Human adenosine deaminases control the immune cell responses to activation signals by reducing extracellular adenosine concentration

Adenosine rapidly accumulates in the sites of inflammation and tumor growth. It binds to adenosine receptors expressed on the cell surface of immune cells and induces either suppression or activation of inflammatory responses to pathogens. In humans the level of extracellular adenosine is regulated by two adenosine deaminases ADA1 and ADA2. Decrease in ADAs concentration due to genetic defects in the ADA genes leads to serious perturbation in the immune system function while increase in ADA activity associates with numerous immune diseases and cancers. The immune responses to extracellular adenosine have largely been studied using pharmacological approach where non-hydrolysable adenosine receptors agonists substitute adenosine to form the activated state of adenosine receptors. On contrary, adenosine receptors bound to adenosine receptor antagonists mimic inactivated state of adenosine receptors.

Here, the effect of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists on the monocytes function as well as and T helper cell proliferation and differentiation was compared with the effect of adenosine and adenosine deaminases. It was demonstrated that adenosine deaminases control the immune cells responses to activation signals by reducing the concentration of extracellular adenosine and that the cells sensitivity to adenosine greatly depends on the type of the cell activation. Therefore, our data suggests that ADAs could be considered as new drug candidates for the treatment of immune disorders and cancers.

Dermatologic Features of ADA2 Deficiency in Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa

IMPORTANCE

Mutations in the CERC1 gene associated with deficiency in the ADA2 protein (DADA2) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (cPAN) and early-onset vasculopathy. DADA2 is not only limited to cPAN and vasculopathy but also includes immunodeficiency that affects several cellular compartments, including B cells; however, some patients appear to have a more indolent, skin-limited disease.

OBSERVATIONS

In this report, we describe 2 white siblings (female and male) with a history of cPAN with DADA2 as a result of novel compound heterozygous mutations inherited in trans in the CECR1 gene (c.37_39del [p.K13del] and c.1159C>A [p.N328K]). The onset of disease was earlier in the female sibling than the male sibling although both were diagnosed as having cPAN in early childhood. The disease is associated with a more significant immunodeficiency and other systemic symptoms in the female than the male sibling.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest a genetic cause of cPAN in some patients. Therefore, DADA2 should be considered in patients with cPAN, specifically in those whose conditions are diagnosed at an early age, regardless of their ethnicity, presence or absence of systemic symptoms, or a family history of the disease.

RF3 induces ribosomal conformational changes responsible for dissociation of class I release factors

During translation termination, class II release factor RF3 binds to the ribosome to promote rapid dissociation of a class I release factor (RF) in a GTP-dependent manner. We present the crystal structure of E. coli RF3*GDP, which has a three-domain architecture strikingly similar to the structure of EF-Tu*GTP. Biochemical data on RF3 mutants show that a surface region involving domains II and III is important for distinct steps in the action cycle of RF3. Furthermore, we present a cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the posttermination ribosome bound with RF3 in the GTP form. Our data show that RF3*GTP binding induces large conformational changes in the ribosome, which break the interactions of the class I RF with both the decoding center and the GTPase-associated center of the ribosome, apparently leading to the release of the class I RF.

Class-1 release factor eRF1 promotes GTP binding by class-2 release factor eRF3

In eukaryotes, termination of mRNA translation is triggered by the essential polypeptide chain release factors eRF1, recognizing all three stop codons, and eRF3, a member of the GTPase superfamily with a role that has remained opaque. We have studied the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the interactions between eRF3 and GTP, GDP and the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue GDPNP in the presence (K(D)(GDP)=1.3+/-0.2 muM, K(D)(GTP) approximately 200 muM and K(D)(GDPNP)>160 muM) as well as absence (K(D)(GDP)=1.9+/-0.3 muM, K(D)(GTP) 0.7+/-0.2 muM and K(D)(GDPNP) approximately 200 muM) of eRF1. From the present data we propose that (i) free eRF3 has a strong preference to bind GDP compared to GTP (ii) eRF3 in complex with eRF1 has much stronger affinity to GTP than free eRF3 (iii) eRF3 in complex with PABP has weak affinity to GTP (iv) eRF3 in complex with eRF1 does not have strong affinity to GDPNP, implying that GDPNP is a poor analogue of GTP for eRF3 binding.

