The proximal tyrosines of the cytoplasmic domain of the beta chain of the type I interferon receptor are essential for signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 2 activation. Evidence that two Stat2 sites are required to reach a threshold of interferon alpha-induced Stat2 tyrosine phosphorylation that allows normal formation of interferon-stimulated gene factor 3.

The precise role of the different subunits (alpha/IFNAR1 and betaL/IFNAR2) of the type I interferon receptor (IFN-R) in the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 1, Stat2, and Stat3 has not yet been established. In this report we demonstrate that there are functionally redundant phosphotyrosine-dependent and -independent binding sites for Stat2 in the alpha and beta subunits of the type I IFN-R. Expression of a type I IFN-R containing only the constitutive Stat2 site or the proximal tyrosines of betaL, but not the docking site on the alpha chain (Tyr466 and Tyr481), supported low levels of Stat2 activation. However, the presence of only one intact Stat2 site did not lead to induction of interferon-stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3) or an antiviral state. Normal levels of Stat2 tyrosine phosphorylation, induction of ISGF3, and an antiviral effect always required the proximal tyrosines of betaL and at least one of the other Stat2 sites (Tyralpha466, 481 or betaL404-462). These data suggest that a threshold of Stat2 tyrosine phosphorylation is required for complete activation of ISGF3. Interestingly, a receptor in which all tyrosines were mutated to phenylalanine shows normal Stat3 phosphorylation and low levels of activation of Stat1.

Activators of phosphorylase kinase alter the cross-linking of its catalytic subunit to the C-terminal one-sixth of its regulatory alpha subunit.

Phosphorylase kinase, a regulatory enzyme of glycogenolysis in skeletal muscle, is a hexadecameric oligomer consisting of four copies each of a catalytic subunit (gamma) and three regulatory subunits (alpha, beta, and delta, the last being endogenous calmodulin). The enzyme is activated by a variety of effectors acting through its regulatory subunits. To probe the quaternary structure of nonactivated and activated forms of the kinase, we used the heterobifunctional, photoreactive cross-linker N-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide. Mono-derivatization of the holoenzyme with the succinimidyl group, followed by photoactivation of the covalently attached azido group, resulted in intramolecular cross-linking to form two distinct heterodimers: a major (alphagamma) and a minor (betadelta) conjugate. Formation of both conjugates was significantly altered in activated conformations of the enzyme induced by phosphorylation, alkaline pH, and several allosteric activators (ADP, exogenous calmodulin/Ca2+, and Ca2+ alone). Of these activating mechanisms, all increased formation of alphagamma, except Ca2+ alone, which inhibited its formation. When cross-linking was carried out at alkaline pH or in the presence of ADP or exogenous calmodulin/Ca2+, the cross-linked enzyme remained activated following removal of the activators; however, cross-linking in the presence of Ca2+ resulted in sustained inhibition. The results indicate that perturbations in the subunit cross-linking forming the alphagamma dimer reflect the subsequent extent of sustained activation of the holoenzyme that is measured. The region cross-linked to the catalytic gamma subunit was confined to the C-terminal 1/6th of the alpha subunit, which contains known regulatory regions. These results suggest that activators of the phosphorylase kinase holoenzyme perturb interactions between the C-terminal region of the inhibitory alpha subunit and the catalytic gamma subunit, ultimately leading to activation of the latter.

Zero-length crosslinking of the beta subunit of phosphorylase kinase to the N-terminal half of its regulatory alpha subunit.

Phosphorylase kinase, a regulatory enzyme of glycogenolysis in skeletal muscle, is a hexadecameric oligomer containing four copies each of four distinct subunits: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. By intramolecular zero-length crosslinking with transglutaminase, we have previously demonstrated that the regulatory alpha and beta subunits abut one another in the holoenzyme [Nadeau, O. W., and Carlson, G. M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 29670-29676]. Selective partial proteolysis of the 138 kDa alpha subunit in holoenzyme that had been crosslinked by transglutaminase has revealed a high molecular weight conjugate corresponding to full-length beta subunit crosslinked to a 60 kDa N-terminal fragment of alpha (determined by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and N-terminal sequencing). This conjugate was also observed when the enzyme was first activated by partial proteolysis of alpha and then crosslinked by transglutaminase. Both forms of the kinase, generated by either sequential crosslinking and proteolysis or the reverse, coeluted with non-crosslinked hexadecameric control enzyme in size exclusion chromatography, indicating that the crosslinking was intramolecular, i.e., within hexadecamers. This is the first demonstration of any intersubunit interaction involving the N-terminal domain of the alpha subunit and the first region of any subunit shown to interact with the beta subunit. The results are consistent with the predicted path of the polypeptide backbone of the alpha subunits within the holoenzyme and with the proposed location of the beta subunits.

Effector-sensitive cross-linking of phosphorylase b kinase by the novel cross-linker 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione.

