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P M Debnam

Publications and source records attributed to P M Debnam.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Evidence for channeling of intermediates in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway by soybean and pea nodule extracts, yeast extracts, and purified yeast enzymes.

Evidence is presented that intermediates of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) are channeled from one pathway enzyme to the next. CO2 produced from [1-14C]glucose in the presence of unlabelled pathway intermediates contained much more radioactivity than predicted by a model in which pathway-produced intermediates are in equilibrium with identical molecules in the bulk phase. This was the case whether glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P), 6-phosphogluconolactone, or 6-phosphogluconate was added. Assumptions involved in calculating the amount of 14CO2 predicted for free mixing of 14C-labelled and unlabelled intermediates are discussed, together with the following results. (a) 14CO2 production by pea nodules in the presence of 3 mM 6-phosphogluconate was higher than in its absence. (b) Apparent channeling of intermediates was much higher for purified yeast enzymes than for yeast extract. (c) 6-Phosphogluconate and 6-phosphogluconolactone were channeled between yeast Glc6P dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase despite the absence of 6-phosphogluconolactonase in the purified yeast enzyme mixture. (d) When purified yeast hexokinase was physically separated from Glc6P dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by a dialysis membrane, there was no apparent channeling. (e) Poly(ethylene glycol), high salt and detergents had little effect on apparent channeling of OPPP intermediates, which is consistent with a stable complex of enzymes. On the other hand, density gradient centrifugation experiments suggested a more transient interaction between the enzymes. Taken together, the results support channeling of OPPP pathway intermediates.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗

Effects of low and high relative molecular protein mass on four methods for total protein determination in urine.

Four commonly used methods for the determination of total protein in urine were compared. These were two biuret methods using different precipitants, a Ponceau S method and a Coomassie Brilliant Blue method. The protein content of the urines was also evaluated by sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The biuret method with ethanolic phosphotungstic acid as precipitant correlated best with the Coomassie Brilliant Blue method (r = 0.944; p less than 0.001) but less well with the Ponceau S (r = 0.895; p less than 0.001) or biuret-trichloroacetic acid (r = 0.874; p less than 0.001) methods. For urines with normal electrophoretic protein patterns, the imprecise biuret-trichloroacetic acid method (cv = 18.5%) gave the greatest number of false high results (23 in 36 urines) as assessed by electrophoresis. False low results were common in low relative molecular mass (Mr) proteinuria, especially with the biuret-tricholoroacetic acid and Ponceau S methods. High Mr proteinuria rarely caused false low results. Discrepancies between methods appear to have resulted from incomplete precipitation of low Mr protein by trichloroacetic acid.

Azo Compounds↗