Complete structure of the alpha B-crystallin gene: conservation of the exon-intron distribution in the two nonlinked alpha-crystallin genes

Molecular Insights into the Inhibitory Role of α-Crystallin against γD-Crystallin Aggregation

Cataracts, a major cause of global blindness, contribute significantly to the overall prevalence of blindness. The opacification of the lens, resulting in cataract formation, primarily occurs due to the aggregation of crystallin proteins within the eye lens. Despite the high concentration of these crystallins, they remarkably maintain the lens transparency and refractive index. α-Crystallins (α-crys), acting as chaperones, play a crucial role in preventing crystallin aggregation, although the exact molecular mechanism remains uncertain. In this study, we employed a combination of molecular docking, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, and advanced free energy calculations to investigate the interaction between γD-crystallin (γD-crys), a major structural protein of the eye lens, and α-crystallin proteins. Our findings demonstrate that α-crys exhibits an enhanced affinity for the NTD2 and CTD4 regions of γD-crys. The NTD2 and CTD4 regions form the interface between the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the γD-crys protein. By binding to the interface region between the NTD and CTD of the protein, α-crys effectively inhibits the formation of domain-swapped aggregates and mitigates protein aggregation. Analysis of the Markov state models using molecular dynamics trajectories confirms that minimum free energy conformations correspond to the binding of the α-crystallin domain (ACD) of α-crys to NTD2 and CTD4 that form the interdomain interface.

Heat-Shock Proteins

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs), or stress proteins, are abundant and highly conserved, present in all organisms and in all cells. Selected HSPs, also known as chaperones, play crucial roles in folding and unfolding of proteins, assembly of multiprotein complexes, transport and sorting of proteins into correct subcellular compartments, cell-cycle control and signaling, and protection of cells against stress and apoptosis. More recently, HSPs have been shown to be key players in immune responses: during antigen presentation as well as cross-priming, they chaperone and transfer antigenic peptides to class I and class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complexes. In addition, extracellular HSPs can stimulate and cause maturation of professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, such as macrophages and dendritic cells. They also chaperone several toll-like receptors, which play a central role in innate immune responses. HSPs constitute a large family of proteins that are often classified based on their molecular weight as Hsp10, Hsp40, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsp90, etc. This unit contains a table that lists common HSPs and summarizes their characteristics including (a) name, (b) subcellular localization, (c) known function, (d) chromosome assignment, (e) brief comments, and (f) references. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Nucleosomal association and altered interactome underlie the mechanism of cataract caused by the R54C mutation of αA-crystallin

BACKGROUND

αA-crystallin plays an important role in eye lens development. Its N-terminal domain is implicated in several important biological functions. Mutations in certain conserved arginine residues in the N-terminal region of αA-crystallin lead to cataract with characteristic cytoplasmic/nuclear aggregation of the mutant protein. In this study, we attempt to gain mechanistic insights into the congenital cataract caused by the R54C mutation in human αA-crystallin.

METHODS

We used several spectroscopic techniques to investigate the structure and function of the wild-type and R54CαA-crystallin. Immunoprecipitation, chromatin-enrichment followed by western blotting, immunofluorescence and cell-viability assay were performed to study the interaction partners, chromatin-association, stress-like response and cell-death caused by the mutant.

RESULTS

Although R54CαA-crystallin exhibited slight changes in quaternary structure, its chaperone-like activity was comparable to that of wild-type. When expressed in lens epithelial cells, R54CαA-crystallin exhibited a speckled appearance in the nucleus rather than cytoplasmic localization. R54CαA-crystallin triggered a stress-like response, resulting in nuclear translocation of αB-crystallin, disassembly of cytoskeletal elements and activation of caspase 3, leading to apoptosis. Analysis of the "interactome" revealed an increase in interaction of the mutant protein with nucleosomal histones, and its association with chromatin.

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows that alteration of "interactome" and nucleosomal association, rather than loss of chaperone-like activity, is the molecular basis of cataract caused by the R54C mutation in αA-crystallin.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

The study provides a novel mechanism of cataract caused by a mutant of αA-crystallin, and sheds light on the possible mechanism of stress and cell death caused by such nuclear inclusions.

Structural and Functional Peculiarities of α-Crystallin

α-Crystallin is the major protein of the eye lens and a member of the family of small heat-shock proteins. Its concentration in the human eye lens is extremely high (about 450 mg/mL). Three-dimensional structure of native α-crystallin is unknown. First of all, this is the result of the highly heterogeneous nature of α-crystallin, which hampers obtaining it in a crystalline form. The modeling based on the electron microscopy (EM) analysis of α-crystallin preparations shows that the main population of the α-crystallin polydisperse complex is represented by oligomeric particles of rounded, slightly ellipsoidal shape with the diameter of about 13.5 nm. These complexes have molecular mass of about 700 kDa. In our opinion, the heterogeneity of the α-crystallin complex makes it impossible to obtain a reliable 3D model. In the literature, there is evidence of an enhanced chaperone function of α-crystallin during its dissociation into smaller components. This may indirectly indicate that the formation of heterogeneous complexes is probably necessary to preserve α-crystallin in a state inactive before stressful conditions. Then, not only the heterogeneity of the α-crystallin complex is an evolutionary adaptation that protects α-crystallin from crystallization but also the enhancement of the function of α-crystallin during its dissociation is also an evolutionary acquisition. An analysis of the literature on the study of α-crystallin in vitro led us to the assumption that, of the two α-crystallin isoforms (αA- and αB-crystallins), it is αA-crystallin that plays the role of a special chaperone for αB-crystallin. In addition, our data on X-ray diffraction analysis of α-crystallin at the sample concentration of about 170-190 mg/mL allowed us to assume that, at a high concentration, the eye lens α-crystallin can be in a gel-like stage. Finally, we conclude that, since all the accumulated data on structural-functional studies of α-crystallin were carried out under conditions far from native, they cannot adequately reflect the features of the functioning of α-crystallin in vivo.

Structure and function of α-crystallins: Traversing from in vitro to in vivo

BACKGROUND

The two α-crystallins (αA- and αB-crystallin) are major components of our eye lenses. Their key function there is to preserve lens transparency which is a challenging task as the protein turnover in the lens is low necessitating the stability and longevity of the constituent proteins. α-Crystallins are members of the small heat shock protein family. αB-crystallin is also expressed in other cell types.

SCOPE OF THE REVIEW

The review summarizes the current concepts on the polydisperse structure of the α-crystallin oligomer and its chaperone function with a focus on the inherent complexity and highlighting gaps between in vitro and in vivo studies.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Both α-crystallins protect proteins from irreversible aggregation in a promiscuous manner. In maintaining eye lens transparency, they reduce the formation of light scattering particles and balance the interactions between lens crystallins. Important for these functions is their structural dynamics and heterogeneity as well as the regulation of these processes which we are beginning to understand. However, currently, it still remains elusive to which extent the in vitro observed properties of α-crystallins reflect the highly crowded situation in the lens.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Since α-crystallins play an important role in preventing cataract in the eye lens and in the development of diverse diseases, understanding their mechanism and substrate spectra is of importance. To bridge the gap between the concepts established in vitro and the in vivo function of α-crystallins, the joining of forces between different scientific disciplines and the combination of diverse techniques in hybrid approaches are necessary. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Crystallin Biochemistry in Health and Disease.

