Academic literature on the topic 'Ribonucleotide kinase'

A rate-limiting reaction in DNA synthesis is catalyzed by ribonucleotide reductase, the enzyme responsible for reducing ribonucleotides to provide the deoxyribonucleotide precursors of DNA. In this study, we have tested the hypothesis that posttranscriptional regulation of ribonucleotide reductase R1 gene expression is controlled by a protein kinase C signal pathway. We show that mouse BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts treated with the potent and highly specific protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X contain significantly reduced steady-state levels of R1 mRNA and protein. Message half-life studies demonstrate that this is due, at least in part, to a marked decrease in R1 message stability in cells treated with the protein kinase C inhibitor. Furthermore, the protein kinase C signal pathway appears to be specifically involved in this regulation since 8-bromo-cAMP, a modulator of the protein kinase A pathway, had no effect on R1 mRNA levels or stability properties. Cross-linking assays revealed that the binding activity of a R1 mRNA 3′-untranslated region binding protein (R1BP), which was previously shown to be involved in the regulation of R1 mRNA stability, was significantly elevated after treatment of the cells with GF 109203X, in a dose-dependent manner. However, treatment with 8-bromo-cAMP at concentrations up to 2.5 mM did not obviously affect the basic level of the R1BP–RNA interaction. These observations provide a better understanding of the biochemical signals that are critical for the cis–trans interaction-mediated posttranscriptional regulation of ribonucleotide reductase R1 gene expression.Key words: protein kinase C, ribonucleotide reductase, mRNA stability, RNA–protein interaction, bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X, 8-bromo-cAMP.

ABSTRACT Previously, we characterized a pathway necessary for the processing of NAD+ and for uptake of nicotinamide riboside (NR) in Haemophilus influenzae. Here we report on the role of NadR, which is essential for NAD+ utilization in this organism. Different NadR variants with a deleted ribonucleotide kinase domain or with a single amino acid change were characterized in vitro and in vivo with respect to cell viability, ribonucleotide kinase activity, and NR transport. The ribonucleotide kinase mutants were viable only in a nadV + (nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase) background, indicating that the ribonucleotide kinase domain is essential for cell viability in H. influenzae. Mutations located in the Walker A and B motifs and the LID region resulted in deficiencies in both NR phosphorylation and NR uptake. The ribonucleotide kinase function of NadR was found to be feedback controlled by NAD+ under in vitro conditions and by NAD+ utilization in vivo. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the NR phosphorylation step is essential for both NR uptake across the inner membrane and NAD+ synthesis and is also involved in controlling the NAD+ biosynthesis rate.

ABSTRACT The Snf1/AMP-activated kinases are involved in a wide range of stress responses in eukaryotic cells. We discovered a novel role for the Snf1 kinase in the cellular response to genotoxic stress in yeast. snf1 mutants are hypersensitive to hydroxyurea (HU), methyl-methane sulfonate, and cadmium, but they are not sensitive to several other genotoxic agents. HU inhibits ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), and deletion of SNF1 also increased the growth defects of an rnr4 ribonucleotide reductase mutant. The snf1 mutant has a functional checkpoint response to HU insofar as cells arrest division normally and derepress the transcription of RNR genes. The sensitivity of snf1 to HU or to RNR4 deletion may be due to posttranscriptional defects in RNR function or to defects in the repair of, and recovery from, stalled replication forks. The Mig3 repressor was identified as one target of Snf1 in this pathway. Genetic and biochemical analyses suggest that a weak kinase activity is sufficient to confer resistance to HU, whereas a high level of kinase activity is required for optimal growth on carbon sources other than glucose. Quantitative regulation of Snf1 kinase activity may contribute to the specificity of the effector responses that it controls.

