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Biomedical subjects

K Lin

Publications and source records attributed to K Lin.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Inhibition of HIV-1 infection by a fusion domain binding peptide from the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein GP41.

A synthetic peptide, corresponding to the sequence (637-666) of the HIV-1 glycoprotein gp41, inhibited the replication of an array of HIV-1 strains. The peptide (637-666) selectively binds to the fusion domain at the N-terminus of gp41, suggesting that inhibition of HIV-1 infection is caused by blocking fusion of HIV-1 with cells or of infected cells with uninfected cells. Since this peptide has antiviral activity against both homologous and heterologous HIV-1 isolates and has no detectable cytotoxicity, it offers a novel approach to chemotherapy and prophylaxis of AIDS.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hepatic 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. The role of surface loop basic residues in substrate binding to the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase domain.

Lys-356 has been implicated as a critical residue for binding the C-6 phospho group of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate to the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase domain of rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (Li, L., Lin, K., Correia, J., and Pilkis, S. J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 16669-16675). To ascertain whether the three other basic residues (Arg-352, Arg-358, and Arg-360), which are located in a surface loop (residues 331-362) which contains Lys-356, are important in substrate binding, these arginyl residues were mutated to Ala, and each arginyl mutant was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The far UV circular dichroism spectra of the mutants were identical to that of the wild-type enzyme. The kinetic parameters of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase of the mutants revealed only small changes. However, the Km for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, Ki for fructose 6-phosphate, and Ka for inorganic phosphate of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase for Arg352Ala were, respectively, 2,800-, 4,500-, and 1,500-fold higher than those for the wild-type enzyme, whereas there was no change in the maximal velocity or the Ki for inorganic phosphate. The Km for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and Ki for inorganic phosphate of Arg360Ala were 10- and 12-fold higher, respectively, than those of the wild-type enzyme, whereas the maximal velocity and Ki for fructose 6-phosphate were unchanged. In addition, substrate inhibition was not observed with Arg352Ala and greatly reduced with Arg360Ala. The properties of the Arg358Ala mutant were identical to those of the wild-type enzyme. The results demonstrate that in addition to Lys-356, Arg-352 is another critical residue in fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase for binding the C-6 phospho group of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and that Arg-360 binds the C-2 phospho group of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in the phosphoenzyme.fructose 2,6-bisphosphate complex. The results also provide support for Arg-352, Lys-356, and Arg-360 constituting a specificity pocket for fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Arg-257 and Arg-307 of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase bind the C-2 phospho group of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate in the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase domain.

Rat liver fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, which catalyzes its reaction via a phosphoenzyme intermediate, is evolutionarily related to the phosphoglycerate mutase enzyme family (Bazan, F., Fletterick, R., and Pilkis, S.J. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 9642-9646). Arg-7 and Arg-59 of the yeast phosphoglycerate mutase have been postulated to be substrate-binding residues based on the x-ray crystal structure. The corresponding residues in rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, Arg-257 and Arg-307, were mutated to alanine. The Arg257Ala and Arg307Ala mutants and the wild-type enzyme were expressed in Escherichia coli and then purified to homogeneity. Both mutant enzymes had identical far and near UV circular dichroism spectra and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase activities when compared with the wild-type enzyme. However, the Arg257Ala and Arg307Ala mutants had altered steady state fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase kinetic properties; the Km values for fructose-2,6-bisphosphate of the Arg257Ala and Arg307Ala mutants were increased by 12,500- and 760-fold, whereas the Ki values for inorganic phosphate were increased 7.4- and 147-fold, respectively, as compared with the wild-type values. However, the Ki values for the other product, fructose-6-phosphate, were unchanged for the mutant enzymes. Although both mutants exhibited parallel changes in kinetic parameters that reflect substrate/product binding, they had opposing effects on their respective maximal velocities; the maximal velocity of Arg257Ala was 11-fold higher, whereas that for Arg307Ala was 700-fold lower, than that of the wild-type enzyme. Pre-steady state kinetic studies demonstrated that the rate of phosphoenzyme formation for Arg307Ala was at least 4000-fold lower than that of the wild-type enzyme, whereas the rate for Arg257Ala was similar to the wild-type enzyme. Furthermore, consistent with the Vmax changes, the rate constant for phosphoenzyme breakdown for Arg257Ala was increased 9-fold, whereas that for Arg307Ala was decreased by a factor of 500-fold, as compared with the wild-type value. The results indicate that both Arg-257 and Arg-307 interact with the reactive C-2 phospho group of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and that Arg-307 stabilizes this phospho group in the transition state during phosphoenzyme breakdown, whereas Arg-257 stabilizes the phospho group of the ground state phosphoenzyme intermediate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Lysine 356 is a critical residue for binding the C-6 phospho group of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate to the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase domain of rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase.

