Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

ABM508 is a recombinant fusion protein consisting of the N-terminal 485 amino acids of diphtheria toxin joined to alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. When expressed in Escherichia coli under the control of the tox promoter and signal sequence, ABM508 is severely degraded. When overexpressed from a thermoinducible lambda pR promoter fusion, ABM508 is largely insoluble. We compared the expression of ABM508 (501 amino acids) to a full-length mutant form of the toxin (CRM197; 535 amino acids) and found that CRM197 showed minimal proteolysis. Thus, the removal of the C-terminal 50 amino acids of the toxin destabilizes the protein, making it a target for proteases. Proteolysis of ABM508 could be reduced by removal of the tox signal sequence (thereby directing the protein to the cytoplasm) and growth in lon and htpR mutant strains of E. coli. We also showed that the solubility of tox gene products expressed in E. coli was directly related to the growth temperature of the culture. Thus, a fragment A fusion protein (223 amino acids), ABM508, and CRM197 were found in soluble extracts when expressed at 30 degrees C but could not be released by the same procedures after growth at 42 degrees C. On the basis of these observations, we fused the coding sequences for mature ABM508 to the trc promoter (inducible at 30 degrees C by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside) and expressed this construct in a lon htpR strain of E. coli. This plasmid made 10 mg of soluble tox protein per liter of culture (7.7% of the total cell protein) or 14 times more than our previous maximal level. Extracts from lon htpR cells harboring this plasmid had high levels of ADP-ribosyltransferase activity, and although proteolysis still occurred, the major tox product corresponded to full-length ABM508.
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PMID:High-level expression of a proteolytically sensitive diphtheria toxin fragment in Escherichia coli. 331 66

Fusions between the cloned yeast alpha-factor structural gene and chemically synthesized DNA segments encoding human protein analogs have been constructed. The gene fusions encode hybrid proteins that include the first 89 amino acids of the native alpha-factor precursor fused to either a small (beta-endorphin, 31 amino acids) or large (alpha-interferon, 166 amino acids) foreign protein. Proteolytic cleavage sites involved in alpha-factor maturation from the native precursor immediately precede the foreign peptide in the hybrid protein. The alpha-factor promoter was utilized to express the gene fusions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and resulted in the efficient secretion of the foreign proteins into the culture medium. The processing of the hybrid proteins has been characterized by amino acid sequence analysis of the secreted proteins. The proteolytic cleavages involved in the maturation of alpha-factor peptides from the native precursor also occur accurately in the hybrid protein. In addition, cleavages occurred on the carboxyl side of two lysines within the beta-endorphin peptide. Internal cleavages in the interferon protein were also detected. However, in this case, the cleavages occurred at a very low frequency such that greater than 95% of the secreted interferon remained intact.
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PMID:Secretion of foreign proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae directed by alpha-factor gene fusions. 608 94

Enucleation techniques combining mild centrifugation in the presence of cytochalasin B permit cells to be separated into nuclear fragments (karyoplasts) and cytoplasmic fragments (cytoplasts). These fragments, though stable for a short time, will ultimately degenerate by the procedures described in this report. One can, however, fuse cytoplasts to karyoplasts by using polyethylene glycol and obtain viable reconstituted cells whose properties may be useful for understanding some aspects of the nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions associated with tumorigenicity and steroidogenesis. However, the presence of cybrids, hybrids, and parental whole cell contaminants along with the reconstituted cell population make it necessary to have genetic markers that reside in both the nucleus and cytoplasm in order to preferentially identify reconstituted cells derived from a karyoplast fused to a cytoplast. By utilizing the Y-1 cell line, which is tumorigenic and responds to corticotropin by secreting steroids, and the AMT-BU-A1 (AMT) cell line, which is nontumorigenic and does not respond to corticotropin but has a nuclear marker, BrdUrd(r), and a cytoplasmic marker, CAP(r), we have reconstituted cells containing Y-1 karyoplasts and AMT cytoplasts. In this report we extend our previous techniques by describing an identification procedure that allowed us to isolate cells reconstituted from AMT karyoplasts fused to Y-1 cytoplasts. The results of these experiments support the concept that with these cell lines the nucleus (karyoplast) is ultimately sufficient to control the phenotypic expression or suppression of tumorigenicity and steroidogenesis.
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PMID:Alternative method for identifying reconstituted cells. 624 55

