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Biomedical subjects

G R Penzer

Publications and source records attributed to G R Penzer.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

The effects of spermine and Mg2+ on the catalytic mechanism of isoleucine: tRNA ligase.

Isoleucyl-tRNA formation catalysed by isoleucine: tRNA ligase is stimulated by both Mg2+ and spermine in the pH-range 7.0 to 8.0 at 310 K. At low [Mg2+] the acceleration caused by both cations together exceeds the sum of their individual effects. 2. The spermine-stimulated reaction has a steeper temperature-dependence than reaction in the presence of Mg2+. Two phases in the kinetics of isoleucyl-tRNA formation are detected in the presence of Mg2+ plus or minus spermine, but only a single step is observed in the presence of spermine alone. Thus the rate-limiting steps under normal assay conditions are different for the two cations. 3. Enzyme-bound isoleucyl-AMP can be formed in the absence of Mg-2+ and plus or minus spermine. 4. It is concluded that there is no evidence for cation-dependent differences in the reaction mechanism of isoleucine: tRNA ligase, though there are certainly differences in the relative rates of some of the individual steps.

Enzyme Activation

The chemistry of flavins and flavoproteins: aerobic photochemistry.

1. When a mixture of FMN and a reducing substrate (e.g. unprotonated amine) is illuminated oxygen is consumed. 2. The rate of oxygen uptake increases as oxygen concentration falls with some substrates (type I reaction), but with other substrates (typically aromatic compounds) the rate falls as the oxygen concentration falls (type II reaction). 3. The kinetics of type I reactions with EDTA, dl-alpha-phenylglycine and diethanolamine are all consistent with a mechanism in which the rate-determining step, hydrogen abstraction by the FMN triplet, is followed by rapid reoxidation of reduced FMN by oxygen. The reaction is faster at low oxygen concentrations because oxygen quenches the triplet. 4. The sensitivity of reaction rates to substituents in dl-alpha-phenylglycine can be described by a Hammett rho value of -0.6. 5. Individual rate constants for quenching and reaction of the FMN triplet with substrate were calculated (2.4x10(8) and 2.1x10(7)m(-1)s(-1) respectively for EDTA) on the assumption that oxygen quenches the triplet in a diffusion-controlled reaction. 6. The pH-dependences of oxygen uptake rates with six natural amino acids as substrates were measured. 7. Photoinactivations of l-glutamate dehydrogenase and d-amino acid oxidase by FMN were demonstrated.

Amino Alcohols

The chemistry of flavines and flavorproteins. Photoreduction of flavines by amino acids.

1. Flavines are photoreduced through their triplet states by amines and amino acids (e.g. EDTA and dl-phenylglycine). The anaerobic photoreduction of FMN and several other flavines with dl-phenylglycine was analysed in terms of a detailed kinetic scheme. 2. The reaction produces equimolar amounts of benzaldehyde, carbon dioxide and reduced flavine. 3. The sensitivity of the rates to substituents in the dl-phenylglycine can be described by a Hammett rho-value of -1.1. 4. Phenylacetic acid behaves differently from dl-phenylglycine or benzylamine towards a series of flavines. 5. The photoreductions are quenched by several aromatic compounds. From the effects of light-intensity and temperature, and by comparison with potassium iodide quenching, it is concluded that inhibition by the aromatic compounds is not simply a collisional process. 6. FAD reacts more slowly than FMN both in the photoreduction and in dark reduction by NADH. Urea and dimethyl sulphoxide decrease the intramolecular interaction in FAD, but they have no effect on the rate of dark reduction of FAD compared with FMN. In contrast, the photoreduction of FAD is quicker in urea.

Aldehydes