Lysine 356 has been implicated by protein modification studies as a fructose-2,6-bisphosphate binding site residue in the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase domain of rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (Kitajima, S., Thomas, H., and Uyeda, K. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 13995-14002). However, Lys-356 is found in the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase domain (Bazan, F., Fletterick, R., and Pilkis, S. J. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 9642-9646). In order to ascertain whether Lys-356 is involved in fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase catalysis and/or domain/domain interactions of the bifunctional enzyme, Lys-356 was mutated to Ala, expressed in Escherichia coli, and then purified to homogeneity. Circular dichroism experiments indicated that the secondary structure of the Lys-356-Ala mutant was not significantly different from that of the wild-type enzyme. The Km for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and the Ki for the noncompetitive inhibitor, fructose 6-phosphate, for the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase of the Lys-356-Ala mutant were 2700- and 2200-fold higher, respectively, than those of the wild-type enzyme. However, the maximal velocity and the Ki for the competitive product inhibitor, inorganic phosphate, were unchanged compared to the corresponding values of the wild-type enzyme. Furthermore, in contrast to the wild-type enzyme, which exhibits substrate inhibition, there was no inhibition by substrate of the Lys-356-Ala mutant. In the presence of saturating substrate, inorganic phosphate, which acts by relieving fructose-6-phosphate and substrate inhibition, is an activator of the bisphosphatase. The Ka for inorganic phosphate of the Lys-356-Ala mutant was 1300-fold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. The kinetic properties of the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase of the Lys-356-Ala mutant were essentially identical with that of the wild-type enzyme. The results demonstrate that: 1) Lys-356 is a critical residue in fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase for binding the 6-phospho group of fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 2,6-bisphosphate; 2) the fructose 6-phosphate binding site is responsible for substrate inhibition; 3) Inorganic phosphate activates fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase by competing with fructose 6-phosphate for the same site; and 4) Lys-356 is not involved in 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase substrate/product binding or catalysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Glu327 is part of a catalytic triad in rat liver fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase.

The fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase domain of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase has been shown to be structurally and functionally homologous to phosphoglycerate mutase. Both enzymes catalyze their reactions via phosphoenzyme intermediates which utilize an active site histidine as a nucleophilic phosphoacceptor and another histidine as a proton donor to the leaving group. Glu327 in the bisphosphatase domain of the rat liver bifunctional enzyme is conserved in all phosphoglycerate mutase structures and is postulated, by modelling studies, to be located in the active site. Glu327 was mutated to Ala, Gln, or Asp. The mutant and wild-type enzymes were expressed in Escherichia coli with a T-7 RNA polymerase-based expression system and purified to homogeneity by substrate elution from phosphocellulose. The Glu327 mutants had apparent molecular weights of 110,000 by gel filtration and had unaltered 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase activity. Circular dichroism showed that the secondary structure of the Glu327 mutant enzyme forms was the same as the wild-type enzyme. The maximal velocity of the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase of the Glu327----Ala, Glu327----Gln, and Glu327----Asp mutants was 4, 2, and 20%, respectively, that of the wild-type enzyme, but the rate of phosphoenzyme formation of the mutants was reduced by at least a factor of 1000. In addition, the rate constants of phosphoenzyme hydrolysis for the Glu372----Ala and Glu327----Gln mutants were 2.7 and 1.3%, respectively, of the wild type, whereas the rate constant for the Glu327----Asp mutant was 60% of the wild-type value. Glu327 was not a substrate or product binding site determinant since the Km for fructose-2,6-bisphosphate and Ki for fructose-6-phosphate of the mutants were not appreciably changed. The results implicate Glu327 as part of a catalytic triad in fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase and suggest that it influences the protonation state of the active site histidine residues during phosphoenzyme formation and/or acts as a base catalyst to enhance the nucleophilic attack of water on the phosphoenzyme intermediate.

Animals↗

Site-directed mutagenesis in rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase. Mutation at the fructose 6-phosphate binding site affects phosphate activation.

