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Novel alternatives to antibiotics are needed for the swine industry, given increasing restrictions on subtherapeutic use of antibiotics. Augmenting the synthesis of endogenous host defense peptides (HDPs) has emerged as a promising antibiotic-alternative approach to disease control and prevention. To facilitate the identification of HDP inducers for swine use, we developed a stable luciferase reporter cell line, IPEC-J2/PBD3-luc, through permanent integration of a luciferase reporter gene driven by a 1.1 kb porcine β-defensin 3 (PBD3) gene promoter in porcine IPEC-J2 intestinal epithelial cells. Such a stable reporter cell line was employed in a high-throughput screening of 148 epigenetic compounds and 584 natural products, resulting in the identification of 41 unique hits with a minimum strictly standardized mean difference (SSMD) value of 3.0. Among them, 13 compounds were further confirmed to give at least a 5-fold increase in the luciferase activity in the stable reporter cell line, with 12 being histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Eight compounds were subsequently observed to be comparable to sodium butyrate in inducing PBD3 mRNA expression in parental IPEC-J2 cells in the low micromolar range. Six HDAC inhibitors including suberoylanilide hydroxamine (SAHA), HC toxin, apicidin, panobinostat, SB939, and LAQ824 were additionally found to be highly effective HDP inducers in a porcine 3D4/31 macrophage cell line. Besides PBD3, other HDP genes such as PBD2 and cathelicidins (PG1–5) were concentration-dependently induced by those compounds in both IPEC-J2 and 3D4/31 cells. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities of 3D4/31 cells were augmented following 24 h exposure to HDAC inhibitors. In conclusion, a cell-based high-throughput screening assay was developed for the discovery of porcine HDP inducers, and newly identified HDP-inducing compounds may have potential to be developed as alternatives to antibiotics for applications in swine and possibly other animal species.

Hsp90 has become the target of intensive investigation, as inhibition of its function has the ability to simultaneously incapacitate proteins that function in pathways that represent the six hallmarks of cancer. While a number of Hsp90 inhibitors have made it into clinical trials, a number of short-comings have been noted, such that the search continues for novel Hsp90 inhibitors with superior pharmacological properties. To identify new potential Hsp90 inhibitors, we have utilized a high-throughput assay based on measuring Hsp90-dependent refolding of thermally denatured luciferase to screen natural compound libraries. Over 4,000 compounds were screen with over 100 hits. Data mining of the literature indicated that 51 compounds had physiological effects that Hsp90 inhibitors also exhibit, and/or the ability to downregulate the expression levels of Hsp90-dependent proteins. Of these 51 compounds, seven were previously characterized as Hsp90 inhibitors. Four compounds, anthothecol, garcinol, piplartine, and rottlerin, were further characterized, and the ability of these compounds to inhibit the refolding of luciferase, and reduce the rate of growth of MCF7 breast cancer cells, correlated with their ability to suppress the Hsp90-dependent maturation of the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase, and deplete cultured cells of Hsp90-dependent client proteins. Thus, this screen has identified an additional 44 compounds with known beneficial pharmacological properties, but with unknown mechanisms of action as possible new inhibitors of the Hsp90 chaperone machine.

AUY922 is a potent synthetic Hsp90 antagonist that is moving steadily through clinical trials against a small range of cancers. To identify protein markers that might measure the drug’s effects, and to gain understanding of mechanisms by which AUY922 might inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cells, we characterized AUY922’s impacts on the proteomes of cultured Jurkat cells. We describe a robust and readily assayed proteomics fingerprint that AUY922 shares with the flagship Hsp90 inhibitors 17-DMAG and radicicol. We also extend our proteomics findings, demonstrating that an unrelated antagonist of protein folding potentiates the anti-proliferative effects of AUY922. Results provide a set of candidate biomarkers for responses to AUY922 in leukemia cells, and suggest new modalities for enhancing AUY922’s anti-cancer activities.

High-throughput screening of a library of diverse molecules has identified the 1,4-naphthoquinone scaffold as a new class of Hsp90 inhibitors. The synthesis and evaluation of a rationally-designed series of analogues containing the naphthoquinone core scaffold has provided key structure-activity relationships for these compounds. The most active inhibitors exhibited potent in vitro activity with low micromolar IC(50) values in anti-proliferation and Her2 degradation assays. In addition, 3g, 12, and 13a induced the degradation of oncogenic Hsp90 client proteins, a hallmark of Hsp90 inhibition. The identification of these naphthoquinones as Hsp90 inhibitors provides a new scaffold upon which improved Hsp90 inhibitors can be developed.

High-throughput screening of a library of diverse molecules has identified derrubone ( 1), an isoflavone natural product from Derris robusta, as a potent Hsp90 inhibitor. Subsequent testing in several cellular-based assays established 1 as a low micromolar inhibitor in vitro. In addition, derrubone induced the degradation of numerous Hsp90 client proteins, a hallmark effect resulting from Hsp90 inhibition. The identification of 1 as an Hsp90 inhibitor provides a new natural product scaffold upon which the development of novel Hsp90 inhibitors can be pursued.

The heme-regulated inhibitor of protein synthesis (HRI) regulates translation through the phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF 2). While HRI is best known for its activation in response to heme-deficiency, we recently showed that the binding of NO and CO to the N-terminal heme-binding domain (NT-HBD) of HRI activated and suppressed its activity, respectively. Here, we examined the effect of hemin, NO, and CO on the interaction between the NT-HBD and the catalytic domain of HRI (HRI/Delta HBD). Hemin stabilized the interaction of NT-HBD with HRI/Delta HBD, and NO and CO disrupted and stabilized this interaction, respectively. Mutant HRI (Delta H-HRI), lacking amino acids 116-158 from the NT-HBD, was less sensitive to heme-induced inhibition, and mutant NT-HBD lacking these residues did not bind to HRI/Delta HBD. HRI/Delta HBD and Delta H-HRI also activated more readily than HRI in response to heme-deficiency. Thus, HRI's activity is regulated through the modulation of the interaction between its NT-HBD and catalytic domain.

