Multiple virus resistance using artificial trans-acting siRNAs.

Plant TAS gene encoded trans-acting siRNAs (ta-siRNAs) regulate the expression of target mRNAs by guiding their cleavage at the sequence complementary region as microRNAs. Since one TAS transcript is cleaved into multiple ta-siRNAs in a phased manner, TAS genes may be engineered to express multiple artificial ta-siRNAs (ata-siRNAs) that target multiple viruses at several distinct genomic positions. To test this hypothesis, the Arabidopsis TAS3a gene was engineered to express ata-siRNAs targeting the genome of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing these ata-siRNAs showed high level of resistance to both viruses. These results suggest that plant TAS genes can be modified to express artificial ta-siRNAs to confer multiple virus resistance and could have broad applications for future development in virus resistance strategies.

An integrated chip for the high-throughput synthesis of transcription activator-like effectors.

A TALE of two assays: Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are programmable proteins that can specifically recognize a DNA sequence. Previous strategies for the synthesis of TALEs were complicated and time-consuming. The solid-phase synthesis strategy demonstrated here allows quick and simple purification of the ligation product.

In vitro selection and characterization of a novel Zn(II)-dependent phosphorothiolate thiolesterase ribozyme.

Here we present the in vitro selection of a novel ribozyme specific for Zn2+-dependent catalysis on hydrolysis of a phosphorothiolate thiolester bond. The ribozyme, called the TW17 ribozyme, was evolved and selected from an artificial RNA pool covalently linked to a biotin-containing substrate through the phosphorothiolate thiolester bond. The secondary structure for the evolved ribozyme consisted of three major helices and three loops. Biochemical and chemical studies of ribozyme-catalyzed reaction products provided evidence that the ribozyme specifically catalyzes hydrolysis of the phosphorothiolate thiolester linkage. A successful ribozyme construct with active catalysis in trans further supported the determined ribozyme structure and indicated the potential of the ribozyme for multiple-substrate turnover. The ribozyme also requires Zn2+ and Mg2+ for maximal catalysis. The TW17 ribozyme, in the presence of Zn2+ and Mg2+, conferred a rate enhancement of at least 5 orders of magnitude when compared to the estimated rate of the uncatalyzed reaction. The ribozyme completely lost catalytic activity in the absence of Zn2+, like Zn2+-dependent protein hydrolases. The discovery and characterization of the TW17 ribozyme suggest additional roles for Zn2+ in ribozyme catalysts.

LuxR dependent quorum sensing inhibition by N,N'-disubstituted imidazolium salts.

Thirty N,N'-disubstituted imidazolium salts have been synthesized and evaluated as LuxR antagonists. Substitution on one of the imidazolium nitrogen atoms includes benzhydryl, fluorenyl or cyclopentyl substituent, and alkyl chains of various lengths on the second one. Most of these compounds displayed antagonist activity, with IC(50) reaching the micromolar range for the most active ones. The disubstituted imidazolium scaffold is thus shown to be a new pertinent pharmacophore in the field of AHL dependent QS inhibition.

Synthesis and activity of dafachronic acid ligands for the C. elegans DAF-12 nuclear hormone receptor.

The nuclear hormone receptor DAF-12 from Caenorhabditis elegans is activated by dafachronic acids, which derive from sterols upon oxidation by DAF-9, a cytochrome P450. DAF-12 activation is a critical checkpoint in C. elegans for acquisition of reproductive competence and for entry into adulthood rather than dauer diapause. Previous studies implicated the (25S)-Delta(7)-dafachronic acid isomer as the most potent compound, but the (25S)-Delta(4)-isomer was also identified as an activator of DAF-12. To explore the tolerance of DAF-12 for structural variations in the ligand and to enable further studies requiring large amounts of ligands for DAF-12 and homologs in other nematodes, we synthesized (25R)- and (25S)-isomers of five dafachronic acids differing in A/B-ring configurations. Both the (25S)- and (25R)-Delta(7)-dafachronic acids are potent transcriptional activators in a Gal4-transactivation assay using HEK-293 cells, with EC(50) values of 23 and 33 nm, respectively, as are (25S)- and (25R)-Delta(4)-dafachronic acids, with EC(50) values of 23 and 66 nm, respectively. The (25S)- and (25R)-Delta(5)-isomers were much less potent, with EC(50) values approaching 1000 nm, and saturated 5alpha- and 5beta-dafachronic acids showed mostly intermediate potencies. Rescue assays using daf- 9-null mutants confirmed the results from transactivation experiments, but this in vivo assay accentuated the greater potencies of the (25S)-epimers, particularly for the (25S)-Delta(7)-isomer. We conclude that DAF-12 accommodates a large range of structural variation in ligand geometry, but (25S)-Delta(7)-dafachronic acid is the most potent and probably biologically relevant isomer. Potency derives more from the A/B-ring configuration than from the stereochemistry at C-25.

