bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein turnover in 3T3 cells transformed with the oncogene c-H-ras1
Authors: Gunn J M , James G
Published: August 2015

We have examined protein turnover, growth, DNA synthesis and proliferation in three independent clones of 3T3-NR6 cells transformed with the oncogene c-H-ras1. We find that, firstly, the half-maximum concentration of serum and insulin regulating protein turnover in ras-transformed cells is significantly reduced from 0.5 to 0.3% for serum and from 4 nM to 0.5 nM for insulin, and, secondly, ras-transformed cells consistently have lower rates of protein degradation. The catabolic effect of conditioned medium or serum withdrawal is attenuated in transformed lines by maintaining lower basal rates of protein breakdown and higher basal rates of DNA and protein synthesis. Serum stimulation of growth in transformed cells is achieved in the short term by lower rates of protein breakdown rather than higher rates of protein synthesis: rates of protein synthesis become significantly higher 24 h after serum stimulation. Therefore transformed cells have higher rates of proliferation and grow to higher densities, but display characteristics common to normal cells because rates of protein synthesis decrease and protein degradation increase as a function of cell density. We conclude that higher basal rates of protein synthesis and growth with retention of the normal proliferative response to serum result from the pleiotropic nature of ras transformation, whereas lower rates of protein degradation and increased sensitivity to serum and insulin imply a direct regulatory role for ras.
Rapid stimulation of the hepatic glycine-cleavage system in rats fed on a single high-protein meal
Authors: Ewart H S , Jois M , Brosnan J T
Published: August 2015

Glycine catabolism was studied in isolated rat liver mitochondria by measuring the release of 14CO2 from [1-14C]glycine. Mitochondria isolated from rats fed on a high-protein (60% casein) diet for 5 days showed an enhanced ability to catabolize glycine compared with mitochondria from rats fed on a normal-protein (15% casein) diet. Glycine catabolism was also stimulated in normal protein-fed rats if they ingested a single high-protein meal for 2 h before being killed, thus illustrating the rapid response of the glycine-cleavage system to protein intake. The stimulation of glycine catabolism in rats given a high-protein diet or meal was not evident if the mitochondria were incubated in the absence of P(i) (omitting ADP had no effect on the rate). Mitochondria from high-protein- and normal-protein-fed rats did not differ in their ability to accumulate glycine, a process which occurred far too rapidly to impose a limit on the rate of flux through the glycine-cleavage system. The stimulation of glycine catabolism by high-protein feeding was not associated with a change in mitochondrial matrix volume. Furthermore, mitochondria from rats fed on a high-protein meal maintained an enhanced ability to catabolize glycine compared with those from rats fed on a normal-protein meal when incubated in hypo-osmotic solutions of very low osmolarity. When mitochondria from high-protein- or normal-protein-fed rats were maximally activated by incubation in the presence of 0.25 microM-Ca2+, the rates of glycine catabolism were high, but similar, showing that the stimulation of glycine catabolism by high-protein feeding does not involve an increase in the total capacity of the system. These findings show that hepatic glycine catabolism is stimulated rapidly by high-protein feeding, a response that we suggest is involved in the disposal of the excess glycine in the diet.
The application of a novel biotinylated affinity label for the detection of a cathepsin B-like precursor produced by breast-tumour cells in culture
Authors: Cullen B M , Halliday I M , Kay G , Nelson J , Walker B
Published: August 2015

In this report we demonstrate how the recently developed biotinylated affinity label biotinyl-Phe-Ala-diazomethane (Bio-Phe-Ala-CHN2) [Cullen, McGinty, Walker, Nelson, Halliday, Bailie & Kay (1990) Biochem. Soc. Trans. 18, 315-316; Walker, Cullen, Kay, Halliday, McGinty & Nelson (1992) Biochem. J. 283, 449-453] can be used for the detection of a precursor form of a cathepsin B-like enzyme produced by breast-tumour cells in culture. Thus the cell lines MDA-MB-436, ZR-75-1 and T47-D produce a soluble protein that can be allowed to react with the biotinylated affinity label to yield an SDS-resistant complex; this can be revealed with a streptavidin/alkaline phosphatase label after PAGE and Western blotting. This protein (molecular mass 47 kDa) can also be detected by immunoblotting using sheep anti-(cathepsin B) antibodies in conjunction with a donkey anti-sheep IgG label. None of the cell lines studied produced any mature cathepsin B-like activity, as gauged by the lack of turnover of the fluorogenic substrate benzyloxycarbonyl-Arg-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7-ylamide (Cbz-Arg-Arg-NH-Mec). However, treatment of medium samples with pepsin resulted in the generation of such activity. When the pepsin-catalysed activation step was analysed by SDS/PAGE, the protein of 47 kDa was completely converted into two species of very similar molecular masses of 30.5 kDa and 29 kDa. Both these proteins can incorporate the biotinylated probe and, in common with the 47 kD species, they can be detected with the streptavidin/alkaline phosphatase label and immunoblotting. We propose that the 47 kD form is the pepsin-activable proform of these lower-molecular-mass species. The release of the proform from the oestrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast-tumour cell lines ZR-75-1 and T47-D is stimulated 5-10-fold when these cells are grown in medium containing epidermal growth factor (EGF) at a concentration of 10 ng/ml. In contrast, there is no modulation in the amount of proform released by the ER-negative cell line MDA-MB-436, over a range of EGF concentrations from 0 to 100 ng/ml.
The catalytic subunit of protein kinase A triggers activation of the type V cyclic GMP-specific phosphodiesterase from guinea-pig lung
Authors: Burns F , Rodger I W , Pyne N J
Published: August 2015

