含铬或锰的新型固氮酶的纯化, 特性和结晶—棕色固氮菌突变种UW3中CrFe蛋白和MnFe蛋白的研究

以含MnSO4或Na2CrO4的无钼无氨的修改Burk’s培养基， 培养不能合成含钼固氮酶体系的棕色固氮菌 (Azotobacter vinelandii Lipmann) 突变种UW3， 发现在一定浓度范围内， MnSO4或Na2CrO4的加入有助于促进其生长。 菌体生长和C2H2还原活性曲线测定结果表明， 这种促进作用很可能是通过Mn或Cr取代Mo， 参与组装固氮酶中心原子簇， 从而影响固氮活性而实现的。 利用阴离子交换 (DEAE-52和Q-Sepharose FF) 和凝胶过滤 (Sephacryl S-200) 柱层析从两种菌体中纯化得到固氮酶组分Ⅰ蛋白 (分别命名为MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白)， 并对其进行了特性研究。 厌氧天然聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳 (PAGE) 和SDS-PAGE结果显示， 两种蛋白均为两种亚基组成的四聚体。 亚基可以与OP MoFe蛋白抗体发生免疫反应， 分子量分别略小于野生种OP MoFe蛋白的α和β亚基。 CrFe蛋白的C2H2还原活性， Ar下放氢活性和固氮活性分别相当于OP MoFe蛋白的36%， 38%和43%， 而MnFe蛋白活性相当于OP MoFe蛋白的50%左右， 并且两种蛋白与OP MoFe蛋白具有相似的固氮电子利用率。 对两种蛋白金属含量的测定证实其中分别含有Mn和Cr， 但仍存在少量Mo污染。 与OP MoFe蛋白相比，这两种蛋白圆二色谱的摩尔椭圆率 ([θ]) 除在450nm较接近外，在可见光区的其它波长处均显著降低。 与DT还原OP MoFe蛋白相似， CrFe蛋白和MnFe蛋白具有g≈4。3、3。7和2。0的特征EPR信号， 但各处信号强度比例不同。 在对污染Mo可能引起的信号进行校正后，CrFe蛋白的三个信号强度分别相当于DT还原OP MoFe蛋白的20%， 0%和10%， 而MnFe蛋白则分别相当于112%， 49%和65%。 上述结果表明， CrFe蛋白和MnFe蛋白与OP MoFe蛋白金属原子簇的主要差异很可能在于FeMco (M=Cr， Mn或Mo)的M种类， 而P-cluster结构和组成均未见大的差异。 利用气相扩散悬滴法对MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白结晶条件进行了筛选和初步优化， 确定了以Tris/Hepes， NaCl， MgCl2和PEG 8000为主要变量的沉淀剂体系， 寻找各组分对于晶体生长的最适浓度。 以此为基础探讨了应用气相扩散坐滴法和液-液扩散法对两种蛋白结晶条件的优化。 在一定条件下， 两种蛋白分别通过液-液扩散法获得了优质大单晶。 对从CrFe蛋白和MnFe蛋白制备物中培养出的蛋白质晶体的SDS-PAGE鉴定显示， 晶体由与OP MoFe蛋白相似的两种亚基组成。 通过 “神舟三号” 飞船搭载实验探讨了空间微重力对于厌氧蛋白质结晶的影响， 结果表明， 微重力有助于避免孪晶形成， 并具有长期培养后获得适于进行X-射线衍射分析的优质大单晶的潜在前景。 结合空间科学使固氮酶结构与功能研究得以发展， 这项工作是有意义并且可行的。

