Pilocarpus pennatifolius Lemmaire (Rutaceae) é uma espécie nativa que ocorre nas regiões Sul, Sudeste, Centro-Oeste e Nordeste do Brasil, e é popularmente conhecida por jaborandi. Essa e outras espécies de Pilocarpus encontram-se em risco de extinção devido ao extrativismo (uso como planta medicinal) e ao desmatamento. O cultivo in vitro de P. pennatifolius foi realizado como uma alternativa para a produção de pilocarpina (princípio ativo do jaborandi). A cultura de células foi obtida em meio MS semi-sólido, suplementado com sacarose, como fonte de carbono, e tendo como reguladores de crescimento BAP, IAA e NAA. O tempo de duplicação da cultura de calos foi de 22 dias. A concentração do alcalóide, determinada por técnicas cromatográficas, foi de aproximadamente 0,1 µg/ mg de biomassa. Os ensaios enzimáticos referentes à biossíntese da pilocarpina tiveram como objetivo elucidar a etapa inicial de formação do anel imidazólico, além da localização desta reação na planta. Os experimentos realizados indicaram a presença da enzima histidina amino-transferase (HAT, EC 2.6.1.38) cuja atividade catalítica foi de 46,09 nKat/ mg de proteína, apenas no extrato protéico das raízes de P. pennatifolius. A determinação da composição do óleo essencial por CG e CG/EM indicou como constituintes majoritários os hidrocarbonetos tridecano (56,8 %) e pentadecano (25,5 %). Os sesquiterpenos não oxigenados constituíram cerca de 15 % do óleo obtido. / Pilocarpus pennatifolius Lemmaire (Rutaceae) is a native Brazilian species which is commonly known as jaborandi. This species is endangered due to its exploitation as medicinal plant and the increasingly deforestation. A callus culture of P. pennatifolius was established as an alternative source for pilocarpine production (the active compound of jaborandi). The cell culture was obtained in a semi-solid media, supplemented with sucrose as carbon source and as growth regulators, BAP, IAA e NAA. The doubling time for the callus culture was determined as 22 days. The concentration of the alkaloid, obtained by chromatographic techniques was ca. 0.1 µg/ mg dry weight. The enzymatic assays related to pilocarpine biosynthesis were carried out with the aim to elucidate the imidazole ring formation beyond identify the site were this reaction takes place. The results indicated the presence of the enzyme histidine ammonia transferase (HAT, EC 2.6.1.38) only in the protein extract obtained from the roots of P. pennatifolius. The catalytic activity for this enzyme was 46.09 nKat/ mg protein. Volatile constituents from the leaves were analyzed by GC and GC/MS and the major compounds were determined as the hydrocarbons tridecane (56.8 %) and pentadecane (25.5 %). Almost 15 % of the total composition was constituted of non-oxygenated sesquiterpenes.

Some oomycetes species are severe pathogens of fish or crops. As such, they are responsible for important losses in the aquaculture industry as well as in agriculture. Saprolegnia parasitica is a major concern in aquaculture as there is currently no method available for controlling the diseases caused by this microorganism. The cell wall is an extracellular matrix composed essentially of polysaccharides, whose integrity is required for oomycete viability. Thus, the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of cell wall components, such as cellulose and chitin synthases, represent ideal targets for disease control. However, the biochemical properties of these enzymes are poorly understood, which limits our capacity to develop specific inhibitors that can be used for blocking the growth of pathogenic oomycetes. In our work, we have used Saprolegnia monoica as a model species for oomycetes to characterize two types of domains that occur specifically in oomycete carbohydrate synthases: the Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain of a cellulose synthase and the so-called ‘Microtubule Interacting and Trafficking’ (MIT) domain of chitin synthases. In addition, the chitin synthase activity of the oomycete phytopathogen Aphanomyces euteiches was characterized in vitro using biochemical approaches. The results from our in vitro investigations revealed that the PH domain of the oomycete cellulose synthase binds to phosphoinositides, microtubules and F-actin. In addition, cell biology approaches were used to demonstrate that the PH domain co-localize with F-actin in vivo. The structure of the MIT domain of chitin synthase (CHS) 1 was solved by NMR. In vitro binding assays performed on recombinant MIT domains from CHS 1 and CHS 2 demonstrated that both proteins strongly interact with phosphatidic acid in vitro. These results were further supported by in silico data where biomimetic membranes composed of different phospholipids were designed for interaction studies. The use of a yeast-two-hybrid approach suggested that the MIT domain of CHS 2 interacts with the delta subunit of Adaptor Protein 3, which is involved in protein trafficking. These data support a role of the MIT domains in the cellular targeting of CHS proteins. Our biochemical data on the characterization of the chitin synthase activity of A. euteiches suggest the existence of two distinct enzymes responsible for the formation of water soluble and insoluble chitosaccharides, which is consistent with the existence of two putative CHS genes in the genome of this species. Altogether our data support a role of the PH domain of cellulose synthase and MIT domains of CHS in membrane trafficking and cellular location. / <p>QC 20151014</p>

No description available.

