Identification and crystallisation of a heat- and protease-stable fragment of the bacteriophage T4 short tail fibre

Irreversible binding of Teven bacteriophages to Escherichia coli is mediated by the short tail fibres, which serve as inextensible stays during DNA injection. Short tail fibres are exceptionally stable elongated trimers of gene product 12 (gp12), a 56 kDa protein. The Nterminal region of gp12 is important for phage attachment, the central region forms a long shaft, while a Cterminal globular region is implicated in binding to the bacterial lipopolysaccharide core. When gp12 was treated with stoichiometric amounts of trypsin or chymotrypsin at 37 C, an Nterminally shortened fragment of 52 kDa resulted. If the protein was incubated at 56 C before trypsin treatment at 37 C, we obtained a stable trimeric fragment of 3 33 kDa lacking residues from both the N and Ctermini. Apparently, the protein unfolds partially at 56 C, thereby exposing proteasesensitive sites in the Cterminal region and extra sites in the Nterminal region. Welldiffracting crystals of this fragment could be grown. Our results indicate that gp12 carries a stable central region, consisting of the Cterminal part of the shaft and the attached Nterminal half of the globular region. Implications for structure determination of the gp12 protein and its folding are discussed

A Large Repertoire of Parasite Epitopes Matched by a Large Repertoire of Host Immune Receptors in an Invertebrate Host/Parasite Model

For many decades, invertebrate immunity was believed to be non-adaptive, poorly specific, relying exclusively on sometimes multiple but germ-line encoded innate receptors and effectors. But recent studies performed in different invertebrate species have shaken this paradigm by providing evidence for various types of somatic adaptations at the level of putative immune receptors leading to an enlarged repertoire of recognition molecules. Fibrinogen Related Proteins (FREPs) from the mollusc Biomphalaria glabrata are an example of these putative immune receptors. They are known to be involved in reactions against trematode parasites. Following not yet well understood somatic mechanisms, the FREP repertoire varies considerably from one snail to another, showing a trend towards an individualization of the putative immune repertoire almost comparable to that described from vertebrate adaptive immune system. Nevertheless, their antigenic targets remain unknown. In this study, we show that a specific set of these highly variable FREPs from B. glabrata forms complexes with similarly highly polymorphic and individually variable mucin molecules from its specific trematode parasite S. mansoni (Schistosoma mansoni Polymorphic Mucins: SmPoMucs). This is the first evidence of the interaction between diversified immune receptors and antigenic variant in an invertebrate host/pathogen model. The same order of magnitude in the diversity of the parasite epitopes and the one of the FREP suggests co-evolutionary dynamics between host and parasite regarding this set of determinants that could explain population features like the compatibility polymorphism observed in B. glabrata/S. mansoni interaction. In addition, we identified a third partner associated with the FREPs/SmPoMucs in the immune complex: a Thioester containing Protein (TEP) belonging to a molecular category that plays a role in phagocytosis or encapsulation following recognition. The presence of this last partner in this immune complex argues in favor of the involvement of the formed complex in parasite recognition and elimination from the host

Caractérisation du protéome vascuolaire de la plante modèle Arabidopsis thaliana et étude de son rôle dans la détoxication du cadmium

