Activation of p34cdc2 protein kinase by microinjection of human cdc25C into mammalian cells. Requirement for prior phosphorylation of cdc25C by p34cdc2 on sites phosphorylated at mitosis.

International audienceHuman cdc25C protein, a specific tyrosine phosphatase that activates the p34cdc2 protein kinase at mitosis, is itself a phosphoprotein that shows increased phosphorylation during the G2-M transition. In vitro, cdc25C protein is substantially phosphorylated by purified p34cdc2-cyclin B protein kinase. Of seven putative phosphorylation sites for p34cdc2 protein kinase present in human cdc25C, five are phosphorylated by p34cdc2 protein kinase in vitro, as assessed by tryptic phosphopeptide mapping and peptide sequencing. These same sites are also phosphorylated in vivo during the G2-M transition in normal mammalian fibroblasts and have been precisely mapped. The cdc25C phosphorylated in vitro by p34cdc2 protein kinase exhibits a 2-3-fold higher activity than the nonphosphorylated cdc25C, as assayed by activation of inactive cdc2 prokinase. Microinjection of purified cdc25C proteins into living fibroblasts reveals that only the phosphorylated form of cdc25 is highly effective in activating G2 cells into premature prophase in a manner similar to microinjection of purified active p34cdc2 protein kinase. Together these data show that multisite phosphorylation of cdc25C by p34cdc2-cyclin B protein kinase occurs at the G2-M transition and is sufficient to induce the autoamplification of cdc2/M-phase promoting factor necessary to drive somatic mammalian cells into mitosis

A cardinal role for cathepsin D in co-ordinating the host-mediated apoptosis of macrophages and killing of pneumococci

The bactericidal function of macrophages against pneumococci is enhanced by their apoptotic demise, which is controlled by the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1. Here, we show that lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and cytosolic translocation of activated cathepsin D occur prior to activation of a mitochondrial pathway of macrophage apoptosis. Pharmacological inhibition or knockout of cathepsin D during pneumococcal infection blocked macrophage apoptosis. As a result of cathepsin D activation, Mcl-1 interacted with its ubiquitin ligase Mule and expression declined. Inhibition of cathepsin D had no effect on early bacterial killing but inhibited the late phase of apoptosis-associated killing of pneumococci in vitro. Mice bearing a cathepsin D-/- hematopoietic system demonstrated reduced macrophage apoptosis in vivo, with decreased clearance of pneumococci and enhanced recruitment of neutrophils to control pulmonary infection. These findings establish an unexpected role for a cathepsin D-mediated lysosomal pathway of apoptosis in pulmonary host defense and underscore the importance of apoptosis-associated microbial killing to macrophage function

Low levels of cathepsin D are associated with a poor prognosis in endometrial cancer

Total cytosolic cathepsin D (Cat D) levels were estimated by an immunoradiometric assay in a series of 156 consecutive patients with surgical stages I–III primary endometrial adenocarcinoma. Simultaneously, the tissue content of both oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors, and p185HER-2/neu, DNA content (ploidy), and the fraction of S-phase cells (S-phase) were also estimated. Tumoral Cat D content ranged from 0 to 243 pmol mg−1 protein (median 44 pmol mg−1 protein) and was not associated with any of the established clinicopathological and biological prognostic variables, with the exception of a weak positive correlation with the tumoral p185HER-2/neu levels. Univariable analysis performed on a subset of 97 patients, followed for a minimum of 2 years or until death, showed that patient age at diagnosis, high histological grade, advanced surgical stage, vascular invasion, positive peritoneal cytology, low levels of Cat D, negative ER and PR status, aneuploidy, and high S-phase were predictive of the presence of persistent or recurrent disease. However, multivariable analysis revealed that only histological grade, surgical stage, Cat D and PR were significantly associated with the patient's outcome. From these findings, we conclude that Cat D is an independent prognostic factor in endometrial adenocarcinoma, its low levels being associated with a worse clinical outcome. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Design and operation of a fast high-granularity silicon detector system in a high-radiation environment

Abstract We have designed, realized and operated a fast silicon detector system (50 MHz sampling frequency) to measure the angular distribution and the multiplicity of charged secondaries produced in high-energy Pb–Pb interactions, within the NA50 experiment. We present here the detector design, discuss some of the problems faced during the commissioning and report on the first results on the operation of the full system. In particular, the questions related to the operation of an integrated high-speed binary readout in a high-radiation environment (1014 particles/cm2 and about 10 Mrads) and to the radiation effects on the system during the run will be addressed

Anomalous J/ψJ/\psi suppression in Pb-Pb interactions at 158 GeV per nucleon

The Drell-Yan and J/psi cross-sections measured in Pb-Pb collisions are compared with the values extrapolated from the results obtained in proton and light ion induced reactions. While the Drell-Yan production exhibits the normal expected behaviour, the yield of J/psi in Pb-Pb interactions is abnormally low, as it lies 9 standard deviations below the expected value. Moreover, the departure from the expected behaviour increases significantly from peripheral to central collisions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V