Nkx6.1 and nkx6.2 regulate alpha- and beta-cell formation in zebrafish by acting on pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells.

In mice, the Nkx6 genes are crucial to alpha- and beta-cell differentiation, but the molecular mechanisms by which they regulate pancreatic subtype specification remain elusive. Here it is shown that in zebrafish, nkx6.1 and nkx6.2 are co-expressed at early stages in the first pancreatic endocrine progenitors, but that their expression domains gradually segregate into different layers, nkx6.1 being expressed ventrally with respect to the forming islet while nkx6.2 is expressed mainly in beta-cells. Knockdown of nkx6.2 or nkx6.1 expression leads to nearly complete loss of alpha-cells but has no effect on beta-, delta-, or epsilon-cells. In contrast, nkx6.1/nkx6.2 double knockdown leads additionally to a drastic reduction of beta-cells. Synergy between the effects of nkx6.1 and nkx6.2 knockdown on both beta- and alpha-cell differentiation suggests that nkx6.1 and nkx6.2 have the same biological activity, the required total nkx6 threshold being higher for alpha-cell than for beta-cell differentiation. Finally, we demonstrate that the nkx6 act on the establishment of the pancreatic endocrine progenitor pool whose size is correlated with the total nkx6 expression level. On the basis of our data, we propose a model in which nkx6.1 and nkx6.2, by allowing the establishment of the endocrine progenitor pool, control alpha- and beta-cell differentiation.

De novo backbone and sequence design of an idealized alpha/beta-barrel protein: evidence of stable tertiary structure.

We have designed, synthesized, and characterized a 216 amino acid residue sequence encoding a putative idealized alpha/beta-barrel protein. The design was elaborated in two steps. First, the idealized backbone was defined with geometric parameters representing our target fold: a central eight parallel-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by eight parallel alpha-helices, connected together with short structural turns on both sides of the barrel. An automated sequence selection algorithm, based on the dead-end elimination theorem, was used to find the optimal amino acid sequence fitting the target structure. A synthetic gene coding for the designed sequence was constructed and the recombinant artificial protein was expressed in bacteria, purified and characterized. Far-UV CD spectra with prominent bands at 222nm and 208nm revealed the presence of alpha-helix secondary structures (50%) in fairly good agreement with the model. A pronounced absorption band in the near-UV CD region, arising from immobilized aromatic side-chains, showed that the artificial protein is folded in solution. Chemical unfolding monitored by tryptophan fluorescence revealed a conformational stability (DeltaG(H2O)) of 35kJ/mol. Thermal unfolding monitored by near-UV CD revealed a cooperative transition with an apparent T(m) of 65 degrees C. Moreover, the artificial protein did not exhibit any affinity for the hydrophobic fluorescent probe 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS), providing additional evidence that the artificial barrel is not in the molten globule state, contrary to previously designed artificial alpha/beta-barrels. Finally, 1H NMR spectra of the folded and unfolded proteins provided evidence for specific interactions in the folded protein. Taken together, the results indicate that the de novo designed alpha/beta-barrel protein adopts a stable three-dimensional structure in solution. These encouraging results show that de novo design of an idealized protein structure of more than 200 amino acid residues is now possible, from construction of a particular backbone conformation to determination of an amino acid sequence with an automated sequence selection algorithm.

Transcription of the human prolactin gene in mammary cells.

Expression of human prolactin in the mammary gland, one of the main target organs of this hormone, leads to the formation of an autocrine-paracrine proliferative loop in this tissue. Involvement of prolactin in normal and neoplastic mammary development triggered the interest in transcriptional regulation of the human prolactin gene in mammary cells. Analysis of this regulation, and comparison to that in the pituitary, will contribute to a better understanding of mammary gland development and tumor formation. Here we present the first extensive analysis of the transcriptional regulation of the human prolactin gene in human mammary tumor cells.

A transformed fish cell line expressing a green fluorescent protein-luciferase fusion gene responding to cellular stress.

We obtained a stable transformed fish (EPC) cell line containing a reporter gene under the control of the tilapia HSP70 promoter. Expression of the reporter gene, coding for a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-luciferase fusion protein, was assessed by measuring the luciferase enzymatic activity by luminometry and the GFP expression by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The clone was characterized for its capacity to respond to heat shock treatment. The results show high induction after 1 h at 37 degrees C of treatment, up to 500-fold. In addition, its convenience to detect a large range of cellular stressors was evaluated. We observed high induction when Cd2+, Zn2+, Hg2+ or Cu2+ was added, but not Pb2+. In addition, activation of the reporter gene was observed in the presence of other compounds such as acetyl chloride, tetrachlorophenol, chloroacetamide and sodium arsenite. In conclusion, this cell line can be used as a rapid, cheap and easy biological test to determine cellular stress induced by environmental pollutants, alone or in conjunction with other, more specific assays.