棕色固氮菌突变种(UW45、DJ54和DJ35)的缺失FeMoco钼铁蛋白的纯化、特性鉴定及结晶研究

一．棕色固氮菌突变种UW45、缺失nifH（DJ54）和缺失nifE(DJ35)突变种的钼铁蛋白的纯化、特性鉴定及结晶研究 棕色固氮菌突变种UW45的菌体破碎后，所得粗提物经两次DEAE 52柱层析后得到部分纯的nifB- MoFe蛋白和Fe蛋白。再经Sephacryl S-300和 DEAE柱的进一步纯化，便使nifB- MoFe蛋白基本达到SDS凝胶电泳纯。SDS-PAGE结果表明，nifB- MoFe蛋白具有与野生型棕色固氮菌（OP）MoFe蛋白相同的亚基种类和组成。此粗提物可为用NMF抽提的 OP MoFe蛋白的FeMoco激活，所得Fe蛋白具有与OP Fe蛋白相似的互补活性，可使OP MoFe的比活性达到2192 nmol C2H2/min/mg蛋白。FeMoco可使无互补活性的 nifB- MoFe蛋白与nifB- Fe蛋白组成具有可观放氢活性的固氮酶，使FeMoco显出的比活性接近文献报道的还原乙炔的最高值。对nifB- MoFe蛋白的结晶及晶体生长进行了的研究，初步探讨了结晶溶液各组分的种类和浓度、结晶方法和实验操作等与能否出现晶体及晶体的数目、大小、质量、形状和出晶时间等的相互关系。在结晶实验时，一次就得到了国内外尚未报道的该蛋白的短斜四棱柱的棕色晶体。目前所得的最大的晶体的二维边长都为0.1mm。初步结果表明，这种晶体可能就是nifB- MoFe蛋白的晶体。 从棕色固氮菌突变种DJ54中得到了ΔnifH MoFe蛋白;并参与了棕色固氮菌突变种DJ35的ΔnifE MoFe蛋白的分离纯化，所用方法与nifB- MoFe蛋白的分离纯化相似。对这两种突变种蛋白的特性和结晶进行了初步研究。在结晶实验时，也是一次就得到了国内外尚未报道的ΔnifH MoFe蛋白和ΔnifEMoFe蛋白的晶体。 二．新型固氮酶MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白的特性与结晶研究 在已有的工作基础上，分离纯化了几批MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白，并用部分纯的nifB- Fe蛋白进行活性互补，分别测定了MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白的底物还原活性。不断优化MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白晶体生长条件，获得了晶质良好的MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白的较大晶体。 在2001年的“神舟2号”飞船搭载实验中，MnFe蛋白的出晶率达到100%，所获得的晶体也比地面对照略厚些。继续进行MnFe蛋白和CrFe蛋白的空间计划的地面匹配实验，以满足对蛋白质样品的要求，以保证宇宙飞船“神舟3号”的蛋白质搭载实验获得更好的结果。

固氮菌突变种DJ35钼铁蛋白和UW3细菌铁蛋白的纯化、特性、晶体生长及鉴定

一、棕色固氮菌突变种DJ35固氮酶钼铁蛋白的纯化、体外重组及结晶研究 　　棕色固氮菌(Azotobacter vinelandii Lipmann)突变种DJ35的菌体破碎后，所得的未经加热的粗提物经DEAE Cellulose 52柱层析后得到部分纯的钼铁蛋白（ΔnifE Av1）和铁蛋白(Av2)。部分纯的ΔnifE Av1再经Sephacryl S-300和Q-Sepharose Fast Flow柱层析进一步纯化，便首次得到SDS凝胶电泳检测为基本纯的ΔnifE Av1。SDS-PAGE及Western blotting的结果表明，ΔnifE Av1具有与野生型棕色固氮菌钼铁蛋白(OP Av1)相同的亚基种类和组成（α2β2）。质子还原活性测定表明，在与Av2进行活性互补时ΔnifE Av1不具有明显的质子还原活性，而与从OP Av1抽提出的FeMoco抽提液保温后便可与Av2实现活性互补。这表明，ΔnifE Av1是一种缺失FeMoco的钼铁蛋白。 　　将ΔnifE Av1用过量的邻菲啰啉(o-phenanthroline)厌氧处理并经Sephadex G-25柱层析分离后，便得到部分丢失Fe的ΔnifE Av1©。在同时存在Av2和MgATP发生系统的条件下，ΔnifE Av1©, 而不是处理前的ΔnifE Av1，可为由KMnO4或Na2CrO4、高柠檬酸铁、Na2S、Na2S2O4 和二硫苏糖醇组成的含Mn或含Cr重组液(RS-Mn或RS-Cr)显著激活，但在缺少MgATP或Av2的条件下，RS-Mn和RS-Cr则不能激活ΔnifE Av1©。这就表明，RS-Mn和RS-Cr对ΔnifE Av1©的激活都需要邻菲啰啉的预处理及Av2和MgATP的同时存在。从分别缺失nifZ和nifB点突变的固氮菌突变种DJ194和UW45中纯化得到的钼铁蛋白，ΔnifZ Av1和NifB- Av1，经邻菲啰啉厌氧处理并经Sephadex G-25柱层析分离后，也分别得到部分丢失Fe的ΔnifZ Av1©和NifB- Av1©。与ΔnifE Av1©一样，这两种蛋白在Av2和MgATP同时存在时也可被RS-Cr和含Mo重组液（RS-Mo）明显激活。 　　为获得可供X-射线衍射的ΔnifE Av1的大单晶，对组成蛋白质沉淀剂的各种化合物的种类和浓度、缓冲液的pH值、结晶方法及蛋白样品的批次、浓度等结晶条件进行了大量优化研究。首次获得了ΔnifE Av1的深棕色短斜四棱柱晶体，并对其蛋白组成进行了鉴定。 二、铬铁蛋白中残存的棕色固氮菌细菌铁蛋白的晶体生长及鉴定 　　从无钼、无氨而含铬的固氮培养基中生长的棕色固氮菌突变种UW3中纯化得到了部分纯的CrFe蛋白。在试图培养CrFe蛋白大晶体时发现，棕色晶体和砖红色晶体可同时或单独出现。SDS-和厌氧天然-PAGE皆表明，棕色晶体主要由与Av1类似大小的亚基（~60 kD）组成，而砖红色晶体则主要由~20 kD亚基组成。Western-blotting表明只有~60 kD亚基可与OP Av1的抗体发生反应，而~20 kD亚基则无这种反应。在部分纯的CrFe蛋白中，~20 kD的蛋白含量远低于~60 kD蛋白的含量，表明由这种小亚基组成的蛋白只是CrFe蛋白中的一种污染蛋白。用3,5-二氨基苯甲酸染色的天然电泳表明，形成砖红色和棕色晶体的蛋白是迁移率不同的两种含铁蛋白。质谱分析表明，该晶体蛋白为棕色固氮菌的细菌铁蛋白（AvBF）。分辨率为2.34 Å的X-射线衍射结果也表明，砖红色晶体属于H3空间群，晶胞参数为a = 124.965 Å, b= 124.965 Å 和 c = 287.406 Å。首次完成的结构解析也表明，这种砖红色晶体确为24聚体的AvBF。 关键词：棕色固氮菌突变种DJ35和UW3; ΔnifE Av1; 铬铁蛋白; 细菌铁蛋白; 纯化和特性; 体外激活组装; 晶体生长及组成鉴定