Exploiting EST databases for the development and characterisation of 3425 gene-tagged CISP markers in biofuel crop sugarcane and their transferability in cereals and orphan tropical grasses

Background

Sugarcane is an important cash crop, providing 70% of the global raw sugar as well as raw material for biofuel production. Genetic analysis is hindered in sugarcane because of its large and complex polyploid genome and lack of sufficiently informative gene-tagged markers. Modern genomics has produced large amount of ESTs, which can be exploited to develop molecular markers based on comparative analysis with EST datasets of related crops and whole rice genome sequence, and accentuate their cross-technical functionality in orphan crops like tropical grasses.

Findings

Utilising 246,180 Saccharum officinarum EST sequences vis-à-vis its comparative analysis with ESTs of sorghum and barley and the whole rice genome sequence, we have developed 3425 novel gene-tagged markers — namely, conserved-intron scanning primers (CISP) — using the web program GeMprospector. Rice orthologue annotation results indicated homology of 1096 sequences with expressed proteins, 491 with hypothetical proteins. The remaining 1838 were miscellaneous in nature. A total of 367 primer-pairs were tested in diverse panel of samples. The data indicate amplification of 41% polymorphic bands leading to 0.52 PIC and 3.50 MI with a set of sugarcane varieties and Saccharum species. In addition, a moderate technical functionality of a set of such markers with orphan tropical grasses (22%) and fodder cum cereal oat (33%) is observed.

Conclusions

Developed gene-tagged CISP markers exhibited considerable technical functionality with varieties of sugarcane and unexplored species of tropical grasses. These markers would thus be particularly useful in identifying the economical traits in sugarcane and developing conservation strategies for orphan tropical grasses.

Novel roles for α-crystallins in retinal function and disease

α-Crystallins are key members of the superfamily of small heat shock proteins that have been studied in detail in the ocular lens. Recently, novel functions for α-crystallins have been identified in the retina and in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). αB-Crystallin has been localized to multiple compartments and organelles including mitochondria, golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum and nucleus. α-Crystallins are regulated by oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inhibit apoptosis-induced cell death. α-Crystallins interact with a large number of proteins that include other crystallins, and apoptotic, cytoskeletal, inflammatory, signaling, angiogenic, and growth factor molecules. Studies with RPE from αB-crystallin deficient mice have shown that αB-crystallin supports retinal and choroidal angiogenesis through its interaction with vascular endothelial growth factor. αB-Crystallin has also been shown to have novel functions in the extracellular space. In RPE, αB-crystallin is released from the apical surface in exosomes where it accumulates in the interphotoreceptor matrix and may function to protect neighboring cells. In other systems administration of exogenous recombinant αB-crystallin has been shown to be anti-inflammatory. Another newly described function of αB-crystallin is its ability to inhibit β-amyloid fibril formation. α-Crystallin minichaperone peptides have been identified that elicit anti-apoptotic function in addition to being efficient chaperones. Generation of liposomal particles and other modes of nanoencapsulation of these minipeptides could offer great therapeutic advantage in ocular delivery for a wide variety of retinal degenerative, inflammatory and vascular diseases including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Inhibition of Cu2+-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species by the small heat shock protein αB-crystallin: the relative contributions of the N- and C-terminal domains

Oxidative stress, Cu(2+) homeostasis, and small heat shock proteins (sHsp's) have important implications in several neurodegenerative diseases. The ubiquitous sHsp αB-crystallin is an oligomeric protein that binds Cu(2+). We have investigated the relative contributions of the N- and C-terminal (C-TDαB-crystallin) domains of αB-crystallin to its Cu(2+)-binding and redox-attenuation properties and mapped the Cu(2+)-binding regions. C-TDαB-crystallin binds Cu(2+) with slightly less affinity and inhibits Cu(2+)-catalyzed, ascorbate-mediated generation of ROS to a lesser extent than αB-crystallin. [Cu(2+)]/[subunit] stoichiometries for redox attenuation by αB-crystallin and C-TDαB-crystallin are 5 and 2, respectively. Both αB-crystallin and C-TDαB-crystallin also inhibit the Fenton reaction of hydroxyl radical formation. Trypsinization of αB-crystallin bound to a Cu(2+)-NTA column and MALDI-TOF analysis of column-bound peptides yielded three peptides located in the N-terminal domain, and in-solution trypsinization of αB-crystallin followed by Cu(2+)-NTA column chromatography identified four additional Cu(2+)-binding peptides located in the C-terminal domain. Thus, Cu(2+)-binding regions are distributed in the N- and C-terminal domains. Small-angle X-ray scattering and sedimentation-velocity measurements indicate quaternary structural changes in αB-crystallin upon Cu(2+) binding. Our study indicates that an oligomer of αB-crystallin can sequester a large number (~150) of Cu(2+) ions. It acts like a "Cu(2+) sponge," exhibits redox attenuation of Cu(2+), and has potential roles in Cu(2+) homeostasis and in preventing oxidative stress.

Suppression of GFAP toxicity by alphaB-crystallin in mouse models of Alexander disease

Alexander disease (AxD) is a primary disorder of astrocytes caused by dominant mutations in the gene for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). These mutations lead to protein aggregation and formation of Rosenthal fibers, complex astrocytic inclusions that contain GFAP, vimentin, plectin, ubiquitin, Hsp27 and alphaB-crystallin. The small heat shock protein alphaB-crystallin (Cryab) regulates GFAP assembly, and elevation of Cryab is a consistent feature of AxD; however, its role in Rosenthal fibers and AxD pathology is not known. Here, we show in AxD mouse models that loss of Cryab results in increased mortality, whereas elevation of Cryab rescues animals from terminal seizures. When mice with Rosenthal fibers induced by over-expression of GFAP are crossed into a Cryab-null background, over half die at 1 month of age. Restoration of Cryab expression through the GFAP promoter reverses this outcome, showing the effect is astrocyte-specific. Conversely, in mice engineered to express both AxD-associated mutations and elevated GFAP, which despite natural induction of Cryab also die at 1 month, transgenic over-expression of Cryab results in a markedly reduced CNS stress response, restores expression of the glutamate transporter Glt1 (EAAT2) and protects these animals from death. In its most common form, AxD is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, with early onset, characterized by seizures, spasticity and developmental delays, ultimately leading to death. Cryab plays a critical role in tempering AxD pathology and should be investigated as a therapeutic target for this and other diseases with astropathology.

Role of alphaBI5 and alphaBT162 residues in subunit interaction during oligomerization of alphaB-crystallin

PURPOSE

To determine whether the residues in the NH(2)- and COOH-terminal extensions interact with one another during oligomerization of alphaB-crystallin.

METHODS

Site-directed mutagenesis was used to mutate alphaBI5 and alphaBT162 residues to Cys. The recombinant I5C and T162C proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli cells and purified using chromatographic techniques. These proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry and characterized by multi-angle light scattering and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy methods. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay was used to determine the interaction between the subunits.

RESULTS

Dimer formation was observed in both alphaBI5C and alphaBT162C in storage at 4 degrees C. During air oxidation at room temperature, alphaBT162C formed dimers to a greater extent than alphaBI5C. The average molar masses, secondary structures, and chaperone-like activities of the reduced forms of I5C and T162C were comparable to that of wild type alphaB-crystallin. The oligomeric assembly of reduced forms of I5C and T162C appeared homogenous under JEOL 1200EX Electron microscope whereas the oxidized proteins appeared as irregular aggregates. FRET assay demonstrated interactions between alphaBI5C-alphaBI5C and alphaBT162C-alphaBT162C. However, there was no evidence of an interaction between alphaBI5C and alphaBT162C residues during oligomerization.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that residues from the NH(2)- and COOH-terminal regions in alphaB-crystallin interact with residues from the corresponding regions of another subunit, but there exists no interaction between the residues at the COOH-terminal extension region and the residues at the NH(2)-terminal region.

