No description available.

No description available.

Plants possess integrated signalling networks that mediate the responses to various environmental conditions. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) constitute a highly conserved family of enzymes in eukaryotes, and in plants MAPK-based signal transduction modules regulate a large number of physiological processes, including responses to environmental stresses and phytohormones. Regulated dephosphorylation of active MAPKs is a key component of the control of MAPK signalling cascades, and in mammals, members of the MAPK phosphatase (MKP) sub-class of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphatases have been recognized as key players for inactivating MAPKs. Five MKP homologues are found in Arabidopsis thaliana, but only limited information is available concerning their properties and biological roles. Based on initial data derived from my reverse genetics and protein interaction studies of these five potential MKPs, as well as gene function information in the literature, I chose to focus on two putative Arabidopsis MKPs, AtMKP2 and Indole-3-Butyric Acid-response 5 (IBR5). By using a combination of genetic and biochemical studies, I established that the previously uncharacterized MKP designated AtMKP2, participates in the regulation of cellular homeostasis in ozone-challenged tissue, and can influence the activation state of two MAPKs, MPK3 and MPK6. AtMKP2-suppressed plants displayed significantly prolonged MPK3 and MPK6 activation during ozone treatment, and recombinant AtMKP2 was able to dephosphorylate both phospho-MPK3 and phospho-MPK6 in vitro, providing direct evidence that AtMKP2 may target these oxidant-activated MAPKs. A mutation in IBR5, one of the five potential AtMKPs, was previously reported to confer reduced sensitivity to auxin and ABA in Arabidopsis. My protein interaction studies demonstrated that IBR5 and MPK12 are physically coupled and that the C-terminus of MPK12 is essential for its interaction with IBR5. In vitro dephosphorylation assays indicated that recombinant phosphoMPK12 is efficiently dephosphorylated by IBR5. In transgenic plants with reduced expression of the MPK12 gene, root growth is hypersensitive to exogenous auxins, consistent with the lower auxin sensitivity reported for ibr5 mutants. Taken together, my data demonstrate for the first time that both AtMKP2 and IBR5 are bona fide Arabidopsis MAPK phosphatases and that they serve as important regulators of oxidative stress and auxin signalling, respectively, in Arabidopsis.

Plants possess integrated signalling networks that mediate the responses to various environmental conditions. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) constitute a highly conserved family of enzymes in eukaryotes, and in plants MAPK-based signal transduction modules regulate a large number of physiological processes, including responses to environmental stresses and phytohormones. Regulated dephosphorylation of active MAPKs is a key component of the control of MAPK signalling cascades, and in mammals, members of the MAPK phosphatase (MKP) sub-class of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphatases have been recognized as key players for inactivating MAPKs. Five MKP homologues are found in Arabidopsis thaliana, but only limited information is available concerning their properties and biological roles. Based on initial data derived from my reverse genetics and protein interaction studies of these five potential MKPs, as well as gene function information in the literature, I chose to focus on two putative Arabidopsis MKPs, AtMKP2 and Indole-3-Butyric Acid-response 5 (IBR5). By using a combination of genetic and biochemical studies, I established that the previously uncharacterized MKP designated AtMKP2, participates in the regulation of cellular homeostasis in ozone-challenged tissue, and can influence the activation state of two MAPKs, MPK3 and MPK6. AtMKP2-suppressed plants displayed significantly prolonged MPK3 and MPK6 activation during ozone treatment, and recombinant AtMKP2 was able to dephosphorylate both phospho-MPK3 and phospho-MPK6 in vitro, providing direct evidence that AtMKP2 may target these oxidant-activated MAPKs. A mutation in IBR5, one of the five potential AtMKPs, was previously reported to confer reduced sensitivity to auxin and ABA in Arabidopsis. My protein interaction studies demonstrated that IBR5 and MPK12 are physically coupled and that the C-terminus of MPK12 is essential for its interaction with IBR5. In vitro dephosphorylation assays indicated that recombinant phosphoMPK12 is efficiently dephosphorylated by IBR5. In transgenic plants with reduced expression of the MPK12 gene, root growth is hypersensitive to exogenous auxins, consistent with the lower auxin sensitivity reported for ibr5 mutants. Taken together, my data demonstrate for the first time that both AtMKP2 and IBR5 are bona fide Arabidopsis MAPK phosphatases and that they serve as important regulators of oxidative stress and auxin signalling, respectively, in Arabidopsis.

