SummaryMuscle contraction involves the interaction of the myosin heads of the thick filaments with actin subunits of the thin filaments. Relaxation occurs when this interaction is blocked by molecular switches on these filaments. In many muscles, myosin-linked regulation involves phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chains (RLC). Electron microscopy of vertebrate smooth muscle myosin molecules (regulated by phosphorylation) has provided insight into the relaxed structure, revealing that myosin is switched off by intramolecular interactions between its two heads, the freehead and the blocked head. Three-dimensional reconstruction of frozen-hydrated specimens reveals that this asymmetric head interaction is also present in native thick filaments of tarantula striated muscle. Our goal here has been to elucidate the structural features of the tarantula filament involved in phosphorylation-based regulation. A new reconstruction reveals intra-and intermolecular myosin interactions in addition to those seen previously. To help interpret the interactions, we sequenced the tarantula RLC, and fitted to the reconstruction an atomic model of the myosin head that included the predicted RLC atomic structure and an S2 crystal structure. The fitting suggests an intramolecular interaction between the cardiomyopathy loop of the free-head and its own S2 and two intermolecular interactions-between the cardio-loop of the free head and the ELC of the blocked head, and between the Leu-305 -Gln-327 "interaction loop" (loop I) of the free-head and the N-terminal fragment of the RLC of the blocked-head. These interactions, added to those previously described, would help to switch off the thick filament. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest how phosphorylation could increase the helical content of the RLC N-terminus, weakening these interactions, thus releasing both heads and activating the thick filament.

The present study identifies the phosphorylation sites of the 85-kDa cytosolic phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ) in human platelets and HeLa cells. Tryptic digests of 32 Pphosphorylated and -immunoprecipitated cPLA 2 were analyzed by microbore high performance liquid chromatography and two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping against synthetic phosphopeptide standards. Thrombin stimulated significant phosphorylation of platelet cPLA 2 at two sites, Ser-505 and Ser-727. Exclusive phosphorylation on these two sites was also seen in collagen-stimulated platelets and HeLa cells stimulated with interferon-␣ or arsenite; no tyrosine phosphorylation was detected. The inhibitor of the 38-kDa stressactivated protein kinase (p38 mapk ), SB 203580, reduced phosphorylation of both Ser-505 and Ser-727 by 50 and 60%, respectively, in thrombin-stimulated platelets. An additional p38 mapk inhibitor SB 202190 also partially (60%) inhibited the phosphorylation of cPLA 2 in arsenite-stimulated HeLa cells. These studies extend the previous work on the identification of multiple phosphorylation sites on cPLA 2 expressed in a baculovirus/insect cell system to cPLA 2 in mammalian cells stimulated with physiological agonists. They also underscore the necessity of high resolution phosphopeptide mapping combined with microbore high performance liquid chromatography for quantification of phosphorylation levels, which has lead to the conclusion that Ser-505 and Ser-727 are common phosphorylation sites on cPLA 2 in different mammalian cells stimulated with multiple agonists.Cytosolic phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ) 1 catalyzes the cleavage of arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of phospholipids (1, 2). The 85-kDa enzyme is present in many mammalian cells (3), and strong evidence is accumulating for the role of cPLA 2 in the generation of tissue mediators that are metabolites of arachidonic acid, such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes. In contrast to the small molecular weight phospholipase A 2 s that are secreted and are active on the outside of cells, cPLA 2 is regulated by intracellular signals that are propagated from surface receptors. One important regulatory mechanism appears to be a rise in the intracellular Ca 2ϩ concentration which causes translocation of cPLA 2 from the cytosol to internal membranes (4 -7) where it binds through a Ca 2ϩ -dependent lipid-binding domain (8). A second, well established mechanism of the regulation of cPLA 2 activity is by phosphorylation on Ser-505 through a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (9) which modestly increases the intrinsic activity of the lipase measured in vitro (3, 10, 11). Phosphorylation of cPLA 2 together with release of arachidonic acid has been observed in a variety of cells (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16).A thorough characterization of the phosphorylation sites of human cPLA 2 heterologously expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, and protein sequencing has revealed four sites of phosphorylation: Ser-...

A series of fatty alkyl trifluoromethyl ketones and methyl fluorophosphonates have been prepared and tested as inhibitors and inactivators of human groups IV and VI phospholipases A(2) (cPLA(2) and iPLA(2)). Compounds were analyzed with phospholipid vesicle-, detergent-phospholipid mixed-micelle-, and natural membrane-based assays, and, with few exceptions, the relative inhibitor potencies measured with the three assays were similar. Ph(CH(2))(4)COCF(3) and Ph(CH(2))(4)PO(OMe)F emerged as a potent inhibitor and inactivator, respectively, of iPLA(2), and both are poorly effective against cPLA(2). Of all 13 fatty alkyl trifluoromethyl ketones tested, the trifluoromethyl ketone analog of arachidonic acid is the most potent cPLA(2) inhibitor, and structurally similar compounds including the trifluoromethyl ketone analog of docosahexenoic acid are much poorer cPLA(2) inhibitors. Inactivation of cPLA(2) by fatty alkyl fluoromethylphosphonates is greatly promoted by binding of enzyme to the interface. The use of both vesicles and mixed micelles to assay phospholipase A(2) inhibitors and inactivators present at low mol fraction in the interface provides reliable rank order potencies of a series of compounds that correlate with their behavior in a natural membrane assay.

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The diagnosis of tuberculosis in developing countries still relies on direct sputum examination by light microscopy, a method that is easy to perform and that is widely applied. However, because of its poor sensitivity and requirement for significant labor and training, light microscopy examination detects the bacilli in only 45 to 60% of all people whose specimens are culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, new diagnostic methods that would enable the detection of the undiagnosed infected population and allow the early commencement of antituberculosis treatment are needed. In this work, the potential use of mycobacterial cyan autofluorescence for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was explored. The tubercle bacilli were easily visualized as brilliant fluorescent bacilli by microscopy and were easily tracked ex vivo during macrophage infection. Assays with seeded sputum and a 96-well microplate reader fluorimeter indicated that <10(6) bacilli ml(-1) of sputum could be detected. Moreover, the use of microplates allowed the examination of only 200 microl of sputum per sample without a loss of sensitivity. Treatment with heat or decontaminating chemical agents did not interfere with the autofluorescence assay; on the contrary, they improved the level of bacterial detection. Autofluorescence for the detection of bacilli is rapid and easy to perform compared to other methodologies and can be performed with minimal training, making this method suitable for implementation in developing countries.