Nickel-responsive regulation of two novel Helicobacter pylori NikR-targeted genes

Nickel is an essential transition metal for the survival of Helicobacter pylori in the acidic human stomach. The nickel-responsive transcriptional regulator HpNikR is important for maintaining healthy cytosolic nickel concentrations through the regulation of multiple genes, but its complete regulon and role in nickel homeostasis are not well understood. To investigate potential gene targets of HpNikR, ChIP sequencing was performed using H. pylori grown at neutral pH in nickel-supplemented media and this experiment identified HPG27_866 (frpB2) and HPG27_1499 (ceuE). These two genes are annotated to encode a putative iron transporter and a nickel-binding, periplasmic component of an ABC transporter, respectively. In vitro DNA-binding assays revealed that HpNikR binds both gene promoter sequences in a nickel-responsive manner with affinities on the order of ∼10(-7) M. The recognition sites of HpNikR were identified and loosely correlate with the HpNikR pseudo-consensus sequence (TATTATT-N11-AATAATA). Quantitative PCR experiments revealed that HPG27_866 and HPG27_1499 are transcriptionally repressed following growth of H. pylori G27 in nickel-supplemented media, and that this response is dependent on HpNikR. In contrast, iron supplementation results in activation of HPG27_1499, but no impact on the expression of HPG27_866 was observed. Metal analysis of the Δ866 strain revealed that HPG27_866 has an impact on nickel accumulation. These studies demonstrate that HPG27_866 and HPG27_1499 are both direct targets of HpNikR and that HPG27_866 influences nickel uptake in H. pylori.

A ratiometric NMR pH sensing strategy based on a slow-proton-exchange (SPE) mechanism

Real time and non-invasive detection of pH in live biological systems is crucial for understanding the physiological role of acid-base homeostasis and for detecting pathological conditions associated with pH imbalance. One method to achieve in vivo pH monitoring is NMR. Conventional NMR methods, however, mainly utilize molecular sensors displaying pH-dependent chemical shift changes, which are vulnerable to multiple pH-independent factors. Here, we present a novel ratiometric strategy for sensitive and accurate pH sensing based on a small synthetic molecule, SPE1, which exhibits exceptionally slow proton exchange on the NMR time scale. Each protonation state of the sensor displays distinct NMR signals and the ratio of these signals affords precise pH values. In contrast to standard NMR methods, this ratiometric mechanism is not based on a chemical shift change, and SPE1 binds protons with high selectivity, resulting in accurate measurements. SPE1 was used to measure the pH in a single oocyte as well as in bacterial cultures, demonstrating the versatility of this method and establishing the foundation for broad biological applications.

In vitro characterization of DNA gyrase inhibition by microcin B17 analogs with altered bisheterocyclic sites

Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a 3.1-kDa Escherichia coli antibiotic that contains thiazole and oxazole heterocycles in a peptide backbone. MccB17 inhibits its cellular target, DNA gyrase, by trapping the enzyme in a complex that is covalently bound to double-strand cleaved DNA, in a manner similar to the well-known quinolone drugs. The identification of gyrase as the target of MccB17 provides an opportunity to analyze the relationship between the structure of this unusual antibiotic and its activity. In this report, steady-state parameters are used to describe the induction of the cleavable complex by MccB17 analogs containing modified bisheterocyclic sites. The relative potency of these analogs corresponds to the capacity of the compounds to prevent growth of sensitive cells. In contrast to previously reported experiments, inhibition of DNA gyrase supercoiling activity by wild-type MccB17 also was observed. These results suggest that DNA gyrase is the main intracellular target of MccB17. This study probes the structure-function relationship of a new class of gyrase inhibitors and demonstrates that these techniques could be used to analyze compounds in the search for clinically useful antibiotics that block DNA gyrase.

