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Biomedical subjects

M Ptak

Publications and source records attributed to M Ptak.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Thermal stability of the Z-conformation of the tetranucleoside triphosphate (m5dC-dG)2.

The tetranucleoside triphosphate d(m5C-G)2 has been studied in solution by circular dichroism and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance as a function of temperature, in presence of 3 M NaClO4. It is shown that in such high ionic strength d(m5C-G)2 may adopt a Z-like conformation for temperatures lower than 5 degrees C. At these temperatures, another conformation, in slow equilibrium with the Z-like one, is also detected. Increasing the temperature leads to a transition from the Z-like conformation to intermediate forms before melting. It is demonstrated that these intermediates are not the B form.

Circular Dichroism↗
PubMed1984

Immunological and spectroscopic studies of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) modified by cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II).

The conformational changes induced by the binding of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) to poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) have been studied by reaction with specific antibodies, by circular dichroism and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to Z-DNA bind to platinated poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) at low and high ionic strength. Antibodies elicited in rabbits immunized with the platinated polynucleotide bind to double stranded polynucleotides known to adopt the Z-conformation. At low and high ionic strength the circular dichroism spectrum of platinated poly(dG-dC).poly(dG- dC) does not resemble that of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) (B or Z conformation). At low ionic strength, the characteristic 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the Z-form is not detected. It appears only at high ionic strength, as a component of a more complex spectrum.

Circular Dichroism↗
PubMed1984

Antigen-specific T contrasuppressor factor in cell-mediated immunity: interactions leading to eradication of the tolerant state.

Interactions between a T cell-derived, antigen-specific, contrasuppressor factor (TcsF) and immune T cells that block the action of T suppressor factors and allow the transfer of cellular immunity into tolerant recipients are described. Immune T cells from contact-sensitized donors are capable of transferring specific immunity into normal recipients but not into animals rendered tolerant to the specific antigen. Brief exposure of the immune cells to the TcsF enables the effective transfer of immunity into such tolerant recipients. In addition, treated immune cells become resistant to subsequent exposure to T suppressor factor (capable of inhibiting transfer of immunity to normal recipients). A cyclophosphamide-sensitive, I-J+, Ly-2 T transducer cell is required in the immune donor cell population for contrasuppression to be induced by the TcsF plus specific antigen. These cells release an antigen-non-specific contrasuppressive factor capable of rendering immune targets, depleted of transducer cells, resistant to suppression (either by suppressor factor or in the tolerant recipient). The results indicate that contrasuppression in contact sensitivity is antigen specific and that the balance of suppression and contrasuppression determines tolerance vs responsiveness in this system. The symmetrical resemblance of the contrasuppressive interactions to those of suppression in contact sensitivity are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Spectroscopic studies of (m5dC-dG)3: thermal stability of B- and Z-forms.

The hexanucleoside pentaphosphate d(m5CpGpm5CpGpm5CpG) has been studied in solution by ultra-violet absorption, circular dichroism and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance under various experimental conditions. In 0.2 M NaClO4 at low temperature, an hexamer duplex is formed which has a B or B-like conformation. As the salt concentration is increased, a transition from a B-form to the Z-form occurs and is complete in 3 M NaClO4. In 3 M NaClO4, the behavior of the Z double helix is complex as a function of temperature. The variation of the circular dichroism at 295 nm is biphasic. A first transition occurs over a large range of temperature and corresponds to a conformational change due to a non-cooperative intramolecular process. Ultra-violet absorption and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance show that the new conformation arising from a distortion of the backbone is not similar to that observed in low salt conditions (B-form). At high hexanucleotide concentration, aggregates are formed. The second transition is cooperative and corresponds to the melting of a double stranded helix into single strands.

Circular Dichroism↗
PubMed1983

A 400 MHz 1H NMR study of fortuitin, a natural linear lipopeptide.

Fortuitin is a linear acyl nonapeptide methyl ester in which all the peptide residues are hydrophobic. Its 400 MHz 1H NMR spectrum in pyridine-d5 has been assigned. In this solvent, its conformation is not random and seems to form a hairpin. Conformational equilibria exist in pyridine as well as in less polar solvents such as CDCl3 and CD2Cl2. As for other lipopeptides, conformation and self-association properties strongly depend on the polarity of the environment. These properties should be related to the interactions of lipopeptides with membranes and to their capacity to induce pore formation.

Lipoproteins↗
PubMed1982

The B reversible Z transition of poly(dI-br5dC).poly(dI-br5dC). A quantitative description of the Z form dynamic structure.

The study of poly(dI-br5dC).poly(dI-br5dC) films by infrared spectroscopy shows that in low salt concentration, the conformation of this polynucleotide belongs to the B-family and in high salt concentration to the Z-family. 31P nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism confirm the existence of these two forms. By circular dichroism and ultraviolet absorption, it is shown that the equilibrium constant of the B reversible Z transition depends upon temperature. The deuteration rates of exchangeable protons involved in hydrogen bonds between base pairs were deduced from the changes in absorbance near 1700 cm-1. In the B-form, one class of protons is measured with an exchange half-time of 20 minutes. In the Z-form, two classes of protons are measured with very different exchange half-times, the exchange half-time of the slow protons being of the order of 850 minutes. By comparison of these results with those previously obtained for poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC), these very slow protons of these two Z-polynucleotides are identified as the cytosine amino protons. A quantitative description of the dynamic structure of the Z-form is presented.

