Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.5.1.18 (glutathione S-transferase)
22,582 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Interferon (IFN)-inducible, double-stranded (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase (PKR) is a key mediator of the antiviral and antiproliferative effects of IFN. PKR is present within cells in a latent state. In response to binding dsRNA, the enzyme becomes activated, causing autophosphorylation and an increase in specific kinase activity. In order to study PKR and its inhibitors, a large amount of the enzyme in its latent, unphosphorylated state is required. When PKR is fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST-PKR) and the fusion protein is expressed in Escherichia coli, the PKR obtained is fully activated by autophosphorylation. Therefore, we have developed an expression plasmid in which both GST-PKR and bacteriophage lambda protein phosphatase (lambda-PPase) genes were placed downstream of a T7 promoter. After induction of expression, unphosphorylated GST-PKR was obtained in good yield, and purified to near homogeneity. The purified enzyme has dsRNA-dependent activation and phosphorylates the translation initiation factor eIF2 alpha. Using the recombinant protein, we analyzed the inhibition mechanisms of two viral inhibitors, vaccinia virus K3L protein and adenovirus virus-associated RNA I (VAI RNA). K3L inhibited both autophosphorylation of PKR and phosphorylation of eIF2 alpha, whereas VAI RNA inhibited only autophosphorylation. The separation of autophosphorylation and catalytic activity shows that the recombinant PKR is useful in analyzing the functions of PKR, its inhibitors, and its regulatory molecules. The coexpression system of protein kinase with lambda-PPase described here will be applicable to obtaining unphosphorylated and unactivated forms of other protein kinases.
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PMID:Expression of unphosphorylated form of human double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase in Escherichia coli. 1139 73

During lytic infections, the virion host shutoff (Vhs) protein (UL41) of herpes simplex virus destabilizes both host and viral mRNAs. By accelerating mRNA decay, it helps determine the levels and kinetics of viral and cellular gene expression. In vivo, Vhs shows a strong preference for mRNAs, as opposed to non-mRNAs, and degrades the 5' end of mRNAs prior to the 3' end. In contrast, partially purified Vhs is not restricted to mRNAs and causes cleavage of target RNAs at various sites throughout the molecule. To explain this discrepancy, we searched for cellular proteins that interact with Vhs using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae two-hybrid system. Vhs was found to interact with the human translation initiation factor, eIF4H. This interaction was verified by glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments and by coimmunoprecipitation of Vhs and epitope-tagged eIF4H from extracts of mammalian cells. The interaction was abolished by several point mutations in Vhs that abrogate its ability to degrade mRNAs in vivo. The results suggest that Vhs is a viral mRNA degradation factor that is targeted to mRNAs, and to regions of translation initiation, through an interaction with eIF4H.
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PMID:mRNA decay during herpesvirus infections: interaction between a putative viral nuclease and a cellular translation factor. 1158 95

During lytic infections, the virion host shutoff (Vhs) protein (UL41) of herpes simplex virus destabilizes both host and viral mRNAs. By accelerating the decay of all mRNAs, it helps redirect the cell from host to viral gene expression and facilitates the sequential expression of different classes of viral genes. While it is clear that Vhs induces mRNA degradation, it is uncertain whether it is itself an RNase or somehow activates a cellular enzyme. This question was addressed by using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches. The Vhs homologues of alphaherpesviruses share sequence similarities with a family of mammalian, yeast, bacterial, and phage nucleases. To test the functional significance of these similarities, Vhs was mutated to alter residues corresponding to amino acids known to be critical to the nuclease activity of cellular homologues. In every instance, mutations that inactivated the nuclease activity of cellular homologues also abolished Vhs activity. Recent experiments showed that Vhs interacts with the cellular translation initiation factor eIF4H. In this study, the coexpression of Vhs and a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-eIF4H fusion protein in bacteria resulted in the formation of a complex of the proteins. The wild-type Vhs/GST-eIF4H complex was isolated and shown to have RNase activity. In contrast, Vhs mutations that altered key residues in the nuclease motif abolished the nuclease activity of the recombinant Vhs/GST-eIF4H complex. The results provide genetic and biochemical evidence that Vhs is an RNase, either alone or as a complex with eIF4H.
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PMID:mRNA degradation by the virion host shutoff (Vhs) protein of herpes simplex virus: genetic and biochemical evidence that Vhs is a nuclease. 1216 76

