hMATE1 (human multidrug and toxin compound extrusion-1; encoded by SLC47A1) is thought to have an important function in the renal and hepatic elimination of drugs, endogenous compounds and ...environmental toxins. The goals of this study were to identify genetic variants of hMATE1 and to determine their effects on hMATE1 transport function. We identified four synonymous and six nonsynonymous, coding region variants in DNA samples from 272 individuals (68 Caucasians, 68 African Americans, 68 Asian Americans and 68 Mexican Americans). The overall prevalence of hMATE1 nonsynonymous variants was relatively low with three singleton variants and three variants having allele frequencies > or =2% in a specific ethnic group. The nonsynonymous hMATE1 variants were constructed and stably transfected into HEK-293 cells. Uptake studies using four known hMATE1 substrates (paraquat, metformin, tetraethylammonium and oxaliplatin) were performed in cells transfected with hMATE1 reference or variants. We found that two singleton variants, G64D and V480M, produced a complete loss of function for all four tested substrates whereas three polymorphic variants (allele frequencies > or =2%), L125F, V338I and C497S, significantly altered the transport function in a substrate-dependent manner. Confocal microscopy studies were consistent with functional studies suggesting that the altered function of the variants was due to altered localization to the plasma membrane. These data suggest that nonsynonymous variants in hMATE1 may alter drug disposition and ultimately affect clinical drug response.
Clustering protein sequence data into functionally specific families is a difficult but important problem in biological research. One useful approach for tackling this problem involves representing ...the sequence dataset as a protein similarity network, and afterwards clustering the network using advanced graph analysis techniques. Although a multitude of such network clustering algorithms have been developed over the past few years, comparing algorithms is often difficult because performance is affected by the specifics of network construction. We investigate an important aspect of network construction used in analyzing protein superfamilies and present a heuristic approach for improving the performance of several algorithms.
We analyzed how the performance of network clustering algorithms relates to thresholding the network prior to clustering. Our results, over four different datasets, show how for each input dataset there exists an optimal threshold range over which an algorithm generates its most accurate clustering output. Our results further show how the optimal threshold range correlates with the shape of the edge weight distribution for the input similarity network. We used this correlation to develop an automated threshold selection heuristic in order to most optimally filter a similarity network prior to clustering. This heuristic allows researchers to process their protein datasets with runtime efficient network clustering algorithms without sacrificing the clustering accuracy of the final results.
Python code for implementing the automated threshold selection heuristic, together with the datasets used in our analysis, are available at http://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/Research/cytoscape/threshold_scripts.zip.
The human organic anion transporter, OAT3 (SLC22A8), plays a critical role in renal drug elimination, by mediating the entry of a wide variety of organic anions, including a number of commonly used ...pharmaceuticals, into the renal proximal tubular cells. To understand the nature and extent of genetic variation in OAT3, and to determine whether such variation affects its function, we identified OAT3 variants in a large, ethnically diverse sample population and studied their transport activities in cellular assays. We identified a total of 10 distinct coding-region variants, which altered the encoded amino acid sequence, in DNA samples from 270 individuals (80 African-Americans, 80 European-Americans, 60 Asian-Americans, and 50 Mexican-Americans). The overall prevalence of these OAT3 variants was relatively low among the screened population, with only three variants having allele frequencies of >1% in a particular ethnic group. Clones of each variant were created by site-directed mutagenesis, expressed in HEK-293 cells, and tested for function using the model substrates, estrone sulfate (ES) and cimetidine (CIM). The results revealed a high degree of functional heterogeneity among OAT3 variants, with three variants (p. Arg149Ser, p. Gln239Stop, and p. Ile260Arg) that resulted in complete loss of function, and several others with significantly reduced function. One of the more common variants (p. Ile305Phe), found in 3.5% of Asian-Americans, appeared to have altered substrate specificity. This variant exhibited a reduced ability to transport ES, but a preserved ability to transport CIM. These data suggest that genetic variation in OAT3 may contribute to variation in the disposition of drugs.
