scholarly journals New Family of Regulators in the Environmental Signaling Pathway Which Activates the General Stress Transcription Factor ςB of Bacillus subtilis

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (4) ◽  
pp. 1329-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samina Akbar ◽  
Tatiana A. Gaidenko ◽  
Choong Min Kang ◽  
Mary O'Reilly ◽  
Kevin M. Devine ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Expression of the general stress regulon of Bacillus subtilis is controlled by the alternative transcription factor ςB, which is activated when cells encounter growth-limiting energy or environmental stresses. The RsbT serine-threonine kinase is required to convey environmental stress signals to ςB, and this kinase activity is magnified in vitro by the RsbR protein, a positive regulator important for full in vivo response to salt or heat stress. Previous genetic analysis suggested that RsbR function is redundant with other unidentified regulators. A search of the translated B. subtilis genome found six paralogous proteins with significant similarity to RsbR: YetI, YezB, YkoB, YojH, YqhA, and YtvA. Their possible regulatory roles were investigated using three different approaches. First, genetic analysis found that null mutations in four of the six paralogous genes have marked effects on the ςB environmental signaling pathway, either singly or in combination. The two exceptions wereyetI and yezB, adjacent genes which appear to encode a split paralog. Second, biochemical analysis found that YkoB, YojH, and YqhA are specifically phosphorylated in vitro by the RsbT environmental signaling kinase, as had been previously shown for RsbR, which is phosphorylated on two threonine residues in its C-terminal region. Both residues are conserved in the three phosphorylated paralogs but are absent in the ones that were not substrates of RsbT: YetI and YezB, each of which bears only one of the conserved residues; and YtvA, which lacks both residues and instead possesses an N-terminal PAS domain. Third, analysis in the yeast two-hybrid system suggested that all six paralogs interact with each other and with the RsbR and RsbS environmental regulators. Our data indicate that (i) RsbR, YkoB, YojH, YqhA, and YtvA function in the environmental stress signaling pathway; (ii) YtvA acts as a positive regulator; and (iii) RsbR, YkoB, YojH, and YqhA collectively act as potent negative regulators whose loss increases ςB activity more than 400-fold in unstressed cells.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Qi Zhang ◽  
Qingqiang Dai ◽  
Maneesh Kumarsing Beeharry ◽  
Zhenqiang Wang ◽  
Liping Su ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Gastric Cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths and mortality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) such as SNHG12 play important roles in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers. However, the role and significanve of SNHG12 in the metastasis of GC has not yet been thoroughly investigated.Methods: The SNHG12 expression pattern was detected in GC tissue samples from our faculty and cell lines using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. In vivo and in vitro gain and loss assays were conducted to observe the effects of SNHG12 regulation on GC cell metastasis potential. The underlying mechanisms of SNHG12 regulation on EMT and metastatic potential of GC cells were further determined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, western blotting, dual luciferase reporter assays, co-immunoprecipitation, immunoprecipitation, RIP assays, TOPFlash/FOPFlash reporter assays and Ch-IP assays.Results: SNHG12 was upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines. The expression levels of SNHG12 in GC samples was significantly related to tumor invasion depth, TNM staging and lymph node metastasis, and was associated with poorer DFS and OS in the GC patients. SNHG12 was significantly highly expressed in peritoneal metastatic tissues from GC patients and mice subjects, suggesting a possible role of SNHG12 in peritoneal carcinomatosis from GC. Further in vivo and in vitro gain and loss assays indicated that SNHG12 promoted GC metastasis and EMT. Based on hypothetical bioinformatic analysis findings, our mechanistic analyses revealed that miR-218-5p was a direct target of SNHG12 and suggested that both SNHG12 and miR-218-5p could collectively regulate YWHAZ, forming the SNHG12/ miR-218-5p/YWHAZ axis, hereby decreasing the ubiquitination of β-catenin, thus activating the β-catenin signaling pathway and facilitating metastasis and EMT. Further analysis also revealed that the transcription factor YY1 could negatively modulate SNHG12 transcription.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that SNHG12 is be a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for GC. Negatively modulated by transcription factor YYI, SNHG12 promotes GC metastasis and EMT by regulating the miR-218-5p/YWHAZ axis and hence activating the β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, we discovered high SNHG12 expression could be related to peritoneal carcinomatosis from GC but this requires further validation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (19) ◽  
pp. 10246-10253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Yang ◽  
Shun Deng ◽  
Xuegao Wei ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Qiannan Zhao ◽  
...  

