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Biomedical subjects

C E Ballou

Publications and source records attributed to C E Ballou.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Chiral synthesis of D- and L-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Chiral inositols (D-chiro-inositol from D-pinitol and L-chiro-inositol from L-quebrachitol) were converted to the 3,4-di-O-benzyl ethers, which were selectively benzoylated to yield the 1,2,5-tri-O-benzoyl-3,4-di-O-benzyl-chiro-inositols. The free hydroxyl group in each derivative was inverted by way of the trifluoromethane sulfonate ester to provide D- and L-1,2,4-tri-O-benzoyl-5,6-di-O-benzyl-myo-inositol. Hydrogenolysis to remove the benzyl ether groups gave the enantiomeric 1,2,4-tri-O-benzoyl-myo-inositols, which were phosphorylated by a dibenzylphosphite triester method. After hydrogenolysis and saponification of the derivatives, the D- and L-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphates were isolated as the crystalline cyclohexylammonium salts in gram quantity.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Thermodynamic parameters and shape of the mycobacterial polymethylpolysaccharide-fatty acid complex.

Properties of the mycobacterial polymethylpolysaccharide-lipid complex have been investigated by fluorometric techniques. From the dissociation constant for the O-methyglucose polysaccharide-parinaric acid complex at 293 K, a Gibbs free energy (delta G degree) of -33.65 kJ/mol was obtained. The Kd decreased with increasing temperature, giving an enthalpy (delta H degree) of 15.4 kJ/mol. From these data, a molar entropy (delta S degree) of 167.4 J K-1 was obtained. Thus, the reaction is slightly endothermic, but the large positive entropy change leads to an overall negative free energy favoring complex formation. From fluorescence depolarization measurements, the methylglucose polysaccharide-parinaric acid complex appears to display isotropic rotation with a correlation time of 2.55 ns at 23 degrees C. This may be compared to a rotational correlation time of 6.17 ps for free parinaric acid in water at 23 degrees C calculated from the value determined in cyclohexanol at the same temperature, which demonstrates that the mobility of the fatty acid in the complex is restricted. Assuming the complex is spherical, it was calculated to have a diameter of 23-26 A, whereas a helical methyglucose polysaccharide molecule assembled from space-filling models has the dimensions of a cylinder of 18 X 24 A. The polysaccharide and fatty acid chain-length dependence of the interaction shows a discontinuity for helical polysaccharide segments shorter than 12 sugars and for fatty acids shorter than palmitate.

Fatty Acids↗

Cell-cell recognition in yeast: isolation of intact alpha-agglutinin from Saccharomyces kluyveri.

The heat-labile sexual agglutinin from Saccharomyces kluyveri strain 17 (alpha-agglutinin) has been isolated in an apparently intact form from wild-type and mnn1 (glycosylation-defective) cells. The wild-type agglutinin is polydisperse, due to variable degrees of glycosylation, and migrates on native gels with an apparent mass of greater than 400 kDa, whereas under denaturing conditions it appears somewhat smaller. The mnn1 agglutinin is also heterogeneous but has a lower molecular mass due to the presence of shorter N- and O-linked polymannose chains. Both agglutinins are converted sequentially by proteolysis to active fragments of approximately equal to 150 and 60 kDa, but the rate of proteolysis of the more highly glycosylated wild-type agglutinin is much slower than that of the mnn1 agglutinin. The 60-kDa fragment was isolated by HPLC and found to contain 46% carbohydrate as mannose, all of which was linked to serine and threonine. Thus, the N-linked oligosaccharides are restricted to that part of the agglutinin molecule that presumably anchors the agglutinin in the cell wall.

Kinetics↗

Methanol production by Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Mycobacterium smegmatis cells produce [3H]methanol when incubated with [methyl-3H]methionine. The methanol is derived from S-adenosylmethionine rather than methyltetrahydrofolate. M. smegmatis cells carboxymethylate several proteins, and some of the methanol probably results from their demethylation, but most of the methanol may come from an unidentified component with a high gel mobility. Although methanol in the medium reached 19 microM, it was not incorporated into the methylated mannose polysaccharide, a lipid carrier in this organism.