Pilocarpus pennatifolius Lemmaire (Rutaceae) é uma espécie nativa que ocorre nas regiões Sul, Sudeste, Centro-Oeste e Nordeste do Brasil, e é popularmente conhecida por jaborandi. Essa e outras espécies de Pilocarpus encontram-se em risco de extinção devido ao extrativismo (uso como planta medicinal) e ao desmatamento. O cultivo in vitro de P. pennatifolius foi realizado como uma alternativa para a produção de pilocarpina (princípio ativo do jaborandi). A cultura de células foi obtida em meio MS semi-sólido, suplementado com sacarose, como fonte de carbono, e tendo como reguladores de crescimento BAP, IAA e NAA. O tempo de duplicação da cultura de calos foi de 22 dias. A concentração do alcalóide, determinada por técnicas cromatográficas, foi de aproximadamente 0,1 &#181;g/ mg de biomassa. Os ensaios enzimáticos referentes à biossíntese da pilocarpina tiveram como objetivo elucidar a etapa inicial de formação do anel imidazólico, além da localização desta reação na planta. Os experimentos realizados indicaram a presença da enzima histidina amino-transferase (HAT, EC 2.6.1.38) cuja atividade catalítica foi de 46,09 nKat/ mg de proteína, apenas no extrato protéico das raízes de P. pennatifolius. A determinação da composição do óleo essencial por CG e CG/EM indicou como constituintes majoritários os hidrocarbonetos tridecano (56,8 %) e pentadecano (25,5 %). Os sesquiterpenos não oxigenados constituíram cerca de 15 % do óleo obtido. / Pilocarpus pennatifolius Lemmaire (Rutaceae) is a native Brazilian species which is commonly known as jaborandi. This species is endangered due to its exploitation as medicinal plant and the increasingly deforestation. A callus culture of P. pennatifolius was established as an alternative source for pilocarpine production (the active compound of jaborandi). The cell culture was obtained in a semi-solid media, supplemented with sucrose as carbon source and as growth regulators, BAP, IAA e NAA. The doubling time for the callus culture was determined as 22 days. The concentration of the alkaloid, obtained by chromatographic techniques was ca. 0.1 &#181;g/ mg dry weight. The enzymatic assays related to pilocarpine biosynthesis were carried out with the aim to elucidate the imidazole ring formation beyond identify the site were this reaction takes place. The results indicated the presence of the enzyme histidine ammonia transferase (HAT, EC 2.6.1.38) only in the protein extract obtained from the roots of P. pennatifolius. The catalytic activity for this enzyme was 46.09 nKat/ mg protein. Volatile constituents from the leaves were analyzed by GC and GC/MS and the major compounds were determined as the hydrocarbons tridecane (56.8 %) and pentadecane (25.5 %). Almost 15 % of the total composition was constituted of non-oxygenated sesquiterpenes.

