Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R H Glew

Publications and source records attributed to R H Glew.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Isolation and characterization of a fatty acyl esterase from rat lung.

In an effort to facilitate studies of the reaction involved in the removal of fatty acids from acyl proteins, we have synthesized an octanoic acid ester of doubly blocked serine, specifically octanoyl N-carbobenzoxy-L-serine-benzyl ester (octanoyl boc-serine), and used it as a substrate to guide the purification of an esterase from rat lung. The esterase was purified 228-fold by column chromatography on DE-52 cellulose, hydroxylapatite, octyl-Sepharose, and concanavalin A-Sepharose and by HPLC gel filtration. The final enzyme preparation ran as a single 77,000-Da band when subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and exhibited a single symmetrical peak (sedimentation coefficient, 4.5 S) when centrifuged through a sucrose density gradient (empirical Mr, 63,000). The esterase is an acidic protein, pI 4.1, and is very active against p-nitrophenyl esters comprised of C4-C14 fatty acids; the highest specific activity (26.5 mumol/min/mg) was obtained using p-nitrophenyl caprylate as substrate. The pH optimum of the lung esterase is near 8.0 and the activity on octanoyl boc-serine is maximum when 0.3% (w/v) Myrj-52 is included in the assay medium. The activity of the esterase is not dependent on calcium ions. The enzyme does not remove acyl groups from the G-protein of vesicular stomatitis virus or the proteolipid of bovine brain. The possible role of the esterase in the metabolism of acylated proteins is considered.

Animals↗

Demonstration of two protein kinases in extracts of Legionella micdadei.

Protein kinases I (PK I) and II (PK II) were purified 253- and 13.5-fold, respectively, from an extract of sonically disrupted cells of Legionella micdadei by ion-exchange chromatography on QAE-Sephadex, by histone affinity chromatography, and by HPLC-gel filtration chromatography. Both enzymes catalysed the phosphorylation of calf thymus histones, with a Km of 2.7 mg ml-1 for PK I and 2.9 mg ml-1 for PK II. Histone H2b was the best protein kinase substrate for both PK I and PK II. The pH optima were 6.8 and 7.0 for PK I and PK II respectively. The Km for ATP was 0.29 mM for PK I and 0.33 mM for PK II. PK II activity was stimulated by either cAMP or cGMP, whereas PK I was inhibited by both cyclic nucleotides. The activity of PK I was unaffected by addition of calmodulin, diacylglycerol and mixtures of Ca2+ and acidic phospholipids, but these additions increased PK II activity threefold. The activity of PK II was stimulated by spermine and spermidine, but PK I was inhibited by these compounds. PK I and PK II were both strongly inhibited by heparin.

Chromatography, Affinity↗

Comparison of the protein kinase and acid phosphatase activities of five species of Leishmania.

Promastigotes from log phase and stationary phase cultures of Leishmania donovani, L. braziliensis panamensis, L. tropica, L. major, and L. mexicana amazonensis were analyzed for their content of protein kinase and acid phosphatase activities. Cell surface, histone-specific protein kinase activity was 1.3- to 2.8-fold higher in stationary phase cells of all species except for L. tropica in which the activities of stationary and log phase cells were equal; L. mexicana amazonensis had the highest histone-specific protein kinase activity and L. donovani the lowest. When viable, motile promastigotes of all five species were incubated for 10 min with [gamma-32P]ATP and Mg2+ (10 mM) in the absence of exogenous histone acceptor; about one dozen proteins were phosphorylated in each case. Both log phase and stationary phase promastigotes of all five species extensively phosphorylated a 50-kDa protein that had the mobility of tubulin. Incubation of pure calf brain tubulin with [gamma-32P]ATP and purified L. donovani protein kinase resulted in extensive phosphorylation of the former. Highly infective metacyclic forms (PNA-) of L. major, isolated from a stationary culture using the peanut agglutinin (PNA), contained eight times more histone-specific protein kinase activity than noninfective log phase cells (PNA+). The PNA- and PNA+ forms of L. major both phosphorylated a 50-kDa protein when incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP and magnesium or manganese ions (10 mM); the 50-kDa protein was precipitated by anti-tubulin rabbit antibodies. Extracts of all five species contained large amounts of acid phosphatase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid Phosphatase↗

Decreased serum alpha-amylase levels in infected Nigerian newborn infants.