NDP kinase and thymidylate kinase are essential for DNA precursor formation in that they phosphorylate the products of de novo deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis, deoxyribonucleoside 5′-diphosphates and thymidine 5′-monophosphate to the corresponding triphosphates which then serve as DNA polymerase substrates. The two enzymes have been measured in synchronous cultures of the green algae, S. obliquus. Thymidylate kinase exhibits an activity peak at the 11 -12th hour of the 24-hour cell cycle, coinciding with DNA synthesis. Enzyme activity is markedly stimulated in presence of fluorodeoxyuridine in the culture medium. This behaviour of dTMP kinase is very similar to that of three other S phase-specific peak enzymes previously analyzed in synchronous algae, viz. ribonucleotide reductase, thymidylate synthase, and dihydrofolate reductase. In contrast, NDP kinase exhibits high and constant activity through the entire cell cycle. The two kinases have been isolated from cell-free extracts, and separated from each other by chromatography on Blue Sepharose. The peak enzyme, dTMP kinase, has been purified to near homogeneity and its catalytic properties are described; the molecular weight is 56,000. NDP kinase activity is separable into two enzyme fractions, both of molecular weight 100,000 (or higher), which are unspecific with respect to ribonucleotide and deoxyribonucleotide substrates. Characterization and purification of the whole series of deoxyribonucleotide-synthesizing enzymes from one organism provides a basis for in vitro experiments towards reconstitution of an S phase-specific DNA precursor/DNA replication multienzyme aggregate.

Ribonucleases H (RNases H) are endonucleases which cleave the RNA moiety of RNA/DNA hybrids. Their function in mammalian cells is incompletely understood. RNase H2 mutations cause Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, an inflammatory condition clinically overlapping with lupus erythematosus. We show that RNase H2 is essential in mouse embryonic development. RNase H2–deficient cells proliferated slower than control cells and accumulated in G2/M phase due to chronic activation of a DNA damage response associated with an increased frequency of single-strand breaks, increased histone H2AX phosphorylation, and induction of p53 target genes, most prominently the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 encoding cell cycle inhibitor p21. RNase H2–deficient cells featured an increased genomic ribonucleotide load, suggesting that unrepaired ribonucleotides trigger the DNA damage response in these cells. Collectively, we show that RNase H2 is essential to remove ribonucleotides from the mammalian genome to prevent DNA damage.

Ribonucleotide reductase catalyses the reaction that eventually provides the four deoxyribonucleotides required for the synthesis and repair of DNA. U.v.-cross-linking and band-shift experiments have identified in COS 7 monkey cells an approx. 57 kDa ribonucleotide reductase R1 mRNA-binding protein called R1BP, which binds specifically to a 49-nt region of the R1 mRNA 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR). The R1BP-RNA binding activity was down-regulated by the tumour promoters phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; ‘TPA’) and okadaic acid, and up-regulated by the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine, in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, staurosporine treatment decreased the stability of R1 and CAT (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase)/R1 hybrid mRNAs, whereas PMA and okadaic acid increased the stability of these messages, in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, treatment of cells with forskolin, a protein kinase A inhibitor, did not alter either R1BP-RNA binding or R1 mRNA-stability characteristics. Transfectants containing R1 or CAT/R1 cDNA constructs with a deletion of the 49-nt 3′UTR sequence failed to respond in message-stability studies to the effects of PMA, staurosporine or okadaic acid. These observations indicate that a protein kinase C signal pathway regulates ribonucleotide reductase R1 gene expression post-transcriptionally, through a mechanism involving a specific cis-trans interaction at a 49-nt region within the R1 mRNA 3′UTR.