We have carried out structural studies on bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (BPLA2) and two proteins involved in molybdenum cofactor (Moco) biosynthesis pathway. In addition, molecular-dynamics simulations and other analyses have been performed to corroborate the findings obtained from the crystal structures. Crystal structures of the three active-site mutants (H48N, D49N and D49K) of BPLA2 were determined to understand the mechanism by which the mutant H48N is able to catalyze the reaction of phospholipid hydrolysis and to see the effect of the loss of Ca 2+ ion in the active site of D49N and D49K mutants. We found that Asp49 could possibly play the role of a general base instead of His48 in the case of the H48N mutant. In the case of D49N and D49K mutants, the active site of the enzyme is perturbed, whereas the overall tertiary structure of these mutants is intact. In addition, a total of 24 invariant water molecules were identified in all of the crystal structures of BPLA2 available in its archive, PDB. Out of these, four water molecules are essential for the catalytic activity, whereas, the remaining water molecules play a role in the stability of the enzyme. In addition, structural studies on two proteins MoaC and MogA involved in Moco biosynthesis pathway have been carried out. For the first time, crystal structure of MoaC bound with GTP molecule has been reported. The gene id TTHA0341, which is mentioned as MoaB in the CMR database, was annotated as MogA based the comparative analysis of sequences and structures (with the present work and the structures available in the literature). The role of N-and C-termini of MoaB and MogA proteins were proposed that these residues might stabilize the substrate and/or product molecule in the active site. In addition, the residues involved in the oligomerization are compared with MD simulations. The molecular docking studies show that MoaB proteins show more preference to GTP than ATP. The comparison of the two active (MPT and AMP-binding) sites revealed that MPT-binding site is preferred over AMP-binding site for nucleotide binding.

The current, grim world-TB scenario, with TB being the single largest infectious disease killer, warrants a more effective approach to tackle the deadly pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The deadly synergy of this pathogen with HIV and the emergence of drugresistant strains of the organism present a challenge for disease treatment (Russell et al., 2010). Thus, there is a pressing need for newer drugs with faster killing-kinetics which can claim both the actively-multiplying and latent forms of this pathogen causing the oldest known disease to man. This thesis entitled “Mechanistic and Regulatory Aspects of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Dephosphocoenzyme A Kinase” describes one such potential drug target, which holds promise in future drug development, in detail. The development of efficacious antimycobacterials now requires previously unexplored pathways of the pathogen and cofactor biosynthesis pathways present a good starting point. Therefore, the mycobacterial Coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis was chosen for investigation, with the last enzyme of this pathway, dephosphocoenzyme A kinase (CoaE) which was shown to be essential for M. tuberculosis survival, as the focus of the present study (Sassetti et al., 2003). This thesis presents a detailed biochemical and biophysical characterization of the enzymatic mechanism of mycobacterial CoaE, highlighting several hitherto-unknown, unique features of the enzyme. Mutagenic studies described herein have helped identify the critical residues of the kinase involved in substrate recognition, binding and catalysis. Further, a role has been assigned to the UPF0157 domain of unknown function found in the mycobacterial CoaE as well as in several organisms throughout the living kingdom. Detailed insights into the regulatory characteristics of this enzyme from this work further our current understanding of the regulation of the universal CoA biosynthetic pathway and call for the attribution of a greater role to the last enzyme in pathway regulation than has been previously accredited. The thesis begins with a survey of the current literature available on tuberculosis and where we stand today in our fight against this dreaded pathogen. Chapter 1 details the characteristic features of the causative organism M. tuberculosis, briefly describing its unique genome and the cellular envelope which the organism puts forward as a tough shield to its biology. This is followed by a brief description of the infection cycle in the host, the pathogen-host interplay in the lung macrophages, the deadly alliance of the disease with HIV and our current drug arsenal against tuberculosis. Further, emphasizing on the need for newer, faster-acting anti-mycobacterials, Chapter 1 presents the rationale for