Shark myelin basic protein: amino acid sequence, secondary structure, and self-association

Thermodynamic Analysis of Myelin Basic Protein Adsorbed on Liquid Crystalline Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine Monolayer

To investigate the stability and dynamic characteristics of monolayer adsorbed on unsaturated lipid dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) with varying concentrations of myelin basic protein (MBP), the system is studied by applying Langmuir technique and making atomic force microscope (AFM) observation, which is based on the mass conservation equation analysis method referred to in the thermodynamics theory. As indicated by surface pressure-mean molecular area (π - A) and surface pressure-adsorption time (π - T) isotherms, the physical properties of monolayer derived from the interaction of varying concentrations of MBP with liquid crystalline unsaturated lipid DOPC molecules were qualitatively studied. As revealed by surface morphology analysis with AFM, the micro region was expanded as the concentration of MBP in the subphase was on the increase, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions led to the MBP insertion, thus causing accumulation of the MBP on the surface of the monolayer. Experimental results have demonstrated that the partition coefficient of the interaction between MBP and unsaturated phospholipid DOPC and the molecular area of MBP adsorbed on the monolayer film was calculated using the mass conservation equation. In addition, not only does the varying concentration of MBP in the subphase exerts significant effects on the arrangement and conformation of DOPC monolayer, it also has certain guiding significance to exploring the structural changes to biofilm supramolecular aggregates as well as the pathogenesis and treatment of related diseases.

Myelin sheaths are formed with proteins that originated in vertebrate lineages

All vertebrate nervous systems, except those of agnathans, make extensive use of the myelinated fiber, a structure formed by coordinated interplay between neuronal axons and glial cells. Myelinated fibers, by enhancing the speed and efficiency of nerve cell communication allowed gnathostomes to evolve extensively, forming a broad range of diverse lifestyles in most habitable environments. The axon-covering myelin sheaths are structurally and biochemically novel as they contain high portions of lipid and a few prominent low molecular weight proteins often considered unique to myelin. Here we searched genome and EST databases to identify orthologs and paralogs of the following myelin-related proteins: (1) myelin basic protein (MBP), (2) myelin protein zero (MPZ, formerly P0), (3) proteolipid protein (PLP1, formerly PLP), (4) peripheral myelin protein-2 (PMP2, formerly P2), (5) peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP22) and (6) stathmin-1 (STMN1). Although widely distributed in gnathostome/vertebrate genomes, neither MBP nor MPZ are present in any of nine invertebrate genomes examined. PLP1, which replaced MPZ in tetrapod CNS myelin sheaths, includes a novel 'tetrapod-specific' exon (see also Möbius et al., 2009). Like PLP1, PMP2 first appears in tetrapods and like PLP1 its origins can be traced to invertebrate paralogs. PMP22, with origins in agnathans, and STMN1 with origins in protostomes, existed well before the evolution of gnathostomes. The coordinated appearance of MBP and MPZ with myelin sheaths and of PLP1 with tetrapod CNS myelin suggests interdependence - new proteins giving rise to novel vertebrate structures.

Determination of the sites of posttranslational modifications in the charge isomers of bovine myelin basic protein by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectroscopy

The posttranslational modifications in each of the 18.5 kDa bovine myelin basic protein charge isomers C-1 to C-6 have been determined by the use of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectroscopy. The pattern of modifications is viewed as being unique to each charge isomer and is thought to reflect a specific placement and function for each isomer in the myelin membrane. Several of the sites of posttranslational phosphorylation were found to differ from a number of the reported sites that were phosphorylated in vitro by various kinases. These differences suggest that an extremely cautious approach be taken in identifying in vivo posttranslationally modified amino acid residues from residues that have been modified in vitro by various kinases. We have identified the following posttranslationally phosphorylated and deamidated, modified sites in the bovine MBP components C1-C6. C1 has no modification; C2 represents a deamidation of Gln 146; in C3, Thr 97 and Ser 164 are phosphorylated; in C4, Ser 54, Thr 97, and Ser 160 are phosphorylated; in C5 Ser 7, Ser 54, Thr 97, and Ser 164 are phosphorylated; and in C6, Ser 7, Ser 54, Thr 97, Ser 160, and Ser 164 are phosphorylated.

