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Biomedical subjects

C E Ballou

Publications and source records attributed to C E Ballou.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Characterization of a mannan-like oligosaccharide from Mycobacterium smegmatis.

A nitrogen-free neutral mannooligosaccharide, similar in structure to the polysaccharide component of yeast mannoproteins, has been isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC-356. It has a molecular weight of 3200 and is terminated at the reducing end by mannose. nuclear magentic resonance spectroscopy, methylation analysis, selective enzymic degradation and acetolysis indicates that the molecule consists of an alpha1 --> 6-linked backbone to which single mannose units are attached in alpha1 --> 2 linkage as sidechains.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed1976

An endo-alpha1 leads to 6-D-mannanase from a soil bacterium. Purification, properties, and mode of action.

A soil organism, isolated by enrichment culture on unbranched alpha1 leads to 6-mannan backbone from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, secretes and endo-alpha1 leads to 6-mannanase. We have purified this mannanase to homogeneity and find it to consist of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of about 131,000. The enzyme is unusually heat-stable and appears to be highly extended in shape, possessing very little alpha helicity but with a high proportion of beta structure. The mannanase acts on unbranched alpha1 leads to 6-mannan to produce mannose and alpha1 leads to 6-mannobiose, with the intermediate formation of alpha1 leads to 6-mannooligosaccharides of various sizes. Calcium ion is required for full activity. The smallest substrate is the alpha1 leads to 6-mannotriose, whereas the reduced mannotriose is an inhibitor. The combining site appears to encompass 6 to 8 mannose units.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1976

Morphogenic effects of alpha-factor on Saccharomyces cerevisiae a cells.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating type a cells enlarged and elongated when exposed to alpha-factor, a sex pheromone produced by mating-type alpha cells. This morphogensis required exogenous-D-glucose, nitrogen, and phosphate, and cells in exponential phase responded better than stationary-phase cells. Morphogenesis was blocked by cycloheximide and by inhibitors of cell wall biosynthesis such as 2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose, and 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-mannose, but not by polyoxin D. One to two hours after addition of pheromone, a cells became more susceptible to lysis by glucanases, a change that was dependendent on the dose of alpha-factor and was blocked by drugs that block morphogenesis. On the other hand, treatment with alpha-factor did not increase susceptibility to attack by trypsin, subtilisin, or exo-alpha-mannanase. Radioactive label, incorporated into cell wall polysaccharides during treatment with alpha-factor, was not secreted into the medium during morphogenesis. Analysis of the labeled wall polymers showed that alpha-factor-treated cells contain more glucan and less mannan than control cells, and that the mannan of treated cells contains an increased proportion of shorter side chains and unsubstituted backbone mannose units. Thin-section electron microscopy of treated cells revealed that the cell wall possesses a diffuse outer layer in the extension and is thinner at the tip.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Biosynthesis of yeast mannan. Isolation of Kluyveromyces lactis mannan mutants and a study of the incorporation of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine into the polysaccharide side chains.

One side chain in the cell wall mannan of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis has the structure (see article). (Raschke, W. C., and Ballou, C. E. (1972) Biochemistry 11, 3807). This (Man)4GNAc unit (the N-acetyl-D-glucosamine derivative of mannotetroase) and the (Man)4 side chain, aMan(1 yields 3)aMan(1 yields 2)aMan(1 yields 2)Man, are the principle immunochemical determinants on the cell surface. Two classes of mutants were obtained which lack the N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-containing determinant. The mannan of one class, designated mmnl, lacks both the (Man)4GNAc and (Man)4 side chains. Apparently, it has a defective alpha-1 yields 3-mannosyltransferase and the (Man)4 unit must be formed to serve as the acceptor before the alpha-1 yields 2-N-acetyl-glucosamine transferase can act. The other mutant class, mnn2, lacks only the (Man)4GNAc determinant and must be defective in adding N-acetylglucosamine to the mannotetrasose side chains. Two members of this class were obtained, one which still showed a wild type N-acetylglucosamine transferase activity in cell-free extracts and the other lacking it. They are allelic or tightly linked, and were designated mnn2-1 mnn2-2. Protoplast particles from the wild type cells catalyzed a Mn2+-dependent transfer of N-acetylglucosamine from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to the mannotetraose side chain of endogenous acceptors. Exogenous mannotetraose also served as an acceptor in a Mn2+-dependent reaction and yielded (Man)4GNAc. Related oligosaccharides with terminal alpha (1 yields 3)mannosyl units were also good acceptors. The product from the reaction with alphaMan(1 yields 3)Man had the N-acetylglucosamine attached to the mannose unit at the reducing end, which supports the conclusion that the cell-free glycosyltransferase activity is identical with that involved in mannan synthesis. The reaction was inhibited by uridine diphosphate. Protoplast particles from the mmnl mutants showed wild type N-acetylglucosamine transferase activity with exogenous acceptor, but they had no endogenous activity because the endogenous mannan lacked acceptor side chains. Particles from the mnn2-1 mutant failed to catalyze N-acetylglucosamine transfer. In contrast, particles from the mnn2-2 mutant were indistinguishable from wild type cells in their transferase activity. Some event accompanying cell breakage and assay of the mnn2-2 mutant allowed expression of a latent alpha-1 yields 2-N-acetylglucosamine transferase with kinetic properties similar to those of the wild type enzyme.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1975

