Heterodimerization with Fra-1 cooperates with the ERK pathway to stabilize c-Jun in response to the RAS oncoprotein.

Multiple tumorigenic pathways converge on the activating protein-1 (AP-1) family of dimeric transcription complexes by affecting transcription, mRNA decay, posttranslational modifications, as well as stability of its JUN and FOS components. Several mechanisms have been implicated in the phosphorylation- and ubiquitylation-dependent control of c-Jun protein stability. Although its dimer composition has a major role in the regulation of AP-1, little is known about the influence of heterodimerization partners on the half-life of c-Jun. The FOS family member Fra-1 is overexpressed in various tumors and cancer cell lines wherein it controls motility, invasiveness, cell survival and cell division. Oncogene-induced accumulation of Fra-1 results from both increased transcription and phosphorylation-dependent stabilization of the protein. In this report, we describe a novel role of Fra-1 as a posttranslational regulator of c-Jun. By using both constitutively and inducible transformed rat thyroid cell lines, we found that c-Jun is stabilized in response to RAS oncoprotein expression. This stabilization requires the activity of the extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway, along with c-Jun heterodimerization with Fra-1. In particular, heterodimerization with Fra-1 inhibits c-Jun breakdown by a mechanism dependent on the phosphorylation of the Fra-1 C-terminal domain that positively controls the stability of the protein in response to ERK signaling. Therefore, Fra-1 modulates AP-1 dimer composition by promoting the accumulation of c-Jun in response to oncogenic RAS signaling.

A fibronectin-binding protein from rice bran with cell adhesion activity for animal tumor cells.

A rice bran 57-kDa protein was isolated by affinity chromatography with fibronectin immobilized on agarose. This fibronectin-binding protein designated as RB-57 had an amino-terminal amino acid sequence identical with that of a putative mature form of rice hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein. A distinct feature of the amino acid composition of RB-57 was the high contents of hydroxyproline and proline representing about 45% of the total amino acids. The sugar analysis indicated that arabinose represented 46.8% of the total carbohydrates. RB-57 showed cell adhesion activity for murine Lewis lung carcinoma cells. The result suggests that RB-57 may play a role in plant cell adhesion, although cell adhesion-promoting activity for plant cells remains to be tested.

Induction of ETS-1 and ETS-2 transcription factors is required for thyroid cell transformation.

The proteins of the Ets family are transcription factors involved in signal transduction, cell cycle progression, and differentiation. In this study, we report that thyroid cell neoplastic transformation is associated with a dramatic increase in ETS transcriptional activity, which is dependent on the accumulation of Ets-1, Ets-2, and other Ets-related proteins. Inhibition of ETS transactivation activity by the Ets-dominant negative construct (Ets-Z) induced programmed cell death in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines but not in normal thyroid cells. Apoptotic cell death induced by Ets-Z was dependent on the reduction of c-MYC protein levels, because it was prevented by overexpression of c-myc. Taken together, these data indicate that the induction of Ets-1 and Ets-2 transcription factors plays a pivotal role in thyroid cell neoplastic transformation.

Increase in AP-1 activity is a general event in thyroid cell transformation in vitro and in vivo.

We have recently reported that neoplastic transformation of two rat thyroid epithelial cell lines by retroviruses carrying the v-mos and v-ras Ki oncogenes is associated with a drastic increase of AP-1 activity. The most important effects were represented by the dramatic junB and fra-1 gene induction, which was abolished by the block of the transformation-induced HMGI-C protein synthesis. Here, we have further characterized the transformation-dependent AP-1 activity, by analysing the expression of different jun- and fos-related components, in rat thyroid cell lines transformed by several oncogenes, in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines, and in naturally occurring human thyroid tumours. A significant increase of Fra-1 and JunB protein levels was detected in all oncogene transformed rat thyroid cell lines. Fra-1 gene induction was demonstrated to occur also in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines and tissues. Conversely, c-Jun and JunD proteins, rather than JunB, accumulated in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines. An induction of AP-1 target genes was also detected both in rat and human thyroid transformed cell lines. Therefore, in vivo and in vitro thyroid cell transformation is associated with important compositional changes in the AP-1 complex and an increased transcriptional activity.

