bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of rat liver glucocorticoid receptor by molybdate. Effects on both non-activated and activated receptor complexes
Authors: Murakami N , Moudgil V K
Published: August 2015

When freshly prepared glucocorticoid-receptor complex from rat liver cytosol was incubated at 23 degrees C in the presence of sodium molybdate, its subsequent binding to isolated nuclei, DNA-cellulose and ATP-Sepharose was blocked. In addition, binding to these acceptors by cytosol receptor complex fractionated with (NH4)2SO4 was also blocked by incubation of the complexes with 50 mM-sodium molybdate. However, molybdate had no effect on the binding of activated receptor complexes to ATP-Sepharose. Molybdate was also effective in extracting the nuclear- and DNA-cellulose-bound glucocorticoid-receptor complexes in a dose-dependent manner. Molybdate appears to exert its effects directly on the receptor by interacting with both non-activated and activated receptor forms.
The effect of intermittent changes in tension on protein and collagen synthesis in isolated rabbit muscles
Authors: Palmer R M , Reeds P J , Lobley G E , Smith R H
Published: August 2015

Isolated intact rabbit muscles were incubated in a medium containing radioactive proline. The rates of synthesis of collagen and total muscle protein after incubation with a constant tension or intermittent mechanical stretching were compared with the rates in vivo. Muscles incubated under a constant tension synthesized protein at 22% of the rate observed in vivo; intermittent mechanical stretching resulted in an increase of 73% in the rate of protein synthesis, to 38% of that found in vivo. Collagen synthesis was affected in the same way as total protein synthesis by both types of incubation, therefore the relative rates of collagen and total protein synthesis were unchanged. ATP concentration in the isolate muscles and the uptake of glucose from the medium were increased by intermittent mechanical stretching. Incubating the muscles with a gas phase containing 5% O2 decreased the rate of protein synthesis, abolished the effect of intermittent mechanical stretching, lowered the concentration of ATP and increased the lactate concentration. The rate of protein synthesis in muscles maintained with a constant or intermittently applied tension was not affected by a previous period of incubation with the other type of stimulus.
The rôle of mitochondrial pyruvate transport in the stimulation by glucagon and phenylephrine of gluconeogenesis from l-lactate in isolated rat hepatocytes
Authors: Thomas A P , Halestrap A P
Published: August 2015

The sensitivity of glucose production from L-lactate by isolated liver cells from starved rats to inhibition by alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate was studied. A small percentage of the maximal rate of gluconeogenesis was insensitive to inhibition by alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate, and evidence is presented to show that this is due to pyruvate entry into the mitochondria as alanine. After subtraction of this rate, Dixon plots of the reciprocal of the rate of gluconeogenesis against inhibitor concentration were linear both in the absence and presence of glucagon, phenylephrine or valinomycin, each of which stimulated gluconeogenesis by 30-50%. Pyruvate kinase activity was decreased by glucagon, but not by phenylephrine or valinomycin. Inhibition of gluconeogenesis by quinolinate (inhibitor of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) or monochloroacetate (probably inhibiting pyruvate carboxylation) caused a significant deviation from linearity of the Dixon plot obtained with alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate. Amytal, however, inhibited gluconeogenesis without affecting the linearity of this plot. These data, coupled with a computer simulation study, suggest that pyruvate transport may control gluconeogenesis from L-lactate and that hormones may stimulate this process through an effect on the respiratory chain. An additional role for pyruvate kinase and pyruvate carboxylase is quite compatible with the data presented.
Conversion of 5-aminolaevulinate into haem by liver homogenates. Comparison of rat and chick embryo
Authors: Healey J F , Bonkowsky H L , Sinclair P R , Sinclair J F
Published: August 2015

1. We have studied the kinetics of the conversion of 5-aminolaevulinate into haem and haem precursors in homogenates of livers of rats and chick embryos. Homogenates of fresh liver from both species efficiently convert 5-aminolaevulinate into haem. After frozen storage for 1 year, homogenates of rat, but not chick, liver have decreased rates of formation of haem with accumulation of more protoporphyrin. The rate of haem formation after storage is restored by addition of Fe2+ and menadione. 2. At all initial concentrations of 5-aminolaevulinate tested (2 microM-1 mM), homogenates of rat liver accumulate less protoporphyrin than haem. In contrast, homogenates of chick embryo liver accumulate more protoporphyrin than haem at concentration of 5-aminolaevulinate greater than 10 microM. Conversion of protoporphyrin into haem by homogenates of fresh or frozen chick embryo liver is not increased by addition of Fe2+. 3. Homogenates of liver from both species accumulate porphobilinogen; the kinetic parameters for this process reflect those of 5-aminolaevulinate dehydratase. 4. The results show that the rate-limiting enzyme for the hepatic conversion of 5-aminolaevulinate into protoporphyrin is porphobilinogen deaminase. In addition, chick liver, compared with rat liver, has only about one-fifth the activity of ferrochelatase, the final enzyme of the haem biosynthetic pathway, which inserts Fe2+ into protoporphyrin to form haem. 5. Comparison of these results with previous studies indicates that the homogenate system described here provides physiologically and clinically relevant information for study of hepatic haem synthesis and its control.
Maximum activities and properties of glucose 6-phosphatase in muscles from vertebrates and invertebrates
Authors: Surholt B , Newsholme E A
Published: August 2015

