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M Neuburger

Publications and source records attributed to M Neuburger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Variability of cardiomyocyte DNA content, ploidy level and nuclear number in mammalian hearts.

DNA content, ploidy level, cell size and nuclear number were investigated in 54 mammalian hearts from nine species. DNA content was determined biochemically and ploidy level of cells was studied by the means of Feulgen cytophotometry. Nuclear number was calculated by a new method, while cell size was determined by using ocular micrometry. In most mammals diploid cell nuclei predominate. Higher ploidy levels were found in the human and the pig hearts. The total amount of DNA correlated with the myocardial weight. Eight million heart muscle cell nuclei were found in mice (myocardial weight 160 mg), and 2600 million heart muscle cell nuclei in the human heart (myocardial weight 210 g), but in the hearts of horses up to 35000 million heart muscle cell nuclei (myocardial weight 3.4 kg) were found. The number of heart muscle and connective tissue cell nuclei was correlated with myocardial weight. The ratio of connective tissue cell nuclei to heart muscle cell nuclei was between 2:1 and 3:1. In cardiac growth this ratio shifted towards connective tissue cell nuclei. Increased heart weight corresponds to an increase in cell size. Diameter between 11 microns and 18 microns may be an optimum for heart muscle cells of mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Cytophotometric DNA-analysis of bone-tumors. A new method for preparing formalin-fixed tissue and the regarding of DNA-malignancy grade and its prognostic value.

78 benign and malign, formalin-fixed bone or bone-associated tumors of different origin were prepared for image-cytophotometric measuring with a new method of preparing. The DNA-content of the tumors and the so resulting malignancy-grade were determined and compared with the corresponding measurements of unprepared fresh tumors respectively paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Regarding the comparison of the fresh material with the formalin-fixed material, no significant difference (p < or = 0.01) of the data could be found. There was also no significant difference (p < or = 0.01) concerning the comparison of the data obtained from the formalin-fixed material and the data from the tissue sections. The criterium aneuploidy showed a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 100% in regards to identifying a malignant tumor, irrespective of the preparation method. A strong correlation could be found (p < 0.001) between the DNA-malignancy grade and the survival rate of the patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1996

Chronic interleukin-2 treatment in awake sheep causes minimal or no injury to the lung microvascular barrier.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is reputed to cause a "vascular leak syndrome." We studied pulmonary hemodynamics and lymph dynamics in six sheep treated for 7 days with IL-2 (1.8 million IU/kg twice daily or 1.8 million IU/kg each day as a continuous infusion). Lung lymph flow increased from 4.8 +/- 2 ml/15 min pre-IL-2 to 14.4 +/- 6.8 ml/15 min on the seventh day of IL-2. The lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio was unchanged (0.70 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.63 +/- 0.13). The plasma-to-lymph equilibration half-time of radiolabeled albumin was 2.0 +/- 0.6 h pre-IL-2 and 1.0 +/- 0.7 h on day 7 of IL-2. Pulmonary arterial pressure was 24 +/- 7 cmH2O pre-IL-2, increased to 32 +/- 4 cmH2O on the fourth day of IL-2, and returned to 29 +/- 5 cmH2O on the seventh day of IL-2. Extravascular lung water was normal (4.07 +/- 0.25 g/g dry lung). To clearly determine whether the increase in lung lymph flow was due to hemodynamic changes or to increased leakiness of the microvascular barrier, we volume loaded six sheep with lactated Ringer solution before and after 3 days of IL-2 treatment (1.8 million IU/kg twice daily). Lung lymph flows increased fivefold during 4 h of crystalloid infusion compared with baseline and were higher after 3 days of IL-2. However, lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratios decreased to the same low levels pre-and post IL-2 (0.39 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.10), indicating and intact microvascular barrier. Extravascular lung water was elevated (5.56 +/- 0.39 g/g dry lung) but was not different from lung water in three volume-loaded control sheep (4.87 +/- 0.53 g/G dry lung). We conclude that IL-2 causes minimal or no injury to the pulmonary microvascular barrier and that volume expansion during IL-2 treatment can cause hydrostatic pulmonary edema.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Refined structures at 2 and 2.2 A resolution of two forms of the H-protein, a lipoamide-containing protein of the glycine decarboxylase complex.