choosing the mycobacterial coenzyme A biosynthetic pathway as an effective target for newer drugs. A detailed description of our current understanding of the five steps constituting the pathway follows, including a comparison of all the five enzymatic steps between the human host and the pathogen. This chapter also sets the objectives of the thesis, describing the choice of the last enzyme of the mycobacterial CoA biosynthesis, dephosphocoenzyme A kinase, for detailed investigation. As described in Chapter 1, the mycobacterial CoaE is vastly different from its human counterpart in terms of its domain organization and regulatory features and is therefore a good target for future drug development. In this thesis, Rv1631, the probable mycobacterial dephosphocoenzyme A kinase annotated in the Tuberculist database (http://genolist.pasteur.fr/TubercuList), has been unequivocally established as the last enzyme of the tubercular CoA biosynthesis through several independent assays detailed in Chapter 2. The gene was cloned from the mycobacterial genomic DNA, expressed in E. coli and the corresponding recombinant protein purified via a single-step affinity purification method. The mechanistic details of the enzymatic reaction phosphorylating dephosphocoenzyme A (DCoA) to the ubiquitous cofactor, Coenzyme A, have been described in this chapter which presents a detailed biochemical and biophysical characterization of the mycobacterial enzyme, highlighting its novel features as well as unknown properties of this class of enzymes belonging to the Nucleoside Tri-Phosphate (NTP) hydrolase superfamily. The kinetics of the reaction have been biochemically elucidated via four separate assays and the energetics of the enzyme-substrate and enzymeproduct interactions have been detailed by isothermal titration Calorimetry (ITC). Further details on the phosphate donor specificity of the kinase and the order of substrate binding to the enzyme provide a complete picture of the enzymatic mechanism of the mycobacterial dephosphocoenzyme A kinase. Following on the leads generated in Chapter 2 on the unexpected strong binding of CTP to the enzyme but its inability to serve as a phosphate donor to CoaE, enzymatic assays described in Chapter 3 helped in the identification of a hitherto unknown, novel regulator of the last enzyme of CoA biosynthesis, the cellular metabolite CTP. This chapter outlines the remarkable interplay between the regulator, CTP and the leading substrate, dephosphocoenzyme A, possibly employed by the cell to modulate enzymatic activity. The interesting twist to the regulatory mechanisms of CoaE added by the involvement of various oligomeric forms of the enzyme and the influence of the regulator and the leading substrate on the dynamic equilibrium between the trimer and the monomer is further detailed. This reequilibration of the oligomeric states of the enzyme effected by the ligands and its role in activity regulation is further substantiated by the fact that CoaE oligomerization is not cysteine-mediated. Further, the effects of the cellular metabolites on the enzyme have been corroborated by limited proteolysis, CD and fluorescence studies which helped elucidate the conformational changes effected by CTP and DCoA on the enzyme. Thus, the third chapter discusses the novel regulatory features employed by the pathogen to regulate metabolite flow through a critical biosynthetic pathway. Results presented in this chapter highlight the fact that greater importance should be attributed to the last step of CoA biosynthesis in the overall pathway regulation mechanisms than has been previously accorded. The availability of only three crystal structures for a critical enzyme like dephosphocoenzyme A kinase (those from Escherichia. coli, Haemophilus influenzae and Thermus thermophilus) is indeed surprising (Obmolova et al., 2001; O’Toole et al., 2003; Seto et al., 2005). In search of a structural basis for the dynamic regulatory interplay between the leading substrate, DCoA and the regulator, CTP, a computational approach was adopted. Interestingly, the mycobacterial enzyme, unlike its other counterparts from the prokaryotic kingdom, is a bi-domain protein of which the C-terminal domain has no assigned function. Thus both the N- and C-terminal domains were independently modeled, stitched together and energy minimized to generate a three-dimensional picture of the mycobacterial dephosphocoenzyme A kinase, as described in Chapter 4. Ligand-docking analyses and a comprehensive analysis of the interactions of each ligand with the enzyme, in terms of the residues interacted with and the strength of the interaction, presented in this chapter provide interesting insights into the CTP-mediated regulation of CoaE providing a final confirmation of the enzymatic inhibition effected by CTP. These homology modeling and ligand-docking studies reveal that CTP binds the enzyme at the site overlapping with that occupied