The organic cation/ergothioneine transporter OCTN1 (SLC22A4) and the high-affinity carnitine transporter OCTN2 (SLC22A5), play an important role in the disposition of xenobiotics and endogenous ...compounds. Here, we analyzed the sequence of the proximal promoter regions of OCTN1 and OCTN2 in four ethnic groups and determined the effects of the identified genetic variants on transcriptional activities and mRNA expression. Six variants were found in the proximal promoter of OCTN1, one of which showed high allele frequency ranging from 13 to 34% in samples from individuals with ancestries in Africa, Europe, China, and Mexico. OCTN1 haplotypes had similar activities as the reference in luciferase reporter assays. For OCTN2, three of the seven variants identified in the proximal promoter showed allele frequencies greater than 29.5% in all populations, with the exception of -207C>G (rs2631367) that was monomorphic in Asian Americans. OCTN2 haplotypes containing -207G, present in all populations, were associated with a gain of function in luciferase reporter assays. Consistent with reporter assays, OCTN2 mRNA expression levels in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from gene expression analysis were greater in samples carrying a marker for -207G. This SNP seems to contribute to racial differences in OCTN2 mRNA expression levels in LCLs. Our study with healthy subjects (n = 16) homozygous for either -207C or -207G, showed no appreciable effect of this SNP on carnitine disposition. However, there were significant effects of gender on carnitine plasma levels (p < 0.01). Further in vivo studies of OCTN2 promoter variants on carnitine disposition and variation in drug response are warranted.
Development of automatable processes for clustering proteins into functionally relevant groups is a critical hurdle as an increasing number of sequences are deposited into databases. Experimental ...function determination is exceptionally time-consuming and can't keep pace with the identification of protein sequences. A tool, DASP (Deacon Active Site Profiler), was previously developed to identify protein sequences with active site similarity to a query set. Development of two iterative, automatable methods for clustering proteins into functionally relevant groups exposed algorithmic limitations to DASP.
The accuracy and efficiency of DASP was significantly improved through six algorithmic enhancements implemented in two stages: DASP2 and DASP3. Validation demonstrated DASP3 provides greater score separation between true positives and false positives than earlier versions. In addition, DASP3 shows similar performance to previous versions in clustering protein structures into isofunctional groups (validated against manual curation), but DASP3 gathers and clusters protein sequences into isofunctional groups more efficiently than DASP and DASP2.
DASP algorithmic enhancements resulted in improved efficiency and accuracy of identifying proteins that contain active site features similar to those of the query set. These enhancements provide incremental improvement in structure database searches and initial sequence database searches; however, the enhancements show significant improvement in iterative sequence searches, suggesting DASP3 is an appropriate tool for the iterative processes required for clustering proteins into isofunctional groups.
Protein function identification remains a significant problem. Solving this problem at the molecular functional level would allow mechanistic determinant identification—amino acids that distinguish ...details between functional families within a superfamily. Active site profiling was developed to identify mechanistic determinants. DASP and DASP2 were developed as tools to search sequence databases using active site profiling. Here, TuLIP (Two‐Level Iterative clustering Process) is introduced as an iterative, divisive clustering process that utilizes active site profiling to separate structurally characterized superfamily members into functionally relevant clusters. Underlying TuLIP is the observation that functionally relevant families (curated by Structure‐Function Linkage Database, SFLD) self‐identify in DASP2 searches; clusters containing multiple functional families do not. Each TuLIP iteration produces candidate clusters, each evaluated to determine if it self‐identifies using DASP2. If so, it is deemed a functionally relevant group. Divisive clustering continues until each structure is either a functionally relevant group member or a singlet. TuLIP is validated on enolase and glutathione transferase structures, superfamilies well‐curated by SFLD. Correlation is strong; small numbers of structures prevent statistically significant analysis. TuLIP‐identified enolase clusters are used in DASP2 GenBank searches to identify sequences sharing functional site features. Analysis shows a true positive rate of 96%, false negative rate of 4%, and maximum false positive rate of 4%. F‐measure and performance analysis on the enolase search results and comparison to GEMMA and SCI‐PHY demonstrate that TuLIP avoids the over‐division problem of these methods. Mechanistic determinants for enolase families are evaluated and shown to correlate well with literature results.
enhancedGraphics (
http://apps.cytoscape.org/apps/enhancedGraphics) is a Cytoscape app that implements a series of enhanced charts and graphics that may be added to Cytoscape nodes. It enables users ...and other app developers to create pie, line, bar, and circle plots that are driven by columns in the Cytoscape Node Table. Charts are drawn using vector graphics to allow full-resolution scaling.