Interactions of the release factor RF1 with the ribosome as revealed by cryo-EM

In eubacteria, termination of translation is signaled by any one of the stop codons UAA, UAG, and UGA moving into the ribosomal A site. Two release factors, RF1 and RF2, recognize and bind to the stop codons with different affinities and trigger the hydrolysis of the ester bond that links the polypeptide with the P-site tRNA. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) results obtained in this study show that ribosome-bound RF1 is in an open conformation, unlike the closed conformation observed in the crystal structure of the free factor, allowing its simultaneous access to both the decoding center and the peptidyl-transferase center. These results are similar to those obtained for RF2, but there is an important difference in how the factors bind to protein L11, which forms part of the GTPase-associated center of the large ribosomal subunit. The difference in the binding position, C-terminal domain for RF2 versus N-terminal domain for RF1, explains a body of L11 mutation studies that revealed differential effects on the activity of the two factors. Very recent data obtained with small-angle X-ray scattering now reveal that the solution structure of RF1 is open, as here seen on the ribosome by cryo-EM, and not closed, as seen in the crystal.

The Cryo-EM Structure of a Translation Initiation Complex from Escherichia coli

The 70S ribosome and its complement of factors required for initiation of translation in E. coli were purified separately and reassembled in vitro with GDPNP, producing a stable initiation complex (IC) stalled after 70S assembly. We have obtained a cryo-EM reconstruction of the IC showing IF2*GDPNP at the intersubunit cleft of the 70S ribosome. IF2*GDPNP contacts the 30S and 50S subunits as well as fMet-tRNA(fMet). IF2 here adopts a conformation radically different from that seen in the recent crystal structure of IF2. The C-terminal domain of IF2 binds to the single-stranded portion of fMet-tRNA(fMet), thereby forcing the tRNA into a novel orientation at the P site. The GTP binding domain of IF2 binds to the GTPase-associated center of the 50S subunit in a manner similar to EF-G and EF-Tu. Additionally, we present evidence for the localization of IF1, IF3, one C-terminal domain of L7/L12, and the N-terminal domain of IF2 in the initiation complex.

The role of tRNA as a molecular spring in decoding, accommodation, and peptidyl transfer

Translation is the process by which the genetic information contained in mRNA is used to link amino acids in a predetermined sequential order into a polypeptide chain, which then folds into a protein. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are the adapter molecules designed to provide the "lookup" from codons to amino acids. Cryo-EM has provided evidence that the ribosome, as a molecular machine, undergoes many structural changes during translation. Recent findings show that the tRNA structure itself undergoes large conformational changes as well, and that the decoding process must be seen as a complex dynamic interplay between tRNA and the ribosome.

Incorporation of aminoacyl-tRNA into the ribosome as seen by cryo-electron microscopy

Aminoacyl-tRNAs (aa-tRNAs) are delivered to the ribosome as part of the ternary complex of aa-tRNA, elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) and GTP. Here, we present a cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) study, at a resolution of approximately 9 A, showing that during the incorporation of the aa-tRNA into the 70S ribosome of Escherichia coli, the flexibility of aa-tRNA allows the initial codon recognition and its accommodation into the ribosomal A site. In addition, a conformational change observed in the GTPase-associated center (GAC) of the ribosomal 50S subunit may provide the mechanism by which the ribosome promotes a relative movement of the aa-tRNA with respect to EF-Tu. This relative rearrangement seems to facilitate codon recognition by the incoming aa-tRNA, and to provide the codon-anticodon recognition-dependent signal for the GTPase activity of EF-Tu. From these new findings we propose a mechanism that can explain the sequence of events during the decoding of mRNA on the ribosome.

