Phenotype of recombinant Trypanosoma cruzi which overexpress elongation factor 1-gamma: possible involvement of EF-1gamma GST-like domain in the resistance to clomipramine

Proteomic analysis of Potentilla fruticosa L. leaves by iTRAQ reveals responses to heat stress

High temperature is an important environmental factor that affects plant growth and crop yield. Potentilla fruticosa L. has a developed root system and characteristics of resistance to several stresses (e.g., high temperature, cold, drought) that are shared by native shrubs in the north and west of China. To investigate thermotolerance mechanisms in P. fruticosa, 3-year-old plants were subjected to a high temperature of 42°C for 1, 2, and 3 days respectively before analysis. Then, we studied changes in cell ultrastructure using electron microscopy and investigated physiological changes in the leaves of P. fruticosa. Additionally, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to study proteomic changes in P. fruticosa leaves after 3 d of 42°C heat stress. we found that the cell membrane and structure of chloroplasts, especially the thylakoids in P. fruticosa leaves, was destroyed by a high temperature stress, which might affect the photosynthesis in this species. We identified 35 up-regulated and 23 down-regulated proteins after the heat treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that these 58 differentially abundant proteins were involved mainly in protein synthesis, protein folding and degradation, abiotic stress defense, photosynthesis, RNA process, signal transduction, and other functions. The 58 proteins fell into different categories based on their subcellular localization mainly in the chloroplast envelope, cytoplasm, nucleus, cytosol, chloroplast, mitochondrion and cell membrane. Five proteins were selected for analysis at the mRNA level; this analysis showed that gene transcription levels were not completely consistent with protein abundance. These results provide valuable information for Potentilla thermotolerance breeding.

Identification of an elongation factor 1Bγ protein with glutathione transferase activity in both yeast and mycelial morphologies from human pathogenic Blastoschizomyces capitatus

Blastoschizomyces capitatus is an uncommon, opportunistic pathogenic fungus, which causes invasive and disseminated infections. This microorganism is normally present in both environmental and normal human flora. Within a host, B. capitatus is able to grow in both unicellular yeast and multicellular filamentous growth forms. In this study, we obtained in vitro morphological conversion of B. capitatus from yeast-to-mycelial phase to investigate the presence and expression of glutathione transferase (GST) enzymes in both cell forms. A protein with GST activity using the model substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was detected in both morphologies and identified by tandem mass spectrometry as a eukaryotic elongation factor 1Bγ (eEF1Bγ) protein, a member of the GST superfamily. No significant difference in GST-specific activity and kinetic constants were observed between mycelial and yeast forms, indicating that eEF1Bγ protein did not show differential expression between the two phases.

eEF1B: At the dawn of the 21st century

Translational regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes can rapidly and accurately control cell activity in response to stimuli or when rapidly dividing. There is increasing evidence for a key role of the elongation step in this process. Elongation factor-1 (eEF1), which is responsible for aminoacyl-tRNA transfer on the ribosome, is comprised of two entities: a G-protein named eEF1A and a nucleotide exchange factor, eEF1B. The multifunctional nature of eEF1A, as well as its oncogenic potential, is currently the subject of a number of studies. Until recently, less work has been done on eEF1B. This review describes the macromolecular complexity of eEF1B, its multiple phosphorylation sites and numerous cellular partners, which lead us to suggest an essential role for the factor in the control of gene expression, particularly during the cell cycle.

The 110kDa glutathione transferase of Yarrowia lipolytica is encoded by a homologue of the TEF3 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Cloning, expression, and homology modeling of the recombinant protein

The TEF4 gene of the non-saccharomyces yeast Yarrowia lipolytica encodes an EF1Bgamma protein with structural similarity to the glutathione transferases (GSTs). This 1203bp gene was cloned, over-expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein characterized. DNA sequencing of the cloned gene agreed with the recently completed Y. lipolytica genome and showed 100% identity to a previously reported 30-residue N-terminal sequence for a 110kDa Y. lipolytica GST, except that it encoded two additional N-terminal residues (N-Met-Ser-). The recombinant protein (subunit M(r) 52kDa) was found not to possess GST activity with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Partial tryptic digestion released two fragments of M(r) 22 and 18kDa, which we interpret as N- and C-terminal domains. Homology modeling confirmed that the N-terminal domain of Y. lipolytica TEF4 encodes a GST-like protein.