OBJECTIVESHuman multidrug and toxin extrusion member 1, MATE1 (SLC47A1), plays an important role in the renal and biliary excretion of endogenous and exogenous organic cations including many ...therapeutic drugs. In this study, we characterized the transcriptional effects of five polymorphic variants and six common haplotypes in the basal promoter region of MATE1 that were identified in 272 DNA samples from ethnically diverse US populations.
METHODSWe measured luciferase activities of the six common promoter haplotypes of MATE1 using in-vitro and in-vivo reporter assays.
RESULTSHaplotypes that contain the most common variant (mean allele frequency in four ethnic groups0.322), g.–66T>C, showed a significant decrease in reporter activities compared to the reference. Two transcription factors, activating protein-1 (AP-1) and activating protein-2 repressor (AP-2rep), were predicted to bind to the promoter in the region of g.–66T>C. Results from electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that the g.–66T allele, exhibited greater binding to AP-1 than the g.–66C allele. AP-2rep inhibited the binding of AP-1 to the MATE1 basal promoter region, and the effect was considerably greater for the g.–66T>C. These data suggest that the reduced transcriptional activity of g.–66T>C results from a reduction in the binding potency of the transcriptional activator, AP-1, and an enhanced binding potency of the repressor, AP-2rep to the MATE1 basal promoter region. Consistent with the reporter assays, MATE1 mRNA expression levels were significantly lower in kidney samples from individuals who were homozygous or heterozygous for g.–66T>C in comparison with samples from individuals who were homozygous for the g.–66T allele.
CONCLUSIONOur study suggests that the rate of transcription of MATE1 is regulated by AP-1 and AP-2rep and that a common promoter variant, g.–66T>C may affect the expression level of MATE1 in human kidney, and ultimately result in variation in drug disposition and response.
Membrane transporters play crucial roles in the cellular uptake and efflux of an array of small molecules including nutrients, environmental toxins, and many clinically used drugs. We hypothesized ...that common genetic variation in the proximal promoter regions of transporter genes contribute to observed variation in drug response. A total of 579 polymorphisms were identified in the proximal promoters (-250 to +50 bp) and flanking 5' sequence of 107 transporters in the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) and Solute Carrier (SLC) superfamilies in 272 DNA samples from ethnically diverse populations. Many transporter promoters contained multiple common polymorphisms. Using a sliding window analysis, we observed that, on average, nucleotide diversity (pi) was lowest at approximately 300 bp upstream of the transcription start site, suggesting that this region may harbor important functional elements. The proximal promoters of transporters that were highly expressed in the liver had greater nucleotide diversity than those that were highly expressed in the kidney consistent with greater negative selective pressure on the promoters of kidney transporters. Twenty-one promoters were evaluated for activity using reporter assays. Greater nucleotide diversity was observed in promoters with strong activity compared to promoters with weak activity, suggesting that weak promoters are under more negative selective pressure than promoters with high activity. Collectively, these results suggest that the proximal promoter region of membrane transporters is rich in variation and that variants in these regions may play a role in interindividual variation in drug disposition and response.
cddApp is a Cytoscape extension that supports the annotation of protein networks with information about domains and specific functional sites from the National Center for Biotechnology Information's ...conserved domain database (CDD). CDD information is loaded for nodes annotated with NCBI numbers or UniProt identifiers and (optionally) Protein Data Bank structures. cddApp integrates with the Cytoscape apps structureViz2 and enhancedGraphics. Together, these three apps provide powerful tools to annotate nodes with CDD domain and site information and visualize that information in both network and structural contexts.
cddApp is written in Java and freely available for download from the Cytoscape app store (http://apps.cytoscape.org). Documentation is provided at http://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/cytoscape, and the source is publically available from GitHub http://github.com/RBVI/cddApp.
PDF