Mammalian translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) is a multisubunit complex containing at least 12 subunits with an apparent aggregate mass of approximately 700 kDa. eIF3 binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit, promotes the binding of methionyl-tRNAi and mRNA, and interacts with several other initiation factors to form the 40S initiation complex. Human cDNAs encoding 11 of the 12 subunits have been isolated previously; here we report the cloning and characterization of a twelfth subunit, a 28-kDa protein named eIF3k. Evidence that eIF3k is present in the eIF3 complex was obtained. A monoclonal anti-eIF3a (p170) Ig coimmunoprecipitates eIF3k with the eIF3 complex. Affinity purification of histidine-tagged eIF3k from transiently transfected COS cells copurifies other eIF3 subunits. eIF3k colocalizes with eIF3 on 40S ribosomal subunits. eIF3k coexpressed with five other 'core' eIF3 subunits in baculovirus-infected insect cells, forms a stable, immunoprecipitatable, complex with the 'core'. eIF3k interacts directly with eIF3c, eIF3g and eIF3j by glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays. Sequences homologous with eIF3k are found in the genomes of Caenorhabitis elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana and Drosophila melanogaster, and a homologous protein has been reported to be present in wheat eIF3. Its ubiquitous expression in human tissues, yet its apparent absence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, suggest a unique regulatory role for eIF3k in higher organisms. The studies of eIF3k complete the characterization of mammalian eIF3 subunits.
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PMID:Characterization of eIF3k: a newly discovered subunit of mammalian translation initiation factor elF3. 1451 25

The TGFbetas, a family of secreted polypeptide growth factors, are critical regulators of mammalian orofacial development. The importance of the TGFbetas in development of the orofacial region in mice is underscored by the resulting orofacial clefts in mice with targeted deletion of either TGFbeta2 or TGFbeta3 and most recently, a conditional knockout of the type II TGFbeta receptor (TbetaRII) gene. The TGFbetas signal via binding to specific cell surface receptors which, in turn, activates translocation of the nucleocytoplasmic Smad transcriptional regulators. Smads 2 and 3 are TGFbeta-specific transcriptional regulators that bind DNA through their conserved MH1 domains and activate or inhibit transcription of TGFbeta-responsive genes through their MH2 domains. To search for novel Smad binding proteins expressed in developing murine orofacial tissue, a yeast two-hybrid assay was utilized to screen a cDNA expression library constructed from fetal murine orofacial tissue. Several novel Smad binding proteins were identified. These include a putative zinc finger protein (ZNF198), peroxisomal biogenesis factor 6 (Pex6), eucaryotic translation initiation factor 4E nuclear import factor 1 (4-ET), and splicing factor 3b subunit 2 (SF3b2). Results of the yeast two-hybrid screen were verified by GST pull-down assays which confirmed the interaction of these proteins with the MH2 domain of Smad 3, and also indicated interaction of these proteins with additional Smad family members. The identification of these proteins as Smad binding partners allows exploration of new mechanisms whereby TGFbeta signaling may be regulated, and reveals additional potential interactions with other signaling pathways.
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PMID:Identification of novel Smad binding proteins. 1465 98

During lytic infections, the virion host shutoff (Vhs) protein of herpes simplex virus accelerates the degradation of both host and viral mRNAs. In so doing, it helps redirect the cell from host to viral protein synthesis and facilitates the sequential expression of different viral genes. Vhs interacts with the cellular translation initiation factor eIF4H, and several point mutations that abolish its mRNA degradative activity also abrogate its ability to bind eIF4H. In addition, a complex containing bacterially expressed Vhs and a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-eIF4H fusion protein has RNase activity. eIF4H shares a region of sequence homology with eIF4B, and it appears to be functionally similar in that both stimulate the RNA helicase activity of eIF4A, a component of the mRNA cap-binding complex eIF4F. We show that eIF4H interacts physically with eIF4A in the yeast two-hybrid system and in GST pull-down assays and that the two proteins can be coimmunoprecipitated from mammalian cells. Vhs also interacts with eIF4A in GST pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation assays. Site-directed mutagenesis of Vhs and eIF4H revealed residues of each that are important for their mutual interaction, but not for their interaction with eIF4A. Thus, Vhs, eIF4H, and eIF4A comprise a group of proteins, each of which is able to interact directly with the other two. Whether they interact simultaneously as a tripartite complex or sequentially is unclear. The data suggest a mechanism for linking the degradation of an mRNA to its translation and for targeting Vhs to mRNAs and to regions of translation initiation.
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PMID:mRNA decay during herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections: protein-protein interactions involving the HSV virion host shutoff protein and translation factors eIF4H and eIF4A. 1601 27

