbz-Leu-Leu-boroLeu pinacol ester inhibited NFkappaB activation with IC(50) values comparable to their K(i) values for purified proteasomes. The latter result supports the view that the chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasomes assayed with suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-AMC is a critical one for protein degradation in cells.

Phosphorylation of proteasomes in mammalian cells.

20S proteasomes are large (700 kDa) proteinase complexes which form the central catalytic core of larger complexes (26S proteasomes or PA28-20S complexes) formed by association with regulatory particles. These larger complexes are involved in diverse regulatory processes in the cell including cyclin breakdown, proteolytic control of transcription factors and other short-lived regulatory proteins, and antigen presentation. In order to carry out these diverse functions the proteasome complexes must be held under tight regulatory control. The early recognition of potential phosphorylation sites in a number of core and regulatory subunits suggested that some control of the complexes activities may be via phosphorylation. We have investigated the role of phosphorylation in determining proteasome localization, activities and association with regulatory complexes.

Adenovirus early region 1A protein binds to mammalian SUG1-a regulatory component of the proteasome.

Adenovirus early region 1A (Ad E1A) is a multifunctional protein which is essential for adenovirus-mediated transformation and oncogenesis. Whilst E1A is generally considered to exert its influence on recipient cells through regulation of transcription it also increases the level of cellular p53 by increasing the protein half-life. With this in view, we have investigated the relationship of Ad E1A to the proteasome, which is normally responsible for degradation of p53. Here we have shown that both Ad5 and Ad12 E1A 12S and 13S proteins can be co-immunoprecipitated with proteasomes and that the larger Ad12 E1A protein binds strongly to at least three components of the 26S but not 20S proteasome. One of these interacting species has been identified as mammalian SUGI, a proteasome regulatory component which also plays a role in the cell as a mediator of transcription. In vitro assays have demonstrated a direct interaction between Ad12 E1A 13S protein and mouse SUGI. Following infection of human cells with Ad5 wt and Ad5 mutants with lesions in the E1A gene it has been shown that human SUG1 can be co-immunoprecipitated with full-length E1A and with E1A carrying a deletion in conserved region 1 which is the region considered to be responsible for increased expression of p53. We have concluded therefore that Ad EIA binds strongly to SUGI but that this interaction is not responsible for inhibition of proteasome activity. This is consistent with the observation that purified Ad12 E1A inhibits the activity of the purified 20S but not 26S proteasomes. We have also demonstrated that SUGI can be co-immunoprecipitated with SV40 T and therefore we suggest that this may represent a common interaction of transforming proteins of DNA tumour viruses.

Phosphorylation of ATPase subunits of the 26S proteasome.

The 26S proteasome complex plays a major role in the non-lysosomal degradation of intracellular proteins. Purified 26S proteasomes give a pattern of more than 40 spots on 2D-PAGE gels. The positions of subunits have been identified by mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides and by immunoblotting with subunit-specific antipeptide antibodies. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteasomes immunoprecipitated from [32P]phosphate-labelled human embryo lung L-132 cells revealed the presence of at least three major phosphorylated polypeptides among the regulatory subunits as well as the C8 and C9 components of the core 20S proteasome. Comparison with the positions of the regulatory polypeptides revealed a minor phosphorylated form to be S7 (MSS1). Antibodies against S4, S6 (TBP7) and S12 (MOV34) all cross-reacted at the position of major phosphorylated polypeptides suggesting that several of the ATPase subunits may be phosphorylated. The phosphorylation of S4 was confirmed by double immunoprecipitation experiments in which 26S proteasomes were immunoprecipitated as above and dissociated and then S4 was immunoprecipitated with subunit-specific antibodies. Antibodies against the non-ATPase subunit S10, which has been suggested by others to be phosphorylated, did not coincide with the position of a phosphorylated polypeptide. Some differences were observed in the 2D-PAGE pattern of proteasomes immunoprecipitated from cultured cells compared to purified rat liver 26S proteasomes suggesting possible differences in subunit compositions of 26S proteasomes.

Proteasome activities decrease during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of thymocytes.