Expanding the repertoire of small molecule transcriptional activation domains.

Molecules that can reconstitute the function of transcriptional activators hold enormous potential as therapeutic agents and as mechanistic probes. Previously we described an isoxazolidine bearing functional groups similar to natural transcriptional activators that up-regulates transcription 80-fold at 1 microM in cell culture. In this study, we analyze analogs of this molecule to define key characteristics of small molecules that function as transcriptional activation domains in cells. Conformational rigidity is an important contributor to function as is an overall amphipathic substitution pattern. Using these criteria, we identified additional molecular scaffolds with excellent (approximately 60-fold) activity as transcriptional activation domains. These results point the way for the creation of new generations of small molecules with this function.

A TAD further: exogenous control of gene activation.

Designer molecules that can be used to impose exogenous control on gene transcription, artificial transcription factors (ATFs), are highly desirable as mechanistic probes of gene regulation, as potential therapeutic agents, and as components of cell-based devices. Recently, several advances have been made in the design of ATFs that activate gene transcription (activator ATFs), including reports of small-molecule-based systems and ATFs that exhibit potent activity. However, the many open mechanistic questions about transcriptional activators, in particular, the structure and function of the transcriptional activation domain (TAD), have hindered rapid development of synthetic ATFs. A compelling need thus exists for chemical tools and insights toward a more detailed portrait of the dynamic process of gene activation.

Quinol-4-ones as steroid A-ring mimetics in nonsteroidal dissociated glucocorticoid agonists.

We report on the nuclear receptor binding affinities, cellular activities of transrepression and transactivation, and anti-inflammatory properties of a quinol-4-one and other A-ring mimetic containing nonsteroidal class of glucocorticoid agonists.

Controlling gene expression in Drosophila using engineered zinc finger protein transcription factors.

Zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP TFs) have been designed to control the expression of endogenous genes in a variety of cells. However, thus far the use of engineered ZFP TFs in germline transgenic settings has been restricted to plants. Here we report that ZFP TFs can regulate gene expression in transgenic Drosophila. To demonstrate this, we targeted the promoter of the well-characterized fushi tarazu (ftz) gene with a ZFP TF activator using the VP16 activation domain from Herpes simplex virus, and ZFP TF repressors using the Drosophila methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD)-like Delta protein. Heat-shock-inducible expression of the ZFP TF activator and repressors resulted in reciprocal effects on ftz regulation, as deduced from changes in the staining pattern and intensity of ftz and en gene expression, and from the cuticular analysis of first instar larvae. These data demonstrate the utility of ZFP TFs as tools for controlling gene expression in the context of a metazoan organism.

Adding specificity to artificial transcription activators.

In this issue, Mapp and colleagues describe a significant advance in the design of artificial transcription activators that function in a cell-type-specific manner. [1] The authors show that peptides selected for binding a component of the yeast transcription complex require its presence for effective transcriptional activation.

Functional specificity of artificial transcriptional activators.

Misregulated transcription is linked to many human diseases, and thus artificial transcriptional activators are highly desirable as mechanistic tools and as replacements for their malfunctioning natural counterparts. We previously reported two artificial transcriptional activation domains obtained from synthetic peptide libraries screened for binding to the yeast transcription protein Med15(Gal11). Here we demonstrate that the transcriptional potency of the Med15 ligands is increased through straightforward structural alterations. These artificial activation domains upregulate transcription via specific Med15 binding interactions and do not function in mammalian cells, which lack Med15. This functional specificity stands in contrast to most natural or artificial activation domains that function across all eukaryotic cell types. The results indicate that the screening strategy holds excellent promise for identifying peptide and small molecule transcriptional activators that function by unique mechanisms with advantageous specificity properties.

Simultaneous triggering of protein activity and fluorescence.

