T Suzuki

The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan

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Publications (25)142.54 Total impact

  • Article: Kinetics of v-src-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in developing glandular stomach.
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    ABSTRACT: The oncogene function in primary epithelial cells is largely unclear. Recombination organ cultures in combination with the stable and transient gene transfer techniques by retrovirus and electroporation, respectively, enable us to transfer oncogenes specifically into primary epithelial cells of the developing avian glandular stomach (proventriculus). In this system, the epithelium and mesenchyme are mutually dependent on each other for their growth and differentiation. We report here that either stable or transient expression of v-src in the epithelium causes budding and migration of epithelial cells into mesenchyme. In response to the transient expression of v-Src or a constitutive active mutant of MEK, we observed immediate downregulation of the Sonic hedgehog gene and subsequent elimination of E-cadherine expression in migrating cells, suggesting the involvement of MAP kinase signaling pathway in these processes. v-src-expressing cells that were retained in the epithelium underwent apoptosis (anoikis) and detached from the culture. Continuous expression of v-src by, for example, Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) was required for the epithelial cells to acquire the ability to express type I collagen and fibronectin genes (mesenchymal markers), and finally to establish the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These observations would partly explain why RSV does not apparently cause carcinoma formation, but induces sarcomas exclusively.
    Oncogene 03/2003; 22(6):884-93. · 6.37 Impact Factor
  • Article: Molecular basis of the intracellular spreading of Shigella.
    T Suzuki, C Sasakawa
    Infection and Immunity 11/2001; 69(10):5959-66. · 4.16 Impact Factor
  • Article: Shigella protein IpaH(9.8) is secreted from bacteria within mammalian cells and transported to the nucleus.
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    ABSTRACT: Various pathogenic bacteria such as Shigella deliver effector proteins into mammalian cells via the type III secretion system. The delivered Shigella effectors have been shown to variously affect host functions required for efficient bacterial internalization into the cells. In the present study, we investigated the IpaH proteins for their ability to be secreted via the type III secretion system and their fate in mammalian cells. Upon incubation in a medium containing Congo red, the bacteria secrete IpaH into the medium, but secretion of IpaH occurs later than that of IpaBCD. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that IpaH(9.8) is secreted from intracellular bacteria and transported into the nucleus. On microinjection of the protein, intracellular IpaH(9.8) is accumulated at one place around the nucleus and transported into the nucleus. This movement seems to be dependent on the microtubule network, since nuclear accumulation of IpaH(9.8) is inhibited in cells treated with microtubule-destabilizing agents. In nuclear import assay, IpaH(9.8) was efficiently transported into the nucleus, which was completely blocked by treatment with wheat germ agglutinin. The nuclear transport of IpaH(9.8) does not depend on host cytosolic factors but is partially dependent on ATP/GTP, suggesting that, like beta-catenin, IpaH(9.8) secreted from intracellular Shigella can be transported into the nucleus.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 09/2001; 276(34):32071-9. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Profilin is required for sustaining efficient intra- and intercellular spreading of Shigella flexneri.
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    ABSTRACT: The ability of Shigella to mediate actin-based motility within the host cell is a prominent pathogenic feature of bacillary dysentery. The ability is dependent on the interaction of VirG with neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP), which in turn mediates recruitment of Arp2/3 complex and several actin-related proteins. In the present study, we show that profilin I is essential to the rapid movement of Shigella in epithelial cells, for which the capacity of profilin to interact with G-actin and N-WASP is critical. In COS-7 cells overexpressing either mutated profilin H119E, which failed to bind G-actin, or H133S, which is unable to interact with poly-l-proline, Shigella motility was significantly inhibited. Similarly, depletion of profilin from Xenopus egg extracts resulted in a decrease in bacterial motility that was completely rescued by adding back profilin I but not H119E or H133S. In COS-7 cells overexpressing a N-WASP mutant lacking the proline-rich domain (Deltap) unable to interact with profilin, the actin tail formation of intracellular Shigella was inhibited. In N-WASP-depleted extracts, addition of Deltap but not full-length N-WASP was unable to restore the bacterial motility. Furthermore, in a plaque formation assay with Madin-Darby canine kidney cell monolayers infected by Shigella, Madin-Darby canine kidney cells stably expressing H119E, H133S, or Deltap reduced the bacterial cell-to-cell spreading. These results indicate that profilin I associated with N-WASP is an essential host factor for sustaining efficient intra- and intercellular spreading of Shigella.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 10/2000; 275(37):28893-901. · 4.77 Impact Factor
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    Article: Rho family GTPase Cdc42 is essential for the actin-based motility of Shigella in mammalian cells.