Serum alpha-amylase activity was determined in 41 newborn infants with proven bacterial infections and compared to values obtained in 18 healthy control neonates. In the infected neonates serum alpha-amylase value, as determined by the blue starch method, was only 40% that of healthy controls; the mean value of 175.1 +/- 64.9 IU/l for healthy neonates was significantly higher (p less than 0.0010) than the value of 82.8 +/- 44.4 IU/l for the infected neonates. Alpha-amylase levels did not correlate with severity of infections or mortality. The sensitivity and specificity of serum alpha-amylase level of 100 IU/l were 75.6 and 94.7%; the positive and negative predictive values were 91.2 and 84.4%, respectively.

Female↗

Acute interstitial nephritis associated with vancomycin therapy.

Nephrotoxicity due to vancomycin is relatively uncommon and usually occurs in patients receiving concomitant therapy with an aminoglycoside or in patients with preexisting renal disease receiving prolonged courses of therapy and who exhibited excessive serum levels. We treated a healthy young woman who developed acute interstitial nephritis and moderate reversible azotemia associated with intravenous vancomycin hydrochloride therapy.

Acute Disease↗

Breast milk composition and bile salt-stimulated lipase in well-nourished and under-nourished Nigerian mothers.

Breast milk was analysed in 9 under-nourished Nigerian mothers and 23 well-nourished mothers who served as controls. Milk from the under-nourished mothers contained adequate amounts of lactose and total triglycerides, but had significantly lower bile salt-stimulated lipase activity (BSSL); their mean BSSL activity was only about 50% of the activity in milk from the control group. Total milk protein was also significantly lower than for the controls (1.45 vs. 1.09 g/dl, respectively; P less than 0.01). Our findings may have nutritional implications for breast-fed infants of under-nourished nursing mothers.

Adult↗

Lectin histochemistry and ultrastructure of feline kidneys from six different storage diseases.

We have compared the pattern of lectin staining with the ultrastructural features of kidneys from normal cats and 19 cats with 6 different lysosomal storage diseases. The diseases studied include GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS)-I and MPS-VI, sphingomyelin-lipidosis (i.e., Niemann-Pick disease) and mannosidosis. Ten different biotinylated lectins were used as histochemical probes for carbohydrate residues and avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex as visualant. Concanavalia ensiformis agglutinin (Con A) stained mesangial cells in all storage diseases but GM1, epithelial cells in sphingomyelin-lipidosis and mannosidosis, endothelial cells in GM1 and mannosidosis and Bowman's capsule cells in all but GM2. Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin I (GS-I) stained the glomerular endothelium in all six diseases, but not in control kidneys. Ricinus communis agglutinin-I (RCA-I) stained the glomerular epithelium only in GM1 and MPS-I. Succinylated wheat germ agglutinin (SWGA) stained the glomerular endothelium and epithelium in mannosidosis, and the glomerular epithelium and Bowman's capsule in MPS-I. Ultrastructure studies demonstrated an accumulation of oligosaccharides in cases of mannosidosis and GM1 gangliosidosis, a mixture of oligosaccharides and lipids in MPS-I, MPS-VI and GM2 gangliosidosis and only lipid storage in sphingomyelin lipidosis. These studies show that morphologic and histochemical changes are manifested in some kidney cell types in lysosomal storage diseases, even though the enzyme deficiency occurs in all cell types. Furthermore, we show that the nature of the undegraded stored material is complex and that other factors, such as rate of membrane turn over, membrane composition, and cell function may influence the amount and nature of the "stored" material.

Animals↗

Pseudo-Gaucher cells in the bone marrow of a patient with Hodgkin's disease.

The authors studied an 18-year-old woman with stage IIIB nodular sclerosis Hodgkin's disease whose bone marrow contained abnormal storage cells that resembled Gaucher cells by light microscopic examination ("pseudo-Gaucher" cells). Electron microscopic examination revealed that these cells differed from true Gaucher cells and resembled storage cells previously described in chronic myelogenous leukemia. The patient's peripheral blood leukocyte beta-glucosidase and serum acid phosphatase levels were elevated, ruling out the diagnosis of inherited Gaucher's disease. After treatment with six monthly cycles of systemic chemotherapy (nitrogen mustard, vincristine, procarbazine, bleomycin, doxorubicin, and prednisone), all signs of Hodgkin's disease and pseudo-Gaucher cells disappeared. Repeat leukocyte beta-glucosidase and serum acid phosphatase levels were unchanged. The present case is unique with its documentation of classical enzyme patterns for beta-glucosidase and acid phosphatase and electron microscopic features. The authors postulate that pseudo-Gaucher cells result from excessive cell breakdown with an overload of available beta-glucosidase.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Partial purification and characterization of Naegleria fowleri beta-glucosidase.

