Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complex-Cationic Peptide Hybrids Trigger Paraptosis in Cancer Cells via an Intracellular Ca2+ Overload from the Endoplasmic Reticulum and a Decrease in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential.

In our previous paper, we reported that amphiphilic Ir complex-peptide hybrids (IPHs) containing basic peptides such as KK(K)GG (K: lysine, G: glycine) (e.g., ASb-2) exhibited potent anticancer activity against Jurkat cells, with the dead cells showing a strong green emission. Our initial mechanistic studies of this cell death suggest that IPHs would bind to the calcium (Ca2+)-calmodulin (CaM) complex and induce an overload of intracellular Ca2+, resulting in the induction of non-apoptotic programmed cell death. In this work, we conduct a detailed mechanistic study of cell death induced by ASb-2, a typical example of IPHs, and describe how ASb-2 induces paraptotic programmed cell death in a manner similar to that of celastrol, a naturally occurring triterpenoid that is known to function as a paraptosis inducer in cancer cells. It is suggested that ASb-2 (50 µM) induces ER stress and decreases the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), thus triggering intracellular signaling pathways and resulting in cytoplasmic vacuolization in Jurkat cells (which is a typical phenomenon of paraptosis), while the change in ΔΨm values is negligibly induced by celastrol and curcumin. Other experimental data imply that both ASb-2 and celastrol induce paraptotic cell death in Jurkat cells, but this induction occurs via different signaling pathways.

Design, synthesis, and anticancer activity of iridium(III) complex-peptide hybrids that contain hydrophobic acyl groups at the N-terminus of the peptide units.

In previous work, we reported on that Ir complex-cationic peptide hybrids (IPHs) that contain three KKGG or KKKGG sequences (K: lysine, G: glycine) induce cell death in cancer cells by an intracellular Ca2+-dependent pathway and function as luminescent detectors in dead cells. To identify the target biomolecules by photoaffinity labeling, we designed and synthesized IPH that contains a photoreactive and hydrophobic 4-[3-(trifluotomethyl)-3H-diazirine-3-yl]benzoyl (TFDB) group and found that it has more potent cytotoxicity against Jurkat cells than the previously prepared compounds. Herein, we report on the preparation of some new IPHs that contain hydrophobic acyl groups at the N-terminus of the peptide portions of the molecules. Among them, an IPH containing a n-dodecanoyl group was found to have much more potent cancer cell death activity and superior selectivity for cancer cells (Jurkat cells) over normal cells. The results of mechanistic studies suggest that the cell death of Jurkat cells is induced via different pathway from that induced by the previously synthesized IPHs. The results of this study are described herein.

Design and synthesis of a luminescent iridium complex-peptide hybrid (IPH) that detects cancer cells and induces their apoptosis.

Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) triggers the cell-extrinsic apoptosis pathway by complexation with its signaling receptors such as death receptors (DR4 and DR5). TRAIL is a C3-symmetric type II transmembrane protein, consists of three monomeric units. Cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes such as fac-Ir(tpy)3 (tpy = 2-(4-tolyl)pyridine) also possess a C3-symmetric structure and are known to have excellent luminescence properties. In this study, we report on the design and synthesis of a C3-symmetric and luminescent Ir complex-peptide hybrid (IPH), which contains a cyclic peptide that had been reported to bind to death receptor (DR5). The results of MTT assay of Jurkat, K562 and Molt-4 cells with IPH and co-staining experiments with IPH and an anti-DR5 antibody indicate that IPH binds to DR5 and induces apoptosis in a manner parallel to the DR5 expression level. Mechanistic studies of cell death suggest that apoptosis and necrosis-like cell death are differentiated by the position of the hydrophilic part that connects Ir complex and the peptide units. These findings suggest that IPHs could be a promising tool for controlling apoptosis and necrosis by activation of the extra-and intracellular cell death pathway and to develop new anticancer drugs that detect cancer cells and induce their cell death.

Type IV pilin is glycosylated in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 and is required for surface motility and virulence.