Many areas of biology can benefit greatly from methods to spatially and temporally control protein activity. Here, we describe an approach that allows the simultaneous photo-triggering of the activity and the fluorescence of a protein. Smad2, a protein central to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signal transduction pathway, was modified with a fluorophore and a photocleavable moiety that acted as both a caging and a fluorescence quenching group. In its caged state, the protein formed a non-fluorescent heterodimer with the protein SARA. Irradiation with UV light and photocleavage of the caging group produced a fluorescent homotrimer. These in vitro experiments demonstrated that a photochemical trigger mimicking the critical biochemical event of serine phosphorylation involved in the TGF-beta signaling pathway could be obtained and that fluorescence could be used as a read-out of protein activity. This approach should prove particularly useful for the monitoring of a protein's activity and location inside of living cells.

(2R)-2-ethylchromane-2-carboxylic acids: discovery of novel PPARalpha/gamma dual agonists as antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic agents.

A series of chromane-2-carboxylic acid derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for PPAR agonist activities. A structure-activity relationship was developed toward PPARalpha/gamma dual agonism. As a result, (2R)-7-(3-[2-chloro-4-(4-fluorophenoxy)phenoxy]propoxy)-2-ethylchromane-2-carboxylic acid (48) was identified as a potent, structurally novel, selective PPARalpha/gamma dual agonist. Compound 48 exhibited substantial antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities when orally administered in three different animal models: the db/db mouse type 2 diabetes model, a Syrian hamster lipid model, and a dog lipid model.

Semisynthesis of phosphovariants of Smad2 reveals a substrate preference of the activated T beta RI kinase.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling regulates a wide range of cellular processes. Aberrant TGF-beta signaling has been implicated in various disease states in humans. A key element in this signaling pathway is phosphorylation of R-Smads such as Smad2 at the last two serine residues of the C-terminal sequence CSSXS (residues 463-467 in Smad2) by the TbetaRI receptor kinase. Phosphorylation results in the release of the R-Smad from the membrane-anchored protein SARA, binding to the co-mediator protein Smad4, translocation into the nucleus, and regulation of target gene expression. Expressed protein ligation was used to probe the contribution of the individual phosphate groups to Smad2 oligomerization and phosphorylation by TbetaRI. Phosphorylation at both positions was required to generate a stable homotrimer; however, the driving force for Smad2 self-association is provided by pSer465. Additionally, SARA was found to modulate the self-association of partially phosphorylated Smad2, which suggests an added role for this protein in preventing premature release of a monophosphorylated substrate from the receptor complex. In related studies, prephosphorylation of Smad2 at Ser465 was found to significantly increase the rate of phosphorylation at Ser467, suggesting that there may be specific recognition determinants within the kinase for the monophosphorylated intermediate. This information was exploited to design an improved peptide substrate for TbetaRI, which may prove valuable in the design of inhibitors of the TGF-beta pathway.

A highly potent artificial transcription factor.

The use of synthetic chemical moieties to design fully functional analogues of transcription factors will give rise to novel molecular tools for targeted gene regulation. Here we demonstrate that a synthetic molecule based on a nonpeptidic DNA-binding domain can be engineered to function as a highly potent transcription factor in vitro and in an intracellular context. The structure of this artificial transcription factor (ATF) consists of three parts: (i) triple-helix-forming oligonucleotide as a DNA-binding domain; (ii) composite linker moiety; and (iii) short synthetic peptide. The direct comparison of ATFs with natural transcription factors in in vitro assays reveals the ability of ATFs to initiate RNA transcription at the correct initiation site. In addition, the transcriptional activation potency of ATFs in vitro matches or exceeds the potency of GAL4-VP16, one of the strongest natural transcriptional activators. This remarkable biological activity is explained as a function of ATF's chemical structure. We also demonstrate for the first time that ATFs possess substantial ability to activate transcription in tissue culture cells, thus opening a prospect for practical applications in basic and applied research. The specific molecular design employed in the synthesis of ATFs may lead to the development of novel gene-targeting pharmaceuticals for treatment of fatal and chronic diseases.

Toward synthetic transcription activators: recruitment of transcription factors to DNA by a PNA-peptide chimera.

A PNA-peptide chimera designed to mimic the biochemical function of transcription activators has been synthesized and characterized. The bis-PNA segment binds specifically to a DNA site while the 20-residue peptide is capable of binding to the transcription factors Gal11 and Gal80. The PNA-peptide chimera thus mimics one of the central functions of a native transcription activator, recruitment of transcription factors to a specific DNA site.

Asymmetric catalytic ene-cyclization approach to 2-fluoro-19-nor-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) A-ring analog with significant transactivation activity.

