5-Lipoxygenase is phosphorylated by p38 kinase-dependent MAPKAP kinases

5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) catalyzes the initial steps in the formation of leukotrienes, a group of inflammatory mediators derived from arachidonic acid (AA). Here we describe that activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and in Mono Mac 6 cells leads to activation of downstream kinases, which can subsequently phosphorylate 5-LO in vitro. Different agents activated the 5-LO kinase activities, including stimuli for cellular leukotriene biosynthesis (A23187, thapsigargin, N-formyl-leucyl-phenylalanine), compounds that up-regulate the capacity for leukotriene biosynthesis (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, tumor necrosis factor α, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor), and well known p38 stimuli as sodium arsenite and sorbitol. For all stimuli, 5-LO kinase activation was counteracted by SB203580 (3 μM or less), an inhibitor of p38 kinase. At least two p38-dependent 5-LO kinase activities were found. Based on migration properties in in-gel kinase assays and immunoreactivity, one of these was identified as mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAP kinase 2). The other appeared to be MAPKAP kinase 3; however, it could not be excluded that also other p38-dependent kinases contributed. When polymorphonuclear leukocytes were incubated with sodium arsenite (strong activator of 5-LO kinases), platelet-activating factor and exogenous AA, there was a 4-fold increase in 5-LO activity as compared with incubations with only platelet-activating factor and AA. This indicates that 5-LO phosphorylation can be one factor determining cellular 5-LO activity.

New infinite families of exact sums of squares formulas, Jacobi elliptic functions, and Ramanujan’s tau function

In this paper, we give two infinite families of explicit exact formulas that generalize Jacobi’s (1829) 4 and 8 squares identities to 4n2 or 4n(n + 1) squares, respectively, without using cusp forms. Our 24 squares identity leads to a different formula for Ramanujan’s tau function τ(n), when n is odd. These results arise in the setting of Jacobi elliptic functions, Jacobi continued fractions, Hankel or Turánian determinants, Fourier series, Lambert series, inclusion/exclusion, Laplace expansion formula for determinants, and Schur functions. We have also obtained many additional infinite families of identities in this same setting that are analogous to the η-function identities in appendix I of Macdonald’s work [Macdonald, I. G. (1972) Invent. Math. 15, 91–143]. A special case of our methods yields a proof of the two conjectured [Kac, V. G. and Wakimoto, M. (1994) in Progress in Mathematics, eds. Brylinski, J.-L., Brylinski, R., Guillemin, V. & Kac, V. (Birkhäuser Boston, Boston, MA), Vol. 123, pp. 415–456] identities involving representing a positive integer by sums of 4n2 or 4n(n + 1) triangular numbers, respectively. Our 16 and 24 squares identities were originally obtained via multiple basic hypergeometric series, Gustafson’s Cℓ nonterminating 6φ5 summation theorem, and Andrews’ basic hypergeometric series proof of Jacobi’s 4 and 8 squares identities. We have (elsewhere) applied symmetry and Schur function techniques to this original approach to prove the existence of similar infinite families of sums of squares identities for n2 or n(n + 1) squares, respectively. Our sums of more than 8 squares identities are not the same as the formulas of Mathews (1895), Glaisher (1907), Ramanujan (1916), Mordell (1917, 1919), Hardy (1918, 1920), Kac and Wakimoto, and many others.

Competition for Microtubule-binding with Dual Expression of Tau Missense and Splice Isoforms

How tau mutations lead to neurodegeneration is unknown but may be related to altered microtubule binding properties of mutant tau protein. The tendency for the mutations to cluster around the microtubule-binding domain of tau or to alter the ratios of those splice isoforms that affect binding supports the view that the tau/microtubule interaction is critical and finely regulated. In cells transfected with both mutant and wild-type tau isoforms fused to either yellow fluorescent protein or cyan fluorescent protein we can observe tau fusion proteins that differ by a single amino acid or by the inclusion or exclusion of exon 10. With coexpression of mutant and wild-type tau, the mutant isoform appears diffuse throughout the cytoplasm; however, when mutant tau is expressed alone, it appears mostly bound to the microtubules. Dual imaging of the three- and four-repeat tau isoforms indicated that the expression of four-repeat tau displaced three-repeat tau from the microtubules. These results suggest that altered kinetic competition among the isoforms for microtubule binding could be a disease precipitant.