1. The maximum catalytic activities of glucose 6-phosphatase were measured in a large number of muscles from vertebrates and invertebrates. The activities range from less than 0.1 to 8.0 mumol/min per g fresh wt. at 30 degrees C: the highest activity, observed in the flight muscle of the wasp (Vespa vulgaris), is similar to that in rat liver. The hydrolytic activity was shown to be specific towards glucose 6-phosphate. 2. The pH optimum was 6.8 and the Km was approx. 0.6 mM (flight muscle of a moth). 3. Almost all of the glucose 6-phosphatase activity from extracts of the flight muscle of a moth and the pectoral muscle of a pigeon were recovered in the cytosolic fraction (i.e. 150,000 g supernatant). 4. During development of the locust (Schistocerca gregaria), the activity of the phosphatase in the flight muscle increased during the first 3 days after the final moult. 5. The activity of glucose 6-phosphatase from insect and avian muscle was separated from that of non-specific phosphatase on a Bio-Gel P-100 column. 6. For the activities from 63 muscles, there was a strong positive correlation between those of glucose 6-phosphatase and hexokinase, but no correlation between the activities of glucose 6-phosphatase and fructose bisphosphatase. It is suggested that the role of glucose 6-phosphate in muscle is either to produce glucose from glucose 6-phosphate derived from glycogen or to provide the enzymic basis for a substrate (‘futile’) cycle between glucose and glucose 6-phosphatase in muscle to improve the sensitivity of the mechanism that regulates the rate of glucose phosphorylation.
Concanavalin A-induced chemiluminescence in rat thymus lymphocytes. Its origin and role in mitogenesis
Authors: Hume D A , Wrogemann K , Ferber E , Kolbuch-Braddon M E , Taylor R M , Fischer H , Weidemann M J
Published: August 2015

1. The luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of rat thymocytes responding to concanavalin A can be resolved into glucose-dependent and glucose-independent portions. 2. The glucose-dependent portion, supported by D-glucose and D-mannose oxidation, is inhibited by catalase (200 microgram/ml), amobarbital (1 mM) and hexose analogues that block D-glucose uptake. Thus concanavalin A may activate, transiently, an NAD(P)H oxidase that utilizes reducing equivalents derived from the oxidation of exogenous glucose to give dismutation products of O2- (including H2O2) as its major products. 3. The glucose-independent portion is inhibited by eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraynoic acid but not by indomethacin. It may therefore be associated with the conversion of hydroperoxy intermediates of arachidonic acid metabolism to hydroxy products by the lipoxygenase pathway. 4. Preincubation of thymocytes for 18 h in serum-free medium enhances the subsequent chemiluminescent response to concanavalin A severalfold and evokes the response at a lower threshold concentration. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine by preincubated cells is similarly enhanced at low doses of concanavalin A, whereas the response to optimal doses is unaltered. 5. Catalase does not inhibit the enhanced incorporation of [3H]thymidine obtained in response to concanavalin A, but instead amplifies the response to low doses in the same manner as preincubation.
Biosynthesis of dermatan sulphate. Loss of C-5 hydrogen during conversion of d-glucuronate to l-iduronate
Authors: Malmström A
Published: August 2015

The formation of L-iduronic acid during biosynthesis of dermatan sulphate has been studied in culture human fibroblasts and in microsomes from the same cells. The cells were incubated with D-[14C]glucose and D-[5-3H]glucose for 72 h. The [14C,3H]dermatan sulphate was hydrolysed and the disaccharides obtained were acetylated and separated by ion-exchange chromatography. The ratio of 3H/14C was 0.36 for N-acetyldermosine and 1.36 N-acetylchondrosine. A microsomal preparation from the fibroblasts was incubated with UDP-D-[5-3H]glucuronic acid, UDP-D-[14C]glucuronic acid, UDP-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and 3′-phospho-5′-adenylyl sulphate. The polymeric products were separated into nonsulphated and sulphated components which had 3H/14C ratios of 0.51 and 0.20 and contained 9% and 70% of their uronosyl residues in the L-ido-configuration, respectively. Chondroitinase-AC digestion of these polymers liberated all of the remaining 3H activity. Hydrolysis and N-acetylation followed by paper chromatography showed that the L-iduronic acid-containing products were devoid of 3H. The data obtained indicate that the epimerization of D-glucuronosyl to L-iduronosyl residues during biosynthesis of dermatan sulphate involves an abstraction of the C-5 hydrogen of the uronosyl residue.
The inactivation of aldehyde dehydrogenase by disulfiram in the presence of glutathione
Authors: Kitson T M
Published: August 2015

It is shown that in vitro glutathione provides little protection of cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase against the inactivatory action of disulfiram. This observation provides support for the current explanation of how disulfiram acts in vivo. The results show that the disulfiram-sensitive thiol groups of aldehyde dehydrogenase have an unusually high reactivity; possible mechanisms by which this might arise are discussed.
Periodate-oxidized AMP as a substrate, an inhibitor and an affinity label of human placental alkaline phosphatase
Authors: Chang G G , Wang S C , Pan F
Published: August 2015

