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Biomedical subjects

F Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to F Moreno.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Arachidonic acid releasing systems in pig aorta endothelial cells.

Endothelial cells synthesize prostacyclin both from platelet-derived endoperoxides and from the arachidonic acid released from its intracellular stores. The mechanisms controlling this release does not appear to be mediated through phospholipid methylation but by means of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. As yet two possible mechanisms have so far been proposed to regulate arachidonic acid release in a number of cellular systems: phospholipase C-controlled phospholipase A2 activity or phospholipase C-diglyceride lipase system. The results presented here show that using phospholipases inhibitors is not a reliable strategy to study arachidonic acid release in cultures of endothelial cells. Our data also strongly suggest that the release of prostacyclin may be accounted in these cells for by a phospholipase C-diglyceride lipase system.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Ionophore A23187 induces a refractory state in thrombin-activated release of inositol phosphates.

The phosphatidylinositol cycle has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of platelet functionality through the control of cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels. However, the requirements of phospholipase C for Ca2+ has not yet been elucidated in intact platelets. The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate the Ca2+ requirements of this enzyme in platelets from miniature swine by taking advantage of the permeabilizing properties of the ionophore A23187. Our results strongly suggest that the treatment of platelets with A23187 induces a refractory state in thrombin-stimulated release of inositol phosphates while 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)-secretory capacity in response to thrombin remained constant. This refractory state seems to be dependent on some cytochalasin-inhibitable cytoskeletal phenomena.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The DNA replication inhibitor microcin B17 is a forty-three-amino-acid protein containing sixty percent glycine.

Microcin B17 is a low-molecular-weight protein that inhibits DNA replication in a number of enteric bacteria. It is produced by bacterial strains which harbor a 70-kilobase plasmid called pMccB17. Four plasmid genes (named mcbABCD) are required for its production. The product of the mcbA gene was identified by labelling minicells. The mcbA gene product was slightly larger when a mutation in any of the other three production genes was present. This indicates that these genes are involved in processing the primary mcbA product to yield the active molecule. The mcbA gene product predicted from the nucleotide sequence has 69 amino acids including 28 glycine residues. Microcin B17 was extracted from the cells by boiling in 100 mM acetic acid, 1 mM EDTA, and purified to homogeneity in a single step by high-performance liquid chromatography through a C18 column. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and amino acid composition demonstrated that mcbA is the structural gene for microcin B17. The active molecule is a processed product lacking the first 26 N-terminal residues. The 43 remaining residues include 26 glycines. While microcin B17 is an exported protein, the cleaved N-terminal peptide does not have the characteristic properties of a "signal sequence", which suggests that it is secreted by a mechanism different from that used by most secreted proteins of E. coli.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Mechanism of inactivation of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by D-xylose and L-arabinose.

In a previous paper (Cármenes et al., 1984) we reported that UDP-glucose 4-epimerase from Saccharomyces was inactivated both in vivo and in vitro (crude extracts) by L-arabinose or D-xylose. In this paper, we report that pure epimerase requires the presence of UMP or UDP to be inactivated by sugars and that the inactivation is due to the reduction of the epimerase NAD+, which is essential for epimerase activity. The inactivation rate is directly proportional to epimerase and sugar concentrations and hyperbolically proportional to UMP concentration. In situ experiments made with permeabilized cells showed that epimerase is inactivated in the same way when it is inside the cell. In vivo studies showed that epimerase is inactivated to a smaller extent when 1% D-galactose is present in the culture medium than when 1% ethanol is the main carbon source.

Arabinose↗
PubMed1986

Microcin-E492-insensitive mutants of Escherichia coli K12.

Mutations in three Escherichia coli K12 genes, tonB, exbB and the newly discovered semA, reduce sensitivity to the low Mr polypeptide antibiotic microcin E492. The products of the tonB and exbB genes were previously shown to be involved in the uptake of siderophore-complexed iron and in the action of a number of colicins. Strains mutated at or close to semA (collectively referred to as sem mutations) remained fully sensitive to these colicins, and grew as well as wild-type strains under conditions of iron starvation. Expression of a number of sem-lacZ operon fusions was not affected by iron limitation, and sem mutations did not affect the production of iron-regulated outer membrane proteins which are known or thought to be involved in iron uptake. Hfr conjugation and P1 phage transduction experiments indicated that semA is located close to pabB at 40 min on the E. coli K12 chromosome. This places semA close to the mng locus, wherein mutations result in decreased manganese sensitivity. However, strains carrying the semA mutation exhibited increased manganese sensitivity.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1986

Mechanism of inactivation of hexokinase PII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by D-xylose.

