Molecular evolution of enzymes involved in the arachidonic acid cascade

Cellular localization of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (beta-trace) in the central nervous system of the adult rat

We applied high-resolution laser-scanning microscopy, electron microscopy, and non-radioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry to determine the cellular and intracellular localization of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase, the major brain-derived protein component of cerebrospinal fluid, and its mRNA in leptomeninges, choroid plexus, and parenchyma of the adult rat brain. Both immunoreactivity and mRNA for prostaglandin D synthase were located in arachnoid barrier cells, arachnoid trabecular cells, and arachnoid pia mater cells. Furthermore, meningeal macrophages and perivascular microglial cells, identified by use of ED2 antibody, were immunopositive for prostaglandin D synthase. In the arachnoid trabecular cells, the immunoreactivity for prostaglandin D synthase was located in the nuclear envelope, Golgi apparatus, and secretory vesicles, indicating the active production and secretion of prostaglandin D synthase. In the meningeal macrophages, prostaglandin D synthase was not found around the nucleus but in lysosomes in the cytoplasm, pointing to an uptake of the protein from the cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, the existence of meningeal cyclooxygenase (COX) -1 and COX-2 was investigated by Western blot, Northern blot, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the colocalization of COX-2 and prostaglandin D synthase was demonstrated in virtually all cells of the leptomeninges, choroid plexus epithelial cells, and perivascular microglial cells, suggesting that these cells synthesize prostaglandin D(2) actively. Alternatively, oligodendrocytes showed prostaglandin D synthase immunoreactivity without detectable COX-2. The localization of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase in meningeal cells and its colocalization with COX-2 provide evidence for its function as a prostaglandin D(2)-producing enzyme.

MBP1: a novel mutant p53-specific protein partner with oncogenic properties

Using a yeast two-hybrid screening strategy with a common tumour-derived p53 mutant as bait, we identified several mutant p53-interacting partners including the known proteins wild-type (wt) p53, hUBC9 and GBP/PIAS1. In addition, a novel protein partner was identified which we have termed MBP1, for Mutant p53-Binding Protein 1. MBP1 is a new member of the emerging fibulin gene family, which currently comprises fibulin-1, fibulin-2 and S1-5. Expression of MBP1 mRNA is differentially regulated both temporally during development of the mouse embryo and in a tissue-specific manner within the adult. Specific interaction between MBP1 and mutant p53 was illustrated by both two-hybrid analysis in yeast and co-immunoprecipitation in mammalian cells. MBP1 displayed the following order of binding specificity towards different p53 forms: H175 > G281 > H273 > or = W248>wt p53. Thus, MBP1 appears to bind preferentially to p53 mutants of the 'structural' rather than 'contact' class, reflecting a potential bias towards those mutants having a significant alteration in conformation from that assumed by wt p53. We propose that MBP1 is the product of a candidate oncogene as rates of both neoplastic transformation and tumour cell growth were shown to be significantly enhanced when the protein is ectopically overexpressed. Furthermore, MBP1 may play a role in determining if a 'gain of function' effect is seen with certain p53 mutants.

Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (beta-trace) is a newly recognized type of retinoid transporter

Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase is responsible for the biosynthesis of prostaglandin D2 in the central nervous system and the genital organs and is secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid and the seminal plasma as beta-trace. Here we analyzed retinoids binding of the enzyme by monitoring the fluorescence quenching of an intrinsic tryptophan residue, and appearance of circular dichroism around 330 nm, and a red shift of the UV absorption spectra of retinoids. We found that the enzyme binds all-trans- or 9-cis-retinoic acid and all-trans- or 13-cis-retinal, but not all-trans-retinol, with affinities (Kd of 70-80 nM) sufficient for function as a retinoid transporter. All-trans-retinoic acid inhibited the enzyme activity in a noncompetitive manner, suggesting that it binds to the same hydrophobic pocket as prostaglandin H2, the substrate for prostaglandin D synthase, but at a different site in this pocket. It is likely that this enzyme is a bifunctional protein that acts as both retinoid transporter and prostaglandin D2-producing enzyme.