As derivatives of the Hsp90-inhibitor and tumoricidal agent geldanamycin move into phase II clinical trials, its potential for triggering adverse effects in non-tumor cell populations requires closer examination. In this report, the effect of geldanamycin on the differentiation and survival of C2C12 myoblasts was investigated. Treatment of differentiating C2C12 myoblasts with geldanamycin blocked myogenin expression, inhibited myotubule formation, and led to the depletion of three Hsp90-dependent protein kinases, ErbB2, Fyn, and Akt, and induction of apoptosis. ErbB2 levels declined rapidly, while Fyn and Akt levels decreased at a slower rate. Geldanamycin blocked the interaction of Hsp90 and its "kinase-specific" co-chaperone Cdc37 with Fyn, indicating that Fyn is an Hsp90-dependent kinase. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that geldanamycin caused newly synthesized Akt and Fyn to be degraded rapidly, but geldanamycin had little effect on the turnover rate of mature Fyn and Akt. Curiously, total cellular Src (c-Src) protein levels and the turnover rate of newly synthesized c-Src were unaffected by geldanamycin. While, geldanamycin had no effect on the levels of the putative Hsp90 client protein MyoD expressed in C2C12 cells, geldanamycin disrupted the interaction of Cdc37 with MyoD. Thus, inhibition of Hsp90 caused C2C12 cells to become depleted of multiple signal transduction proteins whose functions are essential for myoblast differentiation, and muscle cell survival, suggesting that geldanamycin derivatives may have the prospective of adversely affecting the physiology of certain sensitive muscle cell populations in vivo.

Nanostructured thin films fabricated from semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) are of great interest for biomedical applications, but NP materials based on heavy metals can be cytotoxic. In this work, the preparation of semiconductor NPs followed the protocol of layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly, which alleviates this problem. Collagen/poly(acrylic acid) bilayers were added to CdTe/polycation LBL films to produce porous collagen bilayers. Such stratified multilayer systems showed successful cell attachment and survival while native NP films were strongly cytotoxic.

Recent studies indicate that p50 cdc37 facilitates Hsp90-mediated biogenesis of certain protein kinases. In this report, we examined whether p50 cdc37 is required for the biogenesis of the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase (HRI) in reticulocyte lysate. p50 cdc37 interacted with nascent HRI co-translationally and this interaction persisted during the maturation and activation of HRI. p50 cdc37 stimulated HRI's activation in response to heme deficiency, but did not activate HRI per se. p50 cdc37 function was specific to immature and inactive forms of the kinase. Analysis of mutant Cdc37 gene products indicated that the N-terminal portion of p50 cdc37 interacted with immature HRI, but not with Hsp90, while the C-terminal portion of p50 cdc37 interacted with Hsp90. The Hsp90-specific inhibitor geldanamycin disrupted the ability of both Hsp90 and p50 cdc37 to bind HRI and promote its activation, but did not disrupt the native association of p50 cdc37 with Hsp90. A C-terminal truncated mutant of p50 cdc37 inhibited HRI's activation, prevented the interaction of Hsp90 with HRI, and bound to HRI irrespective of geldanamycin treatment. Additionally, native complexes of HRI with p50 cdc37 were detected in cultured K562 erythroleukemia cells. These results suggest that p50 cdc37 provides an activity essential to HRI biogenesis via a process regulated by nucleotide-mediated conformational switching of its partner Hsp90.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to inhibit protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells by increasing the phosphorylation of the α-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 2. However, the mechanism through which this increase occurs has not been characterized. In this report, we examined the effect of the diffusible gases nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) on the activation of the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase (HRI) in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. Spectral analysis indicated that both NO and CO bind to the N-terminal heme-binding domain of HRI. Although NO was a very potent activator of HRI, CO markedly suppressed NO-induced HRI activation. The NO-induced activation of HRI was transduced through the interaction of NO with the N-terminal heme-binding domain of HRI and not throughS-nitrosylation of HRI. We postulate that the regulation of HRI activity by diffusible gases may be of wider physiological significance, as we further demonstrate that NO generators increase eIF2α phosphorylation levels in NT2 neuroepithelial and C2C12 myoblast cells and activate HRI immunoadsorbed from extracts of these non-erythroid cell lines.

The benzoquinoid ansamycins geldanamycin (GA), herbimycin, and their derivatives are emerging as novel therapeutic agents that act by inhibiting the 90-kDa heat-shock protein hsp90. We report that GA inhibits the proliferation of mitogen-activated T cells. GA is actively toxic to both resting and activated T cells; activated T cells appear to be especially vulnerable. The mechanism by which GA acts is reflected by its effects on an essential hsp90-dependent protein, the T cell-specific nonreceptor tyrosine kinase lck. GA treatment depletes lck levels in cultured T cells by a kinetically slow dose-dependent process. Pulse-chase analyses indicate that GA induces the very rapid degradation of newly synthesized lck molecules. GA also induces a slower degradation of mature lck populations. These results correlate with global losses in protein tyrosine kinase activity and an inability to respond to TCR stimuli, but the activity of mature lck is not immediately compromised. Although the specific proteasome inhibitor lactacystin provides marginal protection against GA-induced lck depletion, proteasome inhibition also induces changes in lck detergent solubility independent of GA application. There is no other evidence for the involvement of the proteosome. Lysosome inhibition provides quantitatively superior protection against degradation. These results indicate that pharmacologic inhibition of hsp90 chaperone function may represent a novel immunosuppressant strategy, and elaborate on the appropriate context in which to interpret losses of lck as a reporter for the pharmacology of GA in whole organisms.

Induction of apoptosis in a variety of cell types leads to inhibition of protein synthesis. Recently, the cleavage of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) by caspase 3 was described as a possible event contributing to translation inhibition. Here, we report the cleavage of another initiation factor in apoptotic cells, eIF2alpha, that could contribute to regulation of translation during apoptosis. This cleavage event could be completely inhibited by pretreatment of HeLa cells with Z-VAD-fmk. In vitro analysis using purified eIF2 and purified caspases showed cleavage of eIF2alpha by caspase 3, 6, 8, and 10 but not 9. Caspase 3 most efficiently cleaved eIF2alpha and this could be inhibited by addition of Ac-DEVD-CHO in vitro. Comparison of cleavage of phosphorylated versus nonphosphorylated eIF2alpha revealed a modest preference of the caspases for the nonphosphorylated form. When eIF2. 2B complex was used as substrate, only caspase 3 was capable of eIF2alpha cleavage, which was not affected by phosphorylation of the alpha subunit. The eIF2.GDP binary complex was cleaved much less efficiently by caspase 3. Sequence analysis of the cleavage fragment suggested that the cleavage site is located in the C-terminal portion of the protein. Analysis showed that after caspase cleavage, exchange of GDP bound to eIF2 was very rapid and no longer dependent upon eIF2B. Furthermore, in vitro translation experiments indicated that cleavage of eIF2alpha results in functional alteration of the eIF2 complex, which no longer stimulated upstream AUG selection on a mRNA containing a viral internal ribosome entry site and was no longer capable of stimulating overall translation. In conclusion, we describe here the cleavage of a translation initiation factor, eIF2alpha that could contribute to inhibition or alteration of protein synthesis during the late stages of apoptosis.

