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N Gotoh

Publications and source records attributed to N Gotoh.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug efflux pumps MexA-MexB-OprM and MexC-MexD-OprJ in a multidrug-sensitive Escherichia coli strain.

The mexCD-oprJ and mexAB-oprM operons encode components of two distinct multidrug efflux pumps in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To assess the contribution of individual components to antibiotic resistance and substrate specificity, these operons and their component genes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Western immunoblotting confirmed expression of the P. aeruginosa efflux pump components in E. coli strains expressing and deficient in the endogenous multidrug efflux system (AcrAB), although only the delta acrAB strain, KZM120, demonstrated increased resistance to antibiotics in the presence of the P. aeruginosa efflux genes. E. coli KZM120 expressing MexAB-OprM showed increased resistance to quinolones, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, azithromycin, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), crystal violet, novobiocin, and, significantly, several beta-lactams, which is reminiscent of the operation of this pump in P. aeruginosa. This confirmed previous suggestions that MexAB-OprM provides a direct contribution to beta-lactam resistance via the efflux of this group of antibiotics. An increase in antibiotic resistance, however, was not observed when MexAB or OprM alone was expressed in KZM120. Thus, despite the fact that beta-lactams act within the periplasm, OprM alone is insufficient to provide resistance to these agents. E. coli KZM120 expressing MexCD-OprJ also showed increased resistance to quinolones, chloramphenicol, macrolides, SDS, and crystal violet, though not to most beta-lactams or novobiocin, again somewhat reminiscent of the antibiotic resistance profile of MexCD-OprJ-expressing strains of P. aeruginosa. Surprisingly, E. coli KZM120 expressing MexCD alone also showed an increase in resistance to these agents, while an OprJ-expressing KZM120 failed to demonstrate any increase in antibiotic resistance. MexCD-mediated resistance, however, was absent in a tolC mutant of KZM120, indicating that MexCD functions in KZM120 in conjunction with TolC, the previously identified outer membrane component of the AcrAB-TolC efflux system. These data confirm that a tripartite efflux pump is necessary for the efflux of all substrate antibiotics and that the P. aeruginosa multidrug efflux pumps are functional and retain their substrate specificity in E. coli.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗

Characterization of the MexC-MexD-OprJ multidrug efflux system in DeltamexA-mexB-oprM mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Expression of the multidrug efflux system MexC-MexD-OprJ in nfxB mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to resistance to fluoroquinolones and the "fourth-generation" cephems (cefpirome and cefozopran), but not to most beta-lactams, including the ordinary cephems (ceftazidime and cefoperazone). nfxB mutants also express a second multidrug efflux system, MexA-MexB-OprM, due to incomplete transcriptional repression of this operon by the mexR gene product. To characterize the contribution of the MexC-MexD-OprJ system to drug resistance in P. aeruginosa, a site-specific deletion method was employed to remove the mexA-mexB-oprM region from the chromosome of wild-type and nfxB strains of P. aeruginosa. Characterization of mutants lacking the mexA-mexB-oprM region clearly indicated that the MexC-MexD-OprJ efflux system is involved in resistance to the ordinary cephems as well as fluoroquinolones and the fourth-generation cephems but not to carbenicillin and aztreonam. Rabbit polyclonal antisera and murine monoclonal antibody against the components of the MexA-MexB-OprM system were prepared and used to demonstrate the reduced production of this efflux system in the nfxB mutants. Consistent with this, transcription of the mexA-mexB-oprM operon decreased in an nfxB mutant. This reduction appears to explain the hypersusceptibility of the nfxB mutant to beta-lactams, including ordinary cephems.

Animals↗

Effects of low-dose Beraprost sodium, a stable prostaglandin I2 analogue, on reperfusion injury to rabbit lungs.

