Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mutant FUS'

During stress, eukaryotes regulate protein synthesis in part through formation of cytoplasmic, non-membrane-bound complexes called stress granules (SGs). SGs transiently store signaling proteins and stalled translational complexes in response to stress stimuli (e.g. oxidative insult, DNA damage, temperature shifts and ER dysfunction). The functional outcome of SGs is proper translational regulation and signaling, allowing cells to overcome stress. The fatal motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) develops in an age-related manner and is marked by progressive neuronal death, with cytoplasmic protein aggregation, excitotoxicity and increased oxidative stress as major hallmarks. Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Liposarcoma (FUS) is an RNA-binding protein mutated in ALS with roles in RNA and DNA processing. Most ALS-associated FUS mutations cause FUS to aberrantly localize in the cytoplasm due to a disruption in the nuclear localization sequence. Intriguingly, pathological inclusions in human FUSALS cases contain aggregated FUS as well as several SG-associated proteins. Further, cytoplasmic mutant FUS incorporates into SGs, which increases SG volume and number, delays SG assembly, accelerates SG disassembly, and alters SG dynamics. I posit that mutant FUS association with stress granules is a toxic gain-of-function in ALS that alters the function of SGs by interaction with SG components. Here, I show that mutant FUS incorporates in to SGs via its Cterminal RGG motifs, the methylation of which is not required for this localization. Further, I identify protein interactions specific to full-length mutant FUS under stress conditions that are potentially capable of interacting with FUS in SGs. Finally, I demonstrate a potential change in the protein composition of SGs upon incorporation of mutant FUS. These findings advance the field of ALS and SG biology, thereby providing groundwork for future investigation.

During stress, eukaryotes regulate protein synthesis in part through formation of cytoplasmic, non-membrane-bound complexes called stress granules (SGs). SGs transiently store signaling proteins and stalled translational complexes in response to stress stimuli (e.g. oxidative insult, DNA damage, temperature shifts and ER dysfunction). The functional outcome of SGs is proper translational regulation and signaling, allowing cells to overcome stress. The fatal motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) develops in an age-related manner and is marked by progressive neuronal death, with cytoplasmic protein aggregation, excitotoxicity and increased oxidative stress as major hallmarks. Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Liposarcoma (FUS) is an RNA-binding protein mutated in ALS with roles in RNA and DNA processing. Most ALS-associated FUS mutations cause FUS to aberrantly localize in the cytoplasm due to a disruption in the nuclear localization sequence. Intriguingly, pathological inclusions in human FUSALS cases contain aggregated FUS as well as several SG-associated proteins. Further, cytoplasmic mutant FUS incorporates into SGs, which increases SG volume and number, delays SG assembly, accelerates SG disassembly, and alters SG dynamics. I posit that mutant FUS association with stress granules is a toxic gain-of-function in ALS that alters the function of SGs by interaction with SG components. Here, I show that mutant FUS incorporates in to SGs via its Cterminal RGG motifs, the methylation of which is not required for this localization. Further, I identify protein interactions specific to full-length mutant FUS under stress conditions that are potentially capable of interacting with FUS in SGs. Finally, I demonstrate a potential change in the protein composition of SGs upon incorporation of mutant FUS. These findings advance the field of ALS and SG biology, thereby providing groundwork for future investigation.

