An AAV2/5 vector enhances safety of gene transfer to the mouse salivary gland.

This study was designed to improve AAV-mediated gene transfer to the murine submandibular salivary glands. Our first aim was to utilize AAV pseudotype vectors, containing the genetic elements of the canonical AAV2, packaged within capsids of AAV serotypes 5, 8, and 9. Having determined that this pseudotyping increased the efficiency of gene transfer to the glands by several orders of magnitude, we next asked whether we could reduce the gene transfer inoculum of the pseudotype while still achieving gene transfer comparable with that achieved with high-dose AAV2. Having achieved gene transfer comparable with that of AAV2 using a pseudotype vector (AAV2/5) at a 100-fold lower dose, our final objective was to evaluate the implications of this lower dose on two pre-clinical parameters of vector safety. To evaluate systemic toxicity, we measured AAV vector sequestration in the liver using qPCR, and found that the 100-fold lower dose reduced the vector recovered from the liver by 300-fold. To evaluate salivary gland function, we undertook whole-proteome profiling of salivary gland lysates two weeks after vector administration and found that high-dose (5 × 109) AAV altered the expression level of ~32% of the entire salivary gland proteome, and that the lower dose (5 × 107) reduced this effect to ~7%.

Improved membrane protein solubilization and clean-up for optimum two-dimensional electrophoresis utilizing GLUT-1 as a classic integral membrane protein.

Two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis remains a primary resolving tool for proteomic analyses. The final number of proteins resolved by 2-D electrophoresis depends on their respective solubility, size, charge, and isoelectric point. While water-soluble cytosolic proteins have often been well represented in 2-D maps, the same is not true with membrane proteins. Highly hydrophobic in nature, membrane proteins are poorly resolved in 2-D gels due to problems associated primarily with sample preparation. This is of especial concern in neuroscience studies where many proteins of interest are membrane bound. In the current work, we present a substantially improved sample preparation protocol for membrane proteins utilizing the GLUT-1 glucose transporter from brain microvessels as an example of a typical membrane protein. GLUT-1 (SLC2A1; solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 1) is a 55kD glycoprotein that contains 12 membrane-spanning alpha helices that impart the protein its characteristic hydrophobicity. GLUT-1 based on its amino acid sequence has a theoretical isoelectric point (pI) of 8.94. Using a combination of the non-ionic detergents, n-dodecyl-beta-maltoside (DDM) and amido sulphobetaine-14 (ASB-14) for sample solubilization, and a modification of the Bio-Rad 2-D clean-up protocol involving trichloroacetic acid (TCA)/acetone, we obtained near complete solubilization of GLUT-1 and greater than 90% recovery of this membrane protein in 1-D and 2-D Western blots. The total number of proteins resolved also increased dramatically in Deep Purple total protein stains using our improved protocol.

[The effect of various low molecular weight compounds on the cation-binding properties of troponin with the heart]. / Vliianie nekotorykh nizkomolekuliarnykh soedinenii na kationsviazyvaiushchie svoistva troponina s serdtsa.

Using models of various complexity (isolated troponin C, troponin C-troponin I complex, troponin complex, troponin-tropomyosin complex, myofibrils), the effects of several low molecular weight organic compounds on the Ca(2+)-binding properties of troponin C were investigated. Trifluoperazine, calmidazolium and substance 48/90 increased the affinity of Ca(2+)-specific sites of troponin C both in the case of isolated troponin and in all the complexes under study. Nicardipine had no effect on the cation-binding activity of isolated troponin C, but increased the affinity of the Ca(2+)-binding sites of troponin C in the complex with troponin I. The cardiotonic drugs APP 201-533 and DPI 201-106 had practically no effect on the cation-binding properties of isolated troponin C or of simple complexes of troponin C. At the same time APP 201-533 increased, whereas DPI, 201-106 decreased the affinity of the Ca(2+)-binding sites of troponin C in myofibrils. It is concluded that the effects of the drugs on the cation-binding properties of troponin C depend on the protein-protein interaction with the filament. Studies of physiological activity of low molecular weight organic compounds require a detailed analysis of their effects on the Ca(2+)-binding activity of troponin C included into protein complexes of different complexity.

Drug interaction with cardiac and skeletal muscle troponin C.

The effects of certain drugs on the binding of divalent cations to Ca(2+)-specific and Ca/Mg sites on cardiac and skeletal troponin C molecules were investigated by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Nicardipine and two new cardiotonic agents, APP 201-533 and DPI 201-106, interact with the N-terminal domain of troponin C, and either do not affect or, in the case of DPI 201-106, slightly increase the affinity of the Ca(2+)-specific site of troponin C for Ca2+ ion. Compound 48/80 seems to interact with the central alpha-helix of skeletal troponin C and affects the cation-binding properties of both the Ca(2+)-specific and the Ca/Mg sites of the protein. Trifluoperazine and calmidazolium (R24571) interact with the C-terminal domain of troponin C and increase the affinity of the Ca/Mg sites located there. At high concentrations these compounds interact with the N-terminal domain of troponin C and increase the affinity of the Ca(2+)-specific site. According to fluorescence spectroscopy data, R24571 induces conformational changes in troponin C similar to those evoked by troponin I. The experimental data suggest that the drugs studied act in similar ways with troponin C and calmodulin.

Activation of myosin light chain kinase requires translocation of bound calmodulin.

A novel translocation step is inferred from structural studies of the interactions between the intracellular calcium receptor protein calmodulin (CaM) and one of its regulatory targets. A mutant of CaM missing residues 2-8 (DeltaNCaM) binds skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase with high affinity but fails to activate catalysis. Small angle x-ray scattering data reveal that DeltaNCaM occupies a position near the catalytic cleft in its complex with the kinase, whereas the native protein translocates to a position near the C-terminal end of the catalytic core. Thus, CaM residues 2-8 appear to facilitate movement of bound CaM away from the vicinity of the catalytic cleft.