Heat-shock proteins

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs), or stress proteins, are highly conserved and present in all organisms and in all cells of all organisms. Selected HSPs, also known as chaperones, play crucial roles in folding/unfolding of proteins, assembly of multiprotein complexes, transport/sorting of proteins into correct subcellular compartments, cell-cycle control and signaling, and protection of cells against stress/apoptosis. More recently, HSPs have been implicated in antigen presentation with the role of chaperoning and transferring antigenic peptides to the class I and class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complexes. In addition, extracellular HSPs can stimulate professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, such as macrophages and dendritic cells. HSPs constitute a large family of proteins that are often classified based on their molecular weight: hsp10, hsp40, hsp60, hsp70, hsp90, etc. This unit contains a table that lists common HSPs and summarizes their characteristics including (a) name, (b) subcellular localization, (c) known function, (d) chromosome assignment, (e) brief comments, and (f) references.

Mixed Oligomer Formation between Human αA-Crystallin and its Cataract-causing G98R Mutant: Structural, Stability and Functional Differences

Mutation of the glycine 98 residue to arginine in alphaA-crystallin has been shown to cause presenile cataract in an Indian family. Our earlier study showed that the mutant protein exhibits folding defects that lead to aggregation and inclusion body formation in Escherichia coli. Despite the presence of a normal copy, the pathology is seen in the heterozygous individuals. Formation of mixed oligomers between wild-type and the mutant subunits might be crucial for manifestation of such dominant negative character. We have investigated the role of G98R mutation in alphaA-crystallin in its structural stability and subunit exchange. G98R alphaA-crystallin unfolds at lower concentrations of urea compared to wild-type alphaA-crystallin. The mutant protein is more susceptible to proteolysis than the wild-type protein and transiently populates fragments that are prone to aggregation. Subunit exchange studies using fluorescence resonance energy transfer show that the mutant protein forms mixed oligomers with the wild-type protein. The mutant protein is more susceptible to thermal aggregation, whereas mixed oligomer formation leads to a decreased propensity to aggregate. Co-expression of wild-type alphaA-crystallin with G98R alphaA-crystallin in E. coli rescues the mutant alphaA-crystallin from formation of inclusion bodies. These observations may underlie the molecular basis for the presenile onset, not congenital cataract, in spite of severe folding defect and aggregation of the mutant. Our study shows that the mixed oligomers of wild-type and G98R alphaA-crystallin exhibit properties dominated by those of the mutant protein in structural aspects, oligomeric size, urea-induced unfolding and, more importantly, the chaperone activity, which may provide the molecular basis for presenile cataract formation in affected individuals.

HMGA1 Mediates the Activation of the CRYAB Promoter by BRG1

alphaB-Crystallin (CRYAB) is a small heat-shock protein that is implicated in many cellular processes, such as transcription and differentiation, as well as pathologic process. It is expressed at high levels in vertebrate eye lens and at low levels in a variety of other cell types. We previously identified CRYAB as a target gene of the chromatin-remodeling SWI/SNF-like Brg or hBrm-associated factors (BAF) complexes. In this report, we identify a 30 bp DNA element required for mediating the activation of CRYAB by brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1). This BRG1-response element is located at the edge of a positioned nucleosome immediately upstream of the transcription initiation site. An AT-rich sequence within this region is bound by the high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) proteins in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that the HMGA1 target sequences and HMGA1 proteins are required for the maximal activation of the CRYAB promoter by BRG1. Our data indicate that HMGA1 nonhistone chromatin proteins, the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes, and sequence-specific transcription factors act together to regulate the expression of the CRYAB gene.

Tissue-specific activity of the blind mole rat and the two nucleotide-mutated mouse alphaB-crystallin promoter in transgenic mice

The alphaB-crystallin and HspB2 genes are located approximately 0.9 kb apart in a head-to-head arrangement in mammals. Previous experiments have shown that a truncated -668/+45 alphaB-crystallin enhancer/promoter fragment from blind mole rats (Spalax ehrenbergi), which have nonfunctional lenses, lacks lens activity and has enhanced muscle activity in transgenic mice. Here we show that the full-length mole rat alphaB-crystallin intergenic region behaves similarly in transgenic mice. A two-nucleotide mutation ((-273)CA-->G) in the mouse alphaB-crystallin enhancer/promoter fragment mimicking the wild-type mole rat sequence functionally converted the mouse promoter fragment to that of the wild-type mole rat promoter when tested in transgenic mice. The reciprocal mutation in the mole rat promoter fragment ((-272)G-->CA) did not affect its activity. Oligonucleotides from the wild-type mouse and mole rat alphaB-crystallin promoter region under study formed distinct complexes with nuclear proteins from cultured cells. The mouse mutant sequence lost binding ability, whereas the mutated mole rat sequence gained the ability to form a complex similar in size to that of the wild-type mouse oligonucleotide. Our data support the idea that blind mole rats' alphaB-crystallin promoter activity was modified during the evolution of subterranean life and shows that tissue-specific promoter activity can be modulated by changing as few as two apparently neutral nucleotides in the mouse alphaB-crystallin enhancer region, implying the importance of the context of regulatory sequences for promoter activity.

αB-Crystallin Maintains Skeletal Muscle Myosin Enzymatic Activity and Prevents its Aggregation under Heat-shock Stress

Here, we provide functional and direct structural evidence that alphaB-crystallin, a member of the small heat-shock protein family, suppresses thermal unfolding and aggregation of the myosin II molecular motor. Chicken skeletal muscle myosin was thermally unfolded at heat-shock temperature (43 degrees C) in the absence and in the presence of alphaB-crystallin. The ATPase activity of myosin at 25 degrees C was used as a parameter to monitor its unfolding. Myosin retained only 65% and 8% of its ATPase activity when incubated at heat-shock temperature for 15 min and 30 min, respectively. However, 84% and 58% of the myosin ATPase activity was maintained when it was incubated with alphaB-crystallin under the same conditions. Furthermore, actin-stimulated ATPase activity of myosin was reduced by approximately 90%, when myosin was thermally unfolded at 43 degrees C for 30 min, but was reduced by only approximately 42% when it was incubated with alphaB-crystallin under the same conditions. Light-scattering assays and bound thioflavin T fluorescence indicated that myosin aggregates when incubated at 43 degrees C for 30 min, while alphaB-crystallin suppressed this thermal aggregation. Photo-labeled bis-ANS alphaB-crystallin fluorescence studies confirmed the transient interaction of alphaB-crystallin with myosin. These findings were further supported by electron microscopy of rotary shadowed molecules. This revealed that approximately 94% of myosin molecules formed inter and intra-molecular aggregates when incubated at 43 degrees C for 30 min. alphaB-Crystallin, however, protected approximately 48% of the myosin molecules from thermal aggregation, with protected myosin appearing identical to unheated molecules. These results are the first to show that alphaB-crystallin maintains myosin enzymatic activity and prevents the aggregation of the motor under heat-shock conditions. Thus, alphaB-crystallin may be critical for nascent myosin folding, promoting myofibrillogenesis, maintaining cytoskeletal integrity and sustaining muscle performance, since heat-shock temperatures can be produced during multiple stress conditions or vigorous exercise.

