Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) is a posttranslational modifier that targets proteins for degradation by the mycobacterial proteasome. We show that the disordered amino terminus of Pup is required for degradation, while the helical carboxyl terminus mediates its attachment to proteins. Thus, Pup has distinct regions that either interact with pupylation enzymes or initiate proteasomal d...

Several in vitro studies have showed the neurotoxic effect of homocysteine (Hcy) to various neuronal types, including cerebellar Purkinje neurons. In this study, we investigated whether the Hcy has neurotoxic effects on the rat pup’s cerebellum in the postnatal period that it continues to development. Pups rats divided into control and Hcy group. Hcy administration (0.3–0.6 mmol/g b...

(1) Background: Preoptic region of hypothalamus is responsible to control maternal behavior, which was hypothesized be associated with gene expressional changes. (2) Methods: Transcriptome sequencing first applied in the preoptic rat dams comparison a group mothers whose pups were taken away immediately after parturition and did not exhibit caring behavior 10 days later. (3) Results: Differenti...

Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) is a post-translational modifier that attaches to more than 50 proteins in Mycobacteria. Proteasome accessory factor A (PafA) is responsible for Pup conjugation to substrates, but the manner in which proteins are selected for pupylation is unknown. To address this issue, we reconstituted the pupylation of model Mycobacterium proteasome substrates in Esch...

UNLABELLED Pupylation is a posttranslational modification peculiar to actinobacteria wherein proteins are covalently modified with a small protein called the prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup). Like ubiquitination in eukaryotes, this phenomenon has been associated with proteasome-mediated protein degradation in mycobacteria. Here, we report studies of pupylation in a streptomycete that is...

Pupylation is a bacterial post-translational modification of target proteins on lysine residues with prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein Pup. Pup-tagged substrates are recognized by a proteasome-interacting ATPase termed Mpa in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mpa unfolds pupylated substrates and threads them into the proteasome core particle for degradation. Interestingly, Mpa itself is also a pupyl...

The striking identification of an apparent proteasome core in Mycobacteria and allied actinomycetes suggested that additional elements of this otherwise strictly eukaryotic system for regulated protein degradation might be conserved. The genes encoding this prokaryotic proteasome are clustered in an operon with a short open reading frame that encodes a small protein of 64 amino acids resembling...

Spectral and temporal features of human infant crying may detect neurobehavioral effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE). Finding comparable measures of rodent ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) would promote translational analyses by controlling the effects of correlated variables that confound human studies. To this end, two studies examined the sensitivity of similar acoustic structures in h...

PURPOSE To determine whether knockdown of Müller cell-derived VEGFA-splice variant, VEGF164, which is upregulated in the rat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) model, safely inhibits intravitreal neovascularization (IVNV). METHODS Short hairpin RNAs for VEGF164 (VEGF164.shRNAs) or luciferase.shRNA control were cloned into lentivectors with CD44 promoters that specifically target Müller cells. K...