Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the energy currency of all living cells and its production is a key reaction in the energy metabolism of living organisms. Cells produce most of the ATP they require through ATP synthase, a unique molecular rotary motor driven by the movement of protons across the lipid membrane. In E.coli, ATP synthase is composed of a soluble domain called F1, which houses the catalytic sites, and a transmembrane domain called F0 that shuttles protons across the membrane to drive ATP production in the F1 sector. The F0 domain is built of three subunit types: subunit a and a dimer of subunit b form the stator of the motor, while a decameric c ring forms the rotor. The dynamic interface between a and c10 forms the proton channel. The ultimate goal of this work is to determine the structure of the proton transport machinery and understand the molecular mechanism of proton translocation in ATP synthase. We have characterized some of the key events in the stepwise assembly of the F0--complex. We have designed and validated a model protein, consisting of genetically fused subunits a and c, for structural studies. We have made progress towards determining the structure of the proton channel, including the development of a novel procedure for purification of subunit a and the a/c fusion protein, and crystallization of subunit a. Medical applications of this work include the potential development of novel antibiotic compounds, as well as the characterization and potential treatment of three human diseases caused by disruptions in proton transport through F0.

Hemocytes are important as storage and producers of proteins of the innate immune defence, as well as actors of the cellular immune response. Therefore the hematopoietic process is critical for survival of most invertebrates. In order to search for molecules of importance for hemocyte development in crayfish we investigated proteins in crayfish plasma, which were increased after microbial challenge. As a result we were able to identify, purify and characterize a new invertebrate cytokine named astakine, and could clearly show that this protein is important for hematopoietic development in vivo as well as in an in vitro cell culture system. Astakine contains a prokineticin (PK) domain shown for the first time in an invertebrate, however, unlike the vertebrate PKs, astakine binds to a cell surface F1 ATP synthase β subunit located on the hematopoietic tissue (hpt) cell membranes. Extracellular ATP synthases as receptors have earlier been reported in different vertebrate cells and here we show that extracellular ATP synthase β subunit acts as a receptor for an invertebrate cytokine and is involved in hematopoiesis. We also found two other groups of proteins, which were increased in plasma after microbial challenge and they were further characterized. A great number of different Kazal type proteinase inhibitors were produced by the hemocytes and this type of proteinase inhibitors have variable reactive sites determining the specificity of their inhibition. In crayfish Kazal inhibitors with similar reactive sites were found as a response to specific microorganisms suggesting that the crayfish Kazal proteinase inhibitors may provide enough variability to participate in diverse innate immune reactions against different pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides were synthesized by the hemocytes and were likewise released in high amount upon microbial infection and we have characterized the main group of cystein-rich crustin-like antimicrobial peptides and investigated their tissue distribution and expression pattern.

Heidelberg, Universiẗat, Diss. : 1995.

Mitochondrial ATP synthase represents the final complex of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Its primary role is to utilize mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) generated by respiratory chain complexes to produce energy in the form of ATP. Mammalian ATP synthase comprises of 17 different subunits organized into membranous Fo and matrix-oriented F1 domains. Defects of complex V and their manifestation have been studied on mitochondrial, cellular, tissue and organism levels using different models, including human cell lines and cell lines derived from patient tissues. In many cases mitochondrial diseases display threshold behaviour, when genetic defect is phenotypically manifested only bellow certain threshold in particular enzyme complex activity and/or content. This work was aimed at elucidation of functional consequences of ATP synthase deficiency in HEK293 cell lines with suppressed gene expression of γ, δ or ε subunits of ATP synthase central stalk. We have analysed range of clones with respective subunits knockdown and found varying decrease in assembled ATP synthase content, which was mirrored by the decrease in individual ATP synthase subunits. The only exception was subunit Fo-c, whose levels remained unchanged or even increased. ATP...