The induction of apoptosis in thymocytes by the glucocorticoid dexamethasone was used as a model system to investigate whether there are changes in 20 S and 26 S proteasome activities during apoptosis. We observed that thymocytes contain high concentrations of proteasomes and that following treatment with dexamethasone, cell extracts showed a decrease in proteasome chymotrypsin-like activity which correlated with the degree of apoptosis observed. The decrease in chymotrypsin-like activity of 20 S and 26S proteasomes was still apparent after these complexes had been partially purified from apoptotic thymocyte extracts and was therefore not due to competition resulting from a general increase in protein turnover. The trypsin-like and peptidylglutamylpeptide hydrolase activities of proteasome complexes were also observed to decrease during apoptosis, but these decreases were reversed by the inhibition of apoptosis by the caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone. However, the chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasomes decreased further in the presence of the apoptosis inhibitor. Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone was found to inhibit the chymotrypsin- and trypsin-like activity of 26 S proteasomes in vitro. The decrease in proteasome activities in apoptosis did not appear to be due to a decrease in the concentration of total cellular proteasomes. Thus, the early decreases in 20 S and 26 S proteasome activities during apoptosis appear to be due to a down-regulation of their proteolytic activities and not to a decrease in their protein concentration. These data suggest that proteasomes may be responsible, in thymocytes, for the turnover of a protein that functions as a positive regulator of apoptosis.

Regulation of proteasome structure and function.

Proteasomes are cylindrical particles made up of a stack of four heptameric rings. In animal cells the outer rings are made up of 7 different types of alpha subunits and the inner rings are composed of 7 out of 10 possible different beta subunits. Regulatory complexes can bind to the ends of the cylinder. We have investigated aspects of the assembly, activity and subunit composition of core proteasome particles and 26S proteasomes, the localization of proteasome subpopulations, and the possible role of phosphorylation in determining proteasome localization, activities and association with regulatory components.

Phosphorylation of proteasomes in mammalian cells. Identification of two phosphorylated subunits and the effect of phosphorylation on activity.

The proteasome, a multimeric protease, plays an important role in nonlysosomal pathways of intracellular protein degradation. This study was undertaken to determine which subunits of mammalian proteasomes are phosphorylated and to investigate the possible role of phosphorylation in regulating proteasome activity and the association with regulatory components. Rat-1 fibroblasts were grown in the presence of [32P]phosphate and proteasomes were immunoprecipitated from cell lysates with proteasome-specific polyclonal antibodies. Subsequent analysis by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed two radiolabeled proteasome subunits which were identified using monoclonal antibodies as C8 and C9. Treatment of human embryonic lung cells (L-132), under identical conditions, also showed the same two phosphorylated subunits. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed phosphoserine to be present in both C8 and C9. Examination of the sequence of C9 showed a potential cGMP-dependent phosphorylation site (-Arg3-Arg-Tyr-Asp-Ser-Arg8-), whilst C8 contains several potential casein kinase II phosphorylation sites. Following immunoprecipitation by a monoclonal antibody and dephosphorylation by acid phosphatase, proteasomes were observed to have significantly lower activities when compared to phosphorylated proteasomes, implying that phosphorylation may be an important mechanism of regulating proteasome function. Free proteasomes were separated by gel-filtration from those complexed with regulatory complexes to form the 26S proteinase. The ratio of phosphorylation of C8 and C9 was found to be very similar in the two complexes but the level of phosphorylation was higher in the 26S proteinase than in free proteasomes.

Catalytic components of proteasomes and the regulation of proteinase activity.

The proteasome (multicatalytic proteinase complex) is a large multimeric complex which is found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. It plays a major role in both ubiquitin-dependent and ubiquitin-independent nonlysosomal pathways of protein degradation. Proteasome subunits are encoded by members of the same gene family and can be divided into two groups based on their similarity to the alpha and beta subunits of the simpler proteasome isolated from Thermoplasma acidophilum. Proteasomes have a cylindrical structure composed of four rings of seven subunits. The 26S form of the proteasome, which is responsible for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis, contains additional regulatory complexes. Eukaryotic proteasomes have multiple catalytic activities which are catalysed at distinct sites. Since proteasomes are unrelated to other known proteases, there are no clues as to which are the catalytic components from sequence alignments. It has been assumed from studies with yeast mutants that beta-type subunits play a catalytic role. Using a radiolabelled peptidyl chloromethane inhibitor of rat liver proteasomes we have directly identified RC7 as a catalytic component. Interestingly, mutants in Pre1, the yeast homologue of RC7, have already been reported to have defective chymotrypsin-like activity. These results taken together confirm a direct catalytic role for these beta-type subunits. Proteasome activities are sensitive to conformational changes and there are several ways in which proteasome function may be modulated in vivo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Proteasomes: the changing face of proteolysis.