Membrane associated transporter protein gene (SLC45A2) and the genetic basis of normal human pigmentation variation

This work is concerned with the genetic basis of normal human pigmentation variation. Specifically, the role of polymorphisms within the solute carrier family 45 member 2 (SLC45A2 or membrane associated transporter protein; MATP) gene were investigated with respect to variation in hair, skin and eye colour ― both between and within populations. SLC45A2 is an important regulator of melanin production and mutations in the gene underly the most recently identified form of oculocutaneous albinism. There is evidence to suggest that non-synonymous polymorphisms in SLC45A2 are associated with normal pigmentation variation between populations. Therefore, the underlying hypothesis of this thesis is that polymorphisms in SLC45A2 will alter the function or regulation of the protein, thereby altering the important role it plays in melanogenesis and providing a mechanism for normal pigmentation variation. In order to investigate the role that SLC45A2 polymorphisms play in human pigmentation variation, a DNA database was established which collected pigmentation phenotypic information and blood samples of more than 700 individuals. This database was used as the foundation for two association studies outlined in this thesis, the first of which involved genotyping two previously-described non-synonymous polymorphisms, p.Glu272Lys and p.Phe374Leu, in four different population groups. For both polymorphisms, allele frequencies were significantly different between population groups and the 272Lys and 374Leu alleles were strongly associated with black hair, brown eyes and olive skin colour in Caucasians. This was the first report to show that SLC45A2 polymorphisms were associated with normal human intra-population pigmentation variation. The second association study involved genotyping several SLC45A2 promoter polymorphisms to determine if they also played a role in pigmentation variation. Firstly, the transcription start site (TSS), and hence putative proximal promoter region, was identified using 5' RNA ligase mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RLM-RACE). Two alternate TSSs were identified and the putative promoter region was screened for novel polymorphisms using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC). A novel duplication (c.–1176_–1174dupAAT) was identified along with other previously described single nucleotide polymorphisms (c.–1721C>G and c.–1169G>A). Strong linkage disequilibrium ensured that all three polymorphisms were associated with skin colour such that the –1721G, +dup and –1169A alleles were associated with olive skin in Caucasians. No linkage disequilibrium was observed between the promoter and coding region polymorphisms, suggesting independent effects. The association analyses were complemented with functional data, showing that the –1721G, +dup and –1169A alleles significantly decreased SLC45A2 transcriptional activity. Based on in silico bioinformatic analysis that showed these alleles remove a microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) binding site, and that MITF is a known regulator of SLC45A2 (Baxter and Pavan, 2002; Du and Fisher, 2002), it was postulated that SLC45A2 promoter polymorphisms could contribute to the regulation of pigmentation by altering MITF binding affinity. Further characterisation of the SLC45A2 promoter was carried out using luciferase reporter assays to determine the transcriptional activity of different regions of the promoter. Five constructs were designed of increasing length and their promoter activity evaluated. Constitutive promoter activity was observed within the first ~200 bp and promoter activity increased as the construct size increased. The functional impact of the –1721G, +dup and –1169A alleles, which removed a MITF consensus binding site, were assessed using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and expression analysis of genotyped melanoblast and melanocyte cell lines. EMSA results confirmed that the promoter polymorphisms affected DNA-protein binding. Interestingly, however, the protein/s involved were not MITF, or at least MITF was not the protein directly binding to the DNA. In an effort to more thoroughly characterise the functional consequences of SLC45A2 promoter polymorphisms, the mRNA expression levels of SLC45A2 and MITF were determined in melanocyte/melanoblast cell lines. Based on SLC45A2’s role in processing and trafficking TYRP1 from the trans-Golgi network to stage 2 melanosmes, the mRNA expression of TYRP1 was also investigated. Expression results suggested a coordinated expression of pigmentation genes. This thesis has substantially contributed to the field of pigmentation by showing that SLC45A2 polymorphisms not only show allele frequency differences between population groups, but also contribute to normal pigmentation variation within a Caucasian population. In addition, promoter polymorphisms have been shown to have functional consequences for SLC45A2 transcription and the expression of other pigmentation genes. Combined, the data presented in this work supports the notion that SLC45A2 is an important contributor to normal pigmentation variation and should be the target of further research to elucidate its role in determining pigmentation phenotypes. Understanding SLC45A2’s function may lead to the development of therapeutic interventions for oculocutaneous albinism and other disorders of pigmentation. It may also help in our understanding of skin cancer susceptibility and evolutionary adaptation to different UV environments, and contribute to the forensic application of pigmentation phenotype prediction.

