A mutation in adenylosuccinate lyase associated with mental retardation and autistic features.

We have examined the molecular basis of three cases of severe mental retardation with autistic features in one family. A point mutation in a purine nucleotide biosynthetic enzyme, adenylosuccinate lyase (ASL), segregates with the disorder. The affected children are homozygous for the point mutation while the parents and all four unaffected children are heterozygous. The point mutation is absent in control subjects. The point mutation results in a Ser413Pro substitution which leads to structural instability of the recombinant mutant enzyme, and this instability lowers ASL levels in lymphocytes. These observations suggest that the instability of ASL underlies the severe developmental disorder in the affected children, and that mutations in the ASL gene may result in other cases of mental retardation and autistic features.

PTEN and myotubularin phosphoinositide phosphatases: bringing bioinformatics to the lab bench.

Phosphoinositides play an integral role in a diverse array of cellular signaling processes. Although considerable effort has been directed toward characterizing the kinases that produce inositol lipid second messengers, the study of phosphatases that oppose these kinases remains limited. Current research is focused on the identification of novel lipid phosphatases such as PTEN and myotubularin, their physiologic substrates, signaling pathways and links to human diseases. The use of bioinformatics in conjunction with genetic analyses in model organisms will be essential in elucidating the roles of these enzymes in regulating phosphoinositide-mediated cellular signaling.

The Yersinia tyrosine phosphatase: specificity of a bacterial virulence determinant for phosphoproteins in the J774A.1 macrophage.

YopH is a plasmid-encoded protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) secreted by pathogenic Yersinia. Although the enzyme likely acts to dephosphorylate eukaryotic proteins during Yersinia infection of the mammalian host, the targets of YopH have not been identified. We infected the murine macrophage-like cell line J774A.1 with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and investigated the specificity of YopH and YopHC403A, a catalytically inactive mutant derivative, for eukaryotic phosphoproteins. Upon infection, YopH specifically and rapidly dephosphorylated a macrophage protein of 120 kD. The 120-kD protein and a previously detected 55-kD substrate of YopH coprecipitated with YopHC403A. Coprecipitation of these proteins required tyrosine phosphorylation and could be competitively inhibited with excess phosphotyrosine. The 120- and 55-kD proteins that coprecipitate with YopHC403A exhibited the in vitro activity of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKases), suggesting that YopH dephosphorylates activated tyrosine kinases in vivo.

PTEN: a tumour suppressor that functions as a phospholipid phosphatase.

The tumour suppressor PTEN has been implicated in a large number of human tumours and is conserved from humans to worms. Characterization of PTEN protein showed that it is a phosphatase that acts on proteins and on 3-phosphorylated phosphoinositides, including phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate, and can therefore modulate signal-transduction pathways that involve lipid second messengers. Recent results indicate that at least part of its role is to regulate the activity of the serine/threonine kinase AKT/PKB, and thus influence cell survival signalling. This article discusses the function of PTEN and how this could be linked to its activity as a tumour suppressor.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases in disease processes.

Given the importance of tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in signalling pathways, it is perhaps not surprising that protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are involved in the pathogenesis of certain human diseases. A PTP produced by the Yersinia bacteria (which can cause bubonic plague, septicemia and enteric diseases) is thought to be used as a 'weapon' against host cell functions. In addition, dysfunction of cells' endogenous PTPs may contribute to defective immune function, to cancer and to diabetes.

Expression of a protein tyrosine phosphatase in normal and v-src-transformed mouse 3T3 fibroblasts.