Plants possess integrated signalling networks that mediate the responses to various environmental conditions. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) constitute a highly conserved family of enzymes in eukaryotes, and in plants MAPK-based signal transduction modules regulate a large number of physiological processes, including responses to environmental stresses and phytohormones. Regulated dephosphorylation of active MAPKs is a key component of the control of MAPK signalling cascades, and in mammals, members of the MAPK phosphatase (MKP) sub-class of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphatases have been recognized as key players for inactivating MAPKs. Five MKP homologues are found in Arabidopsis thaliana, but only limited information is available concerning their properties and biological roles. Based on initial data derived from my reverse genetics and protein interaction studies of these five potential MKPs, as well as gene function information in the literature, I chose to focus on two putative Arabidopsis MKPs, AtMKP2 and Indole-3-Butyric Acid-response 5 (IBR5). By using a combination of genetic and biochemical studies, I established that the previously uncharacterized MKP designated AtMKP2, participates in the regulation of cellular homeostasis in ozone-challenged tissue, and can influence the activation state of two MAPKs, MPK3 and MPK6. AtMKP2-suppressed plants displayed significantly prolonged MPK3 and MPK6 activation during ozone treatment, and recombinant AtMKP2 was able to dephosphorylate both phospho-MPK3 and phospho-MPK6 in vitro, providing direct evidence that AtMKP2 may target these oxidant-activated MAPKs. A mutation in IBR5, one of the five potential AtMKPs, was previously reported to confer reduced sensitivity to auxin and ABA in Arabidopsis. My protein interaction studies demonstrated that IBR5 and MPK12 are physically coupled and that the C-terminus of MPK12 is essential for its interaction with IBR5. In vitro dephosphorylation assays indicated that recombinant phosphoMPK12 is efficiently dephosphorylated by IBR5. In transgenic plants with reduced expression of the MPK12 gene, root growth is hypersensitive to exogenous auxins, consistent with the lower auxin sensitivity reported for ibr5 mutants. Taken together, my data demonstrate for the first time that both AtMKP2 and IBR5 are bona fide Arabidopsis MAPK phosphatases and that they serve as important regulators of oxidative stress and auxin signalling, respectively, in Arabidopsis. / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

Clostridium perfringens is a versatile pathogen capable of causing a wide array of diseases, ranging from clostridial food poisoning to tissue infections such as gas gangrene. An important factor in virulence as well as in the distribution of C. perfringens is its ability to form an endospore. The symptoms of C. perfringens food poisoning are directly correlated to the release of an enterotoxin at the end of the sporulation process. The sporulation process in C. perfringens is subject to carbon catabolite repression (CCR) by sugars, especially glucose. CCR is a regulatory pathway that alters transcription based on carbon source availability. In Gram-positive bacteria, the HPr kinase/phosphatase is responsible for this nutritional sensing by phosphorylating or dephosphorylating the serine-46 residue of HPr. HPr-Ser-P then forms a complex with the transcriptional regulator CcpA to regulate transcription. We were able to show here that purified recombinant C. perfringens HPr kinase/phosphatase was able to phosphorylate the serine-46 residue of HPr. When the codon for this serine residue is mutated through PCR mutagenesis to encode alanine, phosphorylation could not take place. We have also shown that in gel retardation assays, CcpA and HPr-Ser-P were able to bind to two DNA fragments containing putative C. perfringens CRE-sites, sequences where CcpA binds to regulate transcription. The genome sequence of a food poisoning strain of C. perfringens was searched for potential CRE-sites using degenerate sequences designed to match those CRE-sites CcpA was shown to bind. DNA fragments containing these newly identified CRE-sites were then used in gel retardation assays to determine whether CcpA binds to these CRE-sites, making them candidates for CCR regulation. These results, combined with comparisons of metabolic characteristics of a ccpA- strain versus wild-type C. perfringens, provide evidence that CcpA participates in the regulation of carbon catabolite repression in the pathogenic bacterium C. perfringens / Master of Science