The evolution of insect resistance to pesticides poses a continuing threat to agriculture and human health. While much is known about the proximate molecular and biochemical mechanisms that confer resistance, far less is known about the regulation of the specific genes/gene families involved, particularly by trans-acting factors such as signal-regulated transcription factors. Here we resolve in fine detail the trans-regulation of CYP6CM1, a cytochrome P450 that confers resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-directed activation of the transcription factor cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB). Reporter gene assays were used to identify the putative promoter of CYP6CM1, but no consistent polymorphisms were observed in the promoter of a resistant strain of B. tabaci (imidacloprid-resistant, IMR), which overexpresses this gene, compared to a susceptible strain (imidacloprid-susceptible, IMS). Investigation of potential trans-acting factors using in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that the bZIP transcription factor CREB directly regulates CYP6CM1 expression by binding to a cAMP-response element (CRE)-like site in the promoter of this gene. CREB is overexpressed in the IMR strain, and inhibitor, luciferase, and RNA interference assays revealed that a signaling pathway of MAPKs mediates the activation of CREB, and thus the increased expression of CYP6CM1, by phosphorylation-mediated signal transduction. Collectively, these results provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of xenobiotic responses in insects and implicate both the MAPK-signaling pathway and a transcription factor in the development of pesticide resistance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 931-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Wang ◽  
Di Liang ◽  
Zhonghui Zhu ◽  
Xiaoli Li ◽  
Guoliang An ◽  
...  

Silica induced EMT and decreased the expression of BMP-7 in vivo and in vitro, while exogenous BMP-7 promoted MET and inhibited silica-induced EMT associated with inhibition of the p38 MAPK/transcription factor (TF) signaling pathway in RLE-6TN cells.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 1120-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Susanna ◽  
A. F. van der Werff ◽  
C. D. den Hengst ◽  
B. Calles ◽  
M. Salas ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The development of genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis is regulated by a complex signal transduction cascade, which results in the synthesis of the competence transcription factor, encoded by comK. ComK is required for the transcription of the late competence genes that encode the DNA binding and uptake machinery and of genes required for homologous recombination. In vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that ComK is responsible for transcription activation at the comG promoter. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of this transcription activation. The intrinsic binding characteristics of RNA polymerase with and without ComK at the comG promoter were determined, demonstrating that ComK stabilizes the binding of RNA polymerase to the comG promoter. This stabilization probably occurs through interactions with the upstream DNA, since a deletion of the upstream DNA resulted in an almost complete abolishment of stabilization of RNA polymerase binding. Furthermore, a strong requirement for the presence of an extra AT box in addition to the common ComK-binding site was shown. In vitro transcription with B. subtilis RNA polymerase reconstituted with wild-type α-subunits and with C-terminal deletion mutants of the α-subunits was performed, demonstrating that these deletions do not abolish transcription activation by ComK. This indicates that ComK is not a type I activator. We also show that ComK is not required for open complex formation. A possible mechanism for transcription activation is proposed, implying that the major stimulatory effect of ComK is on binding of RNA polymerase.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Linhao Xu ◽  
Yanli Bi ◽  
Yizhou Xu ◽  
Yihao Wu ◽  
Xiaoxue Du ◽  
...  

Our previous study showed that growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GAD153/CHOP) plays an important role in intermittent hypoxia- (IH-) induced apoptosis and impaired synaptic plasticity. This study is aimed at determining which signaling pathway is activated to induce CHOP and the role of this protein in mitochondria-dependent apoptosis induced by IH. In the in vivo study, mice were placed in IH chambers for 8 h daily over a period of 2 weeks; the IH chambers had oxygen (O2) concentrations that oscillated between 10% and 21%, cycling every 90 s. In the in vitro study, PC12 cells were exposed to 21% O2 (normoxia) or 8 IH cycles (25 min at 21% O2 and 35 min at 0.1% O2 for each cycle). After 2 weeks of IH treatment, we observed that the expression levels of phosphorylated protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (p-PERK), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF-4) and phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (p-elf2α), were increased, but the levels of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE-1) were not increased. GSK2606414, a specific chemical inhibitor of the PERK pathway, reduced the expression of p-PERK, ATF-4, p-elf2α, and CHOP and rescued ER structure. In addition, Bax and Bak accumulated in the mitochondria after IH treatment, which induced cytochrome c release and initiated apoptosis. These effects were prevented by GSK2606414 and CHOP shRNA. Finally, the impaired long-term potentiation and long-term spatial memory in the IH group were rescued by GSK2606414. Together, the data from the in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that IH-induced apoptosis and impaired synaptic plasticity were mediated by the PERK-ATF-4-CHOP pathway. Suppressing PERK-ATF-4-CHOP signaling pathway attenuated mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by reducing the expression of Bax and Bak in mitochondria, which may serve as novel adjunct therapeutic strategy for ameliorating obstructive sleep apnea- (OSA-) induced neurocognitive impairment.