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    ABSTRACT: Shigella, the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, is capable of directing its movement within host cells by exploiting actin dynamics. The VirG protein expressed at one pole of the bacterium can recruit neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP), a downstream effector of Cdc42. Here, we show that Cdc42 is required for the actin-based motility of Shigella. Microinjection of a dominant active mutant Cdc42, but not Rac1 or RhoA, into Swiss 3T3 cells accelerated Shigella motility. In add-back experiments in Xenopus egg extracts, addition of a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor for the Rho family, RhoGDI, greatly diminished the bacterial motility or actin assembly, which was restored by adding activated Cdc42. In N-WASP-depleted extracts, the bacterial movement almost arrested was restored by adding exogenous N-WASP but not H208D, an N-WASP mutant defective in binding to Cdc42. In pyrene actin assay, Cdc42 enhanced VirG-stimulating actin polymerization by N-WASP-actin-related protein (Arp)2/3 complex. Actually, Cdc42 stimulated actin cloud formation on the surface of bacteria expressing VirG in a solution containing N-WASP, Arp2/3 complex, and G-actin. Immunohistological study of Shigella-infected cells expressing green fluorescent protein-tagged Cdc42 revealed that Cdc42 accumulated by being colocalized with actin cloud at one pole of intracellular bacterium. Furthermore, overexpression of H208D mutant in cells interfered with the actin assembly of infected Shigella and diminished the intra- and intercellular spreading. These results suggest that Cdc42 activity is involved in initiating actin nucleation mediated by VirG-N-WASP-Arp2/3 complex formed on intracellular Shigella.
    Journal of Experimental Medicine 07/2000; 191(11):1905-20. · 13.85 Impact Factor
  • Article: Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein induces actin clustering without direct binding to Cdc42.
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    ABSTRACT: WASP (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein) was identified as the gene product whose mutation causes the human hereditary disease Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. WASP contains many functional domains and has been shown to induce the formation of clusters of actin filaments in a manner dependent on Cdc42. However, there has been no report investigating what domain(s) is(are) important for the function. Here we present for the first time the results of detailed analyses on the domain-function relationship of WASP. First, the C-terminal verprolin-cofilin-acidic domain was shown to be essential for the regulation of actin cytoskeleton. In addition, we found that the clustering of WASP itself is distinct from actin clustering. The partial protein containing the region from the N-terminal pleckstrin homology domain to the basic residue-rich region also clustered especially around the nucleus as wild type WASP without inducing actin clustering. Finally, we obtained the quite unexpected result that a WASP mutant deficient in binding to Cdc42 still induced actin cluster formation, indicating that direct interaction between Cdc42 and WASP is not required for the regulation of actin cytoskeleton. This result may explain why no Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome patients have been identified with a missense mutation in the Cdc42-binding site.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 10/1999; 274(38):27225-30. · 4.77 Impact Factor
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    Article: Neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein is implicated in the actin-based motility of Shigella flexneri.
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    ABSTRACT: Shigella, the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, is capable of directing its own movement in the cytoplasm of infected epithelial cells. The bacterial surface protein VirG recruits host components mediating actin polymerization, which is thought to serve as the propulsive force. Here, we show that neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP), which is a critical target for filopodium formation downstream of Cdc42, is required for assembly of the actin tail generated by intracellular S.flexneri. N-WASP accumulates at the front of the actin tail and is capable of interacting with VirG in vitro and in vivo, a phenomenon that is not observed in intracellular Listeria monocytogenes. The verprolin-homology region in N-WASP was required for binding to the glycine-rich repeats domain of VirG, an essential domain for recruitment of F-actin on intracellular S.flexneri. Overexpression of a dominant-negative N-WASP mutant greatly inhibited formation of the actin tail by intracellular S.flexneri. Furthermore, depletion of N-WASP from Xenopus egg extracts shut off Shigella actin tail assembly, and this was restored upon addition of N-WASP protein, suggesting that N-WASP is a critical host factor for the assembly of the actin tail by intracellular Shigella.