Purification and characterization of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from hen oviduct.

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from hen oviduct (Endo-HO) was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation and then by column chromatographies on DEAE-Sephacel, hydroxyapatite, Octyl-Sepharose CL-4B, Co2+-chelating Sepharose FF, and YMC-Pack Diol-200G. Partial purification of the enzyme was reported previously [Tarentino, A.L. and Maley, F. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 6537-6543]. The molecular weight was 54,000 by gel filtration and 52,000 by SDS-PAGE in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, indicating that Endo-HO is composed of a single polypeptide chain. The optimum pH was 6.5, and the Km value was 25 microM when pyridylaminated Man6GlcNAc2 was used as a substrate. EDTA and metal cations tested, except Hg2+, had no effects on Endo-HO activity. Substrate specificity results using pyridylaminated N-linked sugar chains revealed that Endo-HO hydrolyzed oligomannose-type sugar chains faster than complex- and hybrid-type chains, and that sugar chains containing the Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3Manbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-GlcN Ac structure were good substrates for the enzyme. These findings suggest that in cytosol the enzyme contributes to the production of a free oligosaccharide with one reducing end N-acetylglucosamine residue in cooperation with neutral alpha-mannosidase, an enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes oligosaccharides to Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3(Manalpha1-6)++ +Manbeta1-4GlcNAc.

Conversion of egg-white lysozyme to a lectin-like protein with agglutinating activity analogous to wheat germ agglutinin.

Oligomers made of Asp-52-esterified lysozyme or native one showed agglutination for human, mouse, rat and chicken erythrocytes, and also for Hep G2 cells (liver carcinoma-derived cell line) [1] not weaker than wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Oligomers of Asp-52-esterified lysozyme have about 4-fold stronger agglutinating activity than those of the native one. These results indicate that some enzymes can be converted to lectin-like proteins (neolectin) with binding characteristics similar to their substrate specificity.

Determination and characterization of succinyl tri-alanine p-nitroanilide hydrolyzing metalloendopeptidase in serum.

Serum succinyl (Ala)3-p-nitroanilide hydrolyzing elastase-like activity which elevates in patients with obstructive jaundice, is due to the joint action of two enzymes: first, succinyl (Ala)3-p-nitroanilide is cleaved to succinyl (Ala)2 and Ala-p-nitroanilide by metalloendopeptidase, and then Ala-p-nitroanilide is cleaved to Ala and p-nitroaniline by aminopeptidase. We adopt a new assay method for serum endopeptidase activity using HPLC.

Positions of disulfide bonds in riboflavin-binding protein of hen egg white.

Riboflavin-binding protein of hen egg white (egg-white RBP) comprised 219 amino acid residues and nine disulfide bonds. To identify the locations of these bonds, the native protein was oxidized with cyanogen bromide and digested with trypsin, thermolysin, and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. The cystine-containing peptides were isolated by HPLC. Amino acid analyses and amino acid sequence analyses of the reduced pyridylethylated derivatives of the cystine peptides showed that seven of the disulfide bonds were as follows: Cys(24)-Cys(73), Cys(57)-Cys(138), Cys(64)-Cys(110), Cys(99)-Cys(169), Cys(116)-Cys(134), Cys(103)-Cys(152), Cys(167)-Cys(202). The other two disulfide bonds were either Cys(5)-Cys(32) and Cys(33)-Cys(77) or Cys(5)-Cys(33) and Cys(32)-Cys(77).

Studies on the methods for the determination of phosphorylation sites in highly phosphorylated peptides or proteins: phosphorylation sites of hen egg white riboflavin binding protein.