A rapid elevation of ribonucleotide reductase activity was observed with BALB c/3T3 fibroblasts treated with 10 nM okadaic acid, a nonphorbol ester tumor promoter and protein phosphatase inhibitor. Northern blot analysis of the two components of ribonucleotide reductase (R1 and R2) showed a marked elevation of R1 and R2 mRNA expression. Western blot analysis with R1 and R2 specific monoclonal antibodies indicated that the increase in ribonucleotide reductase activity was primarily due to the elevation of the R2 rather than the R1 protein during treatment with okadaic acid. The okadaic acid induced elevations in R1 and R2 message levels occurred without a detectable change in the proportion of cells in S phase and were blocked by treatment of cells with actinomycin D, indicating the importance of the reductase transcriptional process in responding to the action of okadaic acid. Furthermore, down-regulation of protein kinase C with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate pretreatment abrogated the okadaic acid mediated elevation of ribonucleotide reductase mRNAs, consistent with the involvement of this signal pathway in the regulation of ribonucleotide reductase and the effects of okadaic acid. Treatment of cells with 2.5 nM calyculin A, another non-phorbol ester tumor promoter and protein phosphatase inhibitor, resulted in a rapid elevation of both R1 and R2 mRNA levels within 10 min of treatment. This first demonstration that the non-phorbol ester tumor promoters and protein phosphatase inhibitors can cause rapid alterations in ribonucleotide reductase gene expression suggests that (i) ribonucleotide reductase, particularly the R2 component, plays a fundamental role in the critical early events involved in the process of tumor promotion, and (ii) illustrates a role for cellular protein phosphatases in the regulation of ribonucleotide reductase and, through this process, the regulation of DNA synthesis.Key words: ribonucleotide reductase, DNA synthesis, okadaic acid, calyculin A, tumor promoter, protein phosphatase.

When fed a standard chow diet, CaMKK2 null mice have increased adiposity and larger adipocytes than do wild-type mice, whereas energy balance is unchanged. Here, we show that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) is expressed in preadipocytes, where it functions as an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)α kinase. Acute inhibition or deletion of CaMKK2 in preadipocytes enhances their differentiation into mature adipocytes, which can be reversed by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide-mediated activation of AMPK. During adipogenesis, CaMKK2 expression is markedly decreased and temporally accompanied by increases in mRNA encoding the early adipogenic genes CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) β and C/EBP δ. Preadipocyte factor 1 has been reported to inhibit adipogenesis by up-regulating sex determining region Y-box 9 (Sox9) expression in preadipocytes and Sox9 suppresses C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ transcription. We show that inhibition of the CaMKK2/AMPK signaling cascade in preadipocytes reduces preadipocyte factor 1 and Sox9 mRNA resulting in accelerated adipogenesis. We conclude that CaMKK2 and AMPK function in a signaling pathway that participates in the regulation of adiposity.

Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle. There are no vaccines available against the disease and the current treatment is also not satisfactory because of inefficacy and numerous side effects of the used drugs. T. brucei lacks de novo synthesis of purine nucleosides; hence it depends on the host to make its purine nucleotides. T. brucei has a high affinity adenosine kinase (TbAK), which phosphorylates adenosine, deoxyadenosine (dAdo), inosine and their analogs. RNAi experiments confirmed that TbAK is responsible for the salvage of dAdo and the toxicity of its substrate analogs. Cell growth assays with the dAdo analogs, Ara-A and F-Ara-A, suggested that TbAK could be exploited for drug development against the disease. It has previously been shown that when T. brucei cells were cultivated in the presence of 1 mM deoxyadenosine (dAdo), they showed accumulation of dATP and depletion of ATP nucleotides. The altered nucleotide levels were toxic to the trypanosomes. However the salvage of dAdo in trypanosomes was dramatically reduced below 0.5 mM dAdo. Radiolabeled dAdo experiments showed that it (especially at low concentrations) is cleaved to adenine and converted to ATP. The recombinant methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (TbMTAP) cleaved methylthioadenosine, dAdo and adenosine into adenine and sugar-1-P in a phosphate-dependent manner. The trypanosomes became more sensitive to dAdo when TbMTAP was down-regulated in RNAi experiments. The RNAi experiments confirmed that trypanosomes avoid dATP accumulation by cleaving dAdo. The TbMTAP cleavage-resistant nucleoside analogs, FANA-A and Ara-A, successfully cured T. brucei-infected mice. The DNA building block dTTP can be synthesized either via thymidylate synthase in the de novo pathway or via thymidine kinase (TK) by salvage synthesis. We found that T. brucei and three other parasites contain a tandem TK where the gene sequence was repeated twice or four times in a single open reading frame. The recombinant T. brucei TK, which belongs to the TK1 family, showed broad substrate specificity. The enzyme phosphorylated the pyrimidine nucleosides thymidine and deoxyuridine, as well as the purine nucleosides deoxyinosine and deoxyguanosine. When the repeated sequences of the tandem TbTK were expressed individually as domains, only domain 2 was active. However, the protein could not dimerize and had a 5-fold reduced affinity to its pyrimidine substrates but a similar turnover number as the full-length enzyme. The expressed domain 1 was inactive and sequence analysis revealed that some active residues, which are needed for substrate binding and catalysis, are absent. Generally, the TK1 family enzymes form dimers or tetramers and the quaternary structure is linked to the affinity for the substrates. The covalently linked inactive domain-1 helps domain-2 to form a pseudodimer for the efficient binding of substrates. In addition, we discovered a repetition of an 89-bp sequence in both domain 1 and domain 2, which suggests a genetic exchange between the two domains. T. brucei is very dependent on de novo synthesis via ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) for the production of dNTPs. Even though T. brucei RNR belongs to the class Ia RNR family and contains an ATP-binding cone, it lacks inhibition by dATP. The mechanism behind the RNR activation by ATP and inactivation by dATP was a puzzle for a long time in the ~50 years of RNR research. We carried out oligomerization studies on mouse and E. coli RNRs, which belongs to the same family as T. brucei, to get an understanding of the molecular mechanism behind overall activity regulation. We found that the oligomerization status of RNRs and overall activity mechanism are interlinked with each other.
Targeting the nucleotide metabolism of the mammalian pathogen Trypanosoma brucei.

