Life Sciences Commons^™

Plant Rac-Like Gtpases Are Activated By Auxin And Mediate Auxin-Responsive Gene Expression, L. Z. Tao, Alice Cheung, H. M. Wu

Alice Cheung

The auxin indole-3-acetic acid is a key plant hormone essential for a broad range of growth and developmental processes. Here, we show that auxin activates Rac-like GTPases (referred to as Rac/Rop GTPases), and they in turn stimulate auxin-responsive gene expression. In particular, we show that overexpressing a wild-type tobacco Rac/Rop GTPase, NtRac1, and its constitutively active mutant form activates auxin-responsive gene expression. On the other hand, overexpressing dominant-negative NtRac1 and Rac-negative regulators, or reducing the endogenous NtRac1 level, suppresses auxin-induced gene expression. Furthermore, overexpression of NtRac1 activity or suppression of its expression in transgenic seedlings induces phenotypes that are similar …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Micelle In Water: The Behavior Of Water, Chrystal Bruce, Sanjib Senapati, Max Berkowitz, L. Perera, M. Forbes

Chrystal D. Bruce

Using a 5 ns explicit atom molecular dynamics simulation of a 60 monomer sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar system containing 7579 TIP3P water molecules, the behavior of water in different electrostatic environments was examined. Structural evaluation of the system revealed that penetration of water molecules into the micelle was restricted to the headgroup region, leaving a 12 Å water-free hydrocarbon core. Water molecules near the headgroup exhibit a distortion of the water−water hydrogen bonding network due to headgroup oxygen−water hydrogen bond formation. The dynamic implications of this distortion are manifested in the decay of the dipole autocorrelation function, Φ(t) and translational …

The Regulation Of Actin Organization By Actin-Depolymerizing Factor In Elongating Pollen Tubes, C. Y. Chen, E. I. Wong, L. Vidali, A. Estavillo, P. K. Hepler, H. M. Wu, Alice Cheung

Alice Cheung

Pollen tube elongation is a polarized cell growth process that transports the male gametes from the stigma to the ovary for fertilization inside the ovules. Actomyosin-driven intracellular trafficking and active actin remodeling in the apical and subapical regions of pollen tubes are both important aspects of this rapid tip growth process. Actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF) and cofilin are actin binding proteins that enhance the depolymerization of microfilaments at their minus, or slow-growing, ends. A pollen-specific ADF from tobacco, NtADF1, was used to dissect the role of ADF in pollen tube growth. Overexpression of NtADF1 resulted in the reduction of fine, axially …

Jun Dimerization Protein 2 Functions As A Progesterone Receptor N-Terminal Domain Coactivator, James S. Adelman, Suzanne E. Wardell, Viroj Boonyaratanakornkit, Ami Aronheim

James S. Adelman

The progesterone receptor (PR) contains two transcription activation function (AF) domains, constitutive AF-1 in the N terminus and AF-2 in the C terminus. AF-2 activity is mediated by a hormone-dependent interaction with a family of steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs). SRC-1 can also stimulate AF-1 activity through a secondary domain that interacts simultaneously with the primary AF-2 interaction site. Other protein interactions and mechanisms that mediate AF-1 activity are not well defined. By interaction cloning, we identified an AP-1 family member, Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP-2), as a novel PR-interacting protein. JDP-2 was first defined as a c-Jun interacting protein that …

Mechanism Of Abietadiene Synthase Catalysis: Stereochemistry And Stabilization Of The Cryptic Pimarenyl Carbocation Intermediates, Reuben J. Peters, Matthew M. Ravn, Robert M. Coates, Rodney Croteau

Reuben J. Peters

Abietadiene synthase (AS) catalyzes the complex cyclization-rearrangement of (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (8, GGPP) to a mixture of abietadiene (1a), double bond isomers 2a-4a and pimaradienes 5a-7a as a key step in the biosynthesis of the abietane resin acid constituents (1b-4b) of conifer oleoresin. The reaction proceeds at two active sites by way of the intermediate, copalyl diphosphate (9). In the second site, a putative tricyclic pimaradiene or pimarenyl(+) carbocation intermediate of undefined C13 stereochemistry and annular double bond position is formed. Three 8-oxy-17-nor analogues of 9 (17 and 19a,b) and three isomeric 15,16-bisnorpimarenyl-N-methylamines (26a-c) were synthesized and evaluated as alternative substrates …

Characterizing Gene Expression During Lens Formation In Xenopus Laevis: Evaluating The Model For Embryonic Lens Induction, Brian Walter, Jonathan Henry, Maria Carinato, Jonathan Schaefer, Adam Wolfe, Brian Walter, Kimberly Perry, Tricia Elbl