Naegleria fowleri cells, grown axenically, contain high levels of beta-D-glucosidase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4MUGlc) (Km, 0.9 mM), octyl-beta-D-glucoside (Km, 0.17 mM), and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside at relative rates of 1.00, 2.88, and 1.16, respectively (substrate concentration, 3.0 mM). When the amebae are subjected to freeze-thawing, sonication, and centrifugation (100,000 g, 1 h), 85% of the beta-glucosidase activity appears in the supernatant fraction. The beta-glucosidase was purified 40-fold (34% yield) using a combination of chromatographic steps involving DE-52 cellulose, concanavalin A-Sepharose, and hydroxylapatite followed by isoelectric focusing. The predominant soluble beta-D-galactosidase activity in the Naegleria extract copurifies with the beta-D-glucosidase; the two activities have the same isoelectric point (pI, 6.9), similar heat stabilities, are both inhibited by lactobionic acid (Ki, 0.40 mM), and exhibit optima at pH 4.5, indicating that they are probably the same enzyme. The Naegleria beta-D-glucosidase has an apparent molecular weight of 66,000, a Stokes radius of 25 A, and a sedimentation coefficient of 4.2S. The beta-glucosidase is not inhibited by conduritol beta-epoxide or galactosylsphingosine but is completely inhibited by 1.25 mM bromo conduritol beta-epoxide. The latter compound, when present in the growth medium, inhibits the growth of the organism and profoundly alters its ultrastructure, the main effect being the apparent inhibition of cytokinesis and the generation of multinucleate cells. The issue of the role of the beta-glucosidase in the metabolism of the ameba and its possible role in pathogenic mechanisms are discussed.

Amoeba↗

A cyclic nucleotide-independent protein kinase in Leishmania donovani.

Leishmania donovani promastigotes labelled for 2 h with 32Pi incorporated radioactivity into at least 21 different proteins, as determined by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Pulse-chase studies with 32Pi demonstrated that the labelled proteins were in a dynamic state: some radiolabelled proteins rapidly disappeared and others appeared after the chase. The possibility of an ectokinase on the parasite was examined; incubation of intact parasites for 10 min at 25 degrees C in an osmotically buffered medium containing [gamma-32P]ATP, but not [alpha-32P]ATP, resulted in the labelling of 10 different protozoal proteins, presumably localized to the surface of the organism's plasma membrane. Intact promastigotes also catalysed the transfer of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP to histones. The histone-dependent kinase was solubilized by repeated freezing and thawing, and sonication, and purified 118-fold by chromatographing the high-speed (200,000 g, 1 h) supernatant fraction on QAE-Sephadex, Sephadex G-150 and hydroxyapatite columns. The kinase eluted as a single activity peak from all three columns. The partially purified histone-dependent kinase had the following properties: pH optimum, 7.0; optimum temperature, 37 degrees C; Km for mixed calf thymus histone, 0.15 mM; Km for ATP, 0.8 mM; preferred fractionated histone acceptors, H2b greater than H4 greater than H2a greater than H3 (H1 does not serve as an acceptor); optimum activity required 10-20 mM-Mg2+; inhibited 50-80% by 0.01 mM- and 1 mM-Ca2+; activity was not stimulated by calmodulin, cyclic AMP (1 mM) or cyclic GMP (1 mM) nor inhibited by a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor (50 micrograms/assay); apparent Mr 75,000, as determined by Sephadex G-150 gel filtration chromatography; phosphorylated exclusively serine residues. Protein kinase activity was low in the early exponential phase of the growth curve and increased 6-fold upon entry into the stationary phase.

Animals↗

A kinetic study of the effects of galactocerebroside 3-sulphate on human spleen glucocerebrosidase. Evidence for two activator-binding sites.

Extraction of control human spleen glucocerebrosidase with sodium cholate and butan-l-ol reversibly inactivates the enzyme in terms of its ability to hydrolyse the water-soluble substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (MUGlc). The acidic brain lipid galactocerebroside 3-sulphate (sulphatide) reconstitutes beta-glucosidase activity in a strongly concentration-dependent manner. In this study we show that sulphatide exhibits three critical micellar concentrations (CMCs): CMC1, 3.72 microM; CMC2, 22.6 microM; CMC3, 60.7 microM. We designate the aggregates formed at these CMCs as primary, secondary and tertiary micelles respectively. From the results of kinetic studies performed at various sulphatide concentrations (0.012-248 microM), we found that sulphatide monomers (less than 3 microM) decreased the Km (for MUGlc) of control glucocerebrosidase from 11 to 4.6 mM, and lowered the Vmax. 2-fold. However, secondary and tertiary micelles were required for expression of high control glucocerebrosidase activities. Glucocerebrosidase prepared from the spleen of a patient with non-neuronopathic type 1 Gaucher's disease exhibited a very low Km (2.8 mM) even in the absence of exogenous lipid, and sulphatide monomers had no effect on the mutant enzyme's Km or Vmax. However, secondary or tertiary micelles markedly increased the Vmax. of the type 1 glucocerebrosidase to 60% of the corresponding control enzyme value. In contrast, for the glucocerebrosidase of the neuronopathic type 2 case, although sulphatide decreased the Km from 9.2 to 1.7 mM, the Vmax. never reached more than 5% that of the control enzyme, even at high concentrations of sulphatide. In addition, we found that secondary and tertiary sulphatide micelles enhanced the rate of inactivation of all three glucocerebrosidase preparations by chymotrypsin. Collectively, these results indicate the presence of two sulphatide-binding sites on glucocerebrosidase: one that enhances substrate binding, and another that enhances catalysis.

Binding Sites↗

Hydrolysis of a naturally occurring beta-glucoside by a broad-specificity beta-glucosidase from liver.

We have isolated from guinea-pig liver a broad-specificity beta-glucosidase of unknown function that utilizes as its substrate non-physiological aryl glycosides (e.g. 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucopyranoside). The present paper documents that this enzyme can be inhibited by various naturally occurring glycosides, including L-picein, dhurrin and glucocheirolin. In addition, L-picein, which acts as a competitive inhibitor of the broad-specificity beta-glucosidase (Ki 0.65 mM), is also a substrate for this enzyme (Km 0.63 mM; Vmax. 277,000 units/mg). Heat-denaturation, kinetic competition studies, chromatographic properties and pH optima all argue strongly that the broad-specificity beta-glucosidase is responsible for the hydrolysis of both the non-physiological aryl glycosides and L-picein. This paper demonstrates that beta-glucosidase can catalyse the hydrolysis of a natural glycoside, and may provide a key to understanding the function of this enigmatic enzyme. A possible role in the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds is discussed.

Animals↗

Sulfogalactocerebroside and bis-(monoacylglyceryl)-phosphate as activators of spleen glucocerebrosidase.

Sequential extraction of human spleen membranes with sodium cholate and n-butanol removes endogenous lipids and renders glucocerebrosidase activity dependent upon exogenous acidic lipids (e.g., phosphatidylserine, gangliosides) and a heat-stable activator protein (HSF). In the present report, we show that two previously untested lysosomal acidic lipids, namely sulfogalactocerebroside and bis-(monoacylglyceryl)-phosphate (BMP), also activate normal human glucocerebrosidase. In addition, sulfogalactocerebroside also markedly enhanced the activity of glucocerebrosidase isolated from a patient with type 1 (non-neuronopathic) Gaucher's disease, resulting in a specific activity which was 60-80% that of control glucocerebrosidase. Furthermore, when the sulfolipid was used as the activator, glucocerebrosidase from the type 1 patient was 30 times more active than the corresponding glucocerebrosidase from a person with type 2 (neuronopathic) Gaucher's disease. In contrast, the two BMPs, one rich in C26 saturated fatty acid and another rich in C18 unsaturated fatty acids, were relatively poor activators of both mutant glucocerebrosidases while providing excellent reconstitution of control activity.

Animals↗

Comparison of the ability of phospholipids from rat liver lysosomes to reconstitute glucocerebrosidase.