Locking and unlocking of ribosomal motions

During the ribosomal translocation, the binding of elongation factor G (EF-G) to the pretranslocational ribosome leads to a ratchet-like rotation of the 30S subunit relative to the 50S subunit in the direction of the mRNA movement. By means of cryo-electron microscopy we observe that this rotation is accompanied by a 20 A movement of the L1 stalk of the 50S subunit, implying that this region is involved in the translocation of deacylated tRNAs from the P to the E site. These ribosomal motions can occur only when the P-site tRNA is deacylated. Prior to peptidyl-transfer to the A-site tRNA or peptide removal, the presence of the charged P-site tRNA locks the ribosome and prohibits both of these motions.

Novel fusion proteins in the analysis of diabetes-associated autoantibodies to GAD65 and IA-2

Assays to detect autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) and the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like molecule IA-2, which are both present in pancreatic islets, have been used in the diagnosis and prediction of type 1 diabetes. In this study a novel fusion protein combining the entire GAD65 molecule with the 40 kDa intracellular domain of IA-2 (GAD-IA-2) was constructed to detect autoantibodies to both antigens by one single assay. For the same purpose a truncated version of this fusion protein which contained the entire GAD65 linked to the 203 carboxy-terminal amino acids of IA-2 (GAD-dIA-2) was made. A panel of 34 diabetic sera which represented unequivocally positive or negative antibody responses to GAD65 and/or IA-2 as well as 20 serum samples from healthy controls were tested in a radioligand binding assay with the constructed fusion proteins as antigens. Nine of the samples from patients with type 1 diabetes reacted with GAD65 while being negative for IA-2. Six sera were positive for IA-2 only, 11 were double positive, and 8 negative for both antibodies using the standard in vitro transcription translation assay with single antigens. The full-length, as well as the truncated fusion protein detected all samples positive for antibodies either to GAD65 or IA-2 or both, except for one GAD65 antibody positive sample. All samples from healthy controls tested negative in all assays. We conclude that the principle of a combinatorial molecule where a fusion protein expresses both GAD65 and IA-2 epitopes is feasible, and such a fusion protein can be used instead of the single antigens to reduce time and costs of large-scale screening for clinical purposes.

The effect of the intersubunit disulfide bond on the structural and functional properties of the small heat shock protein Hsp25

The murine small heat shock protein Hsp25 carries a single cysteine residue in position 141 of its amino acid sequence. Interestingly, Hsp25 can exist within the cell as covalently bound dimer which is linked by an intermolecular disulfide bond between two monomers. Oxidative stress caused by treatment of the cells with diamide, arsenite, or hydrogen peroxide leads to an increase in Hsp25-dimerisation which can be blocked by simultaneous treatment with reducing agents. Recombinant Hsp25 was prepared in an oxidized dimeric (oxHsp25) and reduced monomeric (redHsp25) from. The two species were compared with regard to secondary structure, stability, oligomerization properties and their chaperone activity. It is demonstrated by CD measurements in the far UV region that there are no significant differences in the secondary structure and temperature- or pH-stability of oxHsp25 and redHsp25. However, according to CD measurements in the near UV region an increase in the asymmetry of the microenvironment of aromatic residues in oxHsp25 is observed. Furthermore, an increase in stability of the hydrophobic environment of the tryptophan residues mainly located in the N-terminal domain of the protein against urea denaturation is detected in oxHsp25. Both reduced and oxidized Hsp25 from oligomeric complexes of similar size and stability against detergents and both species prevent thermal aggregation of citrate synthase and assist significantly in oxaloacetic acid-induced refolding of the enzyme. Hence, the overall secondary structure, the degree of oligomerization and the chaperone activity of Hsp25 seem independent of the formation of the intermolecular disulfide bond and only the stability of the hydrophobic N-terminal part of the molecule is influenced by formation of this bound. The obtained data do not exclude the possible involvement of dimerization of this protein in other cellular functions, e.g. in intracellular sulfhydryl-buffering or in the protection of actin filaments from fragmentation upon oxidative stress.