We investigated the effects of low-dose Beraprost sodium (BPS), a stable prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) analogue, on microvascular permeability and the plasma concentrations of thromboxane and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in blood-perfused rabbit lungs subjected to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). After an ischemic insult for 2 h, saline as a vehicle, 3 pmol/L of BPS (BPS-1), 150 to 300 pmol/L of BPS (BPS-2), 900 pmol/L of BPS (BPS-3), or 60 micromol/L of indomethacin (IND) was administered into the reservoir, then the lungs were reperfused and reventilated for 1 h. Vascular permeability was assessed by determining the microvascular filtration coefficient (Kf, ml/min/mm Hg/100 g wet lung). I/R resulted in increases in vascular resistance, Kf, and thromboxane. BPS-2, BPS-3, and IND inhibited the increase in vascular resistance, and BPS-3 and IND attenuated the increases in Kf and thromboxane. BPS-3 increased, but IND decreased, the concentrations of cAMP in the perfusate. Perfusate thromboxane released after reperfusion was significantly correlated with Kf. We conclude that cyclooxygenase products play a critical role in I/R-induced lung vascular injury and that 900 pmol/L of BPS inhibits the production of thromboxane and enhances the permeability barrier via a cAMP-elevating effect. However, vasodilatory action of BPS may exacerbate the reperfused lung injury by increasing the flow through injured capillaries via inhibition of thromboxane-induced vasoconstriction.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Relationships between 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in refrigerated and frozen pork.

The relationships between 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFAs) were investigated for pork stored at 0, -20 and -80 degrees C. A significant linear correlation was apparent between HNE and TBARS for the pork stored at each temperature. However, the n-6 PUFA content remained unchanged during storage.

Aldehydes↗

Tyrosine residues 239 and 240 of Shc are phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-dependent phosphorylation sites by c-Src.

In the previous study (Sato K.-I. et al. (1997) FEBS Lett. 410, 136-140), we showed that the phosphorylation of Shc protein by c-Src is dependent on the binding of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) to the PTB domain of Shc. In this study, we demonstrate that, in contrast to c-Src, v-Src and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor can phosphorylate Shc in a PtdIns(4,5)P2-independent manner and at different phosphorylation sites. To determine the phosphorylation sites in Shc, we used mutant Shc proteins in which tyrosine residues (Y) 317 and/or 239 and 240 were replaced by phenylalanine residues (F). We found that Y317F Shc but not Y239/240F or Y239/240/317F Shc was phosphorylated by c-Src. The reaction was PtdIns(4,5)P2-dependent and inhibited by the addition of PTB domain of Shc. On the other hand, v-Src and EGF receptor were able to phosphorylate both Y317F and Y239/240F but not Y239/240/317F Shc in a PtdIns(4,5)P2-independent manner. These results highlight the difference between c-Src and v-Src or EGF receptor and suggest that c-Src can phosphorylate predominantly on Tyr239/240 of Shc only when Shc PTB domain is bound to PtdIns(4,5)P2.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Cloning and expression of the major porin protein gene opcP of Burkholderia (formerly Pseudomonas) cepacia in Escherichia coli.

The outer membrane protein OpcP1 of Burkholderia (formerly Pseudomonas) cepacia is one of the subunits forming the porin oligomer OpcPO by non-covalent association. OpcP1 was cleaved with lysyl endopeptidase and the N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequences of the polypeptide fragments were determined. Based on the sequence information, we cloned the opcP gene on a 10-kb EcoRI DNA fragment of the B. cepacia ATCC25416 chromosome. Nucleotide (nt) sequencing revealed a 1086-bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding a 361-aa polypeptide with a signal sequence of 20 residues. The predicted opcP gene encoded a mature protein of Mr 35,696, which agrees well with the value observed previously on SDS-PAGE. The opcP was sub-cloned into pTrc99A and introduced into Escherichia coli. Immunoblot analysis using murine antiserum specific to OpcP1 visualized the protein expressed in the E. coli cells after induction by isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of MexE-MexF-OprN, a positively regulated multidrug efflux system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotic-resistant mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were generated using chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin as selective agents. These mutants displayed a multidrug phenotype and overexpressed an outer membrane protein of 50 kDa, which was shown by Western blot analysis to correspond to OprN. A cosmid clone harbouring the oprN gene was isolated by partial complementation of a mutant deficient in OprM, the outer membrane component of the mexAB-oprM efflux operon. Antibiotic-accumulation studies indicated that OprN was part of an energy-dependent antibiotic-efflux system. Sequencing of a 6180bp fragment from the complementing cosmid revealed the presence of three open reading frames (ORFs), which exhibited amino acid similarity to the components of the mexAB-oprM and mexCD-oprJ efflux operons of P. aeruginosa. The ORFs were designated MexE, MexF and OprN. Mutation of the mexE gene eliminated the multidrug-resistance phenotype in an OprN-overexpressing strain, but did not affect the susceptibility profile of the wild-type strain. Expression of the mexEF-oprN operon was shown to be positively regulated by a protein encoded on a 1.5 kb DNA fragment located upstream of mexE and belonging to the LysR family of transcriptional activators. The presence of a plasmid containing this DNA fragment was sufficient to confer a multidrug phenotype onto the wild-type strain but not onto the mexE mutant. Evidence is provided to show that the mexEF-oprN operon may be involved in the excretion of intermediates for the biosynthesis of pyocyanin, a typical secondary metabolite of P. aeruginosa.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Efficacy of trimethoprim in murine experimental infection with a thymidine kinase-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli.

