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Biomedical subjects

S G Chaney

Publications and source records attributed to S G Chaney.

84 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Mechanism of eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibition by brusatol.

The mechanism by which brusatol inhibits protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes has been investigated. When added to reticulocyte lysates, brusatol inhibits endogenous protein synthesis only after a lag of 2-4 min at 30 degrees C. During this period 80 S ribosomes accumulate. Brusatol is equally effective in inhibiting endogenous protein synthesis in lysates and poly(U)-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis with runoff ribosomes. In fractionated reticulocyte systems, brusatol does not inhibit formation of the ternary, 40 S, and 80 S initiation complexes, but does inhibit the reaction of puromycin with initiation complexes containing [35S]Met-tRNAf. These data suggest that brusatol inhibits the peptidyl transferase elongation reaction of protein synthesis, but can do so only after one round of protein synthesis has been completed. Thus, the mechanism of action of brusatol in the rabbit reticulocyte system is very similar to the effects previously reported for bruceantin in a yeast system.

Animals↗

Guanine nucleotide metabolism in a mutant strain of Escherichia coli with a temperature sensitive lesion in rRNA synthesis.

We have described a mutant of Escherichia coli (designated 2S142) which shows specific inhibition of rRNA synthesis at 42 degrees C. ppGpp levels increase at the restrictive temperature, as expected. However, when the cells are returned to 30 degrees C, rRNA synthesis resumes before ppGpp levels have returned to normal. Furthermore, when ppGpp levels are decreased by the addition of tetracycline or choramphenicol, rRNA synthesis does not resume at 42 degrees C. Also, a derivative of 2S142 with a temperature-sensitive G factor (which cannot synthesize either protein or ppGpp at 42 degrees C) shows identical kinetics of rRNA shut-off at 42 degrees C as 2S142. Thus, the elevated ppGpp levels in this mutant do not appear to be directly responsible for the cessation of rRNA synthesis at 42 degrees C.

Escherichia coli↗

A new mutation affecting ribosomal RNA synthesis in Escherichia coli.

A temperature-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli is described. At the nonpermissive temperature there is a 12-fold reduction in the rate of rRNA synthesis, while tRNA and mRNA syntheses are affected to only a slight extent. Both protein and DNA syntheses also continue at nearly the normal rate. The mutation appears to affect the synthesis of 16S and 23S rRNA equally and has no detectable affect on rRNA maturation. The temperature-sensitive lesion appears to be caused by a single point mutation lying between minutes 21 and 27. It is suggested that this mutation seems to define a new genetic locus involved in the regulation of rRNA synthesis.

Edetic Acid↗

Escherichia coli mutants with altered ribosomal ribonucleic acid metabolism.

This paper reports the partial characterization of two temperature-sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli with alterations in ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) metabolism at the restrictive temperature. Both mutants continue to synthesize deoxyribonucleic acid and protein at 42 C but showed little or no accumulation of RNA. Both strains are inducible for beta-galactosidase at the restrictive temperature, showing that messenger RNA synthesis continues and that the messenger RNA is translated into functional protein. One of the strains, 2S474, shows a rather severe depression (sevenfold) in the synthesis of all classes of RNA at 42 C. In addition, the synthesis of rRNA is selectively depressed, with the percentage of rRNA synthesis. However, there appears to be a selective depression in the rate of rRNA synthesis and, possibly, in the conversion of p16S rRNA to m16S rRNA.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Escherichia coli mutants deficient in RNA accumulation at high temperature.

A selection technique is described which has permitted isolation of 10 mutants that continue to form protein, but are deficient in the accumulation of rRNA at 42 degrees C. DNA-RNA hybridization experiments have demonstrated that most of these mutants are specifically defective in their ability to synthesize rRNA at the restrictive temperature. The bulk of the pulse-labeled RNA formed in such mutants at 42 degrees C appears to be mRNA, with normal instability as measured in the presence of rifampicin. The remaining mutants appear to synthesize normal levels of rRNA, but that rRNA does not accumulate in a stable form. Since all of these mutants continue to form protein, and most do not accumulate significant levels of ppGpp at 42 degrees C, it appears likely that the shut-off of rRNA synthesis at 42 degrees C does not act through a lesion in the rel locus. Thus, these mutants may reveal another element(s) required to promote ribosomal RNA formation.

Bacterial Proteins↗

DNA adducts in human and patas monkey maternal and fetal tissues induced by platinum drug chemotherapy.

Platinum-DNA adducts in placenta and blood from a woman exposed to 200 mg/m2 of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) and 300 mg/m2 diamminecyclobutanedicarboxylatoplatinum(II) (carboplatin) for ovarian cancer have been documented by cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and atomic absorbance spectrometry (AAS). A patas monkey model was used to investigate transplacentally induced cisplatin-DNA damage in fetal tissues. During the last trimester of gestation, 5 patas monkeys were given multiple doses of cisplatin to mimic human ovarian cancer treatment. In spite of careful choice of dose and treatment conditions, cumulative toxicity occurred in monkeys given doses comparable on a mg/m2 basis to those received by the human. A total dose of 12 mg/m2 (0.625 mg/kg body weight), given in the last trimester, supported fetal viability, and multiple tissues, taken by cesarean section, were examined in the fetal monkeys. By cisplatin-DNA ELISA and AAS, maternal tissues from the monkey receiving the highest dose contained approximately twice as much DNA damage as the fetal tissues. A similar relationship was observed when we compared DNA adduct formation in fetal liver and biopsies of liver taken from the monkey dams at cesarean delivery. In all of the monkey pairs studied there were very significant levels of DNA damage in the placenta, and high adduct levels in brains of fetuses that survived treatment. Thus, cisplatin does cross the placenta in the patas monkey. These observations imply that the human fetus, for which the total maternal dose was approximately 5.4 mg platinum drug/kg body weight, may also have sustained some DNA damage.

Adult↗

Inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in P-388 lymphocytic leukemia cells in culture by sesquiterpene lactones.

Helenalin and bis (helenalinyl) malonate, sesquiterpene lactones, were shown to be cytotoxic against the growth of P-388 lymphocytic leukemia cells in culture. DNA and protein synthesis were reduced by these agents preferentially, with RNA synthesis being affected only marginally. This study focused on the identification of the enzyme target(s) responsible for the inhibition of DNA synthesis by the sesquiterpene lactones. Purine synthesis was strongly inhibited at the IMP dehydrogenase step. Suppression of IMP dehydrogenase activity and purine synthesis paralleled the DNA synthesis inhibition with respect to both dose dependence and time of incubation with drug. Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools in the P-388 cells were significantly reduced by both drugs and the DNA polymerase alpha activity was only moderately inhibited by both drugs in cytoplasmic preparation. However, inhibition of a partially purified DNA polymerase alpha was of a much greater magnitude. Activity of the ribonucleotide reductase complex was reduced by more than 50% at 100 microM concentration of either drug. The drugs appeared to affect the hydrogen donor system of the reductase complex, since the activity of the ribonucleotide reductase enzyme itself was not affected but both thioredoxin and glutaredoxin were markedly inactivated by the sesquiterpene lactones. Thymidylate synthetase activity was not affected by the sesquiterpene lactones in P-388 cells. These data suggest that the inhibition of IMP dehydrogenase and the ribonucleotide reductase complex activities by helenalin and bis (helenalinyl) melonate was the primary reason for the observed inhibition of DNA synthesis, but that inhibition of DNA polymerase alpha may also play a role. The inhibition of the sensitive enzymes is likely to be related to drug alkylation of thiol active groups of the enzymes in a manner similar to the action of N-ethylmaleimide. The mode of action of helenalin and bis (helenalinyl) malonate does not appear to be similar to that of the parthenolide-type sesquiterpene lactones which contain an epoxide moiety.

Animals↗