The proteasome, the multimeric, multicatalytic complex that is responsible for much of the proteolysis within cells, catalyzes several different types of peptide cleavage. Recently, it has been found to increase its repertoire of catalytic activities even further, by varying its catalytic subunits and by associating with regulatory complexes.

Dioxin-receptor ligands in urban air and vehicle exhaust.

The ability of extracts of urban air and vehicle exhaust particulates to bind to the dioxin receptor has been determined. It was shown that such extracts do contain significant amounts of dioxin-receptor binding activity. The level of dioxin-receptor binding found in ambient air reflects its pollution level as determined by mutagenic activity. Furthermore, it was shown that the extracts of both urban air and vehicle exhaust particulates could provoke the induction of cytochrome P450IA1 in cultured rat hepatoma cells. Chemical fractionation of the extracts revealed that the majority of the dioxin-receptor binding activity from urban air and gasoline vehicle samples fractionated with the polycyclic aromatic compounds. However, unknown polycyclic aromatic compounds were responsible for the majority of the binding activity measured. In the case of diesel vehicle exhausts, the majority of the dioxin-receptor binding activity was found to be associated with nitro-polycyclic aromatic compounds. Studies with a variety of diesel fuels showed that the amount of dioxin-receptor ligands present in exhaust emissions are fuel-dependent and that substantial amounts of dioxin-receptor ligands are present in the semivolatile phase of exhaust emissions.

Changes in proteasome localization during the cell cycle.

We have investigated proteasome localization in synchronized cells using polyclonal anti-proteasome antibodies. Proteasomes were localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm at all phases of the cycle, but changes in localization were observed which explain the different immunofluorescence patterns found in asynchronous cells. In the nucleus, the intensity of staining in early S phase was low and showed a punctate distribution which changed to a more diffuse and intense labeling during S to G1. In the cytoplasm, proteasomes were concentrated in the perinuclear region at G1 and at the start of S phase and gradually moved towards the periphery of the cell as the cell cycle progressed to G2. No cell cycle-dependent changes were detected in the rate of synthesis or level of proteasomes. An apparent colocalization of proteasomes with elements of the cytoskeleton mainly observed in G2 was investigated further in PtK2 cells. The overall distribution of proteasomes and cell cycle-dependent changes in PtK2 cells were similar to those in L-132 cells. Double-label immunofluorescence studies using anti-proteasome and anti-cytokeratin (TROMA-1) antibodies showed that proteasomes do colocalize with intermediate filaments of the cytokeratin type, mainly during G2. In mitosis, proteasomes were found by immunogold electron microscopy to be localized around the chromosomes in both PtK2 and L-132 cells. Cell cycle-dependent changes in the localization of proteasomes suggest that they may have a regulatory function related to the cell cycle, for example, in the degradation of proteins which control its progression.

Purification of the DNA binding form of dioxin receptor. Role of the Arnt cofactor in regulation of dioxin receptor function.

