ICAAR, a novel member of a new family of transmembrane, tyrosine phosphatase-like proteins

We have isolated a cDNA from human foetal brain cDNA library which encodes a putative transmembrane protein bearing an intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) like domain. The PTPase like domain contains an alanine to aspartate amino acid change relative to other PTPases in the catalytic core domain. This amino acid change is found in only three other known proteins, islet cell autoantigens; human, murine and rat IA-2, murine IA-2b and its rat orthologue phogrin, which have a similar overall structure to ICAAR, and the recently identified X-linked myotubular myopathy (MTM1) gene. ICAAR, IA-2 and IA-2b clearly represent a new family of PTP-like proteins for which catalytic activity has yet to be demonstrated. An abundant ICAAR mRNA is detectable in the brain and pancreas but not in the other normal human tissues surveyed. We have localised ICAAR to human chromosome 7q36.     

Molecular cloning of a putative cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel cDNA from Limulus polyphemus

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels have been proposed to mediate the electrical response to light in the ventral photoreceptor cells of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. However, a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel has not been identified from Limulus. We have cloned a putative full-length cyclic nucleotide-gated channel cDNA by screening cDNA libraries constructed from Limulus brain using a probe developed from Limulus ventral eye nerves. The putative full-length cDNA was derived from two overlapping partial cDNA clones. The open reading frame encodes 905 amino acids; the sequence shows 44% identity to that of the alpha subunit of the bovine rod cyclic GMP-gated channel over the region containing the transmembrane domains and the cyclic nucleotide binding domain. This Limulus channel has a novel C-terminal region of approximately 200 amino acids, containing three putative Src homology domain 3 binding motifs and a putative coiled-coil domain. The possibility that this cloned channel is the same as that detected previously in excised patches from the photoreceptive membrane of Limulus ventral photoreceptors is discussed in terms of its sequence and its expression in the ventral eye nerves.     

Molecular cloning of a T cell-specific adapter protein (TSAd) containing an Src homology (SH) 2 domain and putative SH3 and phosphotyrosine binding sites

Adapter proteins link catalytic signaling proteins to cell surface receptors or downstream effector proteins. In this paper, we present the cDNA sequence F2771, isolated from an activated CD8+ T cell cDNA library. The F2771 cDNA encodes a novel putative adapter protein. The predicted amino acid sequence includes an SH2 domain as well as putative SH3 and phosphotyrosine binding interaction motifs, but lacks any known catalytic domains. The expression of the gene is limited to tissues of the immune system and, in particular, activated T cells. The protein expressed by F2771 cDNA in transfected COS cells is localized in the cytoplasm. A polyclonal antiserum raised against an F2771-encoded peptide reacts with a tyrosine-phosphorylated 52-kDa protein expressed in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The gene is localized to chromosome 1q21, a region often found to be aberrant in lymphomas. The T cell-specific expression and the rapid induction of mRNA expression upon receptor binding, as well as the lack of catalytic domains in the presence of protein interaction domains, indicate that the F2771 gene encodes a novel T cell-specific adapter protein (TSAd) involved in the control of T cell activation.     

Continuous administration of the glutamate uptake inhibitor L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate produces striatal lesion

Mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) plays an important role in the regulation of various cellular, receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated processes, such as mitogenesis and transformation. PI 3-kinase is composed of a 110-kDa catalytic subunit and a regulatory subunit of 85 kDa or 55 kDa. We have cloned a gene for a regulatory subunit from Drosophila melanogaster, named droPIK57, from head-specific cDNA libraries. The droPIK57 gene encodes a protein containing two SH2 domains with significant sequence homology to those in p85 and p55. Like the p55 subunits, DroPIK57 is missing the SH3 domain and the bcr homology region of the p85 subunit. The short N-terminus as well as the C-terminus of the DroPIK57 protein show no identity to the known PI 3-kinase subunits, suggesting that it is a new member in the family of regulatory subunits. In-situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis indicate a widespread function of this gene during embryogenesis and in the CNS.     

The cyclophilin component of the unactivated estrogen receptor contains a tetratricopeptide repeat domain and shares identity with p59 (FKBP59)

Using a rapid single-step affinity chromatography procedure we have isolated the unactivated estrogen receptor from bovine uterus. Results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western analyses for protein extracts recovered from affinity chromatography of receptor cytosols, either preincubated or untreated with estradiol, suggest a component structure for the intact oligomeric receptor which includes hsp90, hsp70, p59, a 40-kDa cyclophilin-related protein, and an uncharacterized 22-kDa protein species. We have chemically determined the amino acid sequences of eight peptides derived from the 40-kDa component and now report the cloning and primary sequence of a cDNA encoding this protein, which is designated estrogen receptor-binding cyclophilin (ERBC). Homology analyses confirm that ERBC is a new member of the cyclophilin family and contains a C-terminal domain with significant sequence homology to an internal region of p59, a binding protein for the immunosuppressant FK506 (FKBP59). This conserved region includes a 3-unit tetratricopeptide repeat domain bounded at the C terminus by a putative calmodulin binding site. We propose that the tetratricopeptide repeat domain mediates the protein interaction properties of ERBC and p59. Both immunophilins may have important roles in receptor assembly and may represent a new category of ligand- and calcium-dependent modulators of protein function.     