Cloning and expression of the TALE superclass homeobox Meis2 gene during zebrafish embryonic development.

Meis and Prep/Pknox (MEINOX family) proteins, together with Pbx (PBC family) proteins, belong to the TALE superfamily characterized by an atypical homeodomain containing three additional amino acids between helix 1 and helix 2. Members of the MEINOX and PBC families have been isolated in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, Xenopus, chick, mouse and human, and play crucial roles in many aspects of embryogenesis. Here, we report the isolation of meis2 in zebrafish. Expression of meis2 is first detected at the beginning of gastrulation. Later during embryogenesis, meis2 transcripts are found in distinct domains of the central nervous system with the strongest expression in the hindbrain. Expression was also detected in the isthmus, along the spinal cord and in the lateral mesoderm. As development proceeds, meis2 is also expressed in the developing retina, pharyngeal arches, and in the vicinity of the gut tube.

Distinct behavior of mutant triosephosphate isomerase in hemolysate and in isolated form: molecular basis of enzyme deficiency.

In a Hungarian family with severe decrease in triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) activity, 2 germ line-identical but phenotypically differing compound heterozygote brothers inherited 2 independent (Phe240Leu and Glu145stop codon) mutations. The kinetic, thermodynamic, and associative properties of the recombinant human wild-type and Phe240Leu mutant enzymes were compared with those of TPIs in normal and deficient erythrocyte hemolysates. The specific activity of the recombinant mutant enzyme relative to the wild type was much higher (30%) than expected from the activity (3%) measured in hemolysates. Enhanced attachment of mutant TPI to erythrocyte inside-out vesicles and to microtubules of brain cells was found when the binding was measured with TPIs in hemolysate. In contrast, there was no difference between the binding of the recombinant wild-type and Phe240Leu mutant enzymes. These findings suggest that the missense mutation by itself is not enough to explain the low catalytic activity and "stickiness" of mutant TPI observed in hemolysate. The activity of the mutant TPI is further reduced by its attachment to inside-out vesicles or microtubules. Comparative studies of the hemolysate from a British patient with Glu104Asp homozygosity and with the platelet lysates from the Hungarian family suggest that the microcompartmentation of TPI is not unique for the hemolysates from the Hungarian TPI-deficient brothers. The possible role of cellular components, other than the mutant enzymes, in the distinct behavior of TPI in isolated form versus in hemolysates from the compound heterozygotes and the simple heterozygote family members is discussed.

The ornithine decarboxylase gene is essential for cell survival during early murine development.

Overexpression and inhibitor studies have suggested that the c-Myc target gene for ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the enzyme which converts ornithine to putrescine, plays an important role in diverse biological processes, including cell growth, differentiation, transformation, and apoptosis. To explore the physiological function of ODC in mammalian development, we generated mice harboring a disrupted ODC gene. ODC-heterozygous mice were viable, normal, and fertile. Although zygotic ODC is expressed throughout the embryo prior to implantation, loss of ODC did not block normal development to the blastocyst stage. Embryonic day E3.5 ODC-deficient embryos were capable of uterine implantation and induced maternal decidualization yet failed to develop substantially thereafter. Surprisingly, analysis of ODC-deficient blastocysts suggests that loss of ODC does not affect cell growth per se but rather is required for survival of the pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass. Therefore, ODC plays an essential role in murine development, and proper homeostasis of polyamine pools appears to be required for cell survival prior to gastrulation.

Gene structure and promoter function of a teleost ribosomal protein: a tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) L18 gene.

We have cloned and characterized a tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) L18 ribosomal protein gene, including the complete transcribed region and 488 bp of upstream regulatory sequences. We have also isolated two L18 cDNAs from another tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with a few conservative nucleotide differences. Our results suggest the presence of two genes in both species. Reporter constructs were tested for transient expression in CV1 cells and in microinjected zebrafish and tilapia embryos. The tilapia L18 promoter was able to drive expression of the reporter gene in all three experiments, with no apparent preference for a particular tissue. The tilapia L18 promoter is therefore likely to be a powerful tool to drive tissue-independent gene expression in fish.

S179D-human PRL, a pseudophosphorylated human PRL analog, is an agonist and not an antagonist.

