Under stress: Changes in stress of the polymer matrix in a protein–polymer hybrid material result in changes of conformation of the protein complex, thus resulting in a damage‐reporting material (see picture). The reporter is an engineered chaperonin that covalently entraps a pair of fluorescent proteins. Deformation of the chaperonin leads to a change in fluorophore distance and a change in the fluorescene resonance energy transfer (FRET) signal.
Staphylococcus aureus is a dangerous human pathogen whose antibiotic resistance is steadily increasing and no efficient vaccine is as yet available. This serious threat drives extensive studies on staphylococcal physiology and pathogenicity pathways, especially virulence factors. Spl (serine protease-like) proteins encoded by an operon containing up to six genes are a good example of poorly characterized secreted proteins probably involved in virulence. In the present study, we describe an efficient heterologous expression system for SplA and detailed biochemical and structural characterization of the recombinant SplA protease. The enzyme shares a significant sequence homology to V8 protease and epidermolytic toxins which are well documented staphylococcal virulence factors. SplA has a very narrow substrate specificity apparently imposed by the precise recognition of three amino acid residues positioned N-terminal to the hydrolysed peptide bond. To explain determinants of this extended specificity we resolve the crystal structure of SplA and define the consensus model of substrate binding. Furthermore we demonstrate that artificial N-terminal elongation of mature SplA mimicking a naturally present signal peptide abolishes enzymatic activity. The probable physiological role of the process is discussed. Of interest, even though precise N-terminal trimming is a common regulatory mechanism among S1 family enzymes, the crystal structure of SplA reveals novel significantly different mechanistic details.
Purpose-Tumor hypoxia has long been known to produce resistance to radiation. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oxygen imaging was investigated for its power to predict the success of tumor control depending on tumor oxygenation level and radiation therapy dose.Methods and Materials-Thirty-four EPR oxygen images were obtained from the legs of C3H mice bearing 0.5 ml FSa fibrosarcomas under both normal (air breathing) and clamped tumor conditions. Under the same conditions as those during which the images were obtained, tumors were irradiated to a variety doses near the FSa TCD 50 . Tumor tissue was distinguished from normal tissue using co-registration of the EPR oxygen images with spin-echo MRI images of the tumor and/or stereotactic localization. Tumor voxel statistics in the EPR oxygen image included mean and median pO 2 , and the fraction of tumor voxels below the specified pO 2 values of 3, 6 and 10 torr. Bivariate logistic regression analysis using radiation dose and each of the EPR oxygen image statistics determined which best separated treatment failure from success.Results and Conclusions-TCD 50 measurements were similar to those found in the literature for this syngeneic tumor. Bivariate analysis of 34 tumors demonstrated that tumor cure correlated with dose (p=0.004) and with <10 torr hypoxic fraction (p=0.023). Together, radiation dose and EPR image hypoxic fraction separate the population of FSa fibrosarcomas which are cured from those which fail, thus predicting curability.
The negative regulation of p53, a major human tumor suppressor, by Mdm2 and Mdmx is crucial for the survival of a cell, whereas its aberrant function is a common feature of cancer. Both Mdm proteins act through the spatial occlusion of the p53 transactivation (TA) domain and by the ubiquitination of p53, resulting in its degradation. Two p53 homologues, p63 and p73, have been described in humans. Unlike p53, these proteins regulate developmental processes rather than genome stability. Both p63 and p73 contain TA domains homologous to that of p53, but relatively little is known about their regulation by Mdm2 or Mdmx. Here, we present a detailed characterization of the interaction of Mdm2 and Mdmx with the TA domains of p63 and p73. Earlier reports of Mdm2 and Mdmx interactions with p73 are substantiated by the detailed quantitative characterization reported in this study. Most importantly, earlier contradictions concerning the presumed interaction of the Mdm proteins with p63 are convincingly resolved and for the first time, the affinities of these interactions are determined. Finally, the contribution of these findings to our understanding of the physiological role of these interactions is discussed.
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