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Biomedical subjects

R N Perham

Publications and source records attributed to R N Perham.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1970

The reaction of aldolase with 2-methylmaleic anhydride.

1. The reaction of rabbit muscle aldolase with 2-methylmaleic anhydride is described. All the protein amino groups can be reversibly blocked. 2. As the reaction proceeds, the enzyme activity decreases until, at about 50% citraconylation of amino groups, the enzyme is completely inhibited. At this stage, little or no dissociation of the enzyme tetramer is observed and 75% of the activity is recoverable on unblocking the amino groups. 3. At 80% blocking, the enzyme is completely dissociated but little enzymic activity is recoverable after unblocking. Inability to recover activity after citraconylation and unblocking correlates with the onset of dissociation of the citraconyl-aldolase seen on ultracentrifugation. 4. The only irreversible modification of the enzyme primary structure detectable after the citraconylation and unblocking reactions is the partial loss of thiol groups. It is probable that this is responsible for the inability to reform active enzyme from the citraconylated subunit. 5. Other reversible side reactions of maleic anhydride and citraconic anhydride that may occur with proteins are discussed.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1970

The reactivity of thiol groups and the subunit structure of aldolase.

1. Seven unique carboxymethylcysteine-containing peptides have been isolated from tryptic digests of rabbit muscle aldolase carboxymethylated with iodo[2-(14)C]acetic acid in 8m-urea. These peptides have been characterized by amino acid and end-group analysis and their location within the cyanogen bromide cleavage fragments of the enzyme has been determined. 2. Reaction of native aldolase with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), iodoacetamide and N-ethylmaleimide showed that a total of three cysteine residues per subunit of mol.wt. 40000 were reactive towards these reagents, and that the modification of these residues was accompanied by loss in enzymic activity. Chemical analysis of the modified enzymes demonstrated that the same three thiol groups are involved in the reaction with all these reagents but that the observed reactivity of a given thiol group varies with the reagent used. 3. One reactive thiol group per subunit could be protected when the modification of the enzyme was carried out in the presence of substrate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate, under which conditions enzymic activity was retained. This thiol group has been identified chemically and is possibly at or near the active site. Limiting the exposure of the native enzyme to iodoacetamide also served to restrict alkylation to two thiol groups and left the enzymic activity unimpaired. The thiol group left unmodified is the same as that protected by substrate during more rigorous alkylation, although it is now more reactive towards 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) than in the native enzyme. 4. Conversely, prolonged incubation of the enzyme with fructose 1,6-diphosphate, which was subsequently removed by dialysis, caused an irreversible fall in enzymic activity and in thiol group reactivity measured with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid). 5. It is concluded that the aldolase tetramer contains at least 28 cysteine residues. Each subunit appears to be identical with respect to number, location and reactivity of thiol groups.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1970

The reversible reaction of protein amino groups with exo-cis-3,6-endoxo-delta-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride.

1. The reaction of exo-cis-3,6-endoxo-Delta(4)-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride with amino groups of model compounds and lysozyme is described. 2. Reaction with the in-amino group of N(alpha)-acetyl-l-lysine amide gives rise to two diastereoisomeric products; at acid pH the free amino group is liberated with anchimeric assistance by the neighbouring protonated carboxyl group with a half-time of 4-5h at pH3.0 and 25 degrees C. 3. The amino groups of lysozyme can be completely blocked, with total loss of enzymic activity. Dialysis at pH3.0 results in complete recovery of the native primary and tertiary structure of lysozyme and complete return of catalytic activity. 4. The specificity of reaction of this and other anhydrides with amino groups in proteins is discussed.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1969

The comparative structure of mammalian glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenases.

1. The amino acid sequences around the thiol groups of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from badger and monkey skeletal muscle were compared with the sequences around the thiol groups in the enzyme isolated from other organisms. 2. Preliminary evidence of the existence of isoenzymes in the badger was obtained. Only the major form, however, could be purified completely. 3. The monkey enzyme contains only three cysteine residues per polypeptide chain compared with the four found in all the other mammalian enzymes so far examined, including that of badger, and the two in yeast. The missing thiol group in monkey was identified as residue 281 in the corresponding sequence of the pig enzyme. 4. These experiments rule out any essential role for cysteine-281 in the function of the mammalian enzymes. 5. Further evidence of the remarkable conservation of amino acid sequence in this enzyme during evolution is presented and discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1967

A diagonal paper-electrophoretic technique for studying amino acid sequences around the cysteine and cystine residues of proteins.

1. A diagonal electrophoretic technique for studying the amino acid sequence around cysteine and cystine residues in proteins is described. The residues are first converted into S-aminoethylcysteine, and the protein is then treated with S-ethyl trifluorothioacetate, which trifluoroacetylates all the protein amino groups. The modified protein is digested enzymically and the resulting peptides are separated by paper electrophoresis. After exposure of the peptides on the paper to ammonia vapour, the electrophoresis is repeated, this time at right angles to the original direction. Peptides from which a trifluoroacetyl group is removed by the ammonia treatment will vacate the 45 degrees diagonal formed by all other unaffected peptides owing to the exposure of an additional amino group and consequent increased electrophoretic mobility towards the cathode. Peptides containing lysine or S-aminoethylcysteine are readily purified by this technique. 2. The successful application of the technique to bovine insulin is described. 3. Various methods for distinguishing peptides containing lysine from those containing S-aminoethylcysteine in more complicated proteins are suggested and discussed.

Journal Article↗