For many years, our group has been involved in the development of human PRL antagonists. In two recent publications, S179D-human PRL, a human PRL analog designed to mimic a putative S179-phosphorylated human PRL, was reported to be a highly potent antagonist of human PRL-induced proliferation and signaling in rat Nb2 cells. We prepared this analog with the aim of testing it in various bioassays involving the homologous, human PRL receptor. In our hands, S179D- human PRL was able to stimulate 1) the proliferation of rat Nb2 cells and of human mammary tumor epithelial cells (T-47D), 2) transcriptional activation of the lactogenic hormone response element-luciferase reporter gene, and 3) activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription and MAPK pathways. Using the previously characterized antagonist G129R-human PRL as a control, we failed to observe any evidence for antagonism of S179D-human PRL toward any of the human PRL-induced effects analyzed, including cell proliferation, transcriptional activation, and signaling. In conclusion, our data argue that S179D-human PRL is an agonist displaying slightly reduced affinity and activity due to local alteration of receptor binding site 1, and that the antagonistic properties previously attributed to S179D-human PRL cannot be confirmed in any of the assays analyzed in this study.

Characterization of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene promoter: human zinc-finger proteins (ZNF140 and ZNF91) that bind to different regions function as transcription repressors.

Expression of the human low-affinity Fc receptors for IgG (human Fc gamma RII) is differentially regulated. We report here the characterization of the promoter structure of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene and the isolation of the promoter region-binding proteins by a yeast one-hybrid assay. The minimal 154-bp region upstream from the transcription start site of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene was shown to possess promoter activity in a variety of cells. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that multiple nuclear factors in cell extracts bind to the two regions [F2-3 (-110 to -93) and F4-3 (-47 to -31)] of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene promoter. Mutation analysis indicated that GGGAGGAGC (-105 to -97) and AATTTGTTTGCC (-47 to -36) sequences are responsible for binding to nuclear factors respectively. By using GGGAGGAGC and AATTTGTTTGCC as bait sequences, we cloned two zinc-finger proteins (ZNF140 and ZNF91) that bind to the F2-3 and F4-3 regions within the promoter of the human Fc gamma RIIB gene respectively. When the ZNF140 and ZNF91 were transfected with reporter plasmid, both showed repressor activity with additive effects. Thus, these results indicate that these cloned ZNF140 and ZNF91 proteins function as repressors for the human Fc gamma RIIB transcription.

Heat shock stimulation of a tilapia heat shock protein 70 promoter is mediated by a distal element.

We reported previously that a tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) promoter is able to confer heat shock response on a reporter gene after transient expression both in cell culture and in microinjected zebrafish embryos. Here we present the first functional analysis of a fish HSP70 promoter, the tiHSP70 promoter. Using transient expression experiments in carp EPC (epithelioma papulosum cyprini) cells and in microinjected zebrafish embryos, we show that a distal heat shock response element (HSE1) at approx. -800 is predominantly responsible for the heat shock response of the tiHSP70 promoter. This element specifically binds an inducible transcription factor, most probably heat shock factor, and a constitutive factor. The constitutive complex is not observed with the non-functional, proximal HSE3 sequence, suggesting that both factors are required for the heat shock response mediated by HSE1.

Inhibition of protein phosphatase PP1 in GH3B6, but not in GH3 cells, activates the MEK/ERK/c-fos pathway and the human prolactin promoter, involving the coactivator CPB/p300.

The human (hPRL) PRL gene proximal promoter (-164/+15) is the target for numerous signal transduction pathways involving protein kinases. The inhibitor of Ser/Thr-protein phosphatases okadaic acid (OA) was shown to induce this promoter in rat pituitary GH3B6 through a synergism between increased amounts of the ubiquitous factor AP-1 and the pituitary-specific factor Pit-1. Here we show that this activation results mainly from transcriptional stimulation of the c-fos promoter leading to increased AP-1 activity. We report the surprising absence of the hPRL and c-fos promoter stimulation by OA in GH3 cells, closely related to GH3B6 cells, and we use this discrepancy to dissect the precise mechanism of action. c-fos gene activation involves the mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK)-ternary complex factor (TCF) pathway and can be obtained by expressing active V12ras in both cell lines. We show that OA acts by inhibiting protein phosphatase PP1, thereby protecting MAPK kinase (MEK)1/2 and/or a MEK1/2-kinase from dephosphorylation. PP1 inhibition of MEK activation by V12ras does not occur in GH3 cells, indicating that a distinct, PP1-sensitive phosphorylation site is used in GH3B6 cells to activate the TCF pathway in GH3B6 cells. Finally, we show that the synergistic OA activation of the hPRL promoter by Pit-1 and AP-1 is independent of the Pit-1 transactivation domain and is mediated by the general coactivator (CRE-binding protein)-binding protein (CBP)/p300.

