The ClpX heat-shock protein of Escherichia coli, the ATP-dependent substrate specificity component of the ClpP-ClpX protease, is a novel molecular chaperone

All major classes of protein chaperones, including DnaK (the Hsp70 eukaryotic equivalent) and GroEL (the Hsp60 eukaryotic equivalent) have been found in Escherichia coli. Molecular chaperones enhance the yields of correctly folded polypeptides by preventing aggregation and even by disaggregating certain protein aggregates. Previously, we identified the ClpX heat-shock protein of E. coli because it enables the ClpP catalytic protease to degrade the bacteriophage lambda O replication protein. Here we report that ClpX alone possesses all the properties expected of a molecular chaperone protein. Specifically, it can protect the lambda O protein from heat-induced aggregation, disaggregate preformed lambda O aggregates, and even promote efficient binding of lambda O to its DNA recognition sequence. A lambda O-ClpX specific protein-protein interaction can be detected either by a modified ELISA assay or through the stimulation of ClpX's weak ATPase activity by lambda O. Unlike the behaviour of the major DnaK and GroEL chaperones, ClpX requires the presence of ATP or its non-hydrolysable analogue ATP-gamma-S for efficient interaction with other proteins including the protection of lambda O from aggregation. However, ClpX's ability to disaggregate lambda O aggregates requires hydrolysable ATP. We propose that the ClpX protein is a bona fide chaperone, whose biological role includes the maintenance of certain polypeptides in a form competent for proteolysis by the ClpP protease. Furthermore, our results suggest that the ClpX protein also performs typical chaperone protein functions independent of ClpP.

Inducible binding to the c-fos serum response element during T cell activation is regulated by a phosphotyrosine-containing protein

The proto-oncogene c-fos is an immediate-early gene, and one of the first genes transcribed after stimulation of most cells with a variety of ligands. Fos expression may be a pivotal event in converting ligand-receptor interactions at the membrane into functional modulation of cell phenotype. The serum response element (SRE) in the c-fos regulatory region participates in induction of transcription by various growth factors and by phorbol esters and subsequent squelching of transcription. We show that an inducible protein complex (Band A) binds to SRE DNA within 10 min after mitogenic stimulation of human PBL-T, and becomes nondetectable by 60 min. Band A contains the serum response factor plus additional factor(s). A protein that is phosphorylated on a tyrosine residue in resting PBL-T suppresses binding of a component of Band A to the SRE motif. Upon stimulation of the cells, this protein no longer prevents binding of DNA by Band A, and suppression of binding is restored within 30 min. The phosphorylated tyrosine residue itself is important for the protein-protein interaction.

Inducible binding to the c-fos serum response element during T cell activation is regulated by a phosphotyrosine-containing protein

The proto-oncogene c-fos is an immediate-early gene, and one of the first genes transcribed after stimulation of most cells with a variety of ligands. Fos expression may be a pivotal event in converting ligand-receptor interactions at the membrane into functional modulation of cell phenotype. The serum response element (SRE) in the c-fos regulatory region participates in induction of transcription by various growth factors and by phorbol esters and subsequent squelching of transcription. We show that an inducible protein complex (Band A) binds to SRE DNA within 10 min after mitogenic stimulation of human PBL-T, and becomes nondetectable by 60 min. Band A contains the serum response factor plus additional factor(s). A protein that is phosphorylated on a tyrosine residue in resting PBL-T suppresses binding of a component of Band A to the SRE motif. Upon stimulation of the cells, this protein no longer prevents binding of DNA by Band A, and suppression of binding is restored within 30 min. The phosphorylated tyrosine residue itself is important for the protein-protein interaction.

Development of a somatic cell hybrid mapping panel and molecular probes for human chromosome 3

A somatic cell hybrid mapping panel and molecular probes have been developed for human chromosome 3. This panel defines 11 regions for the short and long arms of the chromosome. Four hundred thirty-two probes have been mapped using these hybrids. One hundred thirty-one of these probes were derived from EcoRI and HindIII flow-sorted libraries. The remaining 301 probes were isolated from NotI boundary and random (partial MboI) libraries constructed from a hybrid that provided a relative enrichment in 3p DNA sequences. For some regions of the chromosome, significant differences in the distribution of probes were noted. This was observed for both the unique sequence flow-sorted and NotI probes. These differences are in agreement with previous suggestions that Giemsa light bands are GC-rich, and therefore gene-rich (especially housekeeping genes), and that the Giemsa dark bands may contain DNA that is more highly condensed. The isolation of probes from different types of libraries, or by different screening strategies, appears to reduce deficiencies that might arise from the use of probes derived with a more limited approach. These hybrids and probes should facilitate the construction of physical and genetic linkage maps to identify various disease loci involving chromosome 3.