In heme deficiency, protein synthesis in reticulocytes is inhibited by activation of heme-regulated α-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF-2α) kinase (HRI). Previous studies indicate that HRI contains two distinct heme-binding sites per HRI monomer. To study the role of the N terminus in the heme regulation of HRI, two N-terminally truncated mutants, Met2 and Met3 (deletion of the first 103 and 130 amino acids, respectively), were prepared. Met2 and Met3 underwent autophosphorylation and phosphorylated eIF-2α with a specific activity of approximately 50% of that of the wild type HRI. These mutants were significantly less sensitive to heme regulation bothin vivo and in vitro. In addition, the heme contents of purified Met2 and Met3 HRI were less than 5% of that of the wild type HRI. These results indicated that the N terminus was important but was not the only domain involved in the heme-binding and heme regulation of HRI. Heme binding of the individual HRI domains showed that both N terminus and kinase insertion were able to bind hemin, whereas the C terminus and the catalytic domains were not. Thus, both the N terminus and the kinase insertion, which are unique to HRI, are involved in the heme binding and the heme regulation of HRI.

The N-terminal domain (NTD) of the heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)2α kinase (HRI) was aligned to sequences in the NCBI data base using entrez and a pam250 matrix. Significant similarity was found between amino acids 11–118 in the NTD of rabbit HRI and amino acids 16–120 in mammalian α-globins. Several conserved amino acid residues present in globins are conserved in the NTD of HRI. His83 of HRI was predicted to be equivalent to the proximal heme ligand (HisF8) that is conserved in all globins. Molecular modeling of the NTD indicated that its amino acid sequence was compatible with the globin fold. Recombinant NTD (residues 1–159) was expressed in Escherichia coli. Spectral analysis of affinity purified recombinant NTD indicated that the NTD contained stably bound hemin. Mutational analysis indicated that His83 played a critical structural role in the stable binding of heme to the NTD, and was required to stabilize full length HRI synthesized de novo in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate. These results indicate that the NTD of HRI is an autonomous heme-binding domain, with His83 possibly serving as the proximal heme binding ligand.

Members of the Hsp90 family of molecular chaperones play important roles in allowing some intracellular signaling molecules and transcription factors to reach and maintain functionally active conformations. In the present study, we have utilized the specific Hsp90-binding agent, geldanamycin, to examine the requirement for Hsp90 during zebrafish development. We show that geldanamycin interacts with both the alpha and the beta-isoforms of zebrafish Hsp90 and that geldanamycin-treated embryos consistently exhibit a number of defects in tissues which express either one of these genes. Within the somites, geldanamycin treatment results in the absence of eng-2-expressing muscle pioneer cells. However, early development of adaxial cells, which give rise to muscle pioneers and which strongly express the hsp90alpha gene shortly before muscle pioneer formation, appeared unaffected. Furthermore, development of the notochord, which provides many of the signals required for proper somite patterning and which does not express detectable levels of either hsp90alpha or hsp90beta mRNA, was similarly unaffected in geldanamycin-treated embryos. The data are consistent with there being a temporal and spatial requirement for Hsp90 function within somitic cells which is necessary for the formation of eng-2-expressing muscle pioneers and possibly other striated muscle fiber types.

The role of the heat-shock cognate protein, Hsc70, in regulating the activity of the heme-regulated eIF-2alpha kinase (HRI) in hemin-supplemented rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) in response to heat and oxidative stress was examined and compared with the effect of Hsc70 on HRI activation in response to heme deficiency. Hsc70 suppressed eIF-2alpha phosphorylation and maintained the guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B in heme-deficient RRL and in hemin-supplemented RRL exposed to elevated temperatures (42 degrees C), denatured protein (reduced carboxymethylated bovine serum albumin, RCM-BSA), oxidized glutathione or Hg2+. The ability of Hsc70 to inhibit HRI activation was mediated through its ability to inhibit the hyper-autophosphorylation of transformed HRI, which causes the hyperactivation of HRI. Maintenance of protein-synthesis rate was observed to be an unreliable indicator of the ability of Hsc70 to suppress HRI activation in response to stress. While Hsc70 completely reversed protein synthesis inhibition caused by Hg2+. Hsc70 only partially reversed translational inhibition caused by oxidized glutathione (GSSG) or heat shock. The inability of Hsc70 to fully protect protein synthesis from inhibition induced by heat shock or GSSG was due to inability of Hsc70 to protect eIF-4 E from heat-induced dephosphorylation, and its inability to protect translational elongation from GSSG-induced inhibition, respectively. Activation of HRI in heat-shocked hemin-supplemented lysate correlated with a marked decrease in the pool of Hsc70 that was available to bind RCM-BSA and the loss of the interaction of Hsc70 with HRI. These observations indicate that heat shock induced the accumulation of a sufficient quantity of Hsc70 binding substrates (e.g., denatured protein) to sequester Hsc70 and inhibit the ability of Hsc70 to suppress HRI activation. Our results indicate that Hsc70 not only negatively modulates the activation of HRI in heme-deficienct RRL, but also in hemin-supplemented RRL in response to heat and oxidative stress.