Neural cells from dogfish embryos express the same subtype-specific antigens as mammalian neural cells in vivo and in vitro

Neural cells are classically identified in vivo and in vitro by a combination of morphological and immunocytochemical criteria. Here, we demonstrate that antibodies used to identify mammalian oligodendrocytes, neurons, and astrocytes recognize these cell types in the developing spiny dogfish central nervous system and in cultures prepared from this tissue. Oligodendrocyte-lineage-specific antibodies O1, O4, and R-mAb labeled cells in the 9 cm dogfish brain stem's medial longitudinal fascicle (MLF) and in areas lateral to it. Process-bearing cells, cultured from the dogfish brain stem, were also labeled with these antibodies. An anti-lamprey neurofilament antibody (LCM), which recognized 60 and 150 kDa proteins in dogfish brain stem homogenates, labeled axons and neurons in the brain stem and axons in the cerebellum of the dogfish embryo. It also labeled cell bodies and/or processes of some cultured cerebellar cells. An anti-bovine glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody, which recognized 42-44 kDa protein(s) in dogfish brain stem homogenates, labeled astrocyte-like processes in the brain stem and cerebellum of the dogfish embryo and numerous large and small flat cells in the cerebellar cultures. These results demonstrate that dogfish oligodendrocytes, neurons, and astrocytes express antigens that are conserved in mammalian neural cells. The ability to culture and identify neural cell types from cartilaginous fish sets the stage for studies to determine if proliferation, migration, and differentiation of these cell types are regulated in a similar fashion to mammalian cells.

The structural complexities of the myelin basic protein gene from mouse are also present in shark

The Golli-mbp gene complex contains two overlapping transcription units with two distinct promoters, of which the downstream (myelin basic protein [mbp]) promoter is more frequently used. A previous comparison of the downstream promoter sequences from shark and mouse allowed the identification of two DNA sequences called the boxes I and II and the wobble zone. The boxes I and II sequence is a composite cis-acting motif that is thought to be involved in the regulation of the downstream promoter. It contains sequences similar to T-antigen, MyoD/E2A, and glucocorticoid receptor-binding sites. The wobble zone codes for an exon (5a in the nomenclature of Campagnoni et al., 1993) that is included in messenger RNAs transcribed from the upstream promoter. The polypeptides encoded by this exon from shark and mouse are 86 and 84 amino acids long, respectively. These polypeptides are overall 59% identical and include a region (residues 41-75 in shark and 39-73 in mouse) that is 89% identical between the two species. A primary sequence analysis showed that each of these polypeptides contains an N-glycosylation site, phosphorylation sites for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C and casein kinase II, and partial ATP- and GTP-binding sites. The shark polypeptide also contains a phosphorylation site for proline-directed protein kinase. These observations are consistent with the notion that the intricate structure and regulation of the Golli-mbp gene complex arose during vertebrate evolution within a common ancestor to sharks and mammals.

Analytical methods for differentiating minor sequence variations in related peptides

A proline-rich peptide was isolated and purified to homogeneity from an extract of bovine neutrophil granules using semi-preparative RP-HPLC. The relative molecular mass of the peptide (called Bac-X) was determined by ionspray MS to be 5149 +/- 0.5. The amino acid composition of the peptide was characterized by its limited number of amino acid types, which included a high proline (43.3%) and arginine content (20.3%), and hydrophobic residues. Bac-X had similar characteristics to Bac-5, a previously characterised bactenecin of bovine neutrophil granules, with respect to its proline, arginine and hydrophobic amino acid content, molecular mass and antibacterial specificity. Tryptic and N-bromosuccinimide digestion of Bac-X produced fragments with masses (M(r) 785 and 4224 and 3100 respectively) consistent with those expected from a peptide with the reported sequence of Bac-5. Bac-X differed from Bac-5 in the number of amino acid residues (43 for Bac-X versus 42 for Bac-5) and contained glycine which Bac-5 did not. However, the calculated molecular mass of the peptide, based on the amino acid compositional data, did not match the experimental value. The purified peptide could not be sequenced by Edman degradation due to apparent blockage of the N-terminus. Partial sequence information, obtained by LC-MS and collision induced dissociation MS-MS analysis of a M(r) 785 tryptic fragment of Bac-X, showed that this peptide contained a six residue sequence (-RFPPIR-) not found in Bac-5 which, based on its reported sequence, contained a M(r) 785 tryptic fragment with the sequence -FRPPIR-. This difference in sequence of Bac-X compared with Bac-5 illustrates the application of electrospray (ionspray) MS techniques to the detection and identification of minor differences in related protein/peptide forms.

