In Alzheimer's disease and spongiform encephalopathies proteins transform from their native states into fibrils. We find that several amyloid-forming proteins harbor an ␣-helix in a polypeptide segment that should form a ␤-strand according to secondary structure predictions. In 1324 nonredundant protein structures, 37 ␤-strands with >7 residues were predicted in segments where the experimentally determined structures show helices. These discordances include the prion protein

Liver X receptors (Lxrα and Lxrβ) are ligand-dependent nuclear receptors critical for ventral midbrain neurogenesis in vivo. However, no endogenous midbrain Lxr ligand has so far been identified. Here we used LC/MS and functional assays to identify cholic acid as a new Lxr ligand. Moreover, 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol (24,25-EC) was found to be the most potent and abundant Lxr ligand in the developing mouse midbrain. Both Lxr ligands promoted neural development in an Lxr-dependent manner in zebrafish in vivo. Notably, each ligand selectively regulated the development of distinct midbrain neuronal populations. Whereas cholic acid increased survival and neurogenesis of Brn3a-positive red nucleus neurons, 24,25-EC promoted dopaminergic neurogenesis. These results identify an entirely new class of highly selective and cell type-specific regulators of neurogenesis and neuronal survival. Moreover, 24,25-EC promoted dopaminergic differentiation of embryonic stem cells, suggesting that Lxr ligands may thus contribute to the development of cell replacement and regenerative therapies for Parkinson's disease.

Lung surfactant protein C (SP-C) is a lipopeptide that contains two fatty acyl (palmitoyl) chains bound via intrinsically labile thioester bonds. SP-C can transform from a monomeric K K-helix into L L-sheet aggregates, reminiscent of structural changes that are supposed to occur in amyloid fibril formation. SP-C is here shown to form amyloid upon incubation in solution. Furthermore, one patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP, a rare disease where lung surfactant proteins and lipids accumulate in the airspaces) and six healthy controls have been studied regarding presence and composition of amyloid fibrils in the cell-free fraction of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Abundant amyloid fibrils were found in BAL fluid from the patient with PAP and, in low amounts, in three of the six healthy controls. SDS-insoluble fibrillar material associated with PAP mainly consists of SP-C, in contrast to the fibrils found in controls. Fibrillated SP-C has to a significant extent lost the palmitoyl groups, and removal of the palmitoyl groups in vitro increases the rate of fibril formation.z 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Pulmonary surfactant contains two hydrophobic proteins, SP-B and SP-C. With the aim of identifying synthetic SP-B and SP-C substitutes for replacement therapy of respiratory distress syndromes, we have studied two transmembrane peptides and two amphipathic peptides that are located in the plane of a phospholipid bilayer. One amphipathic peptide was designed by changing the amino acid sequence, but not the composition or size, of the 21-residue peptide KL 4 . This peptide, designated KL 2.3 from its spacing of nonpolar and polar residues, exhibited similar A-helical content as KL 4 but was oriented along a phospholipid bilayer plane, in contrast to the transmembrane orientation of KL 4 in the same environment. The second amphipathic peptide analyzed was succinyl-LLEKLLEWLK-amide (WMAP10). KL 4 more efficiently accelerated the spreading of a mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (Pam 2 -GroPCho)/phosphatidylglycerol (PtdGro)/palmitic acid (PamOH), 68:22:9 (by mass), at an air/water interface than did any of the amphipathic peptides. Similarly, KL 4 , but not KL 2.3 , when present in an interfacial monolayer composed of Pam 2GroPCho/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol, 7: 3 (by mass), increased lipid insertion from subphase vesicles.An SP-C analogue, SP-C(Leu), with all helical valyl residues in native SP-C replaced with Leu and the palmitoylcysteines at positions 5 and 6 replaced with Ser, but otherwise with essentially the same primary structure as the native peptide, was analyzed. SP-C(Leu) exhibited similar A-helical content as native SP-C and a transmembrane orientation and, in contrast to poly-valyl-containing synthetic peptides, it folds into a helical conformation after acid-induced denaturation. SP-C(Leu) accelerated the spreading of Pam 2 GroPCho/PtdGro/PamOH, 68:22:9 (by mass), almost identically to native SP-C, and lowered the surface tension during rapid cyclic film compressions in a pulsating bubble surfactometer to near zero and 43 mN/m at minimum and maximum bubble size, respectively. Airway instillation of 2% (by mass) SP-C(Leu) combined with Pam 2 GroPCho/PtdGro/PamOH in preterm rabbit fetuses improved dynamic lung compliance by about 30% compared with untreated controls.Keywords : pulmonary surfactant; surfactant protein B ; surfactant protein C ; transmembrane peptide; amphipathic peptide.