The exon junction complex (EJC) is deposited on mRNAs by the process of pre-mRNA splicing and is a key effector of downstream mRNA metabolism. We previously demonstrated that human eIF4AIII, which is essential for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), constitutes at least part of the RNA-binding platform anchoring other EJC components to the spliced mRNA. To determine the regions of eIF4AIII that are functionally important for EJC formation, for binding to other EJC components, and for NMD, we now report results of an extensive mutational analysis of human eIF4AIII. Using GFP-, GST- or Flag-fusions of eIF4AIII versions containing site-specific mutations or truncations, we analyzed subcellular localizations, protein-protein interactions, and EJC formation in vivo and in vitro. We also tested whether mutant proteins could rescue NMD inhibition resulting from RNAi depletion of endogenous eIF4AIII. Motifs Ia and VI, which are conserved among the eIF4A family of RNA helicases (DEAD-box proteins), are crucial for EJC formation and NMD, as is one eIF4AIII-specific region. An additional eIF4AIII-specific motif forms part of the binding site for MLN51, another EJC core component. Mutations in the canonical Walker A and B motifs that eliminate RNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis by eIF4AIII in vitro are of no detectable consequence for EJC formation and NMD activation. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of other recent results and a new structural model for human eIF4AIII based on the known crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF4AI.
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PMID:Mutational analysis of human eIF4AIII identifies regions necessary for exon junction complex formation and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. 1649 34

This chapter aims to describe methods to identify and characterize protein-protein interactions that were developed during our studies on translation initiation factor complexes. Methods include the two-hybrid assay, the GST pull-down assay, and the coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay. The two-hybrid assay provides for a convenient start to find the minimal interaction domains, which generally produce well-behaved recombinant proteins suited for various in vitro interaction assays. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating physiological relevance of identified interactions. The effective strategy is to find mutations that reduce the interaction by genetic or site-directed mutational approaches and obtain correlations between their effects in vitro (GST pull down) and effects in vivo (co-IP).
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PMID:Localization and characterization of protein-protein interaction sites. 1791 22

Initiation of protein synthesis in bacteria relies on the presence of three translation initiation factors, of which translation initiation factor IF1 is the smallest having a molecular weight of only 8.2kDa. In addition to its function in this highly dynamic process, the essential IF1 protein also functions as an RNA chaperone. Despite extensive research, the exact function of IF1 in translation initiation has not yet been determined, and the research in the function of the factor has in some areas been impeded by the lack of monoclonal antibodies specific for this protein. Several attempts to induce immune response in mice with wild-type IF1 for the production of antibodies have failed. We have now succeeded in producing monoclonal antibodies specific for IF1 by applying a new immunization strategy involving an antigen combination of IF1 coupled to glutathione S-transferase (GST) and a recombinant dimer of IF1. This resulted in the generation of 6 IgG, 2 IgM, and 1 IgA anti-IF1 antibodies, which can be used in ELISA screening and Western immunoblots. We also provide a mapping of the functional epitopes of the generated anti-IF1 monoclonal antibodies by screening the antibodies for binding to IF1 proteins mutated at single amino acid positions.
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PMID:Production and epitope characterization of mAbs specific for translation factor IF1. 1793 21

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1A (eIF1A) functions as an mRNA scanner and AUG initiation codon locator. However, few studies have clarified the role of eIF1A in abiotic stress. In this study, we cloned eIF1A (TheIF1A) from Tamarix hispida and found its expression to be induced by NaCl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) in roots, stems, and leaves. Compared to control, TheIF1A root expression was increased 187.63-fold when exposed to NaCl for 6 h, suggesting a potential abiotic stress response for this gene. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing TheIF1A exhibited enhanced seed germination and a higher total chlorophyll content under salt and mannitol stresses. Increased superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, glutathione transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities, as well as decreased electrolyte leakage rates and malondialdehyde contents, were observed in TheIF1A-transgenic tobacco and T. hispida seedlings under salt and mannitol stresses. Histochemical staining suggested that TheIF1A improves reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in plants. Moreover, TheIF1A may regulate expression of stress-related genes, including TOBLTP, GST, MnSOD, NtMPK9, poxN1, and CDPK15. Moreover, a 1352-bp promoter fragment of TheIF1A was isolated, and cis-elements were identified. Yeast one-hybrid assays showed that ThDof can specifically bind to the Dof motif present in the promoter. In addition, ThDof showed expression patterns similar to those of TheIF1A under NaCl and PEG stresses. These findings suggest the potential mechanism and physiological roles of TheIF1A. ThDof may be an upstream regulator of TheIF1A, and TheIF1A may function as a stress response regulator to improve plant salt and osmotic stress tolerance via regulation of associated enzymes and ROS scavenging, thereby reducing cell damage under stress conditions.
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PMID:The Translation Initiation Factor 1A (TheIF1A) from Tamarix hispida Is Regulated by a Dof Transcription Factor and Increased Abiotic Stress Tolerance. 2843 84


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