The antimicrobial activity of trimethoprim is antagonized by thymidine in in vitro susceptibility tests. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether this antagonism also occurred during experimental infection in mice, which have high serum thymidine concentrations. We derived a mutant strain of Escherichia coli, TT-48, incapable of utilizing exogenous thymidine from parent strain E. coli KC-14 and then investigated the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activities of trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, cefdinir, and ofloxacin against these strains. E. coli TT-48 lacked the activity of thymidine kinase, which catalyzes the conversion of thymidine to thymidylate, but its growth curve remained close to that of the parent strain. The MICs of all of the antimicrobial agents tested, except cefdinir, for the mutant strain were slightly inferior to those for the parent strain. The bactericidal effect of trimethoprim against the parent strain was antagonized by thymidine at concentrations of more than 1 microg/ml, while that against the mutant strain was not affected by thymidine even at the highest concentration (10 microg/ml). The therapeutic efficacy of trimethoprim in experimental murine infections was significantly higher when the mutant rather than the parent strain was used, whereas the therapeutic efficacy of cefdinir or ofloxacin, whose antimicrobial action is independent of folic acid synthesis, was the same with both strains. Unexpectedly, sulfamethoxazole also had similar efficacy against both strains. Thus, high thymidine concentrations antagonized the antimicrobial activity of trimethoprim in vitro and in vivo.

Animals↗

Influence of OprM expression on multiple antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

MexA-MexB-OprM is an efflux system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. OprM overproduced from the cloned gene was able to complement OprM-deficient mutants but did not alter the resistance of a wild-type P. aeruginosa strain to the different antimicrobial agents tested. This suggests that OprM cannot function by itself to efflux antibiotics, including beta-lactams targeted to the periplasm.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Tyrosine phosphorylation sites at amino acids 239 and 240 of Shc are involved in epidermal growth factor-induced mitogenic signaling that is distinct from Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces tyrosine phosphorylation of the Shc adapter protein, which plays an important role in EGF-stimulated mitogenesis. Shc stimulates Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) through forming a complex with Grb2 at the phosphorylated tyrosine (Y) residue 317. In this study, we identified novel phosphorylation sites of Shc, at Y239 and Y240. To define the Shc pathway further, we used NIH 3T3 cells expressing the previously characterized mutant EGF receptor (EGF-R) which lacks all known autophosphorylation sites but retains EGF-stimulated mitogenesis with selective phosphorylation of Shc. We constructed wild-type (WT) or mutant Shc cDNAs in which Y317 or/and Y239 and Y240 are replaced with phenylalanine (F) and introduced them into NIH 3T3 cells expressing WT or mutant EGF-R. In the WT EGF-R-expressing cells, the Y239/240/317F Shc, but not Y317F or Y239/240F Shc, decreased EGF-stimulated cell growth. In the mutant EGF-R-expressing cells, Y317F Shc or Y239/240F Shc decreased EGF-stimulated cell growth significantly, though Y317F was a little more potent than Y239/240F. Although cells expressing the Y317F Shc hardly activated MAPK in response to EGF, cells expressing the Y239/240F Shc fully activated MAPK. In contrast, Y239/240F Shc, but not Y317F Shc, reduced the EGF-induced c-myc message. These results suggest that Shc activates two distinct signaling pathways, Y317 to Ras/MAPK and Y239 and Y240 to another pathway including Myc, and that both are involved in EGF-induced mitogenic signaling.

