Assembly of the SLIP1-SLBP complex on histone mRNA requires heterodimerization and sequential binding of SLBP followed by SLIP1.

The SLIP1-SLBP complex activates translation of replication-dependent histone mRNAs. In this report, we describe how the activity of the SLIP1-SLBP complex is modulated by phosphorylation and oligomerization. Biophysical characterization of the free proteins shows that whereas SLIP1 is a homodimer that does not bind RNA, human SLBP is an intrinsically disordered protein that is phosphorylated at 23 Ser/Thr sites when expressed in a eukaryotic expression system such as baculovirus. The bacterially expressed unphosphorylated SLIP1-SLBP complex forms a 2:2 high-affinity (K(D) < 0.9 nM) heterotetramer that is also incapable of binding histone mRNA. In contrast, phosphorylated SLBP from baculovirus has a weak affinity (K(D) ~3 µM) for SLIP1. Sequential binding of phosphorylated SLBP to the histone mRNA stem-loop motif followed by association with SLIP1 is required to form an "active" ternary complex. Phosphorylation of SLBP at Thr171 promotes dissociation of the heterotetramer to the SLIP1-SLBP heterodimer. Using alanine scanning mutagenesis, we demonstrate that the binding site on SLIP1 for SLBP lies close to the dimer interface. A single-point mutant near the SLIP1 homodimer interface abolished interaction with SLBP in vitro and reduced the abundance of histone mRNA in vivo. On the basis of these biophysical studies, we propose that oligomerization and SLBP phosphorylation may regulate the SLBP-SLIP1 complex in vivo. SLIP1 may act to sequester SLBP in vivo, protecting it from proteolytic degradation as an inactive heterotetramer, or alternatively, formation of the SLIP1-SLBP heterotetramer may facilitate removal of SLBP from the histone mRNA prior to histone mRNA degradation.

A high-throughput biophotonics instrument to screen for novel ocular photosensitizing therapeutic agents.

PURPOSE: High-throughput techniques are needed to identify and optimize novel photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents with greater efficacy and to lower toxicity. Novel agents with the capacity to completely ablate pathologic angiogenesis could be of substantial utility in diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: An instrument and approach was developed based on light-emitting diode (LED) technology for high-throughput screening (HTS) of libraries of potential chemical and biological photosensitizing agents. Ninety-six-well LED arrays were generated at multiple wavelengths and under rigorous intensity control. Cell toxicity was measured in 96-well culture arrays with the nuclear dye SYTOX Green (Invitrogen-Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR). RESULTS: Rapid screening of photoactivatable chemicals or biological molecules has been realized in 96-well arrays of cultured human cells. This instrument can be used to identify new PDT agents that exert cell toxicity on presentation of light of the appropriate energy. The system is further demonstrated through determination of the dose dependence of model compounds having or lacking cellular phototoxicity. Killer Red (KR), a genetically encoded red fluorescent protein expressed from transfected plasmids, is examined as a potential cellular photosensitizing agent and offers unique opportunities as a cell-type-specific phototoxic protein. CONCLUSIONS: This instrument has the capacity to screen large chemical or biological libraries for rapid identification and optimization of potential novel phototoxic lead candidates. KR and its derivatives have unique potential in ocular gene therapy for pathologic angiogenesis or tumors.