43 research outputs found
The role of apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase, Lnt, in the lipidation of factor H binding protein of Neisseria meningitidis strain MC58 and its potential as a drug target
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The level of cell surface expression of the meningococcal vaccine antigen, Factor H binding protein (FHbp) varies between and within strains and this limits the breadth of strains that can be targeted by FHbp-based vaccines. The molecular pathway controlling expression of FHbp at the cell surface, including its lipidation, sorting to the outer membrane and export, and the potential regulation of this pathway have not been investigated until now. This knowledge will aid our evaluation of FHbp vaccines.
EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
A meningococcal transposon library was screened by whole cell immuno-dot blotting using an anti-FHbp antibody to identify a mutant with reduced binding and the disrupted gene was determined.
KEY RESULTS
In a mutant with markedly reduced binding, the transposon was located in the lnt gene which encodes apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase, Lnt, responsible for the addition of the third fatty acid to apolipoproteins prior to their sorting to the outer membrane. We provide data indicating that in the Lnt mutant, FHbp is diacylated and its expression within the cell is reduced 10 fold, partly due to inhibition of transcription. Furthermore the Lnt mutant showed 64 fold and 16 fold increase in susceptibility to rifampicin and ciprofloxacin respectively.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
We speculate that the inefficient sorting of diacylated FHbp in the meningococcus results in its accumulation in the periplasm inducing an envelope stress response to down-regulate its expression. We propose Lnt as a potential novel drug target for combination therapy with antibiotics
Expression and regulation of type 2A protein phosphatases and alpha4 signalling in cardiac health and hypertrophy
Abstract Cardiac physiology and hypertrophy are regulated
by the phosphorylation status of many proteins, which
is partly controlled by a poorly defined type 2A protein
phosphatase-alpha4 intracellular signalling axis. Quantitative
PCR analysis revealed that mRNA levels of the type
2A catalytic subunits were differentially expressed in H9c2
cardiomyocytes (PP2ACb[PP2ACa[PP4C[PP6C),
NRVM (PP2ACb[PP2ACa = PP4C = PP6C), and
adult rat ventricular myocytes (PP2ACa[
PP2ACb[PP6C[PP4C). Western analysis confirmed
that all type 2A catalytic subunits were expressed in H9c2
cardiomyocytes; however, PP4C protein was absent in
adult myocytes and only detectable following 26S proteasome
inhibition. Short-term knockdown of alpha4 protein
expression attenuated expression of all type 2A catalytic
subunits. Pressure overload-induced left ventricular (LV)
hypertrophy was associated with an increase in both
PP2AC and alpha4 protein expression. Although PP6C
expression was unchanged, expression of PP6C regulatory
subunits (1) Sit4-associated protein 1 (SAP1) and (2)
ankyrin repeat domain (ANKRD) 28 and 44 proteins was
elevated, whereas SAP2 expression was reduced in
hypertrophied LV tissue. Co-immunoprecipitation studies
demonstrated that the interaction between alpha4 and
PP2AC or PP6C subunits was either unchanged or reduced
in hypertrophied LV tissue, respectively. Phosphorylation
status of phospholemman (Ser63 and Ser68) was significantly
increased by knockdown of PP2ACa, PP2ACb, or
PP4C protein expression. DNA damage assessed by histone
H2A.X phosphorylation (cH2A.X) in hypertrophied tissue
remained unchanged. However, exposure of cardiomyocytes
to H2O2 increased levels of cH2A.X which was
unaffected by knockdown of PP6C expression, but was
abolished by the short-term knockdown of alpha4 expression.
This study illustrates the significance and altered
activity of the type 2A protein phosphatase-alpha4 complex
in healthy and hypertrophied myocardium
Phosphorylation and Activation of the Plasma Membrane Na+/H+ Exchanger (NHE1) during Osmotic Cell Shrinkage
The Na+/H+ Exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) is a highly versatile, broadly distributed and precisely controlled transport protein that mediates volume and pH regulation in most cell types. NHE1 phosphorylation contributes to Na+/H+ exchange activity in response to phorbol esters, growth factors or protein phosphatase inhibitors, but has not been observed during activation by osmotic cell shrinkage (OCS). We examined the role of NHE1 phosphorylation during activation by OCS, using an ideal model system, the Amphiuma tridactylum red blood cell (atRBC). Na+/H+ exchange in atRBCs is mediated by an NHE1 homolog (atNHE1) that is 79% identical to human NHE1 at the amino acid level. NHE1 activity in atRBCs is exceptionally robust in that transport activity can increase more than 2 orders of magnitude from rest to full activation. Michaelis-Menten transport kinetics indicates that either OCS or treatment with the phosphatase inhibitor calyculin-A (CLA) increase Na+ transport capacity without affecting transport affinity (Km = 44 mM) in atRBCs. CLA and OCS act non-additively to activate atNHE1, indicating convergent, phosphorylation-dependent signaling in atNHE1 activation. In situ 32P labeling and immunoprecipitation demonstrates that the net phosphorylation of atNHE1 is increased 4-fold during OCS coinciding with a more than 2-order increase in Na+ transport activity. This is the first reported evidence of increased NHE1 phosphorylation during OCS in any vertebrate cell type. Finally, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of atNHE1 immunoprecipitated from atRBC membranes reveals 9 phosphorylated serine/threonine residues, suggesting that activation of atNHE1 involves multiple phosphorylation and/or dephosphorylation events