L’utilisation du cannabis peut précipiter la schizophrénie, en particulier chez les individus qui présentent une vulnérabilité génétique aux désordres mentaux. Des recherches humaines et animales indiquent que la neuréguline 1 (Nrg1) est un gène de susceptibilité à la schizophrénie. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’examiner si une modification du gène Nrg1 chez des souris mutante module les effets neuronaux et comportementaux des cannabinoïdes après traitement aiguë et chronique. De plus cette thèse examine les effets d'un pré-traitement au delta9-tétrahydrocannabinol, le principal composant psychotropique du cannabis, sur un modèle de flexibilité cognitive chez la souris
Cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, especially in individuals who have a genetic vulnerability to the disorder. Human and animal researches indicate that neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) is a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. This thesis aim at investigating if partial deletion of Nrg1 in mutant mice modulate the neuronal and behavioural effects cannabinoids after acute or chronic treatment. In addition, this thesis examine the effects of a pre-treatment with delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, in a model of cognitive flexibility in the mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential motor neuron death in the brain and spinal cord. The rapid disease progression results in death due to respiratory failure, typically within 3-5 years after disease onset. While ~90% of cases occur sporadically, remaining 10% of ALS cases show familial inheritance, and the number of genes linked to ALS has increased dramatically over the past decade. FUS/TLS (Fused in Sarcoma/ Translocated to liposarcoma) is a nucleic acid binding protein that may regulate several cellular functions, including RNA splicing, transcription, DNA damage repair and microRNA biogenesis. More than 50 mutations in the FUS gene are linked to 4% of familial ALS, and many of these may disrupt the nuclear localization signal, leading to variable amounts of FUS accumulation in the cytoplasm. However, the mechanism by which FUS mutants cause motor neuron death is still unknown. The studies presented in this dissertation focused on investigating the properties of FUS mutants in the absence and presence of stress conditions. We first examined how ALS-linked FUS mutants behaved in response to imposed stresses in both cell culture and zebrafish models of ALS. We found that FUS mutants were prone to accumulate in stress granules in proportion to their degree of cytoplasmic mislocalization under conditions of oxidative stress, ER stress, and heat shock. However, many FUS missense mutants are retained predominantly in the nucleus, and this suggested the possibility that these mutants might also perturb one or more nuclear functions. In a human cell line expressing FUS variants and in human fibroblasts from an ALS patient, mutant FUS expression was associated with enlarged promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) under basal condition. Upon oxidative insult with arsenic trioxide (ATO), PML-NBs in control cells increased acutely in size and were turned over within 12-24 h, as expected. However, PML-NBs in FUS mutant cells did not progress through the expected turnover but instead continued to enlarge over 24 h. We also observed a persistent accumulation of the transcriptional repressor Daxx and the 11S proteasome regulator in association with these enlarged PML-NBs. Furthermore, the peptidase activities of the 26S proteasome were decreased in FUS mutant cells without any changes in the expression of proteasome subunits. These results demonstrate that FUS mutant expression may alter cellular stress responses as manifested by (i) accumulation of mutant FUS into stress granules and (ii) inhibition of PML-NB dynamics. These findings suggest a novel nuclear pathology specific to mutant FUS expression that may perturb nuclear homeostasis and thereby contribute to ALS pathogenesis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential motor neuron death in the brain and spinal cord. The rapid disease progression results in death due to respiratory failure, typically within 3-5 years after disease onset. While ~90% of cases occur sporadically, remaining 10% of ALS cases show familial inheritance, and the number of genes linked to ALS has increased dramatically over the past decade. FUS/TLS (Fused in Sarcoma/ Translocated to liposarcoma) is a nucleic acid binding protein that may regulate several cellular functions, including RNA splicing, transcription, DNA damage repair and microRNA biogenesis. More than 50 mutations in the FUS gene are linked to 4% of familial ALS, and many of these may disrupt the nuclear localization signal, leading to variable amounts of FUS accumulation in the cytoplasm. However, the mechanism by which FUS mutants cause motor neuron death is still unknown. The studies presented in this dissertation focused on investigating the properties of FUS mutants in the absence and presence of stress conditions. We first examined how ALS-linked FUS mutants behaved in response to imposed stresses in both cell culture and zebrafish models of ALS. We found that FUS mutants were prone to accumulate in stress granules in proportion to their degree of cytoplasmic mislocalization under conditions of oxidative stress, ER stress, and heat shock. However, many FUS missense mutants are retained predominantly in the nucleus, and this suggested the possibility that these mutants might also perturb one or more nuclear functions. In a human cell line expressing FUS variants and in human fibroblasts from an ALS patient, mutant FUS expression was associated with enlarged promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) under basal condition. Upon oxidative insult with arsenic trioxide (ATO), PML-NBs in control cells increased acutely in size and were turned over within 12-24 h, as expected. However, PML-NBs in FUS mutant cells did not progress through the expected turnover but instead continued to enlarge over 24 h. We also observed a persistent accumulation of the transcriptional repressor Daxx and the 11S proteasome regulator in association with these enlarged PML-NBs. Furthermore, the peptidase activities of the 26S proteasome were decreased in FUS mutant cells without any changes in the expression of proteasome subunits. These results demonstrate that FUS mutant expression may alter cellular stress responses as manifested by (i) accumulation of mutant FUS into stress granules and (ii) inhibition of PML-NB dynamics. These findings suggest a novel nuclear pathology specific to mutant FUS expression that may perturb nuclear homeostasis and thereby contribute to ALS pathogenesis.

La fixation sur l'adn et la dimerisation sont deux mecanismes essentiels a l'activite transcriptionnelle d'un facteur de transcription dimerique. Lexa est le represseur du systeme sos chez e. Coli. Des mutations ponctuelles dans le domaine n-terminal de liaison a l'adn, rendent lexa deficient dans la fixation de l'adn et dans son activite de represseur. Des mutations de reversion intrageniques restaurant l'activite represseur ont ete localisees dans le domaine n-terminal. Ces mutations de reversion ont ete isolees et introduites dans la sequence sauvage de lexa et conferent aux variants de lexa une activite represseur generalement superieure a celle de lexa sauvage. Le mutant de lexa portant la reversion ek71 isolee a ete purifie pour une etude in vitro de ses proprietes de liaison a l'adn. Les affinites pour une sequence d'adn non specifique et une sequence specifique sont augmentees pour ce mutant. C-fos est un composant du facteur ap1. C-fos ne peut lier l'adn qu'en formant un heterodimere avec c-jun grace a un motif leucine zipper. Fos ne peut pas homodimeriser car la proteine possede dans son interface de dimerisation, en plus de residus polaires, des residus charges qui exercent entre eux des repulsions electrostatiques. Dans une construction hybride contenant le domaine de liaison a l'adn de lexa fusionne au leucine zipper de c-fos, lorsqu'on remplace les residus des positions a du leucine zipper par des residus hydrophobes, i,l,v,m,f, c-fos est alors capable d'homodimeriser. En outre la substitution d'un seul residu a par i permet a c-fos d'homodimeriser. Certaines mutations parmi les plus interessantes ont ete introduites dans la proteine c-fos entiere. Ces mutants de c-fos capable de former des homodimeres ne possedent qu'une faible activite transactivatrice

Le récepteur tyrosine kinase FLT3 est impliqué dans le maintien et le renouvellement des cellules souches et des progéniteurs hématopoïétiques. Dans environ 30% des cas de leucémies aiguës myéloïdes, il est activé constitutivement par des mutations, dont les plus fréquentes impliquent une duplication de séquence dans le domaine juxtamembranaire (Internal Tandem Duplication, ou ITD). Des inhibiteurs chimiques de FLT3 ont été développés dans le cadre de thérapies anti-cancéreuses, mais leurs essais cliniques se sont révélés assez décevants avec des effets essentiellement transitoires. Par ailleurs, certaines études ont mis en évidence une signalisation intracellulaire spécifique au mutant FLT3-ITD, comme l’activation spécifique de STAT5a. Ces données soulignent la nécessité d’étudier exhaustivement et en détail la signalisation intracellulaire induite par le récepteur FLT3 et ses mutants oncogéniques dans des modèles pertinents, avec l’espoir d’identifier de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques. Nous avons surexprimé FLT3 et sa forme mutante ITD dans la lignée murine de progéniteurs myéloïdes FDCP-1/Fms. Ce modèle s’est avéré représentatif des processus observés in vivo en termes de survie, de prolifération et de différenciation monocytaire. Nous l’avons alors utilisé dans une approche protéomique pour identifier des protéines différemment phosphorylées et/ou exprimées entre les deux cas. L’utilisation d’ARN interférant et la surexpression des protéines candidates ou de leurs mutants a permis de révéler l’implication fonctionnelle de plusieurs d’entre elles dans la signalisation FLT3, telles que Hcls1, Ezrin, et PAK1 qui sont toutes des régulateurs du cytosquelette
The FLT3 receptor is involved in stem cells and myeloid progenitors self renewal processes. In about 30% of the acute myeloid leukemia cases, this receptor is mutated and constitutively active, the most common mutation being duplication of sequences in the juxtamembrane domain (Internal Tandem Duplication, ITD). Many chemical inhibitors of FLT3 have been developed for anti-cancer therapies but the clinical trials were a bit disappointing, showing mainly transient effect on blast reduction. Several studies have shown that FLT3-ITD triggers a different signaling from the wild-type receptor, like the specific activation of STAT5a. These data show the necessity of the exhaustive and detailed study of the intracellular signaling induced by FLT3 and its oncogenic mutants, to identify new therapeutic targets. We have overexpressed wild-type and ITD mutant forms of FLT3 in the murine myeloid progenitors cell line FDCP-1/Fms. This model proved it-self representative of the in vivo processes described in the literature in terms of survival, proliferation and monocytic differentiation. Consequently, we have used it for a proteomic approach to identify differentially expressed and/or phosphorylated proteins depending on FLT3 status. Using RAN interference and overexpression of these identified candidate proteins, we have demonstrated the functional involvement of several of them in FLT3 signaling, including Hcls1, Ezrin, and PAK1, which all regulate the cytoskeleton

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for a field defect around colorectal carcinomas using c-fos, mutant p53 and statin markers. Tissue from ten colorectal carcinomas and mucosa at 1, 5 and 10 cm from the primary lesion was obtained from surgical specimens and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Detergent-extracted protein was separated by electrophoresis through polyacrylamide gells and western blots performed using monoclonal antibodies against c-fos, mutant p53 and statin. Expression of c-fos within the carcinoma was increased relative to its expression at 1 cm, which was increased relative to 5 or 10 cm. The reverse results were obtained for statin with the lowest expression detected in the carcinoma, intermediate expression at 1 cm, and highest values at 5 and 10 cm. Increased mutant p53 expression was detected only within the carcinoma. These results indicate that c-fos gain and statin loss may occur before p53 mutation and be initial steps in oncogenesis.

O câncer não-melanoma corresponde a 25% de todos os tumores e é caracterizado por uma neoplasia dos queratinócitos. Evidências mostram que a resistência a apoptose é uma das características para o surgimento e evolução dos tumores malignos. A proposta deste trabalho foi estudar quais funções as moléculas BIM, PUMA e Fas desempenham nos queratinócitos quando submetidas à transformações celulares, como UVB e DMBA, e indutores de apoptose. Para isso foi estabelecido cultura primaria de queratinócitos de neonatos das linhagens C57Bl/6 WT; PUMA KO; LPR. As células foram tratadas com AD, VP-16, CHX, UVB e DMBA in vitro. Observamos a expressão de Bid, Bim, Bax no tratamento com UVB. Avaliamos o perfil de desenvolvimento do tumor nesses animais utilizando um modelo de tumorigenese química in vivo. Os queratinócitos deficientes em PUMA e Fas se comportam de maneira semelhante no tratamento com quimioterápicos, no entanto, no tratamento com carcinógenos a molécula Fas desempenha um papel mais relevante na indução de morte celular e no desenvolvimento da carcinogênese.
The non-melanoma cancer accounts for 25% of all tumors and is characterized by a neoplasm of keratinocytes. Evidence shows that apoptosis resistance is one of the characteristics for the emergence and development of malignant tumors. The This study investigated what roles the BIM, PUMA and Fas molecules play in keratinocytes when subjected to cell transformations, such as UVB and DMBA, and apoptosis inducers. For this, keratinocytes primary culture was established from neonatal skin to C57BL / 6 WT; PUMA KO; LPR. The cells were treated with AD, VP-16, CHX, UVB and DMBA in vitro. We observed the expression of Bid, Bim, Bax in treatment with UVB. We evaluated tumor development profile in these animals using a model of chemical tumorigenesis in vivo. PUMA-deficient keratinocytes and Fas mutant have similarly behave in chemotherapy treatment, however, Fas molecule plays a more important role in the induction of cell death with the treatment with carcinogens in the development and carcinogenesis.

Le modele murin lpr (lymphoproliferation), modele pour le lupus erythemateux dissemine humain, est induit par l'insertion d'un element retroviral dans le gene codant la proteine d'apoptose fas, et se manifeste par l'etablissement progressif d'une hyperglobulinemie de type polyclonal, par la presence d'autoanticorps varies, et par l'accumulation massive de lymphocytes t. Ces cellules, appelees t lpr dn, sont caracterisees, en particulier, par la double negativite cd4#- cd8#- et par l'expression simultanee de marqueurs de cellules b (b220) et de cellules t (thy-1, cd44). Dans le but d'etablir le role des differentes populations lymphoides ainsi que celui de l'environnement stromal dans l'etablissement du syndrome lpr, plusieurs types de chimeres hematopoietiques ont ete construites, pour la plupart en contexte genetique c57bl/6. Des cellules lymphoides de souris lpr ou de souris sauvages, et dans certains cas, des thymus de souriceaux lpr ou sauvages, ont ete greffes dans des receveurs possedant une ou deux mutations genetiques nude (nu), beige (bg), scid ou lpr, qui induisent une immunodeficience de ces receveurs (receveurs nubg, nulpr et scidlpr). L'etude de l'emergence du syndrome lpr dans ces differentes chimeres a ete realisee par le dosage des isotypes d'immunoglobulines seriques, le dosage des autoanticorps anti-adn simple brin et par la caracterisation phenotypique des populations lymphoides par cytometrie de flux. Cette etude a montre que, outre une deficience intrinseque aux cellules t, la mutation lpr induit une deficience intrinseque a l'environnement stromal (indispensable a l'etablissement du syndrome proliferatif), ainsi qu'une deficience intrinseque aux cellules b

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Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES
Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS)
Tuberculosis (TB) has become the leading global cause of death from infectious diseases. In 2015, according to WHO, 10.4 million new cases of tuberculosis worldwide have emerged. Currently the commonly used treatments are not effective against the forms of disease resistant to the most effective anti-TB drugs, and drugs with new mechanisms of action are needed. Mycobacterium tuberculosis dihydroneopterin aldolase (MtDHNA /FolB) is a folate enzyme encoded by the folB gene, which has important properties that make it a potential target for the synthesis of new antimicrobial agents. As a first step for target validation in the antimicrobial drug development pipeline, it is important to prove that the gene encoding a putative target is essential for pathogen?s viability. In this study, using site directed mutagenesis, biochemical analyzes and gene knockout experiments, we demonstrated that the folB gene is essential for the survival of Mtb, and furthermore we prove that this essentiality depends on the aldolase/epimerase activities of the MtFolB protein. The wild-type gene (wt) and the point mutants K99A and Y54F were cloned and expressed, and the corresponding recombinant proteins were purified and monitored for the activities of aldolase, epimerase and oxygenase using HPLC. In contrast to the wild-type MtFolB (wt) enzyme, both mutants had neither aldolase nor epimerase activities under the conditions tested. The Y54F mutant maintained oxygenase activity, whereas for the K99A mutant it was possible to detect oxygenase activity only in the presence of HP and GA as substrates. Knockout experiments showed that the folB gene is essential for the survival of Mtb under the conditions tested. However, unlike the wild-type copy, when the sequences encoding the K99A or Y54F mutants were used for complementation, no viable colonies were obtained, indicating that these point mutants could not rescue the cells after the folB knockout. These results indicate that aldolase and/or epimerase activities are crucial for the survival of Mtb. The construction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis folB-GFP fusion (Mtb) strains containing wild-type folB gene sequence or a deleted C-terminal mutant (folB?C), devoid of the sequence presumably necessary for anchoring the enzyme within nanocage compartments, were performed and together with other cell biology methods described in this work will be used for a better understanding of MtDHNA/FolB cellular functions and for the validation of this enzyme as a therapeutic target.
A tuberculose (TB) tornou-se a principal causa mundial de morte por doen?as infecciosas. Em 2015, de acordo com a OMS, surgiram 10,4 milh?es de novos casos de tuberculose no mundo. Atualmente os tratamentos comumente utilizados n?o s?o eficientes contra as formas da doen?a resistentes aos f?rmacos anti-TB mais eficazes, sendo necess?rios f?rmacos com novos mecanismos de a??o. A di-hidroneopterina aldolase de Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtDHNA/FolB) ? uma enzima da via do folato, codificada pelo gene folB, que apresenta caracter?sticas importantes que a tornam um potencial alvo para s?ntese de novos agentes antimicrobianos. Neste estudo, por meio de mutag?nese s?tio-direcionada, an?lises bioqu?micas e experimentos de nocaute g?nico, demostramos que o gene folB ? essencial para a sobreviv?ncia de Mtb, e al?m disso provamos que essa essencialidade depende das atividades de aldolase/epimerase da prote?na MtFolB. O gene do tipo selvagem (wt) e os mutantes pontuais K99A e Y54F foram clonados e expressos, e as prote?nas recombinantes correspondentes foram purificadas e monitoradas para as atividades de aldolase, epimerase e oxigenase utilizando HPLC. Em contraste com a enzima MtFolB selvagem (wt), ambas as mutantes n?o apresentaram atividade de aldolase nem de epimerase nas condi??es testadas. A mutante Y54F manteve a atividade da oxigenase, enquanto que para a mutante K99A foi poss?vel detectar a atividade de oxigenase apenas na presen?a de HP e GA como substratos. Os experimentos de nocaute mostraram que o gene folB ? essencial para a sobreviv?ncia de Mtb sob as condi??es testadas. Entretanto, diferentemente da c?pia selvagem, quando as sequ?ncias que codificam os mutantes K99A ou Y54F foram utilizadas para complementa??o, n?o foram obtidas col?nias vi?veis, indicando que estes mutantes pontuais n?o poderiam resgatar as c?lulas ap?s o nocaute do gene folB. Esses resultados indicam que as atividades de aldolase e/ou epimerase s?o cruciais para a sobreviv?ncia de Mtb. A constru??o de cepas com fus?o folB-GFP de Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) que cont?m a sequ?ncia do tipo selvagem do gene folB ou um mutante com o C-terminal deletado (folB?C), desprovida da sequ?ncia supostamente necess?ria para a ancoragem da enzima dentro dos compartimentos de nanocargas, foram realizadas e juntamente com outros m?todos de biologia celular descritos neste trabalho tamb?m poder?o ser utilizados para um melhor entendimento das fun??es celulares apresentadas por MtDHNA/FolB e para valida??o dessa enzima como potencial alvo terap?utico.

Los estudios realizados sobre las proteínas Arv indican que estaría involucrada en la regulación de la homeostasis de esteroles y esfingolípidos. En levadura se observó una posible función en la síntesis de GPI (Kajiwara et al., 2008) y respecto a su topología, posee 3 dominios hidrofóbicos con el extremo N-terminal orientado hacia el citosol (Villasmil y Nickels 2011). En plantas, se caracterizaron los genes AtARV1 y AtARV2 de Arabidopsis thaliana que codifican dos proteínas de RE funcionales, AtArv1 y AtArv2. Estas comparten una identidad del 66% entre sí y poseen un dominio N-terminal AHD muy conservado en diferentes especies. Ambos genes poseen patrones solapantes de expresión en tejidos meristemáticos, excepto en hojas donde AtARV2 no se expresa (Forés et al., 2006). En este trabajo se determinó que AtArv1 posee un número par de dominios hidrofóbicos y que los extremos N- y C-terminales están orientados hacia el citosol. Además, se caracterizaron mutantes simples con pérdida de función (arv1) y dobles (arv1:arv2), que si bien no mostraron alteraciones fenotípicas, la activación de un RNAi en los doble mutantes arv1:arv2 indica que la pérdida de AtArv produce alteraciones fenotípicas en plántulas, que presentan acortamiento de la raíz y de los cotiledones que se vuelven amarillentos y se curvan en forma de « punta de flecha ». Los niveles de esteroles disminuyen y se ven incrementadas algunas BECL (Bases Esfingoides de Cadena Larga). Por otro lado, AtArv1 no parece estar vinculada a la UPR (Unfolded Protein Response) y su pérdida no es capaz de activar esta respuesta. La farnesildifosfato sintasa (FPS) es una enzima dimérica que cataliza la condensación de una molécula de dimetilalildifosfato con dos moléculas de isopentenildifosfato para dar lugar a farnesildifosfato, que es el punto de partida para la síntesis de isoprenoides en el citosol y las mitocondrias. Los genes FPS1 y FPS2 de Arabidopsis thaliana codifican las isoenzimas FPS1L mitocondrial), FPS1S y FPS2. Las secuencias aminoacídicas de FPS1S y FPS2 poseen una identidad del 90.6% y difieren en sólo 32 aminoácidos. El gen FPS1 se expresa de forma generalizada durante todo el desarrollo de la planta, en cambio, FPS2 muestra un patrón de expresión restringido a órganos florales, semillas y estadios tempranos de la germinación. En la caracterización de los mutantes nulos de Arabidopsis fps1 y fps2 se observó que el gen FPS2 es más importante en las semillas y las etapas tempranas de la germinación. La isoenzima FPS2 contribuye entre un 70-80% a la actividad FPS total en semillas maduras. Como consecuencia, las semillas del mutante fps2 presentan niveles reducidos de sitosterol, un aumento de la actividad HMG-CoA reductasa (HMGR) e hipersensibilidad a la mevastatina (Closa et al., 2010). En este trabajo se ha determinado mediante ensayos bioquímicos, que la isoenzima FPS2 es catalíticamente más eficiente, más sensible al efecto inhibitorio del NaCl, y termodinámicamente más estable que FPS1S. También se ha demostrado la localización citosólica de ambas isoenzimas. Los patrones de expresión de los genes FPS1 y FPS2 son complementarios en semilla e indican que el FPP necesario para el desarrollo de las semillas tiene dos posibles orígenes separados en el espacio y en el tiempo. Por último, los estudios de complementación funcional en semillas del mutante fps2 demuestran que en condiciones normales FPS1S y FPS2 son funcionalmente intercambiables.
