A humán agyi tripszin biológiai funkciójának felderítése: új stratégia = Searching for the biological function of human brain trypsin: new strategy

A primata specifikus szerin proteázt, a humán tripszin 4-et munkacsoportunk klónozta és expresszáltatta először heterológ rendszerben. Az aktív enzim kristályszerkezetét is mi határoztuk meg először. A humán tripszin 4 biológiai funkciójának felderítése volt a jelen pályázat célja. Tekintettel a fehérje primátákban való előfordulására a funkciót nem elsősorban az élettan, hanem a modern molekuláris biológia, enzimológia és sejtbiológia eszközeivel kutattuk. Végleges felderítésével ugyan adósak maradtunk, az elmúlt négy év kutatásai számos, a humán proteáz funkciójának tisztázásához támpontot nyújtó felfedezéshez vezettek. Ezek a jövetkezők: 1) Megállapítottuk, hogy a primata-specifikus tripszin 4 egyik, feltehetően biológiai szubsztrátja a mielin bázikus fehérje. 2) Post mortem emberi agy mintákból tripszinogén 4 B-izoformát izoláltunk és megállapítottuk, hogy a fehérje transzlációja egy CUG triplett által kódolt iniciátor leucinnal indul. Feltételeztük, hogy ez a mechanizmus a gén expresszió szabályozásának eszköze. 3) Felderítettük a humán tripszinogén 4 asztroglia sejten belüli transzportjának útját és aktivációjának lehetséges helyét. | For the first time human trypsin 4 was cloned and expressed in a heterologous system by our research team. The first crystal structure of this protease was also reported by our group. Exploration of the biological function of human trypsin 4 was the goal of our present grant proposal. Considering that this enzyme only occurs in Primates the biological function of trypsin 4 was studied by the means of modern molecular biology, enzymology and cell biology, rather than by those of physiology. Though we cannot unambiguosly define the biological function(s) of this protease yet, our last 4-year reserach led to several discoveries, which may provide a good basis for further exploring the physiological or pathological functions of human trypsin 4. These discoveries are as follows: 1) We provided indirect evidence that myelin basic protein (MBP) might be one of the biological substrates of human trypsin 4. 2) From samples of post mortem human brain for the first time we isolated and characterized Isoform B of trypsinogen 4 and established that the translation of human trypsinogen 4 can be initiated at a CUG codon with an N-terminal leucine residue. We proposed that this unconventional translation initiation may be a new mechanism to regulate gene expression. 3) The transport of human trypsinogen 4 was explored in astroglia cells, and the possible intracellular site of its activation was determined

Miozin motorfehérjék: szerkezet-funkció összefüggések és funkcionális vizsgálatok idegsejteken = Myosin motor proteins: structure-function relationship and functional studies in neurons

Kutatómunkánk elsődlegesen a miozin motorfehérjék szerkezet-funkció vizsgálatára irányult. Meghatároztuk a konvencionális miozin (miozin-II) fej szerkezetét az enzimatikus ciklus egy ez idáig nem ismert állapotában. A szerkezet rávilágított a kémiai energiát munkává alakító „négyütemű” motor működésének több kulcsfontosságú elemére. Azonosítottunk a motor doménen belül egy kölcsönhatást, amely hozzájárulhat a különböző miozinok optimális működéséhez. Kiderítettük, hogy a fej-farok kapcsolódás instabil szerkezetű a közvetlenül szabályozott miozin-II motoroknál. A miozin-VI farok régiójáról megmutattuk, hogy egyszálú ?-hélix (CSAH) szerkezetű. Új szerkezetjósló programokkal megállapítottuk, hogy a CSAH egy eddig fel nem ismert, sok fehérjében megtalálható szerkezeti elem, amely mechanikai szerepet tölthet be. A miozin-V intracelluláris transzport folyamatokban betöltött szerepét élő idegsejteken kezdtük el vizsgálni. A miozin-V farok könnyű lánc (DYNLL) kötőhelyét azonosítottuk a nehéz láncon belül. Kimutattuk, hogy a DYNLL egy konzervatív ún. csomóponti fehérje, amely a kölcsönható fehérjék szerkezet nélküli régiójában elhelyezkedő lineáris motívumokhoz kötődik és így szabályozza őket. Jellemeztük a DYNLL-partner komplexek kialakulásának termodinamikáját és kinetikáját. Irányított evolúció segítségével az eddig ismerteknél erősebb kötőszekvenciát állítottunk elő, s bioinformatikai módszerrel további potenciális partnerfehérjéket azonosítottunk a humán proteomban. | We have primarily pursued structure-function studies of myosin motor proteins. We have determined the 3-dimensional structure of conventional myosin (myosin II) in one state of its enzymatic cycle. The structure highlighted some of the key elements during the chemo-mechanical energy transduction of the “4-stroke” motor. We have identified an interaction within the motor domain of which could contribute to the optimal functioning of different myosins. Comparative studies revealed that the structure of the coiled-coil tail at the head-tail junction is unstable in directly regulated myosin IIs. We have shown that the tail region of myosin VI forms a single ?-helix (CSAH). Using newly developed prediction programs we have found that CSAH is a novel structural motif present in a many proteins and that it could play mechanical roles. We have started to investigate the role of myosin V in intracellular transport of neuronal cells by live-cell imaging. We have localized the binding site of the tail light chain (DYNLL) of myosin V. DYNLL was identified as a conserved hub protein that binds to linear motifs localized in disordered regions of their binding partners and hence regulate them. We have determined the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of DYNLL-partner complexes. Using directed evolution we have selected a stronger DYNLL binding peptide than previously known ones, and we have predicted potentially novel binding partners in the human proteome

The small molecule AUTEN-99 (autophagy enhancer-99) prevents the progression of neurodegenerative symptoms

Autophagy functions as a main route for the degradation of superfluous and damaged constituents of the cytoplasm. Defects in autophagy are implicated in the development of various age-dependent degenerative disorders such as cancer, neurodegeneration and tissue atrophy, and in accelerated aging. To promote basal levels of the process in pathological settings, we previously screened a small molecule library for novel autophagy-enhancing factors that inhibit the myotubularin-related phosphatase MTMR14/Jumpy, a negative regulator of autophagic membrane formation. Here we identify AUTEN-99 (autophagy enhancer-99), which activates autophagy in cell cultures and animal models. AUTEN-99 appears to effectively penetrate through the blood-brain barrier, and impedes the progression of neurodegenerative symptoms in Drosophila models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Furthermore, the molecule increases the survival of isolated neurons under normal and oxidative stress-induced conditions. Thus, AUTEN-99 serves as a potent neuroprotective drug candidate for preventing and treating diverse neurodegenerative pathologies, and may promote healthy aging

The small molecule AUTEN-99 (autophagy enhancer-99) prevents the progression of neurodegenerative symptoms

Autophagy functions as a main route for the degradation of superfluous and damaged constituents of the cytoplasm. Defects in autophagy are implicated in the development of various age-dependent degenerative disorders such as cancer, neurodegeneration and tissue atrophy, and in accelerated aging. To promote basal levels of the process in pathological settings, we previously screened a small molecule library for novel autophagy-enhancing factors that inhibit the myotubularin-related phosphatase MTMR14/Jumpy, a negative regulator of autophagic membrane formation. Here we identify AUTEN-99 (autophagy enhancer-99), which activates autophagy in cell cultures and animal models. AUTEN-99 appears to effectively penetrate through the blood-brain barrier, and impedes the progression of neurodegenerative symptoms in Drosophila models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Furthermore, the molecule increases the survival of isolated neurons under normal and oxidative stress-induced conditions. Thus, AUTEN-99 serves as a potent neuroprotective drug candidate for preventing and treating diverse neurodegenerative pathologies, and may promote healthy aging

Regulated Appearance of NMDA Receptor Subunits and Channel Functions during In Vitro Neuronal Differentiation

The schedule of NMDA receptor subunit expression and the appearance of functional NMDA-gated ion channels were investigated during the retinoic acid (RA) induced neuronal differentiation of NE-4C, a p53-deficient mouse neuroectodermal progenitor cell line. NR2A, NR2B, and NR2D subunit transcripts were present in both nondifferentiated and neuronally differentiated cultures, while NR2C subunits were expressed only transiently, during the early period of neural differentiation. Several splice variants of NR1 were detected in noninduced progenitors and in RA-induced cells, except the N1 exon containing transcripts that appeared after the fourth day of induction, when neuronal processes were already formed. NR1 and NR2A subunit proteins were detected both in nondifferentiated progenitor cells and in neurons, while the mature form of NR2B subunit protein appeared only at the time of neuronal process elongation. Despite the early presence of NR1 and NR2A subunits, NMDA-evoked responses could be detected in NE-4C neurons only after the sixth day of induction, coinciding in time with the expression of the mature NR2B subunit. The formation of functional NMDA receptors also coincided with the appearance of synapsin I and synaptophysin. The lag period between the production of the subunits and the onset of channel function suggests that subunits capable of channel formation cannot form functional NMDA receptors until a certain stage of neuronal commitment. Thus, the in vitro neurogenesis by NE-4C cells provides a suitable tool to investigate some inherent regulatory processes involved in the initial maturation of NMDA receptor complexes.