Expression of Potato virus Y cytoplasmic inclusion protein in tobacco results in disorganization of parenchyma cells, distortion of epidermal cells, and induces mitochondrial and chloroplast abnormalities, formation of membrane whorls and atypical lipid accumulation

Infection of plant cells by potyviruses induces the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions ranging in size from 200 to 1000 nm. To determine if the ability to form these ordered, insoluble structures is intrinsic to the potyviral cytoplasmic inclusion protein, we have expressed the cytoplasmic inclusion protein from Potato virus Y in tobacco under the control of the chrysanthemum ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit promoter, a highly active, green tissue promoter. No cytoplasmic inclusions were observed in the leaves of transgenic tobacco using transmission electron microscopy, despite being able to clearly visualize these inclusions in Potato virus Y infected tobacco leaves under the same conditions. However, we did observe a wide range of tissue and sub-cellular abnormalities associated with the expression of the Potato virus Y cytoplasmic inclusion protein. These changes included the disruption of normal cell morphology and organization in leaves, mitochondrial and chloroplast internal reorganization, and the formation of atypical lipid accumulations. Despite these significant structural changes, however, transgenic tobacco plants were viable and the results are discussed in the context of potyviral cytoplasmic inclusion protein function.

Biochemical characterization of Aprataxin, the protein deficient in Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia type 1

