A hexahistidine-tagged C-terminal nucleotide-binding domain (H 6 -NBD2) from mouse P-glycoprotein was designed, overexpressed, and purified as a highly soluble recombinant protein.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins constitute one of the widest families in all organisms, whose P-glycoprotein involved in resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy is an archetype member. Although three-dimensional structures of several nucleotide-binding domains of ABC proteins are now available, the catalytic mechanism triggering the functioning of these proteins still remains elusive. In particular, it has been postulated that ATP hydrolysis proceeds via an acid-base mechanism catalyzed by the Glu residue adjacent to the Walker-B motif (Geourjon, C., Orelle, C., Steinfels, E., Blanchet, C., Delé age, G., Di Pietro, A., and Jault, J. M. 32 P]ATP unequivocally showed that all the mutants trapped exclusively the triphosphate form of the analogue, suggesting that they were not able to perform even a single hydrolytic turnover. These results demonstrate that Glu 504 is the catalytic base for ATP hydrolysis in BmrA, and it is proposed that equivalent glutamate residues in other ABC transporters play the same role.

The involvement of transporters in multidrug resistance of bacteria is an increasingly challenging problem, and most of the pumps identified so far use the protonmotive gradient as the energy source. A new member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family, known in Bacillus subtilis as YvcC and homologous to each half of mammalian P-glycoprotein and to LmrA of Lactococcus lactis, has been studied here. The yvcC gene was constitutively expressed in B. subtilis throughout its growth, and a knockout mutant showed a lower rate of ethidium efflux than the wild-type strain. Overexpression of yvcC in Escherichia coli allowed the preparation of highly enriched inverted-membrane vesicles that exhibited high transport activities of three fluorescent drugs, namely, Hoechst 33342, doxorubicin, and 7-aminoactinomycin D. After solubilization with n-dodecyl beta-D-maltoside, the hexahistidine-tagged YvcC was purified by a one-step affinity chromatography, and its ability to bind many P-glycoprotein effectors was evidenced by fluorescence spectroscopy experiments. Collectively, these results showed that YvcC is a multidrug ABC transporter functionally active in wild-type B. subtilis, and YvcC was therefore renamed BmrA for Bacillus multidrug resistance ATP. Besides, reconstitution of YvcC into liposomes led to the highest, vanadate-sensitive, ATPase activity reported so far for an ABC transporter. Interestingly, such a high ATP hydrolysis proceeds with a positive cooperativity mechanism, a property only found so far with ABC importers.

Cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy is often mediated by overexpression of P-glycoprotein, a plasma membrane ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter which extrudes cytotoxic drugs at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. P-glycoprotein (ABCB1, according to the human gene nomenclature committee) consists of two homologous halves each containing a transmembrane domain (TMD) involved in drug binding and efflux, and a cytosolic nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) involved in ATP binding and hydrolysis, with an overall (TMD-NBD)2 domain topology. Homologous ABC multidrug transporters, from the same ABCB family, are found in many species such as Plasmodiumfalciparum and Leishmania spp. protozoa, where they induce resistance to antiparasitic drugs. In yeasts, some ABC transporters involved in resistance to fungicides, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pdr5p and Snq2p, display a different (NBD-TMD)2 domain topology and are classified in another family, ABCG. Much effort has been spent to modulate multidrug resistance in the different species by using specific inhibitors, but generally with little success due to additional cellular targets and/or extrusion of the potential inhibitors. This review shows that due to similarities in function and maybe in three-dimensional organization of the different transporters, common potential modulators have been found. An in vitro 'rational screening' was performed among the large flavonoid family using a four-step procedure: (i) direct binding to purified recombinant cytosolic NBD and/or full-length transporter, (ii) inhibition of ATP hydrolysis and energy-dependent drug interaction with transporter-enriched membranes, (iii) inhibition of cell transporter activity monitored by flow cytometry and (iv) chemosensitization of cell growth. The results indicate that prenylated flavonoids bind with high affinity, and strongly inhibit drug interaction and nucleotide hydrolysis. As such, they constitute promising potential modulators of multidrug resistance.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection stimulates cellular DNA synthesis and causes chromosomal damage. Because such events likely affect cellular proliferation, we investigated the impact of HCMV infection on key components of the cell cycle. Early after infection, HCMV induced elevated levels of cyclin E, cyclin E-associated kinase activity, and two tumor suppressor proteins, p53 and the retinoblastoma gene product (Rb). The steady-state concentration of Rb continued to rise throughout the infection, with most of the protein remaining in the highly phosphorylated form. At early times, HCMV infection also induced cyclin B accumulation, which was associated with a significant increase in mitosis-promoting factor activity as the infection progressed. In contrast, the levels of cyclin A and cyclin A-associated kinase activity increased only at late times in the infection, and the kinetics were delayed relative to those for cyclins E and B. Analysis of the cellular DNA content in the infected cells by flow cytometry showed a progressive shift of the cells from the G 1 to the S and G 2 /M phases of the cell cycle, leading to an accumulation of aneuploid cells at late times. We propose that these HCMV-mediated perturbations result in cell cycle arrest in G 2 /M.

