Voltage-activated Ca2+ channels exist as multigene families that share common structural features. Different Ca2+ channels are distinguished by their electrophysiology and pharmacology and can be classified as either low or high voltage-activated channels. Six alpha1 subunit genes cloned previously code for high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels; therefore, we have used a database search strategy to identify new Ca2+ channel genes, possibly including low voltage-activated (T-type) channels. A novel expressed sequence-tagged cDNA clone of alpha1G was used to screen a cDNA library, and in the present study, we report the cloning of alpha1H (or CavT.2), a low voltage-activated Ca2+ channel from human heart. Northern blots of human mRNA detected more alpha1H expression in peripheral tissues, such as kidney and heart, than in brain. We mapped the gene, CACNA1H, to human chromosome 16p13.3 and mouse chromosome 17. Expression of alpha1H in HEK-293 cells resulted in Ca2+ channel currents displaying voltage dependence, kinetics, and unitary conductance characteristic of native T-type Ca2+ channels. The alpha1H channel is sensitive to mibefradil, a nondihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blocker, with an IC50 of 1.4 micromol/L, consistent with the reported potency of mibefradil for T-type Ca2+ channels. Together with alpha1G, a rat brain T-type Ca2+ channel also cloned in our laboratory, these genes define a unique family of Ca2+ channels.

The functional specificity of type 1 protein phosphatases (PP1) depends on the associated regulatory/targeting and inhibitory subunits. To gain insights into the mechanism of PP1 regulation by inhibitor-2, an ancient and intrinsically disordered regulator, we solved the crystal structure of the complex to 2.5Å resolution. Our studies show that, when complexed with PP1c, I-2 acquires three regions of order: site 1, residues 12-17, binds adjacent to a region recognized by many PP1 regulators; site 2, amino acids 44 -56, interacts along the RVXF binding groove through an unsuspected sequence, KSQKW; and site 3, residues 130 -169, forms ␣-helical regions that lie across the substratebinding cleft. Specifically, residues 148 -151 interact at the catalytic center, displacing essential metal ions, accounting for both rapid inhibition and slower inactivation of PP1c. Thus, our structure provides novel insights into the mechanism of PP1 inhibition and subsequent reactivation, has broad implications for the physiological regulation of PP1, and highlights common inhibitory interactions among phosphoprotein phosphatase family members.

The regulatory-targeting subunit (R GL , also called G M ) of the muscle-specific glycogen-associated protein phosphatase PP1G targets the enzyme to glycogen where it modulates the activity of glycogen-metabolizing enzymes. PP1G/R GL has been postulated to play a central role in epinephrine and insulin control of glycogen metabolism via phosphorylation of R GL . To investigate the function of the phosphatase, R GL knockout mice were generated. Animals lacking R GL show no obvious defects. The R GL protein is absent from the skeletal and cardiac muscle of null mutants and present at ϳ50% of the wild-type level in heterozygotes. Both the level and activity of C1 protein are also decreased by ϳ50% in the R GL -deficient mice. In skeletal muscle, the glycogen synthase (GS) activity ratio in the absence and presence of glucose-6-phosphate is reduced from 0.3 in the wild type to 0.1 in the null mutant R GL mice, whereas the phosphorylase activity ratio in the absence and presence of AMP is increased from 0.4 to 0.7. Glycogen accumulation is decreased by ϳ90%. Despite impaired glycogen accumulation in muscle, the animals remain normoglycemic. Glucose tolerance and insulin responsiveness are identical in wild-type and knockout mice, as are basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptakes in skeletal muscle. Most importantly, insulin activated GS in both wild-type and R GL null mutant mice and stimulated a GS-specific protein phosphatase in both groups. These results demonstrate that R GL is genetically linked to glycogen metabolism, since its loss decreases PP1 and basal GS activities and glycogen accumulation. However, PP1G/R GL is not required for insulin activation of GS in skeletal muscle, and rather another GS-specific phosphatase appears to be involved.In recent years, the generality that the activity of the type 1 serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PP1) is dictated by the associated noncatalytic subunits has emerged. These ancillary proteins are thought to target the catalytic component (C1) to distinct subcellular locales in proximity to substrates, to confer specificity, and to regulate activity (10,21,33,41). To date, more than 30 C1-binding polypeptides have been identified that direct the enzyme to a variety of subcellular structures, including glycogen (6,24,25,49,59,60), myosin (2), ribosomes (31), nuclei (4, 13), and neuronal structures (5). A subset of C1-binding proteins includes inhibitory proteins such as inhibitors 1 and 2 (48, 67) and DARPP-32 (46). Four C1-glycogen-targeting subunits are presently known. R GL , also called G M , was the first glycogen-binding subunit of PP1 identified (59), and the corresponding holoenzyme, PP1G/ R GL , consists of the 124-kDa R GL protein (60) in association with C1. R GL is exclusively expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle (37, 60). The NH 2 -terminal 240 amino acids contain binding sites for glycogen and C1 (64), whereas a hydrophobic region between residues 1063 and 1097 in the COOH terminus anchors the protein to membrane (45,60). Of the other three glycoge...