    The EMBO Journal 06/1998; 17(10):2767-76. · 9.20 Impact Factor
  • Article: N-WASP is an important protein for the actin-based motility of Shigella flexneri in the infected epithelial cells.
    T Suzuki, C Sasakawa
    Japanese journal of medical science & biology 02/1998; 51 Suppl:S63-8.
  • Article: Functional analysis of Shigella VirG domains essential for interaction with vinculin and actin-based motility.
    T Suzuki, S Saga, C Sasakawa
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    ABSTRACT: The VirG (IcsA) protein of Shigella is required for recruitment of host actin filament (F-actin) by intracellularly motile bacteria. An N-terminal 80-kDa VirG portion (alpha-domain) is exposed on the bacterial surface, while the following C-terminal 37-kDa portion (beta-core) is embedded in the outer membrane. Here, we report that the surface exposed alpha-domain of VirG possesses two distinct functional domains; one is the N-terminal two-thirds portion of the alpha-domain which is required for eliciting F-actin assembly on the bacteria in infected cells, and the other one is the rest of the C-terminal portion of the VirG alpha-domain, which is essential for the asymmetric distribution of VirG on the bacterial surface. Furthermore, we found that vinculin, an actin-binding cytoskeletal protein, accumulates on the surface of bacteria expressing VirG in infected cells, and that the distribution of vinculin coincided with the distribution of VirG and assembled F-actin. The vinculin accumulation depended on the expression of the alpha-domain VirG portion required for F-actin assembly, but the recruitment of vinculin on Shigella appeared prior to the appearance of F-actin in the infected cells. Analysis of proteins interacting with VirG using Xenopus laevis eggs extracts revealed that vinculin was a protein that bound to the alpha-domain portion. This was further confirmed using purified chicken gizzard vinculin, in that the 95-kDa vinculin head part, but not the 30-kDa tail part, directly bound to the alpha-domain portion. These results suggest a possible role for vinculin in recruitment of F-actin to the VirG moiety exposed on Shigella in infected mammalian cells.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 10/1996; 271(36):21878-85. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Extracellular transport of VirG protein in Shigella.
    T Suzuki, M C Lett, C Sasakawa
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    ABSTRACT: The ability of Shigella to spread within and between epithelial cells is a prerequisite for causing bacillary dysentery and requires the function encoded by the virG gene on the large plasmid. The outer membrane VirG (IcsA) protein is essential for bacterial spreading by eliciting polar deposition of filamentous actin (F-actin) in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Recent studies have indicated that an N-terminal 80-kDa VirG portion is exposed on the bacterial cell surface and released into the external medium, while the following 37-kDa C-terminal portion is embedded in the outer membrane, although little is known about the extracellular transport of the VirG protein. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the export pathway of VirG protein across the outer membrane and found that the C-terminal 37-kDa portion, termed VirG beta-core, serves as the self-transporter for the secretion of the preceding 80-kDa portion from the periplasmic side of the outer membrane to the external side. Indeed, foreign polypeptides such as MalE or PhoA covalently linked to the N terminus of VirG beta-core were transported to the external side of the outer membrane, and it was further shown that the folding structure of the passenger polypeptide at the periplasmic side of the outer membrane interferes with its translocation. Analysis of the secondary structure of VirG beta-core predicted that the critical structural property was a beta-barrel channel consisting of amphipathic anti-parallel transmembrane beta-strands, interspersed by hairpin turns and loops. These results thus strongly suggest that the secretion of VirG protein from Shigella is similar to the export system utilized by the IgA protease of Neisseria.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 01/1996; 270(52):30874-80. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Identification of a novel virulence gene, virA, on the large plasmid of Shigella, involved in invasion and intercellular spreading.
