José Dias

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Laboratoire d'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales

Background: An important step in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication is the packaging of tRNA3Lysfrom the host cell, which plays the role of primer RNA in the process of initiation of reverse transcription. The viral GagPol polyprotein precursor, and the human mitochondrial lysyl-tRNA synthetase (mLysRS) from the host cell, hav...

In human, the cytoplasmic (cLysRS) and mitochondrial (mLysRS) species of lysyl-tRNA synthetase are encoded by a single gene. Following HIV-1 infection, mLysRS is selectively taken up into viral particles along with the three tRNALys isoacceptors. The GagPol polyprotein precursor is involved in this process. With the aim to reconstitute in vitro the...

In animal cells, nine aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are associated with the three auxiliary proteins p18, p38, and p43 to form a stable and conserved large multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex (MARS), whose molecular mass has been proposed to be between 1.0 and 1.5 MDa. The complex acts as a molecular hub for coordinating protein synthesis and dive...

Calcium release for muscle contraction in skeletal muscle is mediated in part by the ryanodine receptor 1, RyR1, Ca2+-channel and is strongly affected by intrinsic modulators like Ca2+, Mg2+ and ATP. We showed differential effects on ATP binding in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+ ions using ESR spectroscopy and a spin-labeled ATP analog, SL-ATP (Dias...

The cytoplasmic and mitochondrial species of human lysyl-tRNA synthetase are encoded by a single gene by means of alternative splicing of the KARS1 gene. The cytosolic enzyme possesses a eukaryote-specific N-terminal polypeptide extension that confers on the native enzyme potent tRNA binding properties required for the vectorial transfer of tRNA fr...

Aim. Analyze the interaction between Lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) and HIV-1 GagPol to know whether a particular N-terminal sequence of mitochondrial LysRS triggers a specific recognition with GagPol. Methods. Yeast two-hybrid analysis, immunoprecipitation. Results. We have shown that LysRS associates with the Pol domain of GagPol. Conclusions. A m...

Calcium release for muscle contraction in skeletal muscle is mediated in part by the ryanodine receptor 1, RyR1, Ca2+-channel and is strongly affected by intrinsic modulators like Ca2+, Mg2+ and ATP. We showed differential effects on ATP binding in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+ ions using ESR spectroscopy and a spin-labeled ATP analog, SL-ATP (Dias...

L-carnitine is an essential cofactor for the transport of fatty acids across the mitochondrial membranes. L-carnitine can be provided by food products or biosynthesized in the liver. After intestinal absorption or hepatic biosynthesis, L-carnitine is transferred to organs whose metabolism is dependent upon fatty acid oxidation, such as the skeletal...

Calcium ions are frequently used second messengers in most living organisms. Members of the family of ryanodine sensitive calcium channels (ryanodine receptors, RyRs) are responsible for many important Ca(2+) signaling events in both excitable and nonexcitable cells. The biological activity of these membrane proteins is modulated and regulated by a...

The carnitine system plays a key role in beta-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids by permitting their transport into the mitochondrial matrix. The effects of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were studied on gamma-butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBH), the enzyme responsible for carnitine biosynthesis in the rat. In rat liver, BBH activity was decreased...