by the leading substrate, thereby potentially obscuring the active site and preventing catalysis. Further, very close structural homology of the modeled full-length enzyme to uridylmonophosphate/cytidylmonophosphate kinases, deoxycytidine kinases and cytidylate kinases from several different sources, with RMSD values in the range of 2.8-3 Å further lend credence to the strong binding of CTP detailed in Chapter 2 and the regulation of enzymatic activity described in Chapter 3. Computational analyses on the mycobacterial CoaE detailed in this chapter further threw up some interesting features of dephosphocoenzyme A kinases, such as the universal DXD motif in these enzymes, which appears to play a crucial role in catalysis as has been assessed in the next chapter. It is interesting to note that the P-loop-containing nucleoside monophosphate kinases (NMPK), with which the dephosphocoenzyme A kinases share significant homology, have three catalytic domains, the nucleotide-binding domain, the acceptor substrate-binding domain and the lid domain. Computational analyses detailed in Chapter 4 including the structural and sequential homology studies, helped in the delineation of the three domains in the mycobacterial enzyme as well as highly conserved residues potentially involved in crucial roles for substrate binding and catalysis. Therefore important residues from all three domains of the mycobacterial CoaE were chosen for mutagenesis to study their contributions to catalysis. Conservative and non-conservative replacements of these residues detailed in Chapter 5 helped in the identification of crucial residues involved in phosphate donor, ATP binding (Lys14 and Arg140); leading substrate, DCoA binding (Leu113); stabilization of the phosphoryl transfer reaction (Asp32 and Arg140) and catalysis (Asp32). Thus, the results reported here present a first attempt to identify the previously unknown functional roles of highly conserved residues in dephosphocoenzyme A kinases. Chapter 5 also delineates the dependence of this kinase on the divalent cation, magnesium, for catalysis, describing a comparison of the kinetic activity by the wild type and the mutants, in the presence and absence of Mg2+. Therefore, this chapter presents a thorough molecular dissection of the roles played by crucial amino acids of the protein and the results herein can serve as a good starting point for targeted drug development approaches. As described above, another unusual characteristic of the mycobacterial CoaE is the fact that it carries a domain of unknown function, UPF0157, C-terminal to the N-terminal dephosphocoenzyme A kinase domain. The function of this unique C-terminal domain carried by the mycobacterial CoaE has been explored in Chapter 6. The failure of the Nterminal domain (NTD) to be expressed and purified in the soluble fraction in the absence of a domain at its C-terminus (either the mycobacterial CoaE CTD or GST from the pETGEXCT vector) pointed out a possible chaperonic activity for the CTD. A universal chaperonic activity by this domain in the cell was ruled out by carrying out established chaperone assays with insulin, abrin and -crystallin. In order to delineate the CTD sequence involved in the NTD-specific chaperoning activity, deletion mutagenesis helped establish the residues 35-50 (KIACGHKALRVDHIG) of the CTD in the N-terminal domain-specific assistance in folding. Chapter 6 further details the several other potential roles of the mycobacterial CTD probed, including the 4’-phosphopantethienyl transfer, SAM-dependent methyltransferase activity, activation of the NTD via phospholipids among others. Thus the results presented in this chapter are a first attempt at investigating the role of this domain found in several unique architectures in several species across the living kingdom. Chapter 7 is an attempt to stitch together and summarize the results presented in all the preceding chapters, giving an overview of our present understanding of the mycobacterial CoaE and its novel features.

Chlorophyll spielt eine unabdingbare Rolle für die lichtabhängige Reaktion der Photosynthese. Die adäquate Versorgung mit Chlorophyll wird dabei durch die Tetrapyrrolbiosynthese (TBS) gewährleistet. In den letzten Jahrzehnten wurde eine Vielzahl von Proteinen identifiziert, welche an der Anpassung der TBS an wechselnde (a)biotische Wachstumsbedingungen der Pflanze beteiligt sind. Allerdings konnte bislang nicht zweifelsfrei geklärt werden, wie die TBS mit der Integration von Chlorophyllen in die Photosysteme koordiniert wird. Vor einigen Jahren wurde ein Interaktionspartner der Protochlorophyllid-Oxidoreduktase (POR) in Synechocystis identifiziert, welcher als potenzieller Faktor dieser Koordination in Frage kommt. Das POR-INTERACTING TPR-Protein (Pitt) stabilisiert POR an der Thylakoidmembran und interagiert auch mit dem Vorstufenprotein des D1. Pitt gehört zur Familie der tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) Proteine, deren Vertreter vorrangig für die Vermittlung von Protein-Protein-Interaktionen zuständig sind. Aus diesem Grund war, neben der Identifikation des potenziellen Pitt-Homologs im Modelorganismus Arabidopsis thaliana, die Analyse von anderen Vertretern dieser Proteinklasse ein vielversprechender Ansatz bei der Identifikation von weiteren Regulatoren der TBS oder Photosynthese. Von den fünf ausgewählten TPR-Proteinen aus Arabidopsis thaliana mit einer hohen Sequenzähnlichkeit zu Pitt waren vier in der Lage, physisch mit POR zu interagieren. Von diesen vier Kandidaten ist das durch das Gen At1g78915 kodierte, membranintegrale TPR-Protein (TPR1) der beste Kandidat des putativen Pitt-Homologs in Arabidopsis. Vergleichbar zu Pitt interagiert TPR1 mit POR und stabilisiert das Enzym an den plastidären Membranen. Die Stabilisierung von POR durch TPR1 spielt eine entscheidende Rolle während der Etiolierung und Ergrünung von Keimlingen. Darüber hinaus steht TPR1 im Zusammenhang mit der schnellen Inaktivierung der 5-Aminolävulinsäuresynthese. / Chlorophyll plays an indispensable role in the light reaction of the photosynthesis. The adequate supply of chlorophyll is ensured by tetrapyrrole biosynthesis (TBS). Within the last decades, multiple proteins were identified, which are involved in adjusting the TBS-pathway to changing (a)biotic plant growth conditions. Nevertheless, it is not fully understood how the TBS-pathway is coordinated parallel to the assembly of the photosystems and the integration of chlorophylls into the pigment-binding subunits of the photosystems. Several years ago, an interaction partner of the protochlorophyllide-oxidoreductase (POR) was identified in Synechocystis which was proposed to be involved in the coordination of these mechanisms. The POR-INTERACTING TPR-Protein (Pitt) binds and stabilizes POR at the thylakoid membranes and interacts with the precursor protein of D1. Therefore, Pitt could facilitate the incorporation of chlorophylls into the plastid-encoded nascent photosynthetic subunits. Pitt belongs to the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) protein family, whose members mediate protein-protein-interactions. Besides the identification of the potential Pitt-homolog in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, analysis of additional members of the TPR-protein superfamily was a promising approach for the identification of further posttranslational regulators of TBS and photosynthesis. Five Arabidopsis thaliana TPR-proteins with a high sequence similarity to Pitt were selected. Four of those proteins are able to interact physically with POR. Among them, the TPR-protein encoded by the gene At1g78915 (TPR1) was the best candidate to represent a putative Pitt homolog in Arabidopsis. Similar to Pitt, TPR1 is a plastid-localized integral membrane protein, which interacts with POR at the thylakoid membranes. The stabilizing effect of TPR1 on POR is especially needed during etioliation and greening. Additionally, TPR1 is required for a inactivation of the 5'-aminolevulinic acid synthesis.

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease endemic in Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. Melioidosis can present with acute, chronic and latent infections and can relapse several months or years after initial presentation. Currently not much is known about the ways in which B. pseudomallei can persist within the host, although it has been speculated that the ability to survive within an anaerobic environment will play some role. B. pseudomallei is able to survive anaerobically for extended periods of time but little is known about the molecular basis of anaerobic respiration in this pathogenic species. Bioinformatic analysis was used to determine the respiratory flexibility of both B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis, identifying multiple genes required for aerobic and anaerobic respiration, and molybdopterin biosynthesis. Using B. thailandensis as a model organism a transposon mutant library was created in order to identify genes required for anaerobic respiration. From this library one transposon mutant was identified to have disrupted moeA, a gene required for the molybdopterin biosynthetic pathway. This B. thailandensis transposon mutant (CA01) was unable to respire anaerobically on nitrate, exhibiting a significant reduction in nitrate reductase activity, altered motility and biofilm formation, but did not affect virulence in Galleria mellonella. It was hypothesised that the reduction in nitrate reductase activity was contributing to the phenotypes exhibited by the B. thailandensis moeA transposon mutant. To determine whether this was true an in-frame narG deletion mutant was created in B. pseudomallei. Deletion of B. pseudomallei narG (ΔnarG) resulted in a significant reduction in nitrate reductase activity, anaerobic growth, motility and altered persister cell formation, and but did not affect virulence in G. mellonella or intracellular survival within J774A.1 murine macrophages. This study has highlighted the importance of anaerobic respiration in the survival of B. thailandensis and B. pseudomallei.