Leishmania major elongation factor 1B complex has trypanothione S-transferase and peroxidase activity

In the Trypanosomatidae, trypanothione has subsumed many of the roles of glutathione in defense against chemical and oxidant stress. Crithidia fasciculata lacks glutathione S-transferase, but contains an unusual trypanothione S-transferase activity that is associated with eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1B (eEF1B). Here we describe the cloning, expression, and reconstitution of the purified alpha, beta, and gamma subunits of eEF1B from Leishmania major. Individual subunits lacked trypanothione S-transferase activity. Only eEF1B, formed by reconstitution or co-expression of the three subunits, was able to conjugate a variety of electrophilic substrates to trypanothione or glutathionylspermidine, but not glutathione. In contrast to the C. fasciculata eEF1B, the L. major enzyme also displayed peroxidase activity against a variety of organic hydroperoxides. The enzyme showed no activity with hydrogen peroxide and greatest activity with linoleic acid hydroperoxide (1 unit mg(-1)). Kinetic studies suggest a ternary complex mechanism, with Km values of 140 mum for trypanothione and 7.4 mm for cumene hydroperoxide and kcat=25 s(-1). Immunofluorescence studies indicate that the enzyme may be localized to the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that, in addition to its role in protein synthesis, the Leishmania eEF1B may help protect the parasite from lipid peroxidation.

Trypanothione S-transferase activity in a trypanosomatid ribosomal elongation factor 1B

Trypanothione is a thiol unique to the Kinetoplastida and has been shown to be a vital component of their antioxidant defenses. However, little is known as to the role of trypanothione in xenobiotic metabolism. A trypanothione S-transferase activity was detected in extracts of Leishmania major, L. infantum, L. tarentolae, Trypanosoma brucei, and Crithidia fasciculata, but not Trypanosoma cruzi. No glutathione S-transferase activity was detected in any of these parasites. Trypanothione S-transferase was purified from C. fasciculata and shown to be a hexadecameric complex of three subunits with a relative molecular weight of 650,000. This enzyme complex was specific for the thiols trypanothione and glutathionylspermidine and only used 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene from a range of glutathione S-transferase substrates. Peptide sequencing revealed that the three components were the alpha, beta, and gamma subunits of ribosomal eukaryotic elongation factor 1B (eEF1B). Partial dissociation of the complex suggested that the S-transferase activity was associated with the gamma subunit. Moreover, Cibacron blue was found to be a tight binding inhibitor and reactive blue 4 an irreversible time-dependent inhibitor that covalently modified only the gamma subunit. The rate of inactivation by reactive blue 4 was increased more than 600-fold in the presence of trypanothione, and Cibacron blue protected the enzyme from inactivation by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, confirming that these dyes interact with the active site region. Two eEF1Bgamma genes were cloned from C. fasciculata, but recombinant C. fasciculata eEF1Bgamma had no S-transferase activity, suggesting that eEF1Bgamma is unstable in the absence of the other subunits.

Apoptosis-like death in trypanosomatids: search for putative pathways and genes involved

Members of the Trypanosomatidae family comprises species that are causative of important human diseases such as Chagas'disease, Leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness. A wealth of evidence has accumulated that illustrates the ability of these unicellular organisms to undergo, with or without induction (stress conditions), a cell death with some features resembling apoptosis-like phenomenon. However, despite the apparent phenotypic similarities between the apoptosis-like death of kinetoplastids and mammalian nucleated cell programmed cell death (PCD), the pathways seem to differ significantly. This review analyses some of the current data related to the cell death in trypanosomatids. Special attention is given to members of conserved protein families demonstrating remarkable diversity and plasticity of function [i.e. elongation factor-1 subunits alpha and gamma; and the Silent Information Regulator (SIR2)-related gene, showed to be associated with resistance to apoptosis-like death in Leishmania]. The elucidation of the molecular events which tightly regulated the processes of growth arrest, differentiation and death of Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp and African trypanosomes, might allow not only to define a more comprehensive view of the cell death machinery in term of evolutionary origin but may also be useful to identify new target molecules for chemotherapeutic drug development and therapeutic intervention.

