Molecular characterization of flow-sorted mammalian centromeres

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project involved experiments directed towards developing a molecular characterization of the centromere region of mammalian chromosomes. Attempts to purify this essential chromosomal locus by conventional methods have thus far been unsuccessful. However, preliminary data obtained in collaboration with the National Flow Cytometry Resource (NFCR) showed that it is possible to purify a chromosome fragment that is present in certain cultured mouse cell lines and has all the properties expected of an intact centromere region. To begin sorting this minichromosome for the identification of proteins preferentially associated with centromere regions, standard buffers utilized in chromosome sorting were evaluated for potential effects on maintenance of chromosomal proteins during sorting. The data indicate that the presence of several buffer constituents results in the extraction of all but a few chromosomal proteins. The subsequent use of a magnesium sulfate buffer resulted in the sorting of mouse chromosomes that do not suffer a significant loss of proteins. Several DNA stains were also evaluated for causing protein dissociation, but no significant losses were observed. Although flow-sorted chromosomes have been used extensively for DNA analysis and cloning, this is a pioneering effort by the NFCR, and its collaborators, to exploit chromosome sorting capabilities for the analysis of chromosomal proteins

Identification of the linker histone H1 as a protein kinase Cepsilon-binding protein in vascular smooth muscle

A variety of anchoring proteins target specific protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes to particular subcellular locations or multimeric signaling complexes, thereby achieving a high degree of substrate specificity by localizing the kinase in proximity to specific substrates. PKCε is widely expressed in smooth muscle tissues, but little is known about its targeting and substrate specificity. We have used a Far-Western (overlay) approach to identify PKCε-binding proteins in vascular smooth muscle of the rat aorta. Proteins of ~32 and 34 kDa in the Triton-insoluble fraction were found to bind PKCε in a phospholipid/diacylglycerol-dependent manner. Although of similar molecular weight to RACK-1, a known PKCε-binding protein, these proteins were separated from RACK-1 by SDS-PAGE and differential NaCl extraction and were not recognized by an antibody to RACK-1. The PKCε-binding proteins were further purified from the Tritoninsoluble fraction and identified by de novo sequencing of selected tryptic peptides by tandem mass spectrometry as variants of the linker histone H1. Their identity was confirmed by Western blotting with anti-histone H1 and the demonstration that purified histone H1 binds PKCε in the presence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol but absence of Ca2+. The interaction of PKCε with histone H1 was specific since no interaction was observed with histones H2A, H2S or H3S. Bound PKCε phosphorylated histone H1 in a phospholipid/diacylglycerol-dependent but Ca2+-independent manner. Ca2+-dependent PKC was also shown to interact with histone H1 but not other histones. These results suggest that histone H1 is both an anchoring protein and a substrate for activated PKCε and other PKC isoenzymes and likely serves to localize activated PKCs that translocate to the nucleus in the vicinity of specific nuclear substrates including histone H1 itself. Since PKC isoenzymes have been implicated in regulation of gene expression, stable interaction with histone H1 may be an important step in this process.Mingcai Zhao, Cindy Sutherland, David P. Wilson, Jingti Deng, Justin A. MacDonald, and Michael P. Wals