Type IV pilin (PilA) is a major constituent of pilus and is required for bacterial biofilm formation, surface motility and virulence. It is known that mature PilA is produced by cleavage of the short leader sequence of the pilin precursor, followed by methylation of N-terminal phenylalanine. The molecular mass of the PilA mature protein from the tobacco bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 (Pta 6605) has been predicted to be 12 329 Da from its deduced amino acid sequence. Previously, we have detected PilA as an approximately 13-kDa protein by immunoblot analysis with anti-PilA-specific antibody. In addition, we found the putative oligosaccharide-transferase gene tfpO downstream of pilA. These findings suggest that PilA in Pta 6605 is glycosylated. The defective mutant of tfpO (ΔtfpO) shows reductions in pilin molecular mass, surface motility and virulence towards host tobacco plants. Thus, pilin glycan plays important roles in bacterial motility and virulence. The genetic region around pilA was compared among P. syringae pathovars. The tfpO gene exists in some strains of pathovars tabaci, syringae, lachrymans, mori, actinidiae, maculicola and P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi. However, some strains of pathovars tabaci, syringae, glycinea, tomato, aesculi and oryzae do not possess tfpO, and the existence of tfpO is independent of the classification of pathovars/strains in P. syringae. Interestingly, the PilA amino acid sequences in tfpO-possessing strains show higher homology with each other than with tfpO-nonpossessing strains. These results suggest that tfpO and pilA might co-evolve in certain specific bacterial strains.

Two flagellar stators and their roles in motility and virulence in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605.

The motor proteins around the flagellar basal body consist of two cytoplasmic membrane proteins, MotA and MotB, and function as a complex that acts as the stator to generate the torque that drives rotation. Genome analysis of several Pseudomonas syringae pathovars revealed that there are two sets of genes encoding motor proteins: motAB and motCD. Deduced amino acid sequences for MotA/B and MotC/D showed homologies to the H(+)-driven stator from Escherichia coli and Na(+)-driven stator from Vibrio alginolyticus, respectively. However, the swimming motility of P. syringae pv. tabaci (Pta) 6605 was inhibited by the protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone but not by the sodium stator-specific inhibitor phenamil. To identify a gene encoding the stator protein required for motility, ∆motAB, ∆motCD, and ∆motABCD mutants were generated. The ∆motCD mutant had remarkably reduced and the ∆motABCD mutant completely abolished swimming motilities, whereas the ∆motAB mutant retained some degree of these abilities. The ∆motCD and ∆motABCD mutants did not produce N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), quorum-sensing molecules in this pathogen, and remarkably reduced the ability to cause disease in host tobacco leaves, as we previously observed in the ∆fliC mutant strain. These results strongly indicate that both stator pairs in Pta 6605 are proton-dependent and that MotCD is important for not only flagellar motility but also for production of AHLs and the ability to cause disease in host plants.

Exciton Primer-mediated SNP detection in SmartAmp2 reactions.

Most commonly used intercalating fluorescent dyes in DNA detection are lacking any sequence specificity, whereas so-called Exciton Primers can overcome this limitation by functioning as "sequence-specific dyes." After hybridization to complementary sequences, the fluorescence of Exciton Primers provides sequence-specific signals for real-time monitoring of amplification reactions. Applied to the SmartAmp2 mutation detection process, Exciton Primers show high signal strength with low background leading to a superior specificity and sensitivity compared to SYBR Green I. Signal strength can be further enhanced using multiple dyes within one Exciton Primer or use of multiple Exciton Primers in the same amplification reaction. Here we demonstrate the use of Exciton Primers for genotyping a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the VKORC1 locus (-1639G>A) relevant for Warfarin dosing as an example for Exciton Primers mediated genotyping by SmartAmp2. The genotyping assay can use only one labeled Exciton Primer for endpoint detection, or simultaneously by real-time monitoring detect wild-type and mutant alleles in a one-tube reaction using two Exciton Primers having different dyes. Working directly from blood samples, Exciton Primer mediated genotyping by SmartAmp2 offers superior solutions for rapid point-of-care testing.

Tail variation of the folding primer affects the SmartAmp2 process differently.