Adrenal cells secrete steroids after stimulation with corticotropin (ACTH), whereas cells reconstructed by fusing adrenal cell nuclei to fibroblast cytoplasms are temporarily (2-3 wk) unresponsive to ACTH. In this report, we characterize this inhibition by using "cybrids" (cytoplasmic hybrids) isolated by either genetic selection or a new procedure that utilizes the fluorescence-activated cell sorter and the vital mitochondrial dye rhodamine 123. Such cybrids, which contain both adrenal and fibroblast cytoplasmic components, are unable to produce steroids, suggesting the existence of cytoplasmic inhibitory factors. In order to elucidate this cytoplasmic inhibition of steroidogenesis, techniques are described that test the contribution of fibroblast mitochondria to this phenomenon. The first technique utilizes purified mitochondria, isolated from chloramphenicol (CAP)-resistant fibroblasts, to confer CAP resistance on an otherwise sensitive adrenal cell. The resulting CAPr cells, termed mitochondrial transformants, are responsive to ACTH. The second technique utilizes a procedure for isolating small fragments of cytoplasm (microcytospheres) from fibroblasts. Microcytospheres, which do not contain mitochondria, are stained with rhodamine 18, a vital membrane dye, and then fused to unstained adrenal cells. The fusion products are then isolated with the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Approximately 30% of the fusion products are inhibited in their ability to respond to ACTH. These results suggest that the fibroblast cytoplasm contains nonmitochondrial long-lived inhibitory factors that temporarily suppress steroidogenic function in adrenal cells.
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PMID:Long-lived cytoplasmic factors that suppress adrenal steroidogenesis. 628 Jan 68

The N-terminal 26 amino acids of the prohormone pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) were investigated to determine whether this region has the capacity to act as a sorting signal for the regulated secretory pathway. Constructs were made using the N-terminal 101, 50, 26 or 10 amino acids of POMC fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter protein and expressed in AtT20 cells to show that at least the first 26 amino acids were required to sort CAT to the regulated secretory pathway. Full length POMC was mutated by deleting amino acids 2-26 from the N-terminal region. Analysis of Neuro-2a cells expressing this mutation compared to wild type POMC indicated that these 26 amino acids contain information essential for sorting POMC to the regulated secretory pathway. The results presented here suggest the presence of a conformation-dependent signal in the N-terminal 26 amino acids of POMC responsible for sorting POMC to the regulated secretory pathway.
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PMID:Identification of a sorting signal for the regulated secretory pathway at the N-terminus of pro-opiomelanocortin. 781 33

The molecular signal which targets the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) prohormone into the regulated secretory pathway was investigated. DNA sequences encoding the first 10, 26, 50, and 101 N-terminal amino acids of mouse POMC were fused in frame to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and expressed in AtT-20 cells. Immunofluorescence microscopy using antibody directed against CAT indicated that fusion proteins carrying 26, 50 and 101 amino acids of N-POMC were directed to secretory granules. This finding was confirmed by secretion studies in which 1 microM forskolin stimulated the release of fusion proteins carrying 26 and 101 amino acids of N-POMC, whereas no regulated secretion was observed with the shortest fusion protein. Subcellular fractionation studies also indicated the presence of the fusion proteins with 26 and 101 amino acids of N-POMC in secretory granules. These results provide evidence that the signal directing POMC to secretory granules is contained within the N-terminus of the prohormone, with the first 26 amino acids being sufficient for targeting. Binding studies showed that N-POMC1-76 bound to secretory granule membranes specifically on the luminal side and in a pH-sensitive manner. Only N-POMC1-76 bound optimally to secretory granule membranes at pH 5 to 6.5, but not the ACTH1-39 (mid), corticotropin-like intermediate lobe peptide (CLIP) and beta-lipotropin (C-terminal) domains of POMC. Such binding may be involved in the mechanism of sorting POMC to the regulated secretory pathway.
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PMID:The amino-terminal sequence of pro-opiomelanocortin directs intracellular targeting to the regulated secretory pathway. 792 85

Neutral endopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.11, NEP) is a type-II integral membrane protein found in a wide variety of cell types. We previously produced a secreted form of the enzyme by deletion of the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains and in-frame fusion of the cleavable signal peptide of pro-opiomelanocortin [Lemay, Waksman, Roques, Crine and Boileau (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 15620-15623]. Here we have used this secreted form of NEP and fused to it the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor attachment signal of decay-accelerating factor to produce a GPI-anchored form. Expression of this chimeric form in Cos-1 cells resulted in cell-surface activity. This activity could be released from the cell surface by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and radiolabelling studies showed that the protein could incorporate [3H]ethanolamine, indicating that the enzyme was GPI-anchored. The Km value, using [D-Ala2,Leu5]enkephalin as substrate, of GPI-anchored NEP (62 +/- 5 microM) was comparable with that of wild-type NEP (70 +/- 4 microM), as were the sensitivities to the inhibitors phosphoramidon and thiorphan. However, pulse-chase studies showed that the biosynthesis and cell-surface delivery of GPI-anchored NEP was delayed compared with that of the wild-type transmembrane form of NEP. These results suggest a lower rate of biosynthesis and/or cellular transport for GPI-anchored NEP compared with its transmembrane counterpart.
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PMID:Expression of an enzymically active glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored form of neutral endopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.11) in Cos-1 cells. 816 36