Changes in the expression of the heme-regulated eIF-2α kinase (HRI), heat shock proteins (Hsps, Hsp90, and 70) and their associated cohorts (p60 and p23) were studied in maturing rabbit reticulocytes during recovery from anemia. Reticulocytosis was induced by injection of N -acetylphenylhydrazine or by phlebotomy from the ear vein, and circulating red blood cells were fractionated on histopaque density gradients. Northern and Western blot analyses indicated that HRI and hsps mRNA and protein content gradually decreased during maturation of reticulocytes into erythrocytes. Reduction in levels of hsps and HRI was also observed when cells of same age group (density) were compared as the animals recovered from the anemia. Low hematocrits correlated with high levels of hsps expression and with increasing hematocrits hsps expression decreased. Under the conditions used to quantify these protein levels, Hsc70 and p60 were detected in erythrocytes of fully recovered animals. Maintenance of Hsc70 and p60 suggests important ongoing roles for these hsps in protecting the structure and function of proteins in erythrocytes lacking transcriptional and translational machinery.

The heme-regulated eIF-2α kinase (HRI) is activated not only in heme-deficient rabbit reticulocyte lysates (RRL), but also in hemin-supplemented RRL treated with heat-shock, N-ethylmaleimide (MalNEt) or heavy metal ions. We have demonstrated previously that heat-shock proteins, Hsp90, Hsp70 and FKBP52, are associated with HRI in RRL; the association of HRI with Hsp90 and FKBP52, but not Hsp70, is enhanced by hemin. To study the role of Hsp90 and its associated cohorts in the regulation of HRI, we examined the interaction of these proteins with HRI in hemin-supplemented RRLs during heat or oxidative stress. The association of HRI with Hsp90, FKBP52 and p23 was maintained in heat-, MalNEt- or Hg2+-treated hemin-supplemented RRL. Glycerol gradient centrifugation and gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 indicated that neither heat shock nor MalNEt-treatment affected the apparent molecular mass of HRI in hemin supplemented RRL. In addition, active HRI was coimmunoprecipitated with 8D3 anti-Hsp90 from both heme-deficient and MalNEt-treated hemin-supplemented RRL. These results demonstrate that activation of HRI in response to heat stress and oxidative stress does not require dissociation of Hsp90 from HRI. Furthermore, HRI activity was inhibited upon addition of hemin to Hsp90-depleted heme-deficient RRL, indicating that inhibition of HRI activity by hemin is not mediated by the reassociation of Hsp90 with HRI. We also examined the dynamics of the interaction of Hsp90 with HRI. Reconstitution of the interaction of Hsp90 with HRI was stimulated by elevated temperature and required both Mg2+ and ATP. Addition of purified Hsp90 to hemin-supplemented RRL which had been treated with MalNEt to inactivate its capacity to chaperone protein renaturation, protected HRI from irreversible denaturation and aggregation upon incubation at 41 °C. Our results suggest that Hsp90 interacts with HRI primarily in its capacity as a molecular chaperone, stabilizing HRI from denaturation under conditions of heat stress and oxidative stress.

The expression of the wild-type tumor-suppressor gene DBC2 (Deleted-in-Breast Cancer 2, a.k.a RhoBTB2) is suppressed in many cancers, in addition to breast cancer. In a screen for Cdc37-associated proteins, DBC2 was identified to be a potential client protein of the 90 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) chaperone machine. Pull down assays of ectopically expressed DBC2 confirmed that DBC2 associated with Hsp90 and its co-chaperone components in reticulocyte lysate and MCF7 cells. Similar to other atypical Rho GTPases, DBC2 was found to have retained the capacity to bind GTP. The ability of DBC2 to bind GTP was modulated by the Hsp90 ATPase cycle, as demonstrated through the use of the Hsp90 chemical inhibitors, geldanamycin and molybdate. The binding of full length DBC2 to GTP was suppressed in the presence of geldanamycin, while it was enhanced in the presence of molybdate. Furthermore, assembly of DBC2-Cullin3-COP9 E3 ligase complexes was Hsp90-dependent. The data suggest a new paradigm for Hsp90-modulated assembly of a Cul3/DBC2 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that may extend to other E3 ligase complexes.

Renaturation of thermally denatured firefly luciferase in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) requires hsp90, hsc70, and other as yet unidentified RRL components [Schumacher, R.J., et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 9493-9499]. Benzoquinonoid ansamycins (BAs) have recently been shown to specifically bind hsp90 and inhibit its function. In this report, we present data that indicate BAs are specific inhibitors of hsp90 function. The effects of the BA geldanamycin (GA) on the kinetics of the luciferase renaturation in RRL were examined to gain insight into the mechanism by which GA inhibits the function of the hsp90 chaperone machinery. Chaperone-mediated renaturation of luciferase obeyed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The GA inhibited luciferase renaturation uncompetitively with respect to ATP concentration and noncompetitively with respect to luciferase concentration, indicating that GA binds after the binding of ATP and that it binds to both the hsp90 chaperone machine/ATP complex and the hsp90 chaperone machine/ATP/luciferase complex. GA markedly decreased the Kapp of the hsp90 chaperone machine for ATP, suggesting that GA increases the binding affinity of the hsp90 chaperone machinery for ATP or it slows the rate of ATP hydrolysis. Consistent with the notion that GA specifically binds hsp90 and inhibits its function, addition of hsp90, but not hsc70, p60, or p23, reversed GA-induced inhibition of luciferase renaturation in RRL. Hsp90, hsc70, and the hsp cohorts p60, p48, and p23 were coimmunoprecipitated with luciferase from RRL. GA increased the steady-state levels of luciferase associated with hsp90/hsp70 chaperone machine complexes that contain p60 and blocked the association of the hsp90 cohort p23 with chaperone-bound luciferase. The data suggest that the function of the hsp90 chaperone machinery is not specific to its previously described interaction with steroid hormone receptors, and that it carries out some more generalized function in vivo.

Many critical protein kinases rely on the Hsp90 chaperone machinery for stability and function. After initially forming a ternary complex with kinase client and the cochaperone p50(Cdc37), Hsp90 proceeds through a cycle of conformational changes facilitated by ATP binding and hydrolysis. Progression through the chaperone cycle requires release of p50(Cdc37) and recruitment of the ATPase activating cochaperone AHA1, but the molecular regulation of this complex process at the cellular level is poorly understood. We demonstrate that a series of tyrosine phosphorylation events, involving both p50(Cdc37) and Hsp90, are minimally sufficient to provide directionality to the chaperone cycle. p50(Cdc37) phosphorylation on Y4 and Y298 disrupts client-p50(Cdc37) association, while Hsp90 phosphorylation on Y197 dissociates p50(Cdc37) from Hsp90. Hsp90 phosphorylation on Y313 promotes recruitment of AHA1, which stimulates Hsp90 ATPase activity, furthering the chaperoning process. Finally, at completion of the chaperone cycle, Hsp90 Y627 phosphorylation induces dissociation of the client and remaining cochaperones.