To identify those residues involved in fructose 6-phosphate binding to the kinase domain of rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase site-directed mutations were engineered at Lys194, Arg195, Arg230, and Arg238. The mutant enzymes were purified to homogeneity by anion exchange and Blue-Sepharose chromatography and/or substrate elution from phosphocellulose columns. Circular dichroism experiments demonstrated that all of the single amino acid mutations had no effect on the secondary structure of the protein. In addition, when fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase activity was measured, all mutants had Km values for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, Ki values for fructose 6-phosphate, and maximal velocities similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. Mutation of Arg195----Ala, or His, had little or no effect on the maximal velocity of the kinase but increased the Km for fructose 6-phosphate greater than 3,000-fold. Furthermore, the Ka for phosphate for Arg195Ala was increased 100-fold compared with the wild-type enzyme. Mutation of Lys194----Ala had no effect on maximal velocity or the Km for fructose 6-phosphate. Mutation of either Arg230 or Arg238----Ala increased the maximal velocity and the Km for fructose-6 phosphate of the kinase by 2-3-fold but had no effect on fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. However, the Km values for ATP of the Arg230Ala and Arg238Ala mutants were 30-40-fold higher than that for the wild-type enzyme. Mutation of Gly48----Ala resulted in a form with no kinase activity, but fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase activity was identical to that of the wild-type enzyme. The results indicate that: 1) Arg195 is a critical residue for the binding of fructose 6-phosphate to the 6-phospho-fructo-2-kinase domain, and that interaction of the sugar phosphate with Arg195 is highly specific since mutation of the adjacent Lys194----Ala had no effect on fructose 6-phosphate binding; 2) Arg195 also play an important role in the binding of inorganic phosphate; and 3) Gly48 is an important residue in the nucleotide binding fold of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and that both Arg230 and Arg238 are also involved in ATP binding; and 4) the bifunctional enzyme has two separate and independent fructose 6-phosphate binding sites.

Animals↗

A quantitative analysis of tumor specific monoclonal antibody uptake by human melanoma xenografts: effects of antibody immunological properties and tumor antigen expression levels.

The time-dependent (5 min-72 h) localization of 3 radiolabeled anti-melanoma monoclonal antibodies (MAbs 436, IND1, and 9.2.27) was studied in paired label experiments in small (4-12 mg) s.c. human melanoma xenografts (SK-MEL-2 and M21) in athymic nude mice. MAb 436 recognizes a Mr 125,000 cell surface melanoma-associated glycoprotein antigen (125 kDa-MAA); MAbs IND1 and 9.2.27 recognize a high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen, but with equilibrium association constants differing by 2 orders of magnitude (10(8)-10(10) M-1). The two tumors were found to differ in their antigen expression levels and in both interstitial and vascular volumes. Accumulation of MAbs in both tumors was determined primarily by antigen expression levels and also by physiological factors such as vascular permeability and vascular volume; at the dose administered (20 micrograms/mouse), differences in MAb affinity among specific MAbs had minimal effect on accumulation. Quantitative flow cytometry measurements showed that antigen expression in vivo differed from that of cultured tumor cells. In vivo, expression of the Mr 125,000 MAA decreased by a factor of about 2.5 in both tumors. In contrast, the in vivo expression of the high molecular weight MAA decreased in M21 tumors but increased by 2.0-3.5-fold in SK-MEL-2 tumors. Data were analyzed using a three-compartment pharmacokinetic model (C. Sung et al., Cancer Res., 52:377-384, 1992) to provide plasma-to-tissue transport constants (k), the interstitial fluid flow rate (L), and estimates of the in vivo interstitial MAb binding site concentration (B0). For all MAbs, the plasma-to-tissue transport constants were consistently greater for M21 tumors (0.44-0.85 microliter/min/g) than for SK-MEL-2 tumors (0.28-0.66 microliter/min/g), and values of k for both tumors were approximately 1 order of magnitude greater than those for skeletal muscle (0.06-0.08 microliter/min/g). The model-estimated binding site concentration of melanoma-specific antibodies was 15-70 times lower than that predicted by experimental measurements of tumor antigen concentrations. Factors that may contribute to this discrepancy include inaccessibility of tumor cell binding sites to MAb and MAb catabolism. In summary, these results indicate that, for the MAb dose used in this study, variables pertaining to the tumor target (i.e., antigen expression levels, vascular volume, and vascular permeability) are the most important for determining MAb accumulation in tumors.

Animals↗

Spatial distribution of tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies in human melanoma xenografts.