A rat cDNA encoding a 51-kD protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP1) was cloned into a mammalian expression vector and transfected into normal and v-src-transformed mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. In the stable subclones isolated, PTP1 expression at the mRNA level was elevated twofold to 25-fold. The highest constitutive level of phosphotyrosine-specific dephosphorylating activity observed without cytotoxic effects or significant clonal instability was approximately 10-fold over the endogenous activity. The expressed PTP1 was found to be associated with the particulate fraction of the fibroblasts. Subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescent microscopic examination of PTP1-overexpressing cells has shown the phosphatase to be localized to the reticular network of the ER. PTP1 was readily solubilized by detergents, but not by high salt. Limited proteolysis of membrane-associated PTP1 resulted in the release of lower molecular mass (48 and 37 kD) forms of the enzyme to the cytosol. Thermal phase partitioning of isolated membranes with Triton X-114 indicated that the full-length PTP1 was strongly integrated into the membrane in contrast to the proteolytically derived fragments of PTP1. Overexpression of PTP1 caused little apparent change in the rate of cell proliferation, but did induce changes in fibroblast morphology. A substantial increase in the proportion of bi- and multinucleate cells in PTP1-expressing cell populations was observed, and, in the case of the v-src-transformed cells, cell flattening and loss of refractibility occurred. Although no apparent difference in the tyrosine phosphorylation of pp60v-src was noted in v-src-transformed control and PTP1-overexpressing fibroblasts, the phosphotyrosine content of a 70-kD polypeptide was decreased in PTP1-overexpressing cells.

Cotranslational and posttranslational proteolytic processing of preprosomatostatin-I in intact islet tissue.

Preprosomatostatin-I (PPSS-I) is processed in anglerfish islets to release a 14-residue somatostatin (SS-14). However, very little is known regarding other processing events that affect PPSS-I. This is the first study to identify and quantify the levels of nonsomatostatin products generated as a result of processing of this somatostatin precursor in living islet tissue. The products of PPSS-I processing in anglerfish islet tissue were identified in radiolabeling studies using a number of criteria. These criteria included immunoreactivity, specific radiolabeling by selected amino acids, radiolabel sequencing, and chromatographic comparison to isolated, structurally characterized fragments of anglerfish PPSS-I using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Intact prosomatostatin-I (aPSS-I) was isolated from tissue incubated with [3H]tryptophan and [14C]leucine. Significant 14C radioactivity was observed in the products of 11 of the first 44 sequencer cycles in positions consistent with the generation of a 96-residue prosomatostatin. These results indicate that signal cleavage occurs after the cysteine located 25 residues from the initiator Met of PPSS-I, resulting in a signal peptide 25 amino acids in length. Nonsomatostatin-containing fragments of the precursor were also found in tissue incubated with a mixture of 3H-amino acids. Only a small quantity of the dodecapeptide representing residues 69-80 in the prohormone was found (10 nmol/g tissue). Two other fragments of aPSS-I, also observed to be present in low abundance, were found to correspond to residues 1-27 (16 nmol/g tissue) and to residues 1-67 (7 nmol/g tissue) of aPSS-I. No evidence for the presence of the fragment corresponding to residues 29-67 was found. However, large quantities of SS-14 were observed (287 nmol/g tissue), indicating that the major site of aPSS-I cleavage is at the basic dipeptide immediately preceding SS-14. Recovery of much lower levels of the nonsomatostatin fragments of aPSS-I suggests that prohormone processing at the secondary sites identified in this study occurs at a low rate relative to release of SS-14 from aPSS-I.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase activity of an essential virulence determinant in Yersinia.

Yersinia is the genus of bacteria that is the causative agent in plague or the black death, and on several occasions this organism has killed a significant portion of the world's population. An essential virulence determinant of Yersinia was shown to be a protein tyrosine phosphatase. The recombinant 50-kilodalton Yersinia phosphatase had a specificity for removal of phosphate from Tyr-containing as opposed to Ser/Thr-containing phosphopeptides and proteins. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to show that the Yersinia phosphatase possesses an essential Cys residue required for catalysis. Amino acids surrounding an essential Cys residue are highly conserved, as are other amino acids in the Yersinia and mammalian protein tyrosine phosphatases, suggesting that they use a common catalytic mechanism.

Crystal structure of the dual specificity protein phosphatase VHR.