A high-throughput screening of natural product libraries identified (-)-gambogic acid (1), a component of the exudate of Garcinia harburyi, as a potential Hsp90 inhibitor, in addition to the known Hsp90 inhibitor celastrol (2). Subsequent testing established that 1 inhibited cell proliferation, brought about the degradation of Hsp90 client proteins in cultured cells, and induced the expression of Hsp70 and Hsp90, which are hallmarks of Hsp90 inhibition. Gambogic acid also disrupted the interaction of Hsp90, Hsp70, and Cdc37 with the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase (HRI, an Hsp90-dependent client) and blocked the maturation of HRI in vitro. Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy indicated that 1 bound to the N-terminal domain of Hsp90 with a low micromolar Kd, in a manner that was not competitive with the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin (3). Molecular docking experiments supported the posit that 1 binds Hsp90 at a site distinct from Hsp90s ATP binding pocket. The data obtained have firmly established 1 as a novel Hsp90 inhibitor and have provided evidence of a new site that can be targeted for the development of improved Hsp90 inhibitors.

Several Hsp90 modulators have been identified including the N-terminal ligand geldanamycin (GDA), the C-terminal ligand novobiocin (NB), and the co-chaperone disruptor celastrol. Other Hsp90 modulators elicit a mechanism of action that remains unknown. For example, the natural product gedunin and the synthetic anti-spermatogenic agent H2-gamendazole, recently identified Hsp90 modulators, manifest biological activity through undefined mechanisms. Herein, we report a series of biochemical techniques used to classify such modulators into identifiable categories. Such studies provided evidence that gedunin and H2-gamendazole both modulate Hsp90 via a mechanism similar to celastrol, and unlike NB or GDA.

Besides heme deficiency, protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates becomes inhibited upon exposure to a variety of agents that mimic conditions which induce the heat shock response in cells. This inhibition has been demonstrated to be due primarily to the activation of the heme-regulated eIF-2 alpha kinase (HRI) which causes an arrest in the initiation of translation. In this report, the sensitivity of protein synthesis in hemin-supplemented lysates to inhibition by Hg2+, GSSG, methylene blue, and heat shock was examined in six different reticulocyte lysate preparations. The extent to which translation was inhibited in response to Hg2+, GSSG, methylene blue, and heat shock correlated inversely with the relative levels of the 70-kDa heat shock proteins (hsp 70) and a 56-kDa protein (p56) present in the lysates determined by Western blotting. The ability of hemin to restore protein synthesis upon addition to heme-deficient lysates was also examined. While the restoration of protein synthesis correlated roughly with the levels of hsp 90 present, the results also suggest that the heme regulation of HRI probably involves the interaction of HRI with several factors present in the lysate besides hsp 90. A comparison of two lysate preparations, which had a 2-fold difference in their protein synthesis rates, indicated that the slower translational rate of the one lysate could be accounted for by its low level of constitutive eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation, with its accompanying decrease in the eIF-2B activity and lower level of polyribosome loading. The present study supports the notion that the previously demonstrated interaction of HRI with hsp 90, hsp 70, and p56 in reticulocyte lysates may play a direct role in regulating HRI activation or activity. We hypothesize that the competition of denatured protein and HRI for the binding of hsp 70 may be a molecular signal that triggers the activation of HRI in reticulocyte lysates in response to stress. Possible functions for p56 in the regulation of HRI activity are also discussed.

Inhibition of protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates occurs in response to a variety of conditions including heme deficiency, addition of oxidants, and heat stress. The inhibition of translation is due to the activation of a heme-regulated protein kinase (HRI) which specifically phosphorylates the alpha-subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2. In this report, immunoadsorption with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and Western blot analysis were used to investigate the interaction of HRI, the 90-kDa heat shock protein (hsp 90), hsp 70, and the EC1 antigen in rabbit reticulocyte lysates under protein synthesizing conditions. The data indicate that hsp 90, hsp 70, and the EC1 antigen interact with HRI in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. The EC1 antigen is a protein that has been demonstrated to be associated with several steroid hormone receptor-hsp 90 complexes and reacts with the KN 382/EC1 mAb (EC1). The association of HRI with hsp 90 and the EC1 antigen in the reticulocyte lysate was found to be dependent on the presence of hemin at a concentration of 5 microM or higher; little HRI was coadsorbed by the 8D3 anti-hsp 90 mAb or the EC1 mAb in the absence of hemin. Hsp 70 remains associated with HRI in the absence of hemin, suggesting that hsp 90 and 70 may bind to HRI at different sites. The immunological properties of the hsp 70 associated with HRI indicate that it may be the constitutively express heat shock cognate protein (hsc 73). The results suggest that the association of HRI with hsp 90 and the EC1 antigen may be in a dynamic equilibrium, in which complex formation is either facilitated or stabilized by the presence of hemin, and supports the notion that these proteins in conjunction with hsp 70 may play a role in regulating HRI activity or activation in situ.

Addition of toxic heavy metal ions (Cd2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+) to hemin-supplemented rabbit reticulocyte lysate brings about the activation of the heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinase (HRI) and the inhibition of protein chain initiation. In this report we examined the effects of monothiol and dithiol compounds, metal ion-chelating agents, and metallothioneins (MT) on metal ion-induced inhibition of protein synthesis. The dithiol compounds dithiothreitol and 2,3-dimercaptopropane sulfonic acid prevented and relieved the inhibition of protein synthesis caused by Cd2+ and Hg2+ in hemin-supplemented lysates, but the monothiol compounds 2-mercaptoethanol, cysteamine, D-(-)penicillamine, and glutathione had no effect. The inhibition of protein synthesis caused by Cd2+ was reversed by the addition of excess EDTA but not by the addition of excess nitrilotriacetic acid. Toxic heavy metal ions inhibited the capacity of hemin-supplemented lysate to reduce disulfide bonds. Addition of excess EDTA to Cd(2+)-inhibited lysates restored the capacity of the lysate to reduce disulfide bonds and inhibited the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2. MTs and their apoproteins (apoMTs) inhibited the activation of HRI and protected protein synthesis from inhibition by Cd2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+. Addition of apoMTs to heavy metal ion-inhibited lysates restored the capacity of lysates to reduce disulfide bonds. The restoration of the lysate's thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase activity was accompanied by the inactivation of HRI and the resumption of protein synthesis, indicating that apoMTs can "detoxify" metal ions already bound to proteins. Several observations presented in this report suggest that the binding of metal ions to the alpha-domain of MT is responsible for the ability of MT to sequester bound metal in a non-toxic form. Addition of glucose 6-phosphate or NADPH had no effect on protein synthesis in metal ion-inhibited lysates, and NADPH concentrations in Cd(2+)-inhibited and hemin-supplemented control lysates were equivalent. The data suggest that the metal ions cause the inhibition of protein synthesis by binding to vicinal sulfhydryl groups present in some critical protein(s), possibly the dithiols present in the active site of thioredoxin and (or) thioredoxin reductase, which leads to the activation of HRI.

