Identification of peptides mimicking the ligands of proteins phosphorylated by protein kinase CK2.

Synthetic peptides containing a phosphorylation site for protein kinase CK2 were used to investigate their binding properties to other peptides/proteins. The aim of this work was to find an efficient procedure to search for these peptide/protein ligands. The goal was successfully achieved through screening of random peptide libraries displayed on phage.

Differential scanning calorimetry of chromatin at different levels of condensation.

The thermal denaturation of calf thymus total chromatin and of fractions enriched in heterochromatin or euchromatin, has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and compared to that of calf thymus DNA and DNA-histone complexes. In our experimental conditions, chromatin melts in three thermal transitions: the main one, assigned to separation of the DNA double helix, occurs at 83 degrees C, while the other two occur at 63 degrees C and 74 degrees C. The data show that: (a) the transition enthalpy for denaturation of DNA in the total chromatin and in DNA-histone complexes is nearly the same as that of DNA in solution; (b) the transition at 63 degrees C is present in the thermogram of the heterocromatin enriched fraction, while it is completely absent in that of the euchromatin enriched one.

Identification of a phosphatase activity, toward the phosphopeptide pyroGlu-Asp-Asp-Ser(p)-Asp-Glu-Glu-Asn, in nuclear extract from HL-60 promyelocitic leukaemia cells.

Total protein extract from HL-60 cells was found to be able to dephosphorylate the RNA polymerase II octapeptide pyroGlu-Asp-Asp-Ser-Asp-Glu-Glu-Asn previously phosphorylated with protein kinase CKII (pCKII). Fractionation in cytoplasm, nuclear and chromatin extracts shows the phosphatase activity to be localized only in the nucleus, but not to be bound to the chromatin.

Phosphorylation of the synthetic octapeptide pyroGlu-ASP-ASP-SER-ASP-GLU-GLU-ASN and binding to DNA in presence of divalent cations.

Small acidic peptides involved in gene expression have been isolated from prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Synthetic peptides, designed on the basis of native peptides characteristics, show a biological activity similar to that of native peptides in in vitro reconstituted systems. These synthetic peptides are able to bind to DNA in presence of divalent cations (Cu2+, Fe2+, Mg2+) and salt/ethanol.