A role for mitogen-activated protein kinase (Erk1/2) activation and non-selective pore formation in P2X7 receptor-mediated thymocyte death

Extracellular ATP (ATPe) binds to P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) expressed on the surface of cells of hematopoietic lineage, including murine thymocytes. Activation of P2X7R by ATPe results in the opening of cation-specific channels, and prolonged ATPe exposure leads to the formation of non-selective pores enabling transmembrane passage of solutes up to 900 Da. In the presence of ATPe, P2X7R-mediated thymocyte death is due primarily to necrosis/lysis and not apoptosis, as measured by the release of lactate dehydrogenase indicative of a loss of plasma membrane integrity. The present study is focused on the identification of P2X7R signaling mediators in ATP-induced thymocyte necrosis/lysis. Thus, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) phosphorylation was found to be required for cell lysis, and both events were independent of ATP-induced calcium influx. P2X7R-dependent thymocyte death involved the chronological activation of Src family tyrosine kinase(s), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinaseErk1/2 module, and the proteasome. Although independent of this signaling cascade, non-selective pore formation may modulate ATP-mediated thymocyte death. These results therefore suggest a role for both activation of MAP kinaseErk1/2 and non-selective pore opening in P2X7R-induced thymocyte death

Voies biochimiques impliquées dans la mort des thymocytes de souris après activation du récepteur purinergique P2X7

LE KREMLIN-B.- PARIS 11-BU Méd (940432101) / SudocPARIS-BIUP (751062107) / SudocSudocFranceF

Characterization of YbjG, a pyrophosphate phosphatase from E. coli involved in the lipid carrier undecaprenyl phosphate metabolism

•Background Undecaprenyl phosphate (C55-P) is an essential lipid carrier involved in the biosynthesis of cell surface carbohydrate polymers such as the peptidoglycan. C55-P is the result of the dephosphorylation of the undecaprenyl pyrophosphate (C55-PP) by specific phosphatases. In Escherichia coli this dephosphorylation can be performed by four integral membrane proteins, BacA, and three members of the type 2 phosphatidic acid phosphatase family (PAP2), PgpB, YbjG, and LpxT. •Objectives The aim of this project is to characterize YbjG and contributes to the understanding of the physiological role and mechanism of action of this enzyme in the C55-P metabolism. The C55-PP phosphatases could become an interesting target in the search for new molecules with antibacterial activity. •Methods In parallel the stability of YbjG and its activity against C15-PP were assessed in 94 different detergents. Moreover the enzymatic activity of YbjG was studied: substrate specificity, optimum pH and temperature, effect of detergent concentration. •Conclusions For the first time, YbjG has been purified and we show its ability to dephosphorylate C15-PP, DGPP and C55-PP in vitro with respectively decreasing efficiency. No activity has been detected on five other potential substrates (PPi, PA, C5-PP, G6P & PNPP). The phosphatase activity on C15-PP is maximum at pH 6,5 and 25 °C. Moreover Cymal6, LMNG, & ωUDM are good detergent both for the stability and the C15-PP phosphatase activity of YbjG, but approximately half of the 94 tested detergents show C15-PP phosphatase activity on the qualitative enzymatic test.Structural Study of C55-PP phosphatase

The usage of alternative splice sites in Mus musculus synaptotagmin-like 2 gene is modulated by cyclosporin A and FK506 in T-lymphocytes.

Cyclosporin-A and FK506 block the calcineurin activity preventing the transcription of genes sharing NFAT-like binding sequences in their promoter region. We presently show that activation of murine T-cells in presence of these immunosuppressors results in the up-regulation of the synaptotagmin-like 2 gene. However, of the four known isoforms, only mRNAs encoding the a and b isoforms accumulate. Two previously undected isoforms, each characterized by the retention of an intron, were found. The first, Slp2-e, includes exon 8, intron 8 and exon 9. The second, Slp2-f, is composed of exon 7, intron 7 and exon 8. Slp2-f has an open reading frame coding for a putative protein of 1229 amino acids sharing 47% identities with the human breast-associated antigen, SGA-72 M. In addition to the well-documented modulation of gene transcription, the two immunosuppressors also play a role in the choice of alternative splice sites on murine Slp2 pre-mRNA

Membrane Topology and Biochemical Characterization of the Escherichia coli BacA Undecaprenyl-Pyrophosphate Phosphatase.

Several integral membrane proteins exhibiting undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate (C55-PP) phosphatase activity were previously identified in Escherichia coli that belonged to two distinct protein families: the BacA protein, which accounts for 75% of the C55-PP phosphatase activity detected in E. coli cell membranes, and three members of the PAP2 phosphatidic acid phosphatase family, namely PgpB, YbjG and LpxT. This dephosphorylation step is required to provide the C55-P carrier lipid which plays a central role in the biosynthesis of various cell wall polymers. We here report detailed investigations of the biochemical properties and membrane topology of the BacA protein. Optimal activity conditions were determined and a narrow-range substrate specificity with a clear preference for C55-PP was observed for this enzyme. Alignments of BacA protein sequences revealed two particularly well-conserved regions and several invariant residues whose role in enzyme activity was questioned by using a site-directed mutagenesis approach and complementary in vitro and in vivo activity assays. Three essential residues Glu21, Ser27, and Arg174 were identified, allowing us to propose a catalytic mechanism for this enzyme. The membrane topology of the BacA protein determined here experimentally did not validate previous program-based predicted models. It comprises seven transmembrane segments and contains in particular two large periplasmic loops carrying the highly-conserved active site residues. Our data thus provide evidence that all the different E. coli C55-PP phosphatases identified to date (BacA and PAP2) catalyze the dephosphorylation of C55-PP molecules on the same (outer) side of the plasma membrane

Insight into the dual function of lipid phosphate phosphatase PgpB involved in two essential cell-envelope metabolic pathways in Escherichia coli.