3T3 Cells↗

[A case of bilateral pneumothorax successfully treated with surgery associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis having been controlled with artificial ventilation].

We reported a case of bilateral pneumothorax, which was successfully treated with surgery, associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The patient had been controlled with artificial ventilation at the time of surgery. Prognosis of ALS is absolutely poor, and the life expectancies for patients with ALS are presumed several years, even though they are controlled with artificial ventilation. We applied a surgical treatment for a patient with ALS who developed bilateral pneumothorax as a life saving procedure.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

[A case of the old injured vena cava superior found during the operation of lung cancer].

We operated a 78-year-old male with lung cancer and unstable angina pectoris. During the operation of right upper lobe, a mass, with size of 2 cm in diameter was detected on the right postero-lateral side of the superior vena cava, and was resected. Postoperative pathological examination suggested that the mass resulted from an injury made by a Swan-Ganz catheter used before operation. Thus, as insertion of a Swan-Ganz catheter through the right subclavian vein may involve risk, so we concluded that the right internal jugular vein or femoral vein may be preferable as a route of first choice for insertion.

Aged↗

A novel pathway from phosphorylation of tyrosine residues 239/240 of Shc, contributing to suppress apoptosis by IL-3.

Interleukin 3 (IL-3) not only induces DNA synthesis of haematopoietic cells but also maintains their viability by suppressing apoptosis. IL-3 stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of the Shc adaptor protein and thereby formation of a complex of Shc with Grb2 at phosphorylated tyrosine (Y) residue 317-Shc. This pathway is implicated in Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation towards c-fos gene expression. We examined the possible involvement of Shc in the antiapoptotic activity of IL-3. Conditional overexpression of the Shc SH2 domain, a dominant-negative mutant of Shc, was found to induce apoptosis of IL-3-dependent Ba/F3 cells along with a reduction of c-myc gene expression. Apoptosis was rescued by the exogenously introduced c-myc gene. Since we identify novel tyrosine phosphorylation sites of Shc: Y239 and Y240, their role on cell survival was tested by mutational analysis. Ba/F3 cells expressing mutant Shc Y317F, which is unable to stimulate efficiently the Ras pathway, still showed resistance to apoptosis. However, cells expressing Shc Y239/240F, which is able to stimulate the Ras pathway, were sensitive to apoptosis. In these cells, induction of the c-myc gene was reduced. These findings suggest that a new signalling pathway for cell survival is generated from Y239/240 of Shc to the nuclei involving c-myc gene expression.

Apoptosis↗

Protein D2 porin of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane bears the protease activity.

We report here our discovery that protein D2 of the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a novel porin bearing protease activity. Homogeneously purified protein D2 hydrolyzed several synthetic peptides according to the Michaelis-Menten kinetics. A specific serine protease inhibitor, diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), inactivated the protease activity and [3H]DFP covalently labeled protein D2. We tested the effect of two monoclonal antibodies raised against protein D2 on the protease activity. One antibody lowered the protease activity to about 20%, while the other enhanced it to about 300% of that without antibody. In addition, the fractions derived from the outer membrane of the protein D2-deficient mutants showed negligible protease activity, whereas similarly fractionated outer membrane proteins of the protein D2-positive parent strain showed strong protease activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Overexpression of the mexC-mexD-oprJ efflux operon in nfxB-type multidrug-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