H-protein, a 14 kDa lipoic acid-containing protein is a component of the glycine decarboxylase complex. This complex which consists of four protein components (P-, H-, T- and L-protein) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of glycine. The mechanistic heart of the complex is provided by the lipoic acid attached to a lysine residue of the H-protein. It undergoes a cycle of transformations, i.e. reductive methylamination, methylamine transfer, and electron transfer. We present details of the crystal structures of the H-protein, in its two forms, H-Pro(Ox) with oxidized lipoamide and H-Pro(Met) with methylamine-loaded lipoamide. X-ray diffraction data were collected from crystals of H-Pro(Ox) to 2 and H-Pro(Met) to 2.2 A resolution. The final R-factor value for the H-Pro(Ox) is 18.5% for data with F > 2sigma. in the range of 8.0-2.0 A resolution. The refinement confirmed our previous model, refined to 2.6 A, of a beta-fold sandwich structure with two beta-sheets. The lipoamide arm attached to Lys63, located in the loop of a hairpin conformation, is clearly visible at the surface of the protein. The H-Pro(Met) has been crystallized in orthorhombic and monoclinic forms and the structures were solved by molecular replacement, starting from the H-Pro(Ox) model. The orthorhombic structure has been refined with a final R-factor value of 18.5% for data with F > 2sigma in the range of 8.0-2.2 A resolution. The structure of the monoclinic form has been refined with a final R-factor value of 17.5% for data with F > 2sigma in the range of 15.0-3.0 A. In these two structures which have similar packing, the protein conformation is identical to the conformation found in the H-Pro(Ox). The main change lies in the position of the lipoamide group which has moved significantly when loaded with methylamine. In this case the methylamine-lipoamide group is tucked into a cleft at the surface of the protein where it is stabilized by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts. Thus, it is totally protected and not free to move in aqueous solvent. In addition, the H-protein presents some sequence and structural analogies with other lipoate- and biotin-containing proteins and also with proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Cartilaginous tumors: prognostic applications of cytophotometric DNA analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, selection of cancer therapy is based on the assessment of the prognosis of the individual patient. The specific type of tumor and the stage of disease have been the most reliable indicators of prognosis. METHODS: Image cytometry to determine DNA content was used in conjunction with clinicopathologic parameters and patient survival to investigate 16 cartilaginous tumors. Histopathologic characteristics, cytometric DNA ploidy status, 2c deviation index (2cDI), DNA malignancy grade (DNA-MG), and 5c-exceeding event (5cEE) were used to learn more about the determination of tumor prognosis. Prognosis was analyzed with a maximum follow-up of 148 months. RESULTS: DNA ploidy status, 2cDI, DNA-MG, and 5cEE are indicators of prognosis. After 148 months of follow-up, patients with aneuploid tumors had a significantly lower overall survival rate compared with those with diploid tumors (P < 0.05). Patients with DNA-MG less than 0.8 or 2cDI less than 1.5 had a significantly longer overall survival rate with respect to the group of patients with a DNA-MG greater than 0.8 or 2cDI greater than 1.5 (P < 0.001). A significant difference was noted in the overall survival rates between patients with tumors with 5cEE less than 3 and 5cEE 3 or greater (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Image cytophotometry DNA ploidy status, 2c deviations index, DNA malignancy grade, and 5c exceeding event were investigated and were found to be of prognostic value for patients with cartilaginous tumors.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The lipoamide arm in the glycine decarboxylase complex is not freely swinging.

Glycine decarboxylase consists of four protein components. Its structural and mechanistic heart is provided by the lipoic acid-containing H-protein which undergoes a cycle of reductive methylamination, methylamine transfer and electron transfer. Lipoic acid attached to a specific lysine side chain is assumed to act as a 'swinging arm' conveying the reactive dithiolane ring from one catalytic centre to another. The X-ray crystal structures of two forms of the H-protein have been determined. The lipoate cofactor is located in the loop of a hairpin configuration but following methylamine transfer it is pivoted to bind into a cleft at the surface of the H-protein. The lipoamide-methylamine arm is, therefore, not free to move in aqueous solvent.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1994

Interaction between glycine decarboxylase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase and tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates in pea leaf mitochondria.

