Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Krishnamoorthy

Publications and source records attributed to G Krishnamoorthy.

51 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The non-equivalence of binding sites of coenzyme quinone and rotenone in mitochondrial NADH-CoQ reductase.

The fluorescent probe erythrosine 5'-iodoacetamide (ER) binds to mitochondrial NADH-CoQ reductase (Complex-I) accompanied by an enhancement of the fluorescence intensity. The binding of the CoQ analogue, 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-decyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DB), decreased the fluorescence intensity of the ER:Complex-I system. The 'site 1' inhibitor rotenone did not decrease the fluorescence intensity showing the non-identical nature of the binding sites of DB and rotenone. Also, the reduced form of DB did not decrease the fluorescence intensity. The decrease of the fluorescence intensity by DB was shown to be due to the removal of bound ER by DB. The rapid kinetics of ER binding was studied by temperature-jump relaxation. While DB caused complete elimination of the relaxation process in the ER:Complex-I system, rotenone caused only a decrease in the relaxation rate, suggesting conformational change. The relaxation rate showed a pH dependence with a maximum around pH 7.5.

Binding Sites↗

Enhancement of transmembrane proton conductivity of protonophores by membrane-permeant cations.

The rate of protonophore-mediated decay of pH gradient across lipid vesicular membranes was found to be enhanced by orders of magnitude by valinomycin-K+. Experiments in the presence of gramicidin have shown that the observed rate enhancement by valinomycin-K+ is not due to collapse of the diffusion potential alone. The enhancement of the rate showed hyperbolic dependence on the concentration of valinomycin. Rate enhancement was observed in the presence of the membrane permeant cation tetraphenylphosphonium (TTP+) also. Several factors which might enhance the intrinsic H+ conductivity of protonophores were analyzed. The level of partitioning of the protonophore into the membrane and the pK of membrane-bound protonophores were measured. Valinomycin-K+ did not alter both these parameters significantly. TPP+ increased the partitioning of protonophores and decreased the pK values of membrane-bound protonophores. However, these changes were too small to explain the observed rate enhancements. We suggest that valinomycin-K+ and TPP+ enhance the H+ conductivity of protonophores by increasing the permeability of the ionized form of protonophores by forming an ion pair.

Boron Compounds↗

Serum hormones in human breast cancer subjects.

Different serum hormones were studied in patients with benign breast diseases and breast carcinoma in respect of different phases of the menstrual cycle, as well as in postmenopausal women. In premenopausal breast carcinoma subjects 10% showed elevated serum estradiol alone, 7% showed elevated serum prolactin alone, and 12% subjects exhibited elevated levels of both serum estradiol and prolactin. Similarly, in postmenopausal breast carcinoma subjects 12% showed elevated serum estradiol alone, 10% showed elevated serum prolactin alone, and 22% exhibited elevated level of both serum estradiol and prolactin. On the other hand, in patients with benign breast disease only 5 showed an elevated level of prolactin alone. More than 50% of premenopausal women with carcinoma of the breast had low level of serum progesterone during the luteal phase as compared to normal subjects. No variations in serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were evident between normal subjects and women with breast carcinoma or benign breast disease. The increased level of serum estradiol and prolactin may be useful in the diagnosis of human breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Studies on the electron transfer pathway, topography of iron-sulfur centers, and site of coupling in NADH-Q oxidoreductase.

Electron transfer activities and steady state reduction levels of Fe-S centers of NADH-Q oxidoreductase were measured in mitochondria, submitochondrial particles (ETPH), and complex I after treatment with various reagents. p-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate destroyed the signal from center N-4 (gx = 1.88) in ETPH but not in mitochondria, showing that N-4 is accessible only from the matrix side of the inner membrane. N-Bromosuccinimide also destroyed the signal from N-4 but without inhibiting rotenone-sensitive electron transfer to quinone, suggesting a branched pathway for electron transfer. Diethylpyrocarbonate caused oxidation of N-3 and N-4 in the steady state without changing N-1, suggesting N-1 is before N-3 and N-4. Difluorodinitrobenzene and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibited oxidation of all Fe-S centers and tetranitromethane inhibited reduction of all Fe-S centers. Titrations of the rate of superoxide (O2-) generation in rotenone-treated submitochondrial particles were similar with the ratio [NADH]/[NAD] and that of 3-acetyl pyridine adenine nucleotide in spite of different midpoint potentials of the two couples. On reaction with inhibitors the inhibition of O2- formation was similar to that of ferricyanide reductase rather than quinone reductase. The rate of O2- formation during ATP-driven reverse electron transfer was 16% of the rate observed with NADH. The presence of NAD increased the rate to 83%. The results suggest that bound, reduced nucleotide, probably E-NAD., is the main source of O2- in NADH dehydrogenase. The effect of ATP on the reduction levels of Fe-S centers in well-coupled ETPH was measured by equilibrating with either NADH/NAD or succinate/fumarate redox couples. With NADH/NAD none of the Fe-S centers showed ATP induced changes, but with succinate/fumarate all centers showed ATP-driven reduction with or without NAD present. The effect on N-2 was smaller than that on N-1, N-3, and N-4. These observations indicate that the major coupling interaction is between N-2 and the low potential centers, N-1, N-3, and N-4. Possible schemes of coupling in this segment are discussed.

4-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate↗

Mutual inactivation of valinomycin and protonophores by complex formation in liposomal membranes.

The stimulation presence of a protonophore [3,5-di(ter-butyl)-4-hydroxybenzylidenemalononitrile or carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone] and valinomycin in a liposome suspension results in time-dependent inactivation of ion transport by both the protonophore and valinomycin. Correlation of the inactivation with spectrophotometric observations on the formation of a complex between the protonophore and valinomycin strongly suggests that the complex observed has no (or very low) activity for the transport of either H+ or K+. The stoichiometry of valinomycin and the protonophore in the inactive complex is shown to be 1:1.

Biological Transport↗

On the origin of heterogeneity of fluorescence decay kinetics of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.

The fluorescence lifetimes of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and other dihydronicotinamide derivatives were measured by picosecond laser excited time correlated single photon counting technique. All the dihydronicotinamide derivatives (including the simple model compound N-methyl-nicotinamide) had fluorescence decay profiles which could be fitted to double and triple exponentials in neutral aqueous solutions and in dimethyl sulfoxide respectively. It was concluded that the heterogeneity in the measured lifetimes arises from the inherent photoprocess of the dihydronicotinamide chromophore and not due to any intramolecular interaction as assumed in earlier studies. Some of the possible schemes for the fluorescence decay are discussed.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide↗

Temperature jump as a new technique to study the kinetics of fast transport of protons across membranes.

Application of a temperature jump (2.5 degrees C) to a suspension of liposomes, having phosphate (delta pK/delta T approximately 0.005) as the internal buffer and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (delta pK/delta T approximately 0.031) as the external buffer, created a delta pH (pHin - pHout) of positive sign in ca. 5 microseconds. Decay of this delta pH was monitored by using the fluorescent pH indicator 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid entrapped inside the liposome. This technique is useful to study transmembrane proton movement in the time range 5 microseconds-10 s at physiological pH values. The kinetics of proton transport aided by ion carriers such as nigericin, monensin, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), and valinomycin were studied by our method. The electrogenic nature of transport by CCCP and valinomycin and electroneutral ion transport by nigericin and monensin were shown. From the kinetics of proton transport aided by gramicidin, the time-averaged single-channel conductance of gramicidin channels was estimated to be (2.1 +/- 0.5) X 10(-16) S for H+ at pH 7.5.

Biological Transport↗

Non-ohmic proton conductance of mitochondria and liposomes.

Direct measurements of the proton/hydroxyl ion flux across rat liver mitochondria and liposome membranes are reported. H+/OH- fluxes driven by membrane potential (delta psi) showed nonlinear dependence on delta psi both in mitochondria and in liposomes whereas delta pH-driven H+/OH- flux shows linear dependence on delta pH in liposomes. In the presence of low concentrations of a protonophore the H+/OH- flux was linearly dependent on delta psi and showed complex dependence on delta pH. The nonlinearity of H+/OH- permeability without protonophore is described by an integrated Nernst- Plank equation with trapezoidal energy barrier. Permeability coefficients depended on the driving force but were in the range 10(-3) cm/s for mitochondria and 10(-4)-10(-6) cm/s for liposomes. The nonlinear dependence of H+/OH- flux on delta psi explains the nonlinear dependence of electrochemical proton gradient on the rate of electron transport in energy coupling systems.

Animals↗

Phenolsulfophthalein dyes as probes in the study of lysozyme activity towards cell wall substrates.