Thesis MSc (Physiological Sciences))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ischaemic heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and is also largely contributing to deaths in Africa. Better treatment or even prevention of ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the heart, necessitates a better understanding of the molecular pathways and mechanisms of cell death. Three types of cell death can occur in the diseased myocardium. Type I, better known as apoptotic cell death, is characterised by cell shrinkage and chromatin condensation, type II, known as autophagic cell death, is characterised by intracellular accumulation of double membranes vacuoles and type III, necrotic cell death, is characterised by cellular swelling and loss of membrane integrity. Many signaling pathways are activated during ischaemia/reperfusion injury which include the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK. These kinases are dephosphorylated by appropriate phosphatases. MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), a dual specificity phosphatase, inactivates the MAPKs by dephosphorylating specific Thr/Tyr residues. Upregulation of MKP-1 during ischaemia/reperfusion injury has been shown to be cardioprotective, however no knowledge regarding a role of MKP-1 in autophagy exists. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate the role of MKP-1 in autophagy, apoptosis and necrosis during simulated ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the heart.METHOD: H9C2 cells (rat cardiomyocytes) were cultured under standard conditions. Upon reaching 75-80% confluency, cells were treated for 30 min during normoxic conditions with dexamethasone, to induce MKP-1 expression, or sanguinarine, to inhibit MKP-1 induction. Thereafter, they were exposed to 3 hrs simulated ischaemia (induced by an ischaemic buffer and 5% CO2/1% O2) in the presence of the above mentioned treatments. Cells were then allowed to reperfuse for 30 min in the presence of dexamethasone or sanguinarine. Samples were analysed after simulated ischaemia and after reperfusion. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Propidium iodide and Hoechst staining were used to assess morphological markers of apoptosis and necrosis. LDH release during reperfusion was assessed as indicator of necrotic cell death. LysoTracker®Red was used to visualise the autophagic flux occurring during ischaemia/reperfusion in the cell. Flow cytometry was used to quantify cells stained with acridine orange as indicator for autophagy. Autophagic and apoptotic protein markers as well as MAPK and MKP-1 activity were analysed by Western Blotting. RESULTS: Our results indicate a clear relationship between MKP-1 induction, autophagy and cell survival during simulated ischaemia/reperfusion (SI/R). MKP-1 inhibition during SI/R resulted in decreased autophagy activity accompanied by significant apoptotic and necrotic cell death. Increased MKP-1 induction, on the other hand, during SI/R resulted in increased levels of autophagy activity and subsequent attenuation of apoptotic and necrotic cell death. p38 MAPK phosphorylation was significantly higher while MKP-1 was inhibited and significantly lower while MKP-1 was induced. This strongly indicates that upregulation of MKP-1, known to attenuate ischaemia/reperfusion injury, has an important role in cell survival during ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the heart, through its involvement in the regulation of autophagic activity as a stress response against apoptotic or necrotic cell death. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Iskemiese hartsiekte is een van die grootste oorsake van sterftes wêreldwyd en dra ook beduidend by tot sterftes in Afrika. Om iskemiese hartsiektes te behandel of selfs te voorkom, is 'n goeie begrip van die molekulêre paaie wat betrokke is tydens iskemie/herperfusie, noodsaaklik. Drie tipes seldood kom tydens patologiese toestande in die hart voor. Tipe I, ook bekend as apoptotiese seldood, word gekenmerk deur selkrimping en kromatien kondensasie, tipe II, ook bekend as autofagiese seldood word gekenmerk deur intrasellulêre opeenhoping van dubbelmembraan vakuole en tipe III, bekend as nekrotiese seldood, word deur sellulêre swelling en verlies van membraan integriteit gekenmerk. Iskemie/herperfusie lei tot die aktivering van seintransduksiepaaie wat die MAPKs, soos p38, ERK en JNK insluit. Hierdie kinases word deur die gepaste fosfatases gedefosforileer. MKP-1, 'n dubbele spesifieke fosfatase, deaktiveer MAPKs deur hul Thr/Tyr eenhede te defosforileer. Alhoewel daar al voorheen getoon is dat verhoogte MKP-1 ‘n beskermende funksie in die hart tydens iskemie/herperfusie het, is daar nog geen bewyse vir ‘n rol van MKP-1 tydens autofagie nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is dus om die rol van MKP-1 in autofagie, apoptose en nekrose te ondersoek tydens gesimuleerde iskemie/herperfusie in die hart. METODE: H9C2 selle (rot ventrikulêre hartselle) is onder standaard toestande gekweek. Wanneer die selle 75-80% konfluensie bereik het, is dit behandel met dexamethasone of sanguinarine onder standaard toestande vir 30 min. Daarna is selle blootgestel aan 3 ure iskemie, in die teenwoordigheid van dexamethasone of sanguinarine. Selle is dan toegelaat om vir 30 min te herperfuseer, weer in die teenwoordigheid van dexamethasone of sanguinarine. Monsters is na iskemie en herperfusie geneem vir analise. Selvatbaarheid is gekwantifiseer deur ‘n MTT bepaling. Morfologiese merkers van seldood is bepaal met behulp van propidium iodide en Hoechst kleuringsmetodes. Laktaatdehidrogenase (LDH) vrystelling tydens herperfusie is as merker van nekrose gebruik. Autofagie is gevisualiseer deur gebruik te maak van LysoTracker®Red kleuring tydens iskemie en herperfusie. Akridienoranje is gebruik om suur kompartemente te kleur. Vloeisitometrie is as kwantifiseringstegniek vir autofagie gebruik. Western Blotting is gebruik om uitdrukking van merkerproteïene van autofagie en apoptose sowel as MAPK en MKP-1 aktiwiteit tydens iskemie/reperfisie te bepaal. RESULTATE: Ons resultate toon ‘n verband tussen MKP-1 induksie, autofagie en seloorlewing gedurende gesimuleerde iskemie/herperfusie (SI/R) aan. MKP- 1 inhibisie gedurende SI/R het tot ‘n afname in autofagie gelei tesame met ‘n beduidende toename in apoptotiese en nekrotiese seldood. Verhoogde MKP-1 induksie gedurende SI/R, daarteenoor, het autofagiese aktiwiteit verhoog, gepaardgaande met ‘n verlaging in apoptose en nekrose. p38 MAPK fosforilasie was beduidend hoër tydens MKP-1 inhibisie en laer met MKP-1 induksie. Hierdie resultate toon dat MKP-1 ‘n belangrike rol in seloorlewing speel tydens iskemie/herperfusiesskade in die hart, deur sy deelname in die regulering van autofagiese aktiwiteit as ‘n stres reaksie teen apoptotiese en nekrotiese seldood.

