Venom peptide analysis of Vipera ammodytes meridionalis (Viperinae) and Bothrops jararacussu (Crotalinae) demonstrates subfamily-specificity of the peptidome in the family Viperidae

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pseudechis australis Venomics: Adaptation for a Defense against Microbial Pathogens and Recruitment of Body Transferrin

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ambient pH Controls Glycogen Levels by Regulating Glycogen Synthase Gene Expression in Neurospora crassa. New Insights into the pH Signaling Pathway

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Purification and properties of acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) secreted by strain 74A of the mould Neurospora crassa

Both P-i-repressible acid phosphatases, IIb (mycelial) and IIc (extracellular), synthesized by Neurospora crassa and purified to apparent homogeneity by 7.5% PAGE, are monomers, are inhibited by 2 mM ZnCl2 and are nonspecifically stimulated by salts. However, the IIc form is activated by p-nitrophenylphosphate (in a negative cooperativity effect with a K-0.5 of 2.5 mM) whereas form IIb shows Michaelis kinetics, with a K-m of 0.5 mM. Thus, since both enzymatic forms may be expressed by the same gene (pho-3), it is possible that post-translational modifications lead to the excretion of an enzymatic form with altered Michaelis kinetics compared with the enzymatic form retained by the mycelium.

Arginine methylation and binding of Hrp1p to the efficiency element for mRNA 3'-end formation

Hrp1p is a heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is involved in the cleavage and polyadenylation of the 3'-end of mRNAs and mRNA export. In addition, Hrp1p is one of several RNA-binding proteins that are posttranslationally modified by methylation at arginine residues. By using-functional recombinant Hrp1p, we have identified RNA sequences with specific high affinity binding sites. These sites correspond to the efficiency element for mRNA 3'-end formation, UAUAUA. To examine the effect of methylation on specific RNA binding, purified recombinant arginine methyltransferase (Hmt1p) was used to methylate Hrp1p. Methylated Hrp1p binds with the same affinity to UAUAUA-containing RNAs as unmethylated Hrp1p indicating that methylation does not affect specific RNA binding. However, RNA itself inhibits the methylation of Hrp1p and this inhibition is enhanced by RNAs that specifically bind Hrp1p. Taken together, these data support a model in which protein methylation occurs prior to protein-RNA binding in the nucleus.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 mimics Epstein-Barr virus EBNA1 immune evasion through central repeat domain effects on protein processing

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/human herpesvirus 8 [HHV8]) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV/HHV4) are distantly related gammaherpesviruses causing tumors in humans. KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA1) is functionally similar to the EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) protein expressed during viral latency, although they have no amino acid similarities. EBNA1 escapes cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) antigen processing by inhibiting its own proteosomal degradation and retarding its own synthesis to reduce defective ribosomal product processing. We show here that the LANA1 QED-rich central repeat (CR) region, particularly the CR2CR3 subdomain, also retards LANA1 synthesis and markedly enhances LANA1 stability in vitro and in vivo. LANA1 isoforms have half-lives greater than 24 h, and fusion of the LANA1 CR2CR3 domain to a destabilized heterologous protein markedly decreases protein turnover. Unlike EBNA1, the LANA1 CR2CR3 subdomain retards translation regardless of whether it is fused to the 5′ or 3′ end of a heterologous gene construct. Manipulation of sequence order, orientation, and composition of the CR2 and CR3 subdomains suggests that specific peptide sequences rather than RNA structures are responsible for synthesis retardation. Although mechanistic differences exist between LANA1 and EBNA1, the primary structures of both proteins have evolved to minimize provoking CTL immune responses. Simple strategies to eliminate these viral inhibitory regions may markedly improve vaccine effectiveness by maximizing CTL responses. Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

C-terminal processing of the teneurin proteins: Independent actions of a teneurin C-terminal associated peptide in hippocampal cells