The dienophile 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTD) was identified as a novel protein cross-linker, and utilized as a conformational probe of phosphorylase b kinase (PhK), a hexadecameric enzyme with the subunit composition (alphabetagammadelta)4. In its reaction with this enzyme, PTD produced five major cross-linked conjugates as resolved by denaturing gel electrophoresis: alphabeta, betagammagamma, alphagamma and a doublet of differently migrating homodimers, betabeta1 and betabeta2. Cross-linking in the presence of six different activators of the kinase targeted to its various subunits caused substantial changes in the amounts of three of the conjugates. The formation of alphagamma was increased by all of the activators but the largest enhancement was caused by exogenous Ca2+/calmodulin. All except one of the activators decreased the amount of betagammagamma formed, with Mg2+ having the greatest effect, and all except two increased the amount of betabeta1, with Mg2+ again having the largest influence. From the overall similarity of the changes in cross-linking by PTD induced by the various activators, we conclude that, even though they are targeted to different sites and subunits, they induce activated conformations of PhK that have certain structural features in common. Regarding the mechanism of cross-linking by PTD, its reaction with a model nucleophile suggests that its initial reaction with a side chain nucleophile of PhK involves a 1,4-conjugate addition to form a urazole adduct, with the secondary cross-linking reaction occurring through an as yet unknown pathway.

Identification of a domain in the beta subunit of the type I interferon (IFN) receptor that exhibits a negative regulatory effect in the growth inhibitory action of type I IFNs.

Expression of human alpha and long form of the beta (betaL) subunits of type I interferon receptor (IFN-R) in mouse cells is sufficient to activate the Jak-Stat pathway and to elicit an antiviral state in response to human IFNalpha2 and IFNbeta. We demonstrate herein, however, that these cells respond to the antiproliferative effects of murine IFNalphabeta but not human type I IFNs. These results suggest that an unknown species-specific component is required for the antiproliferative effect of human type I IFNs. The absence of this component can be complemented by expressing the human betaL chain truncated at amino acid 346. Thus, the distal region of betaL appears to function as a negative regulator of the growth inhibitory effects of type I IFNs. Further studies looking for possible targets of the betaL regulatory domain demonstrated that this region associates with a tyrosine phosphatase. These results suggest that a protein associated with the negative regulatory domain of betaL, likely a tyrosine phosphatase, plays a role in regulating the growth inhibitory effects of human type I IFNs.

Differential use of the betaL subunit of the type I interferon (IFN) receptor determines signaling specificity for IFNalpha2 and IFNbeta.

The signaling specificity for cytokines that have common receptor subunits is achieved by the presence of additional cytokine-specific receptor components. In the type I interferon (IFN) family, all 14 subtypes of IFNalpha, IFNbeta, and IFNomega bind to the same alpha and betaL subunits of the type I IFN-R, yet differences in signaling and biological effects exist among them. Our data demonstrate that IFNalpha2 and IFNbeta utilize different regions of the betaL subunit for signaling. Thus, in contrast to other cytokine systems, signal diversity in the type I IFN system can be accomplished within the same receptor complex by utilizing different regions of the same receptor subunits.

Differential affinity cross-linking of phosphorylase kinase conformers by the geometric isomers of phenylenedimaleimide.

Phosphorylase b kinase (PbK) from skeletal muscle is a highly regulated oligomer consisting of four copies of four distinct subunits (alphabetagamma)delta4. The gamma subunit is catalytic, and the remaining subunits are regulatory. To characterize effector-induced changes in the quaternary structure of the enzyme, we utilized the ortho-, meta, and para-isomers of phenylenedimaleimide (PDM), which in addition to having different geometries, also vary 2.5-fold in their cross-linking spans. Even at concentrations equivalent to the alphabetagammadelta protomers of PbK, all three isomers caused specific, rapid, and extensive cross-linking of the holoenzyme to form primarily alphabeta dimers, plus smaller amounts of betagammagamma and alphagammagamma trimers. The formation of these three conjugates was nearly totally inhibited by a 10-fold molar excess over PDM of N-(o- and p-tolyl)succinimide, which are chemically inert structural analogs of PDM. This inhibition suggests that PbK has binding sites for PDM and that PDM acts as an affinity cross-linker in binding to these sites prior to forming cross-linked conjugates. The largest effect on cross-linking in progressing from o- to p-PDM was on the alphagammagamma trimer, which is preferentially formed by the p-isomer. Activation of the enzyme by either phosphorylation or the allosteric activators ADP and GDP resulted in large increases in the amount of alphagammagamma formed, small increases in betagammagamma, and little change in alphabeta. When cross-linked in the presence of the reversibly activating nucleoside diphosphates, PbK remained activated after their removal, indicating that cross-linking had locked it in the active conformation. Our results provide direct evidence for perturbations in the interactions of the catalytic gamma subunit with the regulatory alpha and beta subunits upon activation of PbK.