The time-dependent (1-72-h) spatial distribution of three biotinylated anti-melanoma monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), a control MAb, and several macromolecular tracers was studied in two small (4-12-mg), well-characterized human melanoma xenografts (SK-MEL-2, M21) growing in the s.c. space of athymic nude mice. The specific MAbs (436, IND1, and 9.2.27) recognize two different melanoma cell surface antigens (Mr 125,000 glycoprotein melanoma-associated antigen and high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen) and have equilibrium association constants differing by two orders of magnitude (10(8)-10(10) M-1). SK-MEL-2 tumors were poorly vascularized and were composed of one or several collections of tumor cells with few intratumor blood vessels. In contrast, M21 tumors induced a strong angiogenic response and were organized into multiple small tumor cell nests separated from each other by fine blood vessels. Neither tumor developed extensive connective tissue stroma. In both tumors, hyperpermeable blood vessels were concentrated at the tumor-host interface but some intratumor vessels in M21 tumors were also leaky. Macromolecular tracers extravasated extensively from leaky vessels into tumor stroma but penetrated poorly into tumor parenchyma. All three tumor-specific MAbs stained tumor cell surfaces in a time-dependent fashion such that one-half or more of all tumor cells were stained by 24-48 h. Tumor cell staining was favored by increased density of tumor cell antigens but, at the doses studied, was little affected by differences in affinity among tumor-specific antibodies. The distribution of MAb staining was nonuniform in two respects: (a) peripherally situated tumor cells were more likely to be stained than centrally placed cells, and only in the smallest tumors did MAb reach centrally placed tumor cells; and (b) staining was nonuniform in different parts of the same tumor. The inhomogeneity of tumor cell staining by tumor-specific MAb was attributable to several factors, including: tumor blood vessel number, distribution, perfusion and permeability; distribution of tumor connective tissue stroma; small volume of the parenchymal interstitial space and relatively impaired diffusion of macromolecules in that space (low effective diffusivity of MAb); and interactions between specific MAbs and tumor cells. Of these factors, those associated with the parenchymal compartment apparently were rate limiting, and strategies that enhance parenchymal penetration are likely to improve solid tumor therapy with MAbs.

Animals↗

Enhancement of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection by antisera to peptides from the envelope glycoproteins gp120/gp41.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoproteins (gp120 and gp41) elicit virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNAB) and also antibodies enhancing HIV-1 infection (EAB). Several epitopes eliciting VNAB have been defined, the principal virus-neutralizing determinant being assigned to the V3 loop of gp120. To provide a background for a rational design of anti-HIV vaccines, it also appears important to define domains eliciting EAB. This was accomplished by screening antisera against synthetic peptides covering almost the entire sequence of gp120/gp41 for their enhancing effects on HIV-1 infection of MT-2 cells, a continuous T cell line. Many (16/30) of the antisera significantly enhanced HIV-1 in the presence of human complement. Antibodies to complement receptor type 2 (CR2) abrogated the antibody-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 infection. Antisera to V3 hypervariable loops of 21 distinct HIV-1 isolates were also tested for their enhancing effects on HIV-1IIIB infection. 11 of these sera contained VNAB and 10 enhanced HIV-1IIIB infection. All antisera with virus-enhancing activity contained antibodies crossreactive with the V3 loop of HIV-1IIIB, and the virus-enhancing activity increased with increasing serological crossreactivity. These results suggest that immunization with antigens encompassing V3 loops may elicit EAB rather than protective antibodies if epitopes on the immunogen and the predominant HIV-1 isolate infecting a population are insufficiently matched, i.e., crossreactive serologically but not at the level of virus neutralization.

Animals↗

Expression and site-directed mutagenesis of hepatic glucokinase.

Soluble rat liver glucokinase was expressed at high levels at 22 degrees C in the BL21(DE3)pLysS strain of Escherichia coli. Aspartate-211 of yeast hexokinase has been implicated as a catalytic residue from crystallographic data. The corresponding residue in rat liver glucokinase, aspartate-205, was mutated to alanine and the expressed mutant had 1/500th of the activity of the wild type, with no change in the Km values for glucose or ATP. The results support a role for this residue as a base catalyst in the glucokinase reaction and, most probably, a similar role in the reactions of all members of the hexokinase family.

Animals↗

Establishment of human myeloma cell line KM-2R and its preliminary application to human-human hybridoma research.

The authors report the establishment of a human myeloma cell line--KM-2R--and its preliminary use in human-human hybridoma research. KM-2R cells are resistant to both 6-TG and ouabain. Their doubling time is about 30 h. They have a modal chromosome number of 81-85. Using ELISA and immunodiffusion techniques, gamma-heavy and kappa-light chains were detected in the concentrated cell culture supernatant. KM-2R cells are sensitive to HAT medium. When fusing with normal human spleen cells, tonsil cells, and B lymphoblasts transformed by EB virus, fusion frequencies of 20-60% resulted.

Cell Division↗