Dual specificity protein phosphatases (DSPs) regulate mitogenic signal transduction and control the cell cycle. Here, the crystal structure of a human DSP, vaccinia H1-related phosphatase (or VHR), was determined at 2.1 angstrom resolution. A shallow active site pocket in VHR allows for the hydrolysis of phosphorylated serine, threonine, or tyrosine protein residues, whereas the deeper active site of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) restricts substrate specificity to only phosphotyrosine. Positively charged crevices near the active site may explain the enzyme's preference for substrates with two phosphorylated residues. The VHR structure defines a conserved structural scaffold for both DSPs and PTPs. A "recognition region," connecting helix alpha1 to strand beta1, may determine differences in substrate specificity between VHR, the PTPs, and other DSPs.

Inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase superfamily by a Yersinia effector.

The bacterial pathogen Yersinia uses a type III secretion system to inject several virulence factors into target cells. One of the Yersinia virulence factors, YopJ, was shown to bind directly to the superfamily of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases (MKKs) blocking both phosphorylation and subsequent activation of the MKKs. These results explain the diverse activities of YopJ in inhibiting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun amino-terminal kinase, p38, and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways, preventing cytokine synthesis and promoting apoptosis. YopJ-related proteins that are found in a number of bacterial pathogens of animals and plants may function to block MKKs so that host signaling responses can be modulated upon infection.

KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 potassium channel subunits: molecular correlates of the M-channel.

The M-current regulates the subthreshold electrical excitability of many neurons, determining their firing properties and responsiveness to synaptic input. To date, however, the genes that encode subunits of this important channel have not been identified. The biophysical properties, sensitivity to pharmacological blockade, and expression pattern of the KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 potassium channels were determined. It is concluded that both these subunits contribute to the native M-current.

Disruption of signaling by Yersinia effector YopJ, a ubiquitin-like protein protease.

Homologs of the Yersinia virulence effector YopJ are found in both plant and animal bacterial pathogens, as well as plant symbionts. These YopJ family members were shown to act as cysteine proteases. The catalytic triad of the protease was required for inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling in animal cells and for induction of localized cell death in plants. The substrates for YopJ were shown to be highly conserved ubiquitin-like molecules, which are covalently added to numerous regulatory proteins. YopJ family members exert their pathogenic effect on cells by disrupting this posttranslational modification.

'Zip codes' direct intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatases to the correct cellular 'address'.

The transmembrane and intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play an essential role as signal transduction proteins involved in various cellular processes including division, proliferation and differentiation. As such, their activity must be strictly regulated to avoid nonspecific tyrosine dephosphorylation of cellular proteins. The intracellular PTPs possess a diversity of protein sequences outside the catalytic domain that appear to serve as 'zip codes' specifically 'addressing' these proteins to defined subcellular compartments. These localization strategies are proposed to function as a regulatory mechanism, defining the substrate specificity and function of the intracellular PTPs.

Gathering STYX: phosphatase-like form predicts functions for unique protein-interaction domains.

The effects of tyrosine phosphorylation are manifested and regulated through protein domains that bind to specific phosphotyrosine motifs. STYX is a unique modular domain found within proteins implicated in mediating the effects of tyrosine phosphorylation in vivo. Individual STYX domains are not catalytically active; however, they resemble protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) domains and, like PTPs, contain core sequences that recognize phosphorylated substrates. Thus, the STYX domain adds to the repertoire of modular domains that can mediate intracellular signaling in response to protein phosphorylation.

A novel receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase is expressed during neurogenesis in the olfactory neuroepithelium.

Tyrosine phosphorylation plays a central role in the control of neuronal cell development and function. Yet, few neuronal protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) have been identified. We examined rat olfactory neuroepithelium for expression of novel PTPs potentially important in neuronal development and regeneration. Using the polymerase chain reaction with degenerate DNA oligomers directed to the conserved tyrosine phosphatase domain, we identified 6 novel tyrosine phosphatases. One of these, PTP NE-3, is a receptor-type PTP expressed selectively in both rat brain and olfactory neuroepithelium. In the olfactory neuroepithelium, PTP NE-3 expression is restricted to neurons and describes a novel pattern of expression with a high level in the immature neurons and a lower level in mature olfactory sensory neurons.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases: characterization of extracellular and intracellular domains.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play an important role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. With over 30 PTPs identified, the specific functions of these enzymes are now being addressed. The identification of extracellular domain receptor-like PTP interactions and the characterization of intracellular PTP 'targeting' domains represent recent efforts in this pursuit.

