The 26 S proteasome is the central protease involved in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation and fulfills vital regulatory functions in eukaryotes. The proteolytic core of the complex is the 20 S proteasome, a cylindrical particle with two outer rings each made of 7 different ␣-type subunits and two inner rings made of 7 different ␤-type subunits. In the archaebacterial 20 S proteasome ancestor proteolytically active sites reside in the 14 uniform ␤-subunits. Their N-terminal threonine residues, released by precursor processing, perform the nucleophilic attack for peptide bond hydrolysis. By directed mutational analysis of 20 S proteasomal ␤-type proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identified three active site-carrying subunits responsible for different peptidolytic activities as follows: Pre3 for post-glutamyl hydrolyzing, Pup1 for trypsin-like, and Pre2 for chymotrypsin-like activity. Double mutants harboring only trypsin-like or chymotrypsin-like activity were viable. Mutation of two potentially active site threonine residues in the Pre4 subunit excluded its catalytic involvement in any of the three peptidase activities. The generation of different, incompletely processed forms of the Pre4 precursor in active site mutants suggested that maturation of non-active proteasomal ␤-type subunits is exerted by active subunits and occurs in the fully assembled particle. This trans-acting proteolytic activity might also account for processing intermediates of the active site mutated Pre2 subunit, which was unable to undergo autocatalytic maturation.The proteasome is a large multi-subunit proteinase complex found in the cytoplasm and nucleus of all eukaryotic cells examined so far. This "proteolytic organelle" fulfills vital cellular functions. As part of the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation machinery, it is responsible not only for the elimination of misfolded proteins, including those derived from the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (1), it also controls a multitude of regulatory processes by removing unnecessary or even harmful metabolic enzymes and by balancing the levels of many regulatory proteins (for reviews see Refs. 2-4). Proteasomes exist as particles of 20 S and of 26 S. The 26 S complex of Ϸ2000 kDa is composed of the 20 S particle of Ϸ700 kDa as a proteolytic core unit and two regulatory 19 S caps that dock onto each side of the 20 S cylinder and confer ATP and ubiquitin dependence onto proteasomal protein degradation (2, 3, 5-7).A 20 S proteasome ancestor was isolated from the archaebacterium Thermoplasma acidophilum which exhibits an electron microscopic structure like the eukaryotic proteasome core but a much simpler subunit complexity. Extensive structural studies on this complex (8 -11) were completed by its x-ray crystallographic resolution (12). Two related subunits, ␣ and ␤, form a stack of four heptameric rings, whereby the two outer rings are composed of ␣-subunits and the two inner rings of ␤-subunits. Four narrow gates arranged along the cylinder axis give rise to three cavities...

Covalent attachment of activated products of the third component of complement to antigen enhances its immunogenicity, but the mechanism is not clear. This effect is mediated by specific receptors, mCR1 (CD35) and mCR2 (CD21), expressed primarily on B cells and follicular dendritic cells in mice. To dissect the role of mCR1 and mCR2 in the humoral response, we have disrupted the Cr2 locus to generate mice deficient in both receptors. The deficient mice (Cr2-/-) were found to have a reduction in the CD5+ population of peritoneal B-1 cells, although their serum IgM levels were within the range of normal mice. Moreover, Cr2-/- mice had a severe defect in their humoral response to T-dependent antigens that was characterized by a reduction in serum antibody titers and in the number and size of germinal centers within splenic follicles. Reconstitution of the deficient mice with bone marrow from MHC-matched Cr2+/+ donors corrected the defect, demonstrating that the defect was due to B cells themselves. These results indicate an obligatory role of B cell complement receptors in responses of the B cells to protein antigens.

Platelets have been implicated in accelerated bone regeneration in grafting applications. The beneficial effects of platelets may involve their ability to stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts. We therefore determined the mitogenic response of human trabecular bone-derived cells to human platelets and supernatants of thrombin-activated platelets. We can show a approximately 50-fold increase in DNA-synthesis of bone cells (BC) cultured in the presence of platelets as determined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation. Preventing cell-to-cell contact by a membrane filter did not abrogate the stimulatory effect, indicating the release of soluble factor(s) that are mitogenic for BC. The lipid fraction of the platelets had no effect on [3H]-thymidine uptake into the DNA of BC. Platelet-released supernatant (PRS) increased the rate of [3H]-thymidine incorporation to approximately 20-fold and retained 56% of their activity after incubation at 56 degrees C, and 27% at 100 degrees C, respectively. Neutralizing antibodies raised against platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) partially suppressed the mitogenic potential of PRS. Gel exclusion chromatography analysis showed that molecules ranging from 25 kDa to more than 70 kDa within the PRS can stimulate BC proliferation. The highest amount of PDGF was detected in fractions corresponding to a molecular weight of 28-37 kDa as determined by immunoassay. The mitogenic activity was not restricted to soluble growth factors because microparticles in the PRS and platelet membranes also increased BC proliferation. Our data indicate that native platelets, the respective PRS, microparticles, and platelet membranes can stimulate the mitogenic activity of BC, thereby contributing to the regeneration of mineralized tissue.