A comparative genomics strategy for targeted discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and conserved-noncoding sequences in orphan crops

Completed genome sequences provide templates for the design of genome analysis tools in orphan species lacking sequence information. To demonstrate this principle, we designed 384 PCR primer pairs to conserved exonic regions flanking introns, using Sorghum/Pennisetum expressed sequence tag alignments to the Oryza genome. Conserved-intron scanning primers (CISPs) amplified single-copy loci at 37% to 80% success rates in taxa that sample much of the approximately 50-million years of Poaceae divergence. While the conserved nature of exons fostered cross-taxon amplification, the lesser evolutionary constraints on introns enhanced single-nucleotide polymorphism detection. For example, in eight rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes, polymorphism averaged 12.1 per kb in introns but only 3.6 per kb in exons. Curiously, among 124 CISPs evaluated across Oryza, Sorghum, Pennisetum, Cynodon, Eragrostis, Zea, Triticum, and Hordeum, 23 (18.5%) seemed to be subject to rigid intron size constraints that were independent of per-nucleotide DNA sequence variation. Furthermore, we identified 487 conserved-noncoding sequence motifs in 129 CISP loci. A large CISP set (6,062 primer pairs, amplifying introns from 1,676 genes) designed using an automated pipeline showed generally higher abundance in recombinogenic than in nonrecombinogenic regions of the rice genome, thus providing relatively even distribution along genetic maps. CISPs are an effective means to explore poorly characterized genomes for both DNA polymorphism and noncoding sequence conservation on a genome-wide or candidate gene basis, and also provide anchor points for comparative genomics across a diverse range of species.

Immunotolerance toward native alphaA-crystallin in knockout mice deficient in the functional protein

Immune response against self antigens is normally prevented by an elaborate immunotolerance mechanism. A potential problem for recipients of gene therapy is, therefore, an immune response against the newly introduced gene product. To examine this issue we tested the immune response to the native proteins in knockout (KO) mice in which the genes for alphaA- or alphaB-crystallin were disrupted by partial or complete gene deletion, respectively. alphaA- and alphaB-crystallins are two immunologically distinct polypeptides which form the large ( approximately 800 kDa) complex in the lens referred to as alpha-crystallin. When immunized with murine alpha-crystallin, alphaB-crystallin KO mice, in which the corresponding gene was completely deleted, responded well to the absent self antigen. In contrast, alphaA-crystallin KO mice, with the partial gene deletion, resembled wild type (WT) mice in being immunotolerant toward the native crystallin. Although no functional alphaA-crystallin could be detected in the lens of alphaA-crystallin KO mice, mRNA transcript coding for a truncated alphaA-crystallin gene was found in thymi of these mice, suggesting that thymic expression of a residual fragment of the protein is responsible for the tolerance induction. These data suggest that nonfunctional proteins may induce immunotolerance and protect recipients of gene therapy from immunity against the native proteins.

alphaB-Crystallin-coated MAP microtubule resists nocodazole and calcium-induced disassembly

alphaB-Crystallin, one of the small heat-shock proteins, is constitutively expressed in various tissues including the lens of the eye. It has been suggested that alphaB-crystallin provides lens transparency but its function in nonlenticular tissues is unknown. It has been reported that alphaB-crystallin is involved in the stabilization and the regulation of cytoskeleton, such as intermediate filaments and actin. In this study, we investigate the possibility whether alphaB-crystallin interacts with the third cytoskeleton component, microtubules (MTs). First, we precisely observed the cellular localization of alphaB-crystallin and MT networks in L6E9 myoblast cells and found a striking coincidence between them. MTs reconstituted from cell lysate contained alphaB-crystallin. Electron micrographs clearly showed direct interactions of purified alphaB-crystallin with the surface of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) attached to MTs. Purified alphaB-crystallin bound to MAP-MTs in a concentration-dependent manner. However, alphaB-crystallin did not bind MTs reconstituted from purified tubulin. Finally, we observed that alphaB-crystallin increased the resistance of MTs to depolymerization in cells and in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that one of the functions of alphaB-crystallin is to bind MTs via MAP(s) and to give the MTs resistance to disassembly.

Role of the Conserved SRLFDQFFG Region of α-Crystallin, a Small Heat Shock Protein

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are necessary for several cellular functions and in stress tolerance. Most sHsps are oligomers; intersubunit interactions leading to changes in oligomeric structure and exposure of specific regions may modulate their functioning. Many sHsps, including alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin, contain a well conserved SRLFDQFFG sequence motif in the N-terminal region. Sequence-based prediction shows that it exhibits helical propensity with amphipathic character, suggesting that it plays a critical role in the structure and function of alpha-crystallins. In order to investigate the role of this motif in the structure and function of sHsps, we have made constructs deleting this sequence from alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin, overexpressed, purified, and studied these engineered proteins. Circular dichroism spectroscopic studies show changes in tertiary and secondary structure on deletion of the sequence. Glycerol density gradient centrifugation and dynamic light scattering studies show that the multimeric size of the mutant proteins is significantly reduced, indicating a role for this motif in higher order organization of the subunits. Both deletion mutants exhibit similar oligomeric size and increased chaperone-like activity. Urea-induced denaturation study shows that the SRLFDQFFG sequence contributes significantly to the structural stability. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies show that the rate of exchange of the subunits in the alpha Adel-crystallin oligomer is higher compared with that in the alpha A-crystallin oligomer, suggesting that this region contributes to the oligomer dynamics in addition to the higher order assembly and structural stability. Thus, our study shows that the SRLFDQFFG sequence is one of the critical motifs in structure-function regulation of alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin.

Role of the C-terminal extensions of alpha-crystallins. Swapping the C-terminal extension of alpha-crystallin to alphaB-crystallin results in enhanced chaperone activity

Several small heat shock proteins contain a well conserved alpha-crystallin domain, flanked by an N-terminal domain and a C-terminal extension, both of which vary in length and sequence. The structural and functional role of the C-terminal extension of small heat shock proteins, particularly of alphaA- and alphaB-crystallins, is not well understood. We have swapped the C-terminal extensions between alphaA- and alphaB-crystallins and generated two novel chimeric proteins, alphaABc and alphaBAc. We have investigated the domain-swapped chimeras for structural and functional alterations. We have used thermal and non-thermal models of protein aggregation and found that the chimeric alphaB with the C-terminal extension of alphaA-crystallin, alphaBAc, exhibits dramatically enhanced chaperone-like activity. Interestingly, however, the chimeric alphaA with the C-terminal extension of alphaB-crystallin, alphaABc, has almost lost its activity. Pyrene solubilization and bis-1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate binding studies show that alphaBAc exhibits more solvent-exposed hydrophobic pockets than alphaA, alphaB, or alphaABc. Significant tertiary structural changes are revealed by tryptophan fluorescence and near-UV CD studies upon swapping the C-terminal extensions. The far-UV CD spectrum of alphaBAc differs from that of alphaB-crystallin whereas that of alphaABc overlaps with that of alphaA-crystallin. Gel filtration chromatography shows alteration in the size of the proteins upon swapping the C-terminal extensions. Our study demonstrates that the unstructured C-terminal extensions play a crucial role in the structure and chaperone activity, in addition to generally believed electrostatic "solubilizer" function.