A sodium channel signaling complex: modulation by associated receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta.

Voltage-gated sodium channels in brain neurons were found to associate with receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta (RPTPbeta) and its catalytically inactive, secreted isoform phosphacan, and this interaction was regulated during development. Both the extracellular domain and the intracellular catalytic domain of RPTPbeta interacted with sodium channels. Sodium channels were tyrosine phosphorylated and were modulated by the associated catalytic domains of RPTPbeta. Dephosphorylation slowed sodium channel inactivation, positively shifted its voltage dependence, and increased whole-cell sodium current. Our results define a sodium channel signaling complex containing RPTPbeta, which acts to regulate sodium channel modulation by tyrosine phosphorylation.

Genes encoding pancreatic polypeptide and neuropeptide Y are on human chromosomes 17 and 7.

Pancreatic polypeptide and neuropeptide Y share 50% amino acid homology (18 out of 36 residues), suggesting that they may have common ancestral origins. cDNA clones complementary to human mRNAs encoding pancreatic polypeptide and neuropeptide Y were used to detect specific human genomic DNA sequences in human-mouse somatic cell hybrid lines. The pancreatic polypeptide gene (PPY) segregated with human chromosome 17, while the neuropeptide Y gene (NPY) segregated with human chromosome 7. Examination of cell hybrids with chromosomal rearrangements assigned PPY to the p11.1-qter region and NPY to the pter-q22 region of their respective chromosomes.

Three sequence-specific DNA-protein complexes are formed with the same promoter element essential for expression of the rat somatostatin gene.

We identified three sequence-specific DNA-protein complexes which are formed after in vitro binding of nuclear extracts, derived from neuronal (CA-77, rat brain) or non-neuronal (HeLa) cells, to positions -70 to -29 of the rat somatostatin promoter. The protein(s) responsible for the formation of the three sequence-specific complexes was fractionated from rat brain whole cell extracts by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. The critical contact residues of the factor(s) in each complex, as determined by methylation interference analyses, are located within positions -59 to -35, which is protected from DNase I digestion; these include the G residues of a TGACGTCA consensus also found in the cAMP-responsive human enkephalin (positions -105 to -76) and E1A-inducible adenovirus type 5 E3 (positions -72 to -42) promoters. Competition assays with these heterologous promoters reveal that the factor(s) of each complex displays approximately 50-fold greater affinity for the somatostatin promoter-binding site. Synthetic oligonucleotides spanning positions -70 to -29 of the somatostatin promoter and containing single-base substitutions of the G residues in the TGACGTCA consensus were utilized in competition assays. The G residues located in the center of the module are the most critical determinants in the formation of the three sequence-specific complexes. Deletions disrupting the TGACGTCA consensus abolish not only formation of the three complexes in vitro but also expression of the somatostatin promoter in vivo, suggesting that formation of one or more of these complexes is essential for transcription of the rat somatostatin gene.

Coexpression of two closely linked avian genes for purine nucleotide synthesis from a bidirectional promoter.

Two avian genes encoding essential steps in the purine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway are transcribed divergently from a bidirectional promoter element. The bidirectional promoter, embedded in a CpG island, directs coexpression of GPAT and AIRC genes from distinct transcriptional start sites 229 bp apart. The bidirectional promoter can be divided in half, with each half retaining partial activity towards the cognate gene. GPAT and AIRC genes encode the enzymes that catalyze step 1 and steps 6 plus 7, respectively, in the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway. This is the first report of genes coding for structurally unrelated enzymes of the same pathway that are tightly linked and transcribed divergently from a bidirectional promoter. This arrangement has the potential to provide for regulated coexpression comparable to that in a prokaryotic operon.