Human placental alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) was inactivated by periodate-oxidized AMP. The inactivation showed saturation kinetics and could be partially prevented by the substrate AMP or the product inhibitor inorganic phosphate. Oxidized AMP was itself a substrate for this enzyme, with an apparent Km of 0.67 mM. The hydrolytic products of oxidized AMP were identified as oxidized adenosine hemiacetals. Oxidized AMP was also found to be a non-competitive inhibitor with respect to p-nitrophenyl phosphate, with identical Kis and Kii values of 0.15 mM. Our results indicate that oxidized AMP could combine with the enzyme to form a binary complex, followed by reaction with the proximal lysyl amino group to yield a Schiff base. The latter was reduced with NaBH4 and identified by t.l.c. The incorporation of only 1.5 molecules of oxidized [14C]AMP per enzyme subunit resulted in a complete inactivation of the enzyme. The modified enzyme showed higher apparent Km for the substrates and higher Ki for inorganic phosphate, but lower [32P]phosphate incorporation, than the native enzyme. These results support the conclusion that a lysine residue is involved in the phosphate-binding site of human placental alkaline phosphatase.
Aphidicolin does not inhibit DNA repair synthesis in ultraviolet-irradiated HeLa cells. A radioautographic study
Authors: Hardt N , Pedrali-Noy G , Focher F , Spadari S
Published: August 2015

A radioautographic examination of nuclear DNA synthesis in unirradiated and u.v.-irradiated HeLa cells, in the presence and in the absence of aphidicolin, showed that aphidicolin inhibits nuclear DNA replication and has no detectable effect on DNA repair synthesis. Although the results establish that in u.v.-irradiated HeLa cells most of the DNA repair synthesis is not due to DNA polymerase alpha, they do not preclude a significant role for this enzyme in DNA repair processes.
Binding of the basement-membrane glycoprotein laminin to glycosaminoglycans. An affinity-chromatography study
Authors: Del Rosso M , Cappelletti R , Viti M , Vannucchi S , Chiarugi V
Published: August 2015

The binding of the basement-membrane glycoprotein laminin to glycosaminoglycans (aggregating and non-aggregating subsets of heparan sulphates and dermatan sulphates, as well as heparin, chondroitin sulphates and hyaluronic acid) was studied by affinity chromatography. Partially periodate-oxidized chains of glycosaminoglycans were coupled to adipic acid dihydrazide-substituted agarose. Co-polymeric glycosaminoglycans reveal high affinity for laminin, whereas hyaluronic acid does not. Competitive-release experiments indicate that glycosaminoglycans share a common binding site on the laminin molecule.
Limited proteolysis and proton n.m.r. spectroscopy of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Escherichia coli
Authors: Perham R N , Roberts G C K
Published: August 2015

The 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Escherichia coli was treated with trypsin at pH 7.0 at 0 degrees C. Loss of the overall catalytic activity was accompanied by rapid cleavage of the lipoate succinyltransferase polypeptide chains, this apparent Mr falling from 50 000 to 36 000 as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. A slower shortening of the 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase chains was also observed, whereas the lipoamide dehydrogenase chains were unaffected. The inactive trypsin-treated enzyme had lost the lipoic acid-containing regions of the lipoate succinyltransferase polypeptide chains, yet remained a highly assembled structure, as judged by gel filtration and electron microscopy. The lipoic acid-containing regions are therefore likely to be physically exposed in the complex, protruding from the structural core formed by the lipoate succinyltransferase component between the subunits of the other component enzymes. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex revealed the existence of substantial regions of polypeptide chain with remarkable intramolecular mobility, most of which were retained after removal of the lipoic acid-containing regions by treatment of the complex with trypsin. By analogy with the comparably mobile regions of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of E. coli, it is likely that the highly mobile regions of polypeptide chain in the 2-oxoglutarate complex are in the lipoate succinyltransferase component and encompass the lipoyl-lysine residues. It is clear, however, that the mobility of this polypeptide chain is not restricted to the immediate vicinity of these residues.
Sequencing long DNA fragments cloned in bacteriophage M13 by using internal primers. The sequence analysis of a yeast DNA fragment containing a replication origin
Authors: Hindley John , Phear Geraldine A.
Published: August 2015

In the ‘shotgun’ procedure for sequencing DNA, DNA fragments are cloned into a phage M13 vector and sequenced by using a flanking primer. In a variation of this procedure a longer DNA sequence is cloned into M13, the two single-stranded recombinants identified and sequenced by using a set of internal primers prepared by exonuclease III digestion of restriction fragments.
Characteristics of sarcoplasmic reticulum from normal and denervated rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Palexas G N , Savage N , Isaacs H
Published: August 2015

Denervation of rat skeletal muscle produces after 14 days a decrease in Ca2+ uptake of a heterogeneous population of sarcoplasmic-reticulum vesicles, when measured in the presence of oxalate. The Mg2+-dependent ATPase (Ca2+-independent) activity increased after the same period and the Ca2+ + Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity decreased. Concomitant with these changes, there was an increase in vesicle size and calcium content. The observations are discussed in terms of changes in altered membrane structure, manifested in the shift of the equilibrium of the ATPase from an enzyme involved in calcium transport to a phosphoenzyme giving rise to an increase in the Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity.
Control of δ-aminolaevulinate synthase and haem oxygenase in chroniciron-overloaded rats
Authors: Ibrahim N G , Nelson J C , Levere R D
Published: August 2015