O gênero Hypostomus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) com cerca de 130 espécies nominais, se destaca como um dos mais diversos e amplamente distribuídos gêneros de peixes de água doce neotropical. Devido a sua ampla distribuição e alta diversidade, os conhecimentos taxonômicos, filogenéticos e biogeográficos para as espécies do gênero são ainda consideravelmente incompletos. Consequentemente, pouco se sabe sobre processos naturais envolvidos em diversificação e variação morfológica para o gênero. Hypostomus ancistroides é uma espécie descrita para a bacia do Alto Paraná, uma eco-região hidrográfica tradicionalmente reconhecida por seu endemismo ictiofaunístico, ocorrendo também na bacia costeira do rio Ribeira de Iguape. Esta espécie apresenta considerável variação morfológica, cariotípica e isoenzimática em suas diferentes populações, sugerindo a existência de um complexo de espécies. Sua ampla área de distribuição, somada aos novos conhecimentos sobre padrões biogeográficos para diversas espécies de peixes do Alto Paraná, reforça essa possibilidade. Entretanto, a variação encontrada na morfologia das populações de H. ancistroides é ampla e contínua, impedindo que se defina diferentes espécies através das abordagens taxonômicas clássicas em ictiologia. Assim, este trabalho se propõe a utilizar ferramentas da sistemática molecular, genética de populações e filogeografia para responder questões fundamentais sobre a evolução desse potencial complexo de espécies. Sequências nucleotídicas completas do marcador mitocondrial ATP sintase (subunidades 6 e 8; 842 pb) foram obtidas para diversas espécies de Hypostomus, incluindo 162 exemplares de H. ancistroides provenientes de doze localidades abrangendo toda a sua área de ocorrência, além de outros gêneros da família Loricariidae, utilizados como grupos externos. Análises filogenéticas de Máxima Verossimilhança, Máxima Parcimônia e Neighbor Joining resultaram em topologias essencialmente semelhantes, sustentando a monofiletismo da espécie, e apontando como seus parentes mais próximos espécies de bacias hidrográficas adjacentes ao Alto Paraná. Esses resultados mostram ainda a existência de quatro filogrupos distintos para a espécie, com áreas de distribuição parcialmente sobrepostas. Análises populacionais e filogeográficas incluiram comparação de distância genética P, estruturação populacional baseada em distribuição de haplótipos e índices de diversidade, testes de neutralidade, índice de fixação FST, análise de variância molecular (AMOVA), análise espacial de variância molecular (SAMOVA), construção de rede haplotípica de parcimônia, e análise de clados hierarquizados (NCPA). Os resultados mostram 48 haplótipos repartidos em doze populações bem estruturadas, com baixo ou nenhum fluxo gênico entre si. Eventos de expansão geográfica podem ser identificados ao longo da história demográfica, sugerindo que a estruturação encontrada atualmente reflete não só as características ecológicas da espécie, como também uma história de mudanças nas condições ambientais, eventualmente favoráveis a migração e dispersão. Contatos entre populações de diferentes bacias podem ser mais frequentes através de capturas de cabeceiras do que ao longo do corpo dos rios principais. A hipótese mais plausível para a presença da espécie na bacia do Ribeira é a de uma captura de cabeceira do alto rio Tietê. Apesar de ser formado por quatro filogrupos distintos, algumas linhagens derivadas de H. ancistroides apresentam sobreposição de suas áreas de distribuição. Esse contato secundário revelado apenas por um marcador de herança matrilineal impossibilita a delimitação de diferentes espécies correspondentes aos filogrupos, sob os paradigmas clássicos de especiação em peixes neotropicais. / The genus Hypostomus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), comprising ca. 130 nominal species, is one of the most species-rich and widely distributed genera of neotropical freshwater fish. Because of its wide distribution and vast diversity, knowledge on the taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Hypostomus is still severely incomplete. Consequently, little is known about the processes involved in the diversification and morphological variation for the genus. Hypostomus ancistroides is a species described from the upper Rio Paraná drainage, a freshwater ecoregion known for its ichthyological endemism, also occurring in the coastal basin of Rio Ribeira de Iguape. This species shows considerable morphological, karyotypic and isoenzimatic variation among different populations, suggesting the existence of a species complex. Its wide distribution area, coupled with recent understanding on biogeographic patterns of several fish species from the Upper Parana, reinforces that possibility. However, morphological variation in populations of H. ancistroides is wide and continuous, and does not allow recognition of potential different species by means of traditional taxonomic approaches. Thus, this paper uses tools from molecular systematics, population genetics, and phylogeography in order to answer major questions about the evolution of this potential species complex. Complete sequences of the mitochondrial marker ATP synthase (subunits 6 and 8; 842 bp) were obtained for several species of Hypostomus, including 162 specimens of H. ancistroides from twelve localities covering its entire area of distribution, plus other loricariid genera as outgroups. Phylogenetic analysis using methods of Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Parsimony, Neighbor Joining and Bayesian Inference resulted in mostly similar topologies, supporting the monophyly of the species, and showing as its closest relatives other species from river basins bordering the Upper Parana. Results also reveal four distinct phylogroups for the species, with partially overlapping distribution areas. Population and phylogeographic analysis included comparisons of genetic distance P, population structure based on the haplotype distribution and diversity indices, neutrality tests, fixation index FST, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA), construction of a parsimony haplotype network, and nested clade phylogeographical analysis (NCPA). Results show 48 haplotypes distributed into twelve well-structured populations with little or no gene flow. Geographic range expansion events can be identified along the demographic history of H. ancistroides, suggesting that the structure found today reflects not only the ecology of the species, but also a history of changing environmental conditions that on occasion weree favorable for migration and dispersal. Contact between populations from differente basins may be more intense through headwater stream capture than through the river channel. The most supported hypothesis for the presence of the species in the Rio Ribeira basin is a headwater capture from the upper Rio Tiete. Although H. ancistroides is split into four distinct phylogroups, some derived lineages of the species have overlapping distribution ranges. Such secondary contact is revealed only by a matrilineal inheritance marker and does not allow the recognition of separate species for the different phylogroups under the current paradigm of speciation and species limits in Neotropical fishes.

Inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) is one of the major regulators of mitochondrial ATP synthase activity, a key enzyme of energy metabolism. Its inhibitory effects are known in conditions such as hypoxia or starvation, but the hypothesis that IF1 inhibits ATP synthase activity even under physiological conditions is still not entirely accepted. Disorders of ATP synthase regulation can be fatal to the cell and have been described, for example, in carcinogenesis and ischemia. It has also been found that silencing of the IF1 gene in pancreatic β-cells increases insulin secretion, and thus, IF1 may be important in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The goal of this work is to summarize the current knowledge about the IF1 protein and to obtain new results that will help elucidate the mechanism by which this protein regulates mitochondrial ATP synthase. Specifically, this work deals with the ratio of IF1 protein to ATP synthase in pancreatic β-cells, depending on different culture conditions. It further investigates the occurrence of post-translational modifications of the IF1 protein in pancreatic β-cells (INS- 1E model cells), which may play a role in the regulation of IF1 activity. It also deals with the cellular ATP/ADP ratio, which is one of the key factors for insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells. An...

Postnatal adaptation of neonate to extrauterine life is among others dependent on maturation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS). It depends on effective mitochondrial biogenesis during fetal developement. The inadequate capacity of mitochondrial OXPHOS system plays an important role in the neonatal mortality and morbidity. Therefore the study of mitochondrial biogenesis on molecular and biochemical level is important to improve the care of very premature neonates, especially critically ill premature neonates. This thesis has been worked out in The laboratory for study of mitochondrial disorders (Department of Pediatrics, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague). The thesis is based on molecular genetic analyses, which are focused on characterisation of ATP synthase gene expression and on changes in mitochondrial DNA content during human and rat fetal development. The results provide the better insight into mitochondrial respectively ATP synthase biogenesis during human and rat fetal development.

This study demonstrates the requirement of Asp-380 and Asp-386 in the βDELSEED-motif of Escherichia coli ATP synthase for peptide binding and inhibition. We studied the inhibition profiles of wild-type and mutant E. coli ATP synthase in presence of c-terminal amide bound melittin and melittin related peptide. Melittin and melittin related peptide inhibited wild-type ATPase almost completely while only partial inhibition was observed in single mutations with replacement of Asp to Ala, Gln, or Arg. Additionally, very little or no inhibition occurred among double mutants βD380A/βD386A, βD380Q/βD386Q, or βD380R/βD386R signifying that removal of one Asp residue allows limited peptide binding. Partial or substantial loss of oxidative phosphorylation among double mutants demonstrates the functional requirement of βD380 and βD386 Asp residues. Moreover, abrogation of wild-type E. coli cell growth and normal growth of mutant cells in presence of peptides provides strong evidence for the requirement of βDELSEED-motif Asp residues for peptide binding. It is concluded that while presence of one Asp residue may allow partial peptide binding, both Asp residues, βD380 and βD386, are essential for proper peptide binding and inhibition of ATP synthase.