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    ABSTRACT: A novel virulence gene (virA) was identified upstream of the virG gene on the large plasmid of Shigella flexneri 2a YSH6000. Characterization of virA mutants infecting MK2 epithelial cell monolayers revealed that their invasive capacity was decreased to less than one fifth of the wild-type level. Nevertheless, the bacteria were capable of expressing and secreting IpaB, IpaC and IpaD proteins. The virA mutants were also impaired in their ability to spread intercellularly, since the bacteria gave rise to a small number of foci in a focus-plaque-forming test with MK2 cells. Although virG expression was slightly decreased in the virA mutants, introduction of a cloned virG gene into a virA mutant, N1945, failed to restore spreading ability. Although, introduction of a cloned virA gene into N1945 restored invasiveness and spreading ability, the reduced virG transcription level was not affected, indicating that the reduced virG expression in virA mutants does not play a major role in defective intercellular spreading. The nucleotide sequence of the virA region revealed that the virA gene was located 528 bp upstream of the virG gene, in the opposite orientation. The deduced amino acid sequence of the VirA protein indicated a 44.7 kDa protein with no homology to known proteins. The VirA protein was secreted into the culture supernatant, a process that required the Mxi and Spa loci. The expression of virA was under the control of the virB gene, the positive regulator of the ipa, mxi and spa operons. These results indicate that virA is a new member of the invasion regulon directed by virB and that the VirA function is involved in invasion and intercellular spreading.
    Molecular Microbiology 08/1995; 17(2):241-50. · 5.01 Impact Factor
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    Article: Cleavage of Shigella surface protein VirG occurs at a specific site, but the secretion is not essential for intracellular spreading.
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    ABSTRACT: The large plasmid-encoded outer membrane protein VirG (IcsA) of Shigella flexneri is essential for bacterial spreading by eliciting polar deposition of filamentous actin (F-actin) in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Recent studies have indicated that VirG is located at one pole on the surface of the bacterium and secreted into the culture supernatant and that in host cells it is localized along the length of the F-actin tail. The roles of these VirG phenotypes in bacterial spreading still remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the surface-exposed portion of the VirG protein by limited trypsin digestion of S. flexneri YSH6000 and determined the sites for VirG processing during secretion into the culture supernatant. Our results indicated that the 85-kDa amino-terminal portion of VirG is located on the external side of the outer membrane, while the 37-kDa carboxy-terminal portion is embedded in it. The VirG cleavage required for release of the 85-kDa protein into the culture supernatant occurred at the Arg-Arg bond at positions 758 to 759. VirG-specific cleavage was observed in Shigella species and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, which requires an as yet unidentified protease activity governed by the virB gene on the large plasmid. To investigate whether the VirG-specific cleavage occurring in extracellular and intracellular bacteria is essential for VirG function in bacterial spreading, the Arg-Arg cleavage site was modified to an Arg-Asp or Asp-Asp bond. The virG mutants thus constructed were capable of unipolar deposition of VirG on the bacterial surface but were unable to cleave VirG under in vitro or in vivo conditions. However, these mutants were still capable of eliciting aggregation of F-actin at one pole, spreading into adjacent cells, and giving rise to a positive Sereny test. Therefore, the ability to cleave and secrete VirG in Shigella species is not a prerequisite for intracellular spreading.
    Journal of Bacteriology 05/1995; 177(7):1719-26. · 3.83 Impact Factor
  • Article: Cloning and characterisation of the mouse fra-2 gene.
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    ABSTRACT: Transcription factor AP-1 is comprised of multiple protein complexes that include members of a family of genes related to the proto-oncogene c-fos. In this report, we have extended the analysis of one member of this family, fos-related antigen-2 (fra-2), by isolating and characterising genomic and cDNA clones encoding the mouse fra-2 homolog. The overall gene structure (number and positions of introns) was similar to that of both the chicken fra-2 gene and other members of the fos family, and the relative positions of putative enhancers in the 5' regulatory region were well conserved between the mouse and chicken fra-2 genes. High levels of fra-2 mRNA were detected in ovary, stomach, small and large intestine, brain, lung and heart. The mouse Fra-2 protein showed 94% and 87.5% conservation with human and chicken Fra-2, respectively, and mouse Fra-2, like the chicken homolog, induced transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts. The characterisation of the mouse fra-2 gene provides a basis for analysis of Fra-2 function in the whole animal.