Ubiquitous PAP2 lipid phosphatases are involved in a wide array of central physiological functions. PgpB from Escherichia coli constitutes the archetype of this subfamily of membrane proteins. It displays a dual function by catalyzing the biosynthesis of two essential lipids, the phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and the undecaprenyl phosphate (C(55)-P). C(55)-P constitutes a lipid carrier allowing the translocation of peptidoglycan subunits across the plasma membrane. PG and C(55)-P are synthesized in a redundant manner by PgpB and other PAP2 and/or unrelated membrane phosphatases. Here, we show that PgpB is the sole, among these multiple phosphatases, displaying this dual activity. The inactivation of PgpB does not confer any apparent growth defect, but its inactivation together with another PAP2 alters the cell envelope integrity increasing the susceptibility to small hydrophobic compounds. Evidence is also provided of an interplay between PAP2s and the peptidoglycan polymerase PBP1A. In contrast to PGP hydrolysis, which relies on a His/Asp/His catalytic triad of PgpB, the mechanism of C(55)-PP hydrolysis appeared as only requiring the His/Asp diad, which led us to hypothesize distinct processes. Moreover, thermal stability analyses highlighted a substantial structural change upon phosphate binding by PgpB, supporting an induced-fit model of action

Characterization of a gene encoding two isoforms of a mitochondrial protein up-regulated by cyclosporin A in activated T cells.

International audienceCyclosporin A (CSA) is an immunosuppressor used in organ transplantation. A recent proteomic analysis has revealed that activation of T cells in the presence of CSA induces the synthesis of hundreds of new proteins. Here we used representational difference analysis to characterize some of the corresponding induced genes. After cDNA bank screening we focused on one of these genes, which we named CSA-conditional, T cell activation-dependent (CSTAD) gene. This gene produces two mRNAs resulting from alternative splicing events. They encode two proteins of 104 and 141 amino acids, CSTADp-S and CSTADp-L, for the short and long forms, respectively. FK506 had the same effect as CSA, whereas rapamycin did not affect the level of CSTAD gene expression, demonstrating that inhibition of the calcineurin activation pathway is involved in CSTAD gene up-regulation. CSA also led to overexpression of CSTAD in mice immunized in the presence of CSA, confirming the in vitro analysis. Microscopic and cytofluorimetric analysis of cells expressing green fluorescent protein-tagged CSTADp-L and CSTADp-S showed that both proteins colocalize with mitochondrial markers and depolarize the mitochondrial transmembrane potential without causing release of cytochrome c, apoptosis, or necrosis. Both CSTADp isoforms are sensitive to proteinase K, implying that they are located in the mitochondrial outer membrane. These data reveal a new mechanism of action for CSA, which involves up-regulation of a gene whose products are sorted to mitochondria and depolarize the mitochondrial membrane

HupA, the main undecaprenyl pyrophosphate and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate phosphatase in Helicobacter pylori is essential for colonization of the stomach

International audienceThe biogenesis of bacterial cell-envelope polysaccharides requires the translocation, across the plasma membrane, of sugar sub-units that are produced inside the cytoplasm. To this end, the hydrophilic sugars are anchored to a lipid phosphate carrier (undecaprenyl phosphate (C55-P)), yielding membrane intermediates which are translocated to the outer face of the membrane. Finally, the glycan moiety is transferred to a nascent acceptor polymer, releasing the carrier in the "inactive" undecaprenyl pyrophosphate (C55-PP) form. Thus, C55-P is generated through the dephosphorylation of C55-PP, itself arising from either de novo synthesis or recycling. Two types of integral membrane C55-PP phosphatases were described: BacA enzymes and a sub-group of PAP2 enzymes (type 2 phosphatidic acid phosphatases). The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori does not contain BacA homologue but has four membrane PAP2 proteins: LpxE, LpxF, HP0350 and HP0851. Here, we report the physiological role of HP0851, renamed HupA, via multiple and complementary approaches ranging from a detailed biochemical characterization to the assessment of its effect on cell envelope metabolism and microbe-host interactions. HupA displays a dual function as being the main C55-PP pyrophosphatase (UppP) and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate phosphatase (PGPase). Although not essential in vitro, HupA was essential in vivo for stomach colonization. In vitro, the remaining UppP activity was carried out by LpxE in addition to its lipid A 1-phosphate phosphatase activity. Both HupA and LpxE have crucial roles in the biosynthesis of several cell wall polysaccharides and thus constitute potential targets for new therapeutic strategies