Many neuropsychiatric conditions have a common set of neurological substrates associated with the integration of sensorimotor processing. The teneurins are a recently described family of proteins that play a significant role in visual and auditory development. Encoded on the terminal exon of the teneurin genes is a family of bioactive peptides, termed teneurin C-terminal associated peptides (TCAP), which regulate mood-disorder associated behaviors. Thus, the teneurin-TCAP system could represent a novel neurological system underlying the origins of a number of complex neuropsychiatric conditions. However, it is not known if TCAP-1 exerts its effects as part of a direct teneurin function, whereby TCAP represents a functional region of the larger teneurin protein, or if it has an independent role, either as a splice variant or post-translational proteolytic cleavage product of teneurin. In this study, we show that TCAP-1 can be transcribed as a smaller mRNA transcript. After translation, further processing yields a smaller 15. kDa protein containing the TCAP-1 region. In the mouse hippocampus, immunoreactive (ir) TCAP-1 is exclusively localized to the pyramidal layers of the CA1, CA2 and CA3 regions. Although the localization of TCAP and teneurin in hippocampal regions is similar, they are distinct within the cell as most ir-teneurin is found at the plasma membrane, whereas ir-TCAP-1 is predominantly found in the cytosol. Moreover, in mouse embryonic hippocampal cell culture, FITC-labeled TCAP-1 binds to the plasma membrane and is taken up into the cytosol via dynamin-dependent caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Our data provides novel evidence that TCAP-1 is structurally and functionally distinct from the larger teneurins. © 2012.

Synthesis of PTSH-modified CeO2 nanoparticles: Effect of the modifier on structure, optical properties, and dispersibility

CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the precipitation method and modified with para-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSH), either in situ or post-synthesis. The presence of PTSH in the samples was confirmed by FTIR. PXRD and FTIR analyses showed that the post-synthesis PTSH modification altered the CeO2 structure, whereas the in situ modification maintained intact the crystalline structure and UV-vis absorbance properties. For both in situ and post-synthesis modifications, TEM images revealed the presence of nanoparticles that were 5nm in size. The dispersibility of the in situ PTSH-modified material in a hydrophilic ureasil-poly(ethylene oxide) matrix was investigated using SAXS measurements, which indicated that CeO2 nanoparticles modified with PTSH in situ were less aggregated within the matrix, compared to unmodified CeO2 nanoparticles. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Análise proteômica diferencial de Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans em resposta aos sulfetos minerais calcopirita e bornita e efeito de uma proteína recombinante de A. ferrooxidans LR contendo cisteína na oxidação bacteriana da calcopirita

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia - IQ

The prion protein and New World primate phylogeny

The PrPC prion protein contains 250 amino acids with some variation among species and is expressed in several cell types. PrPC is converted to PrPSc by a post-translational process in which it acquires amino acid sequences of three-dimensional conformation of -sheets. Variations in the prion protein gene were observed among 16 genera of New World primates (Platyrrhini), and resulted in amino acid substitutions when compared with the human sequence. Seven substitutions not yet described in the literature were found: W  R at position 31 in Cebuella, T  A at position 95 in Cacajao and Chiropotes, N S at position 100 in Brachyteles, L  Q at position 130 in Leontopithecus (in the sequence responsible for generating the -sheet 1), D  E at position 144 in Lagothrix (in the sequence responsible for the -helix 1), D G at position 147 in Saguinus (also located in the -helix 1 region), and M  I at position 232 in Alouatta. The phylogenetic trees generated by parsimony, neighbor-joining and Bayesian analyses strongly support the monophyletic status of the platyrrhines, but did not resolve relationships among families. However, the results do corroborate previous findings, which indicate that the three platyrrhine families radiated rapidly from an ancient split.

Caracterização e funcionalidade das enzimas modificadoras de histona desacetilases (HDAC) e arginina peptidil deiminase 4 (PADI4) no desenvolvimento embrionário

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Análise estrutural das proteínas da seda da teia da aranha Nephila clavipes por uma abordagem proteômica

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Biophysical and Structural Characterization of the Recombinant Human eIF3L

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

How pH Modulates the Dimer-Decamer Interconversion of 2-Cys Peroxiredoxins from the Prx1 Subfamily

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A New Fluorinated Polymer Having Two Connected Rings in the Main Chain: Synthesis and Characterization of Fluorinated Poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene)

The high electronegativity and small size of the fluorine atom and the high stability of C-F bonds impart interesting properties and applications to fluorine containing polymers. The unique properties of fluoropolymers include high thermal stability, improved chemical resistance, low surface energies, low coefficients of friction, and low dielectric constants. Applications of fluorinated polymers include use as noncorrosive materials, polymer processing aids, chemically resistant and antifouling coatings, as well as interlayer dielectrics. Fluorine-containing polymers can be directly synthesized via polymerization of fluorine-containing monomers or by post-polymerization modification. The latter method can be used to attach fluorinated species, such as perfluoroalkyl groups, onto conventional polymer chains, thereby imparting properties of fluorine-containing polymers into conventional polymers and widening their range of potential applications.