Innervation-dependent phosphorylation and accumulation of alphaB-crystallin and Hsp27 as insoluble complexes in disused muscle

Levels and phosphorylation states of the two small molecular chaperones, alphaB-crystallin and Hsp27, in disused rat soleus muscles were determined by Western blot analysis of extracts with antibodies recognizing each of the two proteins and their phosphorylated serine residues. Increased phosphorylation and relocalization to insoluble fractions were found within a few days of hind-limb suspension. High phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin at Ser-59 (and to a certain extent, at Ser-45) and of Hsp27 at Ser-15 and Ser-85, along with phosphorylated, active states of p38 and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases were maintained during hind-limb suspension but promptly returned to control levels within a 5-day recovery period. These results are similar to those observed with U373 MG glioma cells exposed to proteasome inhibitors (16). However, the responses of alphaB-crystallin and Hsp27 in suspended soleus muscles did not appear with ipsilateral transection of the sciatic nerve trunk, indicating mediation by nerve activity. The fact that ubiquitinated proteins accumulated in the insoluble fractions of suspended soleus muscle further suggests participation of alphaB-crystallin and Hsp27 in quality control of proteins in disused soleus muscle, with involvement of nerve activity-dependent processes.

Unfolding and refolding of a quinone oxidoreductase: alpha-crystallin, a molecular chaperone, assists its reactivation

alpha-Crystallin, a member of the small heat-shock protein family and present in vertebrate eye lens, is known to prevent the aggregation of other proteins under conditions of stress. However, its role in the reactivation of enzymes from their non-native inactive states has not been clearly demonstrated. We have studied the effect of alpha-crystallin on the refolding of zeta-crystallin, a quinone oxidoreductase, from its different urea-denatured states. Co-refolding zeta-crystallin from its denatured state in 2.5 M urea with either calf eye lens alpha-crystallin or recombinant human alpha B-crystallin could significantly enhance its reactivation yield. alpha B-crystallin was found to be more efficient than alpha A-crystallin in chaperoning the refolding of zeta-crystallin. In order to understand the nature of the denatured state(s) of zeta-crystallin that can interact with alpha-crystallin, we have investigated the unfolding pathway of zeta-crystallin. We find that it unfolds through three distinct intermediates: an altered tetramer, a partially unfolded dimer, which is competent to fold back to its active state, and a partially unfolded monomer. The partially unfolded monomer is inactive, exhibits highly exposed hydrophobic surfaces and has significant secondary structural elements with little or no tertiary structure. This intermediate does not refold into the active state without assistance. alpha-Crystallin provides the required assistance and improves the reactivation yield several-fold.

Regulation of the levels of small heat-shock proteins during differentiation of C2C12 cells

Levels of the small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin during differentiation of mouse C2C12 cells were determined using specific immunoassays. Increases of these proteins were about 3-fold and 10-fold, respectively. Under the same conditions, however, the level of HSP70 in C2C12 cells barely increased, indicating selective accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin with differentiation. While expression of mRNA for alphaB-crystallin was also markedly increased and that for HSP27 was but to a lesser extent, mRNA for HSP70 could barely be detected during differentiation. Activation of the heat-shock factor was not observed, in contrast to the case with heat-stressed undifferentiated cells. Various inhibitors of protein kinases affected the differentiation and the associated increase of sHSPs. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of p70 S6 kinase, completely inhibited the differentiation and suppressed the accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin. SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, also inhibited differentiation, but the accumulation of alphaB-crystallin was rather enhanced. PD98059, an inhibitor of MAP kinase kinase, significantly increased expression of a differentiation marker for muscle cells, creatine kinase M isozyme, as well as accumulation of alphaB-crystallin. These results suggest that accumulation of sHSPs during differentiation of C2C12 cells is regulated in a complex manner.

The relationship between alphaB-crystallin and neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease

AlphaB-crystallin is known as a small heat shock protein with a cytoprotective function. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between alphaB-crystallin and changes seen in Alzheimer's disease. The distribution and immunohistochemical characteristics of alphaB-crystallin positive neurones in the cerebral cortices of 4 patients with Alzheimer's disease were examined. AlphaB-crystallin positive neurones were mainly distributed in the limbic and paralimbic regions, namely parahippocampal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, cingulate cortex, middle and superior frontal gyrus, and insular cortex, which corresponded to commonly affected regions in Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, such neurones were present predominantly in the III or V layer of the cerebral cortex. The number of alphaB-crystallin positive neurones increased in parallel with the neuronal loss. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relation between the density of alphaB-crystallin positive neurones and that of extracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.57 and P < 0.0001 in 14 regions of the cerebral cortex. In contrast, the relation was not statistically significant between the density of alphaB-crystallin positive neurones and that of classical senile plaques, diffuse plaques or intracellular NFTs. Modified Gallyas-Braak (GB) staining on alphaB-crystallin positive neurone demonstrated several patterns of the structures: faint GB positive structures in the swollen perikaryon with straight neurites, fine granules compressed and contorted into fuzzy bundles, intensely GB positive filamentous structures together with fine granules and very intensely GB positive ring-like NFTs in a swollen perikaryon with curved neurites. In positive neurones, the density of ring-like NFTs correlated with that of atrophic perikaryon, or bent neurites and a decrease in the immunoreactivity of alphaB-crystallin. These data suggest that a close relationship exists between the appearance of alphaB-crystallin in neurones, extracellular NFTs, and neurofibrillary formation in alphaB-crystallin positive neurones in Alzheimer brain.

Domain swapping in human alpha A and alpha B crystallins affects oligomerization and enhances chaperone-like activity

alphaA and alphaB crystallins, members of the small heat shock protein family, prevent aggregation of proteins by their chaperone-like activity. These two proteins, although very homologous, particularly in the C-terminal region, which contains the highly conserved "alpha-crystallin domain," show differences in their protective ability toward aggregation-prone target proteins. In order to investigate the differences between alphaA and alphaB crystallins, we engineered two chimeric proteins, alphaANBC and alphaBNAC, by swapping the N-terminal domains of alphaA and alphaB crystallins. The chimeras were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant wild-type and chimeric proteins were characterized by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography to study the changes in secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure. Circular dichroism studies show structural changes in the chimeric proteins. alphaBNAC binds more 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid than the alphaANBC and the wild-type proteins, indicating increased accessible hydrophobic regions. The oligomeric state of alphaANBC is comparable to wild-type alphaB homoaggregate. However, there is a large increase in the oligomer size of the alphaBNAC chimera. Interestingly, swapping domains results in complete loss of chaperone-like activity of alphaANBC, whereas alphaBNAC shows severalfold increase in its protective ability. Our findings show the importance of the N- and C-terminal domains of alphaA and alphaB crystallins in subunit oligomerization and chaperone-like activity. Domain swapping results in an engineered protein with significantly enhanced chaperone-like activity.

Differential expression of stress proteins in human adult astrocytes in response to cytokines

Various lines of evidence suggest a close relationship between heat shock proteins (hsp) and several autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. While enhanced expression of hsp in autoimmune diseases is often regarded as a non-specific bystander effect of the inflammatory process, surprisingly little is known on hsp regulation by inflammatory mediators such as cytokines. In this study cytokine-induced expression of hsp60, hsp27 and alphaB-crystallin was studied in cultures of primary human adult astrocytes at the mRNA as well as at the protein level. We show differential hsp expression patterns in response to pro-inflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines. Hsp60 expression was found to be enhanced in response to cytokines as diverse as IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10. Upregulation of hsp27, however, was primarily induced by immunoregulatory cytokines like IL-4, IL-6 and TGF-beta whereas alphaB-crystallin expression was found to be enhanced by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha only. None of the cytokines studied was able to enhance expression of all three hsp simultaneously. These results show that in human astrocytes induced expression of hsp27 and alphaB-crystallin is dependent on the presence of a defined set of stimuli, while induced expression of hsp60 is a much less selective event. This highly differential pattern of hsp expression in response to inflammatory mediators known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases indicates that hsp responses are specific rather than non-specific bystander responses.