The aim of the present work was to further determine how the T-protein of the glycine-cleavage system and serine hydroxy-methyltransferase (SHMT), two folate-dependent enzymes from pea leaf mitochondria, interact through a common pool of tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates (H4PteGlun). It was observed that the binding affinity of tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates for these proteins continuously increased with increasing number of glutamates up to six residues. It was also established that, once bound to the proteins, tetrahydrofolate, a very O2-sensitive molecule, was protected from oxidative degradation. The dissociation constants (Kd) of H4PteGlu5, the most predominant form of polyglutamate in the mitochondria, were approximately 0.5 microM for both T-protein and SHMT, whereas the Kd values of CH2-H4PteGlu5 were higher, 2.7 and 7 microM respectively. In a matrix extract from pea leaf mitochondria, the maximal activity of the glycine-cleavage system was about 2.5 times higher than the maximal activity of SHMT. This resulted in a permanent disequilibrium of the SHMT-catalysed reaction which was therefore driven toward the production of serine and H4PteGlun, the thermodynamically unfavourable direction. Indeed, measurements of the steady-state ratio of CH2-H4PteGlun/H4PteGlun (n = 1 or n = 5) during the course of glycine oxidation demonstrated that the methylene form accounted for 65-80% of the folate pool. This indicates that, in our in vitro experiments, CH2-H4PteGlun with long polyglutamate chains accumulated in the bulk medium. This observation suggests that, in these in vitro experiments at least, there was no channelling of CH2-H4PteGlu5 between the T-protein and SHMT.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1994

X-ray structure determination at 2.6-A resolution of a lipoate-containing protein: the H-protein of the glycine decarboxylase complex from pea leaves.

H-protein, a lipoic acid-containing protein of the glycine decarboxylase (EC 1.4.4.2) complex from pea (Pisum sativum) was crystallized from ammonium sulfate solution at pH 5.2 in space group P3(1)21. The x-ray crystal structure was determined to 2.6-A resolution by multiple isomorphous replacement techniques. The structure was refined to an R value of 23% for reflections between 15- and 2.6-A resolution (F > 2 sigma), including the lipoate moiety and 50 water molecules, for the two protein molecules of the asymmetric unit. The 131-amino acid residues form seven beta-strands arranged into two antiparallel beta-sheets forming a "sandwich" structure. One alpha-helix is observed at the C-terminal end. The lipoate cofactor attached to Lys-63 is located in the loop of a hairpin configuration. The lipoate moiety points toward the residues His-34 and Asp-128 and is situated at the surface of the H-protein. This allows the flexibility of the lipoate arm. This is the first x-ray determination of a lipoic acid-containing protein, and the present results are in agreement with previous theoretical predictions and NMR studies of the catalytic domains of lipoic acid- and biotin-containing proteins.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1993

Glycine decarboxylase complex from higher plants. Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and mass spectrometry analyses of the T protein.

cDNA clones encoding the precursor of the T protein of the glycine decarboxylase complex have been isolated from a pea leaf cDNA library in lambda gt11. The longest cDNA insert of 1430 bp encodes a polypeptide of 408 amino acid residues of which 30 residues constitute an N-terminal cleavable presequence and 378 residues make up the mature protein. Several results confirmed the identity of the cDNA and the exactness of the predicted primary structure. Firstly, we purified the T protein to homogeneity and its mass was measured by mass spectrometry. The mass obtained (40966 +/- 5 Da) was the value predicted from the cDNA (40961 Da). Secondly, the purified T protein was chemically cleaved with cyanogen bromide and the peptide fragments were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and/or fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry. The mass values of all the peptides generated by chemical cleavage and measured by these techniques were very close to the values calculated from the predicted primary structure. Thirdly, microsequencing of some of these peptides, which represent 35% of the total protein, fits perfectly with the primary structure deduced from the cDNA. In the present HPLC/electrospray ionization MS studies we never detected the presence of covalently bound tetrahydropteroylpolyglutamate (H4PteGlun), either in the native T protein or in the different peptide fragments generated by the chemical cleavage. The absence of H4PteGlun bound to the T protein in our experimental conditions demonstrates that H4PteGlun is not covalently linked to the T protein. Northern blot analysis showed that the steady-state level of the mRNA corresponding to the T protein was high in green leaves compared to the level in etiolated leaves (approximately 8-10-fold higher). Surprisingly, a non-negligible amount of mRNA corresponding to the T protein was present in roots whereas the mRNA encoding the H protein was not detectable. Western blot analysis showed that the P, L and T proteins of the glycine decarboxylase complex were present in roots whereas the H protein was not detectable. Southern hybridization to pea genomic DNA indicated the presence of a single gene encoding the T protein of the glycine decarboxylase complex in the haploid genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Effects of tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates on the kinetic parameters of serine hydroxymethyltransferase and glycine decarboxylase from pea leaf mitochondria.