Brian Walter

Few directed searches have been undertaken to identify the genes involved in vertebrate lens formation. In the frog Xenopus, the larval cornea can undergo a process of transdifferentiation to form a new lens once the original lens is removed. Based on preliminary evidence, we have shown that this process shares many elements of a common molecular/genetic pathway to that involved in embryonic lens development. A subtracted cDNA library, enriched for genes expressed during cornea-lens transdifferentiation, was prepared. The similarities/identities of specific clones isolated from the subtracted cDNA library define an expression profile of cells undergoing cornea-lens transdifferentiation ("lens regeneration") and …

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Micelle In Water: Micellar Structural Characteristics And Counterion Distribution, Chrystal Bruce, Max Berkowitz, Lalith Perera, Malcolm Forbes

Chrystal D. Bruce

An all-atom 5 nanosecond molecular dynamics simulation of a water-solvated micelle containing 60 sodium dodecyl sulfate monomers was performed. Structural properties such as the radius of gyration, eccentricity, micellar size, accessible surface area, dihedral angle distribution, carbon atom distribution, and the orientation of the monomers toward the micelle center of mass were evaluated. The results indicate a stable micellar system over the duration of the simulation. Evaluation of the structure and motion of the sodium counterions show (1) a long equilibration time (1 nanosecond) is required to achieve a stable distribution of counterions and (2) approximately 25% of the sodium …

Abietadiene Synthase Catalysis:  Conserved Residues Involved In Protonation-Initiated Cyclization Of Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate To (+)-Copalyl Diphosphate, Reuben J. Peters, Rodney B. Croteau

Reuben J. Peters

Abietadiene synthase catalyzes two sequential, mechanistically distinct cyclization reactions in the formation of a mixture of abietadiene double bond isomers as the committed step in resin acid biosynthesis. Each reaction is carried out at a separate active site residing in a structurally distinct domain, and the reactions are kinetically separable. The first cyclization reaction is initiated by protonation of the terminal double bond of the universal diterpene precursor, geranylgeranyl diphosphate. The pH dependence of the overall reaction is consistent with an acid-base catalytic mechanism, and a divalent metal ion plays a role in this reaction probably by binding the diphosphate …

The Spectrin-Ankyrin Skeleton Controls Cd45 Surface Display And Interleukin-2 Production, Deepti Pradhan, Jon Morrow

Deepti Pradhan

Trp-Dependent Auxin Biosynthesis In Arabidopsis: Involvement Of Cytochrome P450s Cyp79b2 And Cyp79b3, Yunde Zhao, Anna K. Hull, Neeru R. Gupta, Kendrick A. Goss, José Alonso, Joseph R. Ecker, Jennifer Normanly, Joanne Chory, John L. Celenza

Jennifer Normanly

The plant hormone auxin regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. Although several auxin biosynthetic pathways have been proposed, none of these pathways has been precisely defined at the molecular level. Here we provide in planta evidence that the two Arabidopsis cytochrome P450s, CYP79B2 and CYP79B3, which convert tryptophan (Trp) to indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOx) in vitro, are critical enzymes in auxin biosynthesis in vivo. IAOx is thus implicated as an important intermediate in auxin biosynthesis. Plants overexpressing CYP79B2 contain elevated levels of free auxin and display auxin overproduction phenotypes. Conversely, cyp79B2 cyp79B3 double mutants have reduced levels of IAA and …

Variability Of Placental Expression Of Cyclin E Low Molecular Weight Variants, A Bukovsky, Maria Cekanova Ms, Rndr, Phd, Mr Caudle, J Wimalasena, Js Foster, Ja Keenan, Rf Elder

Maria Cekanova MS, RNDr, PhD

No abstract provided.

Flexibility Of Biv Tar-Tat: Models Of Peptide Binding, M Hsieh, E D. Collins, T Blomquist, Brooke Lustig

Brooke S. Lustig

No abstract provided.

Familial Als-Associated Mutations Decrease The Thermal Stability Of Distinctly Metallated Species Of Human Copper/Zinc Superoxide Dismutase, Daryl K. Eggers, J. A. Rodriguez, J. S. Valentine, J. A. Roe, A. Tiwari, R. H. Brown, L. J. Hayward

Daryl K. Eggers

We report the thermal stability of wild type (WT) and 14 different variants of human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). Multiple endothermic unfolding transitions were observed by differential scanning calorimetry for partially metallated SOD1 enzymes isolated from a baculovirus system. We correlated the metal ion contents of SOD1 variants with the occurrence of distinct melting transitions. Altered thermal stability upon reduction of copper with dithionite identified transitions resulting from the unfolding of copper-containing SOD1 species. We demonstrated that copper or zinc binding to a subset of “WT-like” FALS mutants (A4V, L38V, G41S, G72S, D76Y, …