1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1alpha,25(OH)2D3) has been shown to modulate not only proliferation and differentiation, but also apoptosis in malignant cells, indicating that it could be useful for the treatment of cancer and psoriasis. However, little information has been available on the binding conformation of the 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 molecule and its analogs with the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Therefore, we synthesized 2alpha-fluorinated A-ring analogs of 19-nor-1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in order to investigate the VDR-binding conformation of the A-rings on the basis of the (19)F NMR analysis. The 2alpha-fluoro-19-nor-1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 A-ring analog thus synthesized via a asymmetric catalytic carbonyl-ene cyclization, shows significant activity in transactivation.

Hepatitis B virus protein pX enhances the monomer assembly pathway of bZIP.DNA complexes.

The rapid and correct assembly of dimeric transcription factors on target DNA is essential for accurate transcriptional regulation. Here we ask how a viral accessory factor, hepatitis B virus X protein (pX), influences the rate and identity of the assembly pathway followed by members of the basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family. A combination of fluorescence polarization and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments demonstrates unequivocally that pX does not increase the concentration of properly folded bZIP dimers in solution. Rather, fluorescence polarization and gel mobility shift experiments reveal that pX interacts directly with the basic-spacer segment of the bZIP peptide and stabilizes the complex composed of this monomer and target DNA. By stabilizing the intermediate formed along the monomer assembly pathway but not the one formed along the dimer pathway, pX enhances the equilibrium stability of a bZIP.DNA complex without changing the molecular mechanism used for complexation. Additional experiments reveal that pX decreases the kinetic specificity of certain bZIP proteins. To the extent that it is reflected at the transcriptional level, this loss in specificity could have far-reaching consequences for the host cell.

Specific androgen receptor activation by an artificial coactivator.

Transcription activation of steroid receptors, such as the androgen receptor (AR), is mediated by coactivators, which bridge the receptor to the preinitiation complex. To develop a tool for studying the role of the AR in normal development and disease, we constructed artificial coactivators consisting of the transcription activation domains of VP16 or p65/RelA and the AR hinge and ligand-binding domain (ARLBD), which has been shown to interact with the AR N-terminal domain. The artificial VP16-ARLBD and ARLBD-p65 coactivators interacted with the AR N terminus and wild-type AR in an androgen-dependent and androgen-specific manner. VP16-ARLBD and ARLBD-p65 enhanced the AR transactivity up to 4- and 13-fold, respectively, without affecting the expression of the AR protein. The coactivators did not enhance the transcription activity of the progesterone receptor (PR) or the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), showing their specificity for the AR. In addition, to construct PR- and GR-specific coactivators, the VP16 activation domain was fused to the PR and GR hinge/ligand-binding domain. Although VP16-PRLBD and VP16-GRLBD interacted with the C-terminal portion of steroid receptor coactivator-1, they did not enhance the transcription activity of their receptor. The presented strategy of directing activation domains or other protein activities into the DNA-bound AR complex provides a novel means of manipulating AR function in vitro and in vivo.

Clamp subunit dissociation dictates bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase holoenzyme disassembly.

Clamp proteins confer processivity to the DNA polymerase during DNA replication. These oligomeric proteins are loaded onto DNA by clamp loader protein complexes in an ATP-dependent manner. The mechanism by which the trimeric bacteriophage T4 clamp protein (the 45 protein) loads and dissociates from DNA was investigated as a function of its intersubunit protein-protein interactions. These interactions were continuously monitored using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based assay. A cysteine mutant of the 45 protein was constructed to facilitate site-specific incorporation of a fluorescent probe at the subunit interface. This site was chosen such that FRET was observed between the introduced fluorescent probe and a tryptophan residue located on the opposing subunit. By use of this fluorescently labeled 45 protein, it was possible to obtain an estimate of an apparent trimer dissociation constant from either a cooperative (0.08 +/- 0.04 microM2 at 25 degrees C) or a noncooperative (0.51 microM and 0.17 microM at 25 degrees C) model. Upon mixing the fluorescently labeled 45 protein with a 45 protein containing 4-fluorotryptophan, a nonfluorescent tryptophan analogue, subunit exchange between the two variants of the 45 protein was observed according to a reduction in intersubunit FRET. Subunit exchange rate constants measured in the presence or absence of the clamp loader (44/62 complex), the polymerase (43 protein), and/or a primer template DNA substrate demonstrate (a) that the 45 protein is not loaded onto DNA by subunit exchange and (b) that the disassembly dissociation of a stalled holoenzyme from DNA is dictated by 45 protein subunit dissociation.