The function of the 90-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) is essential for the regulation of a myriad of signal transduction cascades that control all facets of a cell's physiology. Akt (PKB) is an Hsp90-dependent serine-threonine kinase that plays critical roles in the regulation of muscle cell physiology, including roles in the regulation of muscle differentiation and anti-apoptotic responses that modulate cell survival. In this report, we have examined the role of Hsp90 in regulating the activity of Akt in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts. While long-term treatment of differentiating C2C12 cells with the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin led to the depletion of cellular Akt levels, pulse-chase analysis indicated that geldanamycin primarily enhanced the turnover rate of newly synthesized Akt. Hsp90 maintained an interaction with mature Akt, while Cdc37, Hsp90's kinase-specific co-chaperone, was lost from the chaperone complex upon Akt maturation. Geldanamycin partially disrupted the interaction of Cdc37 with Akt, but had a much less significant effect on the interaction of Hsp90 with Akt. Surprisingly, short-term treatment of differentiating C2C12 with geldanamycin increased the phosphorylation of Akt on Ser473, an effect mimicked by treatment of C2C12 cells with okadaic acid or the Hsp90 inhibitor novobiocin. Furthermore, Akt was found to interact directly with catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2Ac) in C2C12 cells, and this interaction was not disrupted by geldanamycin. Thus, our findings indicate that Hsp90 functions to balance the phosphorylation state of Akt by modulating the ability of Akt to be dephosphorylated by PP2Ac during C2C12 myoblast differentiation.

The heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF2α) kinase (HRI) regulates the initiation of protein synthesis in reticulocytes. The binding of NO to the N-terminal heme-binding domain (NTD) of HRI positively modulates its kinase activity. By utilizing UV-visible absorption, resonance Raman, EPR and CD spectroscopies, two histidine residues have been identified that are crucial for the binding of heme to the NTD. The UV-visible absorption and resonance Raman spectra of all the histidine to alanine mutants constructed were similar to those of the unmutated NTD. However, the change in the CD spectra of the NTD construct containing mutation of His78 to Ala (H78A) indicated loss of the specific binding of heme. The EPR spectrum for the ferric H78A mutant was also substantially perturbed. Thus, His78 is one of the axial ligands for the NTD of HRI. Significant changes in the EPR spectrum of the H123A mutant were also observed, and heme readily dissociated from both the H123A and the H78A NTD mutants, suggesting that His123 was also an axial heme ligand. However, the CD spectrum for the Soret region of the H123A mutant indicated that this mutant still bound heme specifically. Thus, while both His78 and His123 are crucial for stable heme binding, the effects of their mutations on the structure of the NTD differed. His78 appears to play the primary role in the specific binding of heme to the NTD, acting analogously to the “proximal histidine” ligand of globins, while His123 appears to act as the “distal” heme ligand.

The maturation and activation of newly synthesized molecules of the heme-regulated inhibitor of protein synthesis (HRI) in reticulocytes require their functional interaction with Hsp90. In this report, we demonstrate that protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), a previously documented component of the Hsp90 chaperone machine, is physically associated with HRI maturation intermediates. The interaction of PP5 with HRI is mediated through Hsp90, as mutants of PP5 that do not bind Hsp90 do not interact with HRI. PP5 was also present in Hsp90 heterocomplexes with another Hsp90 cohort, p50(cdc37), and expression of newly synthesized HRI enhanced the amount of p50(cdc37) associated with Hsp90/PP5-HRI heterocomplexes. The functional significance of the interaction of PP5 with Hsp90-HRI heterocomplexes was examined by characterizing the effects of compounds that impact PP5 activity in vitro. The protein phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid and nodularin enhanced the kinase activity of HRI when applied during HRI maturation/activation, while the PP5 activators arachidonic and linoleic acid repressed HRI activity when applied during HRI maturation/activation. However, application of these compounds after HRI's "transformation" to an Hsp90-independent form did not similarly impact HRI's kinase activity. Furthermore, the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin negated the effects of phosphatase inhibitors on HRI maturation/activation. The finding that PP5 downregulates an Hsp90-dependent process supports models for regulated Hsp90 function and describes a novel potential substrate for PP5 function in vivo.

To examine the biochemical mechanism by which hsp90 exerts its essential positive function on certain signal transduction proteins, we characterized the effects of molybdate and geldanamycin on hsp90 function and structure. Molybdate inhibited hsp90-mediated p56lck biogenesis and luciferase renaturation while enforcing salt-stable interactions with these substrates. Molybdate also reduced the amount of free hsp90 present in cell lysates, inhibited hsp90's ability to bind geldanamycin, and induced resistance to proteolysis at a specific region within the C-terminal domain of hsp90. In contrast, the hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin prevented hsp90 from assuming natural or molybdate-induced conformations that allow salt-stable interactions with substrates. When these compounds were applied sequentially, the order of addition determined the effects observed, indicating that these agents had opposing effects on hsp90. We conclude that a specific region within the C-terminal domain of hsp90 (near residue 600) determines the mode by which hsp90 interacts with substrates and that the ability of hsp90 to cycle between alternative modes of interaction is obligatory for hsp90 function.

The heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF-2alpha) kinase (HRI) interacts with hsp90 in situ in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL). In this report, we have examined the role of hsp90 in the maturation of newly synthesized HRI in both hemin-supplemented and heme-deficient RRL. Analysis of translating polyribosomes indicated that hsp90 interacts with nascent HRI cotranslationally. Coimmunoadsorption of HRI with hsp90 by the 8D3 anti-hsp90 antibody indicated that this interaction persisted after release of newly synthesized HRI from ribosomes. Incubation of HRI in heme-deficient lysate resulted in the transformation of a portion of the HRI polypeptides into an active heme-regulatable eIF-2alpha kinase that exhibited slower electrophoretic mobility. Transformation of HRI was dependent on autophosphorylation, and transformed HRI was resistant to aggregation induced by treatment of RRL with N-ethylmaleimide. Transformed HRI did not coimmunoadsorb with hsp90, and regulation of the activity of transformed HRI by hemin was not hsp90-dependent. The hsp90 binding drug geldanamycin disrupted the interaction of hsp90 with HRI and inhibited the maturation of HRI into a form that was competent to undergo autophosphorylation. Additionally geldanamycin inhibited the transformation of HRI into a stable heme-regulatable kinase. These results indicate that hsp90 plays an obligatory role in HRI acquiring and maintaining a conformation that is competent to become transformed into an aggregation-resistant activable kinase.

Several lines of evidence suggest that members of the 90-kDa family of heat shock proteins (hsp90) may support the folding of various homologues of the src kinase family. In this work, we utilized pulse-chase analyses in rabbit reticulocyte lysate to demonstrate that hsp90-bound intermediates existed for the majority of newly synthesized p56lck molecules. The hsp90-binding drug geldanamycin disrupted the association of p56lck with hsp90, prevented the kinase from demonstrating a protease-resistant conformation, and caused decreases in kinase specific activity. Requirements for geldanamycin-inhibitable hsp90 function and physical interactions between hsp90 and p56lck persisted during chase periods. Consistent with the effects observed in rabbit reticulocyte lysate, application of geldanamycin to fibroblasts caused specific reversion of lck-mediated transformation concomitant with loss of p56lck activity and protein. However, geldanamycin had no direct effect on purified p56lck. Also consistent with functional linkages between hsp90 and p56lck, physical interactions between these proteins were detected in cytoplasmic, but not membrane, fractions of LSTRA cells. Although hsp90 functions in both the initial de novo folding and the reiterative support of p56lck structure in rabbit reticulocyte lysate, the specific occurrence of complexes between hsp90 and p56lck in the cytoplasm of T cells suggests that hsp90 primarily folds nascent molecules of p56lck in vivo.

K562-Mu erythroleukemia cells readily establish a long-term persistent poliovirus infection characterized by continuous virus production in the absence of complete p220 cleavage and host translation shutoff (R. E. Lloyd and M. Bovee, Virology 194:200-209, 1993). The mechanism of resistance appears to be modulated at the intracellular level and to be related to decreased virus-mediated cytopathic effects (P. A. Benton, J. W. Murphy, and R. E. Lloyd Virology 213:7-18, 1995). It is well documented that hemin induces the differentiation of K562 cells and alters the expression of several host proteins. We report here that growth of K562 cells in hemin prior to poliovirus infection results in a dose-dependent increase in virus-induced cell lysis and thereby alters the normally persistent outcome of infection to a more lytic phenotype. K562 cells infected after hemin treatment displayed increased host translation shutoff, p220 cleavage, viral protein synthesis, and viral RNA accumulation compared with nontreated cells. Since hemin treatment of K562 cells also induced the increased expression of several heat shock proteins (Hsp70, Hsc70, Hsp90, and cohort p60), we tested the hypothesis that their increased expression may play a role in altering poliovirus infection in hemin-treated K562 cells. However, neither heat stress nor oxidative stress, inducers of heat shock protein synthesis, altered the outcome (of virus infections. In addition, we report the novel finding that subunits of two translation initiation factors, p220 (eIF-4G) and eIF-2alpha, are cleaved as a result of hemin treatment of K562 cells. It is proposed that hemin alters the expression of specific host proteins in K562 cells, probably other than heat shock proteins, which changes the initial response to poliovirus infections from persistent to lytic.

The heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) kinase (HRI), which is found primarily in reticulocytes, contains an N-terminal heme-binding domain (NT-HBD). Binding of NO to the heme iron of the NT-HBD of HRI activates its eIF2alpha kinase activity, thus inhibiting the initiation of translation in reticulocyte lysate. The EPR spectrum of the NO-bound NT-HBD showed several derivative-shaped lines around g = 2.00, which is one of the well-documented signature patterns of a six-coordinate NO complex with histidine as the axial ligand. This is in sharp contrast to that of another prototypical NO-sensor protein, soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), in which the NO binding to the heme iron disrupts the iron-histidyl bond forming a five-coordinate NO. The NO-mediated activation of HRI is, therefore, not triggered by the cleavage of the iron-histidyl bond. As evidenced by the resonance Raman spectra, two inactive forms of HRI, the ferrous ligand-unbound and the CO-bound states of the NT-HBD, contain a six-coordinate complex as found for the NO complex, indicating that the replacement of the sixth ligand of the heme iron is not sufficient to trigger the activation of HRI. Because the configuration of liganded NO is different from that of liganded CO, we propose that specific interactions between liganded NO and surrounding amino acid residues, which would not be formed in the CO complex, are responsible for the NO-induced activation of HRI.

We have recently shown a direct correlation between protein synthetic activity and the function of reversing factor (RF) as a catalyst of GDP-GTP exchange in whole reticulocyte lysates under normal conditions and on inhibition of protein synthesis by heme deficiency, double-stranded RNA, or oxidized glutathione. In this paper we report that RF is detectable as a nonribosomal complex with eukaryotic initiation factor 2 phosphorylated in its alpha subunit [eIF-2(alpha P)] in whole lysates inhibited by heme deprivation or by double-stranded RNA. The complex contains no unphosphorylated eIF-2 alpha, and the GDP present is freely dissociable. All nonribosomal eIF-2(alpha P) is complexed with RF in fully inhibited lysates; we have not detected free eIF-2(alpha P). RF in this [RF X eIF-2(alpha P)] complex is unavailable to catalyze the release of GDP from eIF-2-GDP. Dephosphorylation of eIF-2(alpha P) present in nonribosomal fractions releases active RF, which is able to carry out its normal guanine nucleotide exchange function.

