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M R Kula

Publications and source records attributed to M R Kula.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Influence of substrate or product inhibition on the performance of enzyme reactors.

For the design of an enzyme reactor a detailed knowledge of the kinetic parameters of the catalyst under operational conditions is essential. For technical applications high initial substrate concentrations and high degrees of conversions are desirable, in order to save reactor volume and energy in recovery processes. Most of the kinetic data available in the literature have been derived from dilute solutions under initial rate conditions. These data cannot be extrapolated with confidence for technically interesting concentrations because substrate as well as product-inhibition may occur, which would not be observed in dilute solutions and by initial rate measurements. Because of this difficulty effective and fast methods to obtain significant data for technical applications have been developed based on-line rate determinations. Such extensive treatment has proved necessary for the following enzymes: alanine dehydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase and alpha-glucosidase, indicating that we are dealing with a general phenomenon.

Alanine Dehydrogenase↗

Isolation and binding properties of leucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600.

A procedure for the large-scale isolation of leucyl-tRNA synthetase from E. cole MRE 600 is described: The enzyme was purified about 320-fold to homogeneity by precipitation with cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide, two consecutive chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose and three on hydroxyapatite with an over-all yield of 4%. The molecular weight of leucyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli MRE 600 was found to be 99 000 daltons. Bindings studies by ultracentrifugation and equilibrium partition showed that the enzyme binds leucine, leucyl-adenylate and tRNA Leu, each in a 1 : 1 stoichiometry. For ATP only a very weak binding to the enzyme could be observed, which did not allow the evaluation of the complex stoichiometry. The presence of ATP was not required for the binding of leucine or tRNA to leucyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli MRE 600.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Influence of viscosity of enzymatic reactions studied with glucoamylase of Aspergillus niger.

Viscosity can be interpreted in terms of transport of momentum and, therefore, it should influence the kinetics of enzyme reactions. A theory, developed by Somogyi and Damjanovich ((1975) J. Theor. Biol. 51, 393--401), is based on this idea. Transport of momentum must always be accompanied by the transport of mass and this second influence of viscosity is a limiting factor for fast reactions in the liquid phase. A third aspect is, that the chemical potentials of the components of viscous solutions are altered. This paper reports experiments concerning the influence of the viscosigens (compounds that increase the viscosity of solvents), alginate, sucrose, and maltose on the kinetic behaviour of glucoamylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.3). The observed invariance of V and the decrease of Km are explained by the increase of chemical potentials and restriction of momentum transport.

Aspergillus niger↗

Procedure for the simultaneous large-scale isolation of pullulanase and 1,4-alpha-glucan phosphorylase from Klebsiella pneumoniae involving liquid-liquid separations.

A procedure for the simultaneous large-scale isolation of pullulanase and 1,4-alpha-glucan phosphorylase from Klebsiella pneumoniae is described. The pullulanase is solubilized from the cell wall by cholate treatment; cells and cell debris are removed by partition in a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-dextran two-phase system and from the upper (PEG) phase of this system the pullulanase is isolated by ultrafiltration and precipitation with N-cetyl,N-,N-,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide to a purity of about 80% with a yield of 70%. The preparations are free of alpha-amylase activity. The cell containing dextran-rich phase is passed through a Manton-Gaulin homogenizer. Then the phosphorylase is separated from the cell debris by partition in a second PEG-dextran system. From the top phase of this system the phosphorylase is isolated by distribution in a PEG-salt two-phase system followed by batch adsorption on carboxymethyl-Sephadex in a yield of 55%, a purity of around 90%, and nearly free of glycosyltransferase activity. All steps in the isolation of the two enzymes can be performed easily in a large scale.

Cell Fractionation↗

Modification of L-isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase with L-isoleucyl-bromomethyl ketone. The effect of the catalytic steps.

The rapidly reacting cysteine-sulfhydryl group of L-isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase has been specifically alkylated with L-isoleucyl-bromomethyl ketone [Rainey, P., Holler, E. & Kula, M.-R. (1976) Eur. J. Biochem. 63, 419-426]. We have now investigated the catalytic and substrate binding properties of the modified protein by radioactive and fluorescence techniques. The rate constants for the transfer of AMP and isoleucine from the protein - adenylate complex to form ATP or Ile-tRNAIle were only 3% of those for native enzyme, whereas the rate constant for the formation of adenylate was essentially unchanged. The tendency to form synthetase - substrate complexes remained almost unchanged with the exception of L-isoleucine which exhibited a 20-fold reduction. Similarly, complex formation of L-isoleucinol together with its synergistic coupling to complex formation of ATP was partially inhibited. The results rule out the essential participation of the rapidly alkylatable cysteine-sulfhydryl group during catalysis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Studies of the interaction between aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and transfer ribonucleic acid by equilibrium partition.

The partition behavior of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase, leucyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNA in aqueous two-phase systems composed of the polymers poly(ethyleneglycol) and dextran was investigated. From the results of this investigation a two-phase system could be derived which can be employed for the study of the interactions between synthetases and their cognate tRNAs by equilibrium partition. These measurements show that in each case one molecule of cognate tRNA is bound per molecule of enzyme. The binding constants were in the range 1-5micronM-1. It could be demonstrated that equilibrium partition is a useful method for the study of interactions between macromolecules.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗

Interacting binding sites of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli studied by equilibrium partition.

