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Summary Previous work has shown that a novel protein kinase is induced after infection of cultured cells with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Separately, it has been reported that the protein encoded by HSV-1 gene US3 shows similarity in its amino acid sequence to members of the protein kinase family of eukaryotes. We have investigated the possibility that these two observations are connected by preparing an antiserum to a synthetic oligopeptide corresponding to the carboxy-terminal eight amino acids of the US3 protein. This antiserum reacted on immunoblots with a polypeptide of apparent molecular weight 68000 from extracts of cells which had been infected with HSV-1. The antiserum also reacted strongly with a 68000 molecular weight species from a preparation of the novel HSV-1 protein kinase which had been extensively purified and resolved from other protein kinases. In addition, the purified preparation phosphory-lated a protein species, also of 68000 apparent molecular weight, when incubated with [γ-32P]ATP. These data are consistent with gene US3 encoding the novel protein kinase induced after infection of cells with HSV-1.

The studies that have been carried out to date suggest that protein S can function as a cofactor protein in the activated protein C catalyzed inactivation of Factor Va. This conclusion is supported by the observation that protein S and activated protein C can form a lipid bound complex that can inactivate Factor Va more rapidly than does soluble activated protein C. Protein S has a number of properties in common with other cofactor proteins. It has been isolated as a distinct entity from plasma, it has no known intrinsic activities, and its effect is maximal when it is bound to a lipid surface. Protein S appears to be important in the regulation of the plasma anticoagulant activity of activated protein C as well. This is supported by the lack of anticoagulant activity of activated protein C in protein S-depleted plasma and by the observation that protein S is important in the species specificity of the anticoagulant activity of the enzyme. Future work in this area is needed to ascertain if there are any clinical manifestations of protein S deficiencies that correlate with the cofactor activity that has been established.

The human ets-2 gene is a homolog of the v-ets oncogene of the E26 virus and codes for a 56-kilodalton nuclear protein. The ets-2 protein is phosphorylated and has a rapid turnover, with a half-life of 20 min. When human lymphocytic CEM cells were treated with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), the level of the ets-2 protein was quickly elevated 5- to 20-fold. This effect of TPA was mimicked by a synthetic diacylglycerol, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol, and was blocked by the protein kinase C inhibitor H7, indicating that protein kinase C is involved in the induction. The increase in the ets-2 protein was due to stabilization of the protein, because the protein had a half-life of more than 2 h in the presence of TPA and the ets-2 mRNA level did not increase significantly upon TPA treatment. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide enhanced the effect of TPA on the ets-2 protein and could itself slow turnover of the protein. Properties of the ets-2 protein, such as nuclear localization, phosphorylation, rapid turnover, and response to protein kinase C, indicate that this protein belongs to a group of oncogene proteins which are generally thought to have regulatory functions in the nucleus (e.g., myc, fos, myb, and p53). Our results suggest that protein kinase C, either directly or indirectly, regulates the level of the ets-2 protein by posttranslational mechanisms.

Thirteen monoclonal antibodies designated as MFC-1 to MFC-13 were obtained from hybridoma cells cloned after the fusion of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells of mice immunized with purified human protein C. Studies were made to determine where the antibodies bound to the molecule of protein C and whether they affected the biological actions of protein C. By using the immunoblotting technique, six of these antibodies were shown to bind to the light chain of protein C, and five to the heavy chain of protein C and also activated protein C. The remaining two antibodies bound to neither the light chain nor the heavy chain, though both antibodies bound to the intact protein C. Antibodies specific for the light chain did not bind to the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-domain. Two of the antibodies specific for the heavy chain (MFC-13 and -1) inhibited the amidolytic activity of activated protein C. The MFC-13 also inhibited the activity of bovine activated protein C, but not that of human Factor IXa, Factor Xa, or thrombin. In addition to these two antibodies, another one for the heavy chain (MFC-10) and two antibodies for the light chain (MFC-9 and -11) inhibited the inactivation of Factor Va by human activated protein C. One of the antibodies which inhibited the enzyme activity (MFC-1) blocked the inhibition of activated protein C by protein C inhibitor. Another one for the heavy chain (MFC-5) inhibited the activation of protein C by thrombin regardless of the presence or absence of thrombomodulin. Based on these results, we have established the positions of some monoclonal antibody-binding sites on the protein C molecule.