To determine the phosphate binding sites in hen egg white riboflavin binding protein (RBP), a highly phosphorylated peptide, which consisted of 23 amino acid residues including eight phosphoserines, was isolated from the tryptic digest of reduced and carboxymethylated RBP. The conditions of the beta-elimination-addition reaction to convert phosphoserine residues in the peptide to cysteic acids, S-methylcysteines, alanines, and beta-methylaminoalanines (DL-alpha-amino-beta-methylamino propionic acid) were examined. These converted peptides were purified by HPLC and subjected to Edman degradation. The results of Edman degradation indicated that the S-methylcysteine derivative of the peptide gave the most satisfactory result for determining the phosphate binding sites in the peptide. The phosphorylation sites of the peptide determined by the method mentioned above are as follows: His182-Leu-Leu-Ser185-Glu-Ser(P)-Ser(P)-Glu-Glu190-Ser (P)-Ser(P)-Ser(P)-Met-Ser195(P)-Ser(P)-Ser(P)-Glu-Glu-. These studies indicated that the conversion of phosphoserines in phosphoproteins to S-methylcysteines followed by Edman analysis was a useful method for the elucidation of the phosphorylation sites in phosphopeptides.

Isolation of the alpha and beta subunits of canine (Na+,K+)ATPase by using SDS-PAGE and lectin-Sepharose.

(Na+,K+)ATPase from dog kidney was solubilized and denatured by SDS treatment, then applied to a Con A- and WGA-Sepharose column. While the alpha subunit of the ATPase had no affinity for either of the lectin-Sepharoses, the beta subunit specifically bound to WGA-Sepharose and was eluted with N-acetylglucosamine. This property was utilized for the isolation of the alpha and beta subunits by using lectin-Sepharoses and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid composition of the alpha subunit thus isolated was in reasonable agreement with the data reported by Kyte (Kyte, J. (1972) J. Biol. Chem. 247, 7642-7649). The amino acid and carbohydrate compositions of the beta subunit were, however, different from his data. The beta subunit contained little histidine (0.1 mol/100 mol amino acid) and a very large amount of carbohydrates (33%). The antibody raised against alpha or beta subunit reacted specifically with the corresponding subunit and with protease-fragmented alpha subunit and neuraminidase-treated beta subunit, respectively, but no cross-reactivity was observed between the two subunits. These results indicate that our alpha and beta subunits were highly purified.

Purification and characterization of the neutral endopeptidase from human kidney.

The presence of an endopeptidase hydrolyzing succinyl trialanine-p-nitroanilide [Suc(Ala)3-pNA] to Suc(Ala)2 and Ala-pNA in human kidney and its partial characterization have been reported (Ishida et al. (1981) Biochem. Int. 3, 239-246). This neutral metallo-endopeptidase was separated into two fractions (A and B) on Sephacryl S-300 and fraction B was further purified to an electrophoretically pure state. The fraction B enzyme had a molecular weight of 100,000 and was inhibited by metal chelators such as EDTA, o-phenanthroline and phosphoramidon, but not by serine protease inhibitors. The enzyme was found to hydrolyze peptide bonds preferentially at the amino sides of hydrophobic amino acids such as Leu and Phe, when its specificity was studied using insulin B chain and angiotensin I. Fraction A seems to be a tetramer of fraction B, judging from its molecular weight, pI, substrate specificity and immunological properties.

Studies on the oligosaccharide chains of human alpha 1-protease inhibitor. I. Isolation of glycopeptides.

Cyanogen bromide fragments of alpha 1-protease inhibitor (PI) were chromatographed on Sephadex G-75. Three fragments (CNBr-I, -II, and -III) contained carbohydrates with nearly the same composition, i.e. Man3, Gal2-3, (GlcNAc)4-5, and (NeuAc)2-3. These three fragments were digested with pronase, and the glycopeptides were purified by column chromatography on Sephadex G-50, Bio-Gel P-4, and DEAE-cellulose. The carbohydrate and amino acid compositions of the glycopeptides obtained by these treatments demonstrated that oligosaccharide side chains are attached to three asparaginyl residues which are located in separate regions of the polypeptide chain, and that the carbohydrate chains are made of two different carbohydrate compositions. The A-chain consists of Man3, Gal2, (GlcNAc)4, and (NeuAc)2, and the B-chain consists of Man3, Gal3, (GlcNAc)5, and (NeuAc)3. CNBr-III contained only A-type oligosaccharide while CNBr-II contained both A-type and B-type oligosaccharides in a ratio of about 2:1. CNBr-I, derived from the NH2 terminus of PI, contained mainly A-type, but also some B-type oligosaccharide.