Biomedical subjects

E Shacter

Publications and source records attributed to E Shacter.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1984

Regulation through phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascade systems.

The cyclic interconversion of enzymes between phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms comprises a major mechanism of cellular regulation. A theoretical analysis of reversible covalent modification systems (Stadtman, E.R., and Chock, P.B. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 2761-2765) revealed that they are endowed with extraordinary regulatory capacities; they may exhibit smooth, flexible responses to changes in single and multiple metabolite levels, signal amplification, and apparent positive cooperativity. To test qualitatively and quantitatively the theories and equations involved in this analysis, a model in vitro phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cyclic cascade was developed in which the converter enzymes catalyzing the covalent modifications were cAMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37; type II) and phosphoprotein phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.16; Mr = 38,000), both purified to near homogeneity from bovine heart. The kinetic constants for both enzymes were fully characterized using the nanopeptide Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Val-Ala-Gln-Leu as the interconvertible substrate, cAMP as an activator for the kinase, and Pi as an inhibitor for the phosphatase. In the presence of a nearly constant concentration of ATP, a steady-state level of phosphorylation of the peptide was attained which was determined by the relative concentrations of the kinase, phosphatase, and effectors. As predicted by the cyclic cascade model, this monocyclic cascade exhibited both signal amplification and an increase in sensitivity to variations in multiple effector concentrations. In addition, the data show that the steady-state level of phosphorylation obtained in the presence of an activator of the kinase (e.g. cAMP) and an inhibitor of the phosphatase (e.g. Pi) is a function of the product of the relative effector concentrations. Finally, the results reveal that when the concentration of enzyme-substrate complex is not negligible, cyclic cascades are potentially more sensitive to variations in effector concentrations and can achieve even greater signal amplification than predicted previously.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1984

Energy consumption in a cyclic phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascade.

Cyclic phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascade systems are responsible for regulating numerous metabolic pathways. The capacity of a cyclic cascade system to maintain a steady-state level of phosphorylation and, hence, a specific biological activity of a phosphorylatable protein is dependent upon a constant supply of metabolic energy (ATP). Quantification of the extent of ATP consumption in a cyclic cascade was examined experimentally with the model in vitro phosphorylation/dephosphorylation system described in detail in the previous paper (Shacter, E., Chock, P. B., and Stadtman, E. R. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 12252-12259). The results indicate that (a) when the concentrations of converter enzymes and interconvertible substrate are held constant and the fractional phosphorylation of the substrate is varied by changing the allosteric effector concentrations, the rate of ATP consumption in the monocyclic cascade is directly proportional to the steady-state level of phosphorylation being maintained. (b) Attainment of a particular steady-state level of phosphorylation is determined by the net ratio of the protein kinase and phosphatase activities and is independent of the absolute concentrations of these enzymes. (c) Whereas the time required to reach a given steady state is inversely proportional to the converter enzyme concentrations, the amount of ATP consumed in maintaining that steady state is directly proportional to the kinase and phosphatase concentrations. In addition, a theoretical analysis based upon experimentally determined parameters for two in vivo cyclic cascade systems (pyruvate kinase and glycogen phosphorylase) revealed that under normal conditions, cyclic phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascades consume only a small proportion (less than 0.02%) of the total cellular energy flux.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1984

On the mechanism of activation of the ATP X Mg(II)-dependent phosphoprotein phosphatase by kinase FA.

The mechanism of activation of the Mg(II) X ATP-dependent phosphatase by the kinase FA has been investigated. The inactive protein phosphatase can be represented as FC X M where FC is the inactive catalytic component and M is the heat-stable modulator protein (also known as inhibitor-2). Phosphorylation of the modulator protein is demonstrated during activation of FC X M. In addition, continuous ATP hydrolysis during the activation is observed. This suggests that a cyclic phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reaction is continuously occurring during the activation. It is proposed that phosphorylation of the modulator protein causes an isomerization in FC to generate an active phosphatase. The activated phosphatase is capable of dephosphorylating the phosphorylated modulator. Upon dephosphorylation of modulator, the active phosphatase returns to its inactive form via a slow isomerization.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1984

Organic extraction of Pi with isobutanol/toluene.

