Retinoic acid (RA) inhibits adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes but is effective only early in adipogenesis. RA prevented induction of the adipogenic factors PPAR␥ and C/EBP␣. Using receptor-specific ligands, we determined that the effects of RA were mediated by liganded RA receptors (RARs) rather than retinoid X receptors. Preadipocytes expressed primarily RAR␣ and RAR␥; during adipocyte differentiation, RAR␣ gene expression was nearly constant, whereas RAR␥1 mRNA and protein levels dramatically decreased. Ectopic expression of RAR␥1 extended the period of effectiveness of RA by 24 to 48 h; RAR␣ expression had a similar effect, suggesting functional redundancy of RAR subtypes. Remarkably, RA inhibited differentiation when added after PPAR␥1 and PPAR␥2 proteins had already been expressed and resulted in the loss of PPAR␥ proteins from cells. By 72 to 96 h after the induction of differentiation, RA failed to prevent differentiation of even ectopic-RAR-expressing cells. Thus, the unresponsiveness of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to RA after the induction of differentiation is initially due to the reduction in cellular RAR concentration rather than to the induction of PPAR␥. At later times cells continue along the differentiation pathway in a manner which is RA and RAR independent.

Griffithsin (GRFT) is a lectin that has been shown to inhibit HIV infection by binding to high mannose glycan structures on the surface of gp120, and it is among the most potent HIV entry inhibitors reported so far. However, important biochemical details on the antiviral mechanism of GRFT action remain unexplored. In order to understand the role of the three individual carbohydrate-binding sites (CBS) in GRFT, mutations were made at each site (D30A, D70A, and D112A), and the resulting mutants were investigated. NMR studies revealed that each GRFT variant was folded but showed significant peak movement on the carbohydrate-binding face of the protein. The wild-type and each point mutant protein appeared as tight dimers with a K d below 4.2 μM. Mutation of any individual CBS on GRFT reduced binding of the protein to mannose, and ELISA assays revealed a partial loss of ability of each GRFT point mutant to bind gp120, with a near-complete loss of binding by the triple mutant D30A/D70A/D112A GRFT. A more quantitative surface plasmon resonance (SPR) examination showed a rather small loss of binding to gp120 for the individual GRFT point mutants (K D: 123 to 245 pM range versus 73 pM for wild-type GRFT), but dramatic loss of the triple mutant to bind gp120 derived from R5 and X4 strains (K D > 12 nM). In contrast to the 2- to 3-fold loss of binding to gp120, the single CBS point mutants of GRFT were significantly less able to inhibit viral infection, exhibiting a 26- to 1900-fold loss of potency, while the triple mutant was at least 875-fold less effective against HIV-1 infection. The disparity between HIV-1 gp120 binding ability and HIV inhibitory potency for these GRFT variants indicates that gp120 binding and virus neutralization do not necessarily correlate, and suggests a mechanism that is not based on simple gp120 binding.

No abstract

c Griffithsin (Grft) is a protein lectin derived from red algae that tightly binds the HIV envelope protein gp120 and effectively inhibits virus infection. This inhibition is due to the binding by Grft of high-mannose saccharides on the surface of gp120. Grft has been shown to be a tight dimer, but the role of the dimer in Grft's anti-HIV function has not been fully explored. To investigate the role of the Grft dimer in anti-HIV function, an obligate dimer of Grft was designed by expressing the protein with a peptide linker between the two subunits. This "Grft-linker-Grft" is a folded protein dimer, apparently nearly identical in structural properties to the wild-type protein. A "one-armed" obligate dimer was also designed (Grft-linker-Grft OneArm), with each of the three carbohydrate binding sites of one subunit mutated while the other subunit remained intact. While both constructed dimers retained the ability to bind gp120 and the viral surface, Grft-linker-Grft OneArm was 84-to 1,010-fold less able to inhibit HIV than wild-type Grft, while Grft-linker-Grft had near-wild-type antiviral potency. Furthermore, while the wild-type protein demonstrated the ability to alter the structure of gp120 by exposing the CD4 binding site, Grft-linker-Grft OneArm largely lost this ability. In experiments to investigate gp120 shedding, it was found that Grft has different effects on gp120 shedding for strains from subtype B and subtype C, and this might correlate with Grft function. Evidence is provided that the dimer form of Grft is critical to the function of this protein in HIV inhibition.

Binding of beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA) to the cloned rat mu opioid receptor expressed in COS-1 cells or Chinese hamster ovary cells was examined. beta-FNA bound to the mu receptor with high affinity. Irreversible binding of [3H]beta-FNA was defined as the binding that could not be dissociated by trichloroacetic acid. Na+ greatly enhanced the specific irreversible binding of [3H]beta-FNA to the mu receptor, which was concentration- and time-dependent. Specific irreversible binding of [3H]beta-FNA was potently inhibited by CTAP (a mu ligand), but not by ICI174,864 (a delta ligand) or U50,488H (a kappa ligand). These results indicate that [3H]beta-FNA binds irreversibly to the cloned mu opioid receptor. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography showed that [3H]beta-FNA-labeled receptors migrated as one broad and diffuse band with a mass of 80 kDa in Chinese hamster ovary or COS cells and as one band with a mass of 67 kDa in the rat brain preparation. Upon removal of N-linked carbohydrates, labeled receptors became a sharper band with a mass of approximately 40 kDa. [3H]beta-FNA did not bind irreversibly to the cloned rat kappa receptor. [3H]beta-FNA binding to four chimeric mu/kappa receptors was examined. The region from the middle of the third intracellular loop to the C terminus of the mu receptor is necessary for irreversible binding of beta-FNA.