Canonical heat shock element in the alpha B-crystallin gene shows tissue-specific and developmentally controlled interactions with heat shock factor

Oligomerization of the heat shock factor (HSF) and its interaction with the heat shock element (HSE) are the hallmark of active transcriptional response to tangible physical or chemical stress. It is unknown if these interactions are subject to control and modulation by developmental cues and thus have tissue or stage specificity. By using promoter sequences containing a canonical HSE from the alphaB-crystallin gene, we demonstrate a tissue-specific transition from monomeric (in fetal and early neonatal stages that lack oligomeric HSF.HSE complexes) to oligomeric HSF-HSE interactions by postnatal day 10-21 in the ocular lens. Developmental control of these interactions is further demonstrated by induction of oligomeric HSF.HSE complexes in neonatal extracts by in vitro manipulations, interestingly, only in the lens and not in the brain, heart, or liver extracts. The exclusive presence of oligomeric HSF.HSE complexes in the postnatal/adult lens corresponds to known highly increased number of alphaB-crystallin transcripts in this tissue.

Responses of heat shock proteins hsp27, alphaB-crystallin, and hsp70 in rat brain after kainic acid-induced seizure activity

We determined the changes in the levels of the mammalian small heat shock protein of 25-28 kDa (hsp27) and the hsp alphaB-crystallin in various regions of rat brain after kainic acid-induced seizure activity by means of specific immunoassays. The levels of hsp27 in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were markedly increased and reached a maximum (1.5-2 microg/mg of protein) 2-4 days after the seizure. The levels of hsp27 in these regions were considerably high even 10 days after the seizure. A marked increase in levels of mRNA for hsp27 was also observed in the hippocampus of rats 1-2 days after the seizure. A severalfold increase in the levels of alphaB-crystallin was observed in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex of rats 2 days after the seizure. However, the maximum levels were <50 ng/mg of protein. The levels of protein sulfhydryl group and glutathione were significantly reduced in the hippocampus of rats at 24 h after the seizure, which might have enhanced the expressions of hsp27 and alphaB-crystallin. The expression of inducible mammalian hsp of 70 kDa (hsp70) was also enhanced in the hippocampus of rats after the seizure, as detected by western and northern blotting analyses. Immunohistochemically, an intensive staining of hsp27 was observed in both glial cells and neurons in the hippocampus, piriform cortex, and entorhinal cortex of rats with kainic acid-induced seizure. However, in the cerebellum, where the receptors for kainic acid are also rich, hsp27 was barely induced in the same rats. This might be due to high levels of the cerebellar calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin and 28-kDa calbindin-D, which might have a protective effect against the kainic acid-inducible damage.

Expression of interferon-gamma in the lens exacerbates anterior uveitis and induces retinal degenerative changes in transgenic Lewis rats

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a pleiotropic cytokine that has been implicated in immunopathogenic mechanisms of a number of inflammatory diseases of autoimmune or infectious disease etiology. However, its exact role is still a matter of debate. In experimental mouse models, IFN-gamma has been shown to exacerbate autoimmune thyroiditis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and autoimmune neuritis while it confers protection against experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and experimental uveitis. In this study, we generated transgenic rats with constitutive expression of IFN-gamma in the eye to study its paracrine effects and to investigate whether local production of IFN-gamma also confers protection against uveitis in the rat species. We show here that chronic exposure of ocular cells to IFN-gamma results in apoptotic death of retinal ganglion cells, development of chronic choroiditis, formation of retinal in-foldings, and activation of proinflammatory genes. In contrast to its protective systemic effect in the mouse, constitutive secretion of IFN-gamma in the rat eye was found to predispose the development of severe anterior uveitis and induction of retinal degenerative processes that impair visual acuity. Our data underscore the danger in extrapolation of cytokine effects in the mouse to humans without corroborating evidence in other species.

Vasopressin stimulates the induction of heat shock protein 27 and alphaB-crystallin via protein kinase C activation in vascular smooth muscle cells

In the present study, we examined the effect of vasopressin on the induction of the low-molecular-weight heat shock proteins heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and alphaB-crystallin in an aortic smooth muscle cell line, A10 cells. Vasopressin induced a time-dependent accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin. The stimulatory effects of vasopressin were dose-dependent over the range 0.1 nmol/L to 0.1 micromol/L. The EC50 values for vasopressin were 2 (HSP27) and 4 nmol/L (alphaB-crystallin). Vasopressin induced increases in the levels of the mRNAs for HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), a protein kinase C (PKC)-activating phorbol ester, induced an accumulation of HSP27 (EC50, 20 nmol/L) and alphaB-crystallin (EC50, 2 nmol/L). In contrast, 4alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, a non-PKC-activating phorbol ester, had no such effect. Staurosporine and calphostin C, inhibitors of PKC, significantly reduced the vasopressin-induced accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin as well as that induced by TPA. BAPTA/AM and TMB-8, inhibitors of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, significantly reduced the vasopressin-induced accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin. These results strongly suggest that vasopressin stimulates the induction of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin via PKC activation in vascular smooth muscle cells and that this effect of vasopressin is dependent on intracellular Ca2+ mobilization.

Rat Hsp20 confers thermoresistance in a clonal survival assay, but fails to protect coexpressed luciferase in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Hsp20 is a mammalian small heat shock protein with some deviating in vitro characteristics. We now compare the in vivo cellular thermoprotective abilities of Hsp20 with those of its direct relative, alphaB-crystallin. In a clonal survival assay Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably overexpressing Hsp20 survive equally well as alphaB-crystallin-expressing cells, after a heat shock. In a transient assay, however, overexpression of Hsp20 did not result in an enhanced recovery of coexpressed firefly luciferase after heat shock, in contrast to alphaB-crystallin. This might indicate that these highly homologous stress proteins are involved in at least partially distinct protective activities in cultured cells.

Heat shock proteins in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle

Human endometrium, in response to steroid hormones, undergoes characteristic cycles of proliferation, secretory changes, and tissue shedding. Human endometrium expresses a molecular repertoire which includes the heat shock proteins (Hsps) Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsp90, and alpha crystallin B chain. The expression of Hsp27, Hsp60, and the constitutive form of Hsp70 (Hsc70) shows a sharp increase in human endometrium after ovulation. The maximal expression of the molecular chaperone, alpha crystallin B chain, occurs during the secretory phase. In view of known functions of the Hsps, it is likely that these proteins are involved in protection of the endometrial proteins against factors with the potential to lead to protein denaturation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a cytotoxic cytokine that is produced in progressive amounts during the secretory phase. The function of the Hsps may be to protect cells against the cytotoxic damage of TNF-alpha, particularly during the critical period of "implantation window."

Genealogy of the alpha-crystallin--small heat-shock protein superfamily

Sequences of 40 very diverse representatives of the alpha-crystallin-small heat-shock protein (alpha-Hsp) superfamily are compared. Their characteristic C-terminal 'alpha-crystallin domain' of 80-100 residues contains short consensus sequences that are highly conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. There are, in addition, some positions that clearly distinguish animal from non-animal alpha-Hsps. The alpha-crystallin domain is predicted to consist of two hydrophobic beta-sheet motifs, separated by a hydrophilic region which is variable in length. Combination of a conserved alpha-crystallin domain with a variable N-terminal domain and C-terminal extension probably modulates the properties of the various alpha-Hsps as stress-protective and structural oligomeric proteins. Phylogeny reconstruction indicates that multiple alpha-Hsps were already present in the last common ancestor of pro- and eukaryotes. It is suggested that during eukaryote evolution, animal and non-animal alpha-Hsps originated from different ancestral gene copies. Repeated gene duplications gave rise to the multiple alpha-Hsps present in most organisms.