Molecular cloning of the rat adipocyte hormone-sensitive cyclic GMP-inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase

Two distinct but related cGMP-inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (cGI PDE) cDNAs were cloned from rat adipose tissue cDNA libraries. The open reading frame (3324 base pairs) of RcGIP1 encodes 1108 amino acids, including a hydrophobic membrane-associated domain in the NH2-terminal portion and, in the COOH-terminal portion, a putative catalytic domain conserved among all mammalian PDEs which is preceded by a putative regulatory domain that contains three consensus cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites and followed by a hydrophilic COOH-terminal domain. The carboxyl-terminal portion including the conserved domain was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein and exhibited cAMP PDE activity which was inhibited by cilostamide, a specific cGI PDE inhibitor. RcGIP1 cDNA hybridizes strongly with RNA from isolated adipocytes, and its mRNA increases dramatically during differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The deduced sequence of the second partial cDNA clone (RcGIP2 clone 53B) is highly homologous to the corresponding region of human cardiac cGI PDE cDNA. RcGIP2 cDNA hybridized strongly with rat cardiac tissue RNA and weakly if at all with RNA from rat adipocytes or 3T3-L1 fibroblasts or adipocytes. We suggest that RcGIP1 represents the hormone-sensitive, membrane-associated rat adipocyte cGI PDE and RcGIP2, a cGI PDE from vascular elements in rat adipose tissue.     

The RNA recognition motif of yeast translation initiation factor Tif3/eIF4B is required but not sufficient for RNA strand-exchange and translational activity

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae TIF3 gene encodes a 436-amino acid (aa) protein that is the yeast homologue of mammalian translation Initiation factor eIF4B. Tif3p can be divided into three parts, the N-terminal region with an RNA recognition motif (RRM) (aa 1-182), followed in the middle part by a sevenfold repeat of 26 amino acids rich in basic and acidic residues (as 183-350), and a C-terminal region without homology to any known sequence (aa 351-436). We have analyzed several Tif3 proteins with deletions at their N and C termini for their ability (1) to complement a tif3delta strain in vivo, (2) to stimulate Tif3-dependent translation extracts, (3) to bind to single-stranded RNA, and (4) to catalyze RNA strand-exchange in vitro. Here we report that yeast Tif3/eIF4B contains at least two RNA binding domains able to bind to single-stranded RNA. One is located in the N-terminal region of the protein carrying the RRM, the other in the C-terminal two-thirds region of Tif3p. The RRM-containing domain and three of the seven repeat motifs are essential for RNA strand-exchange activity of Tif3p and translation in vitro and for complementation of a tif3delta strain, suggesting an important role for RNA strand-exchange activity in translation.     

Cloning of a novel human diacylglycerol kinase (DGKtheta) containing three cysteine-rich domains, a proline-rich region, and a pleckstrin homology domain with an overlapping Ras-associating domain

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) attenuates levels of second messenger diacylglycerol in cells and produces another (putative) messenger, phosphatidic acid. We have previously purified a 110-kDa DGK from rat brain (Kato, M., and Takenawa, T. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 794-800). Here we report the cDNA cloning from human brain and retina cDNA libraries. The cDNA encodes a novel DGK isotype, termed DGKtheta, of 941 amino acids with an apparent molecular mass of 110 kDa. DGKtheta contains a C-terminal putative catalytic domain, which is present in all eukaryotic DGKs. In contrast to other DGK isotypes, DGKtheta contains three cysteine-rich domains instead of two. The third cysteine-rich domain is most homologous to the second one in other DGK isotypes. This particular sequence homology extends C-terminally beyond the typical cysteine/histidine core structure and is DGK-specific. DGKtheta furthermore contains various domains for protein-protein interaction, such as a proline- and glycine-rich domain with a putative SH3 domain-binding site and a pleckstrin homology domain with an overlapping Ras-associating domain. DGKtheta is expressed in the brain and, to a lesser extent, in the small intestine, duodenum, and liver. In situ hybridization of DGKtheta mRNA in adult rat brain reveals high expression in the cerebellar cortex and hippocampus. DGKtheta activity in COS cell lysates is optimal toward diacylglycerols containing an unsaturated fatty acid at the sn-2 position.     