A display-phage library (TN2), displaying an 18-residue peptide fused to coat protein III, represents a collection of up to 8.55 x 10(6) peptides encoded by only 1.68 x 10(7) DNA sequences. Each displayed peptide has two fixed cysteine residues (allowing disulfide formation) and six variegated residues, four between the cysteines and one either side of the cysteines. Screening this library against streptavidin (Sv) and the anti-beta-endorphin monoclonal antibody, 3-E7, yielded phage displaying disulfide-constrained microproteins with sequences similar to those published for the linear-peptide display phage. Analysis of selected clones indicated that a disulfide bond is required for high-affinity binding to each of the target proteins. The microproteins selected for binding to Sv and 3-E7 show more stringent sequence specificity than do linear peptides selected for binding to the same targets.
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PMID:M13 bacteriophage displaying disulfide-constrained microproteins. 850 57

The POMC gene, encoding a hormonal precursor protein, is primarily expressed in the pituitary in a tissue-specific manner. The POMC gene is transcriptionally regulated by a variety of hormones and neuropeptides and the second messengers cAMP and Ca++. Using the corticotrope-derived AtT20 cell line, we have previously shown that overexpression of cFos stimulates POMC transcription. The aim of this work was to analyze whether cFos directly interacts with the POMC gene in basal and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulated cells. Using progressively deleted POMC promoter sequences or heterologous promoter constructs coupled to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter gene, we demonstrate the existence of a major cFos- responsive sequence within the first exon of the POMC gene. This sequence, TGACTAA, appears functionally indistinguishable from the canonical AP1 binding site. When fused to a minimal promoter, this sequence confers inducibility by cFos and CRH. Gel shift analyses with CRH-stimulated AtT20 nuclear extracts or in vitro synthesized proteins revealed that this sequence efficiently binds Fos and Jun. Expression of c-fos anti-sense mRNA reduced CRH-stimulated POMC transcription, thus indicating that, at least in part, cFos mediates the effect of CRH on POMC transcription. However, deletion of this major exonic AP1 site from the POMC constructs greatly reduced the effect of c-fos overexpression but did not suppress POMC stimulation by CRH, indicating that CRH stimulates POMC transcription by one or more cFos-independent mechanism(s).
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PMID:Corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulates proopiomelanocortin transcription by cFos-dependent and -independent pathways: characterization of an AP1 site in exon 1. 859 20

We recently described the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in human fetal and murine corticotrophs. LIF and the related cytokine oncostatin M induced basal, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) induced proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA and ACTH secretion in AtT20 cells. LIF signaling and regulation of POMC gene transcription were therefore tested. Dexamethasone inhibited both basal- and LIF-induced ACTH secretion (P<0.05) and LIF induction of ACTH was also attenuated by immuneutralization of either the LIF receptor (35%, P<0.05) or the gp130 affinity converter (41%, P<0.05). These antisera also attenuated basal ACTH secretion in the absence of added ligand (P<0.05). To examine intrapituitary LIF signaling, phosphorylation of post-receptor substrates was measured. 1 nM LIF rapidly induced tyrosyl phosphorylation of STAT 1 and STAT 3 proteins, as well as tyrosyl phosphorylation of a 115-kD protein, coimmunoprecipitated with STAT 1. The transfected rat POMC promoter -706/+64, fused to the luciferase reporter gene, was induced by LIF, which exerted strong (18-fold) synergy with CRH. Deletion of the major CRH responsive region in POMC (-323/-166) abolished CRH induction of transcription and severely limited LIF synergy. Although 8 bromo cAMP or forskolin modestly enhanced POMC transcription (2.8-fold), LIF markedly potentiated (7.4-fold) these cAMP activators. These results demonstrate that corticotroph LIF action is receptor mediated and involves activation of STAT signaling pathways. LIF potently synergizes with both CRH and cAMP induction of POMC transcription. This novel intrapituitary signaling mechanism may mediate a neuroimmune pituitary interface.
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PMID:Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) stimulates proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression in a corticotroph cell line. Role of STAT pathway. 862 68


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