Signaling cascades, such as the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, play vital roles in early vertebrate development. Signals through these pathways are initiated by a growth factor or hormone, are transduced through a kinase cascade, and result in the expression of specific downstream genes that promote cellular proliferation, growth, or differentiation. Tight regulation of these signals is provided by positive or negative modulators at varying levels in the pathway, and is required for proper development and function. Two members of the dual-specificity phosphatase (Dusp) family, dusp6 and dusp2, are believed to be negative regulators of the ERK pathway and are expressed in both embryonic and adult zebrafish, but their specific roles in gametogenesis and embryogenesis remain to be fully understood. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, we generated zebrafish lines harboring germ line deletions in dusp6 and dusp2. We do not detect any overt defects in dusp2 mutants, but we find that approximately 50% of offspring from homozygous dusp6 mutants do not proceed through embryonic development. These embryos are fertilized, but are unable to proceed past the first zygotic mitosis and stall at the one-cell stage for several hours before dying by 10 hours post fertilization. We demonstrate that dusp6 is expressed in the gonads of both male and female zebrafish, suggesting that loss of dusp6 causes defects in germ cell production. Notably, the 50% of homozygous dusp6 mutants that complete the first cell division appear to progress through embryogenesis normally and give rise to fertile adults. The fact that offspring of homozygous dusp6 mutants stall at the one-cell stage, prior to activation of the zygotic genome, suggests that loss of dusp6 affects gametogenesis. Further, since only approximately 50% of homozygous dusp6 mutants are affected, we postulate that ERK signaling is tightly regulated and that dusp6 is required to keep ERK signaling within a range that is permissive for gametogenesis. Lastly, since dusp6 is expressed throughout zebrafish embryogenesis, but dusp6 mutants do not exhibit defects after the first cell division, it is possible that other feedback regulators of the ERK pathway compensate for loss of dusp6 at later stages.