The basic region/helix-loop-helix dioxin receptor mediates signal transduction by dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin). Upon ligand binding the dioxin receptor is converted from a latent, non-DNA binding form to a form that directly interacts with target genes by binding to dioxin-responsive transcriptional control elements. We have purified by conventional and DNA affinity chromatographic procedures the ligand-activated, DNA binding form of dioxin receptor to examine its architecture and functional properties. We observed that the DNA binding activity of the receptor was labile. Most notably, this activity was lost following DNA affinity purification. In complementation experiments we have identified an auxiliary factor(s) that exhibited very poor, if any, intrinsic affinity for the DNA target sequence in vitro but strongly increased the DNA binding activity of the purified receptor-containing material identified by immunoblot analysis. In a similar fashion the in vitro expressed basic region/helix-loop-helix factor Arnt (that has been postulated to modulate the nuclear translocation function of the receptor) reconstituted the DNA binding function of the purified receptor, and the purified auxiliary factor reconstituted receptor activity upon addition to an extract from mutant, Arnt-deficient hepatoma cells. Conversely, purified dioxin receptor reconstituted DNA binding activity in extracts from receptor-deficient hepatoma cells which express bona fide levels of Arnt. Interestingly, UV cross-linking studies using a BrdU-substituted DNA target sequence indicated that primarily the receptor protein was bound to DNA. Moreover, we demonstrate that purified receptor or Arnt exhibited virtually no detectable affinity for the target sequence individually but, in the presence of one another, showed a strong synergy in DNA binding activity in vitro. Importantly, simultaneous expression of the receptor and Arnt resulted in synergistic induction of gene expression in vivo. These data demonstrate that Arnt plays a central role in control of dioxin receptor function by cooperatively modulating the DNA binding activity of the receptor in vitro and dioxin-dependent transactivation in vivo.

In vitro activation of the dioxin receptor to a DNA-binding form by food-borne heterocyclic amines.

The carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, which are formed upon cooking of protein-rich food, are activated in the body mainly by cytochrome P450 IA1 and IA2. Several of these co-called food mutagens have, by enzymatic and immunoblotting techniques, been shown to be weak inducers of cytochrome P450 IA in the rat. To elucidate whether this induction occurs via the dioxin receptor, the capacity of the heterocyclic amines to activate in vitro the dioxin receptor to a DNA-binding form was determined. The activation of the receptor in Hepa cell cytosol was analyzed with a gel-retardation assay using a [32P]3'-end-labeled synthetic oligonucleotide, corresponding to nucleotides -1026 to -999 of the rat cytochrome P450 IA1 gene (XRE1), as probe. Five out of 14 heterocyclic amines had the ability to induce specific DNA-binding activity in the Hepa cell cytosol in a dose-dependent manner. The concentrations eliciting 50% of the maximal effect (EC50) were found to be between 30 and 135 microM. Thus, in comparison to high-affinity ligands such as benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P; EC50 11.2 nM), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-1,6-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; EC50 1.9 nM), the activating capacity of the heterocyclic amines is low. Binding to the dioxin receptor has been shown to be dependent on the three-dimensional size of a molecule in relation to a 6.8 x 13.7 A rectangle. The relatively low EC50 values found for the heterocyclic amines might be explained by the smaller size of these molecules when compared to that of B[a]P and TCDD.

Dual roles of the 90-kDa heat shock protein hsp90 in modulating functional activities of the dioxin receptor. Evidence that the dioxin receptor functionally belongs to a subclass of nuclear receptors which require hsp90 both for ligand binding activity and repression of intrinsic DNA binding activity.

Signal transduction by dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin) is mediated by the intracellular dioxin receptor which, in its dioxin-activated state, regulates transcription of target genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P-450IA1 and glutathione S-transferase Ya. Upon binding of dioxin the receptor translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in vivo and is converted from a latent non-DNA binding form to a species which binds to dioxin-responsive positive control elements in vitro. The latent receptor form is associated with an inhibitory protein (the 90-kDa heat shock protein, hsp90), the release of which is necessary to unmask the DNA binding activity of the receptor. Here we have established a protocol to disrupt the hsp90-receptor complex in the absence of ligand. We show that it was possible to covalently cross-link with dioxin only the hsp90-associated form of dioxin receptor. In contrast, the disrupted hsp90-free form of receptor did not form a stable complex with dioxin but bound DNA constitutively. Moreover, we could partially reconstitute the ligand binding activity of the salt-disrupted hsp90-free dioxin receptor by incubation with hsp90-containing reticulocyte lysate but not by incubation with wheat germ lysate which lacks immuno-detectable levels of hsp90. Thus, we demonstrate that the dioxin receptor loses its high affinity ligand binding activity following release of hsp90 and that it is possible to reverse this process. In conclusion, hsp90 appears to play dual roles in the modulation of functional activities of the dioxin receptor: (i) it represses the intrinsic DNA binding activity of the receptor and (ii) it appears to determine the ability of the receptor to assume and/or maintain a ligand binding conformation.