    Oncogene 12/1994; 9(11):3305-11. · 6.37 Impact Factor
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    Article: vacC, a virulence-associated chromosomal locus of Shigella flexneri, is homologous to tgt, a gene encoding tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (Tgt) of Escherichia coli K-12.
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    ABSTRACT: The genetic determinants required for invasion of epithelial cells by Shigella flexneri and for the subsequent bacterial spreading are encoded by the large virulence plasmid. Expression of the virulence genes is under the control of various genes on the large plasmid as well as on the chromosome. We previously identified one of the virulence-associated loci near phoBR in the NotI-C fragment of the chromosome of S. flexneri 2a YSH6000 and designated the locus vacC. The vacC mutant showed decreased levels of IpaC, and IpaD proteins as well as transcription of ipa, an operon essential for bacterial invasion (N. Okada, C. Sasakawa, T. Tobe, M. Yamada, S. Nagai, K. A. Talukder, K. Komatsu, S. Kanegasaki, and M. Yoshikawa, Mol. Microbiol. 5:187-195, 1991). To elucidate the molecular nature of the vacC locus, we cloned the vacC region from YSH6000 on a 1.8-kb SalI-BamHI DNA fragment. The nucleotide sequence of the 1,822-bp vacC clone was highly (> 98%) homologous to the tgt region of Escherichia coli K-12, which is located at 9.3 min on the linkage map. Complementation tests indicated that the vacC function was encoded by an open reading frame expressing a 42.5-kDa protein, which corresponded to the tgt gene of E. coli K-12, coding for tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (Tgt) (K. Reuter, R. Slany, F. Ullrich, and H. Kersten, J. Bacteriol. 173:2256-2264, 1991). The cloned tgt gene from E. coli K-12 restored the virulence phenotype to the vacC mutant of YSH6000. Characterization of the vacC mutant indicated that levels of VirG, a protein essential for bacterial spreading, and VirF, the positive regulator for the expression of the virG and ipaBCD operons, decreased significantly compared with those of the wild type. Similar phenotypic changes occurred in vacC mutants constructed by insertion of a neomycin resistance gene in shigellae and enteroinvasive E. coli strains, consistent with the hypothesis that the vacC (tgt) gene contributes to the pathogenicity of Shigella flexneri.
    Journal of Bacteriology 08/1994; 176(15):4627-34. · 3.83 Impact Factor
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    Article: Analysis of AP-1 function in cellular transformation pathways.
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    ABSTRACT: To understand the role of endogenous AP-1 activity in cellular transformation induced by oncogenes, we have made use of a fos mutant (supfos-1) and a jun mutant (supjun-1), either of which can function as a transdominant inhibitor of AP-1-mediated transcriptional regulation. Chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) infected with a series of transforming retroviruses were doubly infected with retrovirus carrying supfos-1 or supjun-1, and suppression of cellular transformation was monitored in terms of reversion to normal cellular morphology or acquisition of anchorage-dependent growth. Cellular transformation induced by several exogenously expressed transforming genes of the fos or jun family was efficiently suppressed, as expected. CEF transformed by v-src, v-yes, v-fps, c-Ha-ras, and N-terminally truncated c-raf were also induced to revert to the normal phenotype by these transdominant mutants, suggesting that functional transcription factor AP-1 activity is essential for the cellular transformation induced by these oncogenes. The suppression is not attributable to nonspecific inhibition of cellular proliferation, because CEF transformed by v-ros or v-myc were not induced to revert to the normal phenotype. We next analyzed changes in all known components of chicken AP-1 induced by v-src, c-Ha-ras, or activated c-raf transformation. The levels of both Fra-2 and c-Jun expression were elevated two- to fourfold, and hyperphosphorylation of Fra-2 was also observed. We further showed that Fra-2-c-Jun heterodimer is mainly responsible for the elevated AP-1 DNA-binding activity in these transformed cells, and we propose that this heterodimer play a crucial role in the transformation induced by these oncogenes.