Hydrophobicity and flexibility of alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin are different

Since the discovery that the lens protein alpha-crystallin is also found in non-lenticular tissues and can function as a chaperone, relatively little attention has been paid to differences in properties between alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin, which form mixed aggregates in the lens but have so far never been found together in other tissues. In this study hydrophobicity and flexibility, properties that are thought to be relevant for chaperone function, are compared for alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin. Hydrophobicity was monitored from sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the absence and presence of (methyl-substituted) ureas. Flexibilities were calculated from primary structures. Based on literature data also some other properties are compared. The results indicate significant difference in hydrophobicity profile, flexibility of the terminal parts and stability of alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin.

Enhancement of expression of stress proteins by agents that lower the levels of glutathione in cells

The effects of diethyl maleate and buthionine sulfoximine, agents that lower cellular levels of glutathione, on expression of hsp27 and alphaB crystallin in response to stress were studied. When C6 rat glioma cells were treated with 100 microM arsenite for 1 h, accumulation of the two proteins, estimated by specific immunoassays, was markedly enhanced by additional exposure to 1 mM diethyl maleate or 2.5 mM buthionine sulfoximine. The latter also increased heat- and CdCl2-induced accumulation of hsp27 and alphaB crystallin. Stress-induced accumulation of hsp70, estimated by Western blotting analysis, was also enhanced by these agents. Northern blotting analysis revealed increase in levels of mRNAs for hsp27, alphaB crystallin and hsp70. The period of heat shock element (HSE)-binding activity of heat shock factor (HSF) stimulated by arsenite was extended by addition of diethyl maleate and buthionine sulfoximine. The induced phosphorylated state of HSF1 was also prolonged by diethyl maleate. Although exposure of cells to diethyl maleate alone for 1 h caused neither accumulation of hsp27, alphaB crystallin and hsp70 nor expression of mRNAs for these proteins, HSE-binding activity of HSF was stimulated. However, the activated HSF was not phosphorylated. These results suggest that diethyl maleate induces an intermediate state of HSF that binds to HSE but is transcriptionally inert. The mechanism is unclear but the levels of glutathione in cells that were exposed to diethyl maleate or buthionine sulfoximine were markedly decreased.

alpha-Crystallin sequences support a galliform/anseriform clade

An unresolved issue in higher avian systematics is the position of the fowl-like and the duck-like birds, Galliformes and Anseriformes, respectively. Most studies place these orders at the base of the neognath radiation. While DNA hybridization data support a sister-group relationship of Galliformes and Anseriformes, macromolecular sequence analyses have not yet been able to provide a clear-cut answer. In this study, we present nucleotide sequences coding for the eye lens proteins alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin of a palaeognath, a galliform, an anseriform, and two other neognathous birds. Phylogenetic analyses of this data set clearly support a galliform/anseriform clade, to the exclusion of other neognaths.

Prostaglandins stimulate the stress-induced synthesis of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin

The effects were examined of various prostaglandins (prostaglandin A1, A2, J2, E2, and D2) on the stress-induced accumulation of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin in C6 rat glioma cells. The levels of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin, which were determined by specific immunoassays, were low in cells in confluent cultures. The levels of the two proteins increased after exposure of cells to heat (42 degrees C for 30 min) or arsenite (50 microM for 1 h). Cells exposed to 10 microM each of prostaglandin A1, A2, or J2 for 1 h resulted in stimulation of the binding to the heat shock element (HSE) of heat shock transcription factor (HSF). However, there was no phosphorylation-dependent mobility shift of HSF1 and no subsequent increase in the transcription and translation for hsp27, alpha B crystallin, and hsp70. When cells were exposed to arsenite in the presence of 10-40 microM prostaglandin, the accumulation of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin in cells was enhanced markedly. The levels of hsp70 also increased in cells that had been treated with arsenite in the presence of a prostaglandin, as estimated by Western blot analysis. Northern blot analysis revealed that the expression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for hsp27, alpha B crystallin, and hsp70 was enhanced in cells that had been exposed to arsenite in the presence of each prostaglandin. Similar stimulatory effects of prostaglandins also were observed in the case of the heat-induced responses of hsp27, alpha B crystallin, and hsp70. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that each prostaglandin prolonged the arsenite-induced binding of HSF to HSE. These results suggest that the pharmacological dose of prostaglandins stimulates the stress-induced synthesis of stress proteins via activation of the HSF.

Molecular characterization of a novel, developmentally regulated small embryonic chaperone from Caenorhabditis elegans

Low molecular weight chaperones inhibit protein aggregation and facilitate refolding of partially denatured polypeptides in cells subjected to physical and chemical stresses. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides a system amenable for investigations on roles for chaperone proteins in normal homeostasis and development. We characterized a C. elegans gene and cDNAs that encode a novel, small embryonic chaperone-like protein (SEC-1) that is composed of 159 amino acids. The central core of SEC-1 (residues 45-126) is approximately 40% identical with a corresponding segment of mammalian Hsp27 and alphaB crystallin. Expression of SEC-1 in Escherichia coli confers thermotolerance on the bacterium. SEC-1 mRNA is evident only in C. elegans oocytes and developing embryos. Translation and accumulation of SEC-1 protein is temporally coupled with a prolonged burst of intense protein synthesis and rapid mitogenesis during early embryogenesis. As the rate of protein synthesis decreases during late embryogenesis, levels of SEC-1 and its cognate mRNA decline precipitously. Induction/deinduction of SEC-1 is precisely regulated by intrinsic developmental factors rather than extrinsic stresses. In vivo injection of C. elegans oocytes with antisense oligonucleotides that complement the 5'-end of SEC-1 mRNA arrests nematode development at an early stage after fertilization. Thus, SEC-1 appears to be adapted to perform essential functions in early embryogenesis.

Synthesis and accumulation of alphaB crystallin in C6 glioma cells is induced by agents that promote the disassembly of microtubules

When C6 cells in culture were exposed at 37 degrees C to 1 microM colchicine or to 1 microM colcemid, a tubulin-binding antimitotic alkaloid, levels of alphaB crystallin in cells began to increase after about 10 h, reaching a maximum of more than 1 microg/mg protein after 24 h. The level of alphaB crystallin returned to near the control level within two subsequent days of culture in the normal medium. Northern blot analysis showed that the accumulation of alphaB crystallin was preceded by an increase in the level of the mRNA for alphaB crystallin. Nuclear run-off transcription assays showed that colchicine induced new synthesis of mRNA for alphaB crystallin. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that alphaB crystallin accumulated in the peripheral areas of cells, as did the depolymerized tubulin, after several hours of treatment with colcemid, and then it gradually became more conspicuous in the cytoplasm. Vinblastine and nocodazole, which also promote the disassembly of microtubules by binding to tubulins, also induced the synthesis of alphaB crystallin. Furthermore, induction of alphaB crystallin by these drugs was observed in quiescent cells that had been cultured in serum-free medium. However, taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing antimitotic agent, did not stimulate the synthesis of alphaB crystallin, but rather, it suppressed the induction of synthesis of alphaB crystallin by the microtubule-disrupting drugs. Induction of alphaB crystallin by colchicine or by other drugs that promote the disassembly of microtubules was sensitive to staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinases, and the induction was completely suppressed in the presence of 10 nM staurosporine. These results suggest that the expression of alphaB crystallin is stimulated, via phosphorylation reactions that are sensitive to staurosporine, when the depolymerization of microtubules is enhanced.