The in situ lipid activator of rat liver glucocerebrosidase was investigated. Rat liver lysosomes were purified (42.9-fold relative to the crude homogenate) by sequential isopycnic centrifugation in sucrose and metrizamide gradients. Lipids were extracted with chloroform:methanol (2:1) and phospholipids were separated by one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The phospholipid content of the lysosome preparation was 0.28 mumol lipid phosphorus/mg protein. Phosphatidylcholine was present as the major nonacidic phospholipid (39.3%). Of the acidic phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine were present in the greatest amounts (12.0 and 19.7%, respectively). The resolved phospholipids were tested separately and in the presence of a heat-stable factor from Gaucher spleen for their ability to reconstitute butanol-delipidated rat liver glucocerebrosidase activity. Alone or in the presence of the heat-stable factor, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol were the most effective activators of glucocerebrosidase. Bis(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate derived from rat liver tritosomes or rabbit lung macrophages was also effective in reconstituting beta-glucosidase activity.

Animals↗

Hydrolysis of phosphoproteins and inositol phosphates by cell surface phosphatase of Leishmania donovani.

Leishmania donovani promastigotes contain intense tartrate-resistant cell surface acid phosphatase (ACP1) which blocks superoxide anion production by activated human neutrophils [A.T. Remaley et al. (1984) J. Biol. Chem, 259, 11173-11175]. An extensively purified preparation of ACP1 dephosphorylates several phosphoproteins which are phosphorylated at serine residues; these include: pyruvate kinase (Km 1.6 microM; Vmax 71.4 U (mg protein)-1), phosphorylase kinase (Km 0.076 microM; Vmax 5.4 U (mg protein)-1) and histones (Km 4.86 microM; Vmax 2.2 U (mg protein)-1). However, the specific activity of the leishmanial phosphatase on these phosphoproteins is very low as compared to other phosphoprotein phosphatases. The phosphatase activity of ACP1 was also low on phosphohistone phosphorylated at tyrosine residues. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-diphosphate (PIP2) and inositoltriphosphate (IP3) were also tested as ACP1 substrates. PIP2 was hydrolyzed rapidly by ACP1. The rate of hydrolysis of PIP2 was higher at pH 6.8 (Km 2.35 microM; Vmax 107 X 10(3) U (mg protein)-1) than at pH 5.5 (Km 4.16 microM; Vmax 71 X 10(3) U (mg protein)-1). 32P-labeled IP3 was also a substrate for ACP1; the hydrolysis products consisted of a mixture of inositoldiphosphate and inositolmonophosphate. ACP1 and ten other phosphatases were tested for their ability to dephosphorylate proteins and to inhibit O2- production by stimulated human neutrophils. There was no correlation between the protein phosphatase activity of the acid- and alkaline phosphatases and their ability to block neutrophil O2- production. The results indicate that ACP1 probably blocks the production of reduced oxygen intermediates by a mechanism that does not involve dephosphorylation of phosphoproteins; however, the possibility that the parasite's phosphatase affects phagocyte metabolism by degrading PIP2 or IP3 should be considered.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Demonstration of various acid hydrolases and preliminary characterization of acid phosphatase in Naegleria fowleri.

Extracts of the pathogenic ameba Naegleria fowleri, prepared by freeze-thawing and sonication, were analyzed for their content of various hydrolytic enzymes that have acid pH optima. The organism is rich in acid phosphatase activity as well as a variety of glycosidases which include beta-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-fucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, hexosaminidase, arylsulfatase A, and beta-glucuronidase. The crude extract contained only negligible levels of sphingomyelinase, neuraminidase, or arylsulfatase B. All of the hydrolases exhibited higher activity at pH 5.5 than at 7.0, indicating that they are truly "acid" hydrolases. In general, after centrifugation (100,000 g, 1 h), except for arylsulfatase B, more than half of the activity of each of the various hydrolases was recovered in the supernatant fraction. The acid phosphatase in the high-speed supernatant was purified 45-fold (32% yield) by chromatography on QAE-Sephadex and Sephadex G-200 and shown to have the following properties: pH optima, 5.5; Km (4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate), 0.60 mM; molecular weight (estimated by gel filtration chromatography), 92,000; inhibited by heteropolymolybdate complexes but not by L(+) sodium tartrate (0.5 mM) or sodium fluoride (0.5 mM). In addition, unlike the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase of Leishmania donovani, the major acid phosphatase of N. fowleri is less than 5% as effective in inhibiting superoxide anion production by f-Met-Leu-Phe-stimulated human neutrophils. The finding of high levels of a number of acid hydrolases in Naegleria fowleri raises several questions that merit further study: Do the hydrolases perform a housekeeping function in this single cell eukaryote or do they play some role in the pathogenic process that ensues when the organism infects a suitable host?

Acid Phosphatase↗