The capacity of whole reticulocyte lysates to catalyze the dissociation of exogenously added eIF-2 X [3H]GDP was determined as a measure of their reversing factor (RF) activity in the recycling of eIF-2 for the maintenance or restoration of protein synthesis. We have examined the relationship of RF activity to the protein synthetic activity of the lysate under normal conditions and on inhibition of protein synthesis by heme deficiency, double-stranded RNA, or oxidized glutathione. A direct correlation was found between a lysate's capacity to synthesize protein and its ability to stimulate the dissociation of eIF-2 X GDP. These findings further support the proposed mechanism by which the phosphorylation of only 30-40% of the eIF-2(alpha) in the lysate renders the limiting amount of RF present non-functional, impairing the recycling of eIF-2 and thereby inhibiting the initiation of protein synthesis.

Inhibition of protein synthesis initiation in rabbit reticulocyte lysates occurs in response to a variety of conditions including heme deficiency, addition of oxidants, and heat stress. The inhibition of translation occurs due to the activation of a heme-regulated protein kinase (HRI), which specifically phosphorylates the alpha-subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2. How the activation of HRI in hemin-supplemented lysate occurs in response to oxidants and heat stress is not well understood. Recently, the 90-kDa heat shock protein (hsp 90) has been reported to co-purify with HRI activity. In this report, we have used monoclonal antibodies directed against hsp 90 to determine whether HRI and hsp 90 are functionally associated in the reticulocyte lysate in situ. The AC88 antibody recognizes only free hsp 90 and only bound significant amounts of hsp 90 upon prolonged incubation in the absence of heme or upon N-ethylmaleimide treatment of hemin-supplemented lysates. HRI activity is not absorbed by the AC88 antibody. The 8D3 monoclonal antibody, which binds to both free hsp 90 and hsp 90 complexed to steroid hormone receptors, absorbed the hsp 90 present in hemin-supplemented lysates and reduced the HRI activity by 70-95%. Progressively more HRI activity is not adsorbed by the 8D3 antibody the longer the reticulocyte lysate is incubated in the absence of hemin. The HRI that is adsorbed from heme-deficient lysates by the 8D3 antibody is also more active. The sedimentation rate of HRI was analyzed by glycerol gradient centrifugation. HRI present in hemin-supplemented lysate was found to have a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 7.5-8 S and was adsorbed from fractions by the 8D3 antibody in association with hsp 90. A second peak of HRI activity with a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 4.5-5 S was detected upon glycerol gradient centrifugation of heme-deficient lysates. Upon Western blot analysis, heme-deficient lysates were found to have less hsp 90 in the 7.5-8 S region of glycerol gradients than hemin-supplemented lysates. The data suggest that HRI is associated with hsp 90 in an inactive form in hemin-supplemented lysates and dissociates from hsp 90 upon activation. There also appears to be an intermediate of active HRI which is associated with hsp 90 or which can reversibly associate with hsp 90. Similarities between the stages of HRI activation and steroid hormone receptor activation and transformation are discussed.

The inhibition of protein synthesis in reticulocytes and their lysates caused by heme-deprivation is reversible on restoration of an optimal heme concentration. Inhibition is accompanied by the disaggregation of polyribosomes and the accumulation of components of the translational mechanism. By determining the fate of labeled globin 9S mRNA added to an unfractionated reticulocyte lysate cell-free system, we find that normal cellular mRNA accumulates during inhibition in 20S and 48S complexes and in a complex which sediments just ahead of the 80S ribosome dimer OD260 peak (designated as greater than or equal to 80S complex)1. The 20S and greater than 80S complexes are the major pools of stored mRNA which is readily translated if optimal heme conditions are restored. In the 48S complex, however, the mRNA remains non-functional, and the complex is abortive, probably as a result of deacylation of the Met.tRNAf.

The recycling of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2 requires the exchange of GDP for GTP, in a reaction catalyzed by the reversing factor (RF). Recent studies have suggested that a 60 S ribosomal subunit-bound eIF-2.GDP complex is an intermediate in protein chain initiation. We have monitored the distribution of RF in heme-deficient and dsRNA-inhibited lysates by immunoblot analysis of sucrose gradient fractions and have compared the distribution with that of eIF-2(alpha-32P). RF and eIF-2(alpha P) were both found to be tightly associated with 60 S and 80 S ribosomes, as their distribution did not change in gradients containing up to 0.1 M K+. The association of eIF-2(alpha-32P) and RF with 60 S and 80 S ribosomes was enhanced in the presence of F-, indicating the presence of an endogenous ribosome-associated phosphatase activity which is capable of dephosphorylating eIF-2(alpha P) in the absence of F-. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that under physiologic conditions, RF interacts with the 60 S-bound eIF-2.GDP complex to promote the dissociation of GDP from eIF-2 and the release of eIF-2 from the 60 S subunit as a complex with RF.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulation of initiation by the phosphorylation of eIF-2 α and the effects of this phosphorylation on the exchange of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) for guanosine diphosphate (GDP) that is essential for the recycling of eIF-2. The chapter also discusses the activation, activity, and characteristics of the eIF-2a kinases and the distribution and function of these kinases in nonerythroid cells. The initiation of protein synthesis in reticulocytes and their lysates is inhibited by heme-deficiency, double-stranded RNA or oxidized glutathione. The dephosphorylation of eIF-2 α accompanies the recovery of protein synthesis upon the addition of hemin to inhibited heme-deficient lysates. The dephosphorylation of the RF eIF-2( α P) complex and the release of functional RF are responsible for the restoration of protein synthesis by GTP. The eIF-2 α kinases activated in the absence of heme (HRI) or by the addition of dsRNA (dsI) are different molecular species. The activation of HRI both in vitro and in the lysate is accompanied by the phosphorylation of HRI. In vitro , HRI is activated through an autokinase mechanism and is most active in the multiply phosphorylated state. The restoration of protein synthesis in lysates inhibited by heme deficiency requires glucose-6-P and hemin. In contrast to HRI, the dsRNA-activated eIF-2 α kinase (dsI) is associated with the ribosomal complement. The dsRNA-induced phosphorylation pattern of lysates is similar to that observed in dsRNA-treated extracts of interferon-treated cells.