Protein sequences indicate that turtles branched off from the amniote tree after mammals

The phylogenetic relationships among the major groups of amniote vertebrates remain a matter of controversy. Various alternatives for the position of the turtles have been proposed, branching off either before or after the mammals. To discover the phylogenetic position of turtles in relation to mammals and birds, we have determined cDNA sequences for the eye lens proteins alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). In addition, databases were searched for turtle protein sequences, for which mammalian, avian, and outgroup orthologs were available. All sequences were analyzed by three phylogenetic tree reconstruction methods (neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, and maximum likelihood). Including the alpha-crystallins, 7 out of 12 proteins support a sister-group relation of turtles and birds with all 3 methods. For each of the other five proteins no topology was consistently preferred by the three approaches. Analyses of the combined amino acid data (1,695 aligned sites) also give extremely strong evidence that turtles are nearer to birds, indicating that mammals branched off before the divergence between turtles and birds occurred.

Dynamic O-GlcNAcylation of the small heat shock protein alpha B-crystallin

alphaB-Crystallin, originally described as a structural lens protein, is now known to be a member of the small heat shock protein family and is expressed in a number of nonlens tissues. This highly conserved 20 kDa protein aggregates with homologous proteins, including alphaA-crystallin and the small heat shock protein HSP28, to form large heteromeric complexes. Recently, Roquemore et al. (1992) have established that both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of lens alphaB-crystallin are modified with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine, a dynamic posttranslational modification abundant on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. In this paper, we have identified the major site of O-GlcNAcylation on lens alphaB as Thr 170. We have further shown that this modification is not restricted to lens alphaB-crystallin but occurs on alphaB isolated from rat heart tissue and human astroglioma cells. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of rat heart alphaB-crystallin revealed two O-GlcNAcylated forms with mobilities corresponding to the unphosphorylated form (alphaB2) and an unidentified, slightly more acidic form. Phosphorylated alphaB-crystallin (alphaB1) was not detected in the rat heart preparation. The major O-GlcNAcylation site on alphaB-crystallins from rat heart also appears to be at Thr 170. Metabolic pulse-chase labeling studies of U373-MG astroglioma cells indicated that turnover of the carbohydrate on alphaB-crystallin is not static but proceeds many-fold more rapidly than turnover of the protein backbone itself, consistent with a regulatory role for O-GlcNAc on this small heat shock protein.

Enhancement of stress-induced synthesis of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin by modulators of the arachidonic acid cascade

The regulation by intrinsic factors of responses to stress of two small stress proteins, hsp27 and alpha B crystallin, was examined in C6 rat glioma cells. Levels of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin were low in C6 glioma cells in confluent cultures. However, levels of the two proteins increased after exposure of cells to heat (42 degrees C for 30 min) or arsenite (50 microM for 1 h) stress. When cells were exposed to arsenite or hear in the presence of indomethacin (50 microM), an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, or in the presence of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA; 50 microM), an inhibitor of lipoxygenase, induction of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin was markedly stimulated as detected by specific immunoassays, Western blot analysis, and Northern blot analysis. The presence of melittin (1 microM), an activator of phospholipase A2, during the stress period also stimulated the induction of the two proteins. The expression of hsp70 to each stress was also enhanced in the presence of indomethacin, NDGA, or melittin. The gel mobility shift assay revealed that these chemicals prolonged the arsenite-induced activation of heat shock element (HSE)-binding activity of heat shock transcriptional factor (HSF) in cells. Induction of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin in adrenal glands of heat-stressed (42 degrees C for 15 min) rats was also enhanced by prior injection of aspirin, another inhibitor of cyclooxygenase. These results indicate that the responses to stress of hsp27 and alpha B crystallin, as well as the response of hsp70, are coupled with the metabolic activity of the arachidonic acid cascade and the mechanism for regulation of stress responses observed in C6 cells is operative in tissues and organs in vivo.

Structure and alternate tissue-preferred transcription initiation of the mouse alpha B-crystallin/small heat shock protein gene

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence (-865 to +3515) of the murine alpha B-crystallin/small heat shock protein gene, a major soluble protein of the vertebrate eye lens. Its 3 exon/2 intron structure is identical to that of the rat, hamster and human gene, with the exons being much more conserved than the introns. Previous reports indicated that there are two sizes of alpha B-crystallin mRNA; a larger alpha B-crystallin mRNA predominates in the lung and brain and is also found in low levels in most other tissues (except in lens and liver), while a smaller alpha B-crystallin mRNA exists at a high level in the lens and in variable amounts elsewhere. Sequence analysis suggests that secondary structure in the 5' untranslated sequence of the longer mRNA has led to difficulty in mapping the transcription initiation site of the longer transcript. Here we provide evidence by primer extension, S1 nuclease protection, and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) experiments for a transcription initiation site in the murine lung and brain at position -474. We also detected the utilization of the -474 initiation site in lens and of the +1 site in lung and brain, indicating that the tissue preference for these sites is not absolute. In vitro transcription experiments revealed that cell-free HeLa nuclear extracts specifically initiate transcription at the -474 and +1 sites. alpha B-crystallin was immunocytochemically localized to the bronchioles of the lung. Thus, regulation of alpha B-crystallin/small heat shock protein expression involves the utilization of tissue-preferred transcription initiation sites.

Complete structure and expression of the rat alpha B-crystallin gene

alpha B-Crystallin, a member of the small heat shock family of proteins, is synthesized as a component of various developmental programs, in response to stress and in a number of pathological states. We have determined the complete structure of the alpha B-crystallin gene (6,806 bp encompassing 2,299 bp upstream from ATG and 859 bp at the 3' end, past the first polyadenylation signal). Comparison of the rat and the human alpha B-crystallin genes reveals significant conservation of the nucleotide sequences in almost all regions except in intron 2. The 1-kb region immediately upstream of ATG shows about 75% overall homology. A 78-bp sequence in the intron 1 and sequences in the 3' untranslated region show about 95% and 85% sequence identity, respectively. Characterization of the expression of this gene in different tissues in the rat by extensive analyses, utilizing primer extension. RNase protection, and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) revealed a predominant transcription initiation site 44 bp upstream of ATG. Northern analyses with "coding-only" and upstream "noncoding" probes did not support the thesis that heterogeneity in the alpha B-crystallin mRNAs arises from variations in the sequences immediately upstream of the predominant transcription initiation site. Importantly, the known relative levels of alpha B-crystallin protein in different tissues correlate best with the presence of transcripts starting from this initiation site.

Coordinate and independent regulation of alpha B-crystallin and hsp27 expression in response to physiological stress

alpha-Crystallins share structural and functional properties with the stress protein hsp27. These polypeptides are expressed at low constitutive levels in many tissues including brain, and alpha B-crystallin and hsp27 can accumulate in central nervous system glia in a variety of neurological conditions. We report here that heat shock and exposure to transition metals result in an increase in the steady state mRNA level of alpha B-crystallin and hsp27 in primary cultures of rat forebrain astrocytes. Both exposure to tumour necrosis factor-alpha and hypertonic conditions result in alpha B-crystallin mRNA accumulation but no change in the hsp27 mRNA level. Under some of these conditions increased synthesis and accumulation of alpha B-crystallin and hsp27 protein are also evident. We are unable to detect alpha A-crystallin mRNA in resting or stressed astrocytes. A novel phenomenon involving a transitory change in stress protein mRNA mobility in Northern blots during induction is reported, which is stress type and cell type independent. The results demonstrate multiple stress regulation of alpha B-crystallin and hsp27 in cultured astrocytes, suggesting that they can legitimately be regarded as stress proteins in the central nervous system.