The structural effects of endogenous and exogenous Ca2+/calmodulin on phosphorylase kinase.

The activity of phosphorylase b kinase (PbK) is stimulated by Ca2+ ions, which act through its endogenous calmodulin subunit (delta), and further stimulated by the Ca2+-dependent binding of exogenous calmodulin (delta'). In contrast to their highly characterized effects on activity, little is known regarding the structural effects on the (alphabetagammadelta)4 PbK holoenzyme induced by Ca2+ and delta'/Ca2+. We have used mono- and bifunctional chemical modifiers as conformational probes to compare how the two effectors influence the structure of the catalytic gamma subunit and the interactions among all of the subunits. As determined by reductive methylation and carboxymethylation, Ca2+ increased the accessibility of the gamma subunit; it also increased the formation by phenylenedimaleimide of an alphagammagamma conjugate that is characteristic of activated conformations of PbK (Nadeau, O. W., Sacks, D. M., and Carlson, G. M. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 26196-26201); however, Ca2+ also had structural effects that were clearly distinct from other activators. Moreover, similar structural effects of Ca2+ were observed with PbK that had been activated by phosphorylation, consistent with the fact that such activation does not eliminate the catalytic dependence of the enzyme on Ca2+. Our results suggest tiers of conformational transitions in the activation of PbK, with the most fundamental being induced by Ca2+. Analysis of the various cross-linked conjugates formed in the presence of Ca2+ by o-phenylenedimaleimide or m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester showed that the binding of Ca2+ to the delta subunit triggers changes in the interactions among all subunits, including between protomers, indicating an extensive communication network throughout the PbK complex. Most of the structural effects of delta'/Ca2+ were qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively greater than, the effects of Ca2+ alone; but delta'/Ca2+ also had distinct effects, especially involving cross-linking of the delta subunit.

A region of the beta subunit of the interferon alpha receptor different from box 1 interacts with Jak1 and is sufficient to activate the Jak-Stat pathway and induce an antiviral state.

Coexpression of the alpha and betaL subunits of the human interferon alpha (IFNalpha) receptor is required for the induction of an antiviral state by human IFNalpha. To explore the role of the different domains of the betaL subunit in IFNalpha signaling, we coexpressed wild-type alpha subunit and truncated forms of the betaL chain in L-929 cells. Our results demonstrated that the first 82 amino acids (AAs) (AAs 265-346) of the cytoplasmic domain of the betaL chain are sufficient to activate the Jak-Stat pathway and trigger an antiviral state after IFNalpha2 binding to the receptor. This region of the betaL chain, required for Jak1 binding and activation, contains the Box 1 motif that is important for the interaction of some cytokine receptors with Jak kinases. However, using glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins containing amino- and carboxyl-terminal deletions of the betaL cytoplasmic domain, we demonstrate that the main Jak1-binding region (corresponding to AAs 300-346 on the beta subunit) is distinct from the Box 1 domain (AAs 287-295).

Structural evidence for an anion-directing track in the hen ovotransferrin N-lobe: implications for transferrin synergistic anion binding.

The transferrins are a class of iron-binding proteins that require the presence of a synergistic anion for conformation-dependent binding of ferric ions. Bromopyruvate, a known synergistic anion and affinity label of ovotransferrin (oTF) [Bailey, C. T., Patch, M. G., & Carrano, C. J. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 6276-6282], was used to probe the structure of the metal- and anion-binding sites of the functional N- and C-terminal proteolytic halves (oTF/2N and oTF/2C, respectively) of ovotransferrin. Incubation of oTF/2N with [2-14C]bromopyruvate in the presence of Fe3+ ions resulted in the incorporation of 0.70 mol of 14C label/mol of oTF/2N; 14C-labeled oTF/2N was then purified and digested sequentially with trypsin and V8 protease to determine the sites of modification. Quantification of 14C radioactivity, analysis of purified 14C-labeled peptides by gas-phase sequencing and mass spectrometry demonstrated that chemical modification was restricted to nucleophilic residues contained in a fragment corresponding to residues 189-204 of oTF/2N, including Lys 199, Lys 202, and His 196. Lysine 199 was also protected from modification with [3H]CH2O in iron-saturated oTF/2N, suggesting the involvement of this residue in anion binding by the apo conformation [Anderson, B. F., Baker, H. M., Norris, G. E., Rumball, S. V., & Baker, E. N. (1990) Nature 344, 784-787]. Lysine 199 is conserved as a basic residue in the N-terminal metal-binding domains of the transferrins but not in the homologous C-terminal metal-binding domains. Identical trials with oTF/2C showed binding, but not modification, with bromopyruvate. These data suggest that Lys 199, Lys 202 and His 196, which are located on an alpha-helix (8) that terminates at the anion-binding site [Dewan, J. C., Mikame, B. Hirose, M., & Sacchettini (1993) Biochemistry 32, 11963-11968], attract and channel the synergistic anion to the anion-binding site. The presence or absence of basic residues in the metal-binding lobes of transferrins may account for the different anion- and metal-binding characteristics observed for the iron-binding sites of these proteins.

Zero length conformation-dependent cross-linking of phosphorylase kinase subunits by transglutaminase.

Transglutaminase, a zero length cross-linker that catalyzes the formation of isopeptide bonds between proximal Gln and Lys side chains, was used as a structural and conformational probe of the hexadecameric phosphorylase kinase molecule (alpha beta gamma delta)4. Brief cross-linking of nonactivated kinase caused formation of alpha-beta dimers, with no cross-linking involving the gamma- and delta-subunits. When the kinase was first activated by autophosphorylation, significant amounts of alpha-alpha dimers were also observed in addition to the alpha-beta, demonstrating the occurrence of a conformational change in the alpha-subunits concomitant with activation. Both dimers resulted from intramolecular cross-linking. Because the COOH-terminal regions of the alpha-subunits are at the lobe tips of this bilobal kinase (Wilkinson D. A. Marion, T. N., Tillman, D. M., Norcum, M. T., Hainfeld, J. F., Seyer, J. M., and Carlson, G. M. (1994) J. Mol. Biol. 235, 974-982), the formation of zero length cross-linked alpha-alpha dimers indicates that the polypeptide backbones of these subunits must stretch from the lobe tips to a more central location where they abut each other. Excess putrescine, as the amine substrate in place of endogenous Lys, was incorporated by transglutaminase predominately into the alpha-subunits of the kinase, with only slight modification of the beta- and gamma-subunits. Exogenous calmodulin (delta'), an activator of the kinase with a binding site on the alpha-subunits (James, P., Cohen, P., and Carafoli, E. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 7087-7091), was a potent inhibitor of cross-linking. It also inhibited incorporation of putrescine into the alpha-subunits but stimulated incorporation into the beta- and gamma-subunits. Heparin, another activator of the kinase, had the same effects as exogenous calmodulin on cross-linking and putrescine incorporation, suggesting a commonality in the mechanism through which these two effectors activate the holoenzyme, including promoting a conformational change that increases the surface accessibility of target Gln residues on the catalytic gamma-subunit.

Evidence that bismuth salts reduce invasion of epithelial cells by enteroinvasive bacteria.

The effects of sublethal concentrations of bismuth salts on bacterial invasion of mammalian cells were investigated. Pepto-Bismol, bismuth subsalicylate, and bismuth oxychloride, produced by interacting bismuth subsalicylate and simulated gastric juice, in suspension at concentrations as low as 1.4 mM significantly interfered with the invasion of RPMI-4788 cells by two different strains of Yersinia enterocolitica. Invasion of the mammalian epithelial cells by other enteric bacteria was also reduced significantly by some of these bismuth salts. Commercially obtained bismuth oxychloride, bismuth sulfide, and sodium salicylate had no affect on invasion by Y. enterocolitica. Exposure of Y. enterocolitica 8081c to Pepto-Bismol for as brief a time as 5 min was sufficient to produce the inhibitory effect. Removal of bismuth bound to bacteria by sodium potassium tartrate did not reverse the inhibition. Electron-dense deposits are observed in Y. enterocolitica 8081c exposed to bismuth subsalicylate, suggesting that interference of invasion may result from bismuth permeation of the bacterial cell wall.

Deposition of bismuth by Yersinia enterocolitica.

Yersinia enterocolitica 8081c cultures in exponential growth were incubated for 1 h in 0.1% microcrystalline bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) suspensions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed microcrystals directly bound to BSS-treated bacteria. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) X-ray microanalysis of the attached microcrystals confirmed that the crystals were the microcrystalline BSS. X-ray spectra positive for bismuth were also obtained by SEM-EDS X-ray microanalysis of whole bacteria, suggesting metal incorporation into the bacteria in regions absent of bound microcrystals. Transmission electron microscopy of thin sections of embedded preparations of BSS-treated exponential-growth-phase bacteria showed electron-dense deposits in the periphery of the bacteria. Y. enterocolitica cultures that were in stationary phase at the time of incubation with microcrystalline BSS showed no evidence of the electron-dense deposits and EDS spectra were negative for bismuth. Bacteria incubated in the absence of microcrystalline BSS also lacked electron-dense deposits. Scanning transmission electron microscopy used in conjunction with EDS X-ray microanalysis to view and analyze semi-thick sections (250-300 nm) of embedded preparations of BSS-treated bacteria in exponential growth confirmed that the electron-dense deposits at the periphery of the bacteria are the sites of bismuth depositions.