The binding of tRNAIIe to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase in the presence of isoleucine or ATP was investigated using the equilibrium partition method. Isoleucine decreased the affinity of tRNAIIe for the enzyme by a factor of about 5. For the free standard energy of interaction a value of about 1 kcal/mol (4.2 kJ/mol) was calculated. ATP exhibits qualitatively the same effect as isoleucine. A binding of two molecules isoleucine per molecule of enzyme could not be demonstrated even in the presence of ATP and pyrophosphatase.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗

On the binding of aminoalkyl adenylates to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600.

The binding of nine aminoalkyl adenylates to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600 was measured and compared with the binding of the cognate amino acids. It was found that they bind rather tightly to the enzyme, the Kd's ranging from 3.1.10(-4) M with glycinol-AMP ester to 3.7.10(-9) M with L-isoleucinol-AMP ester. The binding is not affected by magnesium. It is shown that the free energies of binding of the esters can be calculated adding a constant contribution of the AMP-moiety of about - 4.1 (- 17) kcal/mole (kJ/mole) to the free energies of binding of the cognate amino acids, which we have reported earlier (19, 25, 26).

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Influences of amino acid, ATP, pyrophosphate and tRNA on binding of aminoalkyl adenylates to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600.

Aminoalcohol-AMP esters, structurally related to the assumed intermediates of the amino acid activation reaction, behave as competitive inhibitors both with respect to the amino acid and ATP, when tested in the ATP-(32P) PPi-exchange or the tRNA-charging reaction. However, closer investigation of the binding of norvalinyl adenylate to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600 by an equilibrium method shows that only the amino acid is a true competitor, while ATP cannot displace the ester from binding. Pyrophosphate enhances the stability of the ester-enzyme complex whereas tRNA is without detectable influence.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Thermodynamic studies on the specificity of L-isoleucine-tRNA ligase of Escherichia coli MRE 600. Calorimetric investigations on binding of amino acids and isoleucinol to the enzyme.

The association enthalpies, delta Ha, involved in the reactions between L-isoleucine:tRNA ligase (AMP-forming) from Escherichia coli MRE 600 (EC 6.1.1.5) and various amino acids have been determined calorimetrically in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer, at pH 7.5, in the presence of 1 mM dithioerythritol. The delta Ha values for binding of L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-valine, L-norvaline and L-2-amino-3S, 4-dimethyl pentanoic acid agree within the limits of experimental error in magnitude (3.7 +/- 0.9 kcal mol-1 or 15.5 +/- 3.8 kJ mol-1 at 25 degrees C) and variation with temperature (delta cp = -430 +/- 20 cal mol-1 K-1 or 1799 +/- 84 J mol-1 K-1). In view of the large differences in the equilibrium constants for the corresponding binding equilibria, the identical association enthalpies suggest that the enthalpic contribution to the Gibbs free energy of binding, delta Ga, cannot be responsible for the specificity of the interaction of the enzyme with the amino acids. It has rather to be inferred that the entropic term, delta Sa, is decisive in discriminating the correct amino acid. Analogous calorimetric binding studies on the reaction between L-isoleucinol and the enzyme suggest that the absence of the carboxyl group renders the association enthalpy more positive (by 4-5 kcal mol-1 or 16.7-20.9 kJ mol-1) with respect to that of the amino acids. The variation with temperature of the delta Ha values, however, practically parallels that of the amino acids.

Amino Acids↗

Purification and properties of 3-hexulosephosphate synthase from Methylomonas M 15.

3-Hexulosephosphate synthase, the first enzyme of the ribulose monophosphate cycle, was purified 15-fold from methanol-grown Methylomonas M 15. The purification procedure involved chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-75, and DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The purified enzyme was more than 95% pure as judged by analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was calculated to be 43000 from sedimentation equilibrium experiments. Electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulfate gels gave a single band corresponding to a molecular weight of 22000. The enzyme catalyzes specifically the condensation formaldehyde with ribulose 5-phosphate to yield D-arabino-3-hexulose 6-phosphate. The Km values were found to be 1.1 mM for formaldehyde and 1.6 mM for ribulose 5-phosphate. A bivalent cation is essential for activity and stability of the enzyme, Mg2+ and Mn2+ serve best for this purpose. The optimum of pH for enzyme activity is 7.5--8.0.

Aldehyde-Lyases↗

Influence of side-chain structure of aliphatic amino acids on binding to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600.

The binding of 10 isomeric alpha-amino-heptanoic acids, of two isomeric alpha-amino-octanoic acids, of isoleucinol and valinol, and of various alpha-hydroxy acids to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE 600 has been investigated by an ultracentrifuge method. It was found that the enzyme requires a primary amino group together with a not-too-small side chain as prerequisites for ligand recognition. Though the enzyme is absolutely specific for the L isomers, it is fairly tolerant against replacement of the carboxyl group of the natural substrate by more or less hydrophobic substituents. These findings can be explained in terms of Ogston's three-point-attachment model, if it is additionally assumed that there is no further space available in the binding region normally occupied by the alpha-hydrogen atom to accept other substituents which are as bulky as the carboxyl moiety. Similarly, the architecture of the binding region of the aliphatic side chain is discussed. Our measurements show that the free energy of binding strongly depends on the size and the structure of the remainder of the molecule. None of the isoleucine analogues employed is bound as tightly as the natural substrate itself, but there is a clear preference for side chains branched at the beta-carbon atom. The functioning of the side-chain recognition site is best understood by imaging a two-finger glove, of which one finger is tailored to a methyl and the other to an ethyl group. Both these fingers, together with the binding region for the glycine moiety and a steric barrier against a fourth substituent bulkier than hydrogen, are responsible for a high steric specificity towards the one side chain over its Cbeta epimer.

Amino Acids↗