    Journal of Virology 07/1994; 68(6):3527-35. · 5.40 Impact Factor
  • Article: Identification and characterization of a chromosomal virulence gene, vacJ, required for intercellular spreading of Shigella flexneri.
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    ABSTRACT: Intercellular spreading of shigellae is a prerequisite for shigellosis, although the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon are still largely obscure. To elucidate some of these mechanisms, we performed random Tn10 insertion mutagenesis in Shigella flexneri YSH6000T and found a chromosomal locus in the NotI-J segment responsible for bacterial spreading. The locus affected in the mutant, designated vacJ, was neither involved in the invasion of epithelial cells nor in intracellular movement, but was required for intercellular spread. The vacJ mutant was capable of forming bacterium-containing membranous protrusions within the infected cell, but had diminished ability to move from the protrusions into the cytoplasm of the adjacent epithelial cells. Cloning and sequencing of the vacJ region indicated that the vacJ gene encoded a 28.0 kDa protein possessing a signal peptide at the N-terminus, which contained the motif characteristic of lipoproteins. The analysis of the vacJ product indicated that VacJ was exposed on the bacterial surface. The vacJ gene was distributed among shigellae and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, and the constructed vacJ mutants failed to spread intercellularly, indicating that vacJ is a chromosomal gene essential for the pathogenicity of shigellae.
    Molecular Microbiology 02/1994; 11(1):31-41. · 5.01 Impact Factor
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    Article: JunD mutants with spontaneously acquired transforming potential have enhanced transactivating activity in combination with Fra-2.
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    ABSTRACT: Although a replication-competent retrovirus that carries junD has no transforming activity in chicken embryo fibroblasts, we have isolated mutant viruses that have spontaneously acquired transforming activity. The molecularly cloned junD genes of three such mutant viruses (T1, T2, and T3) were shown to be responsible for the cellular transformation. DNA sequence analysis indicated that a specific polynucleotide in the junD sequence was tandemly multiplied three times of five times in T1 and T2, respectively. The repeated polynucleotide encodes 16 amino acid residues that are located in a highly conserved region among Jun family proteins. The junD mutation in T3 involved an inversion, a translocation, and nucleotide substitutions that caused drastic amino acid exchanges in another well-conserved region among Jun family proteins. The transcriptional activity of these mutants was analyzed by means of transient expression experiments in F9 cells using a reporter gene containing a single AP-1 binding site. Compared with the wild-type JunD, none of them showed enhanced transactivating activity in the forms of homodimers or of heterodimers with c-Fos or Fra-1. However, they did exhibit much higher transactivating activity than the wild type when they formed heterodimers with Fra-2, indicating that the mutated regions function as transactivation domains in a partner-specific manner. Since we have previously reported that there is a basal level of Fra-2 expression in chicken embryo fibroblasts, the results may indicate that protein complexes between JunD mutants and Fra-2 play a crucial role in the cellular transforming activity.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 11/1993; 90(20):9369-73. · 9.68 Impact Factor
  • Article: The absence of a surface protease, OmpT, determines the intercellular spreading ability of Shigella: the relationship between the ompT and kcpA loci.
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    ABSTRACT: A large plasmid-encoded protein, VirG, on the bacterial surface is essential for the spreading of Shigella by eliciting polar deposition of filamentous actin in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. VirG expression from the large plasmid is diminished greatly when it is introduced into Escherichia coli K-12 from Shigella. In an attempt to identify factors affecting VirG expression, we found that the absence of the ompT gene, encoding outer membrane protease OmpT, restored full production of VirG protein to E. coli K-12. Conversely, upon introduction of the ompT gene of E. coli K-12 into Shigella, spreading ability was completely abolished, probably because of the proteolytic degradation of VirG protein by OmpT. Analysis of the DNA sequence of the ompT region indicated that the absence of the ompT gene occurred in Shigella and enteroinvasive E. coli strains, and that the absent DNA segment corresponded to a remnant lambdoid phage structure found in E. coli K-12, which encompasses a 21 kb DNA segment spanning from argU through to the ompT genes. Since ompT is located near purE in E. coli K-12 and a virulence locus for provoking keratoconjunctivitis in the eyes of guinea-pigs, named kcpA, is located near purE in S. flexneri, and the two loci are involved in VirG expression, the KcpA- mutants of S. flexneri 2a constructed were examined for correlation between acquisition of ompT and VirG degradation. Our data suggest that the previous recognition of a kcpA locus in S. flexneri is the result of transfer of the ompT gene from E. coli K-12, giving rise to a KcpA- phenotype. These results indicate that the lack of OmpT protease confers upon Shigella the ability to spread into adjacent epithelial cells.