The hepatic porphyrias are inborn errors of porphyrin and haem biosynthesis characterized biochemically by excessive excretion of delta-aminolaevulinate (ALA), porphobilinogen and other intermediates in haem synthesis. Clinical evidence has implicated iron in the pathogenesis of several types of genetically transmitted diseases. We investigated the role of iron in haem metabolism as well as its relationship to drug-mediated induction of ALA synthase and haem oxygenase in acute and chronic iron overload. Acute iron overload in rats resulted in a marked increase in hepatic haem oxygenase that was associated with a decrease in cytochrome P-450 and an increase in ALA synthase activity. Aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase activities, which are dependent on the concentration of cytochrome P-450, were also decreased. In contrast, in chronic-iron-overloaded rats, there was an adaptive increase in haem oxygenase activity and an increase in ALA synthase that was associated with normal concentrations of microsomal haem and cytochrome P-450. The induction of ALA synthase in chronic iron overload was enhanced by phenobarbital and allylisopropylacetamide, in spite of the fact that these agents did not increase haem oxygenase activity. Small doses of Co2+ were potent inducers of the haem oxygenase in chronic-iron-overloaded, but not in control, animals. We conclude that increased hepatic cellular iron may predispose certain enzymes of haem synthesis to induction by exogenous agents and thereby affect drug-metabolizing enzyme activities.
Calmodulin regulation of Ca2+ transport in human erythrocytes
Authors: Larsen F L , Katz S , Roufogalis B D
Published: August 2015

Inside-out vesicles of human erythrocytes took up Ca2+ against an electrochemical gradient. This Ca2+ uptake was dependent on ATP and was stimulated by calmodulin. Treatment of vesicles with 1 mM-EDTA exposed an apparent low-CA2+-affinity Ca2+-transport component with Kd of about 100 microM-Ca2+ or more. This was converted into a single high-Ca2+-affinity transport activity of Kd about 2.5 microM-Ca2+ in the presence of 2 micrograms of calmodulin/ml, showing that the decrease in transport activity after EDTA treatment was reversible. Vesicles not extracted with EDTA showed mainly apparent high-Ca2+-affinity kinetics even in the absence of added calmodulin. Trifluoperazine (30 microM) and calmodulin-binding protein (20 micrograms/ml) inhibited about 50% of the high-affinity Ca2+ uptake and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase (Ca2+-activated, Mg2+-dependent ATPase) activity of these vesicles, indicating that the vesicles isolated by the procedure used retained some calmodulin from the erythrocytes. Comparison of Ca2+ transport and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase activities in inside-out vesicles yielded a variable Ca2+/P1 stoichiometric ratio. At low free Ca2+ concentrations (below 20 micro-Ca2+), a Ca2+/P1 ration of about 2 was found, whereas at higher Ca2+ concentrations the stoichiometry was approx. 1. The stoichiometry was not significantly altered by calmodulin.
Interaction of antibody-bearing small unilamellar liposomes with antigencoated cells. The effect of antibody and antigen concentration on the liposomal and cell surface respectively
Authors: Gregoriadis Gregory , Meehan Anne
Published: August 2015

Human blood lymphocytes were coated with increasing amounts of human kappa chain (2–85mug/107 cells) through the linking reagent CrCl3. These cells were then exposed to small unilamellar liposomes composed of egg phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and phosphatidic acid (molar proportions 7:7:1) containing carboxyfluorescein and/or 111In-labelled bleomycin and bearing 131I-labelled affinity chromatography-purified or non-purified anti-(kappa-chain) immunoglobulin G (IgG) [see the preceding paper, Gregoriadis, Meehan & Mah (1981) Biochem. J.200, 203–210]. In some experiments liposomes contained [14C]phosphatidylcholine. (1) Lymphocytes (107) coated with 2–85mug of kappa chain and exposed to liposomes devoid of IgG or bearing non-purified anti-(kappa chain) IgG bound only a small proportion of the liposomal markers. Even with liposomes bearing the purified anti-(kappa chain) IgG, uptake of the labels improved only slightly for cells coated with up to 10mug of kappa chain. However, with higher concentrations of the antigen on the cell surface, binding was improved considerably to reach values of 31% (111In-labelled bleomycin) and 43% (131I-labelled IgG) of added liposomes for cells coated with 85mug of kappa chain. (2) Lymphocytes coated with kappa chain were exposed to liposomes bearing increasing amounts (0–180mug/0.9mg of egg phosphatidylcholine) of purified anti-(kappa chain) IgG. It was found that under the present conditions, binding of all three markers (111In-labelled bleomycin, 131I-labelled IgG and [14C]phosphatidylcholine) was directly proportional to the concentration of IgG on the liposomal surface. However, uptake values remained unchanged above 90mug of IgG. (3) Antibody-mediated uptake of liposomes by cells coated with the corresponding antigen without loss of their metabolic activities may provide a method of efficient targeting.
Activity of 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase, d-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, hexokinase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase in the stomach and small and large intestine of the rat
Authors: Hanson P J , Carrington J M
Published: August 2015

1. Activities of 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase, D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, hexokinase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase have been measured in the gastrointestinal tract. 2. Activity of 3-oxo acid CoA-transferase in the glandular mucosa of the stomach was as high as that in heart and kidney, and was 2--4 times greater than that in other regions of the gastrointestinal tract. It is suggested that metabolism of acetoacetate might support acid secretion on re-feeding after a period without food. 3. All regions of the gastrointestinal tract have the capacity to use ketone bodies, and it is likely that both muscle and mucosa will contribute to their utilization. 4. Activity of hexokinase was twice the rate of glucose utilization by the jejunum under anaerobic conditions. The maximal rate of glucose metabolism in the jejunum may not be substantially different from that in other regions of the gastrointestinal tract. 5. Starvation decreased the capacity for metabolism of glucose in several regions of the intestine. 6. Activities of carnitine palmitolytransferase in the stomach, jejunum and colon were similar, and about one-third of that in the liver. Activity in the jejunum was much higher than the apparent rate of oxidation of exogenous fatty acid. 7. The results do not suggest any large variation between tissues of the gastrointestinal tract in metabolism of glucose or fatty acids, whereas metabolism of ketone bodies may be more prominent in the stomach.
Insulin-like effects of dithiothreitol on isolated rat adipocytes
Authors: Goko H , Takashima S , Kawamuro A , Matsuoka A
Published: August 2015