The antiangiogenic factor 16K PRL induces programmed cell death in endothelial cells by caspase activation.

We asked whether the antiangiogenic action of 16K human PRL (hPRL), in addition to blocking mitogen-induced vascular endothelial cell proliferation, involved activation of programmed cell death. Treatment with recombinant 16K hPRL increased DNA fragmentation in cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial (BBE) and human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells in a time- and dose-dependent fashion, independent of the serum concentration. The activation of apoptosis by 16K hPRL was specific for endothelial cells, and the activity of the peptide could be inhibited by heat denaturation, trypsin digestion, and immunoneutralization, but not by treatment with the endotoxin blocker, polymyxin-B. 16K hPRL-induced apoptosis was correlated with the rapid activation of caspases 1 and 3 and was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of caspase activity. Caspase activation was followed by inactivation of two caspase substrates, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and the inhibitor of caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease (DNase) (ICAD). Furthermore, 16K hPRL increased the conversion of Bcl-X to its proapoptotic form, suggesting that the Bcl-2 protein family may also be involved in 16K hPRL-induced apoptosis. These findings support the hypothesis that the antiangiogenic action of 16K hPRL includes the activation of programmed cell death of vascular endothelial cells.

Cloning and expression analysis of an inducible HSP70 gene from tilapia fish.

We isolated and characterized the tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) HSP70 gene, highly homologous to other HSP70 genes. A dramatic increase of tilapia HSP70 mRNA levels was observed after heat shock of whole animals in all organs tested. Reporter constructs were tested for transient expression in carp cells and in microinjected zebrafish embryos. The entire isolated regulatory region (-851/+157) was able to mediate heat shock inducible expression of the reporter gene, with no preference for a particular tissue. Our studies represent the first transcriptional analysis of a HSP70 promoter from fish, revealing a powerful tool to direct controlled, tissue-independent gene expression in fish.

Far upstream sequences regulate the human prolactin promoter transcription.

The human prolactin gene is mainly expressed in pituitary lactotrope cells, but transcription from an alternative, far upstream promoter was detected in lymphoid, placental and mammary cells. We describe the transcriptional activity in rat pituitary cells of the complete region separating the two promoters, using transient transfection experiments. A far upstream activating region was only functional in combination with the prolactin promoter. DNaseI protection experiments revealed, in addition to binding sites for the pituitary-specific factor Pit-1, sites (e.g. SD1) for several ubiquitous factors and one lymphoid-specific factor (SD4). A single copy of the ubiquitous site SD1 or the lymphoid-specific site SD4 was unable to activate transcription of a heterologous promoter in pituitary cells. However, SD1 activated transcription in nonpituitary cells and SD4 was functional specifically in lymphoid cells. Five copies of a distal site (D8) activated transcription in each cell type tested. Gel retardation experiments show that this site binds the specific factor C/EBP in liver and a distinct factor in other cell types. Our results suggest that different elements within this large region direct specific expression from each promoter via a complex interplay between cell-specific and ubiquitous transcription factors.

Silencing subdomains of v-ErbA interact cooperatively with corepressors: involvement of helices 5/6.

Members of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) family act on vertebrate development and homeostasis by activating or repressing transcription of specific target genes in a ligand-dependent way. Repression by TR in the absence of ligand is mediated by an active silencing mechanism. The oncogene v-ErbA is a variant form of TR unable to bind hormone and thus acts as a constitutive repressor. Functional studies and mutation analysis revealed that the TR/v-ErbA silencing domain is composed of three silencing subdomains (SSD1-3) which, although nonfunctional individually, synergize such that silencing activity is restored when they are combined in a heteromeric complex. Here we demonstrate, using protein interaction assays in vitro and in vivo, that the inactive v-ErbA point mutant L489R within helix 5/6 in SSD2 fails to interact with the two corepressors N-CoR (nuclear receptor corepressor) or SMRT (silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor). Furthermore, mutants in SSD1 and SSD3 exhibit a reduced corepressor recruitment corresponding to their weak residual silencing activity. In mammalian two-hybrid assays, only the combination of all three silencing subdomains, SSD1-3, leads to a cooperative binding to the corepressors N-CoR or SMRT comparable to that of the full-length v-ErbA repression domain. In conclusion, full silencing activity requires corepressor interaction with all three silencing subdomains, SSD1-3. Among these, SSD2 is a new target for N-CoR and SMRT and is essential for corepressor binding and function.

