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We investigated the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and dexamethasone (Dex) on the in vitro growth of the human myeloma cell line RPMI 8226. RA inhibited RPMI 8226 cell growth by both antiproliferative effect and induction of apoptosis. Typical morphological and biochemical characteristics of apoptosis including chromatin condensation, apoptotic bodies formation and internucleosomal DNA cleavage were detected after 4 days of treatment with 1 µM RA. In situ TUNEL assay demonstrated that DNA cleavage preceded chromatin condensation. The expression of tissue transglutaminase (tTG), an enzyme proposed to play a role in apoptosis was induced with RA, as shown by both enzymatic assay and in situ immunofluorescence detection. Dex, when used alone, had no effect on cell growth and apoptosis. When combined to RA, Dex did not interfere with the RA-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation, but unexpectedly inhibited both quantitatively and qualitatively several morphological and biochemical features of the apoptosis induced by RA. Dex did not affect RA-induced DNA breaks formation but impeded the progression of chromatin condensation and the formation of apoptotic bodies. Interestingly, Dex also inhibited the RAdependent induction of tTG. RU486, a glucocorticoid antagonist, counteracted all Dex effects. Taken together these data demonstrate that key cytoplasmic and nuclear events occurring during apoptosis are differentially regulated by RA and Dex in myeloma cell line RPMI 8226. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To extend our knowledge about the structural features of short scorpion toxins, the ion-exchange fractions obtained from Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus venom were investigated by plasma desorption mass spectrometry in order to select low molecular mass polypeptides. Three toxin-like peptides with molecular mass close to 3 kDa, named leiuropeptides I, II and III, were purified and found devoid of any significant toxicity against mammals and insects. Their amino acid sequences revealed a cysteine pattern analogous to that of short-chain scorpion toxins. The solution structure of leiuropeptide II was determined by 2D H-NMR spectroscopy and indicated the presence of a helix accomodating a proline, connected to a two-stranded β-sheet by three disulfide bonds. The overall fold of leiuropeptide II is found to be similar to that of leiurotoxin I, a 31-residue toxin present in the same scorpion venom which acts on K+ channels. In order to rationalize the absence of toxicity, the electrostatic potential of leiuropeptide II was compared to that of leiurotoxin I. The peptide is characterized by a large negative zone around Glu4, Asp5 and Asp8 residues, beginning in the neighbourhood of the β-turn and extending along the helix. In the same area, leiurotoxin I exhibits a positive surface, around Arg6 and Argl3 basic residues, which are essential for its receptor affinity. © Munksgaard 1997. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lqh-8/6 is a minor fraction isolated from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus. Here we describe the purification, amino acid sequencing and solution structure determination by NMR and molecular modeling of this peptide. Lqh-8/6 is a small polypeptide (38 residues) which contains 8 half-cystines and is highly similar to another venom component, chlorotoxin. Standard homonuclear methods were used to sequentially assign the proton NMR spectra and to collect spatial restraints for structure determination. Two populations, identified early in the assignment step, are in slow interconversion on the NMR timescale. The two conformers were shown to originate from a cis/trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerization. Using a distance geometry program and simulated annealing protocol under the NMR restraints we obtained 10 final structures for the major conformation (trans isomer). None of the structures showed NOE violations larger than 0.05 nm, and the rmsd value relative to the mean structure (considering the main chain atoms in well-defined secondary structure) is 0.07 nm. The three-dimensional structure contains a short α-helix strapped on a small antiparallel β-strand and an N-terminal extended fragment. The sequence/structure and structure/function relationships of the new scorpion toxin-like peptide are discussed in the context of the present structure determination. This toxin shows a stable, highly populated cis conformer of a peptidyl-prolyl peptide bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete amino acid sequence (125 residues) of sea urchin histone H2A has been established by structural studies of peptides derived from tryptic and chymotryptic cleavage of the maleylated protein and from thermolysin cleavage of the intact protein. By comparison with calf homologous histone, the basic amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal parts of the protein show 11 substitutions and 4 deletions. The remainder of the sequence, mostly hydrophobic, is almost completely unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]