Folding primer (FP), together with turn-back primer (TP) and boost primer (BP), is one of the major components of SmartAmp2, a rapid amplification-based method for SNP detection. FP has a unique design where the annealing region is combined with a tail that can fold back. FP tails can be classified as either "strong" or "weak", depending on the melting temperature and free energy of the hairpin structure. We report that FP tails affect the amplification process differently; by changing the FP concentration, we can increase the amplification reaction speed with "strong tails". Unlike "strong tails", concentration change of FP with "weak tails" did not show significant impact on the amplification speed. The comparative analyses using gel electrophoresis demonstrate that the FP type and FP ratio in the reaction change the amplification pattern. The above observations can be used to optimize the reaction and manipulate the reaction speed of SmartAmp2.

Amino acid sequence of bacterial microbe-associated molecular pattern flg22 is required for virulence.

Flagellin proteins derived from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 and flg22Pa (QRLSTGSRINSAKDDAAGLQIA), one of the microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMP) in bacterial flagellin, induce cell death and growth inhibition in Arabidopsis thaliana. To examine the importance of aspartic acid (D) at position 43 from the N-terminus of a flagellin in its elicitor activity, D43 was replaced with valine (V) and alanine (A) in P. syringae pv. tabaci flagellin and flg22Pta. The abilities of flagellins from P. syringae pv. tabaci D43V and D43A to induce cell death and growth inhibition were reduced, whereas the abilities of flg22PtaD43V and flg22PtaD43A were abolished. These results indicate that D43 is important for elicitor activity in P. syringae pv. tabaci. When tobacco plants were inoculated with each bacterium by the spray method, both P. syringae pv. tabaci D43V and D43A mutants had remarkably reduced ability to cause disease symptoms. Both mutants had reduced or no swimming and swarming motilities and adhesion ability. In P. syringae pv. tabaci D43V, little flagellin protein was detected and few flagella were observed by electron microscopy. These results indicate that mutant flagella are unstable and that flagellar motility is impaired. Thus, the amino acid residue required for MAMP activity is important for the intrinsic flagellar function.

Elicitin-responsive lectin-like receptor kinase genes in BY-2 cells.

The inhibition of elicitor-induced plant defense responses by the protein kinase inhibitors K252a and staurosporine indicates that defense responses require protein phosphorylation. We isolated a cDNA clone encoding Nicotiana tabacum lectin-like receptor protein kinase 1 (NtlecRK1), an elicitor-responsive gene; in tobacco bright yellow (BY-2) cells by a differential display method. NtlecRK forms a gene family with at least three members in tobacco. All three NtlecRK genes potentially encode the N-terminal legume lectin domain, transmembrane domain and C-terminal Ser/Thr-type protein kinase domain. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion showed that the NtlecRK1 protein was located on the plasma membrane. In addition, NtlecRK1 and 3 were responsive to INF1 elicitin and the bacterial elicitor harpin. These results indicate that NtlecRKs are membrane-located protein kinases that are induced during defense responses in BY-2 cells.

Direct activation of fission yeast adenylyl cyclase by heterotrimeric G protein gpa2.

Genetic studies on Schizosaccharomyces pombe adenylyl cyclase (cyr1) have shown that its activity is positively regulated by a heterotrimetric G protein a subunit gpa2 and that the resulting increase in intracellular cAMP concentration causes inhibition of sexual development including mating and meiosis. However, molecular mechanism underlying this gpa2-dependent regulation of cyr1 remains to be clarified. Here, we show that gpa2 exhibits a direct and GTP-dependent binding to the Ras-associating domain (RAD) of cyr1, which is identified by a computer algorithm-based search of the cyr1 amino acid sequence. Overexpression of this RAD results in acceleration of the sexual development of fission yeast cells presumably by competitive sequestration of gpa2. Furthermore, cyr1 is activated in vitro by the addition of purified gpa2, which is converted to the active state by treatment with AlF4-. These results indicate a crucial role of the RAD as a direct binding site of gpa2 in activation of cyr1. Thus, RADs, which have been defined as a conserved motif shared among the Ras-family small G protein-associating domains, are for the first time shown to exhibit a functional association with a member of the heterotrimeric G proteins.