Carbon catabolite repression allows bacteria to rapidly alter the expression of catabolic genes in response to the availability of metabolizable carbon sources. In Bacillus subtilis, this phenomenon is controlled by the HPr kinase (HprK) that catalyzes ATP-dependent phosphorylation of either HPr (histidine containing protein) or Crh (catabolite repression HPr) on residue Ser-46. We report here that B. subtilis HprK forms homo-oligomers constituted most likely of eight subunits. Related to this complex structure, the enzyme displays strong positive cooperativity for the binding of its allosteric activator, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, as evidenced by either kinetics of its phosphorylation activity or the intrinsic fluorescence properties of its unique tryptophan residue, Trp-235. It is further shown that activation of HPr phosphorylation by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate essentially occurs at low ATP and enzyme concentrations. A positive cooperativity was also detected for the binding of natural nucleotides or their 2(3)-N-methylanthraniloyl derivatives, in either phosphorylation or fluorescence experiments. Most interestingly, quenching of the HprK tryptophan fluorescence by using either iodide or acrylamide revealed a heterogeneity of tryptophan residues within the population of oligomers, suggesting that the enzyme exists in two different conformations. This result suggests a concerted-symmetry model for the catalytic mechanism of positive cooperativity displayed by HprK.

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ATP hydrolyses by the wild-type alpha 3 beta 3 gamma and mutant (alpha D261N)3 beta 3 gamma subcomplexes of the F1-ATPase from the thermophilic Bacillus PS3 have been compared. The wild-type complex hydrolyzes 50 microM ATP in three kinetic phases: a burst decelerates to an intermediate phase, which then gradually accelerates to a final rate. In contrast, the mutant complex hydrolyzes 50 microM or 2 mM ATP in two kinetic phases. The mutation abolishes acceleration from the intermediate phase to a faster final rate. Both the wild-type and mutant complexes hydrolyze ATP with a lag after loading a catalytic site with MgADP. The rate of the MgADP-loaded wild-type complex rapidly accelerates and approaches that observed for the wild-type apo-complex. The MgADP-loaded mutant complex hydrolyzes ATP with a more pronounced lag, and the gradually accelerating rate approaches the slow, final rate observed with the mutant apo-complex. Lauryl dimethylamide oxide (LDAO) stimulates hydrolysis of 2 mM ATP catalyzed by wild-type and mutant complexes 4- and 7.5-fold, respectively. The rate of release of [3H]ADP from the Mg[3H]ADP-loaded mutant complex during hydrolysis of 40 microM ATP is slower than observed with the wild-type complex. LDAO increases the rate of release of [3H]ADP from the preloaded wild-type and mutant complexes during hydrolysis of 40 microM ATP. Again, release is slower with the mutant complex. When the wild-type and mutant complexes are irradiated in the presence of 2-N3-[3H]ADP plus Mg2+ or 2-N3-[3H]ATP plus Mg2+ and azide, the same extent of labeling of noncatalytic sites is observed. Whereas ADP and ATP protect noncatalytic sites of the wild-type and mutant complexes about equally from labeling by 2-N3-[3H]ADP or 2-N3-[3H[ATP, respectively, AMP-PNP provides little protection of noncatalytic sites of the mutant complex. The results suggest that the substitution does not prevent binding of ADP or ATP to noncatalytic sites, but rather that it affects cross-talk between liganded noncatalytic sites and catalytic sites which is necessary to promote dissociation of inhibitory MgADP.