MALDI-TOF MS suggested that the high molecular weight proanthocyanidin (condensed tannin) from persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) pulp comprised a heteropolyflavanol series with flavan-3-O-galloylated extenders, flavan-3-ol and flavonol terminal units, and A-type interflavan linkages. Thiolysis-HPLC-ESI-MS with DAD, electrochemical, and ESI-MS detection confirmed a previously unreported terminal unit, the flavonol myricetin, in addition to the typical flavan-3-ols catechin and epigallocatechin gallate. The extender units were epicatechin, epigallocatechin, (epi)gallocatechin-3-O-gallate, and (epi)catechin-3-O-gallate. The crude tannin had a high prodelphinidin content (65%) and a high degree of 3-O-galloylation (72%). The material was fractionated on Toyopearl TSK-HW-50-F to yield fractions distinguished by degree of polymerization (DP). Thiolysis suggested that the persimmon tannin was composed of polymers ranging from 7 to 20 kDa (DP 19-47), but sizes estimated by GPC were 50-70% smaller. The crude material was chemically degraded with acid to yield products that were amenable to NMR and ESI-MS analysis, which were used to establish for the first time that persimmon tannin has a mixture of B-type and A-type linkages.

In vitro glycorandomization (IVG) technology is dependent upon the ability to rapidly synthesize sugar phosphates. Compared with chemical synthesis, enzymatic (kinase) routes to sugar phosphates would be attractive for this application. This work focuses upon the development of a high-throughput colorimetric galactokinase (GalK) assay and its application toward probing the substrate specificity and kinetic parameters of Escherichia coli GalK. The demonstrated dinitrosalicylic assay should also be generally applicable to a variety of sugar-processing enzymes. [reaction: see text]

Necroptosis has been discovered as a new paradigm of cell death and may play a key role in heart disease and selenium (Se) deficiency. Hence, we detected the specific microRNA (miRNA) in response to Se-deficient heart using microRNAome analysis. For high-throughput sequencing using Se-deficient chicken cardiac tissue, we selected miR-200a-5p and its target gene ring finger protein 11 (RNF11) based on differential expression in cardiac tissue and confirmed the relationship between miR-200a-5p and RNF11 by dual luciferase reporter assay and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) in cardiomyocytes. We further explored the function of miR-200a-5p and observed that overexpression of miR-200a-5p spark the receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 3 (RIP3)-dependent necroptosis in vivo and in vitro. To understand whether miR-200a-5p and RNF11 are involved in the RIP3-dependent necroptosis pathway, we presumed that oxidative stress, inflammation response and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway might trigger necroptosis. Interestingly, necroptosis trigger, z-VAD-fmk, failed to induce necroptosis but enhanced cell survival against necrosis in cardiomyocytes with knockdown of miR-200a-5p. Our present study provides a new insight that the modulation of miR-200a-5p and its target gene might block necroptosis in the heart, revealing a novel myocardial necrosis regulation model in heart disease.

The predominant MRSA clones in China were associated with characteristic antimicrobial resistance profiles. Antibiotics for treating patients with MRSA infections can be selected based on the strain typing data.

In vitro glycorandomization is a rapid chemoenzymatic strategy to diversify complex natural product scaffolds. The glycorandomization sugar activation pathway is dependent upon the efficient construction of diverse sugar-1-phosphate libraries. In the context of the previously evolved GalK Y371H "gatekeeper" mutation, the active site M173L mutation described herein presents a kinase with remarkably broadened substrate range to include 28 diverse natural and unnatural sugars. Among these new substrates, 6-azido-6-deoxy-galactose and 6-azido-6-deoxy-glucose present unique chemical probes to assess the utility of an E. coli Y371H/M173L-GalK-overproducing strain to generate unnatural sugar-1-phosphates in vivo. Remarkably, the in vivo conversion of both unnatural sugars rival that demonstrated in vitro. This notable in vivo success stands as the first step toward constructing short sugar-activation pathways in vivo and, ultimately, in vivo natural-product glycorandomization.