Structure and mechanisms of function of visual system proteins.

Recent progress in understanding visual signal transduction in retinal cells is summarized. The roles of particular proteins in activation, amplification and termination of the photoresponse are described. Detailed information on the structure and function of the photoreceptor protein rhodopsin is presented. The latest data on visual pigment sequences, rhodopsin mutations in the autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa, and the results of site-directed mutagenesis of the rhodopsin molecule are summarized.

[Oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of inhibitory gamma-subunits of cGMP phosphodiesterase from bovine outer rod segments. A new hypothesis on mechanisms for inhibiting catalytic subunits by gamma-subunits and activation of a holoenzyme by transducin]. / Oligonukleotidnapravlennyi mutagenez ingibitornoi gamma-sub''edinitsy fosfodiésterazy cGMP iz naruzhnykh segmentov palochek setchatki byka. Novaia gipoteza o mekhanizmakh ingibirovaniia kataliticheskikh sub''edinitz gamma-sub''edinitsei ii aktivatsii kholofermenta transdutsinom.

Two mutants of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) gamma subunit (PDE gamma) from bovine retinal rods were synthesized by sequential transcription and translation in vitro. PDE gamma mutants R24E and H79L exhibited inhibitory properties similar to those of the wild-type PDE gamma (wtPDE gamma). At the same time, affinity to the rod outer segment (ROS) membranes is lower for R24E and higher for H79L in comparison with wtPDE gamma. The transducin alpha subunit (in a complex with the GTP non-hydrolyzable analogue, GTP gamma S) activates the trypsin-treated PDE (tPDE) inhibited by wtPDE gamma weaker than tPDE inhibited by R24E and stronger than tPDE inhibited by H79L. To explain the properties of these and earlier studied PDE gamma mutants, a new hypothesis on the mechanisms of inhibition of the PDE catalytic subunit dimer (PDE alpha beta) by PDE gamma and mechanism of the PDE holoenzyme (PDE alpha beta gamma 2) activation by the transducin alpha subunit in a complex with GTP (T alpha.GTP) is proposed: 1) two sites on PDE alpha beta for the PDE gamma binding (A- and the B-site) are different in structure. Sites on PDE gamma interacting with A- and the B-sites on PDE alpha beta are also different in structure. The site on PDE gamma interacting with the B-site partially overlaps with the T alpha.GTP binding site; 2) PDE gamma bound to the B-site provides the main contribution to inhibition of the enzyme catalytic activity; 3) T alpha.GTP first interacts with the PDE gamma bound to the A-site in the PDE holoenzyme and removes this PDE gamma in a PDE gamma.(T alpha.GTP) complex. This results in a slight increase of the catalytic activity of the PDE alpha beta gamma complex remaining bound to the ROS membranes; 4) after removal of PDE gamma from the A-site, another T alpha.GTP molecule is enabled to interact with both PDE alpha beta and PDE gamma bound to the B-site on PDE alpha beta. This interaction results in the formation of a ROS membrane-bound fully catalytically active triple complex PDE alpha beta.PDE gamma.(T alpha.GTP).

[Isolation and characteristics of cyanogen bromide peptides of transducin alpha and beta subunits]. / Vydelenie i kharakteristika bromtsianovykh peptidov alpha- i beta-sub''edinits transdutsina.

The alpha- and beta-subunits of the GTP-binding protein (transducin) from cattle retina were cleaved with cyanogen bromide. 21 peptides covering 90-100% of the amino acid sequence of the alpha- and beta-subunits were isolated from the hydrolyzate. Cyanogen bromide peptides complete or partial amino acid sequence was determined, the results were compared with those by Numa and coworkers [1] and Lochrie et al. [2] at the primary structure of the transducin alpha-subunit deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA. The structure by Lochrie is shown to differ much from the true structure of the alpha-subunit; probably, the investigators isolated cDNA, corresponding to the gene for some GTP-binding protein homologous to transducin, but not to the gene for the transducin alpha-subunit. The Numa's structure also contains an error. The final primary structure of the transducin alpha-subunit is given. The protein polypeptide chain consists of 349 amino acid residues and has an acetylmethionine residue as the N-terminal residue.

[Primary structure of the gamma-subunit of the GTP-binding protein from the bovine retina]. / Pervichnaia struktura gamma-sub''edinitsy GTP-sviazyvaiushchego belka iz setchatki krupnogo rogatogo skota.

The complete amino acid sequence of the gamma-subunit of GTP-binding protein from cattle retina has been established. The polypeptide chain consists of 69 amino acid residues and contains an unusual sequence Cys35-Cys36. The molecular mass of the gamma-subunit is 8008,7.

[RNA polymerase-rifamycin. A molecular model of inhibition]. / RNK-polimeraza-rifamitsin. Molekuliarnaia model' ingibirovaniia.

By fluorimetric titration of Rifs (E. coli B) and Rifr (E. coli rpoB255) RNA polymerases with rifamycin, the mutant polymerase was demonstrated to bind rifamycin. A comparison of spatial structures of rifamycin and dinucleotide fragment of RNA in the hybrid with DNA revealed their similarity. Taking into account this structural similarity and also the fact that two phosphodiester bonds can be formed by RNA polymerase in the presence of rifamycin, a model for the inhibition mode was proposed. According to this model, rifamycin occupies the place of two terminal nucleotides of synthesized, but not translocated pentanucleotide in the transcribing complex. Asp-516 of the wild type beta-subunit was assumed to form a hydrogen bond with the rifamycin C(23) hydroxyl group. On the base of this model, reduced "cycling" synthesis of tetra-, penta-... up to decanucleotides by the Rifr RNA polymerase, in comparison with Rifs, was predicted.