The mechanism of inactivation of hexokinase PII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by D-xylose was characterized. Inactivation was dependent on the presence of MgATP and was irreversible. Inactivation involved phosphorylation of the protein. Observation of the carbon catabolite repression of selected enzymes showed that invertase and maltase synthesis were not repressed when hexokinase PII was phosphorylated.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1986

Microcin B17 blocks DNA replication and induces the SOS system in Escherichia coli.

Microcin B17 is a novel peptide antibiotic of low Mr (about 4000) produced by Escherichia coli strains carrying plasmid pMccB17. The action of this microcin in sensitive cells is essentially irreversible, follows single-hit kinetics, and leads to an abrupt arrest of DNA replication and, consequently, to the induction of the SOS response. RecA- and RecBC- strains are hypersensitive to microcin B17. Strains producing a non-cleavable SOS repressor (lexAl mutant) are also more sensitive than wild-type, whereas strains carrying a mutation which causes constitutive expression of the SOS response (spr-55) are less sensitive to microcin. Microcin B17 does not induce the SOS response in cells which do not have an active replication fork. The results suggest that the mode of action of this microcin is different from all other well-characterized microcins and colicins, and from other antibiotics which inhibit DNA replication.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1986

Effects of microcin B17 on microcin B17-immune cells.

When microcin B17-immune cells are treated with microcin B17 they show many of the physiological effects displayed by microcin B17-sensitive cells treated in the same way. DNA replication stops immediately and several SOS functions are subsequently induced. In sensitive cells these effects are irreversible and lead to cell death, whereas in immune cells they are reversible and there is no loss of viability. This is an unusual mechanism of immunity because it does not prevent the primary action of the microcin. The implications of this mechanism concerning the mode of action of microcin B17 and the induction of the SOS system are discussed.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1986

Identification, mapping, cloning and characterization of a gene (sbmA) required for microcin B17 action on Escherichia coli K12.

We have identified mutations in three different chromosomal genes of Escherichia coli K12 which reduce sensitivity to microcin B17. Mutations in ompF and ompR genes affected production of an outer membrane porin protein, OmpF, and resulted in reduced sensitivity to a number of other agents (colicins, bacteriophages) besides microcin B17. The third class of mutants were specifically and highly resistant to microcin B17. The mutations in these strains were mapped to a gene (sbmA), located at 8.7 min on the E. coli K12 chromosome, which is closely linked to phoA. The wild-type sbmA allele was cloned into multiple copy number plasmids, and its location within the cloned DNA fragment was further defined by mutagenesis with MiniMudII1681. These insertion mutations resulted in in-frame fusions between the sbmA and lacZ genes, thereby allowing us to determine the direction of sbmA gene transcription. Plasmids carrying these gene fusions produced low levels of beta-galactosidase, indicating that the sbmA gene is poorly expressed. We have been unable to identify the sbmA gene product, but indirect evidence indicates that it might be an envelope protein involved in microcin uptake.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1986

Growth phase and ompR regulation of transcription of microcin B17 genes.

The synthesis of the peptide antibiotic microcin B17 was shown to occur as the cells entered the stationary phase of growth. This type of growth phase regulation is commonly observed in the production of a number of different bacterial products such as toxins and antibiotics. Microcin B17 synthesis is also dependent on the product of the ompR gene. To determine the role of transcription in this double regulation of microcin B17 production, operon fusions with Mu d1 (Ap lac) were constructed. Insertions were obtained in all four plasmid genes involved in production of microcin B17 (mcbA-D) and in the immunity region. Three classes of fusions were obtained. Fusions into mcbA, mcbB, and mcbC (first class) exhibited an increase in their transcription as the cells approached the stationary phase. These increases as well as basal levels of transcription were dependent on OmpR. Expression of fusions in mcbD and in the immunity region (second class) was also dependent on OmpR, but their expression remained constant throughout growth. One fusion in mcbC (third class) was obtained which was transcribed in the opposite direction than the others. It showed no growth phase regulation and no OmpR dependence. The implications of these results in terms of the transcriptional organization of the mbc genes are discussed.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1986

Cloning and mapping of the genetic determinants for microcin C7 production and immunity.

