Jan 2010, Volume 1 Issue 1
    

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  • Research articles
    Protein & Cell: a new scientific journal for the 21st century global life sciences community
    2010, 1(1): 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0015-0
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  • Research articles
    Complete reprogramming to all-iPS mice
    Steven Y Cheng,
    2010, 1(1): 2-3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0005-2
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  • Research articles
    The CHINA CONNECTION: Michael Rossmann and his first encounter with me
    Jia-huai Wang,
    2010, 1(1): 6-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0001-6
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  • Research articles
    The emergence of pandemic influenza viruses
    Yi Guan, Dhanasekaran Vijaykrishna, Justin Bahl, Huachen Zhu, Jia Wang, Gavin J. D. Smith,
    2010, 1(1): 9-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0008-z
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    Pandemic influenza has posed an increasing threat to public health worldwide in the last decade. In the 20th century, three human pandemic influenza outbreaks occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968, causing significant mortality. A number of hypotheses have been proposed for the emergence and development of pandemic viruses, including direct introduction into humans from an avian origin and reassortment between avian and previously circulating human viruses, either directly in humans or via an intermediate mammalian host. However, the evolutionary history of the pandemic viruses has been controversial, largely due to the lack of background genetic information and rigorous phylogenetic analyses. The pandemic that emerged in early April 2009 in North America provides a unique opportunity to investigate its emergence and development both in human and animal aspects. Recent genetic analyses of data accumulated through long-term influenza surveillance provided insights into the emergence of this novel pandemic virus. In this review, we summarise the recent literature that describes the evolutionary pathway of the pandemic viruses. We also discuss the implications of these findings on the early detection and control of future pandemics.
  • Research articles
    Twenty years hunting for sulfur in DNA
    Shi Chen, Lianrong Wang, Zixin Deng
    2010, 1(1): 14-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0009-y
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    Here we tell a 20-year long story. It began with an easily overlooked DNA degradation (Dnd) phenomenon during electrophoresis and eventually led to the discovery of an unprecedented DNA sulfur modification governed by five dnd genes. This unusual DNA modification, called phosphorothioation, is the first physiological modification identified on the DNA backbone, in which the nonbridging oxygen is replaced by sulfur in a sequence selective and stereo-specific manner. Homologous dnd gene clusters have been identified in diverse and distantly related bacteria and thus have drawn immediate attention of the entire microbial scientific community. Here, we summarize the progress in chemical, genetic, enzymatic, bioinformatical and analytical aspects of this novel postreplicative DNA modification. We also discuss perspectives on the physiological functions of the DNA phosphorothioate modification in bacteria and their implications.
  • Research articles
    Chromatin and epigenetic regulation of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene
    Jiyue Zhu, Yuanjun Zhao, Shuwen Wang,
    2010, 1(1): 22-32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0014-1
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    Telomerase expression and telomere maintenance are critical for long-term cell proliferation and survival, and they play important roles in development, aging, and cancer. Cumulating evidence has indicated that regulation of the rate-limiting subunit of human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (hTERT) is a complex process in normal cells and many cancer cells. In addition to a number of transcriptional activators and repressors, the chromatin environment and epigenetic status of the endogenous hTERT locus are also pivotal for its regulation in normal human somatic cells and in tumorigenesis.
  • Research articles
    The role of ADAMTSs in arthritis
    Edward A. Lin, Chuan-Ju Liu,
    2010, 1(1): 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0002-5
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    The ADAMTSs (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) family is composed of 19 proteases. These enzymes are known to play an important role in development, angiogenesis and coagulation, and their dysregulation or mutation has been implicated in disease processes such as inflammation, cancer, arthritis and atherosclerosis. In addition to a brief summary of the structural organization and functional roles of ADAMTSs in normal and pathological conditions, this review focuses on the members known to be involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix and loss of cartilage in arthritis, including the aggrecanases (with special focus on ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5), and ADAMTS-7 and ADAMTS-12, both of which associate with cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a component of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM). Expression patterns of these metalloproteinases, as well as the regulation of their activities at multiple levels, such as their interaction with substrates, induction by pro-inflammatory cytokines, protein processing, inhibition (e.g., TIMP-3, alpha-2-macroglobulin, GEP) and activation (e.g., syndecan-4, PACE-4) are reviewed.