Four members of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) family (NFATC1, NFATC2, NFATC3, and NFATC4) are Ca2+-regulated transcription factors that regulate several processes in vertebrates, including the development and function of the immune, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems. Here we describe the structures and alternative splicing of the human and mouse NFAT genes, including novel splice variants for NFATC1, NFATC2, NFATC3, and NFATC4, and show the expression of different NFAT mRNAs in various mouse and human tissues and brain regions by RT-PCR. Our results show that alternatively spliced NFAT mRNAs are expressed differentially and could contribute to the diversity of functions of the NFAT proteins. Since NFAT family members are Ca2+-regulated and have critical roles in neuronal gene transcription in response to electrical activity, we describe the expression of NFATC1, NFATC2, NFATC3, and NFATC4 mRNAs in the adult mouse brain and in the adult human hippocampus using in situ hybridization and show that all NFAT mRNAs are expressed in the neurons of the mouse brain with specific patterns for each NFAT.

The subcellular localization of the mouse type IV c-abl protein was determined by indirect immunofluorescence of nontransformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts that overexpress the protein. Unlike the viral transforming protein p160gag/v-abl, which has cytoplasmic and plasma membrane localization, a large fraction of the c-abl (IV) protein is nuclear, with the remainder in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane. Deletion of a small N-terminal regulatory region of the c-abl (IV) protein, sufficient to activate its transforming potential fully, changes the distribution of the protein from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Mapping of an amino acid sequence responsible for the nuclear localization of the c-abl (IV) protein reveals a nuclear localization signal similar to that of SV40 large T antigen.

A protein kinase, associated with free cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles (free dRNP) has been purified from mouse plasma cell tumours. This protein kinase is able to phosphorylate in vitro endogenous protein from free dRNP. Some characteristics of this protein kinase have been studied. This protein kinase behaves as being cyclic AMP independent. The properties of this protein kinase were compared with other protein kinases: soluble, ribosome-bound, and nuclear protein kinases. Although there are minor differences it is very similar to a ribosome-associated protein kinase from the plasma cell tumours.

Background: We recently described increased NFATc1, IRF4, and NIP45 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of asthmatic children and adults with multiple allergies. Objective: NFATc2 has been described to associate with IRF4 to induce interleukin-4, and to be inhibited by T-bet. Here, we analyzed the role of NFATc2 in asthmatic children and adults. Methods: PBMCs were isolated from the blood of control of asthmatics subjects. Some PBMCs were analyzed untreated and some cultured with and without phytohemagglutinin. Then, RNA was extracted from the cells and cytokines were measured in the supernatants via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or multiplex analysis. RNA was then reverse-transcribed and NFATc1, NFATC2, IRF4, and T-bet mRNA were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, in peripheral blood cells, NFATc2 expression was analyzed, in a population of asthmatic children and adults from the Asthma BRIDGE study. Results: In addition to NFATc1 and NIP45, also NFATc2 was found upregulated in PBMCs and peripheral blood cells from asthmatic children and adults with allergic asthma. Moreover, NFATc1 directly correlated with lymphocytes number whereas NFATc2 correlated with peripheral eosinophilia in asthma. Conclusions: In addition to NFATc1 and NIP45, NFATc2 was found upregulated in asthma. Moreover, NFATc1 mRNA correlated with lymphocytes both in control and asthma, and NFATC1 and NFATc2 mRNA showed a direct correlation with eosinophils in controls but not in asthma, indicating that NFATc1 is associated with lymphocytes and not eosinophils in asthma. Clinical significance: Targeting NFATc2 in T lymphocytes might ameliorate the allergic phenotype in asthmatic subjects. Keywords: T cells; allergy processes; animals; eosinophils cells; human.

In lymphocytes, the three NFAT factors NFATc1 (also designated as NFAT2), NFATc2 (NFAT1) and NFATc3 (NFAT4 or NFATx) are expressed and are targets of immune receptor signals which lead to a rapid rise of intracellular Ca++, the activation of phosphatase calcineurin and to activation of cytosolic NFATc proteins. In addition to rapid activation of NFAT factors, immune receptor signals lead to accumulation of the short NFATc1/aA isoform in lymphocytes which controls their proliferation and survival. In this mini-review we summarize our current knowledge on the structure and transcription of the Nfatc1 gene in lymphocytes which is controlled by two promoters, two poly A addition sites and a remote downstream enhancer. The Nfatc1 gene resembles numerous primary response genes (PRGs) induced by LPS in macrophages. Similar to the PRG promoters, the Nfatc1 promoter region is organized in CpG islands, forms DNase I hypersensitive sites and is marked by histone tail modifications before induction. By studying gene induction in lymphocytes in detail it will be important to elucidate whether the properties of the Nfatc1 induction are not only typical for the Nfatc1 gene but also for other transcription factor genes expressed in lymphocytes.