Plant tissues contain highly conjugated forms of folate. Despite this, the ability of plant folate-dependent enzymes to utilize tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates has not been examined in detail. In leaf mitochondria, the glycine-cleavage system and serine hydroxymethyltransferase, present in large amounts in the matrix space and involved in the photorespiratory cycle, necessitate the presence of tetrahydrofolate as a cofactor. The aim of the present work was to determine whether glutamate chain length (one to six glutamate residues) influenced the affinity constant for tetrahydrofolate and the maximal velocities displayed by these two enzymes. The results show that the affinity constant decreased by at least one order of magnitude when the tetrahydrofolate substrate contained three or more glutamate residues. In contrast, maximal velocities were not altered in the presence of these substrates. These results are consistent with analyses of mitochondrial folates which revealed a pool of polyglutamates dominated by tetra and pentaglutamates. The equilibrium constant of the serine hydroxymethyltransferase suggests that, during photorespiration, the reaction must be permanently pushed toward the formation of serine (the unfavourable direction) to allow the recycling of tetrahydrofolate necessary for the operation of the glycine decarboxylase T-protein.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of the primary structure of H-protein from Pisum sativum and location of a lipoic acid residue by combined liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

A purified extract of H-protein, a subunit of the glycine cleavage complex of the pea leaf mitochondria, was investigated by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), using both continuous flow fast atom bombardment (CF-FAB) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Determination of the molecular weight of the entire protein, a 14 kDa subunit of the glycine decarboxylase complex, was achieved by ESI mass spectrometry and revealed covalent binding of the protein to the stabilizing agent beta-mercapto-ethanol. On-line LC/MS analysis of peptides arising from the endoproteinase Glu-C digestion of the H-protein was achieved using capillary columns (0.25 mm i.d.), and permitted confirmation of the previously reported sequence deduced from cDNA cloning experiments. The detailed interpretation of data extracted from these LC/MS experiments facilitated identification of peptides containing modified amino acid residues. In particular the identification of a lipoic acid cofactor, a rather unusual modified lysine residue which interacts with different active sites in the enzyme complex, was achieved using both LC/CF-FAB-MS and LC/ESI-MS. The exact location of this modified lysine residue was determined by obtaining fragment spectra of multiply protonated precursor ions of selected peptides, using on-line LC/MS/MS techniques.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1992

Structural investigations by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy of the iron center of mitochondrial aconitase in higher plant cells.

We have obtained iron K-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectra of the plant mitochondrial aconitase in its active state, in the presence (aconitase (+)) and absence (aconitase (-)) of the substrate citrate. Analysis of the data indicates that oxygens are present in the first coordination shell, at an average Fe-O distance of 1.96/1.98 A (aconitase (+)/aconitase(-)). Part of these oxygens is provided by the citrate, which binds at 1.99 A from the iron in aconitase (+). The second shell (sulfur) contribution is split and is consistent with Fe-S distances of 2.30/2.29 and 2.56/2.59 A, and the third shell (iron) is consistent with an Fe-Fe distance of 2.83/2.84 A. Both Fe-S and Fe-Fe distances are longer than similar distances found in most Fe-S centers. A strong scattering at approximately 5 A has been identified as originating from an iron atom which is near to, but not part of, the Fe-S cluster. These data indicate that active plant mitochondrial aconitase contains a novel type of iron center.

Aconitate Hydratase↗
PubMed1992

Isolation, characterization, and sequence analysis of a cDNA clone encoding L-protein, the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase component of the glycine cleavage system from pea-leaf mitochondria.

L-protein is the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase component of the glycine decarboxylase complex which catalyses, with serine hydroxymethyltransferase, the mitochondrial step of photorespiration. We have isolated and characterized a cDNA from a lambda gt11 pea library encoding the complete L-protein precursor. The derived amino acid sequence indicates that the protein precursor consists of 501 amino acid residues, including a presequence peptide of 31 amino acid residues. The N-terminal sequence of the first 18 amino acid residues of the purified L-protein confirms the identity of the cDNA. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence of L-protein with human, porcine and yeast dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase sequences reveals high similarity (70% in each case), indicating that this enzyme is highly conserved. Most of the residues located in or near the active sites remain unchanged. The results described in the present paper strongly suggest that, in higher plants, a unique dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase is a component of different mitochondrial enzyme complexes. Confidence in this conclusion comes from the following considerations. First, after fractionation of a matrix extract of pea-leaf mitochondria by gel-permeation chromatography followed by gel electrophoresis and Western-blot analysis, it was shown that polyclonal antibodies raised against the L-protein of the glycine-cleavage system recognized proteins with an Mr of about 60000 in different elution peaks where dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase activity has been detected. Second, Northern-blot analysis of RNA from different tissues such as leaf, stem, root and seed, using L-protein cDNA as a probe, indicates that the mRNA of the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase accumulates to high levels in all tissues. In contrast, the H-protein (a specific protein component of the glycine-cleavage system) is known to be expressed primarily in leaves. Third, Southern-blot analysis indicated that the gene coding for L-protein in pea is most likely to be present in a single copy/haploid genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Isolation of H-protein loaded with methylamine as a transient species in glycine decarboxylase reactions.