Molecular cloning of a phosphotyrosine-independent ligand of the p56lck SH2 domain

A novel human cDNA encoding a cytosolic 62-kDa protein (p62) that binds to the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain of p56lck in a phosphotyrosine-independent manner has been cloned. The cDNA is composed of 2074 nucleotides with an open reading frame encoding 440 amino acids. Northern analysis suggests that p62 is expressed ubiquitously in all tissues examined. p62 is not homologous to any known protein in the data base. However, it contains a cysteine-rich region resembling a zinc finger motif, a potential G-protein-binding region, a PEST motif, and several potential phosphorylation sites. Using T7-epitope tagged p62 expression in HeLa cells, the expressed protein was shown to bind to the lck SH2 domain. Deletion of the N-terminal 50 amino acids abolished binding, but mutagenesis of the single tyrosine residue in this region had no effect on binding. Thus, the cloned cDNA indeed encodes the p62 protein, which is a phosphotyrosine-independent ligand for the lck SH2 domain. Its binding mechanism is unique with respect to binding modes of other known ligands for SH2 domains.     

Identification of a putative histidine kinase two-component phosphorelay gene (CaHK1) in Candida albicans

We have cloned and analysed the sequence of a putative histidine kinase, two-component gene (CaHK1) from Candida albicans. This gene encodes a 2471 amino acid protein (Cahk1p) with an estimated molecular mass of 281.8 kDa. A homology search of Cahk1p with other proteins in the databases showed that Cahk1p exhibits the greatest homology at its C-terminus with both the sensor and regulator components of prokaryotic and eukaryotic two-component histidine kinases. A further analysis of this homology showed that the Cahk1p possessed both sensor and regulator domains in the same polypeptide. Also, Cahk1p is likely to be a soluble protein. The sensor kinase domain of Cahk1p contains conserved motifs that are characteristic of all histidine kinase proteins, including the putative histidine which is believed to be autophosphorylated during activation, ATP binding motifs and others (F- and N-motifs), with unknown function. The Cahk1p regulator domain also contains conserved aspartate and lysine residues and the putative aspartate, which is secondarily phosphorylated by the autophosphorylated histidine. Finally, according to the codon usage frequency of the CaHK1 gene in comparison with other genes from C. albicans, there would appear to be a low level of expression of the gene.     

Overexpression, purification, and characterization of SHPTP1, a Src homology 2-containing protein-tyrosine-phosphatase

A protein-tyrosine-phosphatase (PTPase; EC 3.1.3.48) containing two Src homology 2 (SH2) domains, SHPTP1, was previously identified in hematopoietic and epithelial cells. By placing the coding sequence of the PTPase behind a bacteriophage T7 promoter, we have overexpressed both the full-length enzyme and a truncated PTPase domain in Escherichia coli. In each case, the soluble enzyme was expressed at levels of 3-4% of total soluble E. coli protein. The recombinant proteins had molecular weights of 63,000 and 45,000 for the full-length protein and the truncated PTPase domain, respectively, as determined by SDS/PAGE. The recombinant enzymes dephosphorylated p-nitrophenyl phosphate, phosphotyrosine, and phosphotyrosyl peptides but not phosphoserine, phosphothreonine, or phosphoseryl peptides. The enzymes showed a strong dependence on pH and ionic strength for their activity, with pH optima of 5.5 and 6.3 for the full-length enzyme and the catalytic domain, respectively, and an optimal NaCl concentration of 250-300 mM. The recombinant PTPases had high Km values for p-nitrophenyl phosphate and exhibited non-Michaelis-Menten kinetics for phosphotyrosyl peptides.     

Demonstration of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in the second of two homologous domains of CD45

It has been reported that alteration of deletion of critical residues within one of the two homologous protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase)-like domains of CD45 completely abolishes all activity, suggesting that only the more N-terminal domain is catalytically active. However, we now demonstrate, by two independent techniques, that the second (C-terminal) domain is also a viable phosphatase. Limited proteolysis by endoproteinase Lys-C or trypsin increased the phosphatase activity toward reduced, carboxymethylated, and maleylated lysozyme approximately 8-fold. A 50-kDa fragment, isolated by ion exchange chromatography, was found to be responsible for this activity. N-terminal sequencing revealed that this fragment includes less than half of the first phosphatase domain and most, if not all, of the second. In a second experiment, 109 residues, including the presumed catalytic region, were removed from domain I by site-directed mutagenesis. Expression of this construct in a mammalian cell line resulted in increased PTPase activity over nontransfected control cells. Isolation of the recombinant CD45 by immunoprecipitation and immunoaffinity chromatography revealed that it had phosphatase activity. Both of these experimental approaches demonstrate that the second conserved PTPase domain of CD45 is a functioning PTPase, but that external regulation may be required to express its activity in the context of the native molecule.