OprJ, overproduced in nfxB multidrug-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and OprK, overproduced in the multidrug-resistant strain K385, were demonstrated to be immunologically cross-reactive using an OprJ-specific monoclonal antibody. Treatment of the purified proteins with trypsin or chymotrypsin yielded virtually indistinguishable digestion patterns, and the N-terminal sequence of two trypsin fragments was identical for both proteins, indicating that OprJ and OprK share identity. The N-terminal amino acid sequences were used to facilitate cloning of the oprJ gene on a 5kbp Kpnl fragment and a 10 kbp BamHl fragment. Nucleotide sequencing of portions of these fragments revealed that oprJ was the terminal gene in a putative three-gene operon, mexC-mexD-oprJ. The predicted mexC-mexD-oprJ gene products exhibit homology to the MexA-MexB-OprM components of the multidrug-resistance efflux pump of P. aeruginosa (43-46% identity). Consistent with an implied role for mexC-mexD-oprJ in drug efflux, the mexC-mexD-oprJ-hyperexpressing strain K385 showed reduced accumulation of a variety of antibiotics as compared with its parent strain, and this drug 'exclusion' was abrogated by energy inhibitors. The mexC and oprJ products are putative lipoproteins of a molecular mass of 40,707 and 51,742 Da, respectively, while mexD was predicted to encode a protein of 111 936 Da. Sequencing upstream of mexC revealed the presence of the nfxB gene transcribed divergently from the efflux genes. Overproduction of OprJ and the attendant multiple-antibiotic resistance of strain K385 was shown to result from a point mutation in nfxB, resulting in a H87-->R change in the predicted NfxB polypeptide. OprJ overproduction and multidrug resistance in K385 was reversed by the cloned nfxB gene, suggesting that nfxB encodes a repressor of mexC-mexD-oprJ expression. Consistent with this, the cloned nfxB gene repressed synthesis of a mexC-lacZ fusion in Escherichia coli. nfxB also repressed expression of a nfxB-lacZ fusion, indicating that NfxB negatively regulates its own expression. These data indicate that the multidrug resistance of nfxB strains is due to overexpression of an efflux operon, mexC-mexD-oprJ, encoding components of a second efflux pump in P. aeruginosa.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Multidrug efflux in intrinsic resistance to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses at least two multiple drug efflux systems which are defined by the outer membrane proteins OprM and OprJ. We have found that mutants overexpressing OprM were two- and eightfold more resistant than their wild-type parent to sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP), respectively. For OprJ-overproducing strains, MICs of TMP increased fourfold but those of SMX were unchanged. Strains overexpressing OprM, but not those overexpressing OprJ, became hypersusceptible to TMP and SMX when oprM was inactivated. The wild-type antibiotic profile could be restored in an oprM mutant by transcomplementation with the cloned oprM gene. These results demonstrate that the mexABoprM multidrug efflux system is mainly responsible for the intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa to TMP and SMX.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Quantitative correlation between susceptibility and OprJ production in NfxB mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Various Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 NfxB mutants were isolated on agar plates containing cefpirome and ofloxacin. They were classified into type A and type B, based on the degrees of changes in their susceptibilities. Type A mutants were four to eight times more resistant to ofloxacin, erythromycin, and new zwitterionic cephems, i.e., cefpirome, cefclidin, cefozopran, and cefoselis, than was the parent strain, PAO1. In contrast, type B mutants were more resistant to tetracycline and chloramphenicol, as well as ofloxacin, erythromycin, and the new zwitterionic cephems, than was PAO1, and they were four to eight times more susceptible to carbenicillin, sulbenicillin, imipenem, panipenem, biapenem, moxalactam, aztreonam, gentamicin, and kanamycin that was PAO1. The changes in susceptibilities of type B mutants were greater than those of type A mutants. The susceptibilities of both type A and type B mutants were restored to the level of PAO1 by transformation with plasmid pNF111, which contained the wild-type nfxB gene, demonstrating that they are NfxB mutants. Immunoblot analysis with a monoclonal antibody to OprJ revealed that type B mutants produced larger amounts of outer membrane protein OprJ than did type A mutants and that PAO1 produced an undetectable amount of it. Moreover, transconjugants obtained with the different types of NfxB mutants as the donor strains showed almost the same phenotypes as the corresponding donor strains. These results suggest that there are at least two nfxB mutations that show different phenotypes and that production of OprJ is associated with changes in susceptibilities of NfxB mutants.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