Mannosides↗

Biosynthesis of the mycobacterial O-methylglucose lipopolysaccharide. Characterization of putative intermediates in the initiation, elongation, and termination reactions.

From the 70% ethanol extract of Mycobacterium smegmatis cells, we isolated a mixture of weakly acidic oligosaccharides composed mainly of glucose and 6-O-methylglucose. The elution pattern from a Bio-Gel P-4 column suggested that the oligosaccharides were smaller than the O-methylglucose polysaccharide (MGP) and could be biosynthetic precursors. Analysis by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry revealed that the oligosaccharides fit into a pattern for polysaccharide synthesis based on an alternate glucosylation-methylation mechanism until the chain reached the composition methylglucose11glucose5glyceric acid, at which time 2 glucose units are added to give glucose2methylglucose11glucose5glyceric acid. The addition of the last 2 glucoses and methylation of one of them to give mature MGP (methylglucose1glucose3methylglucose11glucose5glyceric acid) apparently occurs rapidly because the expected intermediates were not observed. Only 4 glucose units are present at the glyceric acid end of some molecules during all stages of the elongation process, and these represent precursors of a minor MGP homolog with an extra methyl group on the beta 1----3-linked glucose unit of MGP. alpha-D-Glucopyranosyl-(1----2)-D-glyceric acid and alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----2)-D-glycer ic acid were also isolated from the extract and correspond in structure to the expected initial precursors.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

Effect of glycosylation on yeast invertase oligomer stability.

Yeast external invertase is a glycoprotein that exists as a dimer that can associate to form tetramers, hexamers, and octamers (Chu, F., Watorek, W., and Maley, F. (1983) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 223, 543-555; Esmon, P. C., Esmon, B. E., Schauer, I. E., Taylor, A., and Schekman, R. (1987) J. Biol. Chem., 262, 4395-4401), a process that is facilitated by the attached oligosaccharide chains. We have studied this association by high performance liquid chromatography on a gel filtration matrix, by which procedure wild-type bakers' yeast invertase gives two peaks, and invertase from a core mutant (mnn1 mnn9) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180 gives three peaks. Concentration of an invertase solution by freezing drives the dimers into higher aggregates that, at 30 degrees C, re-equilibrate to a mixture of smaller forms, the composition of which depends on pH, concentration, and time. The invertase from a mutant, mnn1 mnn9 dpg1, which underglycosylates its glycoproteins and produces invertase with 4-7 oligosaccharide chains, forms oligomers of much lower stability than the mnn1 mnn9 invertase, which has 8-11 carbohydrate chains. Both of these mutants release external invertase from the periplasm into the medium during growth, but we conclude that defects in the cell wall structure may be more important in this release than an altered tendency of the invertases to aggregate. Investigation of aggregate formation by electron microscopy revealed that all invertases, including the internal nonglycosylated enzyme, form octamers under appropriate conditions.

Chromatography, Gel↗

Synthesis of 6-deoxymaltooligosaccharides and a study of their lipid-binding properties.

Amylose reacted in N,N-dimethylformamide with crystalline bromomethylenedimethylammonium bromide (Vilsmeier bromide) to give 6-bromo-6-deoxyamylose with a high degree of substitution. Reduction of the bromoamylose with sodium borohydride yielded 6-deoxyamylose that, following controlled acetolysis, gave 6-deoxymaltooligosaccharides. Such oligosaccharides, of appropriate chain-length, formed stable complexes with long-chain fatty acids that have a dissociation constant of about 2 microM in their interaction with parinaric acid (trans-9,11,13,15-octadecatetraenoic acid). Treatment of 6-bromoamylose with sodium methoxide in dimethyl sulfoxide produced a 3,6-anhydroamylose that contains few unaltered D-glucose units. This anhydroamylose also bound to a palmitoyl-resin column, suggesting that the polymer may be partially helical and somewhat lipophylic. Finally, reaction of 6-bromoamylose with methylvinyl ether led to the 2,3-di(methoxyethyl) ether that, on reaction with sodium methoxide, gave the 6-methyl ether from which 6-O-methylamylose was obtained by mild acid hydrolysis.

Fatty Acids, Unsaturated↗

Regulation of the protein glycosylation pathway in yeast: structural control of N-linked oligosaccharide elongation.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180 strain with the mnn1 mnn2 mnn9 mutations, all of which affect mannoprotein glycosylation, synthesizes N-linked oligosaccharides having the following structure: (Formula: see text) whereas the mnn1 mnn2 mutant extends the alpha 1----6-linked backbone of some of the core oligosaccharides by adding 20-30 mannose units. Membrane fractions from the mnn1 mnn2 and mnn1 mnn2 mnn9 mutants are equally effective in catalyzing transfer from GDP-[3H]mannose to add mannose in both alpha 1----2 and alpha 1----6 linkages to an oligosaccharide having the following structure: (Formula: see text) but neither membrane preparation can utilize the homologous mnn1 mnn2 mnn9 oligosaccharide as an acceptor. Thus, addition of the alpha 1----2-linked mannose side chain to the terminal alpha 1----6-linked mannose in oligosaccharides of the mnn9 mutant inhibits the elongation reaction and may serve as an important structural control of mannoprotein glycosylation. The mnn9 mutation also increases the transit time for invertase secretion, meaning that this mutation could affect the processing machinery in the Golgi apparatus.

Biological Transport↗

Tunicamycin inhibition of epispore formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The ascopore wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to contain more protein, polymeric glucosamine, and beta-glucan than the vegetative cell wall, which was enriched in mannoprotein relative to ascospore walls. Tunicamycin inhibited sporulation, as judged by the absence of refractile ascospores visible by phase-contrast microscopy, but cells completed meiosis, as demonstrated by the presence of multinucleate asci. Such spores lacked the dense outer layer characteristic of normal spores. Thus, the tunicamycin effect was similar to that of glucosamine auxotrophy (W. L. Whelan and C. E. Ballou, J. Bacteriol. 124:1545-1557, 1975).

Cell Wall↗

Cell-cell recognition in yeast. Molecular nature of the sexual agglutinin from Saccharomyces kluyveri 17-cells.

A previous study of Saccharomyces kluyveri 17-cell sexual agglutinin (alpha-agglutinin), solubilized by zymolyase (beta-glucanase) digestion of 17-cells and purified by affinity adsorption to immobilized 16-cell agglutinin (alpha-agglutinin), suggested that the major active component was a glycoprotein of 60,000 daltons and that a minor active component of 40,000 daltons was also present, possibly the result of proteolysis (Pierce, M., and Ballou, C. E. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 3576-3582). We now show that both of these active components are proteolytic fragments of a larger form with a molecular weight of 134,000, and that the latter is produced by proteolysis of a still larger species with a molecular weight of more than 200,000. Washed 17-cell wall fragments were labeled with 125I and digested with purified protease-free beta-1,3-glucanase, and the solubilized alpha-agglutinin was precipitated with antiserum raised against purified agglutinin containing a mixture of the 60,000- and 134,000-dalton forms. Gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed a radioactive material with Mr greater than 200,000 that, on digestion with zymolyase containing an active protease, was converted sequentially to radioactive components with Mr = 134,000, 60,000, and 40,000.

Cell Communication↗

Enzymic degradation of the mycobacterial O-methyl-D-glucose polysaccharide by a Rhizopus-mold alpha amylase, an enzyme active on 6-O-methyl-amylo-oligosaccharides.

An enzyme activity that catalyzes hydrolysis of an alpha-(1----4)-linked 6-O-methyl-D-glucan was detected in, and purified from, Rhizopus oryzae mold. The enzyme acts like an alpha amylase and digests unmodified amylo-oligosaccharides 10 to 15 times as fast as it does the 6-O-methyl and 6-deoxy derivatives. When the limit product obtained by digesting the mycobacterial O-methyl-D-glucose polysaccharide with pancreatic alpha amylase and Aspergillus glucoamylase was further digested with the Rhizopus alpha amylase, di-, tri-, and tetra-saccharide fragments composed of alpha-(1----4)-linked 6-O-methyl-D-glucose were released. The rest of the molecule was recovered as oligosaccharides terminated by two, or three, alpha-(1----4)-linked 6-O-methyl-D-glucose residues.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

A mutation that prevents glucosylation of the lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor leads to underglycosylation of secreted yeast invertase.

A mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the genotype mnn1 mnn2 mnn9 gls1 synthesizes mannoproteins with oligosaccharides having the composition Glc3Man10Glc-NAc2- owing to the mnn9 defect, which prevents synthesis of the outer chain, the mnn1 defect, which prevents branching of the core, and the gls1 mutation, which prevents deglucosylation of the resultant glycoprotein as a consequence of a defective glucosidase-I [Tsai, P.-K., Ballou, L., Esmon, B., Schekman, R. & Ballou, C. E. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 6340-6343]. (The mnn2 defect is not expressed in presence of the mnn9 mutation.) This strain spontaneously forms new colonies in which gls1 is suppressed owing to a defect in synthesis of dolichol phosphoglucose, the glucosylation substrate. The new mutant, designated mnn1 mnn2 mnn9 gls1 dpg1, synthesizes and secretes invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) that has a higher mobility on native gel electrophoresis than that made by the parent strain, the consequence of a reduction in both the size and the number of carbohydrate chains. The mannoprotein chains have the mnn1 mnn9 structure (Man10Glc-NAc2-), and the invertase is resolved by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate into two major and two minor bands that represent homologs with about 4-7 carbohydrate units, in contrast to about 8-11 chains in the parent strain. Thus, the inability to glucosylate the lipid-linked precursor reduces the efficiency of glycosylation of the protein chains. The genetic defect is in synthesis of the glucose donor dolichol phosphoglucose, but the mutation is nonallelic with the reported alg5-1 mutation, which has a similar phenotype [Runge, K. W., Huffaker, T. C. & Robbins, P. W. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 412-417].

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗

Characterization of acetylated and acetolyzed glycoprotein high-mannose core oligosaccharides by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry.

Fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry has been applied to acetylated neutral and phosphorylated oligosaccharides from yeast glycoproteins and to their acetolysis products. Although acetylation increases the sample molecular weight and the complexity of the spectra, it also enhances the sensitivity of detection, is applicable to samples that contain salt, and is especially useful for analysis of phosphorylated derivatives. Acetylation by trifluoroacetic anhydride/glacial acetic acid is particularly convenient and can be done rapidly on a small amount of material. Acetolysis by acetic anhydride/glacial acetic acid/H2SO4 is done on the acetylated oligosaccharides, and the acetylated fragments are recovered by solvent extraction and immediately subjected to mass spectrometry. The methodology allows molecular weight determinations and sequence analysis by acetolysis to be carried out on a few micrograms of isolated oligosaccharide in a few hours.

Acetylation↗

Pyruvylated glycolipids from Mycobacterium smegmatis. Nature and location of the lipid components.

The dipyruvylated glycolipid from Mycobacterium smegmatis (Saadat, S., and Ballou, C.E. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 1813-1818) has been shown to have the following structure in which FA1 is tetra- or hexadecanoic acid and FA2 is 2,4-dimethyl-2-eicosenoic acid. (formula; see text) The fast atom bombardment mass spectrum showed two major ions [M - H]- at m/z 1511 and 1539 (Mr 1512 and 1540) in a ratio of 1.4:1, suggesting that the glycolipid was a mixture of homologs that differed in fatty acid composition by 2 methylene groups. Analysis revealed C14, C16, and C22 fatty acids in ratios of 0.6:0.4:1.0, indicating that 60% of the molecules contained a C14 and C22 fatty acid whereas 40% contained a C16 and C22 fatty acid. The fragmentation pattern showed that a single glucose unit along with the smaller fatty acid could be lost to yield a tetrasaccharide with attached C22 fatty acid, and a second fragmentation yielded a trisaccharide containing 2 pyruvic acids but without attached fatty acid. The C14 and C16 fatty acids were identified as myristic and palmitic acid, whereas the C22 fatty acid was 2,4-dimethyl-2-eicosenoic acid. Precise localization of the fatty acids came from periodate oxidation and methylation analysis.

Fatty Acids↗

Saccharomyces cerevisiae structural cell wall mannoprotein.

A novel mannoprotein fraction with an average molecular weight of 180 000 has been isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mnn9 mutant cell wall that was solubilized by beta-glucanase digestion. The same material could be extracted from purified wall fragments with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. The protein component, 12% by weight, is rich in proline, whereas the carbohydrate, mainly mannose, is about evenly distributed between asparagine and hydroxyamino acids. Endoglucosaminidase H digestion of the isolated mannoprotein reduced its average molecular weight to 150 000, but the mannoprotein, while still embedded in the cell wall, was inaccessible to the enzyme. Biosynthesis and translocation of the mannoprotein were investigated by following incorporation of [3H]proline into this fraction. In the presence of tunicamycin, both mnn9 and wild-type X2180 cells made a mannoprotein fraction with an average molecular weight of 140 000, whereas in the absence of the glycosylation inhibitor, the mnn9 mutant made material with a molecular weight of 180 000 and the mannoprotein made by wild-type cells was too large to penetrate the polyacrylamide gel. Although the cell wall mannoprotein was resistant to heat and proteolytic enzymes, attempts to isolate the carbohydrate-free component failed to yield any characteristic peptide material.

Amino Acids↗

Carbohydrate structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mnn9 mannoprotein.

The neutral oligosaccharides from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mnn1 mnn9, mnn2 mnn9, and mnn9 mutant mannoproteins, and from mnn1 and wild type carboxypeptidase Y, have been characterized. The major oligosaccharide from the mnn1 mnn9 mutant, Man10GlcNAc, has the structure (formula; see text) whereas the largest oligosaccharide from the mnn9 mutant, Man13GlcNAc, has the structure (formula; see text) the differences being due to the mnn1 mutation. The smaller mnn9 homologs had lesser amounts of terminal alpha 1----3-linked mannose and may be precursors of the mature oligosaccharide. The mnn2 mutation had no effect on the mnn9 oligosaccharide structures. Carboxypeptidase Y and mnn9 oligosaccharides were identical, which suggests that the mnn9 mutation eliminates the differences in carbohydrate structure that distinguish intra- from extracellular mannoproteins. One mnn1 mnn9 oligosaccharide, Man11GlcNAc, retained the terminal alpha 1----2-linked mannose of the lipid-linked core precursor, which suggests that processing to give the larger oligosaccharides can occur without removal of this unit. A smaller mnn1 mnn9 oligosaccharide, Man9GlcNAc, was a mixture of isomers that must, in part, have arisen by action of an alpha 1----2-mannosidase.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Biosynthesis of the mycobacterial methylmannose polysaccharide. Identification of an alpha 1----4-mannosyltransferase.

The methylmannose polysaccharide, found in the cytoplasm of Mycobacterium smegmatis, is composed of 3-O-methylmannose units joined in alpha 1----4 linkage in a chain terminated by unmethylated mannose at the nonreducing end. An alpha 1----4-mannosyltransferase, one of the two enzymes involved in methylmannose polysaccharide elongation, has been identified in cell extracts. The activity is membrane-associated and catalyzes the transfer of mannose from GDP-mannose to oligomeric acceptors composed of 4 to 12 3-O-methylmannoses. 1H NMR spectroscopy and alpha-mannosidase digestion confirm that the mannose is attached by an alpha 1----4 linkage. In competition studies, the enzyme utilizes shorter oligomeric acceptors preferentially. The Km of the mannosyltransferase for MeMan4-OCH3 is 15-20 microM, for MeMan6-OCH3 it is 75-85 microM, and for GDP-mannose it is 55 microM.

Cell Membrane↗