Ca allostery in PTH-receptor signaling.

The parathyroid hormone (PTH) and its related peptide (PTHrP) activate PTH receptor (PTHR) signaling, but only the PTH sustains G-mediated adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production after PTHR internalization into early endosomes. The mechanism of this unexpected behavior for a G-protein-coupled receptor is not fully understood. Here, we show that extracellular Ca acts as a positive allosteric modulator of PTHR signaling that regulates sustained cAMP production.

Transmission electron microscopy for the evaluation and optimization of crystal growth.

The crystallization of protein samples remains the most significant challenge in structure determination by X-ray crystallography. Here, the effectiveness of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis to aid in the crystallization of biological macromolecules is demonstrated. It was found that the presence of well ordered lattices with higher order Bragg spots, revealed by Fourier analysis of TEM images, is a good predictor of diffraction-quality crystals.

Novel binding motif and new flexibility revealed by structural analyses of a pyruvate dehydrogenase-dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase subcomplex from the Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex.

The Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex contains multiple copies of three enzymatic components, E1p, E2p, and E3, that sequentially carry out distinct steps in the overall reaction converting pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. Efficient functioning requires the enzymatic components to assemble into a large complex, the integrity of which is maintained by tethering of the displaced, peripheral E1p and E3 components to the E2p core through non-covalent binding. We here report the crystal structure of a subcomplex between E1p and an E2p didomain containing a hybrid lipoyl domain along with the peripheral subunit-binding domain responsible for tethering to the core.

Structure and function of the catalytic domain of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase component in Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

The Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) catalyzing conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA comprises three components: E1p, E2p, and E3. The E2p is the five-domain core component, consisting of three tandem lipoyl domains (LDs), a peripheral subunit binding domain (PSBD), and a catalytic domain (E2pCD). Herein are reported the following.

A general path for large-scale solubilization of cellular proteins: from membrane receptors to multiprotein complexes.

Expression of recombinant proteins in bacterial or eukaryotic systems often results in aggregation rendering them unavailable for biochemical or structural studies. Protein aggregation is a costly problem for biomedical research. It forces research laboratories and the biomedical industry to search for alternative, more soluble, non-human proteins and limits the number of potential "druggable" targets.

Human mitochondrial RNA polymerase: evaluation of the single-nucleotide-addition cycle on synthetic RNA/DNA scaffolds.

The human mitochondrial RNA polymerase (h-mtRNAP) serves as both the transcriptase for expression and the primase for replication of mitochondrial DNA. As such, the enzyme is of fundamental importance to cellular energy metabolism, and defects in its function may be related to human disease states. Here we describe in vitro analysis of the h-mtRNAP kinetic mechanism for single, correct nucleotide incorporation.

Hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 5A: biochemical characterization of a novel structural class of RNA-binding proteins.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) exhibits a preference for G/U-rich RNA in vitro. Biological analysis of the NS5A RNA-binding activity and its target sites in the genome will be facilitated by a description of the NS5A-RNA complex. We demonstrate that the C-4 carbonyl of the uracil base and, by inference, the C-6 carbonyl of the guanine base interact with NS5A.

Identification of multiple rate-limiting steps during the human mitochondrial transcription cycle in vitro.

We have reconstituted human mitochondrial transcription in vitro on DNA oligonucleotide templates representing the light strand and heavy strand-1 promoters using protein components (RNA polymerase and transcription factors A and B2) isolated from Escherichia coli. We show that 1 eq of each transcription factor and polymerase relative to the promoter is required to assemble a functional initiation complex. The light strand promoter is at least 2-fold more efficient than the heavy strand-1 promoter, but this difference cannot be explained solely by the differences in the interaction of the transcription machinery with the different promoters.

Postpartum psychiatric illness: can women recognise the onset?

In the Department of Health's Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (2004), deaths from psychiatric causes are reported to be the most common cause of maternal death overall. Midwives are in a prime position to inform women regarding this issue. This paper explores the lack of client understanding of postnatal depression through a small, personal exploratory study of a community midwife's routine postnatal visits.