Direct determination of [32P]Pi by organic extraction is an efficient and versatile method for assaying phosphoprotein and phosphopeptide phosphatases and ATPases. Analysis of free [32P]Pi by the procedure of J. B. Martin and D. M. Doty [(1949) Anal. Chem. 21, 965-967] has been modified to employ isobutanol/toluene in place of isobutanol/benzene. Extraction with either toluene or xylene equaled that with benzene. A complete characterization of the extraction procedure, which has been scaled down to a volume suitable for most enzyme assays, shows that it is accurate, rapid, and sensitive to as little as 1 pmol [32P]Pi. The phosphomolybdate complex is extracted reproducibly and quantitatively in the absence and presence of protein (1-8 mg/ml). In addition, sample volumes of 4 to 100 microliter were extracted with equal efficiency. Benzene offers no advantages over toluene and presents a considerably greater health risk. The experiments demonstrate conclusively that toluene can and should be employed in place of benzene in the organic extraction of Pi.

Benzene↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibition of the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-Cl- system of neutrophils by indomethacin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The results presented herein demonstrate that the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indomethacin is a strong inhibitor of the formation of HOCl by murine neutrophils (50% inhibition at 15 microM). Addition of 40 microM indomethacin to activated neutrophils caused 80% inhibition of HOCl formation throughout a 60-min time course while slightly increasing the levels of O2- and H2O2 produced. Comparable degrees of inhibition were achieved when the cells were stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate and with opsonized zymosan. Control experiments indicated that the drug did not act by scavenging HOCl. Direct inhibition of the chlorinating activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) was confirmed using highly purified human enzyme in vitro. Kinetic analysis of the mechanism of inhibition showed that the drug was competitive with respect to Cl- and uncompetitive with respect to H2O2, showing a Ki of 37 microM. In contrast to its inhibition of the oxidation of Cl- by MPO, indomethacin had no effect on the peroxidative activity of the enzyme (oxidation of 4-aminoantipyrene), nor did it inhibit the activity of several other enzymes involved in H2O2 metabolism, including horseradish peroxidase, catalase, xanthine oxidase, and superoxide dismutase. Finally, it was found that inhibition of HOCl formation was a shared but non-uniform property of many NSAIDs; piroxicam, salicylate, sulindac, ibuprofen, and aspirin were all inhibitory but at widely different concentrations [Ki(app) values of 0.05, 0.18, 0.18, greater than 1, and 3 mM respectively] that correlated only partially with their therapeutic dose range. The results encourage further studies into the possibility that inhibition of HOCl formation may constitute an additional mechanism whereby NSAIDs reduce tissue destruction in chronically inflamed tissues.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Quantification and significance of protein oxidation in biological samples.

Protein oxidation is defined here as the covalent modification of a protein induced either directly by reactive oxygen species or indirectly by reaction with secondary by-products of oxidative stress. Oxidative modification of proteins can be induced experimentally by a wide array of prooxidant agents and occurs in vivo during aging and in certain disease conditions. Oxidative changes to proteins can lead to diverse functional consequences, such as inhibition of enzymatic and binding activities, increased susceptibility to aggregation and proteolysis, increased or decreased uptake by cells, and altered immunogenicity. There are numerous types of protein oxidative modification and these can be measured with a variety of methods. Protein oxidation serves as a useful marker for assessing oxidative stress in vivo. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using proteins for this purpose compared to lipids and DNA. Finally, it is important to monitor the degree of oxidative modification of therapeutic proteins manufactured for commercial use. This review will examine various aspects of protein oxidation, with emphasis on using proteins as markers of oxidative stress in biological samples.

Biomarkers↗