The previously characterized Arabidopsis thaliana proteins AtArv1 and AtArv2 have been suggested to be involved in the regulation of cellular lipid homeostasis as demonstrated for their yeast and mammalian counterparts. In this study, we established the citosolic orientation of both N- and C-terminal ends of the AtArv1 protein in the yeast ER membrane. Functional complementation assays of an arv1Δ yeast strain with a truncated AtArv1 protein also showed that the C-terminal 31 aminoacids are essential for AtArv1 function. Characterization of single Arabidopsis arv mutants did not reveal any effect on plant phenotype. On the contrary, characterization of loss-of-function Arabidopsis arv1:arv2 double mutants obtained by inducible siRNA-mediated silencing of AtARV genes demonstrated that lack of AtArv function leads to reduced root lenght and pale green curved cotiledons as well as to reduced levels of major sterols and increased levels of some sphingolipid LCBs (Long Chain Bases). In contrast to S. cerevisiae Arv1p, AtArv is not involved in the UPR (Unfolded Protein Response) in Arabidopsis since lack of AtArv1 does not activate this response. Previous results obtained in our laboratory showed that Arabidopsis thaliana contains two genes encoding farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (FPS), the short-chain prenyl diphoshate synthase that catalyzes the synthesis of FPP from isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). The FPS1 gene is widely expressed in all plant tissues throughout development, whereas FPS2 shows a pattern of expression restricted to specific floral organs, developing and mature seeds. Characterization of fps single knock-out mutants suggested that FPS2 has a major role in seeds and during the early stages of seedling development. Actually, FPS2 provides 70-80% of total FPS activity in mature Arabidopsis seeds, hence lack of FPS2 activity in seeds leads to a marked reduction in sitosterol content and a positive feedback regulatory response of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) activity that renders seeds hypersensitive to mevastatin. In this study, we provide evidence that the two Arabidopsis short FPS isozymes FPS1S and FPS2 localize to the cytosol. Biochemical characterization of these recombinant enzymes expressed in E. coli, revealed that, despite FPS1S and FPS2 share more than 90% amino acid sequence identity, FPS2 is more efficient as a catalyst, more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of NaCl, and more resistant to thermal inactivation than FPS1S. Expression analysis of FPS::GUS genes in seeds also showed that FPS1 and FPS2 display complementary patterns of expression particularly at late stages of seed development, which suggests that developping Arabidopsis seeds have two spatially segregated sources of FPP. Functional complementation studies of the fps2 knock-out mutant seed phenotypes demonstrated that at least under normal conditions FPS1S and FPS2 are functionally interchangeable.

博士
國防醫學院
生命科學研究所
89
Fis functions as a global transcription factor to regulate transcription of different genes in Escherichia coli. Previous studies have shown that the same activation region on Fis is used at rrnB P1 and proP P2 promoters where Fis serves as a Class I and a Class II transcription activator, respectively. In both cases, mutational and biochemical studies indicate that the transcriptional activation region of Fis is located on the BC turn region which directly interacts with the C-terminal domain of the a subunit of RNA polymerase (aCTD of RNAP). Here, the crystal structures of six Fis mutants, Q68A, R71Y, R71L, G72A, G72D and Q74A, with different transcriptional activation properties, were determined at 1.9 to 2.8 Å resolution. The orthorhombic unit cells of the mutants, Q68A, G72A, G72D and Q74A, are isomorphous to that of wild-type Fis. Two of the Arg71 mutants, R71Y and R71L, crystallized in different unit cells and their crystal structures were solved by using the molecular replacement method. The crystal structure of R71L mutant provides the most complete Fis model to date in that the extended structure of the N-terminal region is completely revealed. Due to the different crystal packing, the b-hairpin arms are observed in the structures of R71L and R71Y, but they shift largely as compared to the one previously observed in K36E. This result indicates that the b-hairpin arm is highly flexible in solution as suggested before. The overall structures of the six BC turn mutants are almost identical to the wild-type Fis with the rms difference ranging from 0.2 Å to 0.6 Å, and the backbones of the BC turn region of these six mutants remain in the similar gg b-turn conformation as present in the wild-type Fis. Therefore, except for the differences in the side chains, the conformations of the BC turns in the mutants are almost identical to that of the wild-type Fis. The analyses of the molecular surfaces of the transactivation region of wild-type and mutant Fis show that several residues either within or near the BC turn, including Gln68, Arg71, Gly72 and Gln74, form a ridge that could contact aCTD of RNAP on one side. The replacement of the residue in this region changes the molecular surface of this ridge that possibly results in defects in transcriptional activation. The structural and biochemical properties of the mutants suggest that Arg71 is the most critical residue for transcription activation within this ridge and the glycine at position 72 stabilizes the structure of Fis. The protein interfaces between Fis and aCTD is likely shape complementary, so G72A mutation with the addition of only a methyl group in the side chain shows a strong defect in transcription activation. The detailed nature of the interactions between Fis and RNA polymerase at different promoters will be revealed by the structural study of Fis/aCTD/DNA ternary complex that is currently under investigation.