Inhibition of the specific DNA binding activity of the dioxin receptor by phosphatase treatment.

The dioxin receptor stimulates transcription of the cytochrome P-450IA1 gene in response to dioxin. Exposure of the intracellular dioxin receptor to dioxin leads to a rapid conversion of the receptor from a latent form to a DNA binding species which specifically recognizes dioxin-responsive positive control elements in vitro. In this report, we show that treatment of in vivo or in vitro ligand-activated receptor with potato acid phosphatase significantly reduced or abolished its specific DNA binding activity. This effect was inhibited in the presence of sodium phosphate. In control experiments, the ligand-activated glucocorticoid receptor was not inactivated by phosphatase treatment. Moreover, phosphatase treatment did not induce any detectable degradation of covalently labeled dioxin receptor, arguing against protease contamination as a cause for receptor inactivation. Finally, phosphatase-inactivated dioxin receptor exhibited bona fide levels of ligand binding activity. Taken together, these data suggest that phosphorylation may regulate the DNA binding activity of the ligand-occupied dioxin receptor.

Activation of the dioxin and glucocorticoid receptors to a DNA binding state under cell-free conditions.

The activation in vitro of dioxin and glucocorticoid receptors from a non-DNA binding to a DNA binding state was characterized. Ligand-free dioxin and glucocorticoid receptors were partially co-purified from rat liver cytosol, and both receptors sedimented at 9 S following labeling with the respective ligand. The 9 S forms of the dioxin and glucocorticoid receptors have previously been shown to represent heteromeric complexes containing the Mr approximately equal to 90,000 heat shock protein. The 9 S ligand-free or ligand-bound glucocorticoid receptor was converted to the monomeric 4-5 S form upon exposure to 0.4 M NaCl even in the presence of the stabilizing agent molybdate. Under identical conditions, the 9 S ligand-free and ligand-bound dioxin receptor forms remained essentially intact. However, in the absence of molybdate, the dioxin receptor could be converted to a 4-5 S form upon exposure to high concentrations of salt. These results indicate that the glucocorticoid receptor readily dissociates from the 9 S to the 4-5 S form even in the absence of hormone, whereas both the ligand-free and ligand-occupied 9 S dioxin receptor forms represent more stable species. Gel mobility shift experiments revealed that the 4-5 S glucocorticoid receptor interacted with a glucocorticoid response element both in the absence and presence of ligand. On the other hand, occupation of the dioxin receptor by ligand greatly enhanced the ability of the receptor to be activated to a form that binds to its target enhancer element. Once dissociated, the monomeric form of the dioxin receptor was also able to interact with its DNA target sequences even in the absence of ligand. Thus, ligand binding efficiently facilitates subunit dissociation of the dioxin receptor but is not a prerequisite for DNA binding per se. Given the apparent stability of its non-DNA binding 9 S form, the dioxin receptor system might be a useful model for the investigation of the mechanism of activation of soluble receptor proteins.

The dioxin receptor: a comparison with the glucocorticoid receptor.

The physico-chemical properties of the dioxin and glucocorticoid receptors from rat liver and wild-type and mutant cell lines were investigated and compared. In rat liver, the receptors are virtually indistinguishable. Both are highly asymmetrical proteins with axial ratios of 12-15, have Stokes radii of 6 nm and sedimentation coefficients of approximately 4 S. This results in a calculated apparent mol. wt of approximately 100,000. The dioxin receptor from the mouse hepatoma cell line Hepa 1c1c7 represents an atypical form of the dioxin receptor with a pronounced tendency to aggregate to form Mr approximately equal to 300,000 complexes in high ionic strength and in the absence of sodium molybdate. In the presence of sulphydryl reducing agents, however, the Hepa 1c1c7 dioxin receptor dissociates to an Mr approximately 100,000 species. In analogy to the nt- mutant glucocorticoid receptor in mouse lymphoma cells, there is no gross change in the structure of the nt- dioxin mutant in mouse hepatoma cells compared with the wild-type receptor. The nt- dioxin receptor does, however, have a reduced affinity for DNA.