The type V cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase was partially purified from the high-speed supernatant of guinea-pig lung. The isoenzyme displayed linear kinetics for cyclic GMP hydrolysis, with Km = 2.2 +/- 0.2 microM and Vmax. = 1.2 +/- 0.08 nmol/min per mg. The selective type V phosphodiesterase inhibitor Zaprinast inhibited cyclic GMP hydrolysis with IC50 (concn. giving 50% inhibition) = 0.45 +/- 0.08 microM. Isobutylmethylxanthine promoted a 3-fold increase in the binding of cyclic GMP to the isoenzyme. The addition of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A to an activation cocktail containing the partially purified type V phosphodiesterase resulted in a marked increase in Vmax. for cyclic GMP hydrolysis (approximately 10-fold at 40 units of protein kinase A). We have suggested that protein kinase A triggers phosphorylation of the phosphodiesterase, which results in activation of phosphodiesterase activity. In addition, the sensitivity to inhibition by Zaprinast is severely decreased (the IC50 for inhibition is 7.5 +/- 1.1 microM), suggesting that the potency of phosphodiesterase inhibitors is effected by phosphorylation of the enzyme.
Radiation-inactivation analysis of vacuolar H+-ATPase and H+-pyrophosphatase from Beta vulgaris L. Functional sizes for substrate hydrolysis and for H+ transport
Authors: Sarafian V , Potier M , Poole R J
Published: August 2015

The functional sizes of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase; EC 3.6.1.34) and H(+)-pyrophosphatase (PPase; EC 3.6.1.1) from vacuolar membranes of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were estimated by radiation inactivation, both for substrate hydrolysis and for H+ transport. For the V-ATPase, the radiation-inactivation size for H+ transport was 446 (403-497) kDa and that for ATP hydrolysis was 394 (359-435) kDa. The low values of both of these estimates suggest that not all subunits which may co-purify with V-ATPases are required for either hydrolysis or transport. For the PPase, the radiation-inactivation size for hydrolysis was 91 (82-103) kDa, suggesting that the minimum functional unit for hydrolysis is the 81 kDa monomer. In contrast to the V-ATPase, the PPase gave a radiation-inactivation size for transport which was 3-4-fold larger than that for hydrolysis (two estimates for transport gave 307 and 350 kDa), indicating that a single catalytic subunit is insufficient for transport activity.
Comparative study of asparagine-linked glycans of plasma T-kininogen in normal rats and during acute inflammation
Authors: Baussant T , Alonso C , Wieruszeski J M , Strecker G , Montreuil J , Alhenc-Gelas F , Michalski J C
Published: August 2015

Rat T-kininogen has been separated into two molecular variants by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A (ConA): a ConA-reactive (ConA+) and a ConA-non-reactive (ConA-) fraction, from which carbohydrate chains were quantitatively released by hydrazinolysis. On the basis of high-resolution 400 MHz 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy of the re-N-acetylated hydrazinolysates, the carbohydrate structures of the two ConA molecular variants of rat T-kininogen were established. The ConA-non-reactive species contains a single type of carbohydrate chain with the following structure: [formula: see text] The ConA-reactive fraction contains the same structure and the following additional one: [formula: see text] The relative abundance of the two molecular forms is profoundly affected during inflammation (ratio ConA+/ConA-: 44% in normal and 95% in inflamed T-kininogen), but no structural modification of the carbohydrate chains was observed.
The post-synthetic sorting of endogenous membrane proteins examined by the simultaneous purification of apical and basolateral plasma membrane fractions from Caco-2 cells
Authors: Ellis J A , Jackman M R , Luzio J P
Published: August 2015

A subcellular fractionation method to isolate simultaneously apical and basolateral plasma membrane fractions from the human adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2, grown on filter supports, is described. The method employs sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation and differential precipitation. The apical membrane fraction was enriched 14-fold in sucrase-isomaltase and 21-fold in 5′-nucleotidase compared with the homogenate. The basolateral membrane fraction was enriched 20-fold relative to the homogenate in K(+)-stimulated p-nitrophenylphosphatase. Alkaline phosphatase was enriched 15-fold in the apical membrane fraction and 3-fold in the basolateral membrane fraction. Analytical density-gradient centrifugation showed that this enzyme was a true constituent of both fractions, and experiments measuring alkaline phosphatase release following treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C showed that in both membrane fractions the enzyme was glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked. There was very little contamination of either membrane fraction by marker enzymes of the Golgi complex, mitochondria or lysosomes. Both membrane fractions were greater than 10-fold purified with respect to the endoplasmic reticulum marker enzyme alpha-glucosidase. Protein composition analysis of purified plasma membrane fractions together with domain-specific cell surface biotinylation experiments revealed the presence of both common and unique integral membrane proteins in each plasma membrane domain. The post-synthetic transport of endogenous integral plasma membrane proteins was examined using the devised subcellular fractionation procedure in conjunction with pulse-chase labelling experiments and immunoprecipitation. Five common integral membrane proteins immunoprecipitated by an antiserum raised against a detergent extract of the apical plasma membrane fraction were delivered with the same time course to each cell-surface domain.
Mg2+ is an essential activator of hydrolytic activity of membrane-bound pyrophosphatase of Rhodospirillum rubrum
Authors: Sosa A , Ordaz H , Romero I , Celis H
Published: August 2015

The substrate for the hydrolytic activity of membrane-bound pyrophosphatase is the PP(i)-Mg2+ complex. The enzyme has no activity when the free Mg2+ concentration is lower than 10 microM (at 0.5 mM-PP(i)-Mg2+), and therefore free Mg2+ is an essential activator of the hydrolytic activity. The Km for the substrate changes in response to variation in free Mg2+ concentration, from 10.25 to 0.6 mM when free Mg2+ is increased from 0.03 to 1.0 mM respectively. The Km for Mg2+ depends on the substrate concentration: the Km decreases from 0.52 to 0.14 mM from 0.25 to 0.75 mM-PP(i)-Mg2+ respectively. The extrapolated Km for Mg2+ in the absence of the substrate is 0.73 mM. Imidodiphosphate-Mg2+ and free Ca2+ were used as competitive inhibitors of substrate and activator respectively. The equilibrium binding kinetics suggest an ordered mechanism for the activator and the substrate: Mg2+ ions bind the enzyme before PP(i)-Mg2+ in the formation of the catalytic complex, membrane-bound pyrophosphatase-(Mg2+)-(PP(i)-Mg2+).
Source of amino acids for tRNA acylation. Implications for measurement of protein synthesis
Authors: Barnes D M , Calvert C C , Klasing K C
Published: August 2015

Estimates of protein-synthesis rates using radioisotopes require accurate measurement of the specific radioactivity of the label in protein and in the precursor pool over time. Although the extracellular and intracellular pools of amino acids are easiest to sample, the tRNA pool is the direct precursor and is the appropriate pool for sampling. To test if the intracellular or extracellular pools reflect the tRNA specific radioactivity, a chicken macrophage cell line was incubated in medium containing either 0.23 mM-leucine and 14.5 microCi of [3H]leucine (tracer dose) or 2.3 microM-leucine plus 145.0 microCi of [3H]leucine (flooding dose). At both leucine levels, the tRNA specific radioactivity reached a plateau quickly, but did not equilibrate with either the extracellular or intracellular specific radioactivity within 30 min, and remained closer to that of protein. In a second experiment, proteins in chicken macrophages were labelled with [3H]leucine for 2 days. Labelling medium was removed, and the cells were washed free of residual free [3H]leucine and incubated with medium containing either 0.23 mM- or 2.3 mM-leucine (unlabelled). The specific radioactivity of leucyl-tRNA leucine reached a plateau within 2 min and remained considerably closer to that in the protein than that in intracellular or extracellular pools for at least 60 min. These results suggest that amino acids from protein degradation are a primary source for charging tRNA. When protein-synthesis rates are estimated by label incorporation, use of extracellular or intracellular specific-radioactivity values result in a marked underestimation.
Activation of the NADPH-dependent H2O2-generating system in pig thyroid particulate fraction by limited proteolysis and Zn2+ treatment
Authors: Dupuy C , Virion A , De Sandro V , Ohayon R , Kaniewski J , Pommier J , Dème D
Published: August 2015

The NADPH-dependent H2O2-generating system in a pig thyroid particulate fraction requires micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ for activity. The H2O2 generator could be Ca(2+)-desensitized (i.e. made fully active in the absence of Ca2+) by limited proteolysis with alpha-chymotrypsin or by treatment with ZnCl2. The Zn2+ effect was temperature- and dose-dependent with an apparent half-maximum concentration of 0.15 mM at 40 degrees C. Ca2+ desensitization was not reversed by adding the Zn2+ chelators, 1,10-phenanthroline and EGTA, but about one-third of the Ca(2+)-sensitivity was recovered after addition of 10 mM-dithiothreitol. The proteolysed enzyme and the Zn(2+)-treated enzyme had different Km values for NADPH. The Zn2+ effect did not seem to involve proteolysis or membrane fusion. These results indicate that Ca2+ regulation occurs via an autoinhibitory domain or inhibitory protein component of the H2O2-generator system. Its inhibitory effect may be removed by proteolysis or conformational changes, making the catalytic site accessible to the substrate NADPH and/or enabling electrons to be transferred from NADPH to O2.
Biochemical characterization and kinetic analysis of duck δ-crystallin with endogenous argininosuccinate lyase activity
Authors: Lee H J , Chiou S H , Chang G G
Published: August 2015

Delta-Crystallin, the most abundant crystallin in the avian species, was isolated and purified from duck lenses. It was shown to possess endogenous argininosuccinate lyase activity catalysing the reversible cleavage of argininosuccinate to give fumarate and arginine with an equilibrium constant of 1.8 +/- 0.23 mM. In contrast, chicken lens delta-crystallin showed only 0.4-0.8% of the enzyme activity of duck delta-crystallin under identical assay conditions. Biochemical comparison of delta-crystallins from these two species revealed distinct differences in their structural and kinetic properties. An activity-staining method was developed for the easy detection of endogenous enzyme activity of delta-crystallin from crude lens extracts of different avian species. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of lens homogenates indicated that, in the chicken lens, delta-crystallin is composed mainly of a subunit with a pI of 5.9 and a subunit mass of 50 kDa, whereas that of duck lens possesses various 50 kDa subunits in a pI range of 5.9-6.8. Activity staining corroborated the fact that all charge isoenzymes of duck delta-crystallin possess enzyme activity whereas that of chicken delta-crystallin is devoid of activity. For duck delta-crystallin, variation of the enzyme activity with argininosuccinate concentration in the forward reaction followed saturation kinetics with an apparent Michaelis constant for the substrate of 17 +/- 5 microM. In the reverse reaction, initial-velocity studies showed intersecting patterns. Inhibitions of the forward reaction by products (fumarate and arginine) were both non-competitive with respect to argininosuccinate. Citrulline, an analogue of arginine, inhibited the enzyme activity in both directions and was competitive with respect to arginine but non-competitive with respect to fumarate or argininosuccinate. Succinate, which inhibited the bovine argininosuccinate lyase, did not affect the delta-crystallin enzyme activity in a concentration range between 1 and 300 mM. These results suggest a random Uni Bi kinetic mechanism for the argininosuccinate lyase activity of duck delta-crystallin with the formation of various abortive delta-crystallin-argininosuccinate-arginine, delta-crystallin-argininosuccinate-fumarate and delta-crystallin-argininosuccinate-citrulline ternary complexes.
The C-terminal domain of 72 kDa gelatinase A is not required for catalysis, but is essential for membrane activation and modulates interactions with tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases
Authors: Murphy G , Willenbrock F , Ward R V , Cockett M I , Eaton D , Docherty A J P
Published: August 2015

Recombinant 72 kDa gelatinase A and a truncated form lacking the C-terminal domain were shown to be activated by organomercurials and to possess similar activities towards a number of substrates. The truncated proenzyme differed from the full-length gelatinase in that it could not be activated by a membrane activator and did not bind tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2. Kinetic studies also showed that the inhibition of the activated truncated enzyme, by both TIMP-1 and TIMP-2, was considerably decreased compared with the full-length enzyme. We conclude that the C-terminal domain plays an important role in the regulation of gelatinase A by a potential physiological activator and inhibitors.
Characterization of functional human erythrocyte-type glucose transporter (GLUT1) expressed in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus
Authors: Yi C K , Charalambous B M , Emery V C , Baldwin S A
Published: August 2015

The human erythrocyte-type glucose transporter (GLUT1) has been abundantly expressed in insect cells by using a recombinant baculovirus. At 4 days after infection with the virus, the insect cell-surface and intracellular membranes were found to contain greater than 200 pmol of D-glucose-sensitive binding sites for the transport inhibitor cytochalasin B per mg of protein. The characteristics of binding were identical with those of the erythrocyte transporter, although the two proteins differed substantially in apparent Mr, probably as a result of glycosylation differences.
Ca2+ homeostasis and fast-type sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase expression in L6 muscle cells. Role of thyroid hormone
Authors: Muller A , van Hardeveld C , Simonides W S , van Rijn J
Published: August 2015

The effect of thyroid hormone (L-tri-iodothyronine; T3) on the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in L6 myotubes was studied at rest and during activation to explore the possible mediating role of [Ca2+]i in the T3-induced net synthesis of fast-type sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase. The mean [Ca2+]i at rest was approx. 115 nM in myoblasts, control myotubes and T3-treated myotubes. Therefore it is unlikely that the T3-induced elevation of Ca(2+)-ATPase levels is mediated by [Ca2+]i changes. To investigate the influence of the 4-fold higher Ca(2+)-ATPase levels in T3-treated myotubes (compared with controls) on [Ca2+]i, interventions with caffeine (10 mM) and a high extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) (30 mM) were applied which initially mobilize Ca2+ predominantly from the SR. The results showed a lower (caffeine) or not significantly different (high [K+]o) increase in [Ca2+]i in T3-treated myotubes compared with controls. No rise in [Ca2+]i was found in myoblasts with caffeine or high [K+]o. The role of [Ca2+]i in the regulation of Ca(2+)-ATPase levels was investigated by varying [Ca2+]i through exposure of cells to different concentrations of extracellular Ca2+ (0.2-1.8 mM) and ionomycin (0.1-0.25 microM). At subnormal [Ca2+]i (55 nM) the T3-induced net synthesis of Ca(2+)-ATPase was virtually abolished, and at supranormal [Ca2+]i (195 nM) it was greatly depressed. Intermediate stimulation of net Ca(2+)-ATPase synthesis was found at [Ca2+]i of 95 and 165 nM, with an optimum at approx. 125 nM. Similar but less pronounced effects were found for the basal Ca(2+)-ATPase levels. In contracting primary rat myotubes, Ca(2+)-ATPase levels were significantly lower than in tetrodotoxin-arrested myotubes. The same results were obtained in the presence of T3. Since the mean [Ca2+]i in contracting cells is higher than in resting cells, these data agree with those obtained in the L6 cells with ionomycin. A major conclusion of this study is the existence of a [Ca2+]i optimum, near resting levels, for the expression of the fast-type Ca(2+)-ATPase in the L6 muscle cell line.
Thrombin-specific inhibition by and slow cleavage of hirulog-1
Authors: Witting J I , Bourdon P , Brezniak D V , Maraganore J M , Fenton J W
Published: August 2015

Hirulog-1 [D-Phe-Pro-Arg-Pro-[Gly]4-desulphohirudin-(53-64) (HV1)] was designed to bind by its first four and last 12 residues to the alpha-thrombin catalytic site and anion-binding exosite for fibrin(ogen) recognition respectively, with a [Gly]4 bridge and an Arg-Pro bond at the scissional position. Human alpha-, gamma- and zeta-thrombins, as well as bovine trypsin, readily hydrolyse Spectrozyme-TH (D-hexahydrotyrosyl-Ala-Arg p-nitroanilide) at pH 7.4 and approx. 23 degrees C. Both alpha- and zeta-thrombins, which have high fibrinogen-clotting activities (greater than 3000 kunits/g), were inhibited with this substrate by hirulog-1 [Ki = 2.56 +/- 0.35 nM (n = 3) and 1.84 +/- 0.15 nM (n = 3) respectively] and slowly cleaved the inhibitor [k = 0.326 +/- 0.082 min-1 (n = 12) and 0.362 +/- 0.056 min-1 (n = 18) respectively], whereas gamma-thrombin, which has essentially no clotting activity (approx. 4 kunits/g), and trypsin were not inhibited with greater than 1000-fold molar excess of hirulog-1. Similar inhibition parameters were also obtained for hirulog-1 incubated with alpha-thrombin or zeta-thrombin at approx. 23 degrees C and by measuring thrombin activity with fibrinogen in the clotting assay at 37 degrees C. Cleavage of the Arg-3-Pro-4 bond in hirulog-1 by either alpha- or zeta-thrombin was shown by identical cleavage products of either thrombin on h.p.l.c. and by sequence analysis of the alpha-thrombin products. These data demonstrate that hirulog-1 is a specific inhibitor of thrombin forms with high fibrinogen-procoagulant activities and that its Arg-3-Pro-4 bond is slowly cleaved by these thrombin forms.
Substrate-specificity of benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase and benzaldehyde dehydrogenase encoded by TOL plasmid pWW0. Metabolic and mechanistic implications
Authors: Shaw J P , Schwager F , Harayama S
Published: August 2015

The substrate-specificities of benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase and benzaldehyde dehydrogenase, encoded by TOL plasmid pWW0 of Pseudomonas putida mt-2, were determined. The rates of benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed oxidation of substituted benzyl alcohols and reduction of substituted benzaldehydes were independent of the electronic nature of the substituents at positions 3 and 4. Substitutions at position 2 of benzyl alcohol affected the reactivity of benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase: the velocity of the benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed oxidation was lower for compounds possessing electron-withdrawing substitutions. In the reverse reaction of benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase, none of the substitutions tested influenced the apparent kcat. values. The rates of benzaldehyde dehydrogenase-catalysed oxidation of substituted benzaldehydes were influenced by the electronic nature of the substitutions: electron-withdrawing groups at positions 3 and 4 favoured the oxidation of benzaldehydes. Substitution at position 2 of benzaldehyde greatly diminished the benzaldehyde dehydrogenase-catalysed oxidation. Substitution at position 2 with electron-donating groups essentially abolished reactivity, and only substitutions that were strongly electron-withdrawing, such as nitro and fluoro groups, permitted enzyme-catalysed oxidation. The influence of the electronic nature and the position of substitutions on the aromatic ring of the substrate on the velocity of the catalysed reactions provided some indications concerning the transition state during the oxidation of the substrates, and on the rate-limiting steps of the enzymes. Pseudomonas putida mt-2 containing TOL plasmid pWW0 cannot grow on toluene derivatives substituted at position 2, nor can it grow on 2-substituted benzyl alcohols or aldehydes. One of the reasons for this may be the substrate-specificities of the benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase and benzaldehyde dehydrogenase.
A kinetic re-interpretation of the regulation of rabbit skeletal-muscle phosphorylase kinase activity by Ca2+ and phosphorylation
Authors: Newsholme P , Walsh D A
Published: August 2015

The regulation of phosphorylase kinase has been proposed to occur physiologically under conditions of zero-order ultrasensitivity [Meinke & Edstrom (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 2259-2266]. This is also one of the conditions that recent theoretical approaches have indicated to be essential in order for an interconvertible enzyme cascade to generate a sensitive response to an effector [Cardenas & Cornish-Bowden (1989) Biochem. J. 257, 339-345]. In contrast, all published kinetic data to date have strongly suggested that activation of phosphorylase kinase by Ca2+ or phosphorylation is attributable solely to a change in affinity for phosphorylase, with no effect on the Vmax. of the reaction. In this study an attempt is made to resolve this conflict. Findings suggest that changes in Vmax. can fully account for the activation of phosphorylase kinase by the physiological mechanisms of cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation and increase in Ca2+ concentration.
The rapid response of isolated mitochondrial particles to 0.1 nm-tri-iodothyronine correlates with the ADP-ribosylation of a single inner-membrane protein
Authors: Hardy D L , Mowbray J
Published: August 2015

Under defined conditions liver mitochondria from hypothyroid rats show an apparent lowering of the ADP/O ratio, which can be corrected by addition in vitro of 0.1 nM-tri-iodothyronine (T3). Nicotinamide prevents this restoration by hormone, lowers the ADP/O ratio of euthyroid-rat mitochondria to hypothyroid-rat values and induces T3-sensitivity in euthyroid-rat mitoplasts indistinguishable from that found with hypothyroid-rat preparations. Incorporation into the trichloroacetic-acid insoluble fraction of mitoplasts and hypothyroid-rat mitochondria of radiolabel from [adenine-14C]-NAD+ was stimulated by T3: this stimulation was abolished by nicotinamide. The findings strongly suggest that this incorporation occurs external to the matrix. Confirming the work of others, PAGE of radiolabelled mitoplasts shows alkali-labile modification of a major species of approx. 30 kDa: both nicotinamide and T3 abolish this modification. By contrast, T3 promotes incorporation of label into a single major 11 kDa species: this incorporated label is somewhat acid-labile, and the incorporation is abolished by nicotinamide. Comparative electrophoresis of purified sub-mitoplast fractions show that the 11 kDa species is in the inner membrane and absent from the matrix. The findings are consistent with a receptor-mediated ADP-ribosylation mechanism for the rapid action of T3 on mitochondria.
Inhibition of the amplification reactions of blood coagulation by site-specific inhibitors of α-thrombin
Authors: Ofosu F A , Fenton J W , Maraganore J , Blajchman M A , Yang X , Smith L , Anvari N , Buchanan M R , Hirsh J
Published: August 2015

Hirudin and hirulog-1 [D-Phe-Pro-Arg-Pro-[Gly]4-desulphohirudin-(54-65)] abrogate the enzyme activities of alpha-thrombin by binding the enzyme simultaneously at its catalytic centre and fibrin(ogen)-recognition exosite. In contrast, hirugen [hirudin-(54-65)] binds alpha-thrombin solely at the fibrin(ogen)-recognition exosite, and competitively inhibits fibrinopeptide A release. To investigate the extent to which the fibrin(ogen)-recognition exosite is involved when alpha-thrombin catalyses the amplification reactions of coagulation, we compared the abilities of hirudin, hirulog-1 and hirugen to inhibit simultaneously Factor X, Factor V and prothrombin activation. Whereas 0.1 microM-hirudin and 0.1 microM-hirulog-1 (i.e. less than 10% of the concentration of prothrombin in plasma) inhibited Factor X, Factor V and prothrombin activation, 10 microM was the minimum concentration of hirugen to achieve a similar anticoagulant action. Concentrations of hirudin and hirulog-1 equimolar to and 5 times greater than those of alpha-thrombin respectively abrogated Factor V activation by exogenous alpha-thrombin. In contrast, a 500-fold molar excess of hirugen could not. The inability of hirugen to inhibit the activation of the three clotting factors effectively suggests that the fibrin(ogen)-recognition exosite does not play a mandatory role when thrombin activates Factor V.
Amylase release from streptolysin O-permeabilized pancreatic acinar cells. Effects of Ca2+, guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate, cyclic AMP, tetanus toxin and botulinum A toxin
Authors: Stecher B , Ahnert-Hilger G , Weller U , Kemmer T P , Gratzl M
Published: August 2015

The molecular requirements for amylase release and the intracellular effects of botulinum A toxin and tetanus toxin on amylase release were investigated using rat pancreatic acinar cells permeabilized with streptolysin O. Micromolar concentrations of free Ca2+ evoked amylase release from these cells. Maximal release was observed in the presence of 30 microM free Ca2+. Ca(2+)-stimulated, but not basal, amylase release was enhanced by guanosine 5′-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) (3-4 fold) or cyclic AMP (1.5-2 fold). Neither the two-chain forms of botulinum A toxin and tetanus toxin, under reducing conditions, nor the light chains of tetanus toxin, inhibited amylase release triggered by Ca2+, or combinations of Ca2+ + GTP[S] or Ca2+ + cAMP. The lack of inhibition was not due to inactivation of botulinum A toxin or tetanus toxin by pancreatic acinar cell proteolytic enzymes, as toxins previously incubated with permeabilized pancreatic acinar cells inhibited Ca(2+)-stimulated [3H]noradrenaline release from streptolysin O-permeabilized adrenal chromaffin cells. These data imply that clostridial neurotoxins inhibit a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism which promotes exocytosis in neural and endocrine cells, but not in exocrine cells.
Human placental syncytiotrophoblast expresses two pharmacologically distinguishable types of Na+-H+ exchangers, NHE-1 in the maternal-facing (brush border) membrane and NHE-2 in the fetal-facing (basal) membrane
Authors: Kulanthaivel P , Furesz T C , Moe A J , Smith C H , Mahesh V B , Leibach F H , Ganapathy V
Published: August 2015

We investigated whether highly purified preparations of basal (fetal-facing) membrane isolated from normal term human placentas possess Na(+)-H+ exchanger activity. Uptake of Na+ into basal membrane vesicles was stimulated many-fold by an outwardly directed H+ gradient. This H(+)-gradient-dependent uptake was inhibitable by amiloride and its analogues. Na+ uptake in these vesicles did not occur via a Na+ channel, as it was not influenced by changes in membrane potential and, in addition, was inhibited by benzamil only at high micromolar concentrations. The results indicate that the human placental basal membrane possesses Na(+)-H+ exchanger activity. We then studied whether this exchanger is similar to or distinct from the Na(+)-H+ exchanger described in brush border (maternal-facing) membrane preparations. For this purpose, we compared the pharmacological characteristics of the basal membrane Na(+)-H+ exchanger with those of the brush border membrane Na(+)-H+ exchanger. The basal membrane exchanger was about 20-fold less sensitive to inhibition by amiloride and about 70-fold less sensitive to inhibition by dimethylamiloride than was the brush border membrane exchanger. The exchanger activity in both membrane preparations was inhibitable by clonidine and cimetidine, but the inhibition patterns with these compounds were markedly different between basal and brush border membrane preparations. These data demonstrate that the basal membrane Na(+)-H+ exchanger is distinct from the brush border membrane Na(+)-H+ exchanger. The pharmacological profiles of these exchangers indicate that the human placental brush border membrane possesses the housekeeping or non-epithelial type Na(+)-H+ exchanger (NHE-1), whereas the basal membrane possesses the epithelial or apical type Na(+)-H+ exchanger (NHE-2).
Localization of a myosin subfragment-1 interaction site on the C-terminal part of actin
Authors: Labbé J P , Boyer M , Roustan C , Benyamin Y
Published: August 2015

The actin-myosin head complex in the rigor state reveals several high-affinity sites on the actin molecule in sequences 18-28 and 40-113. In the presence of Mg(2+)-ATP, participation of the actin N-terminal 1-7 sequence is known to occur. The proximity of the C-terminal region of actin to the A1 light chain of the myosin head [S-1(A1)] (where S-1 is myosin subfragment-1) was described previously. We observed that C-terminal antigenic structures located near Met-305, Met-325 and Met-355 and the C-terminal end (Cys-374) of actin are markedly modified in the presence of S-1(A1), S-1(A2) and scallop S-1 and in the absence of Mg(2+)-ATP. This seems to rule out any important specific involvement of the A1 light chain in the described conformational changes. An S-1-binding site was located in this actin C-terminal region by testing the tryptic CB9 peptide (360-372 sequence) previously implicated in the A1 light chain interaction. This peptide was able to bind well to S-1(A1), S-1(A2) and scallop S-1, but not in the presence of Mg(2+)-pyrophosphate. These results strengthen the hypothesis of a multisite interface between S-1 and actin located in the actin subdomain I.
Primary structure of a Thomsen-Friedenreich-antigen-specific lectin, jacalin [Artocarpus integrifolia (jack fruit) agglutinin]. Evidence for the presence of an internal repeat
Authors: Mahanta S K , Sanker S , Rao N V S A V P , Swamy M J , Surolia A
Published: August 2015

Jacalin [Artocarpus integrifolia (jack fruit) agglutinin] is made up of two types of chains, heavy and light, with M(r) values of 16,200 +/- 1200 and 2090 +/- 300 respectively (on the basis of gel-permeation chromatography under denaturing conditions). Its complete amino acid sequence was determined by manual degradation using a 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene 4′-isothiocyanate double-coupling method. Peptide fragments for sequence analysis were obtained by chemical cleavages of the heavy chain with CNBr, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and iodosobenzoic acid and enzymic cleavage with Staphylococcus aureus proteinase. The peptides were purified by a combination gel-permeation and reverse-phase chromatography. The light chains, being only 20 residues long, could be sequenced without fragmentation. Amino acid analyses and carboxypeptidase-Y-digestion C-terminal analyses of the subunits provided supportive evidence for their sequence. Computer-assisted alignment of the jacalin heavy-chain sequence failed to show sequence similarity to that of any lectin for which the complete sequence is known. Analyses of the sequence showed the presence of an internal repeat spanning residues 7-64 and 76-130. The internal repeat was found to be statistically significant.
Effects of recombinant monokines on hepatic pyruvate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, lipogenesis de novo and plasma triacylglycerols. Abolition by prior fasting
Authors: Blackham M , Cesar D , Park O J , Vary T C , Wu K , Kaempfer S , Shackleton C H , Hellerstein M K
Published: August 2015

1. The effects of recombinant human tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and murine interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1) on the activation state of the hepatic pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHa), the activity of mitochondrial PDH kinase, hepatic lipogenesis de novo and plasma triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations were studied. 2. Monokine effects depended upon prior nutritional state. In rats fasted for 20 h or 45 h before monokine administration and refeeding (orally or with intravenous glucose), PDHa, TG and hepatic lipogenesis were not increased. In rats fed ad libitum, treatment with TNF plus IL-1 increased the contribution of hepatic lipogenesis to circulating TG to 550% of control values (P = 0.03) and plasma TG concentrations to 159% (P = 0.02), whereas PDHa increased slightly to 120% (P = 0.02) and liver glycogen content fell to 45.8% (P = 0.05) of control values. 3. Intrinsic hepatic PDH kinase activity was not changed by monokine treatment in rats fed ad libitum. 4. The increased lipogenesis de novo showed no correlation (r2 = 0.05, not significant) with hepatic PDHa in individual animals fed ad libitum. 5. In conclusion, these results suggest that monokines increase pyruvate flux through hepatic PDH in vivo in rats fed ad libitum primarily by mechanisms other than covalent modification of PDH. Prior nutritional status exerts a permissive effect for monokine stimulation of PDHa and lipogenesis, consistent with a substrate-mediated action, but the mechanism of this permissive effect remains uncertain.
Structural and computational investigations of the conformation of antigenic peptide fragments of human polymorphic epithelial mucin
Authors: Scanlon M J , Morley S D , Jackson D E , Price M R , Tendler S J B
Published: August 2015

Human polymorphic epithelial mucins (PEM) are complex glycoproteins that are associated with breast and ovarian carcinomas. The PEM core protein consists of variable numbers of a tandem repeat sequence which contains a short antigenic hydrophilic region (Pro1-Asp-Thr-Arg-Pro-Ala-Pro7). High-field n.m.r. studies undertaken on antigenic 20- and 11-amino acid fragments of the PEM core protein in dimethyl sulphoxide have identified a type-I beta-turn to be present in the region Pro1-Asp-Thr-Arg4. This region includes and overlaps the identified type-I (Asp2-Thr-Arg4) and type-II (Arg4-Pro-Ala6) epitopes of anti-PEM monoclonal antibodies. The studies indicate that the beta-turn is stabilized by the presence of a salt-bridge interaction between Asp-2 and Arg-4. In order to probe the conformations accessible to the PEM peptides a computational study was undertaken independently on the peptide Pro-Asp-Thr-Arg-Pro using a modified Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm. This study identified the n.m.r.-observed salt-bridge type-I beta-turn as the major low-energy conformer. These results suggest that this structural motif may be involved in the immune recognition of PEM.
The role of apoproteins AI and AII in binding of high-density lipoprotein3 to membranes derived from bovine aortic endothelial cells
Authors: Vadiveloo P K , Fidge N H
Published: August 2015

Although binding of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) to a variety of cells in culture has been widely reported, the mechanism of this binding has yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the current studies was to explore the roles of apoproteins (apo) AI and AII in HDL3 binding to membranes derived from bovine aortic endothelial cells. Binding studies showed that HDL3 (which contains both apo AI and apo AII) and AII-HDL3 (which contain only apo AII) bound to membranes with similar affinity (44 +/- 6 and 41 +/- 9 micrograms/ml respectively) and capacity (673 +/- 97 and 969 +/- 101 ng bound/mg of membrane protein respectively). In contrast with these results, HDL3 [AI w/o AII] (which contain apo AI, but not apo AII) bound to the membranes with a significantly higher capacity (2228 +/- 206 ng bound/mg of membrane protein) and lower affinity (65 +/- 3 micrograms/ml) as compared with HDL3 or AII-HDL3. Therefore, although both apo AI and apo AII appear capable of facilitating HDL3 binding, the mechanisms involved probably differ. A model which fits the data postulates that a common receptor exists which binds both apo AI and apo AII, and that a particle containing AII can occupy up to four receptors (partly owing to each AII molecule containing two binding domains), whereas an HDL3 [AI w/o AII] particle can occupy only one.
Potentiation effect of choline esters on choline-catalysed decarbamoylation of dimethylcarbamoyl-acetylcholinesterase
Authors: Kim Y B , Jung C H , Choi S J , Seo W J , Cha S H , Sok D E
Published: August 2015

The choline esters potentiated the choline-catalysed decarbamoylation of dimethylcarbamoyl-acetylcholinesterase in proportion to the length of acyl group, although esters containing an acyl chain longer than the hexanoyl group exhibited a corresponding decrease in the potentiation. In structural requirement analysis it was found that both the quaternary ammonium moiety and the ester bond were important for the effective acceleration of choline-catalysed decarbamoylation. In general, the respective thiocholine ester was found to be more effective than the corresponding choline ester. Whereas the binding affinity (Ka) of choline in the decarbamoylation was not significantly altered, the maximum decarbamoylation rate (kr(max.)) of choline was greatly enhanced in the presence of choline esters or thiocholine esters. Along with the above observation, the isotope solvent effect, the effect of ionic strength and the antagonism studies demonstrate that the choline esters or thiocholine esters may interact with one of peripheral anionic sites, and thereby make the choline-catalysed decarbamoylation more favourable.
Complementation of formyl peptide receptor-mediated signal transduction in Xenopus laevis oocytes
Authors: Schultz P , Stannek P , Voigt M , Jakobs K H , Gierschik P
Published: August 2015

Formyl-methionine-containing peptides (e.g. fMet-Leu-Phe) stimulate a variety of neutrophil functions by interacting with specific cell surface receptors which are coupled via G-proteins to stimulation of phospholipase C. Two markedly distinct cDNAs coding for formyl peptide receptors have recently been isolated from a rabbit and a human cDNA library respectively. To examine the hitherto unknown signal transduction properties of the formyl peptide receptor encoded by the human cDNA, we have used the PCR to clone this cDNA from poly(A)+ RNA of myeloid differentiated human leukaemia (HL-60) cells, and have injected the cDNA-derived receptor cRNA into Xenopus laevis oocytes. Receptor activity was determined electrophysiologically by measuring the agonist-dependent opening of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i)-independent Cl- channels. Injection of pure formyl peptide receptor cRNA did not lead to peptide-dependent changes in membrane current. In contrast, marked alterations of membrane current were observed in response to formyl peptides when the receptor cRNA was supplemented with poly(A)+ RNA isolated from undifferentiated HL-60 cells. Injection of the latter RNA did not lead to formyl-peptide-dependent alterations of membrane current. Binding studies using a radioiodinated formyl peptide revealed that injection of formyl peptide receptor cRNA alone led to expression of the formyl peptide receptor on the oocyte surface, and that co-injection of poly(A)+ RNA from undifferentiated HL-60 cells did not alter the level of receptor expression. Size fractionation of poly(A)+ RNA from undifferentiated HL-60 cells showed that the mRNA required to complement formyl-peptide-dependent signal transduction in oocytes had a size of approx. 3-3.5 kb. These results strongly suggest that the human formyl peptide receptor requires a specific cofactor(s), which is lacking in Xenopus oocytes but is present in undifferentiated HL-60 cells, to activate the second messenger pathway in oocytes. Identification of this factor will provide important information about the molecular mechanisms by which G-protein-coupled granulocyte-activating receptors stimulate phospholipase C.
Human platelet glycoprotein IIIb binds to thrombospondin fragments bearing the C-terminal region, and/or the type I repeats (CSVTCG motif), but not to the N-terminal heparin-binding region
Authors: Catimel B , Leung L , el Ghissasi H , Mercier N , McGregor J
Published: August 2015

Major blood membrane platelet glycoprotein IIIb (GPIIIb), also termed GPIV or CD365, has been identified as a receptor for thrombospondin (TSP), collagen and Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. The aim of the present study was to identify region(s) of TSP involved in binding of GPIIIb. Proteolytic fragments of TSP (M(r) 140 kDa, 120-18 kDa and 27 kDa on SDS/PAGE under reducing conditions) were purified by f.p.l.c. and identified by N-terminal gas-phase sequencing, e.l.i.s.a. and Western blots using monoclonal antibodies directed against defined domains of TSP. The 140 kDa and 120-18 kDa fragments (C-terminal region), but not the 27 kDa fragment (N-terminal region), were shown to bind to GPIIIb by using e.l.i.s.a. and affinity-chromatography systems. TSP binding to a GPIIIb-affinity column was Ca(2+)-dependent and reduced by 45% in the presence of EDTA. Moreover, TSP was only partially eluted with EDTA from a Ca(2+)-equilibrated GPIIIb column. A fragment of 68 kDa, obtained by further digestion of the 140 kDa fragment, bound to the GPIIIb-Sepharose affinity column. This fragment, or stalk-like region, bears the TSP type I repeats that show sequence similarity to regions on properdin, Plasmodium falciparum proteins and antistasin. Peptides (CSVTCG or SVTCGGGV) representing these repeats bound isolated GPIIIb in a Ca(2+)-independent way, but did not completely inhibit the GPIIIb and TSP interaction. These studies indicate that GPIIIb binds to the TSP via the C-terminal region and/or the CSVTCG motif, but not to the N-terminal region. Interaction between GPIIIb and the TSP C-terminal region or the CSVTCG motif is respectively Ca(2+)-dependent and -independent.