Yeast manno-protein biosynthesis: solubilization and selective assay of four mannosyltransferases.

Using appropriate yeast strains and exogenous acceptors, we have devised specific assays for four mannosyltransferase activities involved in biosynthesis of the carbohydrate outer chain of yeast mannoproteins. The assays utilize GDP-[14C]mannose as the donor and unlabeled oligosaccharides as the acceptors, the products being neutral radioactive oligosaccharides one mannose unit larger than the acceptors. The multiglycosyltransferase system from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was solubilized in Triton X-100 and urea and purified 100-fold. Free mannose is an acceptor for the alpha1 leads to 2-mannosyltransferase, the major product being alpha[14C]Man leads to 2Man. The alpha1 leads to 6-mannooligosaccharides serve as acceptors for both the alpha1 leads to 2- and alpha1 leads to 6-transferases, but the tetrasaccharide alphaMan leads to 3alphsMan leads to 2alphaMan is a specific acceptor for the latter enzyme and yields (see article). When reduced, this same tetrasaccharide serves as the acceptor for an alpha1 leads to 3-mannosyltransferase from Saccharomyces chevalieri, yielding a pentasaccharide with two terminal 1 leads to 3 linkages. Assay of the alpha1 leads to 3-transferase in S. cerevisiae utilizes reduced alpha1 leads to 2-mannotriose as the acceptor, the product being alpha[14C]Man leads to 3alphaMan leads to 2alphaMan leads to 2Mannitol. The multienzyme system works in concert to make "mannan" in a cell-free in vitro system.

Glycoproteins↗
PubMed1975

Sporulation in D-glucosamine auxotrophs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: meiosis with defective ascospore wall formation.

Mutants that require exogenous D-glucosamine for growth were isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180-1A after ethyl methane sulfonate mutagenesis. Class A auxotrophs fail to grow on yeast extract-peptone-dextrose and minimal media, whereas class B auxotrophs grow on minimal medium and readily revert to grow on yeast extract-peptone-dextrose medium. Class B auxotrophs are suppressible by a class of suppressors distinct from nonsense suppressors, and their properties suggest that they are defective in a regulatory function. All 23 mutants studied were recessive and allelic, and they define a new gene designated gcn1. An analysis of a class A auxotroph revealed that it lacked L-glutamine:D-fructose 6-phosphate amidotransferase (EC 2.6.1.16) activity and indicates that GCN1 codes the amino acid sequence of this enzyme. The finding that all mutants were allelic indicates that the amidotransferase is the only enzyme responsible for D-glucosamine synthesis in S. cerevisiae. The occurrence of allelic complementation and media-conditional mutants suggests that the amidotransferase is a multimeric enzyme with an activity subject to metabolic control. Diploids homozygous for gcn1 fail to complete sporulation. They proceed through meiosis normally, as judged by the occurrence of meiotic recombination, the production of haploid nuclei, and the formation of multinucleate cells visible after Giemsa staining. However, the formation of glusulase-resistant ascospores is blocked, and deformed spores lacking the electron-dense outer layer characteristic of the normal spore wall are observed by electron microscopy. Cells that acquire the ability to synthesize D-glucosamine, because of gene conversion during meiosis, complete sporulation in a normal fashion. Thus, the GCN1 gene product appears to be synthesized late in sporulation and may prove to be a useful developmental landmark for the termination of ascospore development.

Alleles↗