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The regulation of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor numbers in the pituitary is a crucial control point in reproduction. Pituitary sensitivity to GnRH can be directly correlated with GnRH receptor levels, which can be regulated at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. The proximal promoter of the mouse GnRH receptor gene contains two cis elements bearing the consensus sequence for a Steroidogenic Factor-l (SF -1) binding site. The distal site has previously been shown to be involved in basal and tissue-specific transcriptional regulation, whereas the function of the proximal site was not established. SF-I, a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors, is involved in the transcriptional regulation of a large number of genes involved in steroidogenesis and reproduction. The consensus SF-I binding site can serve as a binding site for several members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The aim of this study was to investigate the binding of SF-I protein from the aT3-1 gonadotrope cell line to the two putative SF-I binding sites in the mouse GnRH receptor promoter in vitro, in order to provide supporting evidence for their functional roles in GnRH receptor gene regulation. It was shown by Western blotting that SF-I and Nur77, another nuclear receptor transcription factor, are both expressed in aT3-1 cells, in a manner that is influenced by cell culture conditions. Gel mobility shift assays using specific antibodies showed that both SF-I and Nur77 protein in aT3-1 nuclear extracts bind to both sites in a mutually exclusive fashion. As shown by competition assays using mutated versions of the two sites, Nur77 protein had different base pair requirements than that of SF-I protein for binding to the sites. Additionally, SF-I mRNA was shown by Northern blotting to be increased in aT3-1 cells in response to stimulation of the Protein Kinase A (PKA) pathway by forskolin. These results highlight unexpected degeneracy in so-called "consensus" nuclear receptor binding sites. Furthermore, since Nur77 protein is involved in the stress response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the unexpected presence of Nur77 protein in a gonadotrope cell line has potentially important implications for cross-talk between the HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan 'n direkte verband tussen pituïtêre sensitiwiteit vir gonadotropien-vrystellingshormoon (GnRH) en GnRH-reseptorvlakke Die regulering van GnRH-reseptorvlakke op transkripsionele en post-transkripsionele vlak in die pituïtêre klier is belangrik by die beheer van voortplantingsfunksies. Die proksimale promotor van die GnRH-reseptorgeen in die muis bevat twee cis elemente met die konsensus volgorde vir 'n Steroidogenic Factor-l (SF-I) bindingsetel. Die distale element is betrokke by basale en weefsel-spesifieke transkripsionele regulering, maar die funksie van die proksimale element is nog nie vasgestel nie. SF-1 is 'n lid van die superfamilie van selkernreseptore en is betrokke by die transkripsionele regulering van gene verantwoordelik vir steroïedogenese en voortplanting. Die konsensus SF-I bindingsvolgorde kan dien as bindingsetel vir verskeie selkernreseptore. Ten einde 'n beter insig ten opsigte van die regulering van die GnRH reseptorgeen te verkry, is ondersoek ingestel na die binding van SF-I-proteïen, afkomstig van die aT3-1 pituïtêre gonadotroopsellyn, aan die twee moontlike SF-l bindingsetels in die GnRH-reseptor promotor, in vitro. Die Western-klad metode het getoon dat beide SF-l en Nur77, 'n ander selkernreseptor-transkripsiefaktor, in die aT3-1 sellyn uitgedruk word. Die uitdrukking is afhanklik van selkultuurtoestande. Elektroforetiese mobiliteitsessais met spesifieke antiliggame het getoon dat SF-l en Nur77 proteïene in aT3-1 selkernproteïenekstraksies eksklusief aan beide bindingsetels bind. Nur77 proteïen benodig ander basispare as SF-l proteïen om aan die bindingsetels te bind. Hierdie resultate dui op onverwagse degenerasie in sogenaamde "konsensus" selkernreseptor-bindingsvolgordes. Die Northern-kladmetode het ook getoon dat SF-l mRNA vlakke in aT3-1 selle styg wanneer die proteïenkinase A (PKA) pad gestimuleer word met forskolin. Aangesien Nur77 proteïen betrokke is by die stres-respons van die hipotalamus-pituïtêre klier-adrenale (HP A) aksis, hou die onverwagse teenwoordigheid van Nur77 proteïen in 'n gonadotroop-sellyn potensieel belangrike inplikasies in vir kommunikasie tussen die HPA-aksis en die hipotalamus-pituïtêre klier-gonadale (HPG) aksis.

published_or_final_version / Chinese Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy