A fehérje-fehérje kölcsönhatások szerkezeti alapjai és biológiai szerepük: multidiszciplináris megközelítés = The structural basis and biological role of protein-protein interactions: a multidisciplinary approach

Az ELTE Biokémiai Tanszék tudományos kutatásainak tengelyében évtizedek óta a fehérjék szerkezetének, funkciójának és a fehérjék közötti kölcsönhatások szerkezeti hátterének és biológiai jelentőségének felderítése áll. Valamennyi, az elmúlt négyéves pályázati ciklusban vállalt feladatunk teljesítése a fenti célokat szolgálta. A vezető kutató megítélése szerint a pályázat támogatásával elért legkiemelkedőbb eredményeink, a vállalt témák sorrendjében a következők voltak: 1) Megállapítottuk, hogy a primata-specifikus tripszin 4 egyik, feltehetően biológiai szubsztrátja a mielin bázikus fehérje és modellt dolgoztunk ki a humán tripszinogén 4 asztroglia sejteken belüli transzportjának és aktivációjának követésére 2) Hazánkban elsőként állítottuk be a fágbemutatás módszerét, melynek segítségével az eredetitől eltérő specifitású proteáz inhibitorokat állítottunk elő. 3) Megállapítottuk, hogy a miozin II motorfehérje regulációs képességének az az előfeltétele, hogy aproximális kétláncú coiled-coil szerkezet instabil legyen. 4) Felderítettük a miozin II specifikus inhibitorának, a blebbistatinnak a működésmechanizmusát. 5) Kifejlesztettünk egy új tranziens kinetikai módszert, a ?temperature-jump/stopped flow-t a módszer alkalmazásához szükséges berendezéssel együtt. | For decades the focus of scientific interest of the Biochemistry Department, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest has been the investigation of the structural basis and biological significance of protein-protein interactions. Our research efforts during the last 4 years were to achieve specific goals along this line. In the view of the principal investigator of this grant the most outstanding scientific results achieved, or discoveries made by using the financial means of the grant are as follows: 1) We provided indirect evidence that one of the potential pathological substrate of human trypsin 4 might be myelin basic protein. Furthermore, we worked out a model to follow the transport and activation of human trypsinogen 4 within human astroglia cells. 2) For the first time in Hungary we introduced the methodology of phage-display in our department and by using this method we succeeded in producing serine protease inhibitors with altered specificity. 3) Evidence was provided that the instability of the proximal two-chain coiled structure in myosin II plays an important regulatory role in the myosin functioning 4) The mechanism of action of the inhibitor of myosin II, blebbistatin was explored. 5) We developed and set up a new method and apparatus to perform ?temperature-jump/stopped flow? transient kinetics experiments

A despecialization step underlying evolution of a family of serine proteases

In the trypsin superfamily of serine proteases, non-trypsin-like primary specificities have arisen in only two monophyletic descendent subbranches. We have recreated an ancestor to one of these subbranches (granzyme) using phylogenetic inference, gene synthesis, and protein expression. This ancestor has two unusual properties. First, it has broad primary specificity encompassing the entire repertoire of novel primary specificities found in its descendents. Second, unlike extant members that have narrow primary specificities, the ancestor exhibits tolerance to mutational changes in primary specificity-conferring residues—that is, structural plasticity. Molecular modeling and mutagenesis studies indicate that these unusual properties are due to a particularly wide substrate binding pocket. These two crucial properties of the ancestor not only distinguish it from its extant descendents but also from the trypsin-like proteases that preceded it. This indicates that a despecialization step, characterized by broad specificity and structural plasticity, underlies evolution of new primary specificities in this protease superfamily

Specificity of Trypsin and Chymotrypsin: Loop Motion Controlled Dynamic Correlation as a Determinant

Trypsin and chymotrypsin are both serine proteases with high sequence and structural similarities, but with different substrate specificity. Previous experiments have demonstrated the critical role of the two loops outside the binding pocket in controlling the specificity of the two enzymes. To understand the mechanism of such a control of specificity by distant loops, we have used the Gaussian Network Model to study the dynamic properties of trypsin and chymotrypsin and the roles played by the two loops. A clustering method was introduced to analyze the correlated motions of residues. We have found that trypsin and chymotrypsin have distinct dynamic signatures in the two loop regions which are in turn highly correlated with motions of certain residues in the binding pockets. Interestingly, replacing the two loops of trypsin with those of chymotrypsin changes the motion style of trypsin to chymotrypsin-like, whereas the same experimental replacement was shown necessary to make trypsin have chymotrypsin's enzyme specificity and activity. These results suggest that the cooperative motions of the two loops and the substrate-binding sites contribute to the activity and substrate specificity of trypsin and chymotrypsin.Comment: 41 pages, 7 figure

Munkajogviszony felmondása a vállalt részéről

INST: L_08

Lessons learned from the execution of the Multinational Logistics Training Program FOURLOG 2011

IgenNe

Identification of Natural Target Proteins Indicates Functions of a Serralysin-Type Metalloprotease, PrtA, in Anti-Immune Mechanisms▿

Serralysins are generally thought to function as pathogenicity factors of bacteria, but so far no hard evidence of this (e.g., specific substrate proteins that are sensitive to the cleavage by these proteases) has been found. We have looked for substrate proteins to a serralysin-type proteinase, PrtA, in a natural host-pathogen molecular interaction system involving Manduca sexta and Photorhabdus luminescens. The exposure in vitro of hemolymph to PrtA digestion resulted in selective cleavage of 16 proteins, provisionally termed PAT (PrtA target) proteins. We could obtain sequence information for nine of these PrtA sensitive proteins, and by searching databases, we could identify six of them. Each has immune-related function involving every aspect of the immune defense: β-1,3 glucan recognition protein 2 (immune recognition), hemocyte aggregation inhibitor protein (HAIP), serine proteinase homolog 3, six serpin-1 variants, including serpin-1I (immune signaling and regulation), and scolexins A and B (coagulation cascade effector function). The functions of the identified PrtA substrate proteins shed new light on a possible participation of a serralysin in the virulence mechanism of a pathogen. Provided these proteins are targets of PrtA in vivo, this might represent, among others, a complex suppressive role on the innate immune response via interference with both the recognition and the elimination of the pathogen during the first, infective stage of the host-pathogen interaction. Our results also raise the possibility that the natural substrate proteins of serralysins of vertebrate pathogens might be found among the components of the innate immune system

Egyes országok tisztképzése nemzetközi összehasonlításban

Az új évezred elejére az egész életen át tartó tanulás az élet minden területén alapfoga- lommá vált. A globalizációval járó kiélezett verseny eredményeként az egyén tudásának, készségeinek és kompetenciájának fejlesztése és elismerése kulcsfontosságúvá vált nemcsak a különböző szervezetek és intézmények versenyképessége, de a társadalmak foglalkoztatottsága és kohéziója szempontjából is. A globalizáció egyik hozadékaként bevett gyakorlattá vált, hogy tanulmányi okok vagy munkavégzés céljából az emberek eltérő országokban próbálnak boldogulni. Az egész életen át tartó tanulás szüksé- gessége alól nem kivétel a tiszti hivatás és az annak alapját jelentő tisztképzés sem, amely a nemzeti sajátosságok meghagyása mellett komoly nemzetközi egységesítési és összehasonlítási folyamaton ment keresztül az utóbbi évtizedekben. | At the beginning of the millenium life-long learning turned to be a fundamental issue in all aspects of life. Due to the increasing competition, the development and ack- nowledgement of individual knowledge, capability and competency became key to the competitiveness not only of organizations and institutions, but also for the emp- loyment and cohesion of societies. As a result of globalisation, it has become common practice for people to try to get by in different countries for study or work. The need for lifelong learning is no exeption to the officer‘s profession and the officer training, which, while retaining national specificities, requires considerable international needs and comparison in recent decades