Die mit der in dieser Arbeit entwickelten Rekonstitutionsmethode gemessenen Protonentranslokationsraten erreichen physiologisch relevante Werte und liegen ca. eine Größenordnung über Messungen, die mit vergleichbaren Methoden erzielt wurden. - Die Stöchiometrie der Untereinheit c ist in vitro vom Verhältnis der Untereinheiten a, b und c abhängig. Das bedeutet, dass bei einer Rekonstitution mit verringerter Menge an Untereinheit c Fo-Komplexe mit einheitlich weniger c-Untereinheiten entstehen. Das deutet darauf hin, dass der Fo-Komplex möglicherweise mit verschiedenen c-Stöchiometrien Protonen translozieren kann und dass die Stöchiometrie der Untereinheit c einen Einfluss auf die Protonentranslokationsrate des Fo-Komplexes haben könnte. - Die Stöchiometrie der Untereinheit c im FoF1-Komplex ist in vivo von der Expressionsrate ihres Gens weitgehend unabhängig. - Das unterschiedliche Verhalten der c-Stöchiometrie bei Variation der relativen c-Menge in vitro und in vivo legen einen Regulationsmechanismus in der Zelle nahe, der die Stöchiometrie der Untereinheit c je nach physiologischer Notwendigkeit einstellt und der unabhängig von der Expressionsrate der Untereinheit c arbeitet.

Die F-ATP-Synthase nutzt die elektrochemische Differenz des Protons über eine Membran zur Synthese von ATP. Sie setzt sich aus dem katalytisch aktiven F1-Teil und dem membranständigen FO-Teil zusammen. In FO wird durch die protonenmotorische Kraft (pmf) ein Drehmoment erzeugt, das zur Synthese von ATP in den 3 katalytischen Untereinheiten genutzt wird. Mechanisch gesehen besteht das Motorenzym aus einem Rotor, der sich gegen einen Stator dreht. Ein an FO gekoppeltes Actinfilament diente als Reporter für die Orientierung und Biegsamkeit der Rotoruntereinheiten. Das molekulare Koordinatensystem, gewonnen aus der Kristallstruktur der mitochondrialen F-ATP-Synthase, wurde mit den Koordinatensystem des aktiven Enzyms aus E. coli korreliert. Das ATP hydrolysierende Enzym wartet auf die Bindung von ATP, gefolgt von einem 80°-Schritt. Anschließend wird während des katalytischen Wartezustands ATP hydrolysiert, gefolgt von einem 40°-Schritt. Mittels einer Disulfidbrücke zwischen Rotor und Stator wurde das aktive Enzym in einer Orientierung festgehalten, die der Kristallstruktur entspricht. Diese Orientierung stimmt mit der Stellung des aktiven Enzyms sowohl im katalytischen Wartezustand als auch im ADP-inhibierten Zustand überein. In der Kristallstruktur sind 2 katalytische Zentren mit Nukleotiden besetzt. Dagegen sind im aktiven Enzym während der katalytischen Pause alle 3 katalytischen Zentren besetzt. Durch Schließen von Disulfidbrücken zwischen Rotor und Stator wurden die inneren Elastizitätsparameter des inhibierten und elastisch relaxierten Enzyms anhand des Ausschlags des Actinfilaments bestimmt. Der elastisch biegsame Bereich liegt zwischen den Angriffspunkten der thermodynamischen Kräft, d.h. der pmf in FO und dem Phophatpotential in F1. Die Energie des Drehmoments wird in den Rotoruntereinheiten elastisch gespeichert und anschließend für die Synthese von ATP genutzt. Die elastische Kopplung sorgt für eine hohe kinetische Effizienz und eine hohe Umsatzrate.