Molecular cloning of the myelin basic proteins in the shark, Squalus acanthias, and the ray, Raja erinacia

Myelin basic proteins (MBPs) are a family of alternatively spliced isoforms present in myelin sheaths of most vertebrates. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) approach was used to clone MBP isoforms in species representing two superorders of elasmobranchs: Squalus acanthias, representing Squalomorph sharks, and Raja erinacia, representing Batoidea rays. Two products were generated from each species. The larger product encoded a 155 amino acid protein, the same size as MBPs from two Galeomorph sharks, Heterodontus francisci and Carcharhinus obscurus, which, based upon alignment with other vertebrate MBPs, contained six of the seven MBP exons; only exon II was absent. The smaller product encoded a 141 amino acid protein that lacked exon II and exon V. There were 26 and 30 nucleotide differences between Squalus and Heterodontus, and Raja and Heterodontus, respectively. Sequences from Squalus and Raja were far more similar, having only five nucleotide differences. Both isoforms of elasmobranch MBP contain 18.5% basic (lysine plus arginine) amino acids, compared with 17.5% in mammalian MBPs comprised of the corresponding exons. Northern blot analysis of whole brain total RNA revealed a single band of 2.5 kb in Squalus, and three bands of 1.2, 1.4, and 2.3 kb in Raja. The finding that MBPs of a Squalomorph shark and a Batoidea ray are closer to one another than either is to the Galeomorph sharks suggests that MBP sequence information may prove useful in classifying modern day Chondrichthytes.

The basic protein of CNS myelin: its structure and ligand binding

Consideration of the evidence presented in this review leads to the following conclusions: (a) Isolated MBP in aqueous solution has little ordered secondary or tertiary structure. (b) In this state, the protein can associate with a wide range of hydrophobic and amphiphilic compounds, these interactions involving limited sections of the protein. (c) The strength of binding to bilayers and the accompanying conformational changes in the protein are greatest for systems containing acidic lipids, presumably because of the involvement of ionic interactions. (d) When bound to bilayers of acidic lipids, MBP will have substantially more ordered secondary structure than it manifests in aqueous solution, and it is likely to be oligomeric (possibly hexameric). (e) MBP does affect the organization of lipid aggregates. It influences strongly the separation of bilayers in multilayers of purified lipids, and at present this must be viewed as its prime role within myelin. The greatest impediment to our understanding of MBP is the lack of an assayable biological activity. In contrast to the situation with enzymes, for example, we have no functional test for changes in protein structure or changes accompanying interactions with other molecules. Current evidence suggests that the protein has a structural role within myelin and that its own three-dimensional structure is strongly dependent on the molecules with which it is associated. If this picture is correct, studies of the isolated protein or of the protein in reconstituted lipid systems may yield, at best, a rough guide to the structure within its biological environment. Further clarification of the structure and function of MBP may have to await development of more powerful techniques for studying proteins bound to large molecular aggregates, such as lipid bilayers. The paucity of generally applicable methods is reflected in the fact that even low resolution structures are known for only a handful of intrinsic membrane proteins, and even more limited information exists for proteins associated with membrane surfaces. However, the increasing use of a combination of electron microscopy and diffraction on two-dimensional arrays of proteins formed on lipid bilayers (Henderson et al., 1990) offers the hope that it may not be too long before it will be possible to study at moderate resolution the three-dimensional structure of MBP bound to a lipid membrane.