  • Research articles
    Cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of two types of wild rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses characterized the structural features of Lagovirus
    Zhongjun Hu, Yujia Zhai, Wei Xu, Fei Sun, Xiaojuan Tian, Dong Zheng
    2010, 1(1): 48-58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0007-0
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    Rabbit hemorrhagic disease was described in China in 1984 and can cause hemorrhagic necrosis of the liver within two or three days after infection. The etiological agent, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), belongs to the Lagovirus genus in the Caliciviridae family. Compared to other calicivirus, such as rNV and SMSV, the structure of Lagovirus members is not well characterized. In this report, structures of two types of wild RHDV particles, the intact virion and the core-like particle (CLP), were reconstructed by cryo-electron microscopy at 11Å and 17Å, respectively. This is the first time the 3D structure of wild caliciviruses CLP has been provided, and the 3D structure of intact RHDV virion is the highest resolution structure in Lagovirus. Comparison of the intact virion and CLP structures clearly indicated that CLP was produced from the intact virion with the protrusion dissociated. In contrast with the crystal structures of recombinant Norovirus and San Miguel sea lion virus, the capsomers of RHDV virion exhibited unique structural features and assembly modes. Both P1 and P2 subdomains have interactions inside the AB capsomer, while only P2 subdomains have interaction inside CC capsomer. The pseudo atomic models of RHDV capsomers were constructed by homology modeling and density map fitting, and the rotation of RHDV VP60 P domain with respect to its S domain, compared with SMSV, was observed. Collectively, our cryo-electron microscopic studies of RHDV provide close insight into the structure of Lagovirus, which is important for functional analysis and better vaccine development in the future.
  • Research articles
    Liberation of SARS-CoV main protease from the viral polyprotein: N-terminal autocleavage does not depend on the mature dimerization mode
    Shuai Chen, Felix Jonas, Can Shen, Rolf Higenfeld,
    2010, 1(1): 59-74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0011-4
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    The main protease (Mpro) plays a vital role in proteolytic processing of the polyproteins in the replicative cycle of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Dimerization of this enzyme has been shown to be indispensable for trans-cleavage activity. However, the auto-processing mechanism of Mpro, i.e. its own release from the polyproteins through autocleavage, remains unclear. This study elucidates the relationship between the N-terminal autocleavage activity and the dimerization of “immature” Mpro. Three residues (Arg4, Glu290, and Arg298), which contribute to the active dimer conformation of mature Mpro, are selected for mutational analyses. Surprisingly, all three mutants still perform N-terminal autocleavage, while the dimerization of mature protease and trans-cleavage activity following auto-processing are completely inhibited by the E290R and R298E mutations and partially so by the R4E mutation. Furthermore, the mature E290R mutant can resume N-terminal autocleavage activity when mixed with the “immature” C145A/E290R double mutant whereas its trans-cleavage activity remains absent. Therefore, the N-terminal auto-processing of Mpro appears to require only two “immature” monomers approaching one another to form an “intermediate” dimer structure and does not strictly depend on the active dimer conformation existing in mature protease. In conclusion, an auto-release model of Mpro from the polyproteins is proposed, which will help understand the auto-processing mechanism and the difference between the autocleavage and trans-cleavage proteolytic activities of SARS-CoV Mpro.