Afin de mieux comprendre les mécanismes du trafic cellulaire, les processus de transport des substrats vacuolaires à travers le tonoplaste, le stockage des métabolites et leur dégradation, une analyse globale et exhaustive du protéome vacuolaire d'Arabidopsis thaliana a été réalisée. La connaissance de la localisation subcellulaire des protéines permet de mieux comprendre la fonction des organelles et la compartimentation du métabolisme des plantes. Mais la description précise du protéome d'un organite nécessite d'identifier clairement les véritables protéines résidantes du compartiment étudié. Une tâche si précise est complexe puisqu'elle nécessite la mise en place d'une préparation d'organites purs et homogènes. Pour y parvenir, un protocole de purification de vacuoles à partir de protoplastes isolés de cellules en culture sur un gradient de densité de Ficoll a été amélioré. La combinaison de plusieurs approches de protéomique a permis d'identifier les protéines présentes dans les fractions vacuolaires soluble et membranaire de façon quantitative et fonctionnelle. Les différentes approches ont ainsi mis en évidence des associations et mécanismes moléculaires complexes qui régissent les différentes activités vacuolaires. Cette protéothèque de référence constitue une base pour étudier la dynamique du protéome vacuolaire en réponse à plusieurs stress incluant les métaux lourds. Plusieurs méthodes sans a priori et ciblée ont été proposé afin d'étudier l'impact du cadmium sur la vacuole, ce compartiment cellulaire clé de la détoxication.To better understand the mechanisms governing cellular traffic, transport process of substrates across the tonoplast, storage of various metabolites and their ultimate degradation, a comprehensive and thorough analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana vacuolar proteome was performed. Protein subcellular localization knowledge is an important step toward assigning functions of organelles and plant metabolism compartmentation. But confident description of proteome organelle content requires clear identification of the true resident proteins of the studied compartment. This task involves pitfalls and requires that either organelle preparations are free of contaminants or that techniques are used to discriminate between genuine organelle residents and contaminating proteins. To achieve this, vacuoles purification protocol from protoplasts on a Ficoll density gradient has been improved. The combination of several proteomic approaches attempt to present soluble and membrane vacuolar proteins in a quantitative and functional manner. Different approaches have thus shown associations and complex molecular mechanisms that govern the various vacuolar activities. The constitute proteins library provides references to study the vacuolar proteome dynamics in response to different stresses including heavy metals. Many methods without a priori or targeted were proposed to study the impact of cadmium on the vacuole, the key cell compartment of detoxification. Proteomics provides powerful tools for characterizing the protein contents of vacuoles during cadmium stress.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Overexpression of the Coq8 kinase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae coq null mutants allows for accumulation of diagnostic intermediates of the coenzyme Q6 biosynthetic pathway.

International audienceMost of the Coq proteins involved in coenzyme Q (ubiquinone or Q) biosynthesis are interdependent within a multiprotein complex in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Lack of only one Coq polypeptide, as in Δcoq strains, results in the degradation of several Coq proteins. Consequently, Δcoq strains accumulate the same early intermediate of the Q(6) biosynthetic pathway; this intermediate is therefore not informative about the deficient biosynthetic step in a particular Δcoq strain. In this work, we report that the overexpression of the protein Coq8 in Δcoq strains restores steady state levels of the unstable Coq proteins. Coq8 has been proposed to be a kinase, and we provide evidence that the kinase activity is essential for the stabilizing effect of Coq8 in the Δcoq strains. This stabilization results in the accumulation of several novel Q(6) biosynthetic intermediates. These Q intermediates identify chemical steps impaired in cells lacking Coq4 and Coq9 polypeptides, for which no function has been established to date. Several of the new intermediates contain a C4-amine and provide information on the deamination reaction that takes place when para-aminobenzoic acid is used as a ring precursor of Q(6). Finally, we used synthetic analogues of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid to bypass deficient biosynthetic steps, and we show here that 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid is able to restore Q(6) biosynthesis and respiratory growth in a Δcoq7 strain overexpressing Coq8. The overexpression of Coq8 and the use of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid analogues represent innovative tools to elucidate the Q biosynthetic pathway

AtPME17 is a functional arabidopsis thaliana pectin methylesterase regulated by its PRO region that triggers PME activity in the resistance to botrytis cinerea

Pectin is synthesized in a highly methylesterified form in the Golgi cisternae and partially de-methylesterified in muro by pectin methylesterases (PMEs). Arabidopsis thaliana produces a local and strong induction of PME activity during the infection of the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. AtPME17 is a putative A. thaliana PME highly induced in response to B. cinerea. Here, a fine tuning of AtPME17 expression by different defence hormones was identified. Our genetic evidence demonstrates that AtPME17 strongly contributes to the pathogen-induced PME activity and resistance against B. cinerea by triggering jasmonic acid–ethylene-dependent PDF1.2 expression. AtPME17 belongs to group 2 isoforms of PMEs characterized by a PME domain preceded by an N-terminal PRO region. However, the biochemical evidence for AtPME17 as a functional PME is still lacking and the role played by its PRO region is not known. Using the Pichia pastoris expression system, we demonstrate that AtPME17 is a functional PME with activity favoured by an increase in pH. AtPME17 performs a blockwise pattern of pectin de-methylesterification that favours the formation of egg-box structures between homogalacturonans. Recombinant AtPME17 expression in Escherichia coli reveals that the PRO region acts as an intramolecular inhibitor of AtPME17 activity