The effects of dithiothreitol on basal glucose oxidation, hormone-induced lipolysis and insulin receptors in isolated rat adipocytes were studied. Dithiothreitol produced a dose-dependent stimulation of basal glucose oxidation and inhibition of adrenaline-induced lipolysis. Dithiothreitol also inhibited corticotropin-induced lipolysis, but failed to inhibit dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced lipolysis. Dithiothreitol did not inhibit the binding of the beta-adrenergic antagonist [3H]dihydroalprenolol to adipocytes. Neither catalase (100 micrograms/ml) nor EDTA (2 mM) abolished the antilipolytic effect of dithiothreitol. Treatment of isolated adipocytes with 1 mM-dithiothreitol for 20 min at 37 degrees C also caused stimulation of basal glucose oxidation and inhibition of adrenaline-induced lipolysis. A Scatchard plot of insulin binding to control adipocytes was curvilinear. However, treatment of cells with 1 mM-dithiothreitol decreased the curvilinearity of the plot, indicating that only a low-affinity state of the insulin receptors exists in the dithiothreitol-treated adipocytes. These findings suggest that the insulin-like activities of dithiothreitol are mediated through the interaction of dithiothreitol with insulin receptors.
[3H]proline incorporation and hydroxyproline concentration in articular cartilage during the development of osteoarthritis caused by immobilization. A study in vivo with rabbits
Authors: Videman T , Eronen I , Candolin T
Published: August 2015

Proline metabolism in vivo was studied during the development of immobilization osteoarthritis in rabbits. Collagen content was measured as the hydroxyproline concentration of the tissue in question. The incorporation of [3H]proline was used as the indicator for total protein synthesis; collagen synthesis rate was estimated from measurements of the specific radioactivity of hydroxyproline. Cartilage samples from knee and hip joints were analysed after 3, 7, 11, 18, 35 and 56 days of immobilization. The total protein and collagen synthesis rates of the immobilized legs increased and reached a maximum after 11-35 days. Although they decreased thereafter, these rates remained elevated to the end of the experiment. A slight increase in the synthetic activity of the non-immobilized contralateral legs was also detected after 7--18 days of immobilization. The isotope incorporation was markedly higher in tibial marginal tissue than in weight-bearing cartilage. In spite of the increased synthesis, no clear changes were found in the collagen content of the tissues studied during the experiment.
Alkaline phosphatase protein increases in response to prednisolone in HeLa cells
Authors: Hanford W C , Kottel R H , Fishman W H
Published: August 2015

Quantification of term-placental alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme protein in HeLa TCRC-1 cells grown in the presence and absence of prednisolone indicates that there is a net increase in amount of enzyme-specific protein in prednisolone-stimulated cells. In a similar analysis of HeLa D98AH2 cells, prednisolone treatment causes the appearance of term-placental alkaline phosphatase protein and the loss of the intestinal isoenzyme protein. These results support the interpretation that the response of these cells to corticosteroids is the net accumulation of alkaline phosphatase protein rather than the modification of pre-existing enzyme to a more active state.
Effect of NADH on hypoxanthine hydroxylation by native NAD+-dependent xanthine oxidoreductase of rat liver, and the possible biological role of this effect
Authors: Kamiński Z W , Jezewska M M
Published: August 2015

The course of the reaction sequence hypoxanthine leads to xanthine leads to uric acid, catalysed by the NAD+-dependent activity of xanthine oxidoreductase, was investigated under conditions either of immediate oxidation of the NADH formed or of NADH accumulation. The enzymic preparation was obtained from rat liver, and purified 75-fold (as compared with the 25000 g supernatant) on a 5′-AMP-Sepharose 4B column; in this preparation the NAD+-dependent activity accounted for 100% of total xanthine oxidoreductase activity. A spectrophotometric method was developed for continuous measurements of changes in the concentrations of the three purines involved. The time course as well as the effects of the concentrations of enzyme and of hypoxanthine were examined. NADH produced by the enzyme lowered its activity by 50%, resulting in xanthine accumulation and in decreases of uric acid formation and of hypoxanthine utilization. The inhibition of the Xanthine oxidoreductase NAD+-dependent activity by NADH is discussed as a possible factor in the regulation of IMP biosynthesis by the ‘de novo’ pathway or (from unchanged hypoxanthine) by ther salvage pathway.
Regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in rat mammary gland. Effects of incubation with Ca2+, Mg2+ and ATP on enzyme activity in tissue extracts
Authors: McNeillie E M , Clegg R A , Zammit V A
Published: August 2015

