Identification and Characterization of a Novel Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells-1 Isoform Expressed in Mouse Brain

The nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) family transcription factors play a key role in the control of cytokine gene expression in T-cells. Although initially identified in T-cells, recent data have unveiled unanticipated roles for NFATs in the development, proliferation, and differentiation of other tissues. Here we report the identification, cDNA cloning, and functional characterization of a new isoform of NFAT1 highly expressed in mouse brain. This isoform, which we named NFAT1-D, is identical to NFAT1 throughout the N-terminal regulatory domain and the portion of the Rel domain which includes the minimal region required for specific binding to DNA and interaction with AP-1. The homology stops sharply upstream of the 3'-boundary of the Rel homology domain and is followed by a short unique C-terminal region. NFAT1-D was expressed at high levels in all brain districts and was found as a constitutively active transcription complex. Transfection of a NFAT/luciferase reporter in the neuronal cell line PC12, which also expresses NFAT1-D, showed that these cells expressed a constitutive NFAT activity that was enhanced after nerve growth factor-induced differentiation but was resistant to the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A. NFAT1-D was, however, inducibly activated in a cyclosporin A-sensitive manner when expressed in T-cells, suggesting that the activity of NFAT proteins might be controlled by their specific cellular context

Suppression of proline-directed protein kinase FAexpression inhibits the growth of human chronic myeloid leukaemia cells

Initial studies revealed that proline-directed protein kinase FA(PDPK FA) was overexpressed in various cancerous tissues relative to normal controls. However, the functional role of overexpressed PDPK FAin cancer remains to be established. In this report, we explore the potential role of PDPK FAin leukaemia cell growth by investigating the effects of partial inhibition of this kinase on the malignant phenotype of human chronic myeloid leukaemia cells (K562). Cloning of PDPK FAcDNA and its recombinant antisense expression vector and PDPK FA-specific antibody were successfully developed. Two stable antisense clones of K562 cells were subcloned which expressed 70% and 45% of PDPK FArespectively, compared with control-transfected clone in both immunoprecipitate activity assay and immunoblot analysis. In sharp contrast, these two antisense clones expressed no significant suppression of any other related PDPK family members, indicating the specificity of these two antisense clones. Moreover, these antisense clones proportionally and potentially exhibited cell growth retardation, poor clonogenic growth in soft agar and loss of serum independence. The results demonstrate that specific antisense suppression of PDPK FAis sufficient to interfere with the growth of K562 cells, indicating that PDPK FAis essential for human chronic myeloid leukaemia cell growth. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Control of Cyclin C Levels during Development of Dictyostelium

Background: Cdk8 and its partner cyclin C form part of the mediator complex which links the basal transcription machinery to regulatory proteins. The pair are required for correct regulation of a subset of genes and have been implicated in control of development in a number of organisms including the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. When feeding, Dictyostelium amoebae are unicellular but upon starvation they aggregate to form a multicellular structure which develops into a fruiting body containing spores. Cells in which the gene encoding Cdk8 has been deleted fail to enter aggregates due to a failure of early gene expression.Principal Findings: We have monitored the expression levels of cyclin C protein during development and find levels decrease after the multicellular mound is formed. This decrease is triggered by extracellular cAMP that, in turn, is working in part through an increase in intracellular cAMP. The loss of cyclin C is coincident with a reduction in the association of Cdk8 with a high molecular weight complex in the nucleus. Overexpression of cyclin C and Cdk8 lead to an increased rate of early development, consistent with the levels being rate limiting.Conclusions: Overall these results show that both cyclin C and Cdk8 are regulated during development in response to extracellular signals and the levels of these proteins are important in controlling the timing of developmental processes. These findings have important implications for the role of these proteins in controlling development, suggesting that they are targets for developmental signals to regulate gene expression.</p

The multicellularity genes of dictyostelid social amoebas

The evolution of multicellularity enabled specialization of cells, but required novel signalling mechanisms for regulating cell differentiation. Early multicellular organisms are mostly extinct and the origins of these mechanisms are unknown. Here using comparative genome and transcriptome analysis across eight uni- and multicellular amoebozoan genomes, we find that 80% of proteins essential for the development of multicellular Dictyostelia are already present in their unicellular relatives. This set is enriched in cytosolic and nuclear proteins, and protein kinases. The remaining 20%, unique to Dictyostelia, mostly consists of extracellularly exposed and secreted proteins, with roles in sensing and recognition, while several genes for synthesis of signals that induce cell-type specialization were acquired by lateral gene transfer. Across Dictyostelia, changes in gene expression correspond more strongly with phenotypic innovation than changes in protein functional domains. We conclude that the transition to multicellularity required novel signals and sensors rather than novel signal processing mechanisms

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 regulates mouse oocyte homologue segregation

Intracellular regulation of oocyte meiosis is not completely understood. However, reversible phosphorylation, which involves serine/threonine protein kinases and phosphatases (PP), is an important mediator. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase. Currently no reports exist on presence or function of GSK-3 in mammalian oocytes. The aim of this study was to determine GSK-3 presence/absence, transcript and protein expression, intracellular protein distribution, and to investigate the functional importance of GSK-3 in mouse oocyte meiosis. Germinal vesicle-intact (GVI) oocytes contained both GSK-3 transcript and protein. Although GSK-3 Β-isoform is the only transcript identifiable in GVI oocytes, both Α- and Β-isoforms were recognized by Western blot analysis. In growing, meiotic-incompetent oocytes GSK-3 was present, diffusely located throughout the cytoplasm and absent in the nucleus, whereas in meiotic-competent oocytes this cytoplasmic GSK-3 displays a predominant peri-oolemma staining. Treatment of mouse GVI oocytes with lithium chloride (LiCl), which inhibits both inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) and GSK-3, had no significant influence on oocyte viability, morphology, or development to metaphase II (MII). However, LiCl caused abnormal spindle formation and significantly increased incidence of abnormal homologue segregation during the first meiotic division. L690,330, which is a specific IMPase inhibitor, had no significant effect on oocyte viability, morphology, MII development, or homologue segregation. This is the first report of GSK-3 in mammalian oocytes. LiCl inhibition of mouse oocyte GSK-3 modified organization of microtubules and/or function of meiotic spindles thus compromising segregation of condensed bivalent chromosomes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 64: 96–105, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/35086/1/10213_ftp.pd

PLK1 inhibitors: Setting the mitotic death trap

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) regulates mitotic progression in all eukaryotes and has been implicated in the transformation of human cells. Analysis of the cytological and anti-tumor activities of BI 2536, a novel, selective pharmacological inhibitor of Plk1, has connected chemistry and biology to the bedside