The antibiotic microcin B17 is a DNA gyrase poison: characterisation of the mode of inhibition

Microcin B17 is a 3.1-kDa bactericidal peptide; the putative target of this antibiotic is DNA gyrase. Microcin B17 has no detectable effect on gyrase-catalysed DNA supercoiling or relaxation activities in vitro and is unable to stabilise DNA cleavage in the absence of nucleotides. However, in the presence of ATP, or the non-hydrolysable analogue 5'-adenylyl beta,gamma-imidodiphosphate, microcin B17 stabilises a gyrase-dependent DNA cleavage complex in a manner reminiscent of quinolones, Ca(2+), or the bacterial toxin CcdB. The pattern of DNA cleavage produced by gyrase in the presence of microcin B17 is different from that produced by quinolones and more closely resembles Ca(2+)-mediated cleavage. Several gyrase mutants, including well-known quinolone-resistant mutants, are cross resistant to microcin-induced DNA cleavage. We suggest that microcin exerts its effects through a mechanism that has similarities to those of both the bacterial toxin CcdB and the quinolone antibacterial agents.

The McbB component of microcin B17 synthetase is a zinc metalloprotein

The microcin B17 synthetase converts glycine, serine, and cysteine residues in a polypeptide precursor into oxazoles and thiazoles during the maturation of the Escherichia coli antibiotic Microcin B17. This multimeric enzyme is composed of three subunits (McbB, McbC, and McbD), and it employs both ATP and FMN as cofactors. The McbB subunit was purified as a fusion with the maltose-binding protein (MBP), and metal analysis revealed that this protein binds 0.91+/-0.17 zinc atoms. Upon incubation of MBP-McbB with excess zinc, the stoichiometry increased to two atoms of zinc bound, but metal binding to the second site resulted in a decrease in the heterocyclization activity when MBP-McbB was reconstituted with the other components of the synthetase. Apo-protein was prepared by using p-hydroxymercuriphenylsulfonic acid (PMPS), and loss of the metal caused a severe reduction in enzymatic activity. However, if dithiothreitol was added to the PMPS reactions within a few minutes, enzymatic activity was retained and MBP-McbB could be reconstituted with zinc. Spectroscopic analysis of the cobalt-containing protein and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of the zinc-containing protein both provide evidence for a tetrathiolate coordination sphere. Site-directed mutants of MBP-McbB as well as the synthetase tagged with the calmodulin-binding peptide were constructed. Activity assays and metal analysis were used to determine which of the six cysteines in McbB are metal ligands. These results suggest that the zinc cofactor in McbB plays a structural role.

p53-Dependent and -independent responses to cisplatin in mouse testicular teratocarcinoma cells

Testicular cancers respond favorably to chemotherapy with the platinum-containing drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin). One factor that could explain the efficacy of cisplatin is the low frequency of p53 mutations observed in this tumor type. The present study examines the p53-mediated responses in murine testicular teratocarcinoma cells exposed to the drug. Cisplatin treatment of teratocarcinoma cells with a wild-type p53 gene resulted in accumulation of the p53 protein through posttranscriptional mechanisms; induction of p53-target genes was also observed. Drug treatment resulted in rapid apoptosis in p53-wild-type cells but not in p53(-/-) teratocarcinoma cells. In the latter cells, cisplatin exposure caused prolonged cell cycle arrest accompanied by induction of the p21 gene. Clonogenic assays demonstrated that the p53 mutation did not confer resistance to cisplatin. These experiments suggest that cisplatin inhibits cellular proliferation of testicular teratocarcinoma cells by two possible mechanisms, p53-dependent apoptosis and p53-independent cell cycle arrest.

Human testis-determining factor SRY binds to the major DNA adduct of cisplatin and a putative target sequence with comparable affinities