1. The effect of preincubation of extracts of lactating rat mammary gland with ATP, Mg2+ and micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ on the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase was studied. 2. Both Mg2+ and Ca2+ activated the enzyme. Activation with Mg2+ (5 mM) was larger than that with Ca2+ (calculated free Ca2+ concentration = 20-50 microM), but the activity decreased after reaching a peak. The activation obtained with Ca2+ was stable for up to 180 min. 3. Incubation with Ca2+ and Mg2+ together resulted in an activation that was slightly higher than that with Mg2+ only and was stable (compare the results for Ca2+ alone). 4. Preincubation in the absence of Mg2+, but not in the absence of Ca2+, resulted in the impairment of subsequent activation with either Mg2+ (when preincubation was with Ca2+ alone) or Mg2+ plus Ca2+. 5. KF (50 mM) prevented the activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by Ca2+ and Mg2+. 6. MgATP2- reversed (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-mediated activation and decreased the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase to about 10% of initial activity. Inhibition by ATP was unaffected by addition of cyclic AMP or cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. 7. 32P was incorporated into acetyl-CoA carboxylase when incubations were carried out in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP. Subsequent removal of ATP from the incubation medium resulted in rapid loss of 32P from acetyl-CoA carboxylase. 8. It is suggested that extracts of rat mammary gland contain endogenous protein kinase and phosphatase activities that modulate acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity through reversible phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. The phosphatase activity is sensitive to both Mg2+ and micromolar concentrations of Ca2+, whereas the kinase does not appear to be cyclic AMP-dependent.
Activation of brain calcineurin (Cn) by Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) depends on direct SOD1–Cn protein interactions occurringin vitroandin vivo
Authors: Agbas Abdulbaki , Hui Dongwei , Wang Xinsheng , Tek Vekalet , Zaidi Asma , Michaelis Elias K.
Published: August 2015

Cn (calcineurin) activity is stabilized by SOD1 (Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase), a phenomenon attributed to protection from superoxide (O2•−). The effects of O2•− on Cn are still controversial. We found that O2•−, generated either in vitro or in vivo did not affect Cn activity. Yet native bovine, recombinant human or rat, and two chimaeras of human SOD1–rat SOD1, all activated Cn, but SOD2 (Mn-superoxide dismutase) did not affect Cn activity. There was also a poor correlation between SOD1 dismutase activity and Cn activation. A chimaera of human N-terminal SOD1 and rat C-terminal SOD1 had little detectable dismutase activity, yet stimulated Cn activity the same as full-length human or rat SOD1. Nevertheless, there was evidence that the active site of SOD1 was involved in Cn activation based on the loss of activation following chelation of Cu from the active site of SOD1. Also, SOD1 engaged in the catalysis of O2•− dismutation was ineffective in activating Cn. SOD1 activation of Cn resulted from a 90-fold decrease in phosphatase Km without a change in Vmax. A possible mechanism for the activation of Cn was identified in our studies as the prevention of Fe and Zn losses from the active site of Cn, suggesting a conformation-dependent SOD1–Cn interaction. In neurons, SOD1 and Cn were co-localized in cytoplasm and membranes, and SOD1 co-immunoprecipitated with Cn from homogenates of brain hippocampus and was present in immunoprecipitates as large multimers. Pre-incubation of pure SOD1 with Cn caused SOD1 multimer formation, an indication of an altered conformational state in SOD1 upon interaction with Cn.
Molecular basis for repression of liver X receptor-mediated gene transcription by receptor-interacting protein 140
Authors: Jakobsson Tomas , Osman Waffa , Gustafsson Jan-Åke , Zilliacus Johanna , Wärnmark Anette
Published: August 2015

Similarities in physiological roles of LXR (liver X receptors) and co-repressor RIP140 (receptor-interacting protein 140) in regulating energy homoeostasis and lipid and glucose metabolism suggest that the effects of LXR could at least partly be mediated by recruitment of the co-repressor RIP140. In the present study, we have elucidated the molecular basis for regulation of LXR transcriptional activity by RIP140. LXR is evenly localized in the nucleus and neither the N-terminal domain nor the LBD (ligand-binding domain) is necessary for nuclear localization. Both LXR subtypes, LXRα and LXRβ, interact with RIP140 and co-localize in diffuse large nuclear domains. Interaction and co-localization are dependent on the LBD of the receptor. The C-terminal domain of RIP140 is sufficient for full repressive effect. None of the C-terminal NR (nuclear receptor)-boxes is required for the co-repressor activity, whereas the NR-box-like motif as well as additional elements in the C-terminal region are required for full repressive function. The C-terminal NR-box-like motif is necessary for interaction with LXRβ, whereas additional elements are needed for strong interaction with LXRα. In conclusion, our results suggest that co-repression of LXR activity by RIP140 involves an atypical binding mode of RIP140 and a repression element in the RIP140 C-terminus.
Unity and diversity in the human adenoviruses: exploiting alternative entry pathways for gene therapy
Authors: Hall Kathryn , Blair Zajdel Maria E. , Blair G. Eric
Published: August 2015

Human Ads (adenoviruses) have been extensively utilized for the development of vectors for gene transfer, as they infect many cell types and do not integrate their genome into host-cell chromosomes. In addition, they have been widely studied as cytolytic viruses, termed oncolytic adenoviruses in cancer therapy. Ads are non-enveloped viruses with a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 30–38 kb which encodes 30–40 genes. At least 52 human Ad serotypes have been identified and classified into seven species, A–G. The Ad capsid has icosahedral symmetry and is composed of 252 capsomers, of which 240 are located on the facets of the capsid and consist of a trimeric hexon protein and the remaining 12 capsomers, the pentons, are at the vertices and comprise the penton base and projecting fibre protein. The entry of Ads into human cells is a two-step process. In the first step, the fibre protein mediates a primary interaction with the cell, effectively tethering the virus particle to the cell surface via a cellular attachment protein. The penton base then interacts with cell-surface integrins, leading to virus internalization. This interaction of the fibre protein with a number of cell-surface molecules appears to be important in determining the tropism of adenoviruses. Ads from all species, except species B and certain serotypes of species D, utilize CAR (coxsackie and adenovirus receptor) as their primary cellular-attachment protein, whereas most species B Ads use CD46, a complement regulatory protein. Such species-specific differences, as well as adaptations or modifications of Ads required for applications in gene therapy, form the major focus of the present review.
Genome-wide profiling reveals a role for T-cell intracellular antigens TIA1 and TIAR in the control of translational specificity in HeLa cells
Authors: Carrascoso Isabel , Sánchez-Jiménez Carmen , Izquierdo José M.
Published: August 2015