Circular Dichroism↗
PubMed1982

Interactions between Asp, His, Ser residues within models of the active site of serine proteases. A theoretical empirical study.

Empirical theoretical calculations have been performed on a simplified model of the active site of two serine proteases: alpha-chymotrypsin and subtilisin Novo. The stability of the catalytic triad and the hydrogen bond formation between the Asp-His and His-Ser pairs have been examined for different protonation states. The results show that the Asp-His interactions prevail upon the His-Ser ones. Agreement between calculated configurations and the crystal structure of the site suggests that the presence of other residues near the functional residues is not determinant for the stability of the triad in alpha-chymotrypsin. In subtilisin Novo, on the contrary, the presence of the neighbouring residues seems to contribute more largely to the stability. Strong hydrogen bond interactions between the His and Ser residues do not exist in the resting enzymes. Any improvement of the His-Ser interactions requires large destabilization of the Asp-His diad. Our results suggest that the mechanism of the proton transfer can occur only from perturbations of the active site structure induced by the presence of the substrate.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed1980

A NMR study of the ionization of fatty acids, fatty amines and N-acylamino acids incorporated in phosphatidylcholine vesicles.

The ionization of fatty acids, fatty amines and N-acylamino acids incorporated in phosphatidylcholine single-walled vesicles has been measured. The guest molecules have been specifically enriched with 13C and titrated by using NMR spectroscopy. The apparent pKa of fatty acids in phosphatidylcholine bilayers if 7.2-7.4 and those of fatty amines are approx. 9.5. These pKa values depend on many different parameters related to the structure of the lipid/solution interface, to the composition of the aqueous medium and to the localization of the ionizable groups. A special sensitivity to the ionic strength and to the surface charge has been found. A positive surface charge decreases the pKa value whereas a negative one increases it, the total range of variation being 2.5-3 units. In a qualitative macroscopic interpretation, it is proposed that pKa is essentially determined by the low polarity of the lipidic matrix.

Amines↗
PubMed1980

Empirical calculations on cyclic dipeptides. Conformations of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and histidine residues.

Empirical conformational energy calculations were carried out for the dipeptides cyclo-(L-Asp-L-His) and cyclo-(L-Glu-L-His). The side chain conformations have been studied for various DKP ring structures, demonstrating that distortions can modify the stability of some conformations by favouring peptide backbone-side chain or side chain-side chain interactions. The carboxylic side chain of Asp and Glu residues can induce specific interactions with the imidazole ring or the peptide bond of the DKP ring which are not found for Ser or Thr. The necessity of including solute--solvent interactions to account for a more realistic conformational behaviour is discussed.

Dipeptides↗
PubMed1979

A fractional charge model for empirical calculations of peptide-water interactions.

The properties of an empirical model of interaction between a water molecule and polar groups of peptides or small peptides are explored. The H2O molecule is represented by a four-point charges distribution. In electron donor groups, a point charge is located on the axis of the lone pairs orbitals in order to introduce some directionality in hydrogen bonds. The effective potential is approximated by the sum of the coulombic interactions between point charges distribution and of a 6--12 atom-atom potential. The coefficients of this last potential are first adjusted by simulating the geometry of the water dimer. Equilibrium configurations of associated polar molecules and H2O predicted by the model are found to be in good agreement with those resulting from more sophisticated ab initio SCF calculations. Interactions between H2O and the side-chains of the cyclic dipeptide C(L-Thr-L-His) are then calculated. It is shown that internal bridging by water is an essential effect of the solvent. The experimental position of the H2O molecule is reproduced, stability of which depends also on intermolecular interactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1978

Empirical calculations on cyclic dipeptides. Conformations of serine, threonine and histidine residues.

Empirical conformational energy calculations were carried out for the dipeptides cyclo-(L-Ser-L-His) and cyclo-(L-Thr-L-His). Various DKP structures have been investigated to study side chain conformations through the DKP ring deformations, and prevalent conformers of monosubstituted and disubstituted dipeptides are discussed. The most stable conformations occur when both side chains are folded over a planar DKP ring, the imidazole ring being in the epsilon-tautomeric form. Theoretical results are consistent with those obtained from n.m.r. and crystallographic studies.

Histidine↗
PubMed1977

Fatty acids diffusion in lecithin multilayers: hydration and PH effects.

The diffusion of the sodium salt of monocarboxylic fatty acids, from formate to stearate, has been studied as a function of water content and pH in lecithin--water lamellar phases. Evolution of the diffusion coefficients with increasing chain length reflects the different localizations of fatty acids in the system. From formate to butyrate, which are mainly restricted to the hydrophilic layer of the phase, diffusion rates decrease rapidly. From butyrate to stearate, fatty acids (anchored at the hydrophilic--lipophilic interface) undergo lateral diffusion and then the decrease of D with increasing chain length is much slower. The diffusion of stereate is already comparable to the diffusion of the lecithin molecule itself. The diffusion rates strongly depend upon phase hydration and pH: it is shown that both parameters control the fatty acid ionization. The variations in diffusion rates observed may be ascribed to the fact that, depending upon their state of ionization, fatty acids assume a different localization and therefore experience different interactions in the lamellar system.

Biological Transport↗