Cytoplasmic SIR2 homologue overexpression promotes survival of Leishmania parasites by preventing programmed cell death

The Silent Information Regulator (SIR2) family of genes have been cloned from a variety of species ranging from bacteria to man. In previous studies, we reported the characterization of a Leishmania major gene encoding a protein with extensive homology to yeast SIR2p and expressed by different Leishmania species and parasite developmental stages and thus termed LmSIR2. Unlike the yeast SIR2p, LmSIR2p is mainly localized within the cytoplasm. In the present study, sequencing of a homologue encoding gene in another Leishmania species, Leishmania infantum, revealed 93% overall amino acid identity with L. major SIR2 gene. Further, using L. infantum as a recipient for a plasmid vector (pTEX) which allows overexpression of LmSIR2p led to the accumulation of the protein in the parasite cytoplasm of both promastigote and amastigote forms and a striking increase in the survival of amastigotes, the vertebrate stage of the parasite, when maintained under normal axenic culture conditions. This phenotype was also observed when L. infantum parasites were transfected with a cosmid vector (CLHyg), isolated from a L. infantum cosmid library, carrying the L. infantum SIR2 gene (CLHyg-LiSIR2). In contrast, no effect was observed on survival of the promastigote forms (insect stage) under similar culture conditions. However, when the glucose was used as a unique source of energy under starvation conditions, the viability of promastigotes was significantly enhanced. Moreover, we showed that amastigote forms in the stationary phase of culture died with a feature of apoptosis as revealed by the appearance of YOPRO-1 positive cells and that expression of LmSIR2 protein substantially delays this phenomenon. Taken together, these results demonstrate the existence of SIR2-related proteins encoding genes in different Leishmania species and suggest that LmSIR2p could participate among other factors in the control of cell death.

Isolation and characterization of Leishmania infantum cDNA encoding a protein homologous to eukaryotic elongation factor 1 gamma

This paper reports the isolation and characterization of a complementary deoxyribonucleic acid clone showing sequence homology with genes coding for the eukaryotic elongation factor 1 gamma (EF-1 gamma). The clone encodes an open reading frame of 404 amino acids corresponding to a deduced molecular mass of 46.2 kDa. Database searches revealed 30-64% sequence identity between the Leishmania infantum EF-1 gamma and several eukaryotic homologues. Southern blot analysis indicated that 2 genes tandemly organized were present in the L. infantum genome. The 3' untranslated regions of these 2 genes differed in size. Southern hybridization and pulsed field gel electrophoresis showed that EF-1 gamma genes are highly conserved among members of the Leishmania genus and must be clustered in a single chromosomal locus.

Detection and characterization of glutathione S-transferase activity in rice EF-1betabeta'gamma and EF-1gamma expressed in Escherichia coli

Plant elongation factor EF-1 consists of four subunits (EF-1alphabetabeta'gamma). EF-1alpha. GTP catalyses the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome. EF-1beta and EF-1beta' catalyze the GDP/GTP exchange on EF-1alpha. GDP. However, the function of EF-1gamma, a subunit detected in eukaryotes, but not in prokaryotes remained unknown. This report demonstrates that rice EF-1betabeta'gamma and recombinant EF-1gamma possess glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. The EF-1betabeta'gamma- or EF-1gamma-dependent GST activity is about one-fiftieth of the rice GST activity. The Km values of EF-1betabeta'gamma, EF-1gamma, and rice GST for glutathione and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene are of about the same order. Although recombinant EF-1gamma is heat labile, active EF-1gamma was obtained by purifying it in the presence of 20% glycerol.