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP or cisplatin) is a widely used anticancer drug that is most effective against tumors of the testis. Although cisplatin is believed to mediate its cytotoxicity through the formation of DNA adducts, the precise biochemical mechanisms underlying its antitumor activity and selectivity for testicular tumors remain elusive. Of significance are the high-mobility group (HMG) domain and other proteins that bind specifically to cisplatin-DNA adducts. The present study focuses on the testis-specific HMG domain protein human SRY (hSRY). The full-length hSRY protein and its HMG domain region alone were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The affinities and specificities of full-length hSRY and the hSRY-HMG domain for 20 bp DNAs containing a single cis-[Pt(NH3)2{d(GpG)-N7(1), -N7(2)}] intrastrand cross-link or a putative hSRY target site in the CD3epsilon gene enhancer (AACAAAG) were determined in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Full-length hSRY bound to the major 1,2-d(GpG) cisplatin adduct with a Kd(app) of 120 +/- 10 nM and exhibited a 20-fold specificity over unmodified DNA. The HMG domain of hSRY was sufficient for this interaction. The hSRY-HMG domain recognized the 1,2-d(GpG) intrastrand cross-link with higher affinity [Kd(app) = 4 +/- 0.7 nM] but with lower specificity (5-fold) than the full-length protein. The affinities of full-length hSRY and the hSRY-HMG domain for a single cisplatin-DNA adduct were comparable to those for the putative target sequence AACAAAG. These data suggest that cisplatin-DNA adducts may compete with specific DNA sequences in vivo for the binding of human SRY. A possible role for this testis-specific protein in the cytotoxicity and organotropic specificity of cisplatin for testicular tumors is proposed.

Repair of cisplatin--DNA adducts by the mammalian excision nuclease

Nucleotide excision repair is one of the many cellular defense mechanisms against the toxic effects of cisplatin. An in vitro excision repair assay employing mammalian cell-free extracts was used to determine that the 1,2-d(ApG) intrastrand cross-link, a prevalent cisplatin-DNA adduct, is excised by the excinuclease from a site-specifically modified oligonucleotide 156 base pairs in length. Repair of the minor interstrand d(G)/d(G) cross-link was not detected by using this system. Proteins containing the high mobility group (HMG) domain DNA-binding motif, in particular, rat HMG1 and a murine testis-specific HMG-domain protein, specifically inhibit excision repair of the intrastrand 1,2-d(GpG) and -d(ApG) cross-links. This effect was also exhibited by a single HMG domain from HMG1. Similar inhibition of repair of a site-specific 1,2-d(GpG) intrastrand cross-link by an HMG-domain protein also occurred in a reconstituted system containing highly purified repair factors. These results indicate that HMG-domain proteins can block excision repair of the major cisplatin-DNA adducts and suggest that such an activity could contribute to the unique sensitivity of certain tumors to the drug. The reconstituted excinuclease was more efficient at excising the 1,3-d(GpTpG) intrastrand adduct than either the 1,2-d(GpG) or d(ApG) intrastrand adducts, in agreement with previous experiments using whole cell extracts [Huang, J. -C., Zamble, D. B., Reardon, J. T., Lippard, S. J., Sancar, A. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 10394-10398]. This result suggests that structural differences among the platinated DNA substrates, and not the presence of unidentified cellular factors, determine the relative excision repair rates of cisplatin-DNA intrastrand cross-links in the whole cell extracts.

Cisplatin and DNA repair in cancer chemotherapy

Cisplatin, a DNA-damaging agent, is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs. As with all members of this class of chemotherapeutic compounds, the clinical success of cisplatin is compromised if tumor cells become resistant by various mechanisms, including enhanced DNA repair. In addition to its role in resistance, DNA repair has been linked to the cytotoxic mechanism of cisplatin. DNA damaged by the drug has proved to be a valuable tool for exploring the details of the nucleotide excision repair pathway.

HMG-domain proteins specifically inhibit the repair of the major DNA adduct of the anticancer drug cisplatin by human excision nuclease

The most frequent DNA adduct made by the anticancer drug cisplatin, the 1,2-intrastrand d(GpG) cross-link, as well as the minor 1,3-intrastrand d(GpTpG) adduct, were both repaired by an in vitro human excision repair system. Fragments of 27-29 nt containing the platinum damage were excised. The high mobility group (HMG)-domain proteins HMG1 and human mitochondrial transcription factor specifically inhibited repair of the 1,2-intrastrand cross-link by the human excision nuclease. These results suggest that the types and levels of HMG-domain proteins in a given tumor may influence the responsiveness of that cancer to cisplatin chemotherapy and they provide a rational basis for the synthesis of new platinum anticancer drug candidates.