    Molecular Microbiology 09/1993; 9(3):459-68. · 5.01 Impact Factor
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    Article: Analysis of fra-2 gene expression.
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    ABSTRACT: We have analyzed the transcriptional regulation of the fra-2 gene in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Like c-fos, fra-2 was inducible by phorbol ester, cAMP and calcium ionophore, as well as serum. In all three cases, the induction of two species of fra-2 transcript (5.7 kb and 6.8 kb) was delayed and prolonged compared with that of c-fos mRNA. The size difference between the two transcripts was attributable to the heterogeneity of the 3'-end, probably reflecting utilization of different polyadenylation sites. The major transcriptional start point is located at 30 bp downstream of a TATA-like sequence. In the fra-2 promoter region, which is located in a typical CpG island, enhancer consensus sequences such as SCM, SRE, GC boxes and CRE-like sequences were detected upstream of the TATA-like sequence in the same order as that in the 5'-upstream region of the chicken c-fos gene. Fibroblast transfection studies with a series of promoter deletion constructs positioned upstream of bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase indicated, however, that SRE-like sequence is not the sole responsible element for the serum induction, and that a minimal fragment containing no SRE-like sequence is sufficient for this induction. Two typical AP-1 sequences are located between the major transcriptional initiation site and the coding sequence, and the binding activity of protein complexes to these sequences was induced by serum.
    Nucleic Acids Research 07/1993; 21(11):2715-21. · 8.03 Impact Factor
  • Article: Eight genes in region 5 that form an operon are essential for invasion of epithelial cells by Shigella flexneri 2a.
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    ABSTRACT: The 7-kb region 5 on the large 230-kb plasmid pMYSH6000 in Shigella flexneri 2a YSH6000 is one of the virulence-associated DNA segments required for the invasion of epithelial cells (C. Sasakawa, K. Kamata, T. Sakai, S. Makino, M. Yamada, N. Okada, and M. Yoshikawa, J. Bacteriol. 170:2480-2484, 1988). To elucidate the functional organization of region 5 and to determine the virulence-associated genes encoded by region 5, we performed insertion and deletion mutagenesis, DNA subcloning, and complete nucleotide sequencing of region 5 and found that region 5 contained 11 open reading frames (ORFs) named ORF-1 through ORF-11 which could be translated into proteins with molecular masses of 15.1, 47.5, 13.2, 33.0, 33.4, 24.2, 9.4, 28.5, 39.9, 9.1, and 10.4 kDa, respectively. Complementation tests of the 14 Tn5-induced noninvasive mutants of region 5 with the above plasmid constructs have indicated that region 5 consists of an operon and that ORF-2 through ORF-9, but not ORF-1, ORF-10, and ORF-11, are essential for invasion, and 7 of 8 ORFs (ORF-2 and ORF-4 through ORF-9) and presumably the remaining ORF (ORF-3) are required for secretion of the Ipa proteins. The transcriptional organization, as determined by a promoter-proving vector, S1 nuclease protection, and primer extension RNA sequencing analysis revealed that region 5 is transcribed from a promoter located 47 bp upstream of the 5' end of ORF-2 for the 47.5-kDa protein and that the promoter activity identified was regulated by the virB gene, the transcriptional activator on the 230-kb plasmid.
    Journal of Bacteriology 05/1993; 175(8):2334-46. · 3.83 Impact Factor

Institutions

  • 1990–2003
    • The University of Tokyo
      • Institute of Medical Science
      Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
  • 2000
    • Tokyo University and Graduate School of Social Welfare
      Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
  • 1995
    • Meijo University
      Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan
  • 1993
    • Fisheries Research Agency
      Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan