bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Somatotropin-dependent decrease in fatty acid synthase mRNA abundance in 3T3-F442A adipocytes is the result of a decrease in both gene transcription and mRNA stability
Authors: YIN Dezhong , CLARKE Steven D. , PETERS Jana L. , ETHERTON Terry D. 
Published: August 2015

Somatotropin (ST) markedly decreases lipogenesis, fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzyme activity and mRNA abundance in pig adipocytes. The present study was conducted to determine whether the decrease in FAS mRNA in 3T3-F442A adipocytes was the result of a decrease in transcription of the FAS gene and/or a change in FAS mRNA stability. Insulin increased the abundance of FAS mRNA 2–13-fold and fatty acid synthesis 3–7-fold. Somatotropin decreased the stimulatory effect of insulin on the abundance of FAS mRNA and lipogenesis by 40–70% and 20–60% respectively. Subsequent run-on analyses demonstrated that the decrease observed in FAS mRNA in response to ST was associated with an 82% decrease in transcription; ST significantly shortened the half-life of FAS mRNA from 35 to 11 h. To corroborate the run-on analyses, cells were stably transfected with a pFAS–CAT5 (in which CAT stands for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) reporter construct that contained 2195 bp of the 5´ flanking region of the rat FAS gene. Insulin treatment increased FAS–CAT activity 4.7-fold. When ST was added to the insulin-containing medium there was an approx. 60% reduction in FAS–CAT activity. In summary, our results indicate that ST decreases FAS mRNA levels and that this is the result of a marked decrease in both transcription of the FAS gene and stability of the FAS mRNA.
The gene structure and organization of mouse PG-Lb, a small chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycan
Authors: IWATA Yukiko , SHINOMURA Tamayuki , KURITA Kazuhiro , ZAKO Masahiro , KIMATA Koji 
Published: August 2015

PG-Lb was originally characterized as a small chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycan expressed preferentially in the zones of flattened chondrocytes in developing chick limb cartilage. The occurrence of this proteoglycan in mammalian cartilage has been shown by the isolation of a cDNA clone from mouse cartilage cDNA library [Kurita, Shinomura,Ujita, Zako, Kida, Iwata and Kimata (1996) Biochem. J. 318, 909–914]. To understand the regulation mechanisms for such a unique expression, we have investigated a genomic DNA structure of the PG-Lb gene. The gene is composed of seven exons and six introns spanning more than 50 kb. The leucine-rich repeats are encoded from exon V to exon VII. The transcription initiation site has been determined by rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (‘5´-RACE’). The possible TATA box was detected about 90 bp upstream of the adenosine residue that was numbered as position +1. Further analyses of 1.5 kb of the 5´ flanking region and 2.2 kb of the first intron have revealed several potential binding motifs for transcription factors such as Sox 5 and 9. The presence of those sequences in the PG-Lb gene was discussed in relation to the unique expression of this proteoglycan. The chromosomal localization of the murine PG-Lb gene was determined to be on the mouse chromosome 10 by the fluorescence-in-situ-hybridization (‘FISH’) method.
Structural and spectroscopic studies of azide complexes of horse heart myoglobin and the His-64→Thr variant
Authors: MAURUS Robert , BOGUMIL Ralf , NGUYEN Nham T. , MAUK A. Grant , BRAYER Gary 
Published: August 2015

The high-resolution X-ray crystallographic structures of horse heart azidometmyoglobin complexes of the wild-type protein and the His-64 → Thr variant have been determined to 2.0 and 1.8 Å respectively. Azide binds to wild-type metmyoglobin in a bent configuration with an Fe–N-1–N-3 angle of 119° and is oriented into the distal crevice in the direction of Ile-107. The proximity of the His-64 NE2 atom to the N-1 atom of the bound azide indicates stabilization of the ligand by the His-64 side chain through hydrogen bonding. In addition, structural characterization of wild-type horse heart azidometmyoglobin establishes that the only structural change induced by ligand binding is a small movement of the Leu-29 side chain away from the azide ligand. EPR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the myoglobin azide complexes further. EPR spectroscopy revealed that, in contrast with wild-type azidometmyoglobin, two slightly different low-spin species are formed by azide bound to the His-64 → Thr variant both in solution and in a polycrystalline sample. One of these low-spin species has a greater relative intensity, with gvalues very similar to those of the azide complex of the wild-type protein. These EPR results together with structural information on this variant indicate the presence of two distinct conformations of bound azide, with one form predominating. The major conformation is comparable to that formed by wild-type myoglobin in which azide is oriented into the distal crevice. In the minor conformation the azide is oriented towards the exterior of the protein.
Purification and characterization of a 100 kDa DNA polymerase from cauliflower inflorescence
Authors: SETO Hirokazu , HATANAKA Masami , KIMURA Seisuke , OSHIGE Masahiko , TSUYA Yuri , MIZUSHINA Yoshiyuki , SAWADO Tomoyuki , AOYAGI Norikazu , MATSUMOTO Takashi , HASHIMOTO Junji , SAKAGUCHI Kengo 
Published: August 2015

A DNA polymerase from cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) inflorescence has been purified to near homogeneity through five successive column chromatographies, and temporally designated cauliflower polymerase 1. Cauliflower polymerase 1 is a monopolypeptide with a molecular mass of 100 kDa. The enzyme efficiently uses synthetic DNA homopolymers and moderately activated DNA and a synthetic RNA homopolymer as template-primers. The enzyme is strongly sensitive to dideoxythymidine triphosphate and N-ethylmaleimide, but it is insensitive to aphidicolin. It was stimulated with 250 mM KCl. Its mode of DNA synthesis is high-processive with or without proliferating-cell nuclear antigen. A 3´ → 5´ exonuclease activity is associated with cauliflower polymerase 1. The enzyme is clearly different from cauliflower mitochondrial polymerase and does not resemble the four different types of wheat DNA polymerase, designated wheat DNA polymerases A, B, CI and CII. In the present paper the role of the enzyme in plant DNA synthesis is discussed.
Unmediated heterogeneous electron transfer reaction of ascorbate oxidase and laccase at a gold electrode
Authors: SANTUCCI Roberto , FERRI Tommaso , MORPURGO Laura , SAVINI Isabella , AVIGLIANO Luciana 
Published: August 2015

The unmediated electrochemistry of two large Cu-containing proteins, ascorbate oxidase and laccase, was investigated by direct-current cyclic voltammetry. Rapid heterogeneous electron transfer was achieved in the absence of promoters or mediators by trapping a small amount of protein within a solid, electrochemically inert, tributylmethyl phosphonium chloride membrane coating a gold electrode. The problems typical of proteins in solution, such as adsorption on the electrode surface, were avoided by this procedure. In anaerobic conditions, the cyclic voltammograms, run at a scan rate of up to 200 mV/s, showed the electron transfer process to be quasi-reversible and diffusion-controlled. The pH-dependent redox potentials (+360 mV and +400 mV against a normal hydrogen electrode at pH 7.0 for ascorbate oxidase and laccase respectively and +390 mV and +410 mV at pH 5.5) were similar to those of the free proteins. The same electrochemical behaviour was recorded for the type 2 Cu-depleted derivatives, which contain reduced type 3 Cu, whereas the apoproteins were electrochemically inactive. Under aerobic conditions the catalytic current intensity of holoprotein voltammograms increased up to approx. 2-fold at a low scanning rate, with unchanged redox potentials. The voltammograms of type 2 Cu-depleted proteins and of apoproteins were unaffected by the presence of oxygen. This suggests that electron uptake at the electrode surface involves type 1 Cu and that only in the presence of oxygen is the intramolecular electron transfer to other protein sites rapid enough to be observed. The analogy with available kinetic results is discussed.
The relationship of oxygen delivery to absolute haemoglobin oxygenation and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase redox state in the adult brain: a near-infrared spectroscopy study
Authors: COOPER Chris E. , DELPY David T. , NEMOTO Edwin M. 
Published: August 2015

Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the effect of changes in the rate of oxygen delivery to the adult rat brain on the absolute concentrations of oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin and the redox state of the CuA centre in mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase. The cytochrome oxidase detection algorithm was determined to be robust to large changes in haemoglobin oxygenation and concentration. By assuming complete haemoglobin deoxygenation and CuA reduction following mechanical ventilation on 100% N2O, the absolute concentration of oxyhaemoglobin (35 µM), deoxyhaemoglobin (27 µM) and the redox state of CuA (82% oxidized) were calculated in the normal adult brain. The mean arterial blood pressure was decreased by exsanguination. When the pressure reached 100 mmHg, haemoglobin oxygenation started to fall, but the total haemoglobin concentration and oxidized CuA levels only fell when cerebral blood volume autoregulation mechanisms failed at 50 mmHg. Haemoglobin oxygenation fell linearly with decreases in the rate of oxygen delivery to the brain, but the oxidized CuA concentration did not start to fall until this rate was 50% of normal. The results suggest that the brain maintains more than adequate oxygen delivery to mitochondria and that near-infrared spectroscopy may be a good measure of oxygen insufficiency in vivo.
Re-examination of the roles of PEP and Mg2+ in the reaction catalysed by the phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from leaves of Zea mays
Authors: TOVAR-MÉNDEZ Alejandro , RODRÍGUEZ-SOTRES Rogelio , LÓPEZ-VALENTÍN Dulce M. , MUÑOZ-CLARES Rosario A. 
Published: August 2015

To study the effects of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and Mg2+ on the activity of the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated forms of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) from Zea maysleaves, steady-state measurements have been carried out with the free forms of PEP (fPEP) and Mg2+ (fMg2+), both in a near-physiological concentration range. At pH 7.3, in the absence of activators, the initial velocity data obtained with both forms of the enzyme are consistent with the exclusive binding of MgPEP to the active site and of fPEP to an activating allosteric site. At pH 8.3, and in the presence of saturating concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) or Gly, the free species also combined with the active site in the free enzyme, but with dissociation constants at least 35-fold that estimated for MgPEP. The latter dissociation constant was lowered to the same extent by saturating Glc6P and Gly, to approx. one-tenth and one-sixteenth in the non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated enzymes respectively. When Glc6P is present, fPEP binds to the active site in the free enzyme better than fMg2+, whereas the metal ion binds better in the presence of Gly. Saturation of the enzyme with Glc6P abolished the activation by fPEP, consistent with a common binding site, whereas saturation with Gly increased the affinity of the allosteric site for fPEP. Under all the conditions tested, our results suggest that fPEP is not able to combine with the allosteric site in the free enzyme, i.e. it cannot combine until after MgPEP, fPEP or fMg2+ are bound at the active site. The physiological role of Mg2+ in the regulation of the enzyme is only that of a substrate, mainly as part of the MgPEP complex. The kinetic properties of maize leaf PEPC reported here are consistent with the enzyme being well below saturation under the physiological concentrations of fMg2+ and PEP, particularly during the dark period; it is therefore suggested that the basal PEPC activity in vivois very low, but highly responsive to even small changes in the intracellular concentration of its substrate and effectors.
Simultaneous binding of PA28 and PA700 activators to 20 S proteasomes
Authors: HENDIL Klavs B. , KHAN Selina , TANAKA Keiji 
Published: August 2015

Two activators, named PA700 and PA28, are known to bind to 20 S proteasomes, forming two different complexes. The PA700–proteasome complex, also known as the 26 S proteasome, can degrade intact proteins, whereas complexes with PA28 can degrade only peptides. Monoclonal antibodies to 20 S proteasomes or the p45 ATPase subunit (Trip1, Sug1) of PA700 precipitated the same set of proteins from HeLa extracts, including six different ATPase subunits of PA700. This shows that p45 is not present in other protein complexes and suggests that all 26 S proteasome particles contain the same set of ATPase subunits. Interferons α and γ had no effect on the composition of the 26 S proteasome, except for the replacement of subunits delta, MB1 and Z with Lmp2, Lmp7 and MECL1 respectively. Surprisingly, antibodies to PA28 precipitated p42, a component of PA700. Conversely, anti-p45 antibodies precipitated not only 26 S proteasomes but also PA28 α, β and γ, indicating that 20 S proteasomes can simultaneously bind both PA700 and PA28. PA28 αβ is known to be involved in antigen presentation. Conceivably, intact substrate proteins are recognized by PA700 and fed into proteasomes whose cleavage specificity is optimized for antigen presentation on MHC class I by PA28 and three interferon inducible proteasome subunits.
Kinetic analysis of an inhibitor-resistant variant of the OHIO-1 β-lactamase, an SHV-family class A enzyme
Authors: LIN Shan , THOMAS Mary , SHLAES David M. , RUDIN Susan D. , KNOX James R. , ANDERSON Vernon , BONOMO Robert A. 
Published: August 2015

The Met69 → Ile mutant of the OHIO-1 β-lactamase, an SHV-family enzyme, is resistant to inactivation by β-lactamase inhibitors. Analysis of purified Met69 → Ile enzyme reveals that its isoelectric point (pI 7.0) and CD spectrum are identical with those of the OHIO-1 enzyme. Levels of β-lactamase expression in Escherichia coli as determined by immunoblotting are similar for OHIO-1 and Met69 → Ile β-lactamase. The kinetic constants of the Met69 → Ile enzyme compared with OHIO-1 are smaller for benzylpenicillin (Km = 6 µM compared with 17 µM; kcat = 234 s-1 compared with 345 s-1 respectively) and carbenicillin (Km = 3 µM compared with 17 µM; kcat = 131 s-1 compared with 320 s-1 respectively). For the cephalosporins cephaloridine and 7 - (thienyl - 2 - acetamido) - 3 - [2 - (4 - N,N - dimethylaminophenylazo)pyridinium-methyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid (PADAC), a similar pattern is also seen (Km = 38 µM compared with 96 µM and 6 µM compared with 75 µM respectively; kcat = 235 s-1 compared with 1023 s-1 and 9 s-1 compared with 50 s-1 respectively). Consistent with minimum inhibitory concentrations that show resistance to β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitors, the apparent Ki values, turnover numbers and partition ratios (kcat/kinact) for the mechanism-based inactivators clavulanate, sulbactam and tazobactam are increased. The inactivation rate constants (kinact) are decreased. The difference in activation energy, a measurement of altered affinity for the wild-type and mutant enzymes leading to acylation of the active site, reveals small energy differences of less than 8.4 kJ/mol. In total, these results suggest that the Met → Ile substitution at position 69 in the OHIO-1 β-lactamase alters the active site, primarily affecting the interactions with β-lactamase inhibitors.
Characterization of human and rat brain myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase: evidence for an alternative splice variant of the enzyme
Authors: McILHINNEY R. A. Jeffrey , YOUNG Kate , EGERTON Mark , CAMBLE Roger , WHITE Ann , SOLOVIEV Mikhail 
Published: August 2015

Using 5´-rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we have identified an extended 5´-end of mRNA coding for human myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT). PCR using primers based on this new 5´-sequence and reverse primers within the currently accepted coding sequence of the enzyme resulted in the identification of a novel splice variant of NMT. In vitro translation of these cDNAs resulted in the production of proteins with apparent molecular masses of 63 kDa and 48 kDa. Immunoprecipitation of NMT from human cell lines and immunoblotting of a range of rat tissues has identified proteins with molecular masses corresponding to those derived from these cDNAs, and provided evidence that their relative abundance differs among tissues. Our results provide evidence that this enzyme exists in different forms resulting from alternative splicing of the mRNA.
Trypanosoma cruzi has not lost its S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase: characterization of the gene and the encoded enzyme
Authors: PERSSON Kent , ÅSLUND Lena , GRAHN Birgitta , HANKE Jens , HEBY Olle 
Published: August 2015

All attempts to identify ornithine decarboxylase in the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi have failed. The parasites have instead been assumed to depend on putrescine uptake and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) for their synthesis of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. We have now identified the gene encoding AdoMetDC in T. cruzi by PCR cloning, with degenerate primers corresponding to conserved amino acid sequences in AdoMetDC proteins of other trypanosomatids. The amplified DNA fragment was used as a probe to isolate the complete AdoMetDC gene from a T. cruzi genomic library. The AdoMetDC gene was located on chromosomes with a size of approx. 1.4 Mbp, and contained a coding region of 1110 bp, specifying a sequence of 370 amino acid residues. The protein showed a sequence identity of only 25% with human AdoMetDC, the major differences being additional amino acids present in the terminal regions of the T. cruzi enzyme. As expected, a higher sequence identity (68–72%) was found in comparison with trypanosomatid AdoMetDCs. When the coding region was expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant protein underwent autocatalytic cleavage, generating a 33–34 kDa α subunit and a 9 kDa β subunit. The encoded protein catalysed the decarboxylation of AdoMet (Km 0.21 mM) and was stimulated by putrescine but inhibited by the polyamines, weakly by spermidine and strongly by spermine. Methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a potent inhibitor of human AdoMetDC, was a poor inhibitor of the T. cruzi enzyme. This differential sensitivity to MGBG suggests that the two enzymes are sufficiently different to warrant the search for compounds that might interfere with the progression of Chagas' disease by selectively inhibiting T. cruzi AdoMetDC.
The nucleotide sequence data reported will appear in DDBJ, EMBL and GenBank Nucleotide Sequence Databases under the accession number (BankIt151525) AF032907.
Effects of phosphorylation on function of the Rad GTPase
Authors: MOYERS Julie S. , ZHU Jianhua , KAHN C. Ronald 
Published: August 2015

Rad, Gem and Kir possess unique structural features in comparison with other Ras-like GTPases, including a C-terminal 31-residue extension that lacks typical prenylation motifs. We have recently shown that Rad and Gem bind calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner via this C-terminal extension, involving residues 278–297 in human Rad. This domain also contains several consensus sites for serine phosphorylation, and Rad is complexed with calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in C2C12 cells. Here we show that Rad serves as a substrate for phosphorylation by CaMKII, cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC) and casein kinase II (CKII) with stoichiometries in vitro of 0.2–1.3 mol of phosphate/mol of Rad. By deletion and point mutation analysis we show that phosphorylation by CaMKII and PKA occurs on a single serine residue at position 273, whereas PKC and CKII phosphorylate multiple C-terminal serine residues, including Ser214, Ser257, Ser273, Ser290 and Ser299. Incubation of Rad with PKA decreases GTP binding by 60–70%, but this effect seems to be independent of phosphorylation, as it is observed with the Ser273 → Ala mutant of Rad containing a mutation at the site of PKA phosphorylation. The remainder of the serine kinases have no effect on Rad GTP binding, intrinsic GTP hydrolysis or GTP hydrolysis stimulated by the putative tumour metastasis suppressor nm23. However, phosphorylation of Rad by PKC and CKII abolishes the interaction of Rad with calmodulin. These findings suggest that the binding of Rad to calmodulin, as well as its ability to bind GTP, might be regulated by the activation of several serine kinases.
Ceramide transport from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi apparatus is not vesicle-mediated
Authors: KOK Jan Willem , BABIA Teresa , KLAPPE Karin , EGEA Gustavo , HOEKSTRA Dick 
Published: August 2015

Ceramide (Cer) transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus was measured under conditions that block vesicle-mediated protein transfer. This was done either in intact cells by reducing the incubation temperature to 15 °C, or in streptolysin O-permeabilized cells by manipulating the intracellular environment. In both cases, Cer transfer was not inhibited, as demonstrated by the biosynthesis of ceramide monohexosides and sphingomyelin (SM) de novo from metabolically (with [14C]serine) labelled Cer. This assay is based on the knowledge that Cer is synthesized, starting from serine and palmitoyl-CoA, at the ER, whereas glycosphingolipids and SM are synthesized in the (early) Golgi apparatus. Formation of [14C]glycosphingolipids and [14C]SM was observed under conditions that block vesicle-mediated vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein transport. These results indicate that [14C]Cer is transferred from ER to Golgi by a non-vesicular mechanism.
Age-related changes in human oestrogen receptor α function and levels in osteoblasts
Authors: ANKROM Michael A. , PATTERSON Julie A. , d'AVIS Patricia Y. , VETTER Ulrich K. , BLACKMAN Marc R. , SPONSELLER Paul D. , TAYBACK Matthew , ROBEY Pamela Gehron , SHAPIRO Jay R. , FEDARKO Neal S. 
Published: August 2015

Oestrogen receptors (ERs) are present in human osteoblasts and mediate anti-resorptive effects on bone. Human osteoblast-like cells derived from different aged healthy female donors not on hormone replacement therapy were utilized under well-defined conditions in vitro to investigate ER function and levels. Treatment with 0.1 nM oestradiol-17β of cell strains derived from eight young women (less than 50 years of age) increased hydroxyproline levels significantly [an average (2.2±0.1 S.E.M.)-fold increase], whereas cells derived from nine older women (more than 50 years of age) were not significantly affected. Similarly, cell strains, derived from younger women, transfected with a consensus oestrogen-responsive element linked to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase exhibited a greater response to oestrogen than strains derived from older women. When basal ERα levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay and normalized on a per cell basis, osteoblast-like strains derived from younger women (n = 24) had a mean value of 2.54±0.16 fmol of ERα per 106 cells. In contrast, strains derived from older women (n = 20) had a mean value of 5.44±0.48 fmol of ERα per 106 cells. An age-related increase in ERα number was also observed in human skin-derived fibroblasts and directly in dermal biopsies from women not on hormone replacement therapy. The results demonstrate ligand concentration-dependent ERα induction and indicate a loss of receptor regulation and diminution of ligand–receptor signal transduction with increasing donor age.