Microcin C7, a peptide antibiotic inhibitor of protein synthesis, is produced by Escherichia coli K-12 strains that carry the 43-kilobase low-copy-number plasmid pMccC7. Microcin C7 production and immunity determinants of this plasmid have been cloned into the vectors pBR322 and pACYC184. The resulting plasmids overproduce microcin C7 and express immunity against the microcin. Mcc- and Mcc- Imm- mutants have been isolated on recombinant plasmids by inserting transposable elements. Physical and phenotypic characterization of these mutants shows that a DNA region of 5 kilobases is required to produce microcin C7, and that two small regions located inside the producing region are also required to express immunity. Analysis of plasmids carrying mcc-lacZ gene fusions indicates that all microcin DNA is transcribed in the same direction. The results suggest that a structure like a polycistronic operon is responsible for microcin C7 production and immunity.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1985

Differential sensitivities to glucose and galactose repression of gluconeogenic and respiratory enzymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The synthesis of isocitrate lyase was induced by the presence of ethanol in the chemostat reaching a specific activity of 200 mU X mg-1 at this induced state. In glucose-limited, derepressed cells, 20 mU X mg-1 were detected and under repressed conditions isocitrate lyase activity was not detected. The sensitivity of gluconeogenic enzymes: cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase; fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and isocitrate lyase as well as the mitochondrial enzymes NADH dehydrogenase and succinate cytochrome c oxidase to glucose and galactose repression were studied in chemostat cultures. Our results show that galactose was less effective as a repressor than glucose. Malate dehydrogenase was completely inactivated by glucose, whereas galactose only produced a 78% decrease of specific activity. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and isocitrate lyase were completely inactivated by both sugars but at different rate. Glucose produced an 85% decrease of specific activity of the mitochondrial enzymes whereas galactose only decrease an 67%.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1985

Effect of antigen used in the detection of anti-Candida albicans antibodies.

Antigens of different origins were used in the investigation of anti-Candida albicans antibodies. This can influence the results obtained. We have assayed three different antigenic preparations weekly for 8 weeks in the study of anti-C. albicans antibodies induced by cutaneous, digestive, and systemic inoculations with C. Albicans ATCC 26555 in rabbits free of specific antibodies, and using indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), direct agglutination (DA) and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) as serological methods. In IIF and DA, two antigens were used (C. albicans ATCC26555 and C. albicans NCPF3153). In CIE we also used a third commercial antigen. All three somatic antigens were used at three different concentrations. Using IIF and DA the titres obtained with both antigens were similar in different inoculations. The IIF was somewhat earlier in the detection of antibodies, and the titre reached was higher when the antigen used was obtained from the inoculated strain. The detection of precipitins by CIE was in most cases only positive with the antigen obtained from the homologous strain, the highest level being reached in the systemic inoculation.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1985

Inhibition and inactivation of glucose-phosphorylating enzymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by D-xylose.

Three glucose-phosphorylating enzymes were separated from cell-free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by hydroxylapatite chromatography. Variations in the amounts of these enzymes in cells growing on glucose and on ethanol showed that hexokinase PI was a constitutive enzyme, whereas synthesis of hexokinase PII and glucokinase were regulated by the carbon source used. Glucokinase proved to be a glucomannokinase with Km values of 0.04 mM for both glucose and mannose. D-Xylose produced an irreversible inactivation of the three glucose-phosphorylating enzymes depending on the presence or absence of ATP. Hexokinase PI inactivation required ATP, while hexokinase PII was inactivated by D-xylose without ATP in the reaction mixture. Glucokinase was protected by ATP from this inactivation. D-Xylose acted as a competitive inhibitor of hexokinase PI and glucokinase and as a non-competitive inhibitor of hexokinase PII.

Cycloheximide↗