Neurodegenerative disorders are heterogenous in nature and include a range of ataxias with oculomotor apraxia, which are characterised by a wide variety of neurological and ophthalmological features. This family includes recessive and dominant disorders. A subfamily of autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias are characterised by defects in the cellular response to DNA damage. These include the well characterised disorders Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) and Ataxia-Telangiectasia Like Disorder (A-TLD) as well as the recently identified diseases Spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy Type 1 (SCAN1), Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 2 (AOA2), as well as the subject of this thesis, Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 1 (AOA1). AOA1 is caused by mutations in the APTX gene, which is located at chromosomal locus 9p13. This gene codes for the 342 amino acid protein Aprataxin. Mutations in APTX cause destabilization of Aprataxin, thus AOA1 is a result of Aprataxin deficiency. Aprataxin has three functional domains, an N-terminal Forkhead Associated (FHA) phosphoprotein interaction domain, a central Histidine Triad (HIT) nucleotide hydrolase domain and a C-terminal C2H2 zinc finger. Aprataxins FHA domain has homology to FHA domain of the DNA repair protein 5’ polynucleotide kinase 3’ phosphatase (PNKP). PNKP interacts with a range of DNA repair proteins via its FHA domain and plays a critical role in processing damaged DNA termini. The presence of this domain with a nucleotide hydrolase domain and a DNA binding motif implicated that Aprataxin may be involved in DNA repair and that AOA1 may be caused by a DNA repair deficit. This was substantiated by the interaction of Aprataxin with proteins involved in the repair of both single and double strand DNA breaks (XRay Cross-Complementing 1, XRCC4 and Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase-1) and the hypersensitivity of AOA1 patient cell lines to single and double strand break inducing agents. At the commencement of this study little was known about the in vitro and in vivo properties of Aprataxin. Initially this study focused on generation of recombinant Aprataxin proteins to facilitate examination of the in vitro properties of Aprataxin. Using recombinant Aprataxin proteins I found that Aprataxin binds to double stranded DNA. Consistent with a role for Aprataxin as a DNA repair enzyme, this binding is not sequence specific. I also report that the HIT domain of Aprataxin hydrolyses adenosine derivatives and interestingly found that this activity is competitively inhibited by DNA. This provided initial evidence that DNA binds to the HIT domain of Aprataxin. The interaction of DNA with the nucleotide hydrolase domain of Aprataxin provided initial evidence that Aprataxin may be a DNA-processing factor. Following these studies, Aprataxin was found to hydrolyse 5’adenylated DNA, which can be generated by unscheduled ligation at DNA breaks with non-standard termini. I found that cell extracts from AOA1 patients do not have DNA-adenylate hydrolase activity indicating that Aprataxin is the only DNA-adenylate hydrolase in mammalian cells. I further characterised this activity by examining the contribution of the zinc finger and FHA domains to DNA-adenylate hydrolysis by the HIT domain. I found that deletion of the zinc finger ablated the activity of the HIT domain against adenylated DNA, indicating that the zinc finger may be required for the formation of a stable enzyme-substrate complex. Deletion of the FHA domain stimulated DNA-adenylate hydrolysis, which indicated that the activity of the HIT domain may be regulated by the FHA domain. Given that the FHA domain is involved in protein-protein interactions I propose that the activity of Aprataxins HIT domain may be regulated by proteins which interact with its FHA domain. We examined this possibility by measuring the DNA-adenylate hydrolase activity of extracts from cells deficient for the Aprataxin-interacting DNA repair proteins XRCC1 and PARP-1. XRCC1 deficiency did not affect Aprataxin activity but I found that Aprataxin is destabilized in the absence of PARP-1, resulting in a deficiency of DNA-adenylate hydrolase activity in PARP-1 knockout cells. This implies a critical role for PARP-1 in the stabilization of Aprataxin. Conversely I found that PARP-1 is destabilized in the absence of Aprataxin. PARP-1 is a central player in a number of DNA repair mechanisms and this implies that not only do AOA1 cells lack Aprataxin, they may also have defects in PARP-1 dependant cellular functions. Based on this I identified a defect in a PARP-1 dependant DNA repair mechanism in AOA1 cells. Additionally, I identified elevated levels of oxidized DNA in AOA1 cells, which is indicative of a defect in Base Excision Repair (BER). I attribute this to the reduced level of the BER protein Apurinic Endonuclease 1 (APE1) I identified in Aprataxin deficient cells. This study has identified and characterised multiple DNA repair defects in AOA1 cells, indicating that Aprataxin deficiency has far-reaching cellular consequences. Consistent with the literature, I show that Aprataxin is a nuclear protein with nucleoplasmic and nucleolar distribution. Previous studies have shown that Aprataxin interacts with the nucleolar rRNA processing factor nucleolin and that AOA1 cells appear to have a mild defect in rRNA synthesis. Given the nucleolar localization of Aprataxin I examined the protein-protein interactions of Aprataxin and found that Aprataxin interacts with a number of rRNA transcription and processing factors. Based on this and the nucleolar localization of Aprataxin I proposed that Aprataxin may have an alternative role in the nucleolus. I therefore examined the transcriptional activity of Aprataxin deficient cells using nucleotide analogue incorporation. I found that AOA1 cells do not display a defect in basal levels of RNA synthesis, however they display defective transcriptional responses to DNA damage. In summary, this thesis demonstrates that Aprataxin is a DNA repair enzyme responsible for the repair of adenylated DNA termini and that it is required for stabilization of at least two other DNA repair proteins. Thus not only do AOA1 cells have no Aprataxin protein or activity, they have additional deficiencies in PolyADP Ribose Polymerase-1 and Apurinic Endonuclease 1 dependant DNA repair mechanisms. I additionally demonstrate DNA-damage inducible transcriptional defects in AOA1 cells, indicating that Aprataxin deficiency confers a broad range of cellular defects and highlighting the complexity of the cellular response to DNA damage and the multiple defects which result from Aprataxin deficiency. My detailed characterization of the cellular consequences of Aprataxin deficiency provides an important contribution to our understanding of interlinking DNA repair processes.