  • Research articles
    Insulin-like signaling pathway functions in integrative response to an olfactory and a gustatory stimuli in Caenorhabditis elegans
    Ya-Ming Jiu, Yang Yue, Song Yang, Lin Liu, Jun-Wei Yu, Zheng-Xing Wu, Tao Xu,
    2010, 1(1): 75-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0003-4
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    Animals integrate various environmental stimuli within the nervous system to generate proper behavioral responses. However, the underlying neural circuits and molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. The insulin-like signaling pathway is known to regulate dauer formation, fat metabolism, and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Here, we show that this highly conserved signaling pathway also functions in the integrative response to an olfactory diacetyl and a gustatory Cu2+ stimuli. Worms of wild-type N2 Bristol displayed a strong avoidance to the Cu2+ barrier in the migration pathway to the attractive diacetyl. Mutants of daf-2 (insulin receptor), daf-18 (PTEN lipid phosphatase), pdk-1 (phosphoinositide-dependent kinase), akt-1/-2 (Akt/PKB kinase) and sgk-1 (serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase) show severe defects in the elusion from the Cu2+. Mutations in DAF-16, a forkhead-type transcriptional factor, suppress the integrative defects of daf-2 and akt-1/-2 mutants. We further report that neither cGMP nor TGFβ pathways, two other dauer formation regulators, likely plays a role in the integrative learning. These results suggest that the insulin-like signaling pathway constitutes an essential component for sensory integration and decision-making behavior plasticity.
  • Research articles
    Identification of arylamine N -acetyltransferase inhibitors as an approach towards novel anti-tuberculars
    Isaac M. Westwood, Sanjib Bhakta, Angela J. Russell, Elizabeth Fullam, Akane Kawamura, Matthew C. Anderton, Edith Sim, Andrew W. Mulvaney, Richard J. Vickers, Stephen G. Davies, Veemal Bhowruth, Gurdyal S. Besra, Ajit Lalvani,
    2010, 1(1): 82-95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0006-1
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    New anti-tubercular drugs and drug targets are urgently needed to reduce the time for treatment and also to identify agents that will be effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis persisting intracellularly. Mycobacteria have a unique cell wall. Deletion of the gene for arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) decreases mycobacterial cell wall lipids, particularly the distinctive mycolates, and also increases antibiotic susceptibility and killing within macrophage of Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The nat gene and its associated gene cluster are almost identical in sequence in M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis. The gene cluster is essential for intracellular survival of mycobacteria. We have therefore used pure NAT protein for high-throughput screening to identify several classes of small molecules that inhibit NAT activity. Here, we characterize one class of such molecules— triazoles—in relation to its effects on the target enzyme and on both M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis. The most potent triazole mimics the effects of deletion of the nat gene on growth, lipid disruption and intracellular survival. We also present the structure-activity relationship between NAT inhibition and effects on mycobacterial growth, and use ligand-protein analysis to give further insight into the structure-activity relationships. We conclude that screening a chemical library with NAT protein yields compounds that have high potential as anti-tubercular agents and that the inhibitors will allow further exploration of the biochemical pathway in which NAT is involved.
  • Research articles
    Crystal structure of cytotoxin protein suilysin from Streptococcus suis
    Lingfeng Xu, Bo Huang, Xuemei Li, Zihe Rao, Huamao Du, Xuejun C. Zhang, Jianguo Xu,
    2010, 1(1): 96-105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0012-3
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    Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDC) are pore forming toxins. A prototype of the CDC family members is perfringolysin O (PFO), which directly binds to cholesterol rich cell membrane and lyses the cell. However, as an exception of this general observation, Streptococcus intermedius intermedilysin (ILY) requires human CD59 as its receptor in addition to cholesterol when exhibiting hemolytic activity. It was attempted to explain this functional difference based on a conformational variation in the C-terminal domain of the two toxin proteins, particularly a highly conserved undecapeptide termed tryptophan rich motif. Here, we present the crystal structure of suilysin, a CDC toxin from the swine infectious pathogen Streptococcus suis. Like PFO, suilysin does not require a host receptor for hemolytic activity; yet in the suilysin crystal it shares a similar conformation in the tryptophan rich motif with ILY. This observation suggests that current views of structure-function relationship of CDC proteins in membrane association are still far from complete.