In Vitro Biosynthesis of Phosphorylated Starch in Intact Potato Amyloplasts1

Intact amyloplasts from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) were used to study starch biosynthesis and phosphorylation. Assessed by the degree of intactness and by the level of cytosolic and vacuolar contamination, the best preparations were selected by searching for amyloplasts containing small starch grains. The isolated, small amyloplasts were 80% intact and were free from cytosolic and vacuolar contamination. Biosynthetic studies of the amyloplasts showed that [1-14C]glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) was an efficient precursor for starch synthesis in a manner highly dependent on amyloplast integrity. Starch biosynthesis from [1-14C]Glc-1-P in small, intact amyloplasts was 5-fold lower and largely independent of amyloplast intactness. When [33P]Glc-6-P was administered to the amyloplasts, radiophosphorylated starch was produced. Isoamylase treatment of the starch followed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection revealed the separated phosphorylated α-glucans. Acid hydrolysis of the phosphorylated α-glucans and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography analyses showed that the incorporated phosphate was preferentially positioned at C-6 of the Glc moiety. The incorporation of radiolabel from Glc-1-P into starch in preparations of amyloplasts containing large grains was independent of intactness and most likely catalyzed by starch phosphorylase bound to naked starch grains.

Phosphorylated Nitrate Reductase and 14-3-3 Proteins1 : Site of Interaction, Effects of Ions, and Evidence for an AMP-Binding Site on 14-3-3 Proteins

The inactivation of phosphorylated nitrate reductase (NR) by the binding of 14-3-3 proteins is one of a very few unambiguous biological functions for 14-3-3 proteins. We report here that serine and threonine residues at the +6 to +8 positions, relative to the known regulatory binding site involving serine-543, are important in the interaction with GF14ω, a recombinant plant 14-3-3. Also shown is that an increase in ionic strength with KCl or inorganic phosphate, known physical effectors of NR activity, directly disrupts the binding of protein and peptide ligands to 14-3-3 proteins. Increased ionic strength attributable to KCl caused a change in conformation of GF14ω, resulting in reduced surface hydrophobicity, as visualized with a fluorescent probe. Similarly, it is shown that the 5′ isomer of AMP was specifically able to disrupt the inactive phosphorylated NR:14-3-3 complex. Using the 5′-AMP fluorescent analog trinitrophenyl-AMP, we show that there is a probable AMP-binding site on GF14ω.

Phosphorylated α(1→4)Glucans as Substrate for Potato Starch-Branching Enzyme I1

The possible involvement of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) starch-branching enzyme I (PSBE-I) in the in vivo synthesis of phosphorylated amylopectin was investigated in in vitro experiments with isolated PSBE-I using 33P-labeled phosphorylated and 3H end-labeled nonphosphorylated α(1→4)glucans as the substrates. From these radiolabeled substrates PSBE-I was shown to catalyze the formation of dual-labeled (3H/33P) phosphorylated branched polysaccharides with an average degree of polymerization of 80 to 85. The relatively high molecular mass indicated that the product was the result of multiple chain-transfer reactions. The presence of α(1→6) branch points was documented by isoamylase treatment and anion-exchange chromatography. Although the initial steps of the in vivo mechanism responsible for phosphorylation of potato starch remains elusive, the present study demonstrates that the enzyme machinery available in potato has the ability to incorporate phosphorylated α(1→4)glucans into neutral polysaccharides in an interchain catalytic reaction. Potato mini tubers synthesized phosphorylated starch from exogenously supplied 33PO43− and [U-14C]Glc at rates 4 times higher than those previously obtained using tubers from fully grown potato plants. This system was more reproducible compared with soil-grown tubers and was therefore used for preparation of 33P-labeled phosphorylated α(1→4)glucan chains.