Prostaglandin D synthase (beta-trace protein): a molecular clock to trace the origin of REM sleep?

In 1965, Zuckerkandl and Pauling proposed a novel concept that some important molecules termed semantides, which carry the information of the genes or a transcript thereof, can be used as molecular clocks to trace evolutionary history. According to this concept, enzymes are designated as tertiary semantides, following genes (primary semantides) and the mRNA (secondary semantides). Based on this idea, I propose that prostaglandin D synthase (which has been demonstrated recently as identical to the beta-trace protein present in the cerebrospinal fluid of mammals) may serve as a molecular clock to trace the origin and evolution of rapid eye movement sleep in the vertebrates.

Regulation of two isozymes of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase and thromboxane synthase in human monoblastoid cell line U937

The mechanism responsible for the rapid increase of thromboxane A2 synthesis by cells of the human monoblastoid cell line U937, which were differentiated with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was studied. Both RNA blot and immunoblot analyses showed that LPS increased the levels of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-1 (PES-1) and -2 (PES-2) in a time-dependent manner, and the modes of induction of the two isozymes differed. The maximum PES-1 mRNA level was 1.6 times higher 36 h after than before stimulation by LPS, and that of PES-2 mRNA was elevated about 20-fold at its peak at 12 h after stimulation. Consequently, the immunoreactive PES-1 and PES-2 protein levels also increased time-dependently after LPS stimulation. However, the effects of LPS on the thromboxane synthase mRNA and protein levels were much less marked. These results indicate that LPS-induced thromboxane synthesis by the differentiated cells was regulated at the levels of the two PES isozymes, predominantly at the PES-2 level.

Molecular evolution of receptors for eicosanoids

The amino acid sequences of the receptors for various prostaglandins, thromboxane and lipoxin, which belong to the rhodopsin family, were aligned, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed to infer the evolutionary history of the arachidonic acid cascade. The obtained tree suggested that the origin of the cyclooxygenase pathway was different from that of the lipoxygenase pathway. The receptors involved in the cyclooxygenase pathway constructed an independent cluster, but the lipoxin A4 receptor, which is involved in the lipoxygenase pathway, belonged to the cluster of peptide receptors. The primitive form of the cyclooxygenase pathway had been a signal transduction system composed of prostaglandin E2 and its receptor associated with cAMP metabolism.

Structural and functional significance of cysteine residues of glutathione-independent prostaglandin D synthase. Identification of Cys65 as an essential thiol

Glutathione-independent prostaglandin D synthase in rat brain is composed of 189 amino acid residues and catalyzes the isomerization of prostaglandin H2 to prostaglandin D2, an endogenous sleep-promoting substance. This enzyme is the only enzyme among members of the lipocalin superfamily composed of various secretory lipophilic ligand-carrier proteins and is recently identified to be a beta-trace protein, a major constituent of human cerebrospinal fluid. We expressed the active enzyme in Escherichia coli and then systematically substituted all cysteine residues of the delta 1-29 enzyme at positions of 65, 89, and 186 with alanine or serine. The parent and mutant enzymes were purified to apparent homogeneity with a recovery of approximately 30% by chromatography with Sephadex G-50 and S-Sepharose, by which all the enzymes showed identical elution profiles. The purified enzymes, irrespective of the mutation, showed almost the same circular dichroism spectral characteristics as displayed by a highly ordered beta-structure. The recombinant enzymes containing Cys65 showed the activity comparable with that of the enzyme purified from rat brain (approximately 3 mumol/min/mg of protein) in the presence, but not in the absence, of sulfhydryl compounds. However, all of the single, double, and triple mutants without Cys65 lost the enzyme activity. The purified delta 1-29 Ala89,186 enzyme was inactivated reversibly by conjugation with glutathione at Cys65 and irreversibly by the stoichiometric chemical modification with N-ethylmaleimide. These results indicate that Cys65 is an essential thiol of the enzyme and that both the intrinsic and extrinsic sulfhydryl groups are necessary for nonoxidative rearrangement of 9,11-endoperoxide of prostaglandin H2 to produce prostaglandin D2 catalyzed by the enzyme.