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The Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm system is a type IV secretion apparatus that transfers bacterial proteins into eukaryotic host cells. The RalF protein is a substrate engaged and translocated into host cells by the Dot/Icm system. In this study, the mechanism of Dot/Icm-mediated translocation of RalF has been investigated. It was determined that RalF translocation into host cells occurs before bacterial internalization. Sequences essential for RalF translocation were located at the C terminus of the RalF protein. A fusion protein consisting of a 20-aa C-terminal RalF peptide appended to the calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase domain of the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase protein was translocated into host cells by the Dot/Icm system. A leucine (L372) residue at the -3 position in relation to the RalF C terminus was critical for translocation. Consistent with RalF L372 playing an important role in substrate recognition by the Dot/Icm system, most other Dot/Icm substrates were found to have amino acid residues with similar physical properties at their -3 or -4 C-terminal positions. These data demonstrate that the Dot/Icm system can transfer bacterial proteins that modulate host cellular functions before uptake and indicate that substrate recognition involves a C-terminal translocation signal. Thus, Legionella has the ability to engage synthesized substrate proteins and transfer them into host cells on contact, enabling Legionella to rapidly alter transport of the vacuole in which it resides.

The Legionella pneumophila protein RalF is secreted into host cytosol via the Dot/Icm type IV transporter where it acts to recruit ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) to pathogen-containing phagosomes in the establishment of a replicative organelle. The presence in RalF of the Sec7 domain, present in all Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors, has suggested that recruitment of Arf is an early step in pathogenesis. We have determined the crystal structure of RalF and of the isolated Sec7 domain and found that RalF is made up of two domains. The Sec7 domain is homologous to mammalian Sec7 domains. The C-terminal domain forms a cap over the active site in the Sec7 domain and contains a conserved folding motif, previously observed in adaptor subunits of vesicle coat complexes. The importance of the capping domain and of the glutamate in the "glutamic finger," conserved in all Sec7 domains, to RalF functions was examined using three different assays. These data highlight the functional importance of domains other than Sec7 in Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors to biological activities and suggest novel mechanisms of regulation of those activities.

ADP ribosylation factors (Arfs) are members of a family of Ras-related GTPases that regulate a wide variety of intracellular signaling pathways, including the regulation of membrane traffic and organelle morphology. Arfs perform these functions through interactions with Arf-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), and effectors. Signaling phosphatidylinositides, most commonly phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P(2)) or phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P(3)), have been shown previously to regulate the activities of a number of these regulators and effectors of Arf. The ability of Arf itself to bind these same phosphatidylinositides also has been reported previously, though without much structural detail. We investigated the ability of human Arf1.GDP (Arf1.GDP) to bind myo-inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate (I(1,4,5)P(3)), the soluble headgroup for PI(4,5)P(2), and a short acyl-chain soluble PI(4,5)P(2) analogue using heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC)-based NMR techniques. A patch of positive electrostatic potential on the surface of Arf1.GDP is identified as being directly involved in ligand binding, but structural and stability changes extending to the N-terminal helix and nucleotide-binding site of Arf1 are also documented. The identified binding site and the resultant structural changes are discussed in terms of a possible influence of phosphatidylinositides on the binding of Arf1 to Arf1-GEF and subsequent nucleotide release.

Conformational changes associated with nucleotide exchange or truncation of the N-terminal alpha-helix of human Arf1 have been investigated by using forms of easily acquired NMR data, including residual dipolar couplings and amide proton exchange rates. ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) are 21-kDa GTPases that regulate aspects of membrane traffic in all eukaryotic cells. An essential component of the biological actions of Arfs is their ability to reversibly bind to membranes, a process that involves exposure of the myristoylated N-terminal amphipathic alpha-helix upon activation and GTP binding. Deletion of this helix results in a protein, termed Delta17Arf1, that has a reduced affinity for GDP and the ability to bind GTP in the absence of lipids or detergents. Previous studies, comparing crystal structures for Arf1.GDP and Delta17Arf1.GTP, identified several regions of structural variation and suggested that these be associated with nucleotide exchange rather than removal of the N-terminal helix. However, separation of conformational changes because of nucleotide binding and N-terminal truncation cannot be addressed in comparing these structures, because both the bound nucleotide and the N terminus differ. Resolving the two effects is important as any structural changes involving the N terminus may represent membrane-mediated conformational adjustments that precede GTP binding. Results from NMR experiments presented here on Arf1.GDP and Delta17Arf1.GDP in solution reveal substantial structural differences that can only be associated with N-terminal truncation.