博士
國立臺灣大學
動物學研究所
89
In the present study, we used PCR and in situ hybridization analysis to carry out long-term detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in the offspring of a WSSV-carrier brooder. The PCR screening results showed that WSSV can be carried in the offspring population at a low intensity for a very long time and that massive mortality never occurs. The detection rates of WSSV positive samples showed low levels from the egg to the PL1 stages, suggesting that the virus might not replicate well in the shrimp at early stages. In situ hybridization results of these WSSV lightly- infected specimens demonstrated higher WSSV tissue tropism in stomach, epidermis and gills, and only very rarely were WSSV-positive cells found in the lymphoid organ or other organs. We hypothesize that the absence of WSS outbreaks in this cultivated shrimp population was probably because the shrimp body defense mechanisms had managed to contain the virus under low-stress culture conditions. WSSV tk-tmk gene was identified from a 10.1kb WSSV genomic DNA fragment. This gene was predicted to encode a novel chimeric protein with 398 amino acids. Data from phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment suggested that the gene may have resulted from the fusion of a cellular-type tk gene and a cellular-type tmk gene. Its unique arrangement may also provide a valuable gene marker for WSSV. Two WSSV genes which encode proteins with significant homology to the ribonucleotide reductase large (RR1) and small (RR2) subunits were identified. By 5’ RACE anaysis, the major rr1 transcript started at a position of —84 relative to the ATG translational start, while transcription of the rr2 gene started at nucleotide residue -68. A consensus motif containing the transcriptional start sites for rr1 and rr2 was observed (TCAc/tTC). Studies of the RR1 and RR2 phylogenic trees gave evidence that WSSV might be a new virus belonging to a new genus or family. The RR2 protein C-terminus is important for binding to the RR1 subunit. Many of the virus specific peptide inhibitors derived from the RR2 protein C-terminus have been developed to prevent the formation of the active RR1/RR2 tetramer. These peptide inhibitors can inhibit the virus RR activity without affecting the host RR activity We have cloned the rr2 gene of the Penaeus monodom to evaluate the possibility of a WSSV specific peptide inhibitor from the RR2 C-terminus. The P. monodom rr2 gene encoded a protein with 372 amino acids. The amino acid sequences of shrimp RR2 showed high homology to human and mouse RR2s (80% and 79%). A portion of the C- terminus in the P. monodom RR2 amino acids -FTLDADF- was the same as in mammalian RR2 proteins. However, WSSV RR2 protein C terminus amino acids were -YISYDDF-. This observation points up the possibility of developing specific peptide inhibitors against WSSV replication.