The Chloroplast Small Heat-Shock Protein Oligomer Is Not Phosphorylated and Does Not Dissociate during Heat Stress in Vivo1

Plants synthesize several classes of small (15- to 30-kD monomer) heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) in response to heat stress, including a nuclear-encoded, chloroplast-localized sHSP (HSP21). Cytosolic sHSPs exist as large oligomers (approximately 200–800 kD) composed solely or primarily of sHSPs. Phosphorylation of mammalian sHSPs causes oligomer dissociation, which appears to be important for regulation of sHSP function. We examined the native structure and phosphorylation of chloroplast HSP21 to understand this protein's basic properties and to compare it with cytosolic sHSPs. The apparent size of native HSP21 complexes was > 200 kD and they did not dissociate during heat stress. We found no evidence that HSP21 or the plant cytosolic sHSPs are phosphorylated in vivo. A partial HSP21 complex purified from heat-stressed pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaves contained no proteins other than HSP21. Mature recombinant pea and Arabidopsis thaliana HSP21 were expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified recombinant Arabidopsis HSP21 assembled into homo-oligomeric complexes with the same apparent molecular mass as HSP21 complexes observed in heat-stressed leaf tissue. We propose that the native, functional form of chloroplast HSP21 is a large, oligomeric complex containing nine or more HSP21 subunits, and that plant sHSPs are not regulated by phosphorylation-induced dissociation.

Short-Lived and Phosphorylated Proteins Contribute to Carrier-Mediated Efflux, but Not to Influx, of Auxin in Suspension-Cultured Tobacco Cells1

Auxin is transported across the plasma membrane of plant cells by diffusion and by two carriers operating in opposite directions, the influx and efflux carriers. Both carriers most likely play an important role in controlling auxin concentration and distribution in plants but little is known regarding their regulation. We describe the influence of modifications of the transmembrane pH gradient and the effect of agents interfering with protein synthesis, protein traffic, and protein phosphorylation on the activity of the auxin carriers in suspension-cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cells. Carrier-mediated influx and efflux were monitored independently by measuring the accumulation of [14C]2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and [3H]naphthylacetic acid, respectively. The activity of the influx carrier decreased on increasing external pH and on decreasing internal pH, whereas that of the efflux carrier was only impaired on internal acidification. The efflux carrier activity was inhibited by cycloheximide, brefeldin A, and the protein kinase inhibitors staurosporine and K252a, as shown by the increased capability of treated cells to accumulate [3H]naphthylacetic acid. Kinetics and reversibility of the effect of brefeldin A were consistent with one or several components of the efflux system being turned over at the plasma membrane with a half-time of less than 10 min. Inhibition of efflux by protein kinase inhibitors suggested that protein phosphorylation was essential to sustain the activity of the efflux carrier. On the contrary, the pharmacological agents used in this study failed to inhibit [14C]2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid accumulation, suggesting that rapidly turned-over proteins or proteins activated by phosphorylation are not essential to carrier-mediated auxin influx. Our data support the idea that the efflux carrier in plants constitutes a complex system regulated at multiple levels, in marked contrast with the influx carrier. Physiological implications of the kinetic features of this regulation are discussed.

BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document} acts as a phosphate analog in proteins phosphorylated on aspartate: Structure of a BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document} complex with phosphoserine phosphatase

Protein phosphoaspartate bonds play a variety of roles. In response regulator proteins of two-component signal transduction systems, phosphorylation of an aspartate residue is coupled to a change from an inactive to an active conformation. In phosphatases and mutases of the haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) superfamily, phosphoaspartate serves as an intermediate in phosphotransfer reactions, and in P-type ATPases, also members of the HAD family, it serves in the conversion of chemical energy to ion gradients. In each case, lability of the phosphoaspartate linkage has hampered a detailed study of the phosphorylated form. For response regulators, this difficulty was recently overcome with a phosphate analog, BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document}, which yields persistent complexes with the active site aspartate of their receiver domains. We now extend the application of this analog to a HAD superfamily member by solving at 1.5-Å resolution the x-ray crystal structure of the complex of BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document} with phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP) from Methanococcus jannaschii. The structure is comparable to that of a phosphoenzyme intermediate: BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document} is bound to Asp-11 with the tetrahedral geometry of a phosphoryl group, is coordinated to Mg2+, and is bound to residues surrounding the active site that are conserved in the HAD superfamily. Comparison of the active sites of BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document}⋅PSP and BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document}⋅CeY, a receiver domain/response regulator, reveals striking similarities that provide insights into the function not only of PSP but also of P-type ATPases. Our results indicate that use of BeF\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation*}{\mathrm{_{3}^{-}}}\end{equation*}\end{document} for structural studies of proteins that form phosphoaspartate linkages will extend well beyond response regulators.