Difference spectra have shown that the dissociation constant associated with the dominant species, formed by the binding of bromophenol blue or bromocresol purple to lysozyme, is not sensitive to pH in the range 6-9.5. This was confirmed from temperature-jump studies. However, the inhibition of lysozyme catalysed cell lysis by these dyes is dependent on pH and ionic strength. In the reaction scheme, which takes note of both these observations, we have to consider the formation of an enzyme-dye substrate complex (EDS) which has the same kcat as does the enzyme-substrate complex (ES). The formation of EDS from ES and free dye (D) is controlled by an ionisable group. Analysis of the data using an equation similar to that of Maurel and Douzou gives a pK of approx. 5.6 for this group and this pK is close to that of histidine-15. The inhibition mainly comes from the difference in the formation constants of EDS and ES. The initial binding site of the substrate (S) in ES is not in the cleft region A-F. The cell lysis takes place after S binds in the cleft, in a subsequent step. The rate constants of this step are included in kcat. (kcat is obtained by analysing activity using the simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics). Inhibition by chitotriose also supports this conclusion. The dye binding site is also suggested to be close to histidine-15. Experimental results support the contention that the electrostatic potential due to the negatively charged cell wall substrate could alter the effective pK of ionisable groups on the enzyme in ES.

Animals↗

Binding site of the dye in Bromophenol blue-lysozyme complex. Proton magnetic resonance study in aqueous solutions.

The forward rate constant for the binding of Bromophenol blue to lysozyme is estimated to be 10(5)M-1 X S-1 at room temperature and ionic strength 0.01, from the line broadening of the 1H-NMR spectrum of Bromophenol blue at 270 MHz. The broadening of the 1H-NMR line corresponding to histidine-15 of lysozyme, in the presence of Bromophenol blue in solution at pH 4.5, suggests that the binding site of Bromophenol blue is not far from this protein residue. The extent of this broadening is pH-dependent and can be interpreted in terms of the average coulombic interaction between the dye and His-15. Since Bromophenol blue is known to inhibit lytic activity of lysozyme towards cell wall substrates, we can say that the region near His-15 may also be important for the efficient catalytic activity of lysozyme.

Animals↗

Antiproliferative effect of diallyl disulfide (DADS) on prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.

Garlic has been used throughout the world to treat coughs, toothache, earache, dandruff, hypertension, hysteria, diarrhoea, dysentery, diptheria, vaginitis and many other conditions. Garlic contains a complex mixture of oil and water-soluble organosulfur compounds. Diallyl disulfide (DADS), an oil-soluble constituent of garlic seems to be effective in reducing tumour cells originating from colon, lung and skin. Hence our present study focuses on the dose-dependent effect of DADS on an androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line. Various concentrations of DADS ranging from 25 to 100 microM were given to LNCaP cells and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP) and the level of prostate specific antigen were studied. DADS reduced the secretory activity of LNCaP cells with the gradual increase in dosage. DADS was found to act as a good antiproliferative agent, which was confirmed by proliferation assay. DADS also induced apoptosis and nuclear segmentation in the higher doses.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Synthesis of hydroxy and methoxy perylene quinones, their spectroscopic and computational characterization, and their antiviral activity.

Hydroxy and methoxy perylene quinones are synthesized in an attempt to isolate the essential spectroscopic and biological features of light-induced antiviral agents such as hypericin and hypocrellin. Unlike their naturally occurring counterparts, these synthetic quinones bear the carbonyl, hydroxyl, and methoxy groups in the "bay region." The hydroxy and methoxy compounds have rich absorption spectra with broad features in the visible (approximately 450-800 nm) and relatively more intense and narrow features at wavelengths < or = 350 nm. High-level ab initio quantum mechanical calculations assign the features in the absorption spectra to electronic transitions from S0 to S2 and to higher-lying electronic states. The calculations indicate that in the ground state the trans dihydroxy isomer is 12.5 kcal/mol lower in energy than the cis dihydroxy isomer and is thus the only species present. The lowest-energy trans methoxy ground state isomer and the lowest-energy cis methoxy ground state isomer are found to be degenerate. An additional cis methoxy isomer 6.3 kcal/mol higher in energy than the global minimum is assumed to contribute to the spectrum and is also considered. Finally, the synthetic compounds exhibit similar light-induced antiviral activity to each other, but significantly less than that of hypericin.

Antiviral Agents↗