High-throughput microfluidic processing of protein digests integrated with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry on a compact disk (CD) is described. Centrifugal force moves liquid through multiple microstructures, each containing a 10-nL reversed-phase chromatography column. The CD enables parallel preparation of 96 samples with volumes ranging from one to several microliters. The peptides in the digests are concentrated, desalted, and subsequently eluted from the columns directly into MALDI target areas (200 x 400 microm) on the CD using a solvent containing the MALDI matrix. After crystallization, the CD is inserted into the MALDI instrument for peptide mass fingerprinting and database identification at a routine sensitivity down to the 200-amol level. Detection of proteolytic peptides down to the 50-amol level is demonstrated. The success rate of the CD technology in protein identification is about twice that of the C(18) ZipTips and standard MALDI steel targets. The CDs are operated using robotics to transfer samples and reagents from microcontainers to the processing inlets on the disposable CD and spinning to control the movement of liquid through the microstructures.

Purpose Currently, the most commonly used chelator for labelling antibodies with 89 Zr for immunoPET is desferrioxamine B (DFO). However, preclinical studies have shown that the limited in vivo stability of the 89 Zr-DFO complex results in release of 89 Zr, which accumulates in mineral bone. Here we report a novel chelator DFOcyclo*, a preorganized extended DFO derivative that enables octacoordination of the 89 Zr radiometal. The aim was to compare the in vitro and in vivo stability of [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFOcyclo*, [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO* and [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO. Methods The stability of 89 Zr-labelled chelators alone and after conjugation to trastuzumab was evaluated in human plasma and PBS, and in the presence of excess EDTA or DFO. The immunoreactive fraction, IC 50 , and internalization rate of the conjugates were evaluated using HER2-expressing SKOV-3 cells. The in vivo distribution was investigated in mice with subcutaneous HER2 + SKOV-3 or HER2 − MDA-MB-231 xenografts by PET/CT imaging and quantitative ex vivo tissue analyses 7 days after injection. Results 89 Zr-labelled DFO, DFO* and DFOcyclo* were stable in human plasma for up to 7 days. In competition with EDTA, DFO* and DFOcyclo* showed higher stability than DFO. In competition with excess DFO, DFOcyclo*-trastuzumab was significantly more stable than the corresponding DFO and DFO* conjugates ( p < 0.001). Cell binding and internalization were similar for the three conjugates. In in vivo studies, HER2 + SKOV-3 tumour-bearing mice showed significantly lower bone uptake ( p < 0.001) 168 h after injection with [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFOcyclo*-trastuzumab (femur 1.5 ± 0.3%ID/g, knee 2.1 ± 0.4%ID/g) or [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO*-trastuzumab (femur 2.0 ± 0.3%ID/g, knee 2.68 ± 0.4%ID/g) than after injection with [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-trastuzumab (femur 4.5 ± 0.6%ID/g, knee 7.8 ± 0.6%ID/g). Blood levels, tumour uptake and uptake in other organs were not significantly different at 168 h after injection. HER2 − MDA-MB-231 tumour-bearing mice showed significantly lower tumour uptake ( p < 0.001) after injection with [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFOcyclo*-trastuzumab (16.2 ± 10.1%ID/g) and [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-trastuzumab (19.6 ± 3.2%ID/g) than HER2 + SKOV-3 tumour-bearing mice (72.1 ± 14.6%ID/g and 93.1 ± 20.9%ID/g, respectively), while bone uptake was similar. Conclusion 89 Zr-labelled DFOcyclo* and DFOcyclo*-trastuzumab...

We studied the A-band photodissociation of bromoiodomethane, CH 2 BrI, in acetonitrile solution at room temperature by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. Initiated by the 266 nm light, this reaction leads to the CH 2 Br-I isomer, most likely produced via in-cage recombination of the CH 2 Br and I photofragments. The isomer is formed vibrationally excited with a time constant of ∼7.5 ps and the hottest isomer molecules are observed as early as 1 ps after the UV excitation. Vibrational relaxation of the isomer molecules takes place on two distinct time scales of a few and ∼40 ps. The ground-state lifetime of the isomer is about 2.5 ns.

International audienceThe newly synthesized surfactant protein C precursor (proSP-C) is an integral endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein with a single metastable polyVal α-helical transmembrane domain that comprises two thirds of the mature peptide. More than 20 mutations in the ER-lumenal, C-terminal domain of proSP-C (CTC), are associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD), and some of the mutations cause intracellular accumulation of cytotoxic protein aggregates and a corresponding decrease in mature SP-C. Here it is shown that (i) human embryonic kidney cells expressing the ILD associated mutants proSP-CL188Q and proSP-CΔExon4 accumulate Congo red positive amyloid-like inclusions, while cells transfected with the mutant proSP-CI73T do not, (ii) transfection of CTC into cells expressing proSP-CL188Q results in a stable CTC/proSP-CL188Q complex, increased proSP-CL188Q half life and reduced formation of Congo red positive deposits, (iii) replacement of the metastable polyVal transmembrane segment with a stable polyLeu likewise prevents formation of amyloid-like proSP-CL188Q aggregates, and (iv) binding of recombinant CTC to non-helical SP-C blocks SP-C amyloid fibril formation. These data suggest that CTC can prevent the polyVal segment of proSP-C from promoting formation of amyloid-like deposits during biosynthesis, by binding to non-helical conformations. Mutations in the Brichos domain of proSP-C may lead to ILD via loss of CTC chaperone function