cAMP-response element modulator tau is a positive regulator of testis angiotensin converting enzyme transcription.

Testis angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a unique form of ACE, only produced by male germ cells, and results from a testis-specific promoter found within the ACE gene. We have investigated the role of cAMP-response element modulator (CREM)tau in testis ACE transcription. In gel shift experiments, testes nuclear proteins retard an oligonucleotide containing the cAMP-response element (CRE) found at position -55 in the testis ACE promoter. Anti-CREM antibody supershifts this complex. Competitive gel shift shows that recombinant CREM tau protein and testis nuclear proteins have a similar specificity of binding to the tests ACE CRE. Functional analysis using in vitro transcription and transfection studies also demonstrate that CREM tau protein is a transcriptional activator of the testis ACE promoter. Western blot analysis identifies CREM tau protein in the protein-DNA complex formed between nuclear proteins and the testis ACE CRE motif. This analysis also identified other CREM isoforms in the gel-shifted complex, which are thought to be CREM tau 1/2, CREM alpha/beta, and S-CREM. These data indicate that CREM tau isoforms play an important role as a positive regulator in the tissue-specific expression of testis ACE.

Selective inhibition of Alzheimer disease-like tau aggregation by phenothiazines.

In Alzheimer disease (AD) the microtubule-associated protein tau is redistributed exponentially into paired helical filaments (PHFs) forming neurofibrillary tangles, which correlate with pyramidal cell destruction and dementia. Amorphous neuronal deposits and PHFs in AD are characterized by aggregation through the repeat domain and C-terminal truncation at Glu-391 by endogenous proteases. We show that a similar proteolytically stable complex can be generated in vitro following the self-aggregation of tau protein through a high-affinity binding site in the repeat domain. Once started, tau capture can be propagated by seeding the further accumulation of truncated tau in the presence of proteases. We have identified a nonneuroleptic phenothiazine previously used in man (methylene blue, MB), which reverses the proteolytic stability of protease-resistant PHFs by blocking the tau-tau binding interaction through the repeat domain. Although MB is inhibitory at a higher concentration than may be achieved clinically, the tau-tau binding assay was used to identify desmethyl derivatives of MB that have Ki values in the nanomolar range. Neuroleptic phenothiazines are inactive. Tau aggregation inhibitors do not affect the tau-tubulin interaction, which also occurs through the repeat domain. Our findings demonstrate that biologically selective pharmaceutical agents could be developed to facilitate the proteolytic degradation of tau aggregates and prevent the further propagation of tau capture in AD.

Phosphorylated Ser/Arg-rich proteins: limiting factors in the assembly of 200S large nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles.

We have previously shown that specific nuclear pre-mRNA transcripts and their splicing products, as well as the general population of nuclear poly(A)+ RNA, are packaged in large nuclear ribonucleoprotein (InRNP) particles that sediment at the 200S region in sucrose gradients. The InRNP particles contain all uridine-rich small nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes required for pre-mRNA splicing, as well as protein splicing factors. In this paper we show that all of the phosphorylated, mAb 104 detectable, Ser/Arg-rich essential splicing factors (SR proteins) in the nucleoplasm are integral components of the InRNP particles, whereas only part of the essential splicing factor U2AF65 (U2 snRNP auxiliary factor) and the polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB) are associated with these particles. This finding suggests a limiting role for SR proteins in the assembly of the InRNP particles. We further show that the structural integrity of InRNP particles is sensitive to variations in the phosphorylation levels of the SR proteins.