We have previously reported the identification of the cyclic enterobacterial common antigen (ECA(CYC)) polysaccharide in E. coli strains commonly used for heterologous protein expression (PJA Erbel et al., J. Bacteriol. 185 (2003): 1995). Following this initial report, interactions among several NMR groups established that characteristic N -acetyl signals of ECA(CYC) have been observed in (15)N-(1)H HSQC spectra of samples of various bacterially-expressed proteins suggesting that this water-soluble carbohydrate is a common contaminant. We provide NMR spectroscopic tools to recognize ECA(CYC) in protein samples, as well as several methods to remove this contaminant. Early recognition of ECA-based NMR signals will prevent time-consuming analyses of this copurifying carbohydrate.

Structures were determined by x-ray crystallography for two members of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) family of regulatory GTPases, yeast ARF1 and ARL1, and were compared with previously determined structures of human ARF1 and ARF6. These analyses revealed an overall conserved fold but differences in primary sequence and length, particularly in an N-terminal loop, lead to differences in nucleotide and divalent metal binding. Packing of hydrophobic residues is central to the interplay between the N-terminal alpha-helix, switch I, and the interswitch region, which along with differences in surface electrostatics provide explanations for the different biophysical and biochemical properties of ARF and ARF-like proteins.

A variant of the particle repositioning maneuver was used in a patient diagnosed as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the horizontal canal. The patient was treated initially with Lempert's maneuver, but a paradoxical response was elicited by videonystagmography so we had to develop a maneuver adapted to the location of the patients otoliths. The likely physiopathology is discussed in the light of videonystagmographic events.

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are essential and ubiquitous in eukaryotes, being involved in vesicular transport and functioning as an activator of phospholipase D (refs 1, 2) and cholera toxin. The functions of ARF proteins in membrane traffic and organelle integrity are intimately tied to its reversible association with membranes and specific interactions with membrane phospholipids. One common feature of these functions is their regulation by the binding and hydrolysis of GTP. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of full-length human ARF1 (M(r) 21,000) in its GDP-bound non-myristoylated form. The presence of a unique amino-terminal alpha-helix and loop, together with differences in Mg2+ ligation and the existence of a non-crystallographic dimer, set this structure apart from other GTP-binding proteins. These features provide a structural basis for the GTP-dependent modulation of membrane affinity, the lack of intrinsic GTPase activity, and the nature of effector binding surfaces.

Patient selection criteria, auditory results, complications, and patient satisfaction as related to implantation of an Audiant prosthesis in 1991-1992 are analyzed. We report our experience with this late-generation prosthesis in three patients compared with an earlier model implanted.

Recent evidence has shown that sexual steroids are able to modify the activity of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. Most of this evidence has been obtained from the individual effects of these hormones, but there is less information about possible interrelationships between both. In order to further explore this question, ovariectomized adult rats were submitted to estradiol (E2) or vehicle injections during 3 days and, at the third day, were also submitted to a single injection of progesterone (P) or vehicle at 4, 10, 24 and 32 h before decapitation. Additionally, the effect of injections of 2-hydroxyestradiol (2OH-E2), which has been involved as local mediator in the effects of E2, was also examined. The two striata of each animal were removed and used for determination of number and affinity of dopamine D2-receptors, using [3H]spiroperidol as ligand. Administration of E2 produced a significant reduction in the number of striatal dopaminergic receptors 10 h after the last steroid injection, which was followed by an increase at 24 h. Administration of P briefly decreased the number of dopaminergic receptors at 4 h after the steroid injection. This effect was not observed in animals pretreated with E2, in which administration of P produced an apparent increase 24 h after the steroid treatment. On the other hand, the 2-hydroxylated derivative of E2 does not seem to mediate in the stimulatory action of this estrogen, since it was unable to increase the number of dopaminergic receptors by itself or priming the action of P. The affinity of dopaminergic receptors for [3H]spiroperidol was not significantly altered after all the steroid treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

There is little evidence that reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography can be successfully used in the analysis of protected peptide segments. The use of C18 and CN packings and mobile phases containing water-acetonitrile with or without propionic acid in the separation of complex mixtures of synthetic protected peptides is reported. CN packings show a lower efficiency and exhibit poorer resolution than C18 packings but provide different separations. The addition of propionic acid to the mobile phase increases the retention time of peptides but also provides dramatic and useful changes in selectivity. Retention is not related to the molecular mass of the protected peptides but mainly to their hydrophobicity.