A three-step protocol was devised to purify H-protein, which can be readily released as a soluble protein from pea mitochondria. After the final step of purification (anion-exchange chromatography) the native enzyme was eluted as two distinct peaks at 250 and 350 mM-KCl if the lysis buffer contained glycine. Each from exhibited an identical Mr of 15000 on SDS/PAGE and they were not distinguishable by PAGE under non-denaturating conditions. Both forms catalysed the rapid fixation of [14C]bicarbonate to the carboxy group atom of glycine during the exchange reaction, whereas the reversible exchange of electrons between NADH and lipoamide bound to the H-protein in the presence of 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) was seen only with the form eluted at 350 mM-KCl. During the early steps of H-protein isolation, when P- and H-protein react together in the presence of glycine, the methylamine intermediate bound to the lipoamide of the H-protein accumulates in the medium at the expense of oxidized H-protein. Under these conditions the methylamine intermediate, which is a rather stable structure, was easily separated from the oxidized H-protein on ion-exchange chromatography. The methylamine bound to the lipoamide of the H-protein prevented the reversible exchange of electrons between NADH and lipoamide. High concentrations of glycine were required for the loading of H-protein with methylamine catalysed by a large excess of P-protein.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1991

Crystallographic data for H-protein from the glycine decarboxylase complex.

The H-protein is the pivotal enzyme of the glycine decarboxylase complex responsible for the oxidation of glycine by mitochondria. It has been extracted and purified from pea leaf mitochondria (Pisum sativum). Its molecular weight, based on the amino acid sequence, is 13.3 kDa and it crystallizes in the space group P3(1)21 (or its enantiomorph P3(2)21) with a = b = 57.14 (3) A, c = 137.11 (11) A. The crystals diffract until at least 3.5 A resolution.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1991

Rapid inactivation of plant aconitase by hydrogen peroxide.

Preincubation of potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber mitochondria with 300 microM-H2O2 for 10 min nearly stopped the State 3 rate of citrate oxidation. Addition of isocitrate resulted in resumption of O2 uptake. The State 3 rates of succinate, external NADH and 2-oxoglutarate oxidation were unaffected by H2O2 over the dose range 50-500 microM. Preincubation of mitochondria with 300 microM-H2O2 for 5 min unmasked in the matrix space a paramagnetic signal with a peak at a g value of approx. 2.03. Aconitase was purified over 135-fold to a specific activity of 32 mumol/min per mg (with isocitrate as substrate) from the matrix of potato tuber mitochondria. The native enzyme was composed of a single polypeptide chain (molecular mass 90 kDa). Incubation of purified aconitase with small amounts of H2O2 caused the build up of a paramagnetic 3Fe cluster with a low-field maximum of g = 2.03 leading to a progressive inhibition of aconitase activity. The results show that aconitase present in the matrix space was the major intramitochondrial target for inactivation by H2O2.

Aconitate Hydratase↗
PubMed1990

cDNA cloning, primary structure and gene expression for H-protein, a component of the glycine-cleavage system (glycine decarboxylase) of pea (Pisum sativum) leaf mitochondria.

We have isolated and characterized cDNA clones encoding the H-protein of the glycine-cleavage system of pea (Pisum sativum) leaf mitochondria. The deduced primary structure revealed that the 131-amino-acid polypeptide is cytoplasmically synthesized with a 34-amino-acid mitochondrial targeting peptide. The lipoate-binding site was assigned to be lysine-63, as deduced from a sequence comparison with several lipoate-bearing proteins. The expression of the gene encoding H-protein was shown to occur specifically in the leaf tissue, with light exerting an additional effect by increasing the mRNA levels severalfold. Two polyadenylation sites were found in the mRNA, and a single-copy gene encoding the H-protein was detected in pea genome.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