A Shift from Cellular to Humoral Responses Contributes to Innate Immune Memory in the Vector Snail Biomphalaria glabrata

International audienceDiscoveries made over the past ten years have provided evidence that invertebrate anti-parasitic responses may be primed in a sustainable manner, leading to the failure of a secondary encounter with the same pathogen. This phenomenon called " immune priming " or "innate immune memory" was mainly phenomenological. The demonstration of this process remains to be obtained and the underlying mechanisms remain to be discovered and exhaustively tested with rigorous functional and molecular methods, to eliminate all alternative explanations. In order to achieve this ambitious aim, the present study focuses on the Lophotrochozoan snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, in which innate immune memory was recently reported. We provide herein the first evidence that a shift from a cellular immune response (encapsulation) to a humoral immune response (biomphalysin) occurs during the development of innate memory. The molecular characterisation of this process in Biompha-laria/Schistosoma system was undertaken to reconcile mechanisms with phenomena

An Arabidopsis flavonoid transporter is required for anther dehiscence and pollen development

FLOWER FLAVONOID TRANSPORTER (FFT) encodes a multidrug and toxin efflux family transporter in Arabidopsis thaliana. FFT (AtDTX35) is highly transcribed in floral tissues, the transcript being localized to epidermal guard cells, including those of the anthers, stigma, siliques and nectaries. Mutant analysis demonstrates that the absence of FFT transcript affects flavonoid levels in the plant and that the altered flavonoid metabolism has wide-ranging consequences. Root growth, seed development and germination, and pollen development, release and viability are all affected. Spectrometry of mutant versus wild-type flowers shows altered levels of a glycosylated flavonol whereas anthocyanin seems unlikely to be the substrate as previously speculated. Thus, as well as adding FFT to the incompletely described flavonoid transport network, it is found that correct reproductive development in Arabidopsis is perturbed when this particular transporter is missing

Regulation of the V-ATPase along the endocytic pathway occurs through reversible subunit association and membrane localization

The lumen of endosomal organelles becomes increasingly acidic when going from the cell surface to lysosomes. Luminal pH thereby regulates important processes such as the release of internalized ligands from their receptor or the activation of lysosomal enzymes. The main player in endosomal acidification is the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase), a multi-subunit transmembrane complex that pumps protons from the cytoplasm to the lumen of organelles, or to the outside of the cell. The active V-ATPase is composed of two multi-subunit domains, the transmembrane V(0) and the cytoplasmic V(1). Here we found that the ratio of membrane associated V(1)/Vo varies along the endocytic pathway, the relative abundance of V(1) being higher on late endosomes than on early endosomes, providing an explanation for the higher acidity of late endosomes. We also found that all membrane-bound V-ATPase subunits were associated with detergent resistant membranes (DRM) isolated from late endosomes, raising the possibility that association with lipid-raft like domains also plays a role in regulating the activity of the proton pump. In support of this, we found that treatment of cells with U18666A, a drug that leads to the accumulation of cholesterol in late endosomes, affected acidification of late endosome. Altogether our findings indicate that the activity of the vATPase in the endocytic pathway is regulated both by reversible association/dissociation and the interaction with specific lipid environments

A new gene involved in coenzyme Q biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: UbiI functions in aerobic C5-hydroxylation

International audienceCoenzyme Q (ubiquinone or Q) is a redox-active lipid found in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals in which it plays a crucial role in energy-generating processes. Q biosynthesis is a complex pathway that involves multiple proteins. In this work, we show that the uncharacterized conserved visC gene is involved in Q biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, and we have renamed it ubiI. Based on genetic and biochemical experiments, we establish that the UbiI protein functions in the C5-hydroxylation reaction. A strain deficient in ubiI has a low level of Q and accumulates a compound derived from the Q biosynthetic pathway, which we purified and characterized. We also demonstrate that UbiI is only implicated in aerobic Q biosynthesis and that an alternative enzyme catalyzes the C5-hydroxylation reaction in the absence of oxygen. We have solved the crystal structure of a truncated form of UbiI. This structure shares many features with the canonical FAD-dependent para-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase and represents the first structural characterization of a monooxygenase involved in Q biosynthesis. Site-directed mutagenesis confirms that residues of the flavin binding pocket of UbiI are important for activity. With our identification of UbiI, the three monooxygenases necessary for aerobic Q biosynthesis in E. coli are known