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Biomedical subjects

J D Watkins

Publications and source records attributed to J D Watkins.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Phosphorylation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase in vivo. Lack of effect of phorbol ester treatment in HeLa cells.

The production and characterization of an antibody to rat liver CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase is described. This antibody quantitatively precipitated cytidylyltransferase from both rat liver and HeLa cell cytosol. Following affinity purification, the antibody was used to demonstrate, for the first time, the phosphorylation of cytidylyltransferase in vivo. Following the immunoprecipitation of cytidylyltransferase from HeLa cells, acid hydrolysis, and thin layer electrophoresis of the amino acids, only [32P]phosphoserine was detected. The phosphorylation state of cytidylyltransferase in HeLa cells was examined following treatment with phorbol ester for 1 h. In agreement with previous studies, the incorporation of [3H]choline into phosphatidylcholine via the CDP-choline pathway was stimulated 5-fold in cultures of HeLa cells following treatment with phorbol ester for 1 h. However, no appreciable translocation of cytidylyltransferase was detected, despite the utilization of two different methods of cell lysis. Furthermore, the inclusion of phosphatase inhibitors and chelators of divalent cations in the homogenization buffers had no effect on the observed distribution or activity of the enzyme. Immunoprecipitated cytidylyltransferase was phosphorylated to the same extent, and on serine residues only, in both control and 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-treated cells. Measurement of the pool sizes of the aqueous intermediates of the CDP-choline pathway, following TPA treatment, revealed a modest decrease in the phosphocholine pool only, consistent with an activation of cytidylyltransferase.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Effects of elfamycins on elongation factor Tu from Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Six kirromycin analogs (elfamycins) were compared on the basis of their inhibition of Escherichia coli poly(U)-directed poly(Phe) synthesis and stimulation of elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu)-associated GTPase activity. The elfamycins tested were kirromycin, aurodox, efrotomycin, phenelfamycin A, unphenelfamycin, and L-681,217. The last three lack the pyridone ring present in the other elfamycins. All the elfamycins inhibited poly(U)-dependent poly(Phe) synthesis and stimulated EF-Tu-associated GTPase activity, suggesting that the pyridone ring is not essential for activity. The six elfamycins were also examined in a poly(U)-directed, poly(Phe)-synthesizing system derived from Staphylococcus aureus and had 50% inhibitory concentrations of greater than or equal to 1 mM. When S. aureus ribosomes and E. coli elongation factors were combined in a hybrid poly(Phe)-synthesizing system, aurodox produced essentially complete inhibition of poly(Phe) synthesis with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.13 microM. This suggests that the observed high MICs of kirromycin and its congeners in S. aureus reflect a kirromycin-resistant EF-Tu rather than permeability constraints.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1988

Purification of the human placental NAD-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase.

An NAD-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase has been purified 13,100-fold from human placental tissue. The specific activity of the purified enzyme ranges from 6900 to 8300 mU/mg protein depending on the method used to determine the protein concentration. On discontinuous electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate more than 95% of the protein migrates as a single band; its estimated molecular weight is 25.5-26.0 kDa. This is half the value obtained when the molecular weight is estimated under non-denaturing conditions and suggests that the enzyme is composed of two identical or nearly identical subunits.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1987

In vitro activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide- and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenases in placentas from normotensive and preeclamptic/eclamptic pregnancies.

Concentrations of prostaglandins E2 and I2 may be decreased in preeclamptic and eclamptic pregnancies. Because these prostaglandins produce vasodilation and inhibit platelet aggregation it has been suggested that a reduction in their biosynthesis might play an important role in the pathogenesis of the hypertension and coagulation abnormalities associated with preeclampsia. Placental tissue is an extremely rich source of several enzymes that catalyze the catabolism of prostaglandins. The present study was initiated to determine whether one of these catabolic enzymes might be increased in preeclamptic/eclamptic pregnancies. The activities of the NAD- and the NADP-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenases were measured in 16 preeclamptics (mean diastolic pressure, 108 +/- 13 mmHg) and compared with 16 normotensive controls matched for age (20.8 +/- 5.43 vs. 20.6 +/- 5.16) and gestational week of delivery (34.6 +/- 5.40 vs. 35.0 +/- 5.06). These results indicate that the activity of the placental NAD-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase is elevated in preeclampsia (40.1 +/- 31.3 vs. 14.9 +/- 8.30 mU/g tissue, P less than 0.01). If this increase were also expressed in vivo, its effect on prostaglandin metabolism could be mistaken for impaired prostacyclin biosynthesis unless both the 6-keto- and 6,15-diketo-metabolites of prostacyclin were measured.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The effect of NaCl intake on 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity in the rabbit kidney.

Renal 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity from rabbits fed 0.3 g or 2.5 g NaCl per 100 g chow was measured in both centrifuged homogenates and in purified enzyme fractions. There was no salt related increase in 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity. PGA1-glutathione, 9, 10-phenanthrenequinone, and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde were better substrates for the purified 9-ketoprostaglandin reductases than was PGE2. Several carbonyl reductases were isolated which used PGA1-glutathione, 9, 10-phenanthrenequinone, and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, but not PGE2, as substrates. Although PGA1-glutathione was a more faithful indicator of PGE2-related 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity than either 9, 10-phenanthrenequione or 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, it did not always provide an accurate estimate of that activity.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1982

Changes in Mg+2-ATPase and taurine levels in Mg+2- deficient rats.

Tissue levels of Mg+2-ATPase and taurine were measured in rats fed Mg+2-deficient diets. Serum and urinary Mg+2 levels of rats fed the deficient diet were 50% below the control levels by day 10 on diet. The Mg+2-deficient rats showed a significant decrease in intestinal Mg+2-ATPase relative to the controls, despite having no significant decrease in intestinal Mg+2 levels. The effect of the Mg+2 deficiency on the distribution of subcutaneously injected 1,2-[14C]taurine in the skeletal muscle cytosol and organelles was measured. The cytosolic fraction contained 90% of the [14C]taurine, while the nuclear fraction contained 98% of the noncytosolic [14C]taurine. The skeletal muscle of Mg+2-deficient rats contained 14, 14, 81 and 53% more [14C]taurine than the control muscle at 1, 16, 24 and 48 hours after injection, respectively. There was 21, 60, 97 and 350% more [14C]taurine associated with the nuclear fraction of the muscle from Mg+2-deficient rats at the same sampling periods.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