The crystal structure of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) from Thermotoga maritima: a comparative thermostability structural analysis of ten different TIM structures.

The molecular mechanisms that evolution has been employing to adapt to environmental temperatures are poorly understood. To gain some further insight into this subject we solved the crystal structure of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima (TmTIM). The enzyme is a tetramer, assembled as a dimer of dimers, suggesting that the tetrameric wild-type phosphoglycerate kinase PGK-TIM fusion protein consists of a core of two TIM dimers covalently linked to 4 PGK units. The crystal structure of TmTIM represents the most thermostable TIM presently known in its 3D-structure. It adds to a series of nine known TIM structures from a wide variety of organisms, spanning the range from psychrophiles to hyperthermophiles. Several properties believed to be involved in the adaptation to different temperatures were calculated and compared for all ten structures. No sequence preferences, correlated with thermal stability, were apparent from the amino acid composition or from the analysis of the loops and secondary structure elements of the ten TIMs. A common feature for both psychrophilic and T. maritima TIM is the large number of salt bridges compared with the number found in mesophilic TIMs. In the two thermophilic TIMs, the highest amount of accessible hydrophobic surface is buried during the folding and assembly process.

APH-1, a POU homeobox gene expressed in the salt gland of the crustacean Artemia franciscana.

We characterized the first POU-homeoprotein in a crustacean (designated APH-1 for Artemia POU-Homeoprotein, EMBL Y15070). The amino acid sequence of the APH-1 POU-domain is identical, except for two residues, to that of the two class III POU proteins Cf1-a (Drosophila) and POU-M1 (Bombyx mori). Southern blot analysis suggests that crustaceans have only one class III POU gene. RT-PCR and whole-mount in situ hybridization show that APH-1 mRNA is present in larvae specifically in the salt gland, an organ which is involved in osmoregulation, and disappears in the adult.

Biological properties of human prolactin analogs depend not only on global hormone affinity, but also on the relative affinities of both receptor binding sites.

Zinc increases the affinity of human growth hormone (hGH) for the human prolactin receptor (hPRLR) due to the coordination of one zinc ion involving Glu-174(hGH) and His-18(hGH). In contrast, binding of hPRL to the hPRLR is zinc-independent. We engineered in binding site 1 of hPRL a hGH-like zinc coordination site, by mutating Asp-183(hPRL) (homologous to Glu-174(hGH)) into Glu (D183E mutation). This mutation was also introduced into G129R hPRL, a binding site 2 mutant (Goffin, V., Kinet, S., Ferrag, F., Binart, N., Martial, J. A. , and Kelly, P. A. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 16573-16579). These analogs were characterized using a stable clone expressing both the hPRLR and a PRLR-responsive reporter gene. The D183E mutation per se decreases the binding affinity and transcriptional activity of hPRL. However, this loss is partially rescued by the addition of zinc and the effect is much more marked on bioactivity than on binding affinity. These data indicate that the D183E mutation confers zinc sensitivity to hPRL biological properties. Due to an impaired site 2, the agonistic activity of G129R analog is almost nil. Although the double mutant D183E/G129R displays lower affinity ( approximately 1 log) compared with G129R hPRL, it unexpectedly recovers partial agonistic activity in the absence of zinc. Moreover, whereas zinc increases the affinity of D183E/G129R, it paradoxically abolishes its agonistic activity. Our results demonstrate that the biological properties of hPRL analogs do not necessarily parallel their overall affinity. Rather, the relative affinities of the individual binding sites 1 and 2 may play an even more important role.

Pit-1 mediates cell-specific and cAMP-induced transcription of the tilapia GH gene.

Expression of the tilapia growth hormone (tiGH) gene is pituitary-specific and controlled by intracellular cAMP levels. DNaseI protection experiments allowed us to identify four Pit-1 binding sites in the tiGH - 465/ + 19 region. Deletion and mutagenesis analysis revealed that the - 131/+ 19 region, containing two Pit-1 sites, or four copies of the most proximal site tiGHF1 fused to the heterologous Tk promoter, confer high level expression in rat pituitary cells and direct transcription in non-pituitary cells only after expression of rat Pit-1. We show that a tilapia pituitary factor specifically binds to site tiGHF1 and obtained a partial cDNA sequence coding for tilapia Pit-1. The cAMP stimulation is mediated by the proximal (- 131/- 31) promoter region. It is Pit-1-dependent and requires the tiGHF1 site. In addition, four copies of this site confer cAMP inducibility to the Tk promoter in GC cells.