2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (22) ◽  
pp. 6109-6114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana A. Gaidenko ◽  
Tae-Jong Kim ◽  
Chester W. Price

ABSTRACT Loss of the PrpC serine-threonine phosphatase and the associated PrkC kinase of Bacillus subtilis were shown to have opposite effects on stationary-phase physiology by differentially affecting cell density, cell viability, and accumulation of β-galactosidase from a general stress reporter fusion. These pleiotropic effects suggest that PrpC and PrkC have important regulatory roles in stationary-phase cells. Elongation factor G (EF-G) was identified as one possible target of the PrpC and PrkC pair in vivo, and purified PrpC and PrkC manifested the predicted phosphatase and kinase activities against EF-G in vitro.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (16) ◽  
pp. 6021-6027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Campo ◽  
David Z. Rudner

ABSTRACT The proteolytic activation of the mother cell transcription factor pro-σK is controlled by a signal transduction pathway during sporulation in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The pro-σK processing enzyme SpoIVFB, a membrane-embedded metalloprotease, is held inactive by two other integral membrane proteins, SpoIVFA and BofA, in the mother cell membrane that surrounds the forespore. Two signaling serine proteases, SpoIVB and CtpB, trigger pro-σK processing by cleaving the regulatory protein SpoIVFA. The SpoIVB signal is absolutely required to activate pro-σK processing and is derived from the forespore compartment. CtpB is necessary for the proper timing of σK activation and was thought to be a mother cell signal. Here, we show that the ctpB gene is expressed in both the mother cell and forespore compartments but that synthesis in the forespore under the control of σG is both necessary and sufficient for the proper timing of pro-σK processing. We further show that SpoIVB cleaves CtpB in vitro and in vivo but that this cleavage does not appear to be necessary for CtpB activation. Thus, both signaling proteins are made in the forespore and independently target the same regulatory protein.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth N Corry ◽  
D Alan Underhill

To date, the majority of the research regarding eukaryotic transcription factors has focused on characterizing their function primarily through in vitro methods. These studies have revealed that transcription factors are essentially modular structures, containing separate regions that participate in such activities as DNA binding, protein–protein interaction, and transcriptional activation or repression. To fully comprehend the behavior of a given transcription factor, however, these domains must be analyzed in the context of the entire protein, and in certain cases the context of a multiprotein complex. Furthermore, it must be appreciated that transcription factors function in the nucleus, where they must contend with a variety of factors, including the nuclear architecture, chromatin domains, chromosome territories, and cell-cycle-associated processes. Recent examinations of transcription factors in the nucleus have clarified the behavior of these proteins in vivo and have increased our understanding of how gene expression is regulated in eukaryotes. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding sequence-specific transcription factor compartmentalization within the nucleus and discuss its impact on the regulation of such processes as activation or repression of gene expression and interaction with coregulatory factors.Key words: transcription, subnuclear localization, chromatin, gene expression, nuclear architecture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Liu ◽  
Meng Zhou ◽  
Xiangchun Li ◽  
Xining Zhang ◽  
Qinghua Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractThere is a male preponderance in gastric cancer (GC), which suggests a role of androgen and androgen receptor (AR). However, the mechanism of AR signaling in GC especially in female patients remains obscure. We sought to identify the AR signaling pathway that might be related to prognosis and examine the potential clinical utility of the AR antagonist for treatment. Deep learning and gene set enrichment analysis was used to identify potential critical factors associated with gender bias in GC (n = 1390). Gene expression profile analysis was performed to screen differentially expressed genes associated with AR expression in the Tianjin discovery set (n = 90) and TCGA validation set (n = 341). Predictors of survival were identified via lasso regression analyses and validated in the expanded Tianjin cohort (n = 373). In vitro and in vivo experiments were established to determine the drug effect. The GC gender bias was attributable to sex chromosome abnormalities and AR signaling dysregulation. The candidates for AR-related gene sets were screened, and AR combined with miR-125b was associated with poor prognosis, particularly among female patients. AR was confirmed to directly regulate miR-125b expression. AR-miR-125b signaling pathway inhibited apoptosis and promoted proliferation. AR antagonist, bicalutamide, exerted anti-tumor activities and induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, using GC cell lines and female patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. We have shed light on gender differences by revealing a hormone-regulated oncogenic signaling pathway in GC. Our preclinical studies suggest that AR is a potential therapeutic target for this deadly cancer type, especially in female patients.


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