TIA (T-cell intracellular antigens)-knockdown HeLa cells show an increase in ribosomes and translational machinery components. This increase correlates with specific changes in translationally up-regulated mRNAs involved in cell-cycle progression and DNA repair, as shown in polysomal profiling analysis. Our data support the hypothesis that a concerted activation of both global and selective translational rates leads to the transition to a more proliferative status in TIA-knockdown HeLa cells.
The pathway of adenine nucleotide catabolism and its control in isolated rat hepatocytes subjected to anoxia
Authors: Vincent Marie-Françoise , Van Den Berghe Georges , Hers Henri-Géry
Published: August 2015

1. The breakdown of the adenine nucleotide pool provoked by the replacement of the O2/CO2 gas phase by N2/CO2 was studied in isolated rat hepatocytes with the purpose of defining the pathway of the catabolism of AMP in anoxic conditions. 2. Approx. 40% of the adenine nucleotide pool was lost after 40–60 min of anoxia. In hepatocytes from fed rats there was a slow disappearance of ATP. This is explained by the presence of glycogen stores, allowing the generation of ATP by anaerobic glycolysis. In hepatocytes from 24h-starved rats, ATP almost completely disappeared within 5 min, and was partly replaced by an accumulation of AMP. This indicates that another mechanism protects the adenine nucleotide pool in the starved state. In both conditions, the loss of adenine nucleotides was mainly accounted for by an accumulation of uric acid, owing to the oxygen-dependence of urate oxidase. 3. Incubation of the hepatocytes before the suppression of O2 with coformycin at concentrations known to inhibit selectively adenosine deaminase did not result in an accumulation of adenosine and did not influence the formation of uric acid. This indicates that the degradation of AMP does not proceed by way of 5′-nucleotidase under these conditions. In the presence of coformycin at concentrations which are inhibitory to AMP deaminase, however, the formation of uric acid was nearly suppressed, demonstrating that the initial degradation of AMP was catalysed by the latter enzyme. 4. The accumulation of AMP in the starved state can be explained by the pronounced decrease in ATP, the major stimulator of AMP deaminase, and the enhanced increase in Pi, one of its physiological inhibitors. The modifications of these effectors can also explain the increased inhibition of the cytoplasmic 5′-nucleotidase, shown by the accumulation of IMP in the absence of coformycin, in hepatocytes from starved rats. 5. Reoxygenation of the hepatocytes after 20 min of anoxia induced a prompt regeneration of ATP, which reached concentrations equal to the pre-existing concentration of AMP. 6. No explanation was found for the accumulation of IMP observed after preincubation of the hepatocytes with 0.1μm-coformycin, since the activities of the IMP-metabolizing enzymes were not influenced by this inosine analogue.
Inhibition by melittin of phospholipid-sensitive and calmodulin-sensitive Ca2+ -dependent protein kinases
Authors: Katoh N , Raynor R L , Wise B C , Schatzman R C , Turner R S , Helfman D M , Fain J N , Kuo J F
Published: August 2015

Effects of melittin, an amphipathic polypeptide, on various species of protein kinases were investigated. It was found that melittin inhibited the newly identified phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (from heart, brain, spleen and neutrophils) and the cardiac myosin light-chain kinase, a calmodulin-sensitive Ca2+-dependent enzyme. In contrast, melittin had little or no effect on either the holoenzymes of the cardiac cyclic AMP-dependent and cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinases or the catalytic subunit of the former. Kinetic analysis indicated that melittin inhibited phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase non-competitively with respect to ATP (Ki = 1.3 microM); although exhibiting complex kinetics, its inhibition of the enzyme was overcome by phosphatidylserine (a phospholipid cofactor), but not by protein substrate (histone H1) or Ca2+. On the other hand, melittin inhibited myosin light-chain kinase non-competitively with respect to ATP (Ki = 1.4 microM) or Ca2+ (Ki = 1.9 microM), and competitively with respect to calmodulin (Ki = 0.08 microM); although exhibiting complex kinetics, its inhibition of the enzyme was reversed by myosin light chains (substrate protein). The present findings indicate the presence of functionally important hydrophobic or hydrophilic loci on the Ca2+-dependent protein kinases, but not on the cyclic nucleotide-dependent class of protein kinase, with which melittin can interact. Moreover, the kinetic data suggest that melittin inhibited myosin light-chain kinase by interacting with a site on the enzyme the same as, or proximal to, the calmodulin-binding site, thus interfering with the formation of active enzyme-calmodulin-Ca2+ complex.
Localization of hydrogenase in Thiocapsa roseopersicina photosynthetic membrane
Authors: Bagyinka Csaba , Kovács Kornel L. , Rak Erika
Published: August 2015

The photosynthetic cell membrane is impermeable to the oxidized redox dyes Methyl Viologen and Benzyl Viologen, whereas the reduced forms easily penetrate into the cells. By exploiting this permeability difference, the orientation of the membrane-bound hydrogenase has been determined.
Affinity change of the adipocyte receptor fails to alter insulin-stimulated glucose transport
Authors: McCaleb Michael L. , Donner David B.
Published: August 2015

Occupancy increased the affinity of the insulin receptor of the adipocyte. During the affinity change the half-maximal sensitivity of glucose transport to insulin stimulation was unaltered. Decreased maximum response of transport only occurred after the affinity change. There was not a simple relationship between receptor affinity and insulin stimulation of glucose transport in the adipocyte.
Biochemical heterogeneity of skeletal-muscle microsomal membranes. Membrane origin, membrane specificity and fibre types
Authors: Salviati Giovanni , Volpe Pompeo , Salvatori Sergio , Betto Romeo , Damiani Ernesto , Margreth Alfredo , Pasquali-Ronchetti Ivonne
Published: August 2015

1. Microsomes were isolated from rabbit fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle and were separated into heavy and light fractions by centrifugation in a linear (0.3–2m) sucrose density gradient. The membrane origin of microsomal vesicles was investigated by studying biochemical markers of the sarcoplasmic-reticulum membranes and of surface and T-tubular membranes, as well as their freeze-fracture properties. 2. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed differences in the Ca2+-dependent ATPase/calsequestrin ratio between heavy and light fractions, which were apparently consistent with their respective origin from cisternal and longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum, as well as unrelated differences, such as peptides specific to slow-muscle microsomes (mol.wts. 76000, 60000, 56000 and 45000). 3. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of muscle microsomes demonstrated that vesicles truly derived from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, with an average density of 9nm particles on the concave face of about 3000/μm2 for both fast and slow muscle, were admixed with vesicles with particle densities below 1000/μm2. 4. As determined in the light fractions, the sarcoplasmic-reticulum vesicles accounted for 84% and 57% of the total number of microsomal vesicles, for fast and slow muscle respectively. These values agreed closely with the percentage values of Ca2+-dependent ATPase protein obtained by gel densitometry. 5. The T-tubular origin of vesicles with a smooth concave fracture face in slow-muscle microsomes is supported by their relative high content in total phospholipid and cholesterol, compared with the microsomes of fast muscle, and by other correlative data, such as the presence of (Na++K+)-dependent ATPase activity and of low amounts of Na+-dependent membrane phosphorylation. 6. Among intrinsic sarcoplasmic-reticulum membrane proteins, a proteolipid of mol.wt. 12000 is shown to be identical in the microsomes of both fast and slow muscle and the Ca2+-dependent ATPase to be antigenically and catalytically different, though electrophoretically homogeneous. 7. Basal Mg2+-activated ATPase activity was found to be high in light microsomes from slow muscle, but its identification with an enzyme different from the Ca2+-dependent ATPase is still not conclusive. 8. Enzyme proteins that are suggested to be specific to slow-muscle longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum are the flavoprotėin NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase (mol.wt. 32000), cytochrome b5 (mol.wt. 17000) and the stearoyl-CoA desaturase, though essentially by criteria of plausibility.
Active extrusion of Ca2+ from epiphysial chondrocytes of normal and rachitic chickens
Authors: Zanetti M , Camerotto R , Romeo D , De Bernard B
Published: August 2015

Chondrocytes isolated from the epiphysial cartilage of chickens were exposed to either the ionophore A23187 or KCN, in the presence of 0.4 mM-extracellular Ca2+. This treatment elicits a prompt release of cell Ca2+, which can be measured as net cation efflux by a highly sensitive Ca2+-selective electrode system. Pre-exposure of chondrocytes to the metabolic inhibitors 2-deoxy-D-glucose or oligomycin causes a parallel decrease in both cell ATP and ionophore-mediated Ca2+ extrusion. Conversely, substitution of extracellular Na+ with choline produces only a very small decrease in the rate of Ca2+ efflux. This indicates that the ionophore A23187 and cyanide induce the mobilization of intracellular Ca2+, which is then extruded from the cell mainly by an ATP-driven pump system. Chondrocytes isolated from the cartilage of rachitic chickens also exhibit the capacity for extruding Ca2+ by the same mechanism, with an efficiency comparable with that of their normal counterpart.
Evidence that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is involved in the loss of NAD from cultured rat liver cells
Authors: Paine A J , Allen C M , Durkacz B W , Shall S
Published: August 2015

Rat hepatocytes cultured from 24h lose 60% of their NAD content. By using the differential response to inhibitors of the two major enzymes that catabolize NAD in mammalian cells, it is shown that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is responsible for the loss of NAD. The relevance of this observation to the use of cultured hepatocytes for the study of DNA repair induced by carcinogens is discussed.
Distribution of β-endorphin-related peptides in rat pituitary and brain
Authors: Zakarian S , Smyth D G
Published: August 2015

beta-Endorphin, the most potent known naturally occurring analgesic agent, is found in pituitary and brain in company with a series of structurally and biosynthetically related peptides that are essentially devoid of opiate activity. In studies of beta-endorphin it is important to discriminate between the active and inactive forms of the peptide. This review describes the use of chemical and immunological methods for localizing the peptides in the tissues, extracting and resolving the peptides by chromatography, and determining the concentrations of the peptides by radioimmunoassay. These approaches have allowed the distribution of beta-endorphin and its related peptides to be assigned unequivocally in regions of rat pituitary and brain. It has been found that the multifunctional corticotropin-endorphin prohormone can undergo processing by different mechanisms in different tissues, permitting the intrinsic activities of its fragments to be